UNC Football: WRAL Pat Welter Brings Up Deflategate After 35-3 Win Over ETSU

North Carolina beat East Tennessee State 35-3 on Saturday, and you would think that would make for a pretty straightforward postgame discussion. The Tar Heels are 2-0, the defense dominated, the offense showed more structure and UNC took care of an FCS opponent without the kind of mistakes that have plagued this program in recent years. Instead, listening to Pat Welter and Brian Murphy break down the game, you get two very different approaches to the same win.

Murphy spends much of the conversation talking about what UNC did well while still acknowledging what needs to improve. He points to the defense holding ETSU without a touchdown, the 99- and 92-yard scoring drives, the lack of explosive plays allowed and the way the offense appears much more organized under Bobby Petrino. He also points out that Billy Edwards Jr. is making smart decisions and getting the ball to playmakers. That's a pretty reasonable assessment of a team that is 2-0.

Welter's approach is noticeably different. Even when acknowledging that the win was dominant, he immediately brings up NC State's 73-0 victory over Richmond. That's the kind of comparison that makes you wonder what UNC has to do to simply have a good win be a good win. Yes, UNC could have scored more. Yes, there are still questions about the offense, but does a 35-3 victory somehow become less impressive because another ACC team scored 73 against a different FCS opponent?

This isn't about saying UNC is suddenly a great football team. Clemson is on the horizon, and that game will tell us far more than either of the first two games. Murphy and Welter both point out correctly that UNC needs to create more explosive plays offensively, and that's a legitimate concern after seeing the offense produce only one touchdown against TCU. The difference is that Murphy focuses on identify weakness without ignoring the progress happening everywhere else.

Then the conversation takes another turn. In the middle of breaking down a 35-3 football game, Welter shifts to the Michael Lombardi situation, investigations and the distractions surrounding the program before eventually bringing up Deflategate. He compares the current situation at UNC to the controversy Belichick dealt with in New England and suggests that Belichick could once again rally his team around the turmoil similar to last year after the bye week.

Deflategate. After a 35-3 win over ETSU.

That's the moment when you start to understand why some UNC fans are frustrated with the way this program is covered. There is nothing wrong with asking about Lombardi or the distractions surrounding the program. Those are legitimate stories; however, when the football team has just won 35-3 and the discussion keeps looking for the next controversy or the next reason not to be impressed, eventually the coverage becomes part of the frustration.

The funny thing is that there is plenty to talk about on the football field. UNC's defense looks like a legitimate strength. The offense looks more organized and confident than it did a year ago. Jalani Thurman is becoming a matchup problem, Edwards looks comfortable running the offense and the Tar Heels are finding ways to move the football without constantly putting themselves in bad situations. Those are real signs of progress, even if there is still plenty to fix.

Clemson isn't exactly walking into next Saturday looking unbeatable. The Tigers struggled to put away Georgia Southern, winning 22-7, while former UNC quarterback Max Johnson was on the other sideline. That doesn't mean UNC is going to beat Clemson, but it does mean the matchup isn't automatically a case of the Tar Heels facing a flawless machine while trying to prove their 35-3 win wasn't impressive enough.

Clemson is the measuring stick. That's where we should be asking whether UNC can protect Edwards, create explosive plays, handle a better defense and continue playing the kind of mistake free football we've seen through two games. Those are the questions that matter.

UNC doesn't need to be crowned after beating ETSU. yet at the same time it does not need to apologize for winning 35-3. Maybe the Tar Heels can simply get credit for taking care of business, enjoy being 2-0 and let Clemson determine where this team really is with its progress. Even next week will not define a season where local media including the two discussed today declared the Clemson win a definite loss during the offseason.

And maybe, just maybe, we can leave “Deflategate” out of the postgame discussion.