Patriots Crushed by Fatal Mistakes
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FACTS & STATS: Site: Kenan Memorial Stadium (60,000) -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Television: ACC Network, SNY. Home Record: Rutgers 1-0, North Carolina 1-0. Away Record: Rutgers 0-0, North Carolina 0-0. Neutral Record: Rutgers 0-0, North Carolina 0-0. Conference Record: Rutgers 0-0, North Carolina 0-0. Series Record: Rutgers leads, 3-2.
GAME NOTES: Rutgers will whip into Chapel Hill this weekend for a non- conference matchup against North Carolina, as both teams are coming off convincing wins over FCS opponents.
Rutgers will be searching for its first 2-0 start in five seasons when it faces off with UNC Saturday, and head coach Greg Schiano has to be pleased with his team not letting down against North Carolina Central on opening weekend. The Scarlet Knights blanked NCCU 48-0 in a game that featured seven new starters for Rutgers, and included 21 players making first career appearances. There is no question Rutgers is a young team, and North Carolina will be a much tougher test than North Carolina Central.
The Tar Heels also beat an FCS foe to open the season, rolling James Madison 42-10. North Carolina has been embroiled in controversy the past two seasons due to NCAA infringements, and most recently, the firing of fifth-year head coach Butch Davis in July. But all of that was background noise in the opener, as interim head coach Everett Withers had his team ready to play against one of the most consistent programs in the FCS. Withers served as a defensive coordinator at North Carolina for three season prior to the promotion. Now he must prepare his squad for a four-game stretch that includes non-league games against Rutgers and East Carolina, as well as the conference opener against Georgia Tech.
Rutgers leads the series 3-2 over North Carolina, but North Carolina has won the last two games, including last season's 17-13 win on the road.
The Scarlet Knights have many fresh faces on the offensive side of the football, but received veteran-like performances a week ago against NCCU. One of those performers was true freshman running back Savon Huggins, who set the tone for the blowout by rushing for the games first two touchdowns. Rutgers finished with 347 yards of total offense (137 rushing), and played mistake free football with the exception of one interception thrown by sophomore quarterback Chas Dodd, who finished 9-of-17 for 113 yards and a touchdown before being pulled in the rout. Huggins became the first Rutgers running back to score two touchdowns in his first game since 1993, when Terrell Willis did against Colgate.
Schiano took over the play-calling duties on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, and the Scarlet Knight faithful are hoping for a revival on that side as a result. The unit made an impressive opening statement, producing two defensive touchdowns and showing its aggressive nature with nine sacks. That is the most sack total for the school since 2005, and Rutgers used enough pressure to hold NCCU to eight yards rushing and just 120 yards of total offense on the day. Strong safety Duron Harmon was a standout in the secondary, picking off two passes.
North Carolina was very precise offensively in its dismantling of James Madison. If it wasn't for an interception in the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Bryn Renner would've been perfect in his first career start. He set an ACC record for highest single game completion percentage (.957), connecting on 22-of-23 passes for 277 yards and two touchdown passes, both of which went to senior receiver Dwight Jones. Renner ran for a third score, as the Tar Heels put up 461 yards of total offense, including 292 yards in the first half that led to a 28-7 lead at recess. Renner fell just shy of the NCAA record for single game completion percentage, held by former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin, who went 23-of-24 (.958) against South Carolina in October of 1998.
The Tar Heel defense may not have made the noise that the offense did in the opener, but it put forth a solid effort in holding James Madison to a paltry 211 yards of total offense. James Madison went just 2-of-13 on third down, and North Carolina applied plenty of pressure off the edge, registering five sacks. At the center of the Tar Heels performance was its ability to get the ball back to the Renner and the offense, forcing James Madison to punt on eight of its 11 possessions, including the first five of the game. Standout rush end Quinton Coples recorded two sacks in the win.
Amid all of the off-the-field problems the program has had in the past two seasons, there is still a lot of talent scattered across the field for North Carolina. One of the major questions heading into 2011 was how the offense would function with quarterback T.J. Yates departing, but if last week was any indication of things to come from Renner, than the Tar Heels are in good shape. They have exceptional athletes in the front-seven on defense.
Rutgers meanwhile, appears to be a dangerous club defensively, especially now that Schiano is calling the plays. Both of these teams have something to prove after winning against lesser foes in the season opener, but Rutgers has an awful lot of inexperience and youth on offense. Look for Renner to tone down on the stats, but North Carolina still rolls.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: North Carolina 28, Rutgers 17

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