Georgia vs. UNC: Game Grades, Analysis for Bulldogs vs. Tar Heels
Nick Chubb powered the No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs to a 33-24 victory over the 22nd-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday.
Georgia (1-0) used an outstanding defensive effort to contain Mitch Trubisky and Co., earning a significant nonconference win and winning the first game of the Kirby Smart era.
North Carolina (0-1) simply couldn't get out of its own way. The Tar Heels committed 13 penalties for 101 yards.
True freshman Jacob Eason made his debut for Georgia, which faces a larger quarterback controversy moving forward.
Georgia Offense
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Last season, North Carolina had the seventh-worst run defense. If Saturday was any indication, 2016 will be equally frustrating.
Chubb destroyed the Tar Heels, carrying the ball 32 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He sliced through the defense for a game-sealing 55-yard score with 3:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Brian Herrien provided a quality spark off the bench during his debut, tallying 59 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts. Brendan Douglas, however, lost a fumble and didn't get another carry.
Under center, Greyson Lambert started the game before giving way to Eason, who led three scoring drives compared to two. The true freshman completed 8-of-12 passes for 131 yards and flipped a touchdown to Isaiah McKenzie.
Eason made a strong statement to claim the starting role, especially because Lambert was the same old Lambert—he protected the ball but didn't do anything special.
Looking ahead, though, the quarterback is anyone's guess. "There is no plan right now," Smart said after the game, according to Jason Butt of the Mason Telegraph.
Grade: B-
North Carolina Offense
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Despite losing starting quarterback Marquise Williams, the North Carolina offense still had high expectations. In all likelihood, the season opener will be the outlier of 2016.
But Saturday was still pretty bad.
Trubisky finished 24-of-40 but only managed 156 yards during his first career start. The junior's downfield accuracy was poor, even after Mack Hollins returned following a first-half suspension.
Ryan Switzer was a non-factor until Georgia protected against deep throws late in the fourth quarter, though he had two receptions nullified due to a penalty.
On the bright side, the Tar Heels regularly found success on the ground. T.J. Logan and Elijah Hood combined for 152 yards on just 16 carries. Trubisky added a short touchdown on a play-action bootleg.
Grade: C-
Georgia Defense
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Georgia boasted the nation's No. 1 pass defense in 2015, and the veteran secondary—plus a new friend—was excellent on Saturday.
Alabama transfer Mo Smith broke up two deep passes, including what could've been a touchdown to Switzer. Malkom Parrish added a tremendous third-down pass breakup.
Overall, the pass rush wasn't great. David Marshall managed the Bulldogs' lone sack of the contest. Additionally, the front seven allowed a dreadful 8.4 yards per carry.
But, for whatever reason, North Carolina didn't utilize more of the running game. Georgia's secondary ruled the day.
Grade: B
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North Carolina Defense
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The Tar Heels struggled to contain Chubb during the first half. They improved in the third quarter and only bent early in the fourth, but the run defense broke when it mattered most.
Boosted by Chubb's 55-yard dagger, Georgia averaged 5.6 on running plays and converted 7-of-14 third downs overall.
North Carolina's secondary put together a respectable outing. McKenzie's 51-yard reception was the result of a linebacker needing to shift outside in man coverage—a nauseating mismatch.
Otherwise, the Tar Heels surrendered a respectable 7.1 yards per pass attempt. For context, that would've ranked 67th in the country last year. That's not amazing by any means, but it's certainly not awful.
Cole Holcomb (1), Des Lawrence (1), Mikey Bart (1), Malik Carney (0.5) and Naz Jones (0.5) each contributed on a sack.
Grade: C
Georgia Coaching
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A longtime assistant, Smart experienced being the man for the first time. He said it was "really weird" being out there as a head coach, per 92.9 The Game. "A comedy of errors."
All things considered, though, not bad.
He and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker put together an excellent game plan to stop UNC's high-powered attack. Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney wisely relied on the running game but also allowed Eason to test the Heels vertically.
Now, Smart wasn't perfect. His decision to call a timeout instead of taking a borderline-inconsequential delay of game will be second-guessed. Additionally, his handling of the quarterback situation was strange, considering Eason's effectiveness.
All things considered, though, not bad.
Grade: B
North Carolina Coaching
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The headsets were a problem for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina uses multiple—up to three—coaches to call the offensive plays, yet nobody decided to keep doing what was working: running the ball. Logan and Hood averaged a combined 9.5 yards per attempt but only received 16 total carries.
Meanwhile, the passing game was mostly ineffective. Part of the blame lies on Trubisky, part falls on the coaches.
Fedora also committed a costly unsportsmanlike penalty, pushing UNC near its own goal line. But the larger problem was calling a running back screen at the 4-yard line, resulting in a safety.
The Tar Heels have correctable errors, and the coaching staff needs to address their own errors.
Grade: D+
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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