I think we took a step forward this past game, which was good to see.
Both teams missed a lot of opportunities, UNC generated more in the first place though. Missed tackle on the first kickoff could have pinned them deep, missed td pass that Graham threw OOB, dropped passes, not snapping the ball to draw multiple offsides, you get the point.
There were a number of missed calls (as always) which could have ended UNC drives early had they been made. Their first third down the center and right tackle (I think) both move before the snap. Offensive PI on UNC's wr pushing off Swilling for a big grab for a td. Several others, of course they made bad calls in our favor as well- Graham's fumble and several times Defoor with a handful of jersey on a guy who'd already passed him. Several questionable/bad calls throughout the game, I don't know that they were in favor of one team or the other though. On tv, the UNC touchdown to start the 4th quarter he did not appear to have possession until he hit the ground out of bounds - bobbled the catch and had the ball in one hand unprotected (not tucked) as he hit the ground. Maybe it was a td, but it didn't look like it to me.
On a related note, ESPN/ACC network needs better cameras. Cameras exist that can film at thousands of frames per second, yet most of the replays were so blurry you couldn't tell anything even when the view wasn't obstructed.
Graham played decently well for a freshman, made some good throws and did throw it away at least once instead of taking the sack which I was happy to see. Both interceptions were bad decisions, multiple defenders in the area, I think he'll get better with more game experience though.
Props to Curry, Kelton Dawson, and Adonicas Sanders, all three played great when they got opportunities put in front of them. I've ragged on Curry a lot in the past, but he seemed to always be in the right place at the right time- hopefully he can keep that up.
Zamari Walton got targeted a lot. He made some plays, but he also got beat a number of times. Hopefully he is learning and improving from this game.
Cottrell is perfect for kickoff coverage and punt coverage, really suits his straight line track speed to fly down field and make a play. I think Collins is right that he is NFL level talent at those positions, don't know if he'll get that shot though (how many guys on an NFL roster are just for special teams?).
Overall, I saw a lot of improvement, and a lot that we can work on to continue improving. The offense had life, it looked like there was some semblance of a game plan, we just got to take advantage of the opportunities that are generated and get some consistency and we'll be rolling. This is the first time this season where I've felt good about the possible future of this program.