Carolina Takes Big Fall Against Clemson 38-10

SPORTS

CHAPEL HILL, NC – On a beautiful and sunny fall day in Chapel Hill, fans felt the sun shine a little dimmer as the Clemson Tigers handed the Tar Heels a thrashing.

UNC-Chapel Hill’s hire of NFL legend Bill Belichick grows more controversial by the day as the eight-time Super Bowl champ falls to 2-4 on the season. It is feasible to say that the Tar Heels are one of the worst teams amongst all Power four conferences.

Clemson jumped out to an early lead with a trick play. Cade Klubnik threw the ball behind the line of scrimmage for an “assist” of sorts to wide receiver Antonia Williams, who proceeded to throw a touchdown over busted coverage to fellow receiver T.J. Moore, who took in the pass for a 75-yard touchdown.

The rest of the game was played to a similar tune.

South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez was benched in favor of sixth-year senior Max Johnson, who led the Heels down for a field goal. This would be Carolina’s last points until the fourth quarter, when running back Benjamin Hall would score an 11-yard rushing touchdown to get the Heels to double-digit scoring for the game. In the first half alone, Clemson had 376 yards of offense on just 36 plays. That’s about 10 yards a play. UNC’s defense was torched.

Max Johnson was an improvement over the spiraling Lopez, who, on the season, has only thrown for 430 yards through his four played games, paired with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Johnson wasn’t dazzling, but he was reliable. He threw for 213 yards and completed 62% of his passes while being pressured in the pocket all day. Many of his passes were short ones, and he had little time to let anything develop down the field.

The rushing game fared no better as UNC tallied 18 carries for only 57 yards. Lead back Demon June was only afforded five carries and 16 yards during the match. This is surprising given the fact that he has consistently been UNC’s most eligible offensive option. Even after this game, he is the Tar Heels leading rusher with 266 yards while averaging seven yards a carry.

The persistent theme continues to echo for this team. An unreliable offensive line that causes issues for the rest of the offense and a defense that folds like a greeting card. UNC has been outscored by Power Four opponents Clemson, UCF and TCU a whopping 120-33. In each game, they have given up at least 34 points.

The Tar Heel faithful continue to suffer high hopes followed by low lows. Clemson’s first ACC win looked effortless. By midway through the second quarter, the student section had already been mostly emptied (granted, the UNC crowd can be a very fickle one).

The head coach has been in the headlines frequently over the last few months, with a few of the stories being positive. Between on-field performance, girlfriend drama and reports of hiring misconduct by higher-ups at UNC, his tenure has been shrouded in controversy.

To give credit and understanding, the program is in a time of turnover in the NIL era and perhaps Belichick just needs another offseason or two to assemble a properly balanced team.

However, it seems safe to say that such a team will not be on the field this season.

Thomas Hicks is a journalist with video, PR, and writing experience who studied at UNC and the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Thomas is always looking for work and the next story! He loves working with his camera or with his pen. This reporter can be contacted at thomasjhicks55@gmail.com, LinkedIn: Thomas Hicks and X: ThomasJ_H