ACC Blogger Football Preview Countdown – Coastal #4: UNC

Posted by Brandon Rink on June 29, 2010 under ACC Football | Comments are off for this article

The Tar Heels bring a host of returning starters, and talented players at that – but it’s tough sledding in the Coastal Division in 2010.

Projected Record: *Edited 07/22* 8-4 (4-4 ACC)
Returning Starters: 21 (10 on offense and 9 on defense; 2 on special teams)
Schedule Difficulty in ACC: Seventh.
Offense Rides On… QB decision-making skills. Whether Yates or Renner, UNC has a couple weapons – somebody just has to get them the ball effectively.
Defensive Deficiency: Depth? UNC’s defense is stout all over, but beyond the stars that start, UNC is hoping some young players step-up.
Keyword: Points – scoring them. With UNC’s defense, they won’t need a whole lot of them, but the Heels were last in the ACC in red zone efficiency in 2009.

Position by Position Grades (2009 Stats)

QB: C
MVP: T.J. Yates (2,136 passing yards with 14 TDs/15 INTs in 2009)
Gotta Step-Up: T.J. Yates

RB: B
MVP: Ryan Houston (713 rushing yards and 9 TDs in 2009)
Gotta Step-Up: Shaun Draughn (567 yards and 1 TD)

WR/TE: B+
MVP: WR Greg Little (724 receiving yards and 5 TDs)
Gotta Step-Up: WR Erik Highsmith (425 and 2 TDs)

OL: B
MVP: RT Mike Ingersoll
Gotta Step-Up: LT Carl Gaskins

DL: A
MVP: DE Robert Quinn (11 sacks, 19 tackles for loss)
Gotta Step-Up: DT Marvin Austin (4 sacks, 6 tackles for loss)*

*We will see if he’s eligible this season – we’ll edit it when necessary.

LB: A-
MVP: Quan Sturdivant (79 tackles, 12 tackles for loss)
Gotta Step-Up: Bruce Carter (65 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss)

Sec: B+
MVP: CB Kendric Burney (5 interceptions and 52 tackles)
Gotta Step-Up: FS Deunta Williams (6 interceptions and 47 tackles)

K/P: B
MVP: K Casey Barth (21/25 on FGs – 11/15 from 30+ yards)
Gotta Step-Up: P Grant Schallock (40.3 average punt with a long of 55 yards)

Schedule Analysis + W/Ls

DATE	OPPONENT	W/L
9/04	vs. LSU	W 17-13
9/18	Georgia Tech	W 24-20
9/25	@ Rutgers	W 21-14
10/02	East Carolina	W 28-17
10/09	Clemson	L 21-17
10/16	@ Virginia	W 28-14
10/23	@ Miami (FL)	L 21-17
10/30	William & Mary	W 35-17
11/06	@ Florida State	L 27-13
11/13	Virginia Tech	L 24-20
11/20	North Carolina State	W 31-24
11/27	@ Duke	W 27-16

Bye Week: Before Georgia Tech, September 18.
Toughest Game: at Florida State, November 6.
Key Conference Game: Georgia Tech, September 18.
Season Hinges on… Virginia Tech, November 13.

The Why…

Why Fourth?: I came into the preview skeptical, but after looking UNC up-and-down, the Heels do have a legit shot at taking the ACC. It’s all a question of how much the offense progresses, and can they take care of the big home games with Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. UNC’s offense develops and the defense dominates, but they fall one big ACC win short of taking the Coastal.

Could be higher if… UNC moves the ball effectively on offense and they sweep the two Techs to take the Coastal and advance to the ACC Championship Game.

Could be lower if… The offense doesn’t consistently put points on the board, and the defense is left holding the bag (like last season).

Will the Heels mold into a champion in 2010? Or will we see another anemic offense and mediocre finish? Comment below… We’ll be back with our Atlantic #3 on Wednesday (full schedule here).