#11 R.P.I. North Carolina @ #48 R.P.I. Virginia Tech:

Today’s word of the day is… beginning!

beginning
[ bih-gin-ing ]

noun. First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing1

1. an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state:
2. the point of time or space at which anything begins:
3. the first part:
4. o3.09, 6 PM,
5. on ESPN!

North Carolina Head Coach: William Mack Brown: age=7o, (84–56–1 at U.n.c.; 259–132–1 overall); has a rep’ for stellar (pun intended) recruiting, FLIPPING-recruits, offense, Wr’s and Pitch-n-Catch development in particular.
$3,500,000.oo

Baller Brown was a three-sport star at Putnam County High School, playing football, basketball, and baseball. After his senior season, he won All-State as well as Prep All-America honors and was selected one of the nation’s top running backs by Scholastic Magazine his senior year. The Tennessean selected him as the state player of the year.

Baller Brown accepted a football scholarship to Vanderbilt University., where his brother Watson Brown was the starting quarterback. In his time playing for the Vanderbilt Commodores, he played for Bill Pace and rushed 82 times for 364 yards and three touchdowns, as well as catching seven passes for 50 yards and a touchdown during the 1970 season.

Brown then transferred to Florida State University. Brown played for Florida State under head coach Larry Jones. At Florida State, he had 31 rushing attempts for 98 yards and 10 catches for 76 yards in the 1972 season. Lettering twice as a running back for the Seminoles, he started his coaching career as a student coach after five knee surgeries ended his career prematurely (may St.Nikon penta-bless).

Brown.edu graduated F.s.u. in 1974. He later received a graduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1976. PROPs on this!

Coach Mack broke into the clipboard for hire ranks at So.Miss and has made a buncha big-name tour stops along the way. Among them would be: Florida State, L.s.u., Oklahoma, of course, Texas, and a previous stint at U.n.c. (1988-97). Coach Brown started out with three negative seasons in his first six campaigns. Then he began a much more positive ascent upwards through the more rarefied coaching ranks. As he got things rolling at Chapel Hill in 1990 and has suffered only one L’ing season ever since. (Although he had been retired/outta coaching since 2013). Since returning to Chapel Hill, Brown has started a tradition of lighting the Bell Tower blue after every home win.

Coach Mack has picked up a few trinkets along the way. Among them would be: the B.c.s. or D-1 National Championship (2005), 2 Big 12 crowns (2005, 2009), and six Big 12 South Division titles (1999, 2001–2002, 2005, 2008–2009). Accordingly, he has been awarded a few things along the way as well. Among them would be: the A.c.c. Coach of the Year (1996), the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award (2005), the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award (2008) and he is a 2× Big 12 Coach of the Year (2005, 2009). Coach Mack also sports a winning post-season mark at 13-8 when bowling. And thespian Brown made several T.V. Friday Night Lights appearances/cameos.

Additionally, Coach Brown has authored an 18-year bowl streak, with 20 straight winning seasons. This with a mere 192 consecutive weeks ranked in the Coach’s Poll to boot. Coach Brown is one of only three head coaches in D-1 history to coach players who recorded a 2,000-yard rushing season, a 1,000-yard receiving season, and a 3,000-yard passing season in the very same year (Tx, per V.Young). When combined with his brother (Watson Brown), they compose the pair of brothers with the most combined wins in college football history. And he is already enshrined in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. And he and his family have done more than a lot of community/charity work… in particular in regard to abused children. (God Bless!)

Mack-daddy’s wife is named Sally. They have four children:
Matt Jessee, Katherine Ryan, Barbara Wilson, and Chris Jessee

2020 record: 8 up 4 down and 7-3 or 3rd in the A.c.c.

 U.n.c. Defense: (starters back=8)

• 3 or 4-front base with true Ng or 2 true Dt’s, multiple(s) behind that.
  Even some 4-2-Hybrids.
• 58th in Total D.
• 50th vs. the run.
• 87th vs. the throw.
• 51st in Passing Efficiency D.
• 93rd in zone D!
• 5 outta 10 in dLine Havoc. (5 for sacking, nearly nil for TFL READERS do note). De Tomari Fox is the truth— just ask Sunday’s next year. Ng Raymond Vohasek on the 1-technique nose of Brockwõrst’s high-G should be an in-fighting treat for the WW1 trench-warfare enthusiasts among yah. Tho’ this Ray-Ray is one of the few Ng’s who can generate a solid pass-rush and push the Pass-Pocket back in your dang face. Additionally, insiders say that this is the 1st time during the second edition of m.Brown’s tenure that his defensing front wall may (now) be officially trending as a legit-2-deep. (As depth has been a 4Q issue here recently or since Mack returned). And this is a sizeable front-wall gents, per only one guy south of 3-bills (300 lbs.)!
• (NOTE): this is something of a Landry NY.Giant flexy set. And ‘hybrid’ is the touchstone word here… U.n.c. can and will show multiple fronts via elevatoring 1st/2nd layer guys into 30’s, 40’s, even (pardon the pun) into 50’s when they so choose. (Good to play them here or on a BYE week or bowl game with extra practice time for it, too!)

