Oct 1, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; North Carolina Tarheels wide receiver Ryan Switzer (3) runs the ball during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium. Photo Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
After two consecutive storybook endings, North Carolina probably could use a little break right now, but the Tar Heels aren’t going to get it.
Florida State, the 37-35 victim on Nick Weiler’s 54-yard field goal as time ran out, was just the first of a three-game stretch that likely will determine the postseason fate for the Heels, who have won four in a row since dropping their opener to Georgia.
Next up: Virginia Tech on Saturday, the only home date for the Heels in the month of October.
First-year coach Justin Fuente’s Hokies have recovered from a big loss to Tennessee in Bristol and have won their last two game to improve to 3-1 on the season overall and 1-0 in ACC play. They were idle last week as the Tar Heels improved to 2-0 in league play.
“They look really good on film right now,” said Carolina coach Larry Fedora, whose team scored with two seconds left to get by Pittsburgh 37-36 in its league opener a week before knocking off the Seminoles. “Maybe even more than I expected since I haven’t had a chance before now to see them.
“They’re playing great football, and I can see why their sitting in the position they’re in right now, ranked in the Top 25.”
Both the Hokies and the Tar Heels jumped into this week’s poll with the Heels, who were No. 22 in the preseason but dropped out after the loss to the Bulldogs, at No. 17 and the Hokies at No. 25.
“Coach Fuente has brought a high-powered offense in that has made them extremely explosive,” Fedora said, singling out quarterback Jerod Evans for his play. “Their quarterback is somebody that can beat you with his legs and his arm.
“And then you have Bud Foster there dialing it up on the defense. He will make sure they are good on defense.”
Evans is the team’s No. 2 rusher 209 yards to running back Travon McMillian’s 212 and is passing for an average of 241 yards a game. That’s an average of over 290 yards a game in total offense for the junior transfer from Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College.
Foster, of course, is Tech’s longtime Tech defensive coordinator, a holdover from coach Frank Beamer’s staff who has the Hokies at No. 9 in total defense statistically among FBS teams, limiting foes to just 264.3 yards a game rushing and passing.
The Hokies are No. 10 in pass defense in giving up just 150.8 yards a game through the air. That goes right at the strength of a North Carolina offense that has averaged 342 yards a game passing behind junior quarterback Mitch Trubisky and a talented and deep receiving corps.
Senior wide receiver Ryan Switzer has a team-high 47 catches for the season, but he has plenty of support from junior Austin Proehl (19 receptions, 269 yards) and seniors Bug Howard (18-261) and Mack Hollins (13-252).
After hosting the Hokies the Tar Heels go back on the road to Miami the next week and then finish the month at Virginia on Oct. 22 before getting the last Saturday off.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Mitch Trubisky is on a school and ACC record pace for completion percentage after connecting on 133 of his 175 attempts (76.0 percent) in the first five games. The school mark is 69.3 by Chris Kupec in 1974 and the conference record 72.4 by Riley Skinner of Wake Forest in 2007.
–WR Ryan Switzer has 30 catches in the last two outings, which is an ACC record for back-to-back games, but more vital is that he has done it in clutch situations. After catching three fourth-down passes late in the comeback win over Pittsburgh, he had a crucial third-down reception in the drive that put the Tar Heels up 34-28 late against Florida State last week.
–LB Cole Holcomb, a former walk-on who played primarily on special teams as a sophomore last year, has lived up to the vote of his teammates as the player mostly like to surprise in 2016. He had 13 tackles against Florida State to give him 44 stops (one sack) for the season, second on the team behind the 47 of S Donnie Miles.
