But when mistakes were made in Saturday’s game against Virginia, each UNC cornerback and safety moved forward, not backward. They forgot the play ever happened.
So after senior cornerback Malik Simmons committed two defensive pass interference penalties on the same fourth quarter drive, the secondary did forget. And four plays later, senior linebacker Shakeel Rashad snatched an interception in the end zone, helping the Tar Heels maintain their lead and eventual 26-13 victory over the Cavaliers (2-5, 1-2 ACC).
The Tar Heels (6-1, 3-0 ACC) committed 13 penalties for 135 yards. Entering the game, North Carolina averaged only 5.2 penalties and 39.5 penalty yards per game. Four of the penalties were committed by the secondary — three pass interference and one facemask.
Despite it all, the defense allowed only 148 passing yards and notched four interceptions, a season-high.
“(The players) never panic. They really don’t,” Coach Larry Fedora said. “They’re a pretty tight group. They feel good about themselves.
“When they say ‘I got your back,’ they mean it. It doesn’t matter what you do — it’s not conditionally. They feel like they’re going to take care of each other.”
Simmons’ two penalties came during Virginia’s second drive of the fourth quarter. The senior cornerback said when he has good position, he will get his head around and find the ball. But if not, he prefers to look at the receiver’s hands.
Both times, the referees determined Simmons didn’t turn quickly enough. The calls made little difference to the senior — there was no dip in his confidence.
