As UNC looks to ‘make this season special,’ Mack Brown wants team to ignore accolades
North Carolina coach Mack Brown often complains that the accolades his team received last season were given, not earned. It’s why he likes everything about the organic way the Tar Heels have progressed this season.
They didn’t start off with a lofty preseason ranking — like they did last year — that may have skewed expectations. The Heels have fought through their imperfections and have earned their way into the rankings, and with that, quarterback Drake Maye has also inched his way into the national spotlight.
So now that Carolina (6-1, 3-0 ACC) is No. 22 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and has emerged as the frontrunner in the ACC Coastal Division, Brown doesn’t want the Heels to start paying attention to how outsiders view them.
UNC is the only unbeaten team in ACC play left in the Coastal. It has Saturday off before taking on what may be its toughest game left among division foes with Pitt visiting Kenan Stadium on Oct. 29. But Brown doesn’t want his team looking at the standings or penciling itself in the ACC championship game.
“Don’t start checking those boxes, just play,” Brown said. “Keep your head down. Figure out why we’re giving up too many explosives on defense. Figure out why we’re turning the ball over while we’re having some sacks on offense. And let’s make a difference in special teams.”
Maye, fresh off directing his first game-winning drive in the closing seconds against Duke, has made his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation. One indicator of that is betting odds. At the end of last season, he wasn’t even listed on the board and it stayed that way through the first three games. Maye is at 33-to-1 odds now, which is tied for 10th according to BetOnline.com.
Brown said Maye hasn’t gotten caught up in accolades as he’s been named ACC rookie of the week five times and quarterback of the week three times.
“He didn’t even know this stuff’s out there I don’t think,” Brown said. “That’s just his make up, he never talks about it.”
‘Living on the edge’
The biggest difference between this season and last has come on the road. The Heels were winless in five regular season road games last season. Carolina is 4-0 so far on the road this season and each of those wins were in one-score games.
“With the parity out there right now in college football, the teams that win close games are the ones that end up being the best teams,” Brown said. “Because it’s going to happen every week and more than I’ve ever seen in my career.”
Although Carolina is winning close, some of those games have been tight because it failed to put teams away when it had the chance. The Heels’ 38-35 win over Duke provided the latest example.
Carolina led 31-21 and had just stopped the Blue Devils on a fourth-and-2 to take over the ball at the Duke 30. The Heels not only lost four yards in three plays, they missed the field goal, ending the drive with nothing to show for it.
Instead of taking a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter, it left a window open and the Blue Devils took advantage by re-taking the lead.
“Go get them in a position where they have to change who they are offensively and we never did that,” Brown said. “We let them keep being who they are.”
It’s been a pattern this season against Appalachian State, Georgia State and, to a lesser extent, Miami. And it’s one of the areas the Heels can improve to keep themselves on a path to Charlotte for the ACC championship game. The Heels have only played in one league title game.
“Let’s step up and make this season special,” Brown said. “Let’s don’t make it good, let’s make it special, and we’ve got a chance to do that. But we can’t keep living on the edge. We’ve got to improve quickly in some areas.”
Injury update
UNC announced that nose tackle Ray Vohasek will miss the remainder of the season with an upper body injury. Vohasek started 24 games the last two seasons and had started the first five games this season. Brown said the senior will have surgery and begin preparing for his pro day.
Defensive back Ja’Qurious Conley, who has missed the entire season while rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last season, has been cleared to return to action. Brown said they were taking it slow with Conley’s return and, as of Tuesday, he wasn’t sure if Conley would debut against Pitt.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 6:10 AM with the headline "As UNC looks to ‘make this season special,’ Mack Brown wants team to ignore accolades."