New North Carolina defensive coordinator John Papuchis put the entire defense on notice when spring practice opened: It must improve against the run. No excuses.
Of course, this has been a running theme over the last several seasons with only minimal improvement. Over the last three years, North Carolina has allowed an average of 238.7 yards rushing per game, third worst in the entire nation. Among Power 5 schools, North Carolina is one of four teams that has allowed over 200 yards rushing per game in three consecutive seasons.
It has been easy to point fingers at a defensive line that has been mostly ineffective.