UNC football avoids eye candy ahead of Georgia Tech

Andre Smith looked away.

The sophomore linebacker played one series when the North Carolina football team played Georgia Tech last year, and he made an error on a fourth-down play.

“My eyes,” he said. “I didn’t go from the fullback to the wings ... I was supposed to go to the pitch, and I wasn’t there. And I got there late.”

Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense tempts defenders with distraction. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said this misdirection allows the Yellow Jackets to make explosive plays.

“This offense is extremely difficult to defend simply because there’s so much eye candy going on,” Chizik said. “You want to put your eyes on the wrong spot, and then when you do that, you’re not doing your job and things of that nature. So we really spent a lot of time on making sure that my eyes are in the right place doing my job.”

This Saturday, the Tar Heels (6-2, 4-1 ACC) will try to stay disciplined against Georgia Tech (5-3, 2-3 ACC). But the Yellow Jackets have found success through eight games this season, averaging 458.5 yards on offense per game — 5.4 yards per rush and 18.5 yards per catch.

UNC gave up 417 yards, three fourth-down conversions and a 40-yard catch in last year’s 38-31 win over Georgia Tech. Watching film from the game, redshirt junior safety Donnie Miles attributed many errors to looking in the wrong place.

“It’s all about eyes and defeating the cut blocking ... ” Miles said. “I was bad with my eyes. So it was — everything last year was eyes and then discipline within the scheme of the defense.”

Miles said the bye week helped him grasp the mental tactics he needs to employ against the Yellow Jackets.

“They try to get you ... to put your eyes in the wrong place, try to peek at things that you’re not supposed to peek at,” Miles said. “That’s the biggest thing for us. If we can keep our eyes in the right place ... I think it will be fine.”

Smith said every member of the defense must do his job and only his job. On Saturday, he will focus on avoiding getting distracted from watching other players or moving to the wrong place to try to make a play.

“Right when you mess up and you do someone else’s job, it’ll come back and hit you again,” he said.

Chizik said that’s what he’s emphasized as he readies his team for Georgia Tech.

“It all starts with what you see,” he said. “You’ve got to see what your job requires you to see, and you can’t see anything else. And if you do, you give up these explosive plays.”

Chizik said in the past three or four days, he thinks the defense has figured out what it needs to do to take down the Yellow Jackets.

“They’re so explosive-play oriented, and that’s the whole thing,” he said. “You see it every week. Somebody takes their eyes and puts their eyes in the wrong spot. It happened to us last year.

“Put your eyes in the wrong spot right now and there’s gonna be a receiver running right past you.”

@rblakerich_  

sports@dailytarheel.com