Preview: Three keys for UNC football to conquer Boston College

UNC football is bowl eligible for the sixth straight season. 

With a 31-24 win over Wake Forest, in which star running back Omarion Hampton recorded career highs in both carries and rushing yards with 35 and 244 yards, respectively. The Tar Heels will look to extend their winning streak to four straight games with a victory over Boston College. 

Here are three keys for a UNC win as the team travels to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take on the Eagles on Saturday: 

Stop the run

Boston College is ranked seventh in the ACC in rushing offense, averaging 176 yards per game on the ground. Led by Kye Robichaux — who has tallied 121 carries for 561 yards and eight touchdowns on the year — the Eagles will look to establish their presence on the ground during the contest.

“Robichaux is a really good running back,” head coach Mack Brown said. “He’s 217 pounds and they’re physical. They’ve got an offensive line, very much like Minnesota’s. It’s one of the best that we’ve seen this year.”

The Eagles have run the ball a staggering 414 times all year, just one less than UNC’s conference-leading 415.

“They're [a] big, physical group,” defensive coordinator Geoff Collins said. “They want to run the football, they want to establish the line of scrimmage. I mean I think we’re one and two, our team and their team, in running the football.”

Find consistency in the passing game

North Carolina’s aerial attack fell flat against Wake Forest on Saturday.

“I did some things I just don’t typically do,” graduate quarterback Jacolby Criswell said. “I just wasn’t disciplined really. Tried to force some things when they weren’t there when I could have just easily checked down, or I was just inaccurate.”

Criswell threw for just 132 yards and one touchdown on 14-22 passing attempts.

And while the offensive line was able to provide running lanes for Hampton, the unit struggled to protect Criswell, giving up five sacks. The Tar Heels also gave up two in the red zone on their second drive of the game. 

“It wasn’t the cleanest game we played, there's some ugly plays,” offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said. “But there’s a lot of good in that game as well.”

Boston College gives up an average of 248.8 passing yards per game, coming in at 12th best in the ACC. To pick up a win against the Eagles, North Carolina will have to protect Criswell and establish its passing game. 

Continue building confidence in the defense

Over the past three weeks, the North Carolina defense has played with confidence. The unit doesn’t look like the one that gave up 70 points to James Madison and 21 unanswered against Duke after taking a 20-0 lead at halftime. 

Against the Demon Deacons, the Tar Heels forced three turnovers, including one pick six, an interception and a strip sack fumble all in the second half. And for North Carolina’s defense, the shift in mentality came when it needed it the most. 

“We've been faced with losing Tylee [Craft] and then coaches just talking to us and us coming together,” graduate defensive lineman Joshua Harris Sr. said. “[I] feel like having to lean on each other more, I feel like it’s helped us produce more on the field. I feel like the locker room’s closer now.” 

North Carolina will need to put pressure on Boston College quarterback Grayson James to continue instilling confidence and force crucial turnovers against a team that has turned the ball over 14 times this season.

The Eagles rank 14th in the ACC in total offense, averaging 361 yards per game. 

“I think our defense has really stepped up,” junior defensive back Marcus Allen said. “And we’ve known that we can do this but I think now we’re really putting it together and really getting better at each and every practice.”

@mdmaynard74

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com