Film Room: Georgia Tech Review – Finally Starting to Click

I tell you what, it sure is a ton more enjoyable re-watching a victory rather than a loss. While this North Carolina football squad of 2014 is far from perfect, I was very encouraged how this team built on their efforts since the second half against Clemson. The Tar Heels finally beat a pesky Georgia Tech squad that’s owned their number the last two decades. From my blind eye, Carolina’s seemed to clot what look like a hemorrhaging season a month ago. In my preview from last week, I noted that the keys to victory dealt were as follows:

1. The Offense  needed to maintain possession and to control the clock

2. Force Justin Thomas to be spectacular, and

3. Minimize the damage of the Triple Option Attack

Of those keys to victory, Carolina really only executed  consistently on one of those keys to victory. Let’s first focus on the two K2V they didn’t.

I stressed that Carolina needed to force Justin Thomas, the Georgia Tech quarterback to be spectacular, and Justin Thomas nearly was. Outside of an early turnover on a bum pitch, Justin Thomas carved his way running through and picked apart this secondary of the Carolina defense. In the first Justin Thomas runs the option to perfection. Carolina doesn’t match up on the pitch guy, Thomas sprints towards his read and pitches at the last second. His perfect execution results in a 2nd and long first down conversion(one of many).

While Thomas’s stat line is nothing to drive home about (8-18 for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, and 36 yards on the ground), number 5 for GT carried out his reads efficiently and effectively, hoisted several big plays and nearly stole a come from behind victory after rallying from 11 points down.

Carolina seemed to clot what look like a hemorrhaging season a month ago.

For the minimizing the damage of the Triple Option Attack key, Carolina for all intensive purposes minimized this offense enough to outscore their defense. To remind y’all on those 4 keys on stopping the TOO, let’s review: 1. Take Away the Dive 2. Force Justin Thomas to beat you (as I covered before, he nearly did) 3. Force Turnovers and get stops 4. Offense must pile it on early and keep a lead First, Carolina struggled to stop the drive. Out of Zach Laskey, Georgia Tech’s Fullback’s, 15 carries only 4 were resulted in short gains (2 yards or less). Laskey found the end zone twice and rumbled and grinded his way through Carolina’s front seven.

It’s clear to me this defense still has plenty of work to do.

We’ve covered Thomas so thirdly, I challenged this Carolina defense to force turnovers and generate stops on defense. Georgia Tech held 10 true possessions this game and those resulted in points in 8 of those.

Even with a

number one offensive ranking in the F + statistical rankings, Carolina’s defense should not give up points 80% of the time any opponent possesses the football. It’s clear to me this defense still has plenty of work to do. The defense blew several assignments, took terrible angles and gave up countless big play, including this one:

[Editor’s note: Watch Malik Simmons, number 11 on that play. He does no good by standing in no man’s land and not committing to guarding either the quarterback or the running back. That’s bad defense right there.]

Now to focus on the positives Let me first tell you all that I’m a firm believer that at the college level, if your offense puts 35-38 points on the board, you should win any ball game. This offense has produced those results in most of the ballgames this year. For much of Saturday, Carolina’s offense ran this offense the way they’re supposed to, thus carrying through that ever important 4th key to stopping the triple option attack. Fedora and Littrell used a solid blend of a rushing and short passing attack that wore this Georgia Tech defense down. I was so fired up at how running backs TJ Logan and Romar Morris ran the ball with authority this past Saturday:

Both of those vines highlight how well the offensive line played in the run game but I should also mention how well the Hawgs protected Marquise Williams and the rest of the backs. Very few negative plays, and great blitz pick ups highlight this line’s night and day improvement.

Before I close I do want to give credit where credit’s due: Carolina’s defense did provide us with a text book three and out to give the ball back to a scorching offense. Lee Pace of GoHeels.com provided the world with this video:

1. Travis Hughes finally makes a play, beating GT to the edge and forces a 2nd and long 2. Carolina defends the triple option perfection, taking away the dive, the pitch option and attacks Justin Thomas resulting in a 3rd and very long 3. Jailbreak blitz results in Thomas throwing the ball away and Paul Johnson has to PUNT! I can finally close this year’s chapter of defending Death by a Thousand Cuts and look forward to this Saturday against my hated rival (I grew up in a Virginia Tech household) for Carolina’s bid to extend their dominance over UVA Football to 5 in a row. With many phases of the game starting to click, I’m exuding much more confidence heading to C-Ville than I would have been a month ago.

Cheers, @FootbawFrat