Omarion Hampton attempted to rush the ball up the middle on fourth-and-one at Pitt's 8-yard line.
Nine minutes to go and down by a single touchdown, the Tar Heels searched for the equalizer — for a chance to stay in the game. But pushed back by the Panthers' entire defensive line, the junior running back never made it over the mark. Unsuccessful, again.
Against Pitt on Saturday, North Carolina went two-for-six on fourth down attempts. Two of the failed conversions were in the red zone. Those missed opportunities might have changed the outcome in UNC’s eventual 34-24 loss to the Panthers, but instead, the Tar Heels suffered their third-straight loss.North Carolina is 0-2 in the ACC for the first time since 2017.
Head coach Mack Brown, along with the rest of the coaching staff, made the call on Thursday: staying on the field for fourth down was the best call as opposed to kicking the field goal. UNC needed the points when battling an offense like Pitt’s, which ranks second in the ACC. He credited game analytics, citing that the metrics will usually say to risk it.
“You’ve got a better chance to make it three yards than you do to stop ‘em,” Brown said.
Despite what it may sound like, this game plan did not stem from a lack of confidence in the defense, according to Brown. Rather, the skill of redshirt first-year quarterback Eli Holstein. He completed 25 of his 42 passing attempts against UNC for a total of 381 passing yards.
According to graduate defensive back Alijah Huzzie, Pitt was smart in using Holstein. He knew how to run, when to get out of the pocket and what to do when options were looking thin.
“That was the biggest thing for him — using his legs and making a play when there was nothing to make,” Huzzie said.
The Tar Heels didn't find the same success offensively.
