For the second year in a row, North Carolina finds itself wondering what went wrong after a blowout loss to in-state rival East Carolina. This year’s 70-41 result appeared to sting even more than the 55-31 outcome in 2013, and as one would expect, most fingers are pointing at the Tar Heels’ defense as the source of the problem.
On Tuesday, Lee Pace of GoHeels.com and the Tar Heel Sports Network joined The David Glenn Show to discuss UNC’s defensive struggles, and he acknowledged that the root of the issue extends beyond the scheme.
“In politics, it’s ‘follow the money,’ and in college football and basketball, it’s ‘follow the recruiting,'” Pace said.
Pace pointed out that many defensive prospects from UNC’s 2009 and 2010 recruiting classes never played a down for the Heels, and an NCAA investigation hovered over the following two classes. Scholarship reductions that came as a result of the investigation also played a factor.
“You’ve got two medicore defensive recruiting years and three years of a cloud and recruiting restrictions. The Tar Heels simply do not have the firepower out there.”
Pace also shared his opinion on North Carolina’s defensive scheme and went in-depth on some of the struggles the coaching staff has faced as a result of NCAA sanctions. Click below to hear the full interview: