North Carolina's secondary will not be as strong on Saturday evening when they take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. That is because cornerbacks M.J. Stewart and Mike Hughes have been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.
.@TarHeelFootball cornerbacks M.J. Stewart & Mike Hughes suspended...will not play vs. Wake @WFMY @WakeRivals pic.twitter.com/Jp9eBAhNr8
— Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) October 15, 2015
M.J. Stewart is a major loss for Carolina. Stewart already has 20 tackles and three interceptions through just five games this season. Hughes is not a major loss, as he only has three tackles on the season. The loss of Stewart, however, is a very positive development for the Wake Forest offense, especially given that Wake's quarterbacks have thrown their fair share of interceptions this season. As mentioned in another article, the North Carolina defense "bends, but doesn't break." UNC loses Stewart's playmaking and coverage abilities, which means that they will be more susceptible to big plays down the field.
Wake Forest got a major break here. On Saturday, we'll find out if the offense can capitalize.