UNC football works on ‘fix’ for run game vs. Syracuse: Betting odds, how to watch, stream
One of those “fix-it” areas North Carolina worked on during its football bye week was getting the running game running better again.
The No. 14 Tar Heels host Syracuse on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN) looking to improve to 5-0 for the season and 2-0 in the ACC – that is, stay on track. They’d also like to do it with better offensive balance.
UNC opened the season by rushing for 168 yards in beating South Carolina and then 319 yards in the win over Appalachian State as sophomore Omarion Hampton had a career-high 234. That rushing production dipped to 105 yards against Minnesota and 77 yards against Pittsburgh.
“We’re not running the ball as effectively as we wanted to since the App State game,” UNC coach Mack Brown said this week. “The last two defensive fronts have been good. They really worked to stop the run, but we haven’t blocked them well, and we’ve still been stubborn in running up inside and we’ve got to figure that out.
“We’re looking at why we’re not making yards and what can we do to make yards. Or do something else. Don’t waste plays, which is really important.”
The Tar Heels have been able to punish teams with quarterback Drake Maye’s passing. And with wide receiver Tez Walker now ruled eligible by the NCAA, they’ve added another offensive weapon.
Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey credited Minnesota and Pitt with having “stout” defenses and putting extra “hats in the box” to stop the run.
“These defensive coordinators around the country, my experience is they take things away from you and make you play left-handed, so to speak,” Lindsey said.
That doesn’t always work. Maye passed for 296 yards in the 41-24 win at Pitt including, yes, that left-handed TD pass play to Kobe Paysour in the second quarter.
Jamming eight or nine defensive players close to the line also hasn’t stopped UNC from running in the red zone. The Heels have 14 red-zone touchdowns this season in 19 attempts and 11 have been rushing TDs.
“The better you can run the ball, the easier the red zone can be for you,” Lindsey said.
Against Syracuse (4-1, 0-1 ACC), the Tar Heels will be facing one of the wiser defensive heads in college football: Rocky Long.
Long, 73, is a former head coach at New Mexico and then San Diego State, where he had two 11-win seasons. He’s in his first season as Syracuse’s defensive coordinator on Dino Babers’ staff and has long been a proponent of the 3-3-5 defensive scheme that several college teams – including N.C. State – have adopted.
“One of the best in the business,” Lindsey said. “You expect the unexpected with Coach Long.”
The Orange can be creative and disruptive with its defensive looks, Lindsey said, looking to force negative plays, tackles for losses. They’re allowing 96.4 yards rushing, ranked 21st in FBS, and 2.72 yards a rush, 10th-best nationally.
As Lindsey put it, “Muddy the water.”
UNC center Corey Gaynor said the Orange defensive front does “a great job of moving and twisting and blitzing.”
“They show you different looks, trying to slow you down,” he said. “I think they have a great scheme and it will be a great challenge.”
Betting odds
Most Vegas oddsmakers are making the Tar Heels 8.0 or 8.5 -point favorites. ESPN has UNC an 8.5-point pick and, using its Football Power Index (FPI), says the Heels have a 61.2% chance of winning. The over/under: 59.0 points.
How to watch
The 3:30 p.m. game will be shown on cable on ESPN. Satellite options include DirecTV and Dish Network or stream it on such services as DIRECTV Stream, fuboTB, Hulu + Live TV, SlingTV and YouTube TV.
North Carolina (4-0, 1-0 ACC) vs Syracuse (4-1, 0-1)
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill
TV: ESPN
Series history: The Heels and Orange have played six times, all since 1995, with each winning three games.
