Eighteen years have passed since the last time North Carolina beat Georgia Tech on the road, and the Tar Heels will open conference play on Oct. 3 with a trip to Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets. Paul Johnson’s spread-option offense has gotten the best of UNC in the last three matchups between the two in Bobby Dodd Stadium, and this year, Larry Fedora’s team has been putting in additional work on the defensive side of the ball to get ready for Georgia Tech.
“(Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik) and those guys have been doing that weekly on Sundays,” Fedora said of UNC’s defensive preparation for the spread option. “We did it throughout camp and then on Sundays. They’ve worked on Georgia Tech’s scheme. That’s a plan we had back before the summer.”
In last year’s contest, the Tar Heels allowed 611 yards against the Jackets but managed to escape with a 48-43 victory.