UNC leads the ACC in total offense, scoring offense and pass efficiency. Will it be tough enough when toughness matters most?
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“Isaiah has had a good preseason, has worked his tail off in the offseason”, UNC coach Roy Williams said.
“It’s been a battle, just staying patient not trying to rush back and get on the court”, he said.
“And it’s not just who’s going to stand up and fight somebody”.
Despite the 5-1 record and the first 2-0 start in ACC play since 1997 the Tar Heels are still a handful of questions and tinge of trepidation whether UNC is who we think it is. But when healthy, he is as unsafe a deep-threat receiver as there is in the ACC. With eight catches in his three games since returning from a broken collarbone, he appears to be healthy now.
The one at Louisville.
The school honored Scott during “Late Night”, which he first hosted in 2001 and did so 10 times.
There was the home game against Duke, when UNC led by seven early in the second half. Then there was previous year, when it seemed like Pitt’s defense missed sack after sack on quarterback Marquise Williams to seal the game and North Carolina came out with a 5 point win. Last season, UNC scored 3 touchdowns on plays of 50 yards or more to beat UVa.
Thorpe and his unique situation were a hot topic of conversation when Virginia coach Mike London spoke with the media this week. “And you’re like, ‘Wow”.
While the game was just a scrimmage, junior forward Isaiah Hicks looked good on the court. Virginia’s scoring offense is near the bottom of the barrel in the ACC, putting up an average of 25.8 points per game. But it didn’t happen that way. The 9th-ranked Tar Heels rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the 2nd half to overcome the 15th-ranked Fighting Irish and avoid the program’s 1st 4-game losing streak. It defined a season of what-ifs and could-have-beens, and those failures have been permanently etched into their minds, what with all the signage around.
Schmitt, UofL’s top scorer, hit the post in the 75th minute looking to regain the lead for the visiting Cardinals. “So we can talk junk during the game and love him afterward”. There are other reasons, too. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 3 nationally by allowing 135.5 yards per game. Expectations are high for Justin Jackson, the sophomore forward, and his classmates Joel Berry and Theo Pinson, both of whom went through injuries that hampered their progress as freshmen. Before UNC won the 2005 national championship, for instance, he said he knew the Tar Heels were at least the second-best team in the country. Early turnovers could also pave the way for a Virginia team struggling for a signature win to gain a few confidence on the road.
“I think this year we’re one of the best”, Williams said, emphasizing the word “one”. “But there’s a big difference there”. Last week the Hoos were gashed by Syracuse quarterback, Eric Dungey, and unfortunately for Virginia fans, Williams is a lot better with a much better supporting cast. In fact, from 1919-1950, Carolina played its regular season finale vs. Virginia 28 of 32 times. “He’s made great friends here on this team as well”. U.Va. could designate a player like middle linebacker Micah Kiser, who leads the ACC with 61 tackles and who is tied for the conference lead with five sacks, to spy Williams and follow his every move. They agree the potential is there.
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The Irish responded on the counter attack, as Flores sent in a long shot from the left flank that rolled just to the right of the net.
