Chizik turned their pathetic defense around in one offseason.
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Yeah, one of the few times a coordinator change has really paid off, helping a previously embattled coach. Of course, the guys he brought in on defense were top notch, unlike most situations where only second or third tier coordinators take those jobs when the head coach is in trouble.
That team is very well coached on both sides of the ball. The offense blends many different styles seamlessly and is about as unpredictable as I've seen. That's why they often create wide open spaces. The quarterback has some weaknesses but his deep ball is top notch with plenty of air underneath.
Defensively they can be had on the interior. The tackles aren't playing particularly well. We need to go smack at them early to control the tempo and try to force them into a competitive game for a change. So often they are way ahead and the weakness against the run doesn't come into play.
The pass defense is one of the greatest one-season upticks I've ever seen. Last season they were last in the ACC at a joke 8.5 yards per attempt. Now they are first at 5.5 YPA. As I've emphasized, that category is one of the most significant ones in college football, even though the media never mentions it. Tough switch for the Canes, opposing the worst ACC pass defense last week in Virginia to the best this week. It can be a shell shock.
The secondary is aggressive and instinctive in every game I've seen. But the 5.5 is probably not truly legitimate. A turnaround of that magnitude is so rare that it's fragile. Normally there will be some regression before the season ends.
I expect to lose. The 12.5 point spread may look high. It's all power ratings. As always. That number is smack in line with the current power rating differential.
If we can get North Carolina into a tight game by somehow slowing their offense, their punting game is pathetic.
