SB Nation - Zach Pianalto

Carolina's Offensive Line Woes Aren't Going Anywhere

T.H. — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:35:05 -0000

I asked myself multiple times this weekend where exactly UNC's offensive line was, and today J.P. Giglio provides and excellent and thorough accounting of where everybody went:

Three reserve players — tackle Zack Handerson, guard Mike Dykes, guard Morgan Randall — went on medical hardship after the 2008 season after a series of injuries ended their respective careers.

Guard Aaron Stahl, a starter in 2008, graduated and opted not to use his final season of eligibility.

Guard Kevin Bryant, listed in the preseason as Stahl's replacement in the starting lineup at left guard, quit the team in August.

Tackle Carl Gaskins tore the ACL in his left knee in training camp and is out for the season.

The personnel losses have put three true freshmen in the two-deep chart. Davis has only signed five offensive linemen in the past two recruiting classes and one, guard Johnnie Farms from the class of 2009, went to prep school.

The other three freshmen — guard Travis Bond, tackle Brennan Williams and guard David Collins — are listed on the depth chart and Cooper, the only 2008 signee, is the starter at left guard after redshirting last season.

With center Lowell] Dyer's injury, left tackle Kyle Jolly is the only senior on the depth chart. Junior right guard Alan Pelc is the only other upperclassmen with starting experience.

Lowell Dyer and tight end Zach Pianalto were both injured last week and are out at least a month, while guard Jonathan Cooper, who missed the UConn game with a bum ankle is hoping to be able to play against ECU. Davis has moved in Tavares Brown from the defense to have some more bodies at guard or center, but the outlook is definitely troubling. Compound that with the fact that East Carolina returns almost all of their defensive line, and expect more offensive frustration and dependence of the Heels' defense to avoid another loss to a hungry in-state opponent.

I've been kicking around the theory that outside of NFL-ready talent at the skill positions, the best predictor of success in the college game is the offensive line. College quarterbacks especially are quick to make mistakes, so a solid front line that can protect them is an easy path to victory. (It also explains why college quarterback success is such poor predictor of their NFL career.) With the current status of Carolina's front line, it could be a much more disappointing season than many of us are expecting.

UNC 12, Connecticut 10

T.H. — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:15:53 -0000

More photos » by Jessica Hill - AP

3 months ago: North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates fumbles the ball as he is tackled by Connecticut's Lawrence Wilson (8), bottom, and Brandon Dillon (52) during the second half of an NCAA football game in East Hartford, Conn., on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Anybody can beat UConn by playing better than the Huskies. It takes a rare team to put together practically no offense, stumble through three scoreless quarters, and then put the game away with a fortunate Connecticut holding penalty for a safety. And that team is your North Carolina Tar Heels.

Or at least it's most of the Tar Heels. I'm not entirely convinced the offensive line didn't miss the flight north. They sure didn't play like it; T.J. Yates was sacked six times and surrounded by navy jersies on most every play. Shaun Draughn had fourteen carries for a whopping 21 yards and never had a carry longer than four. It wasn't until a late fourth quarter drive that the running game had any purchase at all, when Ryan Houston had six of his seven carries to power UNC to the goal line. And even that scoring drive didn't come without a price, as Zach Pianalto was lost for the game celebrating his touchdown reception.

For everything Carolina's offense wasn't, the Tar Heels defense outperformed, however. They held the Huskies passing game, which racked up 210 yards on them last season to a scant 134. They had four sacks, contained the running game nicely and forced a critical interception into the hands of Charles Brown in the red zone to prevent a certain score. (Brown also had a fumble recovery in UNC territory.) And of course, they pushed the Huskies back from their own 20 to the end zone where Dan Ryan could commit the holding penalty that gave the Heels the win.

I'd like to convince myself that UConn's defense is unusually strong, but Ohio managed to rack up better numbers on the ground. This leads UNC with more than a few problems heading into East Carolina next week; a better offensive line performance, a better running game, and better hands on the receivers, would all be nice. Otherwise, we could be looking at a long, slow season, like much of the rest of the conference it appears.

UNC 28, Georgia Tech 7

T.H. — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:33:05 -0000

For a game between two Top 25 teams - and with the constant churning of the bottom of the polls with various ACC teams, you can be forgiven for not knowing that - the most interesting things happened at the margins. Hakeem Nicks broke the school record for receiving yardage on T.J. Yates only completion after returning from injury, Zack Pianalto got his first trip across the goal line on an athletic reception from Cam Sexton, and both teams seemed more than willing to go for it on fourth down, with less than stellar results.

All in all, it was a slow game until UNC's offensive explosion in the fourth, mostly thanks to the Carolina defense. They contained Jonathan Dwyer on all but one disastrous 85-yard touchdown run, and forced the two fumbles Tech was destined to put on the turf despite that not being a defensive strong suit. The Heels handled an unusual offense very well, and unlike the Virginia and Virginia Tech games took full advantage of the jockeying in the ACC to put themselves in the running for the Coastal Division title. Not much more to say then that - a nice feeling to have.