Sep 21, 2018 4 min read

North Carolina opens Atlantic Coast Conference play today at home against Pitt after having a game canceled due to Hurricane Florence. It will mark their first chance to climb out of an 0-2 start, though it comes after a week that took them out of in-season routines.

“It’s an unforeseen break,” UNC coach Larry Fedora said, “and we’ve got to turn it into a positive.”

UNC was set to face No. 16 UCF last weekend, but Florence’s approach toward the Carolinas’ coastline forced the schools to cancel the game Sept. 11. A day later, Fedora said, the coaches dismissed the players, with roughly half leaving campus with classes canceled and the rest sticking around.

The Tar Heels didn’t practice for four days as the storm brought wind and rain. And as they returned to the practice field Monday, there was also work to aid Florence relief efforts.

Fedora and several players spent part of Tuesday loading the program’s equipment truck with donated items being brought to campus to help areas affected by the storm. The players also decided to give their $15 per-diem meal money for last week’s canceled game to acquire $1,275 in supplies for former UNC linebacker Kevin Reddick’s donation drive for his hometown of New Bern, one of several flooded communities in the eastern half of the state.

Now it’s time to focus fully on football again.

“It’s definitely weird having those four days off,” offensive guard Nick Polino said. “It’s not something that usually happens . even on a bye week. We just kind of did some recovery, some guys got a workout in if we could.

“Other than that, we’re ready to be back in the swing of things.”

The Panthers (1-0 ACC, 2-1) are coming off a home win against Georgia Tech in their league opener, though they’re preparing for their first road game of the season. They’re also trying to earn their first win against UNC since joining the ACC for the 2013 season. Pitt has lost all five meetings against its Coastal Division foe, each by one-possession margins.

“It’s by four points here, five points there,” Pitt senior cornerback Phillipie Motley said. “And it’s a topic of discussion just because we’ve been in the game and had chances to win the game. But like I said, hey, we just didn’t make the plays when it was time to make the plays.”

WVU back from break: West Virginia quarterback Will Grier would prefer not going down to the wire this time against Kansas State.

Grier struggled in the second half a year ago against the Wildcats’ defense, West Virginia didn’t score after halftime and was lucky to escape with a 28-23 win in Manhattan, Kansas.

After No. 12 West Virginia was forced to take last week off thanks to Hurricane Florence, Grier would like to continue the momentum he enjoyed at the start of the season when the Mountaineers (2-0) play Kansas State (2-1) in their Big 12 opener. Grier has thrown for nine touchdowns this season with one interception.

West Virginia punted on its first five possessions of the second half last year against the Wildcats. Grier needed to convert a key fourth down and West Virginia ran out the clock near the Kansas State goal line.

“I think they played harder than us,” Grier said. “That’s an emphasis this whole year and will continue to be an emphasis – that we have to show up to play and play harder than the team we’re playing. I have to do a better job of getting us in higher percentage plays and more efficient plays, and taking what they give us.”

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is stressing ball security as well as the Wildcats play their first road game after three home contests.

Kansas State has lost four of seven fumbles and two quarterbacks have combined to throw three interceptions.

West Virginia is a heavy favorite, although the teams’ last four meetings have been decided by a total of 13 points.