In most cases, college football programs tend to thrive in a particular aspect on the offensive side of the ball.
Some programs excel at throwing the football, while others want to run the ball down your throat and don't care if you know it or not.
In rare occasions, some programs have the ability and star power to be good at both, as is the case with UNC's next opponent, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.
East Tennessee State's offense could be a problem for UNC's defense
Of course, the sample size is rather small (and the quality of opponents might not be the greatest in terms of strength of schedule), but this East Tennessee offense has proven it can score the football essentially at will.
Averaging 42.50 points per game, the Buccaneers don't rely on one particular plan to move the ball. In fact, they are legitimately the most balanced team in college football, having ran the exact same amount of running and passing plays thus far this season.
We'd have to do some research, but we'd say it's a safe bet that East Tennessee might just be the only team in the country to accomplish that rare feat.
Mason Mims, a former Louisville Cardinal, leads the offense for the Buccaneers, coming into this game with 615 passing yards and five touchdowns this season. What makes his success through the air even more impressive is the fact that he's connected with 10 different receivers, eight of which have multiple receptions.
Suderian Harrison has been the "go-to guy" in the passing game, as he leads the way with eight catches for 170 yards and a touchdown. However, a trio of receivers are on the verge of surpassing the 100-yard mark already this season, which goes to show that Mims has made a concerted effort to spread the love.
If you thought it was different in the running game, think again! TJ Peyton has earned the most snaps, coming in with 26 carries for 201 yards and three scores, but five other running backs have 9+ carries on the year.
An easy way to look at this team is simple: they are extremely balanced in terms of scheme and go very deep in the depth chart, proving just how confident they are in the collection of talent they have.
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For Bill Belichick and UNC, the challenge is simple: how do you slow down this well-balanced attack?
Do you try to take one of the elements out of the game and force them to rely heavily on the other? Is the game plan set to expose an area of weakness that might help UNC gain an advantage?
All we know is this: Belichick has a plan, and, just as he showed in the win over TCU, he's still very much capable of making adjustments on the fly to help put his team in a position to succeed.
When you look at this game on the schedule, you might not be impressed by the quality of opponent. However, this team is a good FCS test for the Tar Heels as they aim to build upon their win in Ireland during Week 0 action.
TCU's new-look offense didn't provide much of a challenge, but the Buccaneers should at least give North Carolina a challenge when they meet at Kenan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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