North Carolina heads into its bye week with a clear checklist after the Clemson loss, and the next stop is a big one: Notre Dame on Oct. 3.
The Tar Heels have shown enough in spots this season to make the issues feel fixable, but they also left the weekend with several areas that need real attention before they face one of the country’s elite teams. The extra time should give the coaching staff a chance to tighten up a few things that have already shown up on film.
Billy Edwards Jr. has handled the role of game manager well enough, but the downfield passing game still hasn’t come to life. North Carolina has not been shy about asking him to push the ball.
The first play against East Tennessee State was a deep shot to CJ Sadler, and it was underthrown. On another play, Edwards Jr. missed Jordan Shipp, who was wide open.
That lack of consistency has been especially noticeable once defenses settle in. North Carolina’s early success has been tied closely to Bobby Petrino’s scripted opening plays, but after that first wave, Edwards Jr. has needed to do more. So far, that part of the offense hasn’t matched the design.
Defensively, the secondary has been one of the brighter spots, but it has shown a weakness underneath. Opposing quarterbacks have found room there, and Clemson took advantage as the game went on. The Tar Heels’ defensive backs were aggressive in man coverage early, then allowed Tait Reynolds to get comfortable by repeatedly working underneath.
It’s not a full-blown breakdown, and it doesn’t sound like a major assignment issue. Still, it’s something the staff has to clean up during the bye, especially with the pass rush giving the back end some help up front.
The red zone is another place where North Carolina can use the extra week to rethink its approach. Given the way Edwards Jr. has struggled with routine throws, the Tar Heels could lean more heavily on 12- and 13-personnel inside the 20. Running the ball and using play-action are both paths North Carolina needs to explore if it wants better results there.
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