ACC football power rankings, Week 3: Clemson looks dominant yet again
By Dante Pryor
3. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0)
The North Carolina Tar Heels got off to a great start with their 31-6 victory over the Syracuse Orange in Chapell Hill. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell got off to a fine start in his first game of the season throwing for 295 yards and a touchdown. NFL hopeful outside linebacker Chazz Surratt was fantastic with nine tackles and two sacks.
This game showed there is clear separation between the top three teams in the conference and teams 4-7. Howell has to clean up the mistakes — he threw two picks — but Syracuse looked over-matched and out-gunned in this game.
The Tar Heels dominated the line of scrimmage. Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito was on the run most of the game and the running game averaged less than two yards per rush. Offensively, the Tar Heels did a good job of keeping Howell clean in the pocket and the running game was solid.
When North Carolina plays Boston College on Oct. 3, we will know more about the Tar Heels prowess in the trenches. The Eagles return veteran players along their offensive and defensive lines.