  

• 6 outta 10 in Linebacking Havoc. (same as above with at least 5 per opposing Qb sacking).
  Mike-Lb Jeremiah Gemmel is prolly your alpha 2nd-layer baller here. Although the departing next-level ex-Qb turned OLb Chazz Surratt creates a havocing vacancy, if not a void on the edge. OLb Eugene Asante has bulked up and if he can get more hit or miss consistent this middle-layer could hit for more than singles and doubles this season, if/when. Hybrid Tomon Fox (older) is a 265 lb. edge pass rusher who’ll work in a variety of ways. He’s an Lb with De size, (whereas down lineman 290 lb. Tomari Fox (younger bro’) is more of a De with Dt size). Yes, on being related. Tho’ they do toggle these bros all over the place and try to out-Fox you here. Lb’s are all upperclassmen and 2 of the 4 is ≥258 lb. beasts! MEANING: there is a lotta right-mass in the U.n.c. front-7… short-yardage file that one away for needy down-n-distance use.
• 2 maybe 3 outta 10 in Secondary Havoc. 86th in passes picked as U.n.c. plays a balanced play the man vis-à-vis play the ball approach. In point of fact, NO t.Heel had more than one that’s (1) intercept last yearlong! That said, safety or midfield run defending seems a step ahead of Cb-work on edge. Per Don Chapman and Cam’Ron Kelly being very solid tacklers at S. As every bowl starter returns here and they are pretty close to a very legit 4-deep behind that. With Cb overall depth quality >>> Fs/Ss depth quality. So, fatigue should not be a coverage issue here— the tipping point being play-making itself? The Heel secondary should improve… the clinical evaluation being is that up to downright solid or all the way out to ‘good’? And if returning: Cb1 Storm Duck (leg, St.Nikon bless) and (grate name) is up to snuff the Cb’s are prolly better; IF he is healthy enough? Decent sized hind-4, other than Fs which is nearly shrimpy (5′9″)! (might wanna Iso’ Te, Mitch’ here if you can).
• D overall: in 2021 things seemingly should be a bit halt-unit better than they were at the close of business 2020. Tho’ the close of 2020 business was showing more than a few commercial betterment signs mind yah. As U.n.c. has more than their share of VHT’s (very highly touted) here. Albeit in a reverse Beamerball approach. (Meaning: O gets 1st picks on split-players over D up on Chapel Hill). Still yet, red-zone, takeaways, and backfield stops are the metrics that invite inspection or outright scrutiny when facing U.n.c. And they will determine if the rest of a savvy enough t.Heel halt-unit takes the next proverbial 2021 step or turns a two-one ankle and gets all anti-Gestalt Theory again. (i.e., less than the sum of their recruiting marker parts)

• ∑ (summary): returning D production=81% or 28th most. Tomon Fox is a load at Lb here and this Lb is loaded for bear; he’s is your conflict defender for U.n.c. Film-study: D will blitz and give up wide-side flats and they will blitz from anywhere. Blackshear please report to and “flatten” out the dancefloor here. That or they dump the full 7 into coverage and trust their forward-4 upfield to push the pocket northwardly. Recall: their Ng alone… can! And they ain’t ½ bad at doing that either. Tackling is so-so. Not bad, not great; tho’ U.n.c. will over pursue things and needs some reps on ‘breakin’-down’ and playing ‘under control’. This appears to worsen further off the LOS (line-0f-scrimmage) downfield. Literally, Eye saw U.n.c. defenders in a hurry, (mutually) crash a Wr post-catch, and basically knock each other silly. (Could be sum Y.A.C. (yards after contact) here). As the Heels have gotta get some lift off of an A.c.c. 1st-worst mere 11 Turnovers were forced defensively last year. Did I mention the dearth of defending turnovers, let?
• p.s. this D strikes me as mired somewhere in between too complex, and maybe even a little too risk-friendly at the expense of appearing somewhat finesse. Or, in other words, you need a slew of 4th/5th-year guys to intellectualize all of this flexy, toggling, hybrid cuteness. Kinda like a c.Newsome oLine in redux if you will.

