CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) For the past two seasons, North Carolina's offense had to make up for the struggles of its defense and give the Tar Heels any chance to win.<br>
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Those days are over.<br>
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Suddenly it's the defense leading the way as the offense struggles to put points on the scoreboard with any consistency. And just as in past years when John Bunting knew his defense had to get better, the coach figures the Tar Heels will need improved offensive output if they plan on being bowl eligible for a second straight season.<br>
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The Tar Heels (4-4, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) have averaged better than 26 points per game in each of the past two seasons, but they're scoring only 17.6 in 2005. They've won two straight home games against ranked opponents despite managing just one offensive touchdown and three field goals, and Bunting wants to see improvement inside the red zone.<br>
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``Absolutely it's a concern,'' Bunting said Tuesday. ``We want to score when we get down there.''<br>
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North Carolina is coming off a 16-14 win against Boston College in which the Tar Heels' only touchdown was a 90-yard return by Wallace Wright on the opening kickoff. Two weeks earlier, the Tar Heels beat Virginia 7-5.<br>
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North Carolina scored a touchdown in its only trip inside Virginia's 20, and went 2-for-2 in a 34-16 loss at Miami. But the Tar Heels managed just two field goals on two trips into the red zone against the Eagles, which was barely enough to hold on.<br>
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Those offensive struggles come as the much-maligned defense has gone from awful to solid, ranking 34th nationally by allowing 341.9 yards per game and surrendering 25.5 points. In four home games, the unit has been even stingier, holding visitors to just 12.5 points.<br>
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That's quite an improvement from 2003, when the team allowed 38.8 points and 505.2 yards per contest.<br>
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Now it's the offense that needs to hold up its end of the bargain. After all, the Tar Heels know that settling for field goals instead of scoring touchdowns means keeping opponents in games longer.<br>
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``We have to execute,'' said junior wideout Jesse Holley, who has 23 catches in the past four games. ``We have to get 11 guys on the same thing at the same time on every play. We don't have a problem getting (to the red zone), but when we get there we have to execute a little harder and focus a little more on getting the ball in the end zone.''<br>
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The Tar Heels have gotten a spark from Ronnie McGill, who has rushed for 86.3 yards in the past three games since returning from a torn chest muscle. Now Bunting wants to see his team connect for the kind of big plays that have eluded them by a matter of inches.<br>
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In the past four games, North Carolina's longest touchdown spanned 7 yards. The team's missed chances include a dropped pass in the end zone by Mike Mason against Virginia and a drop of a sure long TD by Jarwarski Pollock against the Hurricanes.<br>
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``We've got to make those,'' Bunting said. ``Those are the plays that we can make to hit that home run. We certainly haven't lacked taking shots ourselves. We've got to make that connection.''<br>
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(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
