By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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Turning the focus ahead to 2014, many media experts are projecting the Tar Heels as the early favorite in the ACC Coastal Division, largely due to the teams rushing resurgence to conclude last fall.

North Carolinas 2013 campaign was, in every sense of the phrase, a tale of two seasons.

Facing a difficult slate of games to kick off the season, the Tar Heels stumbled to a 1-5 record out of the block. Larry Fedoras squad would instantaneously flip the momentum in the middle of October, however, finishing the year 6-1 over the last seven contests.

With Fedoras reputation for producing strong rushing attacks, it should come as no surprise that North Carolinas successes and failures alike were reflected in its ability to produce on the ground.

Following the departure of star running back Gio Bernard and a multitude of starting offensive linemen following the completion of the 2012 season, the Tar Heels entered last fall with the expectation that there would likely be some growing pains with the rushing attack. Even so, they certainly did not expect that the struggles would be so severe and inhibiting to overall team success.

Through the first half of the regular season, the Tar Heels had firmly entrenched themselves as the worst rushing team in the ACC by a wide margin. At the time, they also ranked as one of the worst rushing attacks in all of FBS football, an embarrassing position for an offense which has always prided itself on its ability to move the football on the ground.

Six games into the season, North Carolina had rushed for a grand total of just 605 yards, an average of a mere 100.8 yards per contest.

The Tar Heels poor statistical output was not due to a lack of conviction or dedication to continuing to run the football, though. In fact, North Carolina was averaging 34.5 rushing attempts per game. The problem, naturally, was that the Tar Heels managed to generate just 2.9 yards per rushing attack.

Though the North Carolina coaching staff was not into making excuses, the Tar Heels inability to generate substantial production on the ground could at least be partially attributed to the overall youth and inexperience of the offensive line. North Carolina had three first-year starters along the offensive front who were classified as either a freshman or sophomore, making it tough for the running backs to find clear running lanes.

As that inexperienced offensive line began to learn the intricacies of the position and develop cohesiveness as a unit, however, the Tar Heels very quickly transitioned from being one of the worst rushing offenses in the nation to a well above-average ground attack.

Over the final seven games of 2013, North Carolina increased its average rushing production to an impressive 189 yards per contest. That number included a significant improvement to 4.7 yards per rushing attempt.

In addition to North Carolinas offensive line gaining experience as the year progressed, the Tar Heels were also helped exponentially by the presence of quarterback Marquise Williams, who stepped in for an injured Bryn Renner to finish as the teams leading rusher with 536 yards and six touchdowns. The Tar Heels also turned over an increased amount of the rushing load to star freshman T.J. Logan once he fully recovered from an injury which completely cost him the first four games of the season. Logan would finish his freshman campaign with 533 yards on just 93 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per attempt.

Turning the focus ahead to 2014, many media experts are projecting the Tar Heels as the early favorite in the ACC Coastal Division, largely due to the teams rushing resurgence to conclude last fall.

Given the return of three offensive line starters Landon Turner, Caleb Peterson and Jon Heck the experience gained by Williams and Logan and the introduction of five-star running back prospect Elijah Hood, there is undoubtedly legitimate reason to believe that the Tar Heels will be a dominant force on the ground this fall.

Balance is a key component to Fedoras offensive attack, but his units have generally been at their best when there is more emphasis placed upon the running game.

Expect the Tar Heels to make a concerted effort to keep the ball in the hands of their playmakers in the backfield whenever possible this fall.

And expect that ability to run the football to be clearly reflected in the programs success on the scoreboard.