Defensive letter-grade: F.E.I. rating 90th up to 68th.

U.n.c. Offense: (returning starters=7 or 8)

• 5th in Total O!!!
• 11th in ground O!!
• 18th in aerial O!
• 7th in Passing Efficiency O!!!
• 23rd in zone O.
• 8th best in completion percentage (~70%)!!!
• 8th best in yards/catch!!! (nice downfield & play-making Y.A.C. alike).
• 78th in most passes picked. As this one will (occasionally) wild-ass Howell @the moon.
• O overall: Qb1: F.s.u. **** (4-star) last-minute flip, Sam Howell looks like quite the Qb, catch. Ditto his shinny 4:1 career passing ratio (TD’s:INT’s). (Although only 1:1 early in 2020; which escalated quickly to over 3:1 to close). Tritto 69% great for 3,586 threw the airwaves. Pegging at over a 1st-down/completion and a very shiny 181 Qb-rating if you needs it. That’s not bad work from a third-year year voter if you can get it men. His 6′2″, 225 lb. rookie-year measured 5.07 forty, however, is a bit 2020 pokey. This kid is a thud-thrower who sometimes invents his very own mechanics as he goes along. As this is an early-career Nolan Ryan power-pitcher who has yet to develop the complimentary breaking-ball; much less an off-speed pitch. Still yet, make no misQ here, Sam the Man has arm-talent to spare. And that same driving high R.P.M. throw can get things done while off-balance that other Pivots get sat down for. As Sam was the #2 N.C. H.S. baller this time three years hence, he was the #3 Pocket Qb, and here is all he scholastically did… Sam finished his career by going for 13,415 passing yards and 145 throw-game TDs while rushing for 3,621 yards and 60 more scores!!! Sam set the North Carolina record for total yards with 17,036! Sam ranks second in state history in career passing yards and he was only named 2018 North Carolina Gatorade Player and USA Today N.C. Player of the Year following his senior year. The only real foible was his 59% high school accuracy that was not entirely parting the center of the horsehairs at your local dart-pub or the old Ton-80 Club downtown. That said, collegiate Sam is now up to a more polished 65% overall, and whatever flame-throwing problems that Sam does have are heater problems that basically ~128 other D-1 squads wish they had. As Mister Howell is gonna be professionally thirsty indeed. The only question is drinking from the Grey Cup or off of the Lombardi Trophy? p.s. Howell averages –10.3 yps (yards per sacked)! Tho’ he can wiggle… as some expect him to do this season. Finally, Howell is showing some serious gamer tendencies, what with 6% better final-30 minute passing and a whopping 15% betterment in the final stanza (4Q)! wowow! Sammy has also hit for 68 career TD passes, more than any player in A.c.c. history through two seasons (Clemson’s t.Lawrence is second with 66). And, finally, Sammy’s improved his downfield vision and/or pigskin I.Q. as well. Seasoning has been in excess of Heinz 57 variety sauce here. Nearly top-shelf in point of fact. As Sammy is on pace to eclipse 10,000 passing years and to become a centennial careerist TD chucker to boot. And the team’s next star quarterback is coming next year with Drake Maye already committed. Qb2 Drake Maye is legit; just maybe not quite Sam Howell legit.  oLine: well, everyone is back that’s the good news… the news-news is that they were so-so and at times south of that in 2020 terms. Upfront, U.n.c. has continuity in the group paving the way for its skilled stars. The right side appears to be set with two veteran 330-pound juniors Jordan Tucker (dinged) at even-Ot and Marcus MeKethan at even-G. This from the 2019 blockers who were 113th in the nation in sacks allowed, then a slightly better 100th in the same. and it gave up over seven tackles for loss per game! oLine did have some trouble with bullying and power-moves upfront… as some Gap-busting bull-of-da-woods Dt’s would be most useful here. (As U.n.c.’s run-fits >>> passing-cup). In particular, as assignment management goes— as their run-fits were pretty classy when they had their in-ring I’s & Q’s screwed on good-n-tight. G’s