The North Carolina Tar Heels have opened up the 2024 season with two straight wins to start 2-0. And a big reason why has been their defense.
In week 1 against Minnesota, the Tar Heels made a statement in that second half by slowing down the Gophers and holding them to one touchdown the entire game. While Charlotte fared a little better, it was still a good performance.
And at the center of that was defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie.
Through the first two games, Ritzie has five sacks as he’s been an anchor on UNC’s defensive line, getting pressure and wrapping up the quarterback in the backfield. He’s the first UNC player to have a two-game stretch of five sacks since Kareem Martin in 2013.
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With two sacks on Saturday, Ritzie helped UNC’s defense do a good job against Charlotte. With the Tar Heels missing Kaimon Rucker due to an injury, they needed someone to set up in his place.
For North Carolina, the key to success on defense this year will be getting to the quarterback and so far this year, they are doing a heck of a job. But after next week’s game against NC Central, things get tougher and they are going to need that consistent pass rush.
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