Back to the North Carolina Tar Heels Newsfeed

Can North Carolina’s defense carry a heavier load in 2017? Part I: Philosophy

When exploring Carolina football history, only in the Larry Fedora era has the offense been the team’s identity. The exploits of Julius Peppers, Lawrence Taylor, Dre Bly, Vonnie Holliday, and the “what should’ve been” defense of 2010 have long been the calling card of the UNC program.

In this decade, that has been far from the case. Larry Fedora’s hurry-up no-huddle offense has, to the cynic, placed defense more in the role of necessary evil than focal point, and one can’t really argue with the results. A 40-25 record in the midst of never-ending NCAA turmoil is worth every penny of Fed’s new contract extension through 2022.