The North Carolina Tar Heels inconceivably fell to the Syracuse Orange, 31-30, on Saturday night after taking an early double-digit lead.
It was the second straight game the Tar Heels squandered a substantial lead. However, in Week 8, they couldn't get away with their uninspiring play in the second half. Now, North Carolina enters this weekend's matchup against the Miami Hurricanes with a 4-3 record. That's problematic, as Week 9 feels like an inevitable loss against the No. 1 team in the country.
That said, let's revisit North Carolina's Week 8 loss to Syracuse and evaluate the snap counts on both sides of the ball. Here are the winners and losers based on the snap-count percentages. For context, the offense was on the field for 70 snaps, while the defense logged 89.
Winners
Nyqir Helton
Excluding Jordan Shipp, North Carolina's wide receiver room has been a revolving door, with Trech Kekahuna's inconsistent involvement ever since his struggles in the season opener, CJ Sadler's off-field incident last month, and Mason Humphrey's lack of impact, while missing the last two games due to injury.
All of that has opened the door for other pass-catching options, and Helton was the latest wideout to earn significant opportunity. The freshman receiver logged 67 snaps, which included 46 passing downs. Helton recorded two receptions for 15 yards, but his role in the offense was notable.
Derek McDonald
Maybe it was because it was against his former team, but the veteran linebacker played 81 snaps on Saturday night. McDonald's impact was apparent, recording 16 total tackles, including four solo, and a tackle for loss.
It was the fifth time in seven games where the Syracuse transfer recorded double-digit tackles. On the season, McDonald has 71 total tackles - 24 solo and 47 assisted - two pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
Losers
Trech Kekahuna
Speaking of Kekahuna, the Wisconsin transfer ceded snaps to Helton, as he was on the field for 43 snaps. Now, Kekahuna was much more productive with his opportunities, catching four passes for 33 yards.
However, Kekahuna losing snaps to a freshman receiver for the second time this season isn't a good look for the veteran pass catcher.
Kenton Dopson III
After logging a career-high 65 snaps against Duke in Week 7, Dopson III played 18 snaps. That's a disappointing development for the freshman cornerback, who made a significant impact in the monumental win over the Blue Devils. It's even more discouraging considering the Tar Heels still had substantial injuries in the secondary.
The former 4-star recruit's production and impact were lackluster in the loss, with three total tackles.
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