Game Preview: Miami vs North Carolina

Canespace Blogger DZ8 Breaks Down The UNC Offense:

 

The North Carolina Tar Heel offense persevered despite losing their leading rusher, Shaun Draughn, last week against Duke.  They used Ryan Houston effectively on several long scoring drives mostly resulting in field goals.  The big, 6-2 245 lb bruising running back carried the ball 37 times for 164 yards.  The North Carolina offensive line which had been banged up earlier this year is starting to play with some chemistry.  The Tar Heels are stronger at running the ball and we could see some Wake Forest 2008-like 15 consecutive rushing attempts against us. 

 

A former running back named Greg Little is the Tar Heels leading receiver.  He has very good size at 6-3 and 215 lbs and usually gets a couple of carries a game.  Erik Highsmith is a freshman receiver with some height, 6-3, who might get some looks his way.  The passing game of North Carolina is ranked only ahead of Georgia Tech (some obscure Georgia law actually fines the Yellow Jackets every time their football team attempts a forward pass) in the ACC. 

 

TJ Yates is the QB for the Tar Heels and has thrown a pick in every game but two this year, including three games with multiple interceptions.  Not a scrambling quarterback as he has finished with negative rushing yards in two thirds of their games this year.  Yates and the offensive line are giving up about two sacks a game so far this year.  The Tar Heels have not yet developed replacements for the three receivers who went to the NFL last year.

 

DZ8 Breaks Down The UNC-UM Special Teams Match-Up:

 

Casey Barth is the younger brother of Connor Barth, the former freshman kicker for UNC who kicked a game winning field goal against #4 ranked Miami in 2004.  I remember watching that game and thinking how popular Connor would be with the ladies after that kick. 

 

Casey is a consistent kicker who is in his 2nd year on the job despite just being a sophomore.  He is three out four from 40-49 yards this year but hasn't attempted one over 50, yet. 

 

Numbers wise their punt team seems solid and they should have some solid punt and kick coverage with all of those athletes that Butch is recruiting.

 

From the personal relationship we have with their head coach to the heartbreaking 2004, 2007, 2008 losses. This is a team that should've been circled on the calendar by every 'Cane coach and player. 

 

This is a team that we owe, big time.

 

Canespace Blogger SolarCane Breaks Down The UNC Defense:

 

North Carolina has the nation’s seventh best total defense team. The Tar Heels are an impressive number ten nationally in pass defense.  Even more challenging they are number 3 in the nation in tackles for loss. 

 

This could be a long day for Jacory Harris if he gets careless or greedy.  UNC has picked of 8 passes in 8 games by 6 different players.

So we just run against them right?  Not so fast my friend, Carolina is 18th in the nation in rushing defense.  Linebacker #52 Quan Sturdivant leads the team with 55 tackles, including nine for loss.

 

Other sure tackling Tar Heels include number 12 Charles Brown, not to be confused for Canespace’s Charlie Brown, who leads the nation in eclipses produced.  Number 54 Bruce Carter and number 16 Kendric Burny who had 11 tacklers against Georgia Tech. round out the Heels' best hitters.
 

The Tar Heels have an impressive twenty sacks recorded in 8 games.  Number 42 Robert Quinn has 7 sacks for minus 56 yards. Jacory and Quinn should know each other pretty well by the end of the game.
 
Defensive co-coordinator Everrt Withers also coaches the defensive backs.  While at Texas as DC Withers brought the Long Horns from 75th when he got there to number 1 in pass defense. 

 

The Heels are giving up just 16 points a game going into Duke, but all that could change with Thad Lewis and Jacory Harris both having outstanding passing seasons.

Comments

[shwarma]

TCF - I have a response for your conspiracy theory. Night games the team is amped for, noon opponents usually suck. Hence, why the result for 3:30 games. IDK just a thought really

[Charlie Brown]

Carolina, the ACC's top-ranked defensive unit, held Duke to 125 total yards of offense. The Tar Heels limited the Blue Devils to 113 yards passing, more than 212 yards below Duke's season average entering the game (Duke was averaging 325.1 yards passing).

• UNC held Duke to just 43 yards on 26 plays in the second half, 1.7 yards per play. In the first half, the Blue Devils gained minus-four rushing yards.

• The 125 yards are the fewest allowed by Carolina this season (previous was 153 by The Citadel). It's the fewest since Clemson had 91 yards in 1996.

• Duke rushed for 12 yards, the fewest by a UNC opponent this year (previous 30 by The Citadel). It's the fewest since Wake Forest had minus-two yards in 2000.

• Carolina has held seven of nine opponents to 17 points or less this season.

• The teams combined for 25 points, the lowest-scoring Carolina-Duke game since a 16-3 Tar Heel win in 1977.

• The 19 points by Carolina are the fewest by the winning team in the UNC-Duke series since a 17-15 Tar Heel victory in Durham in 1984.

