For the newly nicknamed “Touchdown Tez” Walker, now we know what all the fuss was about.
Walker, of course, had been penciled in as the Tar Heels’ top wide receiver after spring practice, replacing Antoine Green on the depth chart.
When the NCAA zapped his transfer eligibility, the fight became more about tightening jaws than stretching the field. “I never said we were 4-0 without him, I never said we didn’t need him,” Mack Brown kind of chuckled at his own non-sequitur, “and that he wouldn’t be really good because he is a special player. That had nothing to do with him being eligible, but I’m glad he is back.”
In a world wrought with political-speak, Brown stuck to his words that sometimes came off too loud. But after Walker became “Touchdown Tez” with three of his six receptions going to the house in the 41-31 win over Miami, the true-student athlete with a 3.0 grade average was just as impressive when interviewed on ABC.
He was humble, grateful and just plain wonderful to hear. Would the Heels have beaten Miami without Walker? Maybe, maybe not. But his second and third touchdowns as a Tar Heel reignited an electric Kenan Stadium as Carolina went from a 17-14 half-time deficit to a 28-17 lead the ‘Canes could not catch.
On a third-and-goal from the Miami 18, Waker ran a slant from the right side and caught a leather dart from quarterback Drake Maye for the first score of a game preceded by a rainstorm that stopped just before tailgate time and was never affected by a shower that returned, coincidentally, during halftime.
It was a symbolic pass and catch since the Tar Heels weren’t nearly as efficient on third down as their 58 percent coming in, finishing only 5 of 16 against a ferocious Miami defense. That third-and-long strike softened up the U’s top-rated rushing defense (60 yards per game), allowing Omarion Hampton to push the pile and explode for 197 yards, the longest a 60-yard chunk play, and a hard-nosed touchdown blast that tied the game in the second quarter.
Walker’s second score displayed his downfield speed, beating the Canes’ defender for a 56-yard bomb that put the Heels in front for good. His third was on a “dagger” pattern across the field, breaking a tackle to prance into the end zone. His six receptions netted 132 yards, which is 22 per catch.
The game turned into a football version of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting,” which blared before the kickoff with the lyric, “It’s 7 o’clock and I Want to Rock.” Kenan was rocking, all right.
The chippy affair featured a near-record 21 penalties for 216 yards, although the Tar Heels’ 14 flags were more frustrating than fatal.
North Carolina coach Mack Brown discusses a call with an official during the second half of the team’s NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Maye was harassed in the first half but much better in the second, hitting 9 of 14 passes that besides Walker’s two touchdowns featured Drake’s fourth TD toss, this one on a tricky flat pass to Hampton that confused the Canes.
Brown, the 72-year-old CEO coach and PR man, has done so much for Carolina except winning an ACC and national championship — which he “came back for” and still has a chance to do this season, undefeated and with a top ten ranking.
He sold out the stadium before his first home game in 2019, and crowds continue to love the experience that now includes laser lights projecting the NC logo and Michael Jordan’s Jumpman onto the field during endless TV timeouts.
He praises the students and makes them a part of the game, from the moment they race into the Old Lady and to the front row a few feet from the field. Brown allows his players to run over to the Tar Pit between the third and fourth quarters and they join the students to sing the alma mater after every game, win or lose.
He recruits some great players and more prospects who become great. Much like Roy Williams did, Brown brings former Tar Heels back, those from the Bill Dooley era and under the erudite Dick Crum, from Brown’s first stint through John Bunting’s popular but not-good-enough stay, from the disgraced Butch Davis days and through Larry Fedora’s time that ended with a thud.
Among those interviewed during timeouts were star quarterback Bryn Renner, now better known for his wife, CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis, to Connor Barth, whose 42-yard field goal upset Miami in 2004 and saved Bunting’s job. Brown’s most famous transfer (before Walker) is Californian Chris Keldorf, whose son Lucas helped El Segundo win the 2023 Little League World Series.
For Mack and Sally Brown (his wife, who supposedly had the idea to light the Bell Tower blue after victories), it is truly all in the family.
He clearly has UNC’s best team since his first tenure in Chapel Hill, before he left a fourth-ranked program for the big money at Texas. It has star power from Maye to Walker and a determined defense led by lightly-recruited linebacker Cedric Gray, the Heels’ leading tackler who picked off his first pass of the season to turn one of four Miami turnovers into Touchdown Tez’s second score. Gray, you may recall, sealed the third of Carolina’s now five straight wins over The U with a pick in 2021.
The Canes coughed up their first turnover as they were about to tie the score on Jahvaree Ritzie’s big hit and fumble recovery by Gray. Myles Murphy’s pounced on a fumble to kill another important drive, and Gio Biggers picked off the last desperation pass by Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke, who had a dramatic airways battle with Maye.
The Heels (6-0 and 3-0 in the ACC) have the schedule with three more home games (Virginia, Campbell and Duke) and trips to dangerous Georgia Tech and lessened Clemson and N.C. State to meet also unbeaten Florida State in the ACC championship game on December 2. They would have to win them all to prove they are worthy of College Football Playoff consideration.
Brown emphasizes their improved depth with a reminder that nose tackle Aaron Crawford played 98 snaps in the six-overtime loss at Virginia Tech in 2019.
“Last week against Syracuse, most of the guys played around 25 snaps,” he said. “When you play less, you are less tired during the game and have less chance of getting injured. And you are fresh enough to play well when you are in there, and you’re not too tired to practice the next week.”
And speaking of new-found depth, unproven Aussie sophomore rugby punter Tom Maginness ably replaced injured grad student Irish rugger Ben Kiernan, lost for the season after his historic first-down run against Syracuse. And call him “perfect placekicker”: one-time backup Noah Burnette made it 18-for-18 on PATs and 9-for-9 on field goals, giving him 45 points — nine behind leading scorer Hampton’s nine touchdowns.
And while a balanced offense may mean less-gaudy stats for Maye, Brown says new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has done exactly what he was asked to do: “Let Drake make his plays and even out the running game.” Lindsey and offensive line coach Randy Clements are living up to the slogan they wore on their shirts and caps when interviewing with Brown: “Run the damn ball.”
They ran it and passed it for 508 total yards, sending loud and proud Miami fans who like to chant, “We got some Canes over here, Woosh! Woosh!” out of the stadium and into the Carolina night with another loss to one of the teams they now love to hate.
Tar Heel footballers, once known as soft with baby blue uniforms, are proving as tough as they were at the end of Brown’s earlier days at the helm. We got some Heels over here, Swoosh! Swoosh!
Featured photo via AP Photo/Chris Seward.
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