Tar Heels Look to Upset Miami

CHAPEL HILL -- Most teams call it the red zone. Some label it the green zone, and fewer refer to it as the gold zone.

Regardless of what color glasses coaches and players look through, the area inside the 20-yard line on a football field is important. That's where scoring opportunities become points -- or turn into missed opportunities.

For North Carolina in 2005, red has meant stop. The Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1 ACC) have the ACC's worst red zone offense through six games, having scored on just 61.1 percent (11 of 18) of their trips inside an opponent's 20-yard line.

"We work on it every single week," UNC coach John Bunting said. "It's always an emphasis. It's very, very important. Red zone offense and red zone defense, it never stops. We do it as much as we possibly can."

Success in the red zone takes on new importance today for the Tar Heels. UNC plays at No. 6 Miami (noon, ESPN2), a team with a defense so strong that reaching the 20-yard line can be as tough as scoring against other opposition.

The Hurricanes have allowed just six touchdowns all season, ranking No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (10 points per game) and No. 1 in total defense (227.2 yards per game). Plus, Miami has a score to settle after losing 31-28 at UNC last season and falling out of contention for the national championship.

"They're really athletic, and they're going to be at home, and they're going to be thinking about last year," junior tailback Ronnie McGill said. "We've just got to go in there and basically play our best game of the year."

For the Tar Heels, that means playing better in the red zone. UNC, which tallied on 88.6 percent (39 of 44) of its possessions in the red zone last season, has failed to score in almost every way imaginable inside the 20 this year.

Connor Barth has missed three field goals, two of which came after untimely penalties pushed back the Tar Heels. Quarterback Matt Baker has thrown two interceptions. Once, UNC turned over the ball on downs because it needed a touchdown and couldn't afford to take the chip-shot field-goal attempt. On another occasion, tailback Barrington Edwards lost a fumble inside the 5.
"It's all about execution, whether it's us blocking it up right or the running back hitting the hole or Matt making the pass and the wide receivers catching it," senior offensive tackle Brian Chacos said. "It's all about execution. The play-calling has been great down in the red zone. We as players just have to execute better."

Some of UNC's troubles close to the goal line stemmed from the team's lack of an effective running game. The Tar Heels averaged just 2.1 yards per carry in the red zone through their first four games en route to rushing for three touchdowns. Since the return of McGill against Louisville, however, UNC has averaged 3.2 yards per carry in the red zone and rushed for two touchdowns in two games.

Not surprisingly, UNC's productivity in the red zone has been higher during that span. The Tar Heels have found the end zone on three consecutive trips inside the opponent's 20. And Baker, whose last interception in the red zone came in the third game of the season, has taken better care of the ball when in scoring range.

"When you get down there, you've got to be a little more cautious because you want to put points on the board," said Baker, who has completed 6 of 18 passes in the red zone for 42 yards and four touchdowns in addition to the two interceptions. "You don't want to force anything. You don't want to take any big chances because you've got to get points one way or another."
That's especially true today. The Hurricanes don't allow many opportunities and undoubtedly remember the 545 yards UNC racked up in last year's meeting, so the Tar Heels need to take advantage of whatever chances they get.

They must turn the red zone into the red-hot zone, or go in the green zone, or strike it rich in the gold zone. Whatever the color, the goal is the same.

"It's just finishing," Chacos said. "When we get an opportunity to score, we've got to finish. We've got to score. Last year we were really good in the red zone, and this year we've struggled a little bit.

"But this week, we're going to do better."

Source-HeraldSun