I did a look at the Heels defensive stats in late September. Let’s see how things have held up since then.
Average/Total National Rank
Yards Per Game 261.6 5th
Yard Per Play 4.1 5th
Passing YPG 167.3 11th
Passing YPP 5.3 3rd(tied)
Rushing YPG 94.3 11th
Rushing YPP 2.87 11th
Sacks 28.0 26th
Tackles For Loss 91.0 4th
Interceptions 19 6th
Passes Defended 63 8th(tied)
Fumbles Recovered 9 51st
Opp. 3rd Down Conv. 28.3% 5th
Opp 4th Down Conv. 53.3% 72nd
Opp Red Zone Conv. 87.1% 106th
- Based on total defense, UNC is the 5th best in the country and that is still true when you consider average yards per play. Overall the UNC defense can be counted on to hold an opposing offense to 4.1 yards per play.
- Both the passing and rushing defense are ranked 11th in total yards per game allowed. However the passing offense is actually 3rd overall when you consider yards per attempt.
- The Heels have record 91 tackles for a loss good for fourth. Translation: The front four and linebackers are freaking awesome.
- UNC now as 19 INTs this season which was a stat lifted in the past two games. UNC has 20 a year ago. In the earlier analysis I said UNC was better in stopping the football and getting stops when needed over the 2008 team but were not snagging turnovers as often. Well, now they are doing both which explains why the defense is seemingly better over the past few games than it was earlier.
- The only alarming stat on here is the opponent’s red zone conversion. UNC is ranked 106th with opponents scoring 87% of the time they get inside 20. That breaks down to 48% touchdowns and 38% field goals. Now what I cannot factor in looking at these stats is how many times an opposing team has been setup by a turnover versus teams that drove down the field. I suspect there is something to that though I do not have the data to back it up. Based on the stats if an opponent has to work the field the UNC usually makes the stop.
- Overall this is a beast of a defense in terms of the statistics and just the manner in which they play.
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Red zone scoring isn’t too bad given that you have 38% as field goals. That’s pretty decent given that 1/3 of the time they have to go with a field goal. The defense rank will improve now that Texas decided to go all FSU last night at A&M.
Not to divert our attention from football but they are selling tickets for half price to the last of the unsold basketball games in the smith center. So $25 for upper level seating, not bad given that the games are all Saturday and Sunday affairs seating no earlier than 6:30 PM. This is good until midnight tonight.
http://ev10.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?prc=BLACK09FRIDAY&caller=PR&linkID=unc&RDAT=&RSRC
ok, i apparently have no life, so here goes what i researched this morning.
UNC has given up 17 TDs and 18FGs, overall.
15 TDs reached the red zone. the other two were a 45yd run by GeoSouthern, and…yikes, the 98yd TD pass by FSU.
So that sounds like no TDs between UNC’s 20 and 45.
Red Zone of 87.1% is 27 of 31. 15 TDs, 12 FGs.
the 4 nonscores: an INT in the EZ in the Citadel game.
2 missed FGs by GT.
the End of the Game, by Miami.
now for the fun.
*5 TDs and 7 FGs were scored by the opposition when the drives started on our side of the 50. 11 of the 12 scores were after direct TOs, including a blocked punt. the other 1 was a short punt.
thats 56 of the total 173 pts the Defense has given up this year. 16 other pts(3 FGs, 1 TD) were given up on drives that started on our side of the opponent’s 40.
*4 of the 5 TDs given up on our side of the 50 were after Yates INTs.
*6 of the 7 FGs were after 4 fumbles, a Yates INT, and a blocked punt.
here’s the really interesting part.
Yates has 13 INTs.
*7 are on our side of the 50. 4 led to TDs, 1 FG, and one INT’d by us.
*4 are in the Red Zone. 2 of those led to TDs. one, yikes, the FSU 98yd TD pass.
SO…that leaves TWO INTs between our 42 and the opposition 6. a 52 yd space on the field. the other 48 yds, the worst 48 yds, 11 INTs. i think we see why Yates drives us absolutely bonkers.
*the 13 INTs led to: 6 TDs, only 1 FG, only 1 punt, 3 INTs by us, and 2 EOGs(end of game).
i count 9 TD drives by the opposition of more than 65yds.
strangely, i count only 3 missed FGs by the opposition all year, and 2 of those were GT.
more fun:
the D has given up more than 17 pts in a game only 3 times this year. 24 to Miami and GT, and 30 to, yikes, FSU.
did you know no UNC RB has fumbled this year? and no, i’m not jinxing them. its already published at tarheelblue.com
Nice work HTTE.
My keys of the game are:
1) Get an early lead either preferably by a good drive that includes some passing by Yates. Freezing the LB’s will lead to big numbers by Houston and Elzy.
2) Contain Toney Baker and Eugene.
3) No big plays from Wilson.
This is very BIG game for the Tar Heel program. I will be there hopefully to hear the cheers of TAR……….HEELS…….!
I’d like to see some short passes to Houston, though I know it isn’t his strong point, then watch the poor tackling secondary of state get ran over, repeatedly.
HTTE: Incredible stat analysis. Thanks for that. I kept waiting for a bar chart or some sort of standard deviation analysis. JK.
Our defense is pretty tough indeed. Go Heels!