plural is the bellcow strength of this oLine. Tho’ the final-year Jor.Tucker side will be the money-side in the clutch (was right-side last year). The team’s top-6 oLinemen -all upperclassmen- are all back and have combined for 112 career starts. i.e., don’t feel too sorry for U.n.c.’s offensive frontline here. Rb’s: U.n.c. runners have a bit of a track record fo’ being a bit handsy on the 1st-date. Or b.Simson Rb’s with Butterfingers. Beyond that, a metric ton of Sunday Talent departed Nor.Carolina. Leaving one Tennessee refuge Tb1 behind to mind the powder-blue store. Enter: the flop-top kid who only leaves Knoxville at: 5′12″, 212 lbs., with a UT.edu degree, and with: Totaled 2,015 rushing yards and ranks fifth in UT history in all-purpose yards with 3,245! That’s not half bad for a 2-time National Champion S.E.C. school’s record book. As one source went so far as to describe Tykevious Chandler to U.n.c. as a: ‘perfect fit’. This is from the mere 6th ranked Volunteer High School rusher all-time who only tabbed 2.5k rushing yards in each of his final upperclassmen scholastic seasons. This is from the kid who also left UTenn. as their 14th best KO-returner ever. And he can also catch the rock and has a rep’ as a triple and doubles hitter with a few HR’s. Or kinda a mo’ blackjack version of Blackshear if that makes any Ace-10 sense? This is from the 80-1o1st ranked kid overall in high school 2017 ball in the nation. (not just as an Rb, overall). The only nag I could find is his power metrics are average or less. As this is a knife-edge serrated ‘back and not a ‘dozer plow the field typea Tb1. And even if Ty lacks patience and presses a bit, he runs better in the 2nd-half, and that speaks to enough strength onboard even in lieu of 220v power. All of this with just good speed, not great or truly epic. Though a good overall Rb1 problem to have; as there are summer 2021 claims that Ty moved all the way through amped-up explosion training to a nifty 4.42 forty last month and if that is legit, this dual-threat kid is fo’ triple-double real. With British Brooks and D.J. Jones providing quality depth, as the Brit’ kid is a curious one when he frees up in space. oLine: Size, bulk, or space-eating is hardly the problem for this group, as they got it done more often than 2020 not in ground chuck terms. Tho’ got filleted in space. As footwork/quicks are not their swagg even if downhill bulk is. All five starters are expected back around all-star Joshua Ezeudu at left-G and near all-conference quality Jordan Tucker at one of the Ot spots. Where’s the beef? Wendy’s and U.n.c. just said ‘hello’, as nobody tips the Toledo’s at ≤318 lbs. here! w0w!!! And the right-side averages 344 lbs. and 6′7″!  (Although shotgun snapping sprayed a bit on breaking spring game tape, mind that Friday Night Lights JIC) Wr/Te: WR Khafre Brown, Soph. needs to be a super-Soph’, STAT. As a whole lotta stats just left the Wr1 and Wr2 Dean Dome building. That righteously said… there’s a whole lot of young talent on the Tar Heel catch corps, and yet it could be asking too much to quickly replace the 1o9 catches and 14 touchdowns from Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome. Josh Downs and Khafre Brown (UPDATE: probable with leg ding, God Bless); Dyami’s brother, offer speed at receiver, and guess who Qb1 loves the long ball? Vet’ holdover Wideout Beau Corrales is good, tho’ mired in dings/dents bad-health thus far. As he could make a diff’ here if/when he can stay on the field and outta the Trainer’s Room. (Coach God, willing). UPDATE: Beau is OUT with a: “lower-body injury” whispers say ‘gut/internal-medicine deal; St.Elmo’ bless! AND: 2-other Wr’s in the 3-deep are dinged-up for this one as well, (Godspeed)! At Te1 we see Mr. Garrett Walston who offers a more than serviceable vertical stretch with >14 yards per career catch. Wr’s are right to good-sized across the board; Te’s have a little less right-mass and a little mo’ wiggle in their vertical hips than most inline traditional Te guys do, however.

  

• Air Raid basics: Coach Mike Leach Signature O that got tabbed by Sonny Dykles and Franklin along the way… tho’ still owes its roots to B.y.u. and Lav.Edwards/Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco, and Ty Detmer; of all the things. Anywho… it is basically a spread system designed out of a shotgun formation with four wide receivers and one running back. The formations are a variation of the run and shoot offense with two outside receivers and two inside slot receivers. The offense also uses trips formations featuring three wide receivers on one side of the field and a lone single receiver on the other side.
• Heavy pass stagger: 65-75% via design; and most “audibles” are away from Runs via the same.
• Fast/up-tempo: shifty/movey pre-snap O that is post-snap designed to wear D’s and keep favorably matched {sic: up} defensive personnel ON the field.
• Wider splits: to make you run the outside loop at your H.S. Track to get to the Qb. This affords in situ/altruistic (passing) Lines of Sight and the quick zippy short hits are designed to negate blitzing through the wider splits themselves.
• ⇐⇒ and ⇑ stretching O… loves Posting (routes) with 2 pickings or at least angular/crossing routes (show: above); and then slipping an Rb safety-valve outta backfield, late.
• This is a SNEAKY O! Gotta mind the store here for 60-minutes. As an assignment slip is 🖖almost assuredly a 1st-down is allowed. (Maybe, mo’). This is also not as much of a talent-centric O as it is an O that schemes openings. (Comeback routings, digs/curls). It is in a word… a: “telepathy” offense. A gridiron Disco-Spock.

• ∑ (summary): returning O production=77%, 47th most.
  film study: lottsa movement lives here and not many waiting or stationary targets inhabit the same. U.n.c. does a lotta rubbin’ or pickin’ or whateverin’ underneath to chip space open. Then they will throw behind that at times on bendy angular routes. Lotta multis and combo’s work here personnel-grouping wise with hybrids galore. H-back/Te, Hb/Wing, Split-back or eleventeen-personnel, or 10+1 personnel. And they all have reads, moves, countermoves, and counters-to-counters. Like Kevin McHale and Hakeem Olajuwon had sex and U.n.c.’s mini-me Air Raid O dropped. All work and no play (do not) make Jack a dull boy (here). As it did not take long to take a ‘shine’ to this O once Eye saw it actually click at times vs. BeeCee upon breaking tape. There do however seem to be a few deeper/longer elements mixed in Will-side here. The U.n.c. O is basically (roster stocking wise) our O plus their +Robinson, +Turner, and +Mitch’. They are fully stocked and very close to 2-deep in quality guys in skill-set terms. They only lack or want for: reps and a little experience. Clemson Lyte if you will. Or very mid to late 20th Century Oriental style fighting, as they come at you in waves and “Charlie” fatigue you. When it fatigues you, it is tough to get a muzzle (or even a bow) on every single powder blue offender. Enjoyed the run-fits here too… U.n.c. pulls backside and collapses then folds downward play-side. Saw some pretty active oLinemen downfield; footwork is better than their sizes seemed to suggest here. There are a few 1st-school Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston Era two pulling-G’s looks. The ‘Heels peal-n-seal really well here in addition to that. And much as I hate this… U.n.c. should get some pretty decent points by ~10 PM under Friday Night Lights. The only caveat being… will their new guys stay outta their own misQ way? Or, could they provide some accidental Hokie-help?

• 58% run:pass mix 42%. Sammy’s wheels may be your secret sauce offender here. (as they claim (Dr. Kevorkian, or not) that he may run mo’ this season. Time=tell. UPDATE: Okay, so, U.n.c. is missing some stud pieces at Wideout and at Rb (2) alike, right? And this just in… rain is still rumored to be, wet. However, from what I saw at the end of {sic: last} year… two things that still should apply stood t.Heel out. Sam I Am was a bit more manageable… and his monthly 2020 splits backed this up. As in… Sam chucked 2/3rds of his INT’s in the front half of the 2020 season. And then settled down and then settled in a bit— as he had forced things a bit and tried to make Elway/Bradshaw-bullet typea throws with his ego writing checks that even his XXXL sized arm just could not cash. In extreme particular, he seemed to make these forceful (pass) attempts when or right after he had been roughed up a bit and sat on his wallet. (More on this below… as this Friday might be a case of which Qb1 is the chinniest, or lacks whiskers or bearding in boxing terms). Additionally, Slammin’ Sammy also saw his Qb-rating and his completion-percentage uptick at least noticeably as the season wore on and things began to seasonally fall, into place. Finally, Eye saw an oLine that was in better sequence, step, or head-game shape later on in 2020. Yes, they still went James Douglas Morrison “…Oops I blew it (it’s a month) and flat out missed a few things here-n-there. Tho’ they did miss less and that’s a betterment no matter how you slice it. closer: Last year the Heels had the most efficient passing attack in the A.c.c., they were fifth in the nation in total offense and ninth in scoring— averaging 537 yards and 42 points per game. I do suspect they ultimately nominate similar numbers in 2021, albeit later rather than sooner. The skeleton key will be… pass-protection… will Sammy hold too long or learn when to “fold ’em”? As 34-sacks allowed last year makes you wonder just what kinda Heel numbers this #7 can acclaim if/when he stays basically year-long, clean?
• p.s. for all of the t.Heel N.f.l. departures… they only start 1 underclassman on O! (91% upperclassmen, with 11-years combined on the even or right-side oLine! And four of the starting-O kids already have a u.grad’ degree!)
• p.s.s. if you read CC’s preview… –and you should– it would appear like U.n.c. has some favorable match-ups in centrist Tampa-2 splitting terms… Eye would that I could… tho’ I can’t say I disagree. (i.e., here’s hoping some of these rookie/replacement-window Wideouts fail to prune the U.n.c. passing-tree) (Although, we/VT do 2021 industrialize good defensive ‘twitch & burst’ and more recovery-speed for it, for the first time at least several years; maybe a handful (5) even).

Offensive letter-grade: F.E.I. rated 7th to 22nd.

T.Heel Special Teams: (both return)

U.n.c. was 48th in Net Punting and so was Juniorific Dublin Ireland native Ben Kiernan.

Well, unless this is the world-famous C.n.n. type historian Ben Kiernan? Although I could not biographically speak to this— there is a resemblance; tho’ I tangent…

Second-year Ben Kiernan is a 6′-none (or 5′11″), 2o5 lb. Dublin Ireland imported punter. ‘Aye’, he was merely the 11th ranked P in America two years ago by 247Sports. This after winning the pretty prestigious: Sailer’s 2018 Vegas Punt Champion competition to boot. Ben kicked off and only punted in H.S. i.e., not the typical meta-leg-game P, K, KO all-in-1 specialist. In college Ben’s punting average is about 3-4 yards off of his scholastic mean. Tho’ he is young, he was not ranked ≤33rd best in the nation and starting out middleocore as a newbie leg-swing guy is not the worst thing I’ve ever special teams seen. Neither is starting out with an early career-long of 64-yards and no punts blocked in his Chapel career to date. As this P prolly only gets better and better, given time.

• 39th in Punt Returns | 78th in KO returns.
• 62nd in punt coverage | 69th and in suicide-squad.
• 34th in blocked kicks and 1st in kicks allowed to be blocked.
• last in blocked punts (with: zero) and 116th worst in punts allowed to be blocked!!!
• U.n.c. has not netted a Return game score since 2018! (they gotta be due, rights?)
• Offensive field-position: Kickoff specialist Jonathan Kim, who blasted 76 of his 89 kickoffs for touchbacks in 2020, bronze medalist or 3rd best in all of D-1 | Defensive field-position incoming was average.

Grayson Atkins is a 5′9″, 188 lb. mighty-mite little ball of Furman Paladin hate. And Mr. Atkins is also… a first-team AFCA F.C.S. Coaches’ All-American who also merited All-America honors from the Associated Press and STATS F.C.S. A consensus first-team All-SoCon selection two years ago. Still yet, 86% for his last two FGK’ing seasons prior to U.n.c. prolly does say more than his 67% at U.n.c. says; right? Grayson can Punt, as he only has an 81-collegiate career-long here, and when you marry that to his 55-yard college career-long FG-make, and one Furman game with three that’s (3) makes in one game ≥51-yards you’ve prolly got a pretty fair-to-middling FGK in terms of leg-talent on your hands here. Ditto being a grad’-transfer twice SoCon Academic Honor Roll member to boot. That does not suck… and neither did the South Carolina High School Sports Coverage Chandler Catanzaro’s Top Kicker in South Carolina Award or his raising $5,000 last year for pediatric cancer research. (may St.Nicholas of Myra, *the* Christmas St.Nick’ BTW: and Patron Saint of children, bless)! As history says that some Gray’s Anatomy ‘patience’ is a virtue here most likely indeed. (p.s. it did look like 1 FGA-miss on tape had a strange (tiling) placement to it— as it easily had right at 55-yards on it; maybe closer to 60-yards deep, seriously!) Tho’ why the near 20% drop @U.n.c. is mysterious indeed? As the Furman version, the Atkins Diet reemerging in 2021 would be very t.Heel tasty indeed.

Special Teams letter-grade: F.E.I. rated 86th to 74th.
Me? There is talent here… every bit as much as there are slumping guys or just plain mismanagement of VHT skill-sets here. So, until they show out better, C+++ (although there is at the very least B+++ level acumen to boot if/when it all spits shines nice and powder-blue).

