This lost will sting a lot

After having thought about it for a while I am still left wondering what the heck happened at Kenan Stadium last night. A holding that might not have been there, an interception as the team was in control, a 98 yards touchdown pass from the opposition and a last chance attempt managed very badly. Those to me seem to be the four key issues in the game that saw North Carolina go from being in control to losing to Florida State by the final of 30 to 27. So many cliches could be used to describe this game, unfortunately none would be good, especially when you know that this FSU team was beatable, very beatable. The one that I am going to use is pretty simple: “it is what it is”. I am sure of one thing however, if North Carolina does not go to a bowl game the fan base will remember this game and blame it for staying home in the post season.

The reality is pretty simple however. Halfway through the third quarter the Tar Heels were leading by the score of 24 to 6, then FSU outscored UNC 24 to 3. Looking around the internet the one quote that wraps up what I am thinking is this one:

“It’s too frustrating,” cornerback Kendric Burney said. “I don’t know what to say or how to explain anything right now. It tears you apart.”

It is frustrating watching a game that could have been won go down as a loss for this team that truly has talent (especially on defense), but somehow finds a way to get itself into trouble when there is no need to do so. Even more so when you look and see that Florida State had 121 yards of penalty yards called on them (the `Noles were flagged 16 times). But while the last 20 minutes were the downfall in the game I will not say this was a tale of two halves, since North Carolina should have had a much bigger lead than 17 to 6 against a team that only gained 100 yards. Again I say to you: “it is what it is” when it comes to this game.

But let’s get back to the four things that changed this game. First, the 81 yard touchdown reception by Jhey Boyd that would have put the Tar Heels up 24-3 in the first half. If you watched the game, the way the `Noles were playing, this could have been the play that broke their backs. Instead what happens is a “so-so” holding call that stops UNC’s drive and gives the ball back to FSU, who manages to get a field goal before the half. From 21 points to 11, this was a 10 points swing that truly hurt head coach Butch Davis’ team.

The second and third plays come together. T.J. Yates threw a real bad pass down the field, that was easily intercepted, as the Heels were still in control of the game and were looking to score once again. I was on twitter and said this of the play responding to another Tar Heel: “@A_E_M Those play go under “since we are winning” and then might be categorized as “very costly” RT @JasonPeck: Yates… That was uncalled for“. A few seconds later we could definitely put this play under “very costly” as Florida State scored on a 98 yard pass play, the longest play ever at Kenan Stadium.

The last was not a play, but the last set of plays to end the game. Up to this moment I think that offensive coordinator John Shoop called a good game, but throwing all these small passes for small gains just did not help the Tar Heels who had no time outs and little time left on the clock. The reality is that this game was being won on the ground and once Carolina had to rely on the passing game to score they just could not do it. The fact that they got the ball back with so little time however does not fall on John Shoop but more on Davis, who choose to punt with about five minutes to go, instead of going for it on a 4th and four/five yards.

In the end what is there to say? It could have been a win, but it wasn’t. It was nice to see the offense play well, but they were playing against a defense that is not that good. It was great to see Kenan Stadium rocking, but thinking how much more a win would have helped getting the fan base bigger and stronger. But, as I said before, “it is what it is”, and today the Heels are now 4 and 3, with two of those wins coming against Division IAA opponents, and still winless in the conference. Now the coaching staff and the team have to get back to the drawing board for another Thursday night game against a 5 and 2 (3-1 in the ACC) Virginia Tech on the road.

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