UNC’s Lack of Fire Evident in Loss at UCF

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dejected body language swept across North Carolina’s sideline during the course of Saturday’s loss, a wave of downcast faces, towels draped over lowered heads and disinterested expressions, while coaches buried their faces in iPads nearby.

In the second beatdown the Tar Heels already have suffered on the young season, the lack of leaders stepping up to spark enthusiasm became apparent, as UNC struggled to get anything going in a 34-9 defeat at the hands of Central Florida at the Acrisure Bounce House.

As defensive back Will Hardy pointed out afterward, togetherness now becomes a focal point the Tar Heels must address.

“Everything needs to get better,” Hardy said. “But communication is, for sure, one of those things. We can take this loss, and we can split apart, or we can get closer together. I think we’re going to come in, and I know we’re going to get closer together. So we’re going to use this loss for the good of the team.”

As the deficit tumbled out of reach for UNC in the second half, a scarcity of urgency seemed evident on the sideline. No fired-up huddles or emphatic messages or finger-pointing calls to action, while the hot and humid afternoon slipped toward evening.

“I think we need to do a better job of sticking together and encouraging each other,” Carolina backup quarterback Max Johnson said. “That’s kind of what we talked about at halftime was, ‘hey, stay together.’ That’s what we need, and I think that’s going to be a main focus point for us moving forward.”

When asked if any specific leaders stepped up to fulfill those duties and ignite energy on the sideline, Johnson simply stated, “most guys are trying to” without revealing any names.

“Whoever it is, and whether that’s guys on offense, guys on defense, we all have just got to come together as a team,” said Johnson, who came on in relief in the third quarter, when starter Gio Lopez was knocked out of the game due to an injury.

In the fourth quarter, linebacker Andrew Simpson and cornerback Thad Dixon, both team captains, watched a drive by the UNC offense from the opposite end of the field. The pair stood together there and talked maybe 20 or 30 yards away from their nearest teammates. Isolated, arms crossed and deflated, their frustration in that moment was palpable.

“We’re all on the same team,” Johnson said. “We’re in the same helmet, wearing the same emblem. We have to choose to be together, choose to be closer, choose to support each other.”

That’s a process that could be encouraged from the top down. This UNC coaching staff, though, oftentimes seemed unmoved as the game got out of hand. Head coach Bill Belichick remains a rare participant in pre-drive huddles during timeouts or breaks in the action.

Carolina coaches chewing out players and holding them accountable for critical mistakes — such as the blown defensive coverage between Gavin Gibson and Dixon that allowed a UCF touchdown 13 seconds before halftime — also has been an uncommon sight.

But now, with the first of two bye weeks arriving on the schedule, the Tar Heels (2-2) certainly have an extended opportunity to circle the wagons and revitalize a group that feels sorely in need of a boost.

“We’ll take a look at not just this game, the first four weeks (of the season),” Belichick said. “Just the areas that we feel like need to be improved the most, and work on those. We’ll do what we feel like we can do to improve the team.”