North Carolina’s defense is loaded with NFL talent and will once again be the major headline grabber entering the 2010 season. They had a phenomenal 2009 campaign allowing less than 100 yards and 3.0 yards per carry to go along with just 17 points per game allowed. But the offense could be the sleeper unit of the ACC this season. 
 
There were some major holes to fill offensively in 2009 which led to a real downturn in production. Last season the offensive line lost three multi year starters to graduation and another three throughout the offseason and fall camp to injury. They lost two of the most productive receivers in school history to the NFL as well as two tight ends who would also go on to be drafted. Even QB TJ Yates was busy coming back from an injury filled 2008 and offseason surgery. 
 
This season, however, the Tar Heels return 10 starters and add one of the top offensive line recruits in the country to fill out the final spot. The offensive line is reportedly bigger and stronger with guys ranging from a (solid) 300 to 325 pounds. Yates as a senior says he knows this offense “inside and out” heading into the new season. And he has plenty of confidence in his receivers that may not have been there a year ago with so much inexperience in the group: 
 
“Everybody is getting stronger and getting faster,” Yates said. “They know the system better. Everything that a year of experience gets you, is going to help them out dramatically. Just their maturity level of knowing what’s going on, knowing how to run routes and knowing how to be coached is really going to help us out a lot.” 
 
Perhaps the biggest factor for improvement could be from practicing against their own defense. As Yates so elloquantly puts it: 
 
“One of the things that is really going to help our offense this coming year is that we’ve been going against that defense for a long time now. You can’t have much better practice than going against one of the top defenses in the nation day in and day out. When we go against somebody that may not be as good as our defense, it’s going to seem a lot easier.” 
 
Keep in mind Yates completed over 60% of his passes and averaged about 10 yards per completion last season despite the obvious fact he was pressing at times and forcing the ball to receivers he didn’t necessarily trust just yet. There is room for improvement and I think we’ll see it.  
 
A significant jump where this team averages 30 points per game wouldn’t shock me at all.