Unc Has Real Chance To Beat Clemson, And There's One Reason Why

We have to give North Carolina credit for the type of football it has played over the first few weeks of the season. 

In Week 0 against TCU, North Carolina came away with a 15-10 win. In Week 2, it took on East Tennessee State and won 35-3. 

That was an impressive win for North Carolina, even if it's something that we all know the program should do.

I think it's important to recognize that last year, North Carolina wasn't doing what we all expected it to do. 

Instead of being a team that came out and took care of business against inferior teams and programs, North Carolina struggled against them. 

That will definitely be put to the test this week against Clemson, though there's reason to believe that North Carolina is going to give the Tigers a much better fight than it did a year ago. 

Clemson beat North Carolina 38-10 last season when its defense was one of the worst in the country. Now, however, North Carolina seems to have figured some things out on that side of the football.

“Despite the off-field distractions at UNC, the Tar Heels are primed to put up a better fight against Clemson than they did in a 38-10 home loss against the Tigers last season. North Carolina is 27th nationally in defensive EPA through two games. And unlike many of the teams ahead of them, the Tar Heels have actually faced a Power Four opponent. By comparison, the Heels ranked 72nd in defensive EPA during a miserable 4-8 campaign last season.

“UNC's defensive improvement, combined with Clemson's offensive ineptitude, makes for an unpleasant dynamic for the Tigers. In his first season back as Clemson's offensive coordinator, Chad Morris is already catching flak,” David Cobb wrote.

The other factor, as Cobb noted, is Clemson's brutal offense. 

Clemson has not played well to start the season, scoring just 32 points combined. Clemson scored 10 points against an LSU team that won 51-10 in its season opener. Clemson then responded with just a 22-point performance against Georgia Southern and didn't look like it could move the football for most of the second half.