UNC defense has been much improved in ACC play — especially in second half of games
North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray said the defense made it a point of emphasis to improve its second-half play after the Tar Heels’ loss to Notre Dame. The result has been a bright spot in ACC play.
The Tar Heels (6-1, 3-0 ACC) enter Saturday’s game against Pitt (4-3, 1-2) having allowed just 21 second-half points in their past three games.
“We’ve been kind of playing poorly in the second half in the early parts of the year,” Gray said. “After that Notre Dame game, we made a big emphasis, put a big premium on being better coming out of halftime, being better in the fourth quarter, and just the second half as a whole,” Gray said. “That really showed these past three games. We’ve been able to get a better result in the third and fourth quarters of our past few games than we have early in the year. And I’m proud of that.”
They’ve been particularly good after halftime in ACC play — none of their league opponents have scored in the third quarter. In those three games, Carolina has given up just 11 rushing yards on 16 carries in the third quarter. Given the strength of Pitt’s running game, it could be a deciding factor this weekend.
The Heels’ adjustments made a difference against Duke, as the Blue Devils led 21-17 at halftime and ran for 192 yards in the first half. Carolina held them to just two yards on five attempts in the third quarter.
“A lot of people have done different things against us in the first half than they’ve done all season and it’s just been new and different,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “We’ve seen a lot of new coaches. We’ve seen people that have a week off before we play them; some people trying to figure out who they are offensively; so I think that’s been the reason people jumped on us quickly.”
Halftime has allowed the Heels to re-calibrate defensively in a way they didn’t during non-conference play. UNC allowed an average of 22 points per game in the second halves of the team’s first four games, including the infamous 40-point fourth quarter at Appalachian State.
UNC’s assistant head coach for defense Gene Chizik said the Heels’ communication at halftime was instrumental to improving their second-half play.
“They’re really good at verbalizing and talking back and forth with us and being able to have really good football conversations, not only on the sideline, but definitely at halftime when you need to have those back and forths,” Chizik said. “They’re able to tell us what they see. We’re able to tell them what we see. And so they do a really good job of adapting and adjusting to things that either we’ve prepared for and we’re just reiterating what we need to do; or adjusting to new things.”
Carolina’s much-maligned defense ranks third in the ACC in scoring defense in conference play.
“One of the pleasing stats is we’re giving up 23 points per game in the ACC,” Brown said. “And we obviously gave up a lot more than that in a couple of the out of conference games. So I do see us getting better on defense even though we’ve still got a long way to go.”
How to watch UNC vs Pitt football game
The game will be broadcast on ACC Network. It is also available on the ESPN App with an ESPN+ subscription, and through various subscription apps that carry ACC Network, such as Hulu and YouTube TV. The link to watch it is here.
Vegas betting odds
Carolina is a 3-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com’s consensus line.
Pregame reading
- UNC’s receiving tandem, one of the ACC’s best, is causing chaos for opposing defenses
- UNC vs Pitt football first look: Odds, players to watch and top story lines
Quarterback Drake Maye’s fleet feet keep UNC football one step ahead of ACC defenses
- ACC football still waiting on Miami to deliver after all these years. Time is ticking
- As UNC looks to ‘make this season special,’ Mack Brown wants team to ignore accolades
This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 6:40 AM with the headline "UNC defense has been much improved in ACC play — especially in second half of games."