2023-12-25 22:14:35
CHARLOTTE – With opt outs, transfers and injuries, bowl games these days are as much regarding the unknowns as they are the knowns.
Take North Carolina, for instance. The 8-4 Tar Heels are without several key players on offense and defense, including likely first round draft pick Drake Maye, a 3,000-yard passer this season.
Additionally, six of North Carolina’s top eight pass catchers will not be playing in the game on Wednesday, meaning some of the data points used to evaluate the Tar Heels this year might no longer be valid.
For instance, North Carolina struggled with possession time in its four losses this year to Virginia, Georgia Tech, Clemson and NC State. In its last two defeats to the Tigers and Wolfpack, those two teams had the football considerably longer than North Carolina.
But will that be the case on Wednesday with Conner Harrell as the starting quarterback? Will it apply with fourth-fifths of North Carolina’s starting offensive line available and one of the best running backs in the country in Omarion Hampton, an extremely talented runner with outstanding size (6-foot, 220 pounds)?
North Carolina is also extremely light on tight ends. Does veteran coach Mack Brown choose to slide a backup tackle over to tight end and go with a bigger lineup and try and pound the football once morest the Mountaineers?
On the flip side, WVU will be without All-America center Zach Frazier and its top rusher CJ Donaldson Jr., both recovering from season-ending injuries. Regular defensive tackle Mike Lockhart put his name into the transfer portal as a graduate transfer and is no longer with the team, as did safety Hershey McLaurin.
How will that impact those two units?
Those are some of the unknowns West Virginia coach Neal Brown admits his staff is dealing with right now.
“As a coach, you are always concerned regarding things you can’t control,” he said following today’s light workout at Charlotte Christian School. “Bowl games, to me, always go back to that first-game mentality. It’s making sure that you cover everything and situational football. You’ve got to be comfortable knowing that you probably can’t cover it all, but you want to try and do as much as you can, so you have your guys mentally and physically ready to go for the game.”
To Brown, what bowl games really boil down to today are three things – turnovers, tackling and special teams.
There is a four-week gap between the last game of the regular season and the bowl game, so the sharpness and continuity are not always there and that sometimes manifests itself in turnovers.
Teams work very little on tackling leading up to the bowl game because that is the nature of the way all teams practice today, and inconsistent special teams play is often the result of the trickle-down effect that comes from opt outs, transfers and season-ending injuries.
We saw some of that in the final game of the season once morest Baylor when West Virginia was running short of mid-body-type defensive players and gave up a couple of kick returns for touchdowns.
The trickle-down also shows up in the protection units as well.
“Special teams, not only the schematics of it, but also the transitions of going from offense to punt or defense to punt return because you haven’t played in a while and there is such a big gap,” Brown explained. “It’s been four weeks since you last played your last game, so you are not in a rhythm.
“You have to make sure that you cover those things,” he added. “It’s almost like a first game and that’s how we’re going regarding it. I think what you want to do is to try and simplify what you’re doing on special teams, so your guys are playing really fast and not having to think as much.”
What Brown does know is that this has been a fun team for him to coach – among the most enjoyable group of players he’s ever been around. It’s clear the guys here in Charlotte enjoy each other’s company.
“It’s a close group,” Brown said. “We’ve got a good mix of some veteran leaders and some young guys. They’ve had a good time here in Charlotte. This has been a fun experience, but they also know they are here for a purpose, and that purpose is to win the game.
“They enjoy being around each other and that’s been the case when we put this team together in January going all the way through,” he added.
Practice today was their normal light Thursday workout, according to Brown.
“A walk through, which we always do, and really just a mental focus day,” he said. “It was fun, and guys had great energy.”
The team had its optional Christmas morning church service and then held a brunch for the players and staff. Following practice, there were no planned bowl events for this evening.
Select players and Brown will participate in tomorrow morning’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl press conference at the Charlotte Convention Center.
After that, the team will have its final tune up before facing the Tar Heels on Wednesday evening at Bank America Stadium.
Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Although West Virginia quickly sold out its allotment, tickets remain and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
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