Defense Turns Opponents Carolina Blue

East Carolina coach Skip Holtz is a believer. North Carolina is built around defense with nine returning starters. The unit, ranked sixth nationally in total defense, also has allowed the Tar Heels valuable time to develop their young offense.

"I said going into this that I think from a defensive standpoint," ECU coach Skip Holtz said, "the gaudy numbers they put up in the first two weeks, they are going to lead the country if they continue with those numbers."

Let's roll out those numbers, now after three weeks. UNC ranks sixth nationally in total defense (198.7 yards), sixth in third-down conversion defense (22.2 percent) and seventh in rushing defense (52.3 yards) as it prepares for Saturday's game at angry Georgia Tech.

Better yet, the confident, 22nd-ranked Tar Heels are 3-0 for the first time since Mack Brown's final team started 8-0 in 1997, which coincidentally was the last time they won in Atlanta.

UNC also has recent history on its side against the Yellow Jackets, slowing their powerful triple-option in last season's 28-7 victory. It was one of only two games in which Tech failed to score at least 10 points in Paul Johnson's first season.

"I think the thing we did the best last year was that we were very, very disciplined," UNC coach Butch Davis said.

"One thing you can't do against a team like this -- and this goes back to the days of the Oklahoma wishbone and a lot of the other really good option offenses -- is that you can't void your own personal responsibilities. They've added some things to get the ball on the perimeter that last year were not really truly there for them just because of the added talent they have on their roster. You have to play disciplined and you have to tackle well."

UNC has done both very well this year.

The Tar Heels have held their three opponents to six (The Citadel), 10 (Connecticut) and 17 (East Carolina) points. The last time UNC held three consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points was 2000 against Virginia, Pittsburgh, Maryland.

UNC limited ECU to 55 yards rushing last Saturday and actually has held all three opponents to under 100 yards on the ground. In the first three games, the Tar Heels have held the opponents to just 1.8 yards per carry.

The Yellow Jackets, of course, offer a new set of challenges.

For starters, they are coming off a disappointing 33-17 defeat at Miami last Thursday after opening the season with wins over Jacksonville State and Clemson. Tech did not commit a turnover and punted just three times against UM, but it was limited to a mere 95 rushing yards. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, rolled up 454 yards of total offense behind quarterback Jacory Harris.

Tech dropped out of both the AP and coaches' poll this week.

"If you go back and look at the stats through three games this year and last year, we are probably better than we where we were a year ago," Johnson said.

"I think we are better team but we are not where I want us to be. We scored 30 points in two of our first three games. It is never as good or bad as it seems. We are not as good at running the option as we need to be. We are not as good as throwing the ball as we need to be.

"We need to be really good at something. On defense, we need to be really good at something as well. If we are not going to be good against passing, then we need to be really good against the run or vice versa. That is what I am saying when I say we are not good at whatever."

Despite last season's success against the Yellow Jackets, Davis understands how difficult it is to get ready for such an attack in one week. That's why the Tar Heels, who are looking to win their first ACC opener since 2000, spent time in the spring and again throughout preseason camp working on an option attack so his defense would be prepared.

"This is something that is so dramatically different than the National Football League is that every week every offense we've played is been so much different than the one before it. There's no real carry over," said Davis, who coached the Cleveland Browns from 2001-04.

"In the National Football League you go out there and everybody runs the same runs and everybody runs kind of the same passes and third down looks identical. Well, you look at who we played in The Citadel in the first game... virtually no carry over. We are all fortunate that we've got a little experience on defense that they will hopefully remember some of the lessons they've learned from last year. But it's still about execution."

Sophomore defensive end Robert Quinn, who recorded a career-best two sacks against ECU, agreed, saying, "If you start over thinking and trying to do too much, that's when things get out of whack. You listen to the call, try to be disciplined and read your keys and assignments."

This just might be UNC's first defense this decade that UNC fans have trusted so completely to control a game.

The Tar Heels are allowing just 198.7 yards per game to rank third in the ACC and sixth in the nation. The last time UNC allowed less than 300 yards per game was 12 years ago. After it allowed opponents to convert 43 percent of their third-down chances last season, UNC's first three opponents have converted just 10 of 45 (22.2 percent) attempts. The unit had seven tackles for loss against ECU.

Perhaps the best news, however, is the UNC defense has given time for the offense to get its feet underneath it.

The Tar Heels have struggled with inexperienced wide receivers and a string of injuries along the offensive line. Led by the performance of quarterback T.J. Yates, both of those areas made significant progress against ECU.



UNC gained 433 yards of total offense, made its most consistent use of the passing game and ran the ball effectively enough to keep some of the pressure off Yates. Yates has completed 29 of his last 36 attempts in his last five quarters of play. He went 10-of-12 in the fourth quarter against UConn two weeks ago.

Against ECU, the Tar Heels averaged an impressive 6.9 yards per offensive play.

"We kind of stuck to our 'base' protections, kind of 'seven man' stuff---not too complicated---and the offensive line protected very, very well," Yates said.

UNC's start this season has gone very, very well, too, specifically on defense.

If you don't believe it, just ask ECU's Skip Holtz.