UNC Football: Rucker and defensive line dominate in pass rush
By Jordan Falls
The UNC football program had an impressive defensive performance Saturday night against South Carolina, led by Kaimon Rucker.
What a step forward for the UNC football program to make on the defensive side of the ball in the opening game against South Carolina!
It all started up front with the defensive line and creating pressure on the Gamecocks, led by none other than senior Kaimon Rucker.
We have heard how much the Tar Heels defense has improved this offseason in year two under defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, but until we saw it on the field, no UNC football fan was buying into that storyline. After Saturday night, that narrative may just be changing.
The Tar Heel defense was dominant, and Rucker was one of the leaders in creating that pressure.
Rucker had eight tackles, tied for second-most on the team Saturday night. Six of those were solo tackles, while five and a half of those were tackles for loss to go along with a team-high two sacks.
The Tar Heel defense in 2022 only had 17 sacks and 54 tackles for loss across all 14 games. In the 2023 season opener against South Carolina, they had nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss! In one game, they achieved over 50% of their sack total from last year and over 30% of their tackles for loss.
You can easily say that Rucker was the ring leader in making this happen.
Florida State transfer Amari Gainer also was responsible for two sacks, tying Rucker for most on the team. In typical fashion, UNC football star linebacker Cedric Gray was also in on the action, responsible for 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss.
North Carolina’s defense was known for missing tackles and letting big plays happen in 2022. On Saturday night, almost on every play, a tackle was made almost immediately after the first defender made contact, and not many Gamecocks escaped after being wrapped up.
The coaching staff has added depth and talent up front through the transfer portal and recruiting, and they took a big step forward in Charlotte. Now we’ll have to wait and see if this was a fluke or if this defensive unit is going to cause havoc all season long.
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