Pittsburgh
The North Carolina football team will be down — at least — a key defensive lineman for its first road matchup since a collapse at Clemson three weeks prior.
Defensive lineman Jaylen Harvey was ruled out ahead of the Tar Heels (2-2) matchup against Pittsburgh (5-0) at Acrisure Stadium. The injury report comes with good news, as wide receiver Jordan Shipp and defensive lineman Leroy Jackson (who were questionable in Friday’s update) enter the game without an injury designation. But down one defensive lineman, UNC could be without a big piece in the middle of the defensive line, too: interior defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson is listed as a game time decision.
Defensive lineman Donovan Hoilette Jr., who has logged 134 snaps for UNC so far this season, per PFF, is also listed as a game time decision.
Missing Harvey is one less option to make things difficult for Pitt’s new starting quarterback, Holden Geriner, after the senior replaced the injured Mason Heintschel. Harvey has two sacks this season and is second on the Tar Heels with 10 pressures, per PFF. But given UNC’s limited depth behind him, Johnson’s absence stands to be an even bigger loss.
Johnson went down in the first half of a 37-26 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 3 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Notre Dame rushed 30 times for 166 yards in the second half — after Johnson’s injury — bringing its game total to 5.4 yards per carry in a 241-yard effort. It gained 5.6 yards per carry on middle runs and 5.3 yards per carry on runs between the tackles, per PFF.
Freshmen Nicco Maggio and Trey Giddens each played 23 snaps apiece with Johnson’s injury, per PFF, and Maggio would be the nose tackle behind Johnson should the Tar Heels’ starter miss Saturday’s game. UNC coach Bill Belichick said Johnson is working hard to be back for the game.
“Hard to replace a guy like Isaiah,” Belichick said on Monday. “We’ll see how he’s doing.”
The News & Observer
Michael McCleary is the North Carolina sports reporter at The News & Observer. McCleary, a graduate of Syracuse University, most recently covered the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin.