UNC Football vs. Florida State: X-Factor

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty ImagesThe North Carolina Tar Heels defense has been a rollercoaster this season. In the week following a disappointing defensive performance, UNC stepped up against their archrivals with one of their best defensive efforts under defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.

In the post game show, head coach Mack Brown echoed this sentiment:

Defensively, that’s the best we’ve played since we’ve been here.

After giving up so much on the ground versus Georgia Tech, the prospect of facing off against the second-leading rusher in the ACC on Saturday was a concerning thought.

However, the run defense mostly contained Mataeo Durant last Saturday. A 37-yard run was nearly a third of…