[Charlie Brown]

Junior cornerback Charles Brown picked off his third pass of the season and the sixth of his career. He returned the interception 54 yards to set up a Casey Barth field goal in the third quarter. It was Carolina's longest interception return of the season. The return was the second-longest return of any kind this season by a Tar Heel, trailing only Da'Norris Searcy's 77-yard punt return against The Citadel.

• Sophomore placekicker Casey Barth connected on four field goals (40, 29, 41 and 33 yards) for the first time in his career (previous was three against Notre Dame in 2008). He has now made his last nine attempts over a five-game stretch. Barth is 14-for-16 on the season, and his 41-yarder today was his longest of the season and second-longest of his career (42 yards vs. Notre Dame, 2008).

• Freshman Jheranie Boyd scored on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter for the game's first touchdown and his first on the ground in his career. He has now scored in two straight games after catching a 13-yard TD pass last week at Virginia Tech.

• North Carolina had a punt blocked for the first time since 2006 when Duke's Jordan Byas blocked and recovered a Grant Shallock punt in the first quarter. Wake Forest's Alphonso Smith had the last blocked punt against UNC in 2006.

[j.w.]

We have heard this story about UNC- three or four times in recent years. :) This year, hopefully our motivation is much different than in the past.

[CGNC]

86! Love the BD avatar

[Calvin]

This team is different and the fact that it's being pointed out that we haven't won in unc before, those are the type of challenges these guys on this team love, they'll come out ready to play, believe that. The offense, if we can run the ball effectively, unc won't have a chance the problem though is, we can't give up points on special teams like we did this week, won't be that easy to overcome giving a team like unc with that defense points. We know butch is coming after our special teams for sure.

Other than that, we limit the turn-overs this game we should win by 2 or more touchdowns, the thing is, this offense suits our defense beer because it's just as simple as our defense has been. We all know butch gets oc's who are conservative as hell but run a pro-style attack, run, run pass, run, run, run. Play-action pass deep, etc. etc. He'll try and run some trick stuff against us too.

I like this match-up, jacory will need to speed the clock in his head up a litle longer. Also, i don't know how many times an announcer is going to keep referring to hankerson as a tight-end, but that has to be funny.

[solarcane]

aight the Carolina Countdown is on.

If you are going to Chapel Hill let us know where you are sitting.
just add your info repost

I'll make a seating chart up by late Thursday

solarcane/mrs. solarcane

gate2 north tower
sec 108 row 11 seat 5-6

peace

[solarcane]

calvin,
Jacory needs to speed the clock in his head by a tick, and the rpms on his throws just a tad. That UNC defense is the real deal, they sack passers and pick off passes.
Berry, MJ and Coop play like they have been, it will take a lot of heat off Jacory.

We come out fast Yates won't have the horses to stay with us.

peace

[solarcane]

Jason Fox ACC player of the week

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN – Jason Fox, Miami, OT, Sr., 6-7, 314, Fort Worth, Texas (North Crowley)
Miami senior offensive tackle Jason Fox’s second Offensive Lineman of the Week honor came after he helped anchor an offensive line that made space for a Hurricane offense that piled up season-highs of 515 yards and 268 rushing yards in Miami’s 52-17 win over visiting Virginia. Fox graded out at 98 percent, had five pancake blocks, and did not allow a sack

peace

[LessIsMore]

This weekend I will be the biggest duke fan ever!

[solarcane]

as of today

UNC scoring defense 15.3 points per game
UM scoring offense 32.3 points per game

UM scoring defense 23.2 points per game
UNC scoring offense 22.3 points per game

peace

[pb(CSROH10)]

The final nail in Bobby's coffin.

I have no doubt they will lose their remaining games and miss out on a bowl this year.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/orl-sportsfsu-reviewcap-09110909nov09,0,7052764.story

[twitter.com/agbuck]

Someone posted a picture of gloves that we are supposedly using against USF. Are these what our uniforms will look like?

http://www.hokiesports.com/football/images/nike2009/uniform.jpg

[86Cane]

86! Love the BD avatar

Posted by: CGNC | November 09, 2009 at 02:13 PM

WHY THANK U!

[Seoul Cane]

Adam,

Don't know...but I must say I don't mind the pants (I like the stripe coming up from the knee)...I only say this because I absolutely hate our current pants.

[solarcane]

pb yea it is done.

I'm anxious to see how their verbal commits react to this season and the bleak future.

peace

[86Cane]

BREAKING NEWS:

STEVEN TYLER REPORTEDLY QUITS AEROSMITH.

Seriously.

[BahamaCane]

This weekend I will be the biggest duke fan ever!

Posted by: LessIsMore | November 09, 2009 at 02:30 PM
-------
Ditto

[pb(CSROH10)]

Posted by: 86Cane | November 09, 2009 at 02:48 PM

He has some health issues that are limiting him physically from what I've read.

