UNC Football Positional Grades vs. Clemson
Sep 27, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams (12) looks to pass the ball during the second quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Offense: B-
That first quarter was pathetic. The Heels gained just 46 yards and three first downs as Clemson built a 10-0 lead. That lead would stretch to 20-0, before the Heels could get anything going offensively. If you go down twenty points to Clemson, with defensive stars like Vic Beasley and Mackensie Alexander, it’s going to be very tough to come back.
But give the Heels credit: they did come back. The offense kept the team in the game, bringing the game within one or two touchdowns several times. If the defense had been just a little bit better, then the game could have turned out differently.
Marquise Williams had his best game this season, throwing for 345 yards and 4 touchdowns. He did a very good job getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers, like on Ryan Switzer’s 75-yard touchdown and T.J. Thorpe’s 41-yard touchdown. He did throw an interception and had an intentional grounding penalty that led to a safety, but he looked much better than he has in the past.
Elijah Hood also had a good day, gaining 71 yards on thirteen carries. It looks like the coaches have decided that he will be the main running back for Carolina, as he got the vast majority of snaps on Saturday.
I was also very pleased with Mack Hollins. He had a sick one-handed touchdown catch, his third of the year. He has developed into one of the primary targets for Williams.
Most of all, I was pleased that Carolina was able to finish drives. This has been a huge problem in the last couple weeks, but UNC was good on Saturday. They scored a touchdown five out of the six times they went into Clemson territory, which was a huge improvement over previous weeks.
The Heels traded scores with Clemson throughout much of the second half, and showed that they can be a very productive offense. Hopefully they will build on it in future games.