CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina football team still holds out hope of winning a second straight ACC Coastal Division championship. But because accomplishing that objective is no longer in the Tar Heels’ control, their focus has shifted to that other goal for which coaches say they’re always striving. Playing their best at the end of the season. Rested and healthy after a badly needed bye week, UNC put together its most complete effort to date Saturday — combining an efficient and balanced offense with a defense that did what it needed to do despite what the stat sheet might suggest for a 48-20 rout of Georgia Tech at Kenan Stadium. The impressive victory helped coach Larry Fedora’s team keep pace with division front-runner Virginia Tech. More importantly, it showed just how good the Tar Heels can be when all phases of their game execute at a high level at the same time. “I think we’re getting better and better,” Fedora said after watching his team roll up a season-high 636 yards of total offense, including 283 yards on the ground. “I’m really proud of our guys, because to be able to do that with the injuries we’ve had and the guys we’ve lost, for us to be playing our best football in the second week of November is a tribute to our coaching staff. They’ve done a great job of bringing these guys along.” Although the Tar Heels (7-2, 5-1 ACC) have lost several key players for the rest of the season, including offensive guard Caleb Peterson and wide receiver Mack Hollins, the week off heading into Saturday’s game allowed some of those with lesser injuries heal up and return to full strength. The most noticeable member of that group was running back Elijah Hood. Running with the explosiveness that has been missing for much of this season, the 6-foot, 230-pound junior finally looked like the first-team All-ACC performer he was a year ago while piling up 168 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries. One hundred fourteen of those yards came in the first quarter alone, highlighted by a 36-yard burst up the middle on a pivotal fourth-and-one play to give UNC a 17-7 lead. The touchdown run reminiscent of John Riggins’ famous fourth down play against the Miami Dolphins in the 1983 Super Bowl and helped UNC establish an early dominance it would maintain for the rest of the picture perfect fall afternoon. “I had two weeks to rest and get my body feeling right,” Hood said. “My legs felt really fresh and I felt as if I had something to prove today. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this healthy. I definitely felt a step quicker.” Between Hood and running mate T.J. Logan, the Tar Heels averaged an impressive 8.1 yards per carry against the Yellow Jackets (5-4, 2-4). Their ability to churn out big chunks of yardage only made things easier for quarterback Mitch Trubisky when he dropped back to pass. Not that he needed the help. Already the top percentage passer in the ACC coming into the game, the strong-armed junior picked a porous Tech secondary apart to the tune of 20 of 32 for 329 yards and a touchdown. His new favorite target Bug Howard, caught six of those balls for 120 yards — his third straight triple-digit receiving effort. “It was all about being efficient, keeping our defense off the field and converting on third downs,” Trubisky said. “The offensive line did a great job, the playmakers made plays and all I had to do was give them the ball.” Trubisky and his offensive teammates knew they’d have to put a lot of points on the board against a Yellow Jackets team that has given UNC fits recently — even in the two straight games the Tar Heels won in 2014-15. But while Tech was able to roll up 518 yards of its own, the damage was lessened by a Tar Heel defense that forced a punt on its opening possession, recovered two fumbles, blocked a field goal and limited the number of big plays sprung by its opponent’s confounding triple option attack. The two consecutive turnovers led directly to UNC touchdowns and helped the Tar Heels gain the separation needed to turn what had been a one- and two-possession game into a lopsided victory. “That was a major key for us, getting our offense extra positions,” said defensive tackle Nazair Jones, who indicated that he’d prefer to look at the scoreboard rather than the final stat sheet. “That’s how you want to set these guys up, because if they’ve got to pass more than run, then they’re not in their mojo. It really just played out perfect for us.” Considering where they stand in the Coastal Division race,
