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CHAPEL HILL – The narrative that North Carolina can’t win football games away from home has vanished into thin air this season because the Tar Heels have flipped that script.
Through three games away from Kenan Stadium thus far, UNC is 3-0. Considering it had dropped seven consecutive games away from home heading into the campaign, this qualifies as a significant positive for the program and the 2022 team.
“That’s definitely something exciting to hear considering we were (0-7) previous to this year on the last eight road games,” junior linebacker Cedric Gray said after the Tar Heels beat Miami on the road last weekend. “Starting off the year 3-0 on the road is definitely big and is definitely something we can hang our hat on and be happy about.”
UNC opened its road slate escaping Appalachian State, 63-61, after allowing six touchdowns (40 points) in the fourth quarter. A week later, the Heels overcame Georgia State blanking the Panthers in the final period in a 35-28 victory.
And last Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, Carolina took control of the game early and kept making enough plays on defense to maintain a stronghold on the game. The final two plays were signs the much-maligned defense at least has a knack for stepping up when it’s most needed.
They stopped a two-point conversion attempt to hold off App State, and got an interception with eight seconds remaining to end Miami’s hopes at a comeback win. The play before that, Gray made a tackle keeping a Hurricanes’ receiver inbounds so the clock never stopped, and Miami was rushed leading to DeAndre Boykins’ decisive interception.
“It’s guys just stepping up when the time’s needed,” junior receiver Josh Downs said. “Dre Boykins got that game-saving pick, and he ended the game right then and there.”
The last time Carolina won three consecutive road games was in 2016, when the Tar Heels actually won four straight at Illinois, Florida State, Miami, and Virginia.
The road woes weren’t entirely an issue in UNC Coach Mack Brown’s first two seasons back in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels were 5-5 in true road games in 2019 and 2020, plus 2-1 at neutral sites. But including a loss to Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl capping the 2020 campaign, the Heels dropped seven consecutive contests.
They were 0-5 in true road games a year ago and lost the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to South Carolina. The win at Miami was also UNC’s fourth straight over the Hurricanes, something Brown also noted during his weekly press conference Monday.
“Four in a row over a brand-name program like Miami, winning three consecutive games on the road, which is really, really special,” Brown said. “First time since 2016 for a program that didn’t win a game on the road last year.”
Some critics have sounded off either about the quality of UNC’s road opponents or how those games have played out, but the Heels don’t care. They were 6-7 overall a year ago, so winning however it comes, especially on the road, is just fine by them.
“We were kind of tired of losing last year,” Downs said. “We’re happy being 5-1 and need one more win to tie last year.”
That could come on the road this weekend when UNC visits Duke for an 8 PM kickoff (ACC Network). And if the Heels nab a win at Wallace Wade Stadium, the new narrative may again be about their play away from home, but as road warriors.
