Once again UNC comes up just short in bowl
Greg Little's first TD
For the second time in two years UNC goes to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in nearby Charlotte, N.C. and for the second time in two appearances at the Bank of America Stadium they come out with a “close but no cigar” performance, losing by one point last year and by two this time around. When it was all said and done North Carolina (8-5) lost to #17 Pittsburgh (10-3) by the final of 19 to 17, with the Panthers getting a 8+ minute drive in the fourth quarter that would end with the game winning field goal. UNC would get the ball back with about a minute, but would not be able to get a 4th and 10 conversion and that would be the game. On a side note, who truly lost was the bowl itself, as it only had 50,000 spectators (smallest crowd in bowl’s history) witness a good game between two coaches that know one another for what seems a lifetime.
But before all of that happened there are a couple of plays that marked this game as far as Carolina is concerned.The T.J. Yates interception when North Carolina is knocking on Pitt’s door was a crucial mistake. Had he thrown that pass away the Heels would have gotten an extra three points and the Panthers would have had to find the end zone in order to win this game and not just a field goal. That would have changed the whole game around. I once again do not like how the coaching staff goes about the last minute of the first half, only rushing three and giving a very good quarterback, Bill Stull (17 for 24 ~ 163 yds ~ 0 TDs ~ 0 INTs), way too much time to find his receivers as Carolina went to zone coverage. And finally, on Pittsburgh game winning drive, the offside on 4th and 3 to give the Panthers an automatic first down and letting them use more time on the clock and get an easier shot at three.
So the reality could truly be that this game was lost a bit by everyone. (Get out the good ole cliche “you win and lose as a team”) On offense the QB made a costly mistake, but the young receivers dropped a few they shouldn’t have and the line opened up a couple of times giving up costly sacks, including back to back ones that drop the Heels out of field goal range. In all Yates didn’t have a bad night, going 19 for 32 for 183 yards ~ 2 TDs and 1 INT, but as is usually the case, when you lose the game the mistakes loom a lot larger than they would in a victory. In this case, the interception as UNC is inside the ten of Pittsburgh just cames out as the difference in this game.
The defense did a good job for the most part, even if they didn’t find a way to get that “game changing” turnover that could have propelled Carolina to a victory and, especially in the first half, and let frosh running back Dion Lewis run around a bit too much. In all the back had 159 yards (on 28 attempts) and a TD, 100 yards and the touchdown came in the first half. That’s pretty big when you think that nine times this season the UNC D didn’t allow teams to get 100 yards in a full game. On the other hand, the defensive unit had plenty of good stops and plays in this game. I hate to say this (cause it is way too early to turn our attention from this game) the biggest concern I have with the defense is more about who is going to head to the pro ranks than anything else. From an article that just came out on WRAL that defensive back Duenta Williams will be back in 2010, while fellow team mate Kendric Burney was not as sure of it.
I know that this is a coaching strategy and style but to me the last minute of the first half could have gone differently if Carolina had blitzed Stull just a bit and not sat back and let him find the gaps in the zone defense. Sure, blitzing could have turned into disaster as Pitt found the one on one match up for a touchdown, but it also could have turned into a sack or a hurried pass that is picked off (see what happened to Yates). Guess what I am saying is that “no risk, no reward” was played here and it gave Pitt both a field goal and some momentum going into the locker rooms at half time. If I am not mistaken (and if I am let me know), but I felt like Pitt ran the same passing play three different times for about the same amount of yards gained each and every time.
And the last play, the one that might hurt the most, is the special team jumping off side and giving Pittsburgh a first down. Sure, the way the Panthers’ kicker was hitting them (finishing 4 for 5 on the night) he could have easily made the field goal, but it would have give the Heels almost two extra minutes and a pair of extra time outs. With just one time out and very few ticks left on the clock UNC could not use it and on two different fourth downs the coaching staff and the offense could not “talk about it”. Had they had all three time outs that would have changed and having about 90 extra seconds the play calling would not always had been ten yards or longer.
I need to mention running back Ryan Houston, who had a good game overall and did a good job moving the chain carrying for almost 90 yards and grabbing two catches as well, and wide out Greg Little, who had both of the touchdowns for the Heels. Both of them should be back and that is already a positive note for the fan base to have when they think about the 2010 season.
In the next week or so I will give you my thoughts about how the whole season went in my mind, but for now I can say that this year was a roller coaster ride for the most part, so it is only fitting to end it with a bowl game that was that type of ride as well. I know two things for sure, first the haters/ABC’ers will give us grief for the loss, but I also know that this game could have gone either way for the whole game. It wasn’t the prettiest of games, it was not a high scoring affair, but for someone who loves the game, it was a good fought game that was won in the trenches by two or three plays going one way instead of the other.
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