After falling behind early, North Carolina leads Wake Forest 29-14 in a primetime ACC showdown. Here are three things to note heading into the second half.
1. Turnovers
After going two games without an interception, UNC quarterback Marquise Williams watched two of his first three pass attempts get picked off — the second of which Wake Forest converted for a touchdown. It marked the first time this season a UNC opponent had scored off of a turnover.
But the most costly turnover of the game came for the Demon Deacons. Moments after UNC scored its first touchdown, Wake Forest fumbled on its own 34-yard line after senior Shakeel Rashad punched the ball loose from Tyler Bell on a swing pass.
Five plays later, the Tar Heels took the lead on a rushing touchdown by Williams.
2. Tempo
While both operating similar up-tempo systems, these two teams have run their offenses at a drastically different pace.
After stalling on their first three possessions, the Tar Heels opened the second quarter with a 57-yard strike from Williams to junior Mack Hollins. Two minutes later, Williams scored on a 13-yard run.
UNC's next drive lasted just 21 seconds after two Elijah Hood runs capped off a 65-yard touchdown drive. The next possession took merely 1:47, as the Tar Heels marched 76 yards in five plays to take a 29-14 lead.
Contrarily, Wake Forest has milked the clock all game long. The Demon Deacons' first scoring possession — a five-play touchdown drive off of a Williams' turnover — lasted 2:31, longer than all four of UNC's scoring drives. And midway through the second quarter, Wake Forest ran five minutes off of the clock to score its second touchdown, driving 75 yards in 12 plays.
In the first half, Wake Forest possessed the ball for 20:11 — UNC held it for just 9:49.
3. Tailbacks
Hood has just seven touches heading into the half — and he's making the most of each one.
The sophomore tailback took his first three touches for 32 yards on UNC's opening possession, a drive cut short by Williams' first interception. But despite the early success, Hood didn't see the ball for the remainder of the quarter.
But once he did, he didn't disappoint.
On the Tar Heels' second drive of the second quarter, Hood broke a couple of tackles and scampered for 29 yards. The next play, he dashed 36 yards to the end zone.
At the half, Hood leads the team with 97 yards rushing on just six carries, good for 16.2 yards per carry.
Hood wasn't the only Tar Heel rusher to reach pay dirt. In addition to Williams' early score, junior T.J. Logan punched in a 1-yard carry for his first touchdown of the season.
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