Hell of a run. Pumping out fresh music for 30 years is very hard to do.

[Cat 5 Cane]

Just read the new posting... Not good but excellent research by all.

Agree... this game is no gimmy and Butch will have every player primed to attack our weaknesses. Spread them wide for a quick pop up the middle with a crossing route or let the QB loose for a quick gainer.

Expect the unexpected from the master... anything to get an edge is the order of the day.

He might not have the horse power we have but he knows how to fine tune an engine.

[macjones de Albuquerque]

The final nail in Bobby's coffin.

I have no doubt they will lose their remaining games and miss out on a bowl this year.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/orl-sportsfsu-reviewcap-09110909nov09,0,7052764.story

Posted by: pb(CSROH10) | November 09, 2009 at 02:35 PM

I called that on Sunday afternoon. Those good ol' boy F.S.U. suits would have to be crazy as a bedbug, to have St. Bobby coach another season.

And with the kid under center this Sabado, no way does Bowden's good ol' fellas win out. Guarantee it!

Yeah, yeah I understand some of U'all Hurricane fandom have feelings for St. Bobby and all. But the man should have retired two or three seasons ago, but his HYPER-INFLATED ego got in the way of any degree of sensibility he had.

Chit, Bowden's too far behind Pappa Paterno to catch him, so why is he still hanging on to the impossible task. LOL

Nonetheless, he's one of the few major college coaches who wasn't afraid to play N.F.L. U

[macjones de Albuquerque]

He might not have the horse power we have but he knows how to fine tune an engine.

Posted by: Cat5Cane | November 09, 2009 at 02:56 PM

What the F*CK U's talking about! Carolina's D-unit is in the national team Top 20 in most categories.

bUbba, U's should lay off the domestic beer before High Noon. U dig!

As WISE Miami fandom know by now, this Saturday's A.C.C. showdown will be Miami's relatively most difficult game. Especially with an injury riddled Cane D-unit.

Field postion and turnovers will determine the outcome of this one baby. Because each squads strengths "check" each others relative weaknesses.

Plus, I don't like the tangible fact that Davis' Carolina squad own Miami. Perhaps that will change come 6:45 EST.

[shwarma]

Mac - Cat was talking about the O mainly in the post, I think you need to lay off the bloggeroids, you dig? (couldn't resist myself, apolgies extended)

[canesteeler]

I will be driving up to NC this Friday for the game. Staying at the Candlewood Suites in Durham. The past two times I have traveled to see the canes play was GT last year and the chick fil lay blowout against LSU several years ago. I am hopping like hell they come out motivated this weekend. I will be sitting in section 100.

[dawgmeatcane]

WE NEED TO SCORCH THE EARTH WITH TARHEEL BLOOD KILL OR BE KILLED COME SATURDAY

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Legend, I have absolutely no problem with criticism, as long as it's legit, like our STs performance being so NOT special for the past four years.

OR the way the team hadn't really come out on fire on both sides of the ball this season, Wake and VT being the worst examples.

I'm right there with you and anyone else when being concerned about this but I'm not throwing the coaching staff under the bus. That's all I'm saying.

I've called for both Sharpton and Sam to be escorted from the field at different points but they have clearly improved and I can't praise anyone other than the staff, something no one ever likes to do.

That's all I'm saying.

Now, to answer your question about STs I think Fluzzi absolutely must go or become permanent TEs coach and bring Sol back to coach STs.

Either Fluzzi can't split his attention and handle both duties or he sucks as a STs coach.

His ineptitude arguably cost us the Clemson game, gave a huge momentum boost to VT and even OU, and kept UVA in the game. That game should've been 27-0 at the half or something close to it.

To me, FLUZZI IS A BUST. lol After four years I think we can confidently say that he';s been given just about every chance and opportunity to show and prove.

[Esteban]

actually Jason Fox gave up his first sack of his career i think against UVA last week.

[Hurriphin]

Hurriphin.......on deck!!

I think that FSU, VT and the U are suppossed to be styling those new revolutionary jerseys soon. FSU is gonna sport their's at the next Doak game, I believe.

[Matt Drudge]

actually Jason Fox gave up his first sack of his career i think against UVA last week.

Posted by: Esteban | November 09, 2009 at 03:23 PM

That was the helmet play, wasn't it?

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Jacory needs to speed the clock in his head by a tick, and the rpms on his throws just a tad. That UNC defense is the real deal, they sack passers and pick off passes.
Berry, MJ and Coop play like they have been, it will take a lot of heat off Jacory.

We come out fast Yates won't have the horses to stay with us.

peace

Posted by: solarcane | November 09, 2009 at 02:26 PM

>>>>

Solar, I agree about J12 with that mental clock. Against UCF he seemed just a little too cool. I don't know if he can zip the passes more at this point without disrupting his rhythm but quicker reads and releases would be great.

