We lost, but we won as well…

UNC 24 - LSU 30

Let’s start with the bad in this game: snap issues, which cost us a touchdown, special teams, which cost us over 320 yards in field position and a touchdown, Marvin Austin and the rest of the players that were not allowed to play being at the game, which to me is mind blowing. And to that I will say this: thanks for giving the media more fuel for the fire, and will post what one tweeter said about them being at the Georgia Dome. These players being at the game is like being fired from your job and showing up at the Christmas party anyways. If you notice I did not include the fact that North Carolina (0-1) lost the game to LSU (1-0) in the bad, because anyone that watched the game can not say that this was bad for this squad. This team could have quit once they found out about the scandals, once all the players were pulled for the game, at half time when down by 20, with a minute down by a touchdown and LSU getting the ball. They didn’t, they fought on and even if the lost 30 to 24 it was a game that made UNC fans celebrate and give the team a standing ovation while LSU’s fans were not too happy with what they saw.

The one thing I saw that this game gave UNC is the media going from “the scandals talk” to “what this team did being so short handed”. Does that mean the spotlight is going to go away? No, but it is going to show that the players, all of the players, on this team work and are coached hard, and that they will come up and fight for it. As a Heel, as one that covers the team in my blog, as one that loves my school, I am proud to be part of the “Carolina Family” after witnessing this game.

Sure, if you go to the web boards there are people believing that either the players or the coaching staff or both gave up for some of the game. To those I say this: undermanned, with so many distractions, this game could have been a mess, instead it was one that anyone that roots for UNC should be proud to have supported their team.

Even if the game didn’t begin too well, as the first two drives by North Carolina (0-1) resulted into two fumbles recovered by LSU (1-0) deep in Carolina territory. First didn’t hurt head coach Butch Davis’ squad as the opponents missed a field goal, while the second gave LSU a 7-0 lead. From then on UNC played well going up 10 to 7 in the game and it could have been 14 to 7 if not for a dropped pass to his wide open full back Devon Ramsay. The next drive the Tigers would go back up on a 50 yard run and would push the score to 14-10, then 16-0 on a safety by the Heels, 23-10 with a kick return and 30-10 with a 30 yard touchdown pass. In fact all of the four touchdowns by LSU were of 30 or more yards in length. Yes, the first half was full of big plays by LSU or by big mistakes by UNC. I know I never leave the game, no matter how good or bad, but I have to wonder how many “of our fans” were changing channel or leaving their seats because of the score and the way things were going.

Bad move if you did either! The third quarter was scoreless and in the fourth it was time for the fan base to see what it means to be a Heel. 17 to 30 with the longest play ever by a North Carolina team, going 97 yards from T.J. Yates (28 for 46 for 410 YDs ~ 3 TDs) to wide out Jheranie Boyd (6 receptions ~ 221 YDs ~ 1 TD), becoming only the fourth player to have 200+ yards in one game. Boyd had just 214 yards all of last year, so if this is the view of things to come, they look good. Then, with two and a half minutes to go Yates hits another receiver, Erik Highsmith (3 rec ~ 26 YDS ~ 1 TD) to make it 24 to 30. Onside kick that is recovered by UNC and then reviewed and upheld gives Yates one more chance, but on fourth down he is sacked and stripped. Game Over? Not yet, these young men, with all their heart got one more shot at the end zone as Quan Sturdivant recovers a fumble and gives Carolina one more shot with 30 seconds to go. The QB hits several players to bring his squad to the 6 yard line with six seconds to go. First pass to his favorite target, tight end Zach Pianalto, is not able to hold on to the first pass and it seems to be pass interference (with no call) in the second pass as the clock read 0:00. He would say this after the game about the two passes: “I just dropped both of them. TJ threw gr8 balls & I dnt come up w/ the catch.” (quote thanks to TarHeelMonthly).

We lost, we should have won if not for mistakes made outside the gridiron, but we won (in a way) because these young man could have given up many times during the last few days. They did none of that and they battled, they worked hard and they did all they could, and whatever the final was, that is a victory in the “improvement/moral” column, which is what we all wanted to see. Now, with two weeks of practice with the players we know will be able to be on the field the coaching staff might have enough time to get the team even better than they were tonight. Because in the end it was not the missing players that hurt North Carolina, it was the basics. The worst being the snaps that resulted in several fumbles and seven points for the Tigers. But there is more to work on and I am sure coach Davis and his staff will get it done.

And now what? First off, for all that had said “the season is over” put the funeral on hold, cause this team showed plenty of life! Sure, we can keep patting each other on the back, but the reality is that North Carolina will come home with a loss and not a win, which means they have lots and lots of work ahead of them. Of course it also would be nice if the NCAA told the university the final results so that the coaching staff will know who can play and who can’t, but as we all know that might not happen anytime soon. Time will tell how good this squad can become, and for now that time is two weeks long!

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