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UNC Football: Tar Heels drop season finale to Wolfpack

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Larry Fedora of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches during their game against the California Golden Bears at Kenan Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Cal won 35-30. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Larry Fedora of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches during their game against the California Golden Bears at Kenan Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Cal won 35-30. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Tar Heels fall to Wolfpack in season finale

The North Carolina football program has obviously seen better days, and they weren’t all that long ago. For now, though, the Tar Heels will have to find solace in putting an end to a difficult 2017 season and looking forward to brighter days ahead.

After dropping their season finale to crosstown rival NC State, the Tar Heels fall to 3-9 on the season, finishing with just one conference victory to seven losses. It seems worth noting that the team’s lone conference win came against Pittsburgh, who managed to come away with a victory over No. 2 Miami on Friday afternoon.

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In North Carolina’s latest defeat, sophomore quarterback Nathan Elliott performed well enough, completing 21-of-45 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He did, however, throw a couple of costly interceptions, but the blame for this loss falls far from him.

Anthony Ratliff-Williams did his normal thing, catching five passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Ratliff-Williams has clearly established himself as the Tar Heels’ No. 1 option on offense, racking up 35 receptions for 630 yards and six touchdowns on the season. And considering he continued to find ways to get open and catch balls when he was the team’s only legitimate deep threat for most of the season is quite impressive.

Blame could certainly be placed on the lack of discipline that the Tar Heels showed on both sides of the ball, committing 12 penalties for an egregious 127 yards. There’s also the lack of third down efficiency that the North Carolina offense displayed, converting just four of its 14 attempts.

And yet there are those who would put most of the blame on the North Carolina coaching staff, as they have all season. And that is most definitely an argument that has validity. It’s also an argument that is bound to bring up questions during the offseason that will require answers before the Tar Heels suit up for spring football.

The Tar Heels have a nice recruiting class to look forward to in 2018 that, combined with a slightly healthier roster, could bear fruit. And while there is no sense dwelling on the results of this season, there is certainly purpose in delving into some of the issues that caused the Tar Heels trouble over the last 12 games.

Next: Wayne Ellington may have found a permanent home

Thanks for sticking with Keeping It Heel throughout the 2017 football season. Hang on tight as we gear up for an exciting basketball season that, early on, has the looks of another possible deep run in March.

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