The scoreboard game sparked the Mack-Spurrier friendship.
As long as Mack Brown keeps beating Duke, the infamous scoreboard game will be brought up. It was again this week, as the Carolina coach’s pre-game interview ended with stories about him and the Head Ball Coach.
The Blue Devils will be trying to snap a three-game losing streak to the Tar Heels dating back to 2018. But Brown’s personal record against Duke is 11 straight wins since that 1989 season, when the bowl-bound Devils blew out the one-win Tar Heels, whom Brown called a “really bad team” in Kenan Stadium.
The game was over early, but it lived on in a Christmas card the Spurrier family sent out after his last Duke team joyously celebrated the 41-0 win in front of the scoreboard in the southeast corner of the Kenan playing field. Notably, some nincompoop on the UNC operations staff failed to turn it – and the final score – off as soon as the game ended.
Brown said he and Spurrier, nicknamed the “head ball coach,” were both leading Power 5 programs for the first time, and right after that game Spurrier left Duke for his alma mater Florida, where he had won the Heisman Trophy as a player and later coached the Gators to a national championship.
Somewhere down the road, Mack and Sally Brown had dinner with the Spurriers when Jerri Spurrier leaned over to Brown and asked,” Wouldn’t you like to run up the score on Steve some day?”
Mack said his answer was “yes!” He also said he kept the memory forever and the Christmas card for inspiration through the years.
They both have had Hall of Fame careers with different styles. “He loved to stir it up and I don’t, it’s not my deal,” Brown said. “I show respect to our opponent at all times. Steve had a different philosophy and that’s okay. But he and I have had a mutual respect for many years.”
Spurrier had two nicknames for Brown, who started his first UNC career with back-to-back 1-10 seasons. “Mr. Football” because Mack liked to talk so much; and “Mr. February” because Brown was becoming a great recruiter.
Now 77 and retired from coaching, Spurrier will have no impact on the game Saturday night. The Tar Heels’ record against Duke since he left is 26-6.
“He was one of the greatest coaches ,” Brown said, “because he didn’t cheat, he did it the right way and he treated his players and coaches well.”
Featured image via Duke Athletics
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I recall Spurrier referring to Mack and his brother Watson as “The Lose Brothers” in 1989 when they both went 1 and 11.