The UNC football team faces its stiffest test of the season this Saturday at Kenan Stadium, as the defending national champion Clemson Tigers come to town looking to extend their winning streak to an even 20 games.
Coming off back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and Appalachian State, the Tar Heels head into this week’s game against Clemson knowing how difficult it will be to avoid extending the losing streak to three.
Under head coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers have built themselves into the premier program in all of college football. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence has established himself as a front-runner to be taken first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft when he becomes eligible, while the rest of the roster is also littered with pro potential.
Last season saw Clemson post the first 15-0 record in the history of the sport, and that momentum has not stopped through its first four games of 2019. The Tigers have won each of those games by an average of 32 points, and have yet to be truly tested.
Sophomore wide receiver Dyami Brown is one of many Tar Heels who will need to play the best game of their lives in order to shock No. 1 Clemson this Saturday. (Photo via Dakota Moyer)
At his press conference this past Monday, UNC head coach Mack Brown had plenty of words to describe what his team will see on Saturday.
“They have the best program in the country,” Brown said. “They have the best head coach and coaches in the country. They have the most depth in the country.
“I started looking at our scouting reports yesterday, and all the people that break them down—first round draft choice, this one first round draft choice, this one first round draft choice,” the coach added. