Everything North Carolina DC Gene Chizik said about Notre Dame football

New North Carolina defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has not been the answer for the Tar Heels’ feeble defense. Not yet, anyway, as UNC (3-0) gets set to host Notre Dame (1-2) this Saturday.

Chizik won a national championship as the defensive coordinator at Texas in 2005 and as the head coach at Auburn in 2010. Both of those teams had far superior defenses than the one he’s dealing with right now in Chapel Hill.

The Heels rank 123rd nationally in total defense at 468.3 yards per game allowed. That’s even worse than the 418 yards per game allowed in 2021 that had them ranked tied for 95th in the FBS at the end of the season.

The short story? North Carolina can’t do much of anything right defensively.

“It’s been somewhat of an enigma, to be honest with you,” Chizik said.

Here’s what Chizik said about preparing to play Notre Dame, who owns an offense that has been almost equally as upsetting as the UNC defense. Notre Dame ranks No. 114 in total offense at 300.3 yards per game.

On preparing for Drew Pyne who only has one start

“At least we have that one game, right? I think he’s a very talented young man. Obviously when you’re thrown in a starting role in the conditions he was put in, it takes some getting used to. As far as us preparing for him, I think Tommy Rees does a really good job of giving him things that give him a chance to succeed. You look at the game last week, the first play was an easy access throw. The second play was a tailback slip screen. He’s easing him into the game. That’s what you have to do with young quarterbacks.

“Their staple is going to be the run game, for sure. You could see as the game went on they had some things for him in the passing game he got comfortable with. I thought he sat in the pocket really well as the game went on. I thought he got more confident and had more poise. He sat back in the pocket and was not jittery down the field. Obviously the tailbacks in the run game were a huge deal for them Saturday. All those things can take pressure off a quarterback like that. As the game went on, you could see him get confidence. And obviously when you win, that does a lot of confidence for you too.”

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On the challenges of playing Notre Dame

“I feel like if I’m sitting in their meeting room right now, they’re saying, ‘We’re going to run the ball.’ Stats would certainly tell you that would be their No. 1 go-to in a game, right? Protect the quarterback, run the football, use our great tailbacks — they have great, great tailbacks, and several of them.

“The offensive line is big. They have a lot of experience. They probably gained a lot of confidence from last week. They took the game over. When it was time to take the game over, they did that. And they got guys who have played a lot of football over there. And they got some really good talent at wideout. Some speed at wideout. And one of the best tight ends in the country.

“So if I’m sitting in their meeting rooms, that’s what I’m thinking. They’re going to run the football and put the pressure on their offensive line to win the game, right? Both in protection and trying to win the line of scrimmage for those tailbacks. I think you’ll see the run game up inside, for sure. I think they’ll do a good job of trying to get the ball to the perimeter as well to the running backs on jet sweeps or things of that nature. That’s what they’ve shown.

“We’ve gone back and looked at a lot of years of them. Nothing has changed. They have the same identity. Tommy Rees does a good job of calling these games, setting things up for the next call. I don’t expect it to be any different. Notre Dame is built on really good offensive linemen and running the football. They haven’t changed.”

On Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer

“He’s definitely a matchup problem. Really athletic. Really big so he can body players out. That’s the great thing about a tight end. I don’t think people realize the value of a tight end. When they’re physical, it’s a mismatch with a DB because of the size and length and things of that nature. Then when you line them up on a linebacker, a lot of times athletic ability brings mismatches there as well. That’s why great tight ends in the NFL are at a premium because they put pressure on both. He’s one of those guys. He’s a player.

“You always have to know where he’s at and you always have to neutralize him. They do a great job of moving him around so you’re not always sure where he’s going to start versus where he’s going to finish which is a reason why he’s been successful as well. But he’s a great player. Our guys will always know where he’s at, but the challenge is stopping him. We’re working everyday to know where he’s at and figure out ways to stop him.”