After the former-No. 5 North Carolina football team lost a letdown game last Saturday to an unranked Florida State, 31-28, the Tar Heels spent the following Sunday reviewing the loss and noting key takeaways for improvement.
“Before we even turned on the film, we sat and talked for probably 20-30 minutes, just open discussion about what we learned from Saturday,” junior offensive lineman Brian Anderson said.
During the loss — which led head coach Mack Brown to question his team’s worthiness of a top 10 ranking — several players observed general sloppiness and the failure of individuals to perform in their own roles, leading to the deficit.
“There’s a lot of people doing other people’s jobs and then trying to make a tackle and missing a tackle,” junior linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel said. “We didn’t have any schematic flaws at half time...It was just everybody making sure they’re doing their job in the second half."
The Tar Heels' poor first half performance sent the message that they can be vulnerable and are, at times, very beatable. But the difference in the two halves was apparent, as the UNC from the first three games of the season crept out and nearly regained control of the game in its later moments.
After learning valuable lessons from the loss, the team then turned its sights toward a matchup with No. 23 N.C. State this Saturday, aiming to spend the week ahead preparing instead of dwelling on the negatives.
“We try to take it week-by-week," senior linebacker Tomon Fox said. "We learn from the previous game and we move on after that. We don’t try to stay focused on a team we played the week before whether we win or lose."
Last year, UNC beat the Wolfpack in a 41-10 blowout. The Tar Heels currently lead the all-time series 67-36-6 and are favored to win Saturday’s game. Further, N.C. State will play without starting quarterback Devin Leary, who is sidelined with a broken leg. Despite the odds, the Wolfpack are still a formidable opponent, even with the loss of depth.
“They’ve been playing well and they’re still gonna play well against us, especially because it’s a rivalry game," Fox said. "We’re still gonna get their best and they’re still gonna get our best."
