North Carolina
Gophers have two big offensive concerns going into road test at North Carolina
The Gophers football team has two primary offensive concerns going into Saturday’s road test at No. 20 North Carolina.
Minnesota has struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone through its first two games and now one of its most-important players in that area is injured going into the Tar Heels game.
In wins over Nebraska and Eastern Michigan, the U has scored touchdowns on only three of their eight series into the red zone. The Gophers kicked field goals on four drives and turned the ball over on downs on one series.
The Gophers’ TD rate (37.5 percent) in the red zone is ranked 119th in the country after two weeks.
“We get down inside the 5 (-yard line) and that is not our style of football coming away with three points, three points and zero,” head coach P.J. Fleck said Saturday. “That’s not what I want. That’s not how I’m built. That’s not what I’m used to.”
And in Saturday’s fourth quarter, key tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford had an undisclosed injured. He jogged off the field after a big hit, but stayed in the medical tent for more than 20 minutes as Minnesota closed out its 25-6 victory over Eastern Michigan at Huntington Bank Stadium.
When Spann-Ford played, the Gophers didn’t throw to the athletic 6-foot-7 target one time in the red zone. All three of his targets Saturday came in the middle of the field.
On third and goal from the 6 in the first quarter, Spann-Ford stayed in to block, while quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw to his only option, Le’Meke Brockington. He was covered and the pass fell incomplete.
Earlier in the first quarter, the Gophers went 80 yards over 11 plays but ran a naked bootleg with Kaliakmanis on fourth and 1 from the Eastern Michigan 2. Two Eagles defensive backs weren’t fooled by the play fake and tackled Kaliakmanis for lost yards.
“It’s got to improve,” Fleck continued to harp on his team’s red-zone play. “We are efficient until we get down there.”
The Gophers’ red-zone offense is trying to plow through without Mo Ibrahim, who set a program record with 53 rushing touchdowns, most of which came inside the 20, before running out of eligibility last season.
“It used to be, give it to Mo and we’ll just rhino right ahead and get in there,” Fleck said. “I don’t know if we have that back right now, the rhino, put the head down and go carry four people into the end zone. We have to be a little bit more creative with that, and we will be.”
True freshman tailback Darius Taylor burst onto the scene Saturday with 33 carries for 193 yards and a touchdown. At 5-foot-11 and 218 pounds, he appears to be the Gophers’ best option in short yardage and in the red zone.
Starting tailback Sean Tyler, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, is more of a speed back. Zach Evans, who is listed at 5-10 and 205, has yet to play this season, with Fleck repeatedly saying Evans “has to earn” playing time.
Pro Football Focus said Taylor, the U’s highest-graded offensive player, totaled 68 yards after contact against Eastern Michigan, forcing five missed tackles and rushing for 11 first downs. His TD came on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
Fleck said Taylor, a four-star recruit from Detroit, did not show that kind of power during fall camp. “He’s developing it,” Fleck said. “That’s not a knock on him. It’s just every day he’s getting a little bit better.”
The Gophers will need to get a lot better in the red zone if they hope to pull off an upset in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday.
North Carolina
NC has some of the most dangerous roads in the US: See how Wilmington-area counties rank
With a recent study revealing North Carolina as one of the states with the riskiest roads to travel, some may wonder how safe the roads are here in the Cape Fear region.
MarketWatch Guides, a site that provides “reviews of consumer products and services to help readers make educated purchasing decisions,” focuses in part on car insurance comparisons, vehicle safety and more.
A recent study by the site analyzed factors including annual miles driven per 100,000 system miles, percentage of rough roads and fatal injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers. States were given a rating out of 10 points, with 10 being the most dangerous.
More: Distracted driving in Wilmington: How big of a problem is it?
North Carolina’s ranking among the most dangerous
According to the study, the states with the most dangerous drivers based on the factors studied are:
- Louisiana – 7.55/10
- California – 7.21/10
- New Mexico – 6.74/10
- Hawaii – 6.73/10
- Delaware – 6.67/10
- New Jersey – 6.53/10
- Mississippi – 6.47/10
- North Carolina – 6.39/10
- Massachusetts – 6.33/10
- Maryland and Texas – 6.26/10
According to the study, North Carolina had 32.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers, but only 2.1% of rough roads, which was the lowest percentage out of the other ranked states.
For a more localized perspective, the North Carolina Department of Transportation releases annual traffic crash facts data. The most recent 2022 report includes a ranking of counties based on several factors, including reported crashes, crash severity, crash rates based on population, registered vehicles and estimated vehicle miles traveled.
The most dangerous county for drivers, ranked at No. 1 for the past five years, was Robeson County. The county had 60 fatal crashes in 2022 with 1,136 non-fatal injury crashes. The rest of the total 4,056 crashes were property-damage-only. The county with the best ranking was Hyde County, coming in at No. 100. The county had one fatal crash in 2022 and 10 non-fatal injury crashes. The county had a total of 45 crashes, the rest of which were property damage only.
More: MyReporter: Which intersections see the most red-light camera violations in Wilmington?
Here’s where the Cape Fear region counties ranked.
Brunswick County
Ranked No. 76 in 2022, Brunswick County had 25 fatal crashes and 715 non-fatal injury crashes. The total crashes for that year were 3,146. The remainder of the crashes were property damage only.
New Hanover County
Ranked No. 58, New Hanover had 19 fatal crashes and 1,313 non-fatal injury crashes, both of which went down from 2021. The total crashes in New Hanover were 5,617. The remainder of the crashes were property damage only.
Pender County
Ranked No. 47, Pender County had the worst ranking despite having the lowest number of crashes. The county had 12 fatal crashes and 374 non-fatal injury crashes, and a total of 1,156 crashes. The rest of the crashes were property damage only.
Iris Seaton, USA Today Network, contributed to this report.
Tropical Storm Debby already has parts of Florida under tropical storm warnings. The Florida Big Bend is currently under a Hurricane Warning. Debby is forecast to briefly strengthen into a category 1 hurricane as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico where water temperatures are near 90 degrees.
As it continues its path over land it is expected to dial back to tropical storm strength as it reaches the Carolinas mid to late next week. Moderate rainfall is possible for northeast North Carolina and southern Virginia by the end of the week.
Higher amounts of rain are possible for southernmost portions of the Outer Banks but generally models show 2-4 inches for northeast North Carolina and 1-2 inches for southern Virginia through Thursday.
Stay with News 3’s First Warning Weather Team for the latest updates as the storm develops.
The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor a tropical depression over Cuba. It’s expected to become a tropical storm later Saturday, bringing impacts to the Carolinas around the middle of next week.
Heavy rainfall and flooding are the primary impacts expected, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
“Gusty winds are also possible, but it is too early to predict specific impacts in great detail at this time,” the weather service said.
At the same time, there is the potential for heavy rainfall and some flooding associated with front expected to stall inland this weekend.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the center of the tropical depression, which would be name Debby if it becomes a tropical storm, was over Cuba and moving west-northwest near 15 mph. The hurricane center said a turn toward the northwest is forecast for Saturday, followed by a northward motion on Sunday and then a slower northeastwardmotion Sunday night and Monday.
Maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph. Slow strengthening is expected throughout the day Saturday. Faster strengthening is possible Sunday, with the storm nearing hurricane strength when it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast, the hurricane center said.
STORM TRACKER: Monitor the latest tropical developments here.
Here’s a look at what we can expect in the Wilmington area, according to the latest briefing from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
Wind
The probability of tropical storm force winds has increased, especially for the South Carolina coast. The most likely time of arrival of for northeast South Carolina is Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and for Southeastern North Carolina is during Wednesday morning.
Rain
The potential for significant rainfall exists with 8 to 12 inches possible from near Cape Fear to portions of thenortheast South Carolina coast. Flash flooding and urban flooding are possible. Some rivers, including the North Cape Fear River and the Waccamaw River, could exceed flood stage next week.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Enter your address to see hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed nearby
Marine impacts
Rough surf, including dangerous rip currents, and hazardous marine conditions are expected this weekend and will persist into the upcoming week.
Are you prepared for a hurricane?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the NC coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.
GET READY: Are you prepared for a hurricane? Here’s what to know if you live in the Wilmington area.
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