UNC football still searching for identity after Clemson loss

CLEMSON, S.C. — The doubt crept in the second the time expired in Greenville last week after East Carolina delivered the North Carolina football team one of its worst losses in program history, a 70-41 spanking on the road. Questions remained leading up to UNC’s date with Clemson in Death Valley for the Tar Heels’ ACC opener Saturday.

Would a shaken up defense still searching for its identity be able to contain a quick-moving Clemson offense, right after the Pirates put up record-highs in points (70) and total yards (789)? Would an offense that is still looking for rhythm in a two-quarterback system find it? And perhaps most importantly, could the Tar Heels rebound from their worst game of the season in their now biggest?

There were certainly moments of promise Saturday night in UNC’s 50-35 loss in a packed house full of 79,155.

“We had guys that fought the whole game. We had guys that were busting their rear ends the whole game. There was no lack of confidence or anything like that,” coach Larry Fedora said. “They were positive and we made a few things happen. We just didn’t make enough happen.”

After falling behind 20-0 in the second quarter, UNC (2-2, 0-1 ACC) managed to pull the game within eight in the third after Marquise Williams threw two touchdowns — a 17-yard score to Mack Hollins late in the second, and a 41-yarder to T.J. Thorpe early in third for a 22-14 score.

Following his first-half performance that featured just 38 yards and a single touchdown, Williams flipped a switch in the second, racking up 307 more yards and three more touchdowns.

The young offensive line also stepped up in a time of need with veterans Landon Turner and Jon Heck sidelined with injuries. As the clock ticked down to zero, the scoreboard still reflected the 35 points the offense put up against a very powerful Clemson (2-2, 1-1) defense — 12 more than No. 1 Florida State managed to score last weekend against the Tigers.

“That’s where all the praise goes to,” said Williams of the offensive line. “Those guys played their butts off tonight and they did a phenomenal job.”

But there’s still several glaring pieces missing for this North Carolina team. For starters, the team racked up an egregious 15 penalties for 130 yards, while Clemson only had four for 19.

“Fifteen penalties. Atrocious,” a dumbfounded Fedora said. “I don’t know what to tell you. Fifteen penalties.”

Additionally, the defense propelled Clemson true freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson to an ACC record-breaking performance for touchdowns in his first career start with six. His first one came in a 35-second drive just two-and-a-half minutes into the game, exposing the first of many missed assignments for UNC on the night.

“He throws for 400 plus (yards) and six touchdowns, which is not acceptable,” redshirt junior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer said. “I’m not going to put any blame on anybody because that’s the defense as a whole giving that up. It may look like the secondary to y’all, but it’s the line not getting enough rush, the linebackers not covering as well, too. It’s a whole defensive fault.”

The general consensus among the currently distressed Tar Heels desperately looking for a fix is that it’s only a matter of time until everything starts coming together. That as time progresses, slowly but surely all of the missing pieces will find their way into the puzzle. Not if, but when.

“It’s not clicking yet, and it’s going to click,” sophomore wide receiver Ryan Switzer said. “We’re going to be OK.”

But what will it actually take?

Switzer took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts.

“I don’t know. I think it’s just going to take — it’s going to take some kind of spark,” he finally said. “I know we’re really close to being a really good team. We’re a decent team right now. We’re a solid team. But to be a great team and to be where we want to be, we’ve got to give another inch.”

For now the Tar Heels are still looking. On Saturday, they couldn’t seem to find it.