Sophomore Elijah Green, who has been vying for the position of starting running back since suffering a thumb injury in the season-opening game against FAMU, has kept his father’s advice in mind.
“Persistence, consistence, dedication, perseverance and control,” Green said. “Those are the five words that I live off of.”
This advice doesn’t just apply to Green. Amid mounting expectations, these five words are what the UNC football team needs to focus on in its last five games of the regular season.
This week, the Tar Heels achieved a new season milestone – a No. 21 ranking in the Associated Press poll. Their top-25 status comes after a hard-fought win against rival Duke, which UNC claimed by a score of 38-35 thanks to a Drake Maye connection to senior wide receiver Antoine Green with 16 seconds remaining in the game.
Junior linebacker Cedric Gray and the rest of the team don’t put much stock in rankings after UNC’s rocky history with them.
UNC has been down this road before, but hasn’t always finished with the best results. During the 2020-2021 season, the team made it to its first Orange Bowl, where the Tar Heels lost 41-27 to Texas A&M. The game highlighted unpredictable performances from the defense – a problem the team continues to have two seasons later.
The Tar Heels started the following season with a high ranking, but they couldn't hold onto it, ultimately resulting in a 6-7 record and a loss to South Carolina in the Mayo Bowl.
“It’s nice to have all these accolades coming in for us midway through the season,” Gray said. “But we all understand that there’s a bigger picture, a bigger goal to accomplish down the road.”
Right before Maye’s last drive against Duke, junior wide receiver Josh Downs voiced trust in his teammate, telling him he wouldn’t want anyone else holding the ball. Much like Gray said he is reflecting on North Carolina's last two seasons, Downs’ speech before UNC’s final drive was a lesson in its own right.
