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Editors' Prediction: How will UNC's football team fare in 2018 after a 3-9 season

Jordon Brown runs

Running back Jordon Brown (2) tries to escape a Western Carolina defender on Saturday in Kenan Stadium.

With UNC beginning its 2018 football season at California on Sept. 1, sports editor Chris Hilburn-Trenkle and assistant sports editors Holt McKeithan and Jack Frederick each submitted their predictions for the 2018 campaign.

Chris

Fresh off the worst season for the program since John Bunting’s last year at the helm in 2006, the North Carolina football team is hoping for a much better 2018 campaign. With Nathan Elliott under center, at least the team now has a starting quarterback. Stability at the quarterback position was something junior wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams noted would be important to the team’s success in July at ACC Kickoff. Elliott posted fairly pedestrian numbers last season, completing 51.4 percent of his passes for ten touchdowns and five interceptions. With Michael Carter, Jordon Brown and Antonio Williams all capable of starting in the backfield, he will likely defer to his skilled players as much as possible.

I expect the three running backs to combine for more than 2,000 yards as UNC utilizes a more run-heavy offense, something that head coach Larry Fedora does not usually do. I also expect Ratliff-Williams to take another step forward as a junior as he establishes himself as a top pass-catcher in the country.

Defensively, suspensions to defensive linemen Malik Carney and Tomon Fox hurt the defense. But the Tar Heels have more depth in the defensive trenches than any other position group. With those two players out, upperclassmen defensive tackles Jalen Dalton and Aaron Crawford will lead the way and perform well. The linebackers and secondary have plenty of experience, with all seven projected starters upperclassmen. The defense was fine against the pass last season, allowing just 212.7 yards per game, but allowed an abysmal 213 yards per game on the ground, a number that ranked last in the conference. For the defense to be better this season, it must not give up big plays through the running game.

UNC will be better than last season. The team had seven games decided by 12 points or fewer and went 1-6 in those contests, a bit of bad luck at play. I expect the team to be better this year with a strong rushing attack and enough talent to win six games, with one of those wins coming against East Carolina in the second game of the season.

Chris' prediction: 6-6

Holt

2017 was not kind to the North Carolina football team. An exodus of talent gave Larry Fedora’s squad a low ceiling, and a slew of injuries lowered its potential even further. The Tar Heels went 3-9 overall and 1-7 in ACC play, including losses to rivals Duke and N.C. State. In short, the ceiling was the floor.

In 2018, North Carolina should expect improvement.   

Although the suspension of 13 players for selling shoes is an unequivocal setback, it does at least give UNC one valuable gift: certainty at quarterback. Chazz Surratt must sit for the first four games of the season, so Nathan Elliott will enter the season confidently in control of the offense. The junior will not have to worry about splitting snaps in a two-quarterback system like the one Fedora employed with Marquise Williams and Mitch Trubisky—at least for the first four games. 

Despite returning only one starter from last year's offensive line, the North Carolina offense will be significantly better than last year. Elliot has weapons to turn to on offense, first and foremost the dangerous Anthony Ratliff-Williams at wide receiver. Throw in a stable of running backs, bolstered by the addition of transfer Antonio Williams from Ohio State, and the UNC ground game should be able to offset the inevitable struggles caused by an inexperienced offensive line. 

With a game versus Western Carolina not scheduled until November, North Carolina will have no easy games to start the season. But, the team should be able gain some tough wins and get back to a bowl game this year. 

Holt’s prediction: 7-5

Jack

In 2018, expect the Tar Heels to be decent — like the leftovers you found in the back of the fridge a couple days later. 

Let's just say it could be worse (like gas station sushi), so fans should be able to stomach the product, but it could also be much, much better. 

Compared to the embarrassment of injuries, a single conference win and low home stadium turnout, Larry Fedora and company will take a step in the right direction. But it won’t be a leap, it’ll be the stride of a toddler. 

There are just too many questions facing the team to expect much out of them. The ripple effect of shoe suspensions could hang over the team all season. The problems of a defense that gave up more than 400 yards of total offense per game, on average in 2017, could too. 

The positives of three competent running backs, a star receiver and a quarterback named well before game one just won't be able to outweigh the hangover of one of the worst seasons in recent memory. Add in the uncertainty of a full season with Nathan Elliott under center and the potential for injuries to derail even the best parts of the team and you have a quality recipe for mediocrity. 

So take a good whiff of the Tar Heels if you dare; you might even enjoy them for a while, especially if there’s nothing better to watch on game day. But like a new-found, yet aging container of hamburger helper you forgot you had, UNC probably won’t satisfy your hunger in the end. So don't expect them to.

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Jack's prediction: 4-8 

@DTHSports 

 sports@dailytarheel.com