North Carolina Put on 'Fraud Alert' After Loss to Clemson

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Oh, what could have been for North Carolina.

The Tar Heels were looking like a team that was set to go 3-0 when they took an early 17-3 lead on the road against Clemson on Saturday. But UNC collapsed in the second half. 

North Carolina mismanaged a red zone situation in the fourth quarter, dialing up two unsuccessful running plays after a lightning delay. UNC settled for a field goal to take a five-point lead, and the Tigers scored a touchdown on their next possession and never looked back.

Instead of becoming one of the bigger surprises in college football in the early season, UNC is 2-1 heading into a bye in Week 4. Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick will need his team to regroup before hosting Notre Dame on Oct. 3.

Jordan Mendoza of USA Today put North Carolina on "fraud alert" after the second half collapse against Clemson. He thinks UNC faces an uphill battle to even make a bowl game.

"The sweet start for North Carolina was good while it lasted," Mendoza wrote. "It really was a tale of two halves, only amassing 149 yards in the final two quarters as Bobby Petrino’s play-calling sputtered. 

"Still, the offense hasn’t been impressive at all and there aren’t many indications it’ll get better with bowl eligibility now a tougher task than it was a few days ago."

The matchup between Notre Dame and UNC doesn't look good for the Tar Heels. The Fighting Irish boast of the top defenses in college football. While Notre Dame's offense hasn't been the most dynamic through three weeks, it should be good enough to put points up against the Tar Heels, which showed cracks at Clemson.

After Notre Dame, UNC will play two teams with undefeated records, Pitt and Duke, on the road.

The win in Week 0 over TCU was still important for the Tar Heels, but they're going to need to beat two of the next three teams to show Belichick has made progress in Year 2. 

The only way for that to happen is for UNC's offense to take the next step.

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