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Appalachian State’s football team heads into Saturday’s highly anticipated showdown with North Carolina the more experienced team. Though the numbers suggest that isn't the case across the board.
App has more old guys who have played more FBS football than the Tar Heels. In truth, however, UNC’s combined snap counts among the players on its depth chart is almost the same as App State’s. But there are differences, which we explored by digging into the numbers.
First, App lists 54 players on its depth chart for this week’s game that have appeared in an FBS game on either offense or defense, which is the parameter used in researching this information. That does not include a pair of three-year starters at the FCS level: offensive guard Bucky Williams starred at Austin Peay, and cornerback Dexter Lawson was a standout at Central Connecticut State. Both were all-conference players.
The 54 Mountaineers on the depth chart that have appeared in a game on either offense or defense have played a total of 26,420 snaps. That’s an average of 489.3 per player. Among them, 11 have been in for 1,000 or more snaps; seven on offense and four on defense.
Only 16, however, have played fewer than 150 career snaps.
As for the Tar Heels, 50 players on the depth chart have appeared in a game on either offense or defense for a total of 24,242 snaps, an average of 484.8 per player. Interestingly, the most experienced player on each side of the ball played their first games at UNC this past weekend.
Center Corey Gaynor transferred from Miami last winter and now has 2,169 snaps. Jack DE/OLB Noah Taylor transferred from Virginia over the winter and has now has 1,963 snaps. So, 4,000 of the accumulated snaps for the UNC side occurred when those two players were in other programs.
Overall, ten Tar Heels have played 1,000 or more snaps. But perhaps the biggest difference between the two teams is that 26 of Carolina’s 50 players on the depth chart have fewer than 150 career snaps. That’s 52 percent, compared to 25.9 percent for the Mountaineers.
Breaking it down a bit more, here are some other interesting snap notes:
Note: All players noted are only ones that have appeared in a game at the FBS level.
*App State RB Daetrich Harrington is listed fifth on the depth chart at that position and has played 523 career snaps. UNC’s entire running back room, which consists of five players, has combined total of 435 snaps, with 83 coming in the win over FAMU last weekend.
*UNC has 16 offensive skill players listed, which includes three tight ends, two QBs, five RBs, and six WRs, and they average 204.9 career snaps each. Senior TE Kamari Morles has 651, senior WR Justin Olson has 581, and junior WR Josh Downs has 985. The other 13 have played 1,062 snaps for an average of 81.7 per player, and keep in mind most of that took place last weekend.
*12 of UNC’s 16 listed offensive skill players have fewer than 150 career snaps.
*On the flipside, UNC’s offensive line is quote grizzled, even though it is new together as a unit. Two starters are transfers; Gaynor from Miami and tackle Spencer Rolland from Harvard. Overall, UNC has four offensive linemen with 1,000 or more career snaps at the FBS level, not including Rolland, who was a starter at Harvard.
App State, on the other hand, lists just five defensive linemen on its depth chart that have appeared in an FBS game on defense, and none have played more than 866 snaps, and they collectively average 376.4 per player. UNC’s o-line, which consists of nine players with FBS experience, averages 860.2 snaps. But it should be noted that includes four players with 102 or fewer career snaps at this level.
*App State QBs Chase Brice (2,063 snaps) and Brady McBride (1,150 snaps) have combined to play 3,213 snaps compared to UNC QBs Drake Maye (113) and Jacolby Criswell (104), but just 48 of those combined snaps have come against FBS teams. So, 169 of their 217 snaps have been versus FCS teams.
*UNC has an edge in experience in its secondary over the Mountaineers. Four Tar Heels in the back of their defense have logged 1,000 or more career snaps versus just one from App State. Ten Heels back there have combined for 4,532 snaps, but 22 of those belong to a pair of true freshmen that played their first game last weekend. App has just three players between 586 and 1,091 career snaps.
*App State lists four linebacker positions on its depth chart, with nine players noted. Eight of them have appeared on defense in an FBS game totaling 6,050 snaps, which is an average of 756.3. UNC listed just four players at two linebacker spots for a combined 1,006 snaps, which is an average of 251.6. Cedric Gray has played 734 snaps, Power Echols 219, Rara Dillworth 50, and true freshman Sebastian Cheeks was in for three snaps in the opener.
THI's Take:
App is clearly the more experienced team in the skill areas, but UNC has plenty in the trenches, which is where games are won. Carolina’s skill guys include plenty of 4-star talents, so if the line does its job playing to its experience levels, it will give the talented players a chance to make some plays and get a victory.
The overall grizzled edge goes to App State, but the talent edge clearly goes to UNC. It will be interesting to see which wins out.
