Tar Heels Football

Carolina’s offense has specific goals that can point the way to wins.

Aug. 19, 2009 
By Adam Lucas

As you might have heard, the Carolina offense is missing some playmakers from the explosive 2008 incarnation that generated 51 plays of at least 20 yards or more. That means the progression of the offense will be one of the dominant storylines both of training camp and the first month of the 2009 season.

And how will that offense be judged? By wins, of course. But within the confines of the team meeting room in the Kenan Football Center, the coaching staff has set the following unit goals for the Carolina offense in each game.

Win the game. No explanation needed.

Win the turnover battle. In 2008, the Tar Heels were +16 in turnovers in the team’s eight wins. They were -12 in the four losses.

52% run efficiency. A running play is efficient if it meets the following criteria: on first down, if it gains at least four yards. On second or third down, if it nets a first down or a touchdown. Reach those standards on 52% of the running plays and this goal is achieved.

Score 100% of the time in the red zone and score a touchdown 67% of the time in the red zone. The Tar Heels were relatively efficient in the red zone last year, ranking fourth in the league with an 85.0% conversion rate. But too many of those scores were field goals rather than touchdowns, something John Shoop would like to rectify in 2009.

Win 2-minute situations at the end of the half/game. Two-minute offense was a focal point in the spring. The good news: T.J. Yates’s experience should mean better, more efficient decisions. The bad news: new receiving targets are needed to haul in some of his passes.

Win backed-up situations. Get two first downs or put the ball outside the -35 yard line. Running backs get the most attention on the goal line. But their jobs are even tougher when they’re pinned close to their own goal line. “That’s when the yards are tougher,” says Shaun Draughn. “You have to be patient, but then there comes a time when you have to turn it up and get what you can. You’ve got to get in there with your offensive line and get a push.”
 
 
Win 4:00 offense, end the game with the ball and a win. Two-minute offense is about quick decisions and maximizing the number of plays in a short amount of time. Four minute offense is the opposite—an attempt to keep the clock moving and shorten the game. There’s a fair amount of savvy required. For example, tailbacks have to be conscious of the sidelines and avoid running out of bounds. It all goes back to the running game: the defense knows you’re probably going to run it, but you still have to pound out 10 yards and retain possession.

Convert all 3rd/4th and 1 plays and win short-yardage. “We have to take every play that we’re lining up and want to beat down the guy across from us,” says H-back Ryan Taylor of the mentality needed for short yardage. “When other teams watch film of us running the ball, we want them to say, `How are we going to stop them? They’re plowing over people.’ We want them to think we’re going to run right over them…and right after that, hit `em with a long pass.”

Win goal-line situations/score touchdowns in goal-line offense. Self-explanatory.

Allow one sack or fewer per game. The Tar Heels allowed 28 sacks last year. This year, with an offensive line that will be a work in progress, it could be up to Yates to make sure that figure decreases. Keep in mind that Cameron Sexton avoided a handful of would-be sacks in 2008 with his mobility.

Score 26 points per game. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure it out. In the Butch Davis era, Carolina is 10-3 when scoring at least 26 points and 2-10 when failing to reach that figure.

—— Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. Get real-time UNC sports updates from the THM staff on Twitter ——