Tess Alongi Portfolio

Saturday, Nov. 18, the Tar Heels will head down to Death Valley to take on the 6-4 Tigers. Although Clemson has had some rough games throughout the season, they are coming off two big wins against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech just in time to take on the Heels. The Tar Heels are also coming off a big win, defeating their rival, Duke, in a 47-45 double-overtime win. The key to a Tar Heel win will be their defense. Although the Tar Heels are currently 8-2, their team has struggled much on the defense end, mainly in the fourth quarter. In their second loss of the season to Georgia Tech, the Tar Heels gave up 22 points in the fourth quarter. Similarly, Carolina gave up 22 points to Duke in the fourth quarter (including both overtime periods). UNC-CH Coach Mack Brown attributes these fourth-quarter problems to the fatigue of players who are on the field for a majority of snaps. Brown claimed to be in talks with other coaches about the fourth-quarter troubles, but not much has changed throughout the season. If the Heels are able to stop the Tigers on defense, Drake Maye has proven to be an elite Quarterback with the ability to win this game for Carolina.