To though this game is all about our OL's intensity and focus from the beginning of the game. They've had plenty of experience as a unit, good and bad, so there's really no excuse for them to come out flat. They've faced DL's as good or better than UNC's so no excuses. This is the money game.

I still think we have too much for UNC, solid defense and all. BUT if we're not focused and let them stay in it, anything could happen.

[Esteban]

yeah Matt

[pb(CSROH10)]

Didnt see this posted before.

Edwin Pope is the greatest sports writer in South Florida history:

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/1322542.html

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Macjones, UNC's won two games against Cokerites and half-Cokerites. GT was the same way even worse..4 years.

I'm still not sure who UNC has played, other than UConn and UVA and VT. I'll do some analysis and be back.

[DrewZ2]

Esteban -> i dont think that sack counts against Fox since there was a facemask penalty on the person making the tackle

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Shwarma, being disdainful to the rest of CFB is the very definition of CSROH. haha

Having said that, I've caught a few of Cinci's games by chance over the last few years and they've always looked sharp and well-coached, not really talented but they execute well, sort of a slightly bigger and faster Boisie.

But still, it would almost be an embarrassment to actually know the name of Cinci's HC. And if I did learn it, it should be soon forgotten. hahaha

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

PB, yeah, Pope is good, definitely not a two-bit hack. And I must say, Susie "dumb question" Miller is churning out some decent prose of late.

[Gin & Tonic]

G-Tech is a 10.5 point favorite @ Duke

Miami is a 3.5 point favorite @ UNC

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

actually Jason Fox gave up his first sack of his career i think against UVA last week.

Posted by: Esteban | November 09, 2009 at 03:23 PM

>>>>

I was thinking the same thing. How in the hell is he lineman of the week when he gave up a sack??

[solarcane]

este
none of those UCF sacks was on Fox?
I can't remember, I do remember there were a bunch of them.

peace

[Esteban]

Drew, good pick up.

[DrewZ2]

ctually Jason Fox gave up his first sack of his career i think against UVA last week.

Posted by: Esteban | November 09, 2009 at 03:23 PM

>>>>

I was thinking the same thing. How in the hell is he lineman of the week when he gave up a sack??

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 09, 2009 at 03:37 PM

>>>>>

Fox graded out at 98 percent... and i really dont think that sack counts since the person making the sack facemasked Jacory

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Macjones, my point being, UNC doesn't own jack.

Solar, I'm sure he was beaten at least once against UCF, and probably Clemson. They better revert to GT form this week though.

[Esteban]

solar, none was from a guy he was blocking.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

G&T, Duke could be GT. They played them tough last year and they can throw. If Wake can do it, Duke can.

[Cat 5 Cane]

Stats are based upon who you played

...............................
Sat 09/05/2009 CITADEL......... 40 - 6 W
Sat 09/12/2009 @ Connecticut... 12 - 10 W
Sat 09/19/2009 EAST CAROLINA... 31 - 17 W
Sat 09/26/2009 @ Georgia Tech... 7 - 24 L
Sat 10/03/2009 VIRGINIA......... 3 - 16 L
Sat 10/10/2009 GA. SOUTHERN..... 42 - 12 W
Thu 10/22/2009 FLORIDA ST....... 27 - 30 L
Thu 10/29/2009 @ Virginia Tech.. 20 - 17 W
Sat 11/07/2009 DUKE..............19 - 6 W

Their Defense looks all world and maybe the best we've played all year
................National...........ACC rank
Rushing defense..8th....................1st
Total defense.....5th...................1st
Scoring Defense...11th..................1st
Punt Returns......18th..................3rd
Passing defense... 5th..................1st
Tackles for a loss... 3rd...............1st

Pack a lunch boys... It's going to be a long day!

A Great Defense against a Great Offense.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

PB, FSU could beat UF, seriously. Ponder's on fire, Jimbo just has him making the same throws too often.

[Esteban]

Cav, Ponder is injured. FSU's going to start E.J. Manuel in the next game.

[Sy-Cane]

Well there goes hoping that FSU would upset UF in the last game of the season with Ponder gone for the year.

[Caneslegend]

To me, FLUZZI IS A BUST. lol After four years I think we can confidently say that he';s been given just about every chance and opportunity to show and prove.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 09, 2009 at 03:22 PM

Yeah the special teams has costed us big this year. Kicking the spiller. 4 blocked punts. The blocked punt by VT at the end of the second qt and that really changed the game. Man other coach's have been fired for sucking. I think its his turn to go. I agree with J12 mental clock. NC got that nasty pass rush..

Go Canes

[Esteban]

I turned off the FSU/UNC game before all the fireworks started. What was FSU doing to tear up UNC's secondary the way they did?