North Carolina got a reminder last weekend that the run game can look good and still not carry an offense all the way home.
During the Tar Heels’ 28-20 loss to Clemson, the backs did their part. Benjamin Hall, Jaylen McGill and Demon June piled up 200 yards on 33 carries, with Hall setting the pace by going for 130 yards on 18 attempts. Hall also spoke about the rushing attack and the way it has steadily improved over the first three games of the season.
That production matters because Bobby Petrino spent the offseason hammering home the same message: the run has to be established. So far, that has been the clearest foundation of the offense.
But North Carolina’s ground success is tied to what happens through the air, and that’s where things fell apart against Clemson. Edwards Jr. could not get comfortable, and the offense never found any real rhythm.
He finished 13-of-30 for 135 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and he never strung together consecutive completions. That stall helped undo what had been a 14-3 lead after the first quarter, when Tait Reynolds looked completely overwhelmed by Bill Belichick’s defense.
Hall’s performance made one thing plain: he has locked himself in as the RB1. Still, the Tar Heels can’t just ask the backs to drag everything forward on their own.
If the offense wants to hit its ceiling, however limited that ceiling may be, Edwards Jr. has to play better. Without more reliable quarterback play, it becomes much harder to consistently lean on the run.
For now, the plan is obvious. North Carolina’s offense is going to run through a three-headed backfield, and the Tar Heels will need to keep the ground game central if they want any real chance at success.
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Belichicks UNC Start Looks Worse As Passed-Over Options Keep Delivering
Bill Belichicks first season at North Carolina has already become a talking point across college football, and not in the way anyone around Chapel Hill would have wanted. As the Tar Heels try to settle in under one of the sports most famous names, the comparison game has only intensified, with other programs taking shape behind coaches who were in the same broader conversation before Belichick landed at UNC.
Those parallel developments matter because the coaches North Carolina did not hire keep stacking up results elsewhere. Jon Sumrall and Jake Dickert, in particular, have continued to build momentum, while Wake Forests early success under Dickert and quarterback Gio Lopez has only sharpened the optics. Even in games with uneven quarterback play, such as Clemsons outing from Tait Reynolds, the broader trend has been hard to miss for UNC fans watching the wider carousel. [Read more 🡒]