Unit Rankings:

1. U.n.c. O (best player on the field separates here) (the rest is in hairsplitting order)
2. VT D/VT O/U.n.c. D. (all nearly tied)

X-factor(s):

• motive: BIG A.c.c. Coastal opener for each club… tho’ homesteading Fu’ and his warming-up seat really needs this win. Prolly more than U.n.c. does, frankly. EDGE=VT.
• weather: the forecast is late-summer gone early-Autumn feels like football ideal. Tho’ Ida mighta helped us mo’ had this been a Wednesday night wet game. St.Ida bless! EDGE=U.n.c. not being soggy football throw-fit hurt.
• health/off-field: Both teams are none the worse for your typical August Camping wear— however, U.n.c. has a couple of extra dings and even a dent here-n-there. EDGE=VT.
• penalties: Mack the knife was a spork looking 109th worst in penalty yardage last season! Yellow laundry EDGE=VT by mo’ than a little bit too.
• intangibles: 73rd in the all-important Turnover Margin is modest for U.n.c. at best. Tho’ a useful and surprising 46th in TOP (time of possession). EDGE=push.
• fatigue: N/A.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Heels who could sole  @Tech=13

the takeaway:

The takeaway here is… both teams have some talent(s) and some Q&A-type business that will give us all a better more literate read on each Coastal Contending squad in 60-minutes time give/take.

Prolly a good deal of 2021 forecasting objectivity gained for it. Nevertheless, I’d be hard-pressed to the point of being bogus itself to author that Vah.Tech is the rightful home betting favorite in this one.

In short? We ain’t.

---

Yes, VeeTee does have a chance in this one, however. Think best N.b.a. all-star game 3-point shooting champion’s chance.

Although VeeTee also enjoys less wiggle-room or margin of error.

Mores the pity…

And you might could takeaway that VeeTee might just need a little U.n.c. help, here.
What with the Hokies being: o-9 in openers vs. Top 10 opponents all-time.

***

xxx‘s & ooo‘s

formulae here favor the team with the clear-cut best baller down on Worsham Field. I’ll give you a hint… Thurston and “lovie” approve.

However, most industry insiders do give the Headset or coaching the verb nod to the 24060 crew.

Thus making this category… awash.

permutations:

1. Δ1=30% or about 3 in 10 this one goes right down to the buzzer and whoever sources last laughs last just the same.
2. Δ2=20% that VeeTee wins about a single-play game cleanly enough— albeit while being outgained on the day modestly to more than that.
3. Δ3=50% that U.n.c. is just plain more talented and if not that, they are surely deeper on Top-44 talent collectively vis-à-vis. This shows itself in the final 10-minutes of scrumming when the t.Heels gain just a whiff of separation on a gallant though ultimately tiring VeeTee squad late in the contest and go on to win by about 1.5 to 2 full plays. (in a game that was (mostly) closer than the final score looks).

#ChallangeA.c.c.epted… there are 1,440 minutes in a day and it will prolly take a good 55-minutes of high caliber play to win this one, maybe mo’ den dat.

the optics… say that we are catching U.n.c. at THE best possible time in the 1-hole. As you might not want that t.Heel work if/when they figure their Tenn.Vol.Rb1 and Wide-Receiving cadre out later on. As November U.n.c. would very likely beat up on game #1 U.n.c.

Possibly decently or more at that.

Lo.FM (Long-field Management©)

1. U.n.c. however, was a very user-friendly is 118th in 1st down D allowed! (as the bottom fell entirely out after they played us in the top-half-of-the-1st). | whereas V.Tech is a pretty sharp-looking 23rd best in 1st down O inflicted. However, V.Tech is an immodest 117th in 1st down D allowed | whereas U.n.c. is also 2nd on 1st down O inflicted! (They improved over fiddy spots on the initial series “hike” since we saw ’em! Think about that with re: to the #1 slot take down below…)
2. U.n.c. did tighten up smartly with a respectful 43rd in 3rd down D allowed ranking | whereas V.Tech was even better via 38th best in 3rd down O inflicted. V.Tech is a centrist 67th in 3rd down D allowed | whereas U.n.c. was a very decent 23rd on 3rd down O survived.
3. Accordingly, the Lo.FM will be W (or L) late in the down-n-distance sequence. The sequencing itself seems to favor the Qb1 @U.n.c. EDGE=U.n.c.

TTT (Time To Throw©)

• The Vice-squad is a very moderate looking 48th in Sacks allowed | whereas U.n.c. is a downright spiteful 16th most in opposing Qb’s-sacked!
• U.n.c. is an even less-maintained 100th worst in Sacks allowed | whereas VT is merely #9 in opposing Qb’s-sacked in all the land!!
• U.n.c. is an average 65th in TFL (tackles for a loss) allowed | whereas VT is a solid 32nd in TFL inflicted.
• VT is a middleocore looking 57th best in fewest TFL allowed | whereas U.n.c. is a so-so 75th in TFL inflicted.
• Overall: … EGDE=this favors both Qb’s taking a beating… and that could actually favor Qb-depth itself. Tho’ Team wide the EDGE=VT by a little.

Fu‘rther... the docent among you will be quick to point out that m.Brown prolly has about Tweleveteen or so games left in his s.Howell recrod-book career.

i.e., now would be his best U.n.c., time!

3-game splits, H/A:
N/A.

Our handy dandy friend, the so-called: Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for an October ask-back.

the call…

…the call here is that in all R.A.T.T. candor… it is VeeTee (not U.n.c.) that pretty much has to go Don James Larsen and pitch a perfect game to stay in their Lane per se.

The intellections and the film study and the recent cumulative recruiting rankings advantages
-which all favor of the power-blue-crew- all conspires to say so.

Fu’ and company in extreme particular must demonstrate #HardSmartTOUGH… as in mentally tough and not become “unmanned” (as coach George R. R.Martin of GOT fame so indelicately puts it) at the first, second, next, middle, or final sign of trouble. As there are some kinetic advantages here that physically favor the deeper t.Heel squad (what with: 2 *****’s and a whopping 24 ****’s) in places and in particular if they break free in proverbial… spaces. This is where you must win the head game between the earholes. And just like an overloaded 24-credit-hours per semester… it is Virginia Tech that must stay the course.

PLANDEMIC:
Elementary as this may read… methinks this is a @w.v.u. 2005 redux for BOTH teams. Whereby we/VeeTee had to knock a.Bednerick outta the contest to win the same. (Ditto U.n.c. vs. the very thin and even more so inexperienced VeeTee Qb2’s-Qb3’s).

https://hokiesports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary

This time… methinks whichever D leaves the opposing Qb1 late-summer/early-fall grass-stained the most wins this gridiron contest here.

As one of these D’s needs to make the so-so to modestly-sized opposing Qb1 “bend the knee.” (6′1″ vs. 6′1″ and ~210 lbs. (VT) vs. ~215 lbs. (U.n.c.); says so).

“The other team’s korterback must go down,
and he must go down, hard!”
—Al Davis

–oOo–

Finally… m.Brown teams have a rep’ for front-loading the script with any/all alpha plays. What with a nearly perfect 3:1 out-scoring ratio in favor of U.n.c. in 1Q work.

Or in other words… the start=the finish here.

Fu’ and Co’. need to be able to stay this early course and handle that which this way comes.
As chasing U.n.c. by 2-scores or more beyond intermission will be a tall order indeed.
Staying close and tailgating such young/replacement key players might afford
you a twilight shot to steal this one late.

The call:

Here goes the longest (ranging) possible call of ’em all…

• Seasonally? We go 4 or we go 8— with no range of outcomes that need apply on the win tally. As Fu’ either pulls the fat outta the fire with eight dub-a-uuu’s, or he gets fired with only four VicTories.
• That being squarely said… if not for bad luck (love him or hate him) po’ Fu’ would have NO luck at all… and here’s saying the man has gotta be due for a good bounce as opposed to yet another bad break, right(s)?
• Ergo, therefore, to Whit… Fu’ who is needier fo’ a home-run than middle of the she-cycle hots can be… and although I’ma not exactly how (or vs. whom); tho’ someway/somehow… Fu’ is gonna open up 3 up and 1 down. And be a .75o team heading @Notre Dame fo’ it to boot.
• The only calculus you must make is… is he 1-nil or zip-1 to begin?

♥  ♣  ♦ ∪

To paraphrase Coach Winnie Churchill… this is either the beginning of the beginning or the beginning of the… end.

Proviso being… and pay-side dilettantes pay strict attention here…

our surer answer will not conclude itself until after 120 mo' minutes of play.

And to begin this campaign, the much-embattled Fu’ opens 1-5 in his last six.
Albeit a competitive if not downright gamey looking .167.

With the seminal or contract season, all rolled into
one rivalry renewed contest just
two weeks away.

Fu’ O&M epitaph insert… ^Mo-town there^.

🙏>>>😷>>>🏈

upset Index=39%

#wimps!

Virginia Tech=33, North Carolina=36

“LETS GO!“

Please support the VT F.C.A.!

“HOKIES!“

bourbonstreet**