As the North Carolina football team looks ahead to Syracuse on Saturday, one simple point was hammered home by players after practice on Tuesday — fix the little mistakes.
It was the little mistakes that killed the team against Virginia Tech in its last game. Fumbles, interceptions and missed field goals — things that can be controlled — became the downfall for the Tar Heels.
“Just watch that whole game, watch the film of it,” wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams said. “On Sunday you've just got to understand the little mistakes that could have been the final moment in the game.”
Ratliff-Williams emphasized the most painful part of watching that film against Virginia Tech was seeing the things players work on every day in practice, but failed to execute against the Hokies.
“We did what was required to win the game,” Ratliff-Williams said. “We've just got to do a little more. Understanding that, we just have to go off from that and build from that, because it’s over now so we can’t go back to it.”
Players walked away from practice with a sense of optimism, however. Both quarterback Nathan Elliott and tailback Michael Carter spoke about the positive morale in the locker room at the moment.
“These guys have been through a lot this season” Elliott said. “We just keep fighting, and there’s a lot to say about that."
"I’m very happy to be a part of this team and I know that we’re going to bounce back, and we’re going to have a good rest of the season.”
With first-year quarterback Cade Fortin, who started the last game, likely out due to an injury sustained against the Hokies, Elliott's role will be crucial to turning things around. For the team to cut down on the little mistakes, the effort will need to be led by the redshirt junior.
