With no Sam Howell or Drake Maye, the Tar Heels find themselves in a unique situation for the first time in the Mack Brown 2.0 Era with no clear starting quarterback. The Heels have made some changes on the defensive side of the ball after letting go of Gene Chizik, so the question we will have answered is whether the new DCs can improve the defense or not. I'm striking down this season as a rebuild season for the Heels, but they still have plenty of talent on the roster and on the coaching staff to put together a solid run.
There still has been no word on who the official week one starter at quarterback will be for the Tar Heels, but Max Johnson, the transfer from Texas A&M, looks to be the frontrunner over Sophomore Conner Harrell. Harrell has struggled with injury, but in the games he played last year for the Aggies, he went 5-3 with losses to Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. The season before, he had a 3-1 record as a starter. Conner Harrell was a three-star recruit for the class of 2022 and has tremendous potential. If he does sit behind Johnson, he will be a great asset for the Heels when he gets his shot. Assuming he doesn't leave for the transfer portal, the Tar Heels should be excited about Harrell. We have yet to see much of him at this level. The Tar Heels won't have Mitch Trubisky, Sam Howell, or Drake Maye, but the offense still has Omarion Hampton, a veteran offensive line, and some tight ends who are hard-nosed football players. There will be a few games that the Tar Heels win because of their running game, but don't expect a fast-paced, electrifying offense this season like we have seen in previous years. I predict that the Tar Heels' defense will improve despite not having a favorable starting lineup in the ACC, primarily because Gene Chizik is no longer the defensive coordinator. Last season, there were a few losses that should never have happened but did because of poor defense, specifically against Virginia and Georgia Tech. Stepping into the defensive coordinator role are Geoff Collins, former Georgia Tech Head Coach (and Western Carolina Alumni. Go Cats), and Tommy Thigpen, who has been co-defensive coordinator with the Tar Heels since 2019. The roster needs some work, but hopefully, the fresh faces in the co-defensive coordinator role will be a positive for the Heels. at Minnesota (August 29) Last season, P.J. Fleck and the Golden Gophers marched into Chapel Hill and failed to score many points, sending them back to Minneapolis with their first loss of the 2023 campaign. This year, Mack Brown and the Heels kick off their season at Minnesota and will face a defense hungry to bite back after their defeat last season. The new defensive coordinators better have something ready for the run game because the Golden Gophers have one of the best offensive lines in the Big Ten, led by Aireonte Ersery, and there is no doubt Fleck will stray away from running it down the throats of the Tar Heels' front seven. Since Carolina is what I consider to be a rebuilding year, and the Golden Gophers have done nothing but improve on what they had last year, it pains me to say I believe the Heels will not return to Chapel Hill 1-0. vs. Charlotte (September 7) UNC Charlotte is one of the bottom teams in the American Conference rivaling Navy and Temple. This will be a good game for the new Tar Heel defensive coordinators to get some film on and test out what does and does not work. Last season, the 49ers scored 20 or fewer points in eight games. Defensively, the 49ers are a brand-new team with one returning starter and many guys who have not seen much PT at the FBS level. If the Tar Heels' offense is half as good as last season, they'll put up a 50 burger against Charlotte and win. vs. NC Central (September 14) I'll give credit where credit is due; Trei Oliver has put together a good FCS team in Durham, and I expect the Eagles to do great things at that level. But this is an FCS team that we are talking about here. Tar Heels on top and 2-1. Fun Fact: During the Summer of 2020, when COVID-19 had shut everything down, I took a few summer classes online through NC Central in place of my internship so I could graduate on time! Does that make me an Alumni? vs. James Madison (September 21) Now that Curt Cignetti has departed from JMU for Indiana, the Dukes begin a new era under former Holy Cross Head Coach Bob Chesney. This is his first crack at being an FBS Head Coach, but one would be wise to think that he will make an immediate impact with JMU since he has only had one losing season in his 14 years as a Head Coach. James Madison does not have a lot of returning starters, but they are one of the more well-rounded teams in the Sun Belt, which could pose a threat to a Power 4 school. This game will come down to whether or not Carolina avoids mental errors. With three games under their belt, the Heels should be running on all cylinders heading into this game, and the game is in Chapel Hill. For that reason, I have the Heels at 3-1 after this game but expect the Dukes to show up and show out. at Duke (September 28) For the second game in a row, Mack Brown will face a coach who is new to the opposing team. Manny Diaz spent three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes from 2019 to 2021, where he racked up a 21-15 record. More recently, he helped Penn State have consecutive 10+ win seasons as a defensive coordinator. Last season, the Tar Heels inched past cross-town rival Duke in overtime, winning 47-45. The Blue Devils' defense is amongst the bottom of the conference. The Blue Devils have had to replace their defensive line completely, so the Tar Heels should have a solid average yards per carry in this game. Hopefully, Carolina's new Defensive Coordinators are better than Chizik and won't allow Duke to put up 45 points. Coach Diaz was able to snag former Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy from Texas, who was the #9 Quarterback in the Class of 2022. Murphy did see some action against BYU and Kansas State last season and put up decent numbers in both games. If Diaz has developed Murphy, he could be a problem. Even if Duke's offense is lights out, their defense needs a lot of work. I believe this will be one game in which Omarion Hampton runs for 200+ yards with 3+ touchdowns, and you should bet the over. The Tar Heels will come out on top, but they will get close to 100 total points this game. Heels 4-1. vs. Pitt (October 5) The Pitt Panthers will come into their matchup against the Tar Heels with a lot of momentum, especially if they beat West Virginia on September 14. The Panthers have a high-powered and electric offense that is now run by OC Kade Bell (former Western Carolina OC. Go Cats.), who runs a spread/no-huddle system that is sure to catch many teams off-guard. Even if Pitt comes into this game 4-0, their defense will struggle against ACC opponents. The Tar Heels will come on top of this game, and it may be a close one, but not as close as Duke will come. Carolina 5-1 vs. Georgia Tech (October 12) It is about this time of year that Carolina starts building momentum, and they look like they could win most, if not all, of their remaining games. That is, until they have to play Virginia and/or Georgia Tech in the middle of the season. Most years, on paper, Carolina should steamroll over the Yellow Jackets. Still, this Georgia Tech team might have one of the best offenses they've had in recent years, led by quarterback Haynes King, who, I regret to remind you, is only a Junior. Once again, this is going to be a game of offense. Georgia Tech's defense isn't good, and Carolina's offense should have no problem putting up points. Unfortunately, this is a game in which, despite having better running backs, wide receivers, and defense, Haynes will be well-protected in the pocket and might throw for 350+ yards and 4+ touchdowns and ultimately win the game. Carolina goes down 5-2. at Virginia (October 26) I feel slightly better about the Tar Heels beating the Cavaliers than Georgia Tech. Across the board, Virginia just isn't a very good team. However, Tony Elliott seems to have Mack Brown's number. Virginia's first FBS win of 2023 was against the undefeated Tar Heels, and the year before that, Carolina won by just three points. I'm optimistic that the Tar Heels will walk away from Charlottesville with a win, but as optimistic as I am, I'm still very skeptical about having the Heels at 6-2 at this point of the season. at Florida State (November 2) Florida State will have few seasons like last year, and they have taken a step back this season. By that, they are still the best team in the ACC, but the gap between them, Miami, and Clemson is closer this season than last. Mike Norvell was faced with replacing one of the best quarterbacks to come through FSU and snagged DJ Uiagalelei from the transfer portal. Uiagalelei isn't Jordan Travis, but to replace a guy like that, Norvell did alright. Florida State is the most well-rounded team in the ACC, and I do not see them losing a conference game this year. Yes, I am aware that they will be playing in Miami this season. The Tar Heels aren't going to walk into Doak Campbell and beat FSU, not when they will be on the cusp of winning the ACC and getting a first-round bye in the College Football Playoffs. Tarheels 6-3. vs. Wake Forest (November 16) If you look up "Mid" in the dictionary, Wake Forest sits right next to it. The Demon Deacons are about as average as they come. They average 7 to 8 wins a season, with some worse seasons and some better. Head Coach Dave Clawson has nearly as many wins as he has losses at Wake, with a 63-61 record at the school. I reiterate, Mid. Last year was one of the worst seasons of Clawson's ten seasons at Wake, with only four wins and a favorable schedule. Wake is still in rebuild mode and probably have another year or two before things start looking up again. The Tar Heels will snag a win against the in-state opponent in Chapel Hill this weekend! The Heels will roll into Chestut hill 7-3. at Boston College (November 23) Boston College is a team that I often forget exists. Like Wake Forest, they're also as mid as mid gets. This year's roster isn't loaded and they're in a transition period as they welcome former Hoston Texans Head Coach, Bill O'Brien as the new Head Coach for the Eagles. O'Brien won four AFC South Division Titles with the Texans, so this could be a good long-term deal for the Eagles. If we were to go back to last season and make predictions, Boston College won every game you'd expect them to win and lost every game you'd expect them to lose. If Carolina is coming into this game 7-3 and both sides of the ball are clicking, they'll return to Chapel Hill for the last time in the 2024 campaign 8-3. vs. NC State (November 30) The Tar Heels have had a tough time against the Wolfpack the last three seseasons despite always having a better roster, and last year, the Heels got their teeth kicked in losing by a whopping 19 points. With Grayson McCall at quarterback, a top offense in the conference, and a favorable conference schedule, the Wolfpack are primed and ready to make a run at the ACC Title game this season. I pray no Wolfpack fan gets ahold of this, because if so I'll never live it down. The Wolfpack will win this game and as long as they can beat Cleamson at Clemson, they'll be on their way to an ACC Title Game. The Tar Heels will finish the season 8-4 and Carolina fans will once again wonder for the whole season what Mack Brown will do as we head into 2025. Let me know what team you'd like me to preview next in the comments!
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AuthorDawson Haywood Archives
December 2024
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