The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off an impressive 31-17 win over South Carolina to kick off their season, but what must they do to have a repeat performance in week two against Appalachian State?
Many projected Drake Maye to be the reason for UNC’s victory in a battle of two great offenses. However, that was not the case, with the defense mainly playing the hero role to save the game.
The defense displayed consistent pressure on the line, getting to Spencer Rattler repeatedly for nine sacks. The defensive effort was led by Kaimon Rucker, who earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors after finishing the game with eight tackles and two sacks.
Fans could not be more enthusiastic about the season following week one defensive performance. However, there is still room for improvement. Here are a few keys UNC will need to do on the defensive side to repeat their week one performance.