By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Billy Edwards Jr. and Carolina’s offense produced some of their best Pro Football Focus grades of the season in a 38–35 loss to No. 1 Miami on Saturday night, while the defense had its worst night by the same measure.
UNC’s overall offensive grade of 75.8 was bettered only by the 91.3 it earned against ETSU. The Tar Heels also posted season highs of 84.7 in passing and 80.8 in receiving. On the other side, the defense’s overall grade of 62.5 and its coverage grade of 52.5 were both season lows. PFF grades range from 0 to 100.
Edwards led the way with season highs of an 87.7 offensive grade and an 84.7 passing grade for a 205.5 passer rating.
He completed 28 of 34 passes for 341 yards and a career-high four touchdowns without an interception, averaging 10 yards per attempt. PFF credited him with four big-time throws and charged him with only one turnover-worthy play.
When Miami did not get to him, he was nearly flawless, earning a 92.1 passing grade on 29 attempts when kept clean (25 of 29 for 318 yards and three touchdowns). Under pressure, his grade fell to 45.0 (3 of 5 for 23 yards), and his 35.6 fumble grade reflects the strip-sack that led to the game-clinching score.
Edwards was at his best on throws between the hash marks and past 10 yards. He was 2 of 2 for 37 yards and a touchdown on throws of 20-plus yards, earning a 94.9 grade, and 6 of 8 for 87 yards and three touchdowns on throws of 10–19 yards (91.1).
Four of his five attempts to the intermediate middle of the field were completed for 54 yards and all three of those went for touchdowns. UNC used play-action on only 10 of his 41 dropbacks, but he went 7 of 9 for 95 yards and a touchdown on those throws (89.2).
Tight end Jelani Thurman had the team’s highest offensive grade at 88.8, along with an 89.0 receiving grade, after catching five passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns. He played 65 of the 67 offensive snaps, and PFF credited him with grades of 68.3 as a pass blocker and 66.4 as a run blocker.
Running back Jaylen McGill earned an 87.8 receiving grade on 27 snaps (20 on passing plays), and Demon June added an 82.2 receiving grade on 12 pass snaps.
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Trech Kekahuna’s season-high 71.4 offensive grade came on 37 snaps, and it included a 68.4 receiving grade and an 81.1 run-blocking grade, the best among UNC skill players. Jordan Shipp, who played every snap, graded out at 61.0, while Boomer Helton (39 snaps) earned a 59.4 and Mason Humphrey (24 snaps) a 67.1. Running back Benjamin Hall had a 72.1 offensive grade and a team-best 71.2 run grade on 14 snaps.
The offensive line was more uneven.
Left tackle Jordan Hall had a season-low 54.8 offensive grade, including a 33.8 as a pass blocker, and PFF charged him with five of the 11 pressures UNC allowed (one sack, one hit and three hurries). Right tackle Shaq McRoy was the line’s best pass blocker with a 76.0, and he finished with a 63.7 offensive grade.
Left guard Andrew Threatt earned a 72.4 pass-blocking grade and a 60.0 overall grade, and he was flagged for the holding penalty that wiped out a Benjamin Hall touchdown run. Center Christo Kelly earned a 65.3 overall grade, and right guard Cristian Alvarez earned a 63.9 on 55 snaps.
McRoy, Hall, Kelly, Shipp and Edwards played all 67 offensive snaps, with 43 of them passing plays and 24 runs. Threatt played 63 snaps, Alvarez 55, and the running back snaps were split among June (29), McGill (27) and Benjamin Hall (14).
On defense, middle linebacker Derek McDonald played all 63 snaps and posted a season-low 50.1 grade, with a 42.3 in coverage. He still had a team-high 11 tackles, and PFF credited him with five stops, while grading him at 64.3 against the run. Defensive tackle Xavier Lewis had a season-low grade of 55.0 on 49 snaps, with no pressures and four total tackles.
The coverage unit struggled most.
Miami completed 22 of 28 targets (78.6%) for 274 yards and three touchdowns, with 165 of those yards (more than 60%) coming after the catch, and UNC had six missed tackles among its 48 tackles and 27 assists.
Cornerback Jaiden Patterson had a 47.1 grade and a 42.5 coverage grade, with PFF charging him with five catches on seven targets for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Safety Greg Smith graded 63.8 on 62 snaps and got beat on Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 31-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
There were a few bright spots. Kaleb Cost had the highest grade among the defensive regulars at 71.4, and Kenton Dopson III (71.0) had seven tackles, but allowed five catches on six targets for 30 yards. Safety Javion Butts earned a season-high 77.1 on 26 snaps and had the defense’s only pass breakup, while defensive end Donovan Hoilette Jr. graded at a season-high 76.4 on 22 snaps with two pressures.
UNC’s pass rush produced 11 pressures but only one sack, that from linebacker Peyton Seelmann. Defensive tackle Leroy Jackson and defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude each had three pressures, with Abou Jaoude’s 70.7 pass-rush grade the best on the defense among players with significant snaps.
Snap counts
Offense
| Starters | Pos. | Snaps | Offensive rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaq McRoy | RT | 67 | 63.7 |
| Jordan Shipp | WR | 67 | 61.7 |
| Jordan Hall | LT | 67 | 54.8 -X |
| Billy Edwards Jr. | QB | 67 | 87.7-Y |
| Christo Kelly | C | 67 | 65.3 |
| Jelani Thurman | TE | 65 | 88.8 |
| Andrew Threatt | RT | 63 | 60.0 |
| Cristian Alvarez | RG | 55 | 63.9 |
| Boomer Helton | WR | 39 | 59.4-Y |
| Trech Kekahuna | WR | 37 | 71.4-Y |
| Jaylen McGill | RB | 27 | 68.0 |
| Reserves | Pos. | Snaps | Offensive rating |
| Demon June | HB | 29 | 73.1 |
| Mason Humphrey | WR | 24 | 67.1 |
| Jordan Washington | TE | 22 | 58.5 |
| Aidan Banfield | LG | 10 | 52.9 |
| Benjamin Hall | HB | 14 | 72.1 |
| Shamar Easter | TE | 5 | 75.8 |
| Carson Sneed | TE | 4 | 59.3 |
| Peter Pesansky | FB | 2 | 60.0 |
X – season low; Y – season high
Defense
| Starters | Pos. | Snaps | Defensive rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derek McDonald | MCB | 63 | 50.1-X |
| Greg Smith | FS | 72 | 63.8 |
| Jaiden Patterson | CB | 61 | 47.1 |
| Melkart Abou Jaoude | RE | 53 | 55.5 |
| Leroy Jackson | RT | 51 | 63.3 |
| Peyton Seelmann | WLB | 48 | 62.2 |
| Kenton Dopson III | LCB | 46 | 71.0 |
| Kaleb Cost | SCB | 46 | 71.4 |
| Jaylen Harvey | LE | 44 | 57.6 |
| Isaiah Johnson | FS | 41 | 51.4 |
| Coleman Bryson | FS | 38 | 63.4 |
| Reserves | Pos. | Snaps | Defensive rating |
| Xavier Lewis | LT | 49 | 55.0-X |
| Javion Butts | FS | 26 | 77.1-Y |
| Donovan Hoilette Jr. | LE | 22 | 76.4-Y |
| Nicco Maggio | NT | 14 | 57.3 |
| Timir Hickman-Collins | WLB | 14 | 59.8 |
| Trey Giddens | RT | 7 | 54.8 |
| Calvin Thomas | ROLB | 4 | 62.6 |
| Emmanuel Nwaiwu | LOLB | 3 | 75.3 |
| Jalon Thompson | LCB | 1 | 60.3 |
X – season low; Y – season high
Photo by Smith Hardy
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