During the offseason, football in Chapel Hill seemed dead. Heading into the midseason portion of the schedule, the North Carolina Tar Heels have overcome adversity and investigations to drive a turnaround in Bill Belichick's second season as head coach.
Maybe the resignation of Michael Lombardi was the weight that lifted to improve the team, but the Tar Heels have found ways to win this season, and one could argue they should be a game away from reaching bowl eligibility, with the possibility of being ranked. How is North Carolina doing this? Here are three ways they are winning games this season.
1. Talent Improvement
The Tar Heels have a litany of freshmen beginning to find key roles on game days. They also had several players return to the program while adding high-ceiling, untapped talent from the transfer portal. The tight end position is outstanding with Jelani Thurman and Shamar Easter, while the trenches on both sides of the ball have improved significantly.
I would argue North Carolina downgraded at quarterback with Billy Edwards Jr., but I don't fault Gio Lopez for finding greener pastures, and he's not doing too bad in Winston-Salem. Overall, North Carolina got better, though with flaws still glaring at important spots, and enough to secure some big wins for Belichick.
2. Coaching
Is North Carolina winning games by 10-plus points each week? No, most of these games have been won within one possession, including the win over the Duke Blue Devils last week. The biggest key to that has been the execution on both sides of the ball in situational football (third downs, red zone, etc.); adjusting the game plan during the game instead of waiting until the last minute; and trusting your best players to make plays.
The job that Belichick and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino have done this season is terrific, but it doesn't stop there.
3. Player Development
We always knew that Belichick was a great coach, considering he's the greatest NFL coach of all time, but we didn't know if it would translate to the college level. What do you know? Belichick's coaching has done it again, and it is evident in his player development.
Xavier Lewis went from a walk-on player to being one of the best defensive tackles in the sport within a calendar year; Greg Smith went from a sub-package defender to being the best defensive back on the roster; and Thurman went from a hidden talent at Ohio State to developing into one of the ACC's best overall weapons. Those are just a few examples of how much North Carolina has grown, and it is thanks to Belichick and his staff.
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