Countdown to Kickoff: The UNC Offensive Line Preview
By WFP
Aug 30, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) drops back to pass against the Liberty Flames at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Liberty Flames 56-29. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Check out the first installments of the Countdown to Kick Off Series Here
Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers
Let’s take a trip back to 2012, Larry Fedora’s first season in Chapel Hill. The season introduced Carolina fans to a high scoring offense and a system that looked showed it could be successful in the ACC.
Coming out of spring ball, there’s a tad of excitement for a group that’s not been too terribly exciting in recent memory.
Now travel to 2013 and 2014. Carolina’s offense on paper gave the team a shot regardless of the opponent, only to disappoint from the pre-season expectation many in the fan base felt. What stood out on those three teams? Were there any similarities? Any differences? What propelled the offense to another level in 2012? What prevented the offense from reaching the 2012 level the last couple of year?
The answer lies within the consistency of the offensive line play. In 2012, Bryn Renner and Giovanni Bernard moved the ball at will behind as good of an offensive line as Chapel Hill has ever seen. In the past couple of seasons, an offensive line plagued by youth, inconsistencies, and injuries hindered the skill Carolina had at the perimeter. Coming out of spring ball, there’s a tad of excitement for a group that’s not been too terribly exciting in recent memory. Finally, UNC’s offensive line could be good or even great again.
Let’s start off with the guys protecting our QB’s blind side: Left Tackle…