UNC football prepares for Delaware with Georgia Tech looming

One game at a time. It’s one of the oldest sports mantras. Look beyond a weaker opponent, and they just might make you pay.

But North Carolina has undermined that rule to a degree. After thrashing Illinois 48-14 on Saturday, UNC faces Football Championship Subdivision opponent Delaware on Saturday in its final nonconference matchup of the season.

But beyond Delaware looms No. 20 Georgia Tech with its lethal triple-option offense.

“(The coaches) make an emphasis on not overlooking the next opponent we have, so we’re very dialed in to Delaware,” said junior cornerback Des Lawrence. “But what they do stress to us is that (Georgia Tech’s) offense is so explosive that you can’t really prepare for it in three days like you can for a regular team.”

To prepare adequately for Georgia Tech, the team has set aside time on every Sunday since the start of training camp to prepare for the Yellow Jackets. The team spends a short 10- to 12-minute session working on techniques needed specifically for that game.

Picked as the preseason favorites to win the ACC Coastal Division, Georgia Tech requires special attention every season. This year is no different.

The Yellow Jackets scored more than 60 points in two of their first three games this season and are second in the nation with 377 rushing yards per game.

With North Carolina winning its most recent game against an FCS opponent in dominant fashion — a 53-14 victory against North Carolina A&T — the temptation to look past the Blue Hens is powerful.

Delaware carries into this week’s contest a 1-2 record after losing its previous game to rival Villanova in the final three minutes.

But Coach Larry Fedora knows overlooking Delaware could prove costly. UNC opened the 2014 season against FCS opponent Liberty University, who held a lead over North Carolina deep into the third quarter before falling 56-29.

“You can look across the landscape of college football, and any team can beat you on any Saturday,” he said.

The Tar Heels hope they’ve found a solution to help them adequately prepare for both of their next two opponents. Balance is key, though.

Focus on Delaware too much, and UNC might lessen its chances of coming away with a huge road win in nearly two weeks against the Yellow Jackets — a feat North Carolina hasn’t accomplished since 1997.

Spend too much time on Georgia Tech, however, and the Tar Heels risk suffering only their second-ever loss to an FCS school — the first coming against Furman in 1999.

“We just can’t come out and think, ‘We’re going to run these guys off the field and out of Chapel Hill,’” redshirt senior quarterback Marquise Williams said. “Delaware’s a good football team. We’re not going to take nothing for granted.”

@loganulrich

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