Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

It's going to be easy to overreact to that game and place superlatives on it that perhaps it (maybe) doesn't deserve. So let's just be safe and say this: two decades have passed since Mack Brown left Carolina after the 1997 season. And you could count the number of Kenan Stadium Saturdays on one hand that compare to the crackle in the Chapel Hill air during tonight's 28-25 win over Miami.
Remember last week when everyone was worried the Carolina coaches were being too cautious with Sam Howell? The training wheels came fully off during the second half Saturday night, as Howell essentially piloted the Tar Heels—from behind—to a dramatic fourth quarter victory. He made all the throws, and navigated most of those tosses through traffic. "He had ice in his veins," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "He just seems to be comfortable. When he throws a touchdown pass he doesn't look any different than when he gets sacked. He's always in the game."
Perhaps key among those—in addition to the game-winning touchdown pass to Dazz Newsome when he tiptoed the end zone—was a dramatic fourth and 17 conversion. With less than three minutes remaining and no timeouts remaining, Carolina actually first sent the punt team on the field. But when officials reviewed the previous play to make sure Howell hadn't fumbled, the Tar Heels put the offense back on the field, and Howell connected with Toe Groves for a game-saving conversion. "I was keying Toe the whole time," Howell said on the THSN. "He ran a great route. It really wasn't a great ball, but he made a great catch."
What does Mack Brown bring to the Carolina sideline? Consider that Carolina was 2-11 in its previous 13 games decided by a touchdown or less. They've now started 2-0 in those same games. Brown didn't just wave a wand over the Tar Heels and make them better in close games, but the sense of belief he's instilled is palpable. "For young guys who have struggled in the fourth quarter for wins, to win two games against really talented and well-coached teams in the fourth quarter is really special," Brown said on the THSN. "It helps your program. We had great recruits here tonight. The fan base was unbelievable. I don't think the Florida State atmosphere in 1997 was any better, because this game was better."
About that atmosphere: it was incredible. That's what Carolina football can be, and that's what the fan base is thirsty for. There was a higher percentage of seats filled ten minutes before kickoff than almost any game in modern Tar Heel football history. The students were there early, were loud, and stayed in the game until the end. Some of the new gameday tweaks were perfect, especially the Bell Tower flashing blue after each Carolina score. Look, this might be the best way to describe Saturday night's crowd: you know the Blue Zone and know that it is home to some of the Tar Heels' most committed supporters. But you also probably know that it is not exactly the Dawg Pound. And in the first half, when the Tar Heel kickoff coverage team forced another touchback, the special teams unit raced down in front of the Blue Zone to watch the kick sail out the back of the end zone, waved their arms for even more noise…and got it.
The offense will get most of the attention, but the defense did just enough to provide a Tar Heel victory. They gave up some yards between the 20 yard lines, but stiffened when they needed to keep Miami out of the end zone. That includes the final Hurricanes drive of the game, as the Canes zipped down the field but then stalled outside the 30, which made the potential game-tying field goal much more difficult.
The Tar Heels also made big plays preventing points in special teams. They got good pressure in the middle of the Miami field goal unit all day, forcing a missed chip shot field goal and blocking an extra point that would've tied the game (and would've changed the way the final minutes were played). Jason Strowbridge has been a force in the middle of that unit.
Some quick thoughts: Carolina's punt game needs to improve…Trey Morrison had two big pass breakups, and the UNC secondary is better with him on the field (he missed all but one play last weekend)…Mack Brown probably wishes he hadn't been forced to burn two timeouts late in the third quarter and early in the fourth…Why did it take us so long to think of the on-field clock that counts down the media timeouts? It's a huge improvement…Jeremiah Gemmel had a big game defensively and finished with 14 tackles…Carolina didn't run the ball very effectively, but they got some big runs late when they needed them. Javonte Williams has never seen a defender he didn't want to run over.
Remember that it's a short turnaround for the Tar Heels. They're on the field again Friday night at Wake Forest, and although it's a familiar foe in the Demon Deacons, it's a nonconference game. With the next two games against Wake and Appalachian State, the Tar Heels have a chance to build even more credentials prior to the Sept. 28 home date with Clemson.
UNC has been 2-0 four times in the past 15 seasons, and three times in the previous ten. But none of those previous occasions included an Atlantic Coast Conference victory; the last time the Tar Heels started 2-0 when one of the games was a conference win was 2000, when Carl Torbush's squad beat Tulsa and Wake Forest. That is the only instance since Mack Brown left after the 1997 regular season when Carolina started 2-0 with one of the wins coming over an ACC foe. Just two games into Mack Brown 2.0, the Tar Heels are already in some rare territory.
That was a big win tonight, and a big win to go 2-0, and a big win at home. But don't forget that it was also a big win because it was a victory over a key Coastal Division foe. Miami is going to be in the hunt for the Coastal title. What does that mean for the Tar Heels? It will be fun to find out over the next few weeks.

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jeremiah Gemmel

Trey Morrison

Dazz Newsome

Jason Strowbridge

Javonte Williams

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