UNC defense searching for answers after fourth-quarter ‘implosion’ against App State
Gene Chizik has seen many things during his 26-year coaching career. The Tar Heels allowing a 40-point fourth quarter against Appalachian State qualified as a first for the North Carolina assistant coach for defense.
And it’s something he never wants to see again.
Chizik described the quarter as an “implosion” although the Heels still managed a 63-61 victory that was capped off by a crucial stop on the Mountaineers’ two-point conversion attempt.
“We know there’s issues that we got to fix, that’s obvious,” Chizik said. “But there’s definitely a fine line between knowing what you got to fix and panicking. And I’ll never be a panicker.”
It wasn’t just the fourth quarter. Carolina’s defense started off the game slowly too, allowing App State to score touchdowns on its first three drives of the game. The Mountaineers rolled up 664 total yards in all, which is the most allowed since Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson powered a 705-yard effort in 2017.
“We’re definitely sick to our stomachs giving up those numbers,” cornerback Tony Grimes said. “We’re playing with a chip on our shoulder from here on out. But thank God that we’re 2-0, still we’ve got a lot of stuff to prove.”
While they are not in panic mode, Chizik added that there is an urgency. He said he watched the game on the bus ride back to Chapel Hill, and a second time before he went to bed and again Sunday morning when he woke up.
What he saw on every viewing was that there is not a quick fix, by tweaking one aspect of how they played.
“The fourth quarter was an implosion and it was a lot of things and it was not on a single individual,” Chizik said. “It wasn’t on a single group of players — (defensive) line, linebackers, secondary — it was everybody. And usually when those scenarios happen, it’s poor execution.”
Even when they did have the right execution, Carolina hurt itself with penalties that helped keep drives going. Of the four defensive penalties UNC had in the fourth quarter, three of them came on third or fourth downs.
Carolina’s “Accountability Sunday,” where each unit on the team reviews what it did wrong and what it has to improve upon, was a bit more arduous after App State.
Defensive end Kaimon Rucker, who teamed with linebacker Noah Taylor to tackle App State quarterback Chase Brice on the would-be, game-tying, two-point conversion attempt, said it was as brutal as one would expect after giving up 61 points.’
“We got 61 dropped our head so of course there’s gonna be a little bit of like, ‘that shouldn’t happen,’” Rucker said. “I feel like there was more of a self accountability thing ... we know the standard of our defense. We know the standard of where we need to play at and we did not play to our standard.”
How they get back to that standard starts upfront with the defensive line. UNC had just one sack and one quarterback hurry against App State. Pro Football Focus graded the Heels’ pass rush at just 63.3 after it scored a 91.4 in their three-sack effort against Florida A&M in the opener.
Carolina’s pass rush may not get the test it desires against Georgia State, but its run defense will be challenged. Chizik said the linemen have to do a better job of staying on their feet and holding their gaps in run defense.
“I just feel like we need to get out of that little like, ‘I’m afraid to make a mistake,’ box and just let loose,” Rucker said. “I feel like once we do that and we just play with total confidence, I’m telling you, we got a dangerous defense. Everybody can say what they want, but we got a very dangerous defense.”
The secondary has to play better as well. Chizik said the unit was losing too many battles within the first five yards of its press coverage, when the defensive backs are charged with disrupting the rhythm of receivers.
That’s part of why App State had nine pass plays of 20 or more yards.
“Most of the time it was really one person not doing their job, and then one person not doing their job leads to a big gash,” said Grimes, who played the entire game at App State after suffering a concussion on the second drive in the opener against FAMU. “If everybody did their job, all 11 players did their job, we’ll have a good defense.”
For all the bumps they have endured in two games, the Heels are confident they will reach their potential defensively. Grimes said there’s been no in-fighting or finger-pointing, they’ve tried to rally around each other.
Chizik has made sure to point out the good too, like the four drives in the second and third quarters where App State was held scoreless.
“Nobody wants to be in a position to give up 40 in the fourth quarter, or have missed assignments,” safety Cam Kelly said. “It definitely is a surprise, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. And that’s the one thing we’re gonna do. We’re gonna trust this process and become the defense we can be — and with the talent we have — that’s gonna be a really good one.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 5:40 AM with the headline "UNC defense searching for answers after fourth-quarter ‘implosion’ against App State."