It’s been a pretty good week for the UNC football team, mainly because of how it played in Week 1 against South Carolina.
The Tar Heels rode a strong ground game and an uncharacteristically strong defense to a 31-17 victory over neighboring rival South Carolina. UNC’s defense recorded nine sacks – more than half of its 2022 total (17) – while holding the Gamecocks to three second-half points.
Tar Heels starting running back British Brooks, in his first game since 2021, led all players with 103 rushing yards. UNC’s experienced ground game generated a total of 168 rushing yards, meaning quarterback Drake Maye didn’t need to be at his best.
As a result of all this, Carolina moved up to 17th in the latest AP Poll.
UNC’s schedule doesn’t get an easier, as they face a tough App State squad on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m. in Kenan Stadium.
When the Heels and Mountaineers met last year in Boone, chaos ensued. UNC appeared on the brink of pulling away with a victory, scoring 34 unanswered points, only for App State to come crawling back and tie things up in the fourth quarter.
Both schools combined for 62 fourth-quarter points, yet it was the visiting Tar Heels who pulled out a 63-61 victory.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, let’s take a deeper dive into what UNC needs to do for a second-consecutive win against their rivals in the Appalachian Mountains: