TCU runs at will
It doesn't matter if Larry Fedora, Mack Brown, or apparently Bill Belichick is in charge. The UNC football program is incapable of stopping the run. This grim reality was laid bare in front of a national audience last night in humiliating fashion.
TCU ran the ball 35 times for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The Horned Frogs converted 7/12 third downs, and ran for a first down on fourth-and-4, just to rub salt in the wound. They stacked 29 first downs and never let UNC's bewildered defense rest.
In many ways, this was the worst possible opening opponent North Carolina could hope for. TCU runs a lot of looks that aim to get the defense out of their sets, and can operate at tempo, compounding errors. UNC could have used the Charlotte or Richmond game as a season-opener to work the kinks out, but alas, they had to learn the hard way that they are not ready for prime time.
A lot was made about the new coaching staff having the team run live tackling drills during training camp. Whatever benefit that was supposed to deliver was not on display as the Tar Heels consistently failed to get runners on the ground, missed sack opportunities despite getting hands on quarterback Josh Hoover, and simply could not get a big stop on third down when it mattered most.
And just because UNC got ran all over, don't think that the secondary was shutting things down through the air. The Horned Frogs had 284 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. TCU wide receiver Jordan Dwyer caught all seven of his first-half targets for 92 yards and a touchdown (nine catches and 136 receiving yards for the game). Most of those catches were against Marcus Allen, who had a rough night at the office. TCU picked on Allen the way a little kid does to a knee scab.