North Carolina Tar Heels

Chizik happy with the progress shown by UNC defense

Published Aug. 13, 2015 1:57 p.m. ET

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North Carolina held its media day Wednesday inside Kenan Stadium and it’s safe to say that the Tar Heels defense came up a few times.

Last year, UNC allowed 497.8 yards per game, the second-worst total in school history, and surrendered more than 40 points in a contest six times, which led to the firing of defensive coordinator Vic Koenning.

This summer Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora brought in former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik to right the ship and install his 4-3 defense.

So far, Chizik said he has been pleased with the progress made by the unit.

"... When we came back in fall camp, I feel like there’s a great sense and a great knowledge of the carryover from the spring till now. It’s been pretty evident. We’re still not full throttle in terms of the total installation of everything we’re doing,” Chizik told the Daily Tarheel. “But that’s kind of a day-by-day process in terms of where we are versus where we need to go. Sometimes we move ahead a little bit and we realize, ‘Hey, we need to go back, clean some things up and make some finer detailed points before we move to the next thing.’ That’s kind of the daily evaluation process, but overall, I’m very pleased with how they came back and the retention rate from the spring."

Chizik said the key to running a successful defense is to have accountability and be aware of all situations.

"... There’s three things that really stand out that we talk about on a daily basis with our guys. No. 1 is the accountability in your own box. It’s the accountability of executing exactly what we’re asking you to do and the way we’re asking you to do it on 70 different opportunities possibly in a game or more,” Chizik told the Daily Tarheel.  “... The second thing is trying to teach them the big picture of situational football. You play differently at the end of the half or the end of the game based on some circumstances, meaning you’re trying to always cheat as a defensive player.

“You’re trying to eliminate possibilities of certain things that can happen so we can cheat and play the things we think will happen.”

(h/t Daily Tarheel)

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