Chansky's Notebook: Of People And Penalties

Some points of interest and irritation from Mack Brown.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer is the son of retired Virginia Tech legend Frank Beamer, a close friend of the UNC head coach for years.

“It’s old home week,” Brown said of the Border Battle at the Mayo Bowl on December 30 in Charlotte. Frank Beamer and Brown entered the National Football Hall of Fame together in 2018, and their families have been friends for decades.

“We shared family Christmas cards for years,” Brown said. “But Shane is no longer the little kid in the card. He’s become a great young coach. They beat Florida and Auburn, and I’m excited about competing against him.”

Brown says he has been asked repeatedly by the media and fans why his team committed costly, high-profile penalties this season. Two stand out in many fans’ minds because of their similarities, one in a win over Wake Forest in Chapel Hill and the other at N.C. State in the regular-season finale.

“Your team runs on the field against Wake Forest when you get ahead and gets a penalty, so that’s a lack of discipline,” Brown said. “So why do you run on the field against N.C. State and get the same penalty?

“The good news is they knew how important the game was, they were really excited and thought they had a chance to win. The bad news was we weren’t very disciplined. I’d rather them be so excited that they run on the field and I’m going to have to teach them not to, instead of them being so flat it didn’t matter. We all have to grow up.”

That was the first of three critical mistakes the Tar Heels made in handing the game to the Wolfpack. The others were letting the State tight end get wide open behind two defenders to catch a 64-yard touchdown. And the third was not covering the onside kick when it looked like a couple of players weren’t sure they could jump on the ball when it came toward them and seemed to freeze.

Brown admits some of that is coaching and that he has since the season ended had “brutal” meetings with both coordinators and every position coach. He says his staff remains intact for the Mayo Bowl.

He did not say that wouldn’t change after the game against Beamer and South Carolina.

Photo via 247Sports/Jim Hawkins.

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Chansky’s Notebook: Of People And Penalties

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