Trubisky, UNC bury Illinois for first win of 2016 season

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS — The North Carolina football team beat Illinois 48-23 on Saturday night for its first win of the season.

What happened?

It only took Illinois three plays to get on the scoreboard. Less than a minute and a half into the game, running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn ran through a gaping hole in the offensive line for a 65-yard touchdown.

UNC responded a few minutes later, when quarterback Mitch Trubisky plunged into the endzone from a yard away for his first touchdown of the night.

The Tar Heels and Fighting Illini traded points and turnovers for the rest of the first quarter. Ryan Switzer muffed a punt deep in UNC territory, setting Illinois up for its second touchdown of the night. But the Fighting Illini gifted the Tar Heels a turnover of their own, fumbling in their own territory with the quarter almost over.

Trubisky’s rushing steadied UNC’s offense early, but in the second quarter his passing carried the team. He tossed his first two touchdown passes of the season — one in the second quarter to T.J. Logan, one in the third to Mack Hollins — and kept the offense chugging along.

The final statline? Four touchdowns, 265 yards passing, 54 rushing.

The game stayed close until the fourth quarter, when a few late touchdowns put UNC up big. A 62-yard touchdown run by Elijah Hood with 6:49 left in the game finally stretched the Tar Heel lead to three scores.

Who stood out?

After struggling in UNC’s season opener last week against Georgia, Trubisky finally took control of the offense against Illinois. He was responsible for four touchdowns overall, showing a poise not evident against the Bulldogs.

Even when the offensive line broke down around him, the Ohio native was creative with his running. A 39-yard scamper in the first quarter — the longest of his career — put UNC in position to score its first touchdown.

On the other side of the ball, linebacker Andre Smith was the man to watch. The sophomore linebacker finished the game with 14 tackles, which led the team.

While a number of those were stopping runs that leaked through the defensive line, a good few came in coverage. In particular, Smith’s near-interception in the second quarter proved he can do it all for UNC defensively.

When was it decided?

Illinois was leading UNC 14-10 late in the first quarter with the chance to extend the gap. Instead, quarterback Wes Lunt fumbled the ball deep in Illinois territory.

UNC defensive end Mikey Bart pounced on the ball, setting the Tar Heels up with great field position. Two plays later, Trubisky kept the ball on a read-option and juked past a defender to score.

The touchdown put UNC up 17-14, a lead the Tar Heels never relinquished.

Illinois kept the game close until the fourth quarter, when UNC finally pulled away. But a number of fourth-quarter touchdowns only solidified the final score — after recovering that fumble, the Tar Heels were in control of the game.

Why does it matter?

While the win won’t help in the ACC standings, UNC’s performance Saturday proved the team still has enough talent to contend for a conference championship.

Chief among that talent was Trubisky. The first-time starter finally found an offensive groove Saturday, ripping off chunks of yardage through the air and on the ground. That success was the reason UNC won the game, but his play might have done more for his confidence than anything else.

Trubisky was tasked with leading this team to another 11 wins, or maybe more, with the ACC Coastal Division crown a worst-case expectation. Then came Georgia. His play was, to be kind, uninspiring. There were murmurs and doubts about if he could lead UNC to the heights of last season.

He can. He proved that Saturday.

When do they play next?

The Tar Heels will play their first home game of the season in a week, hosting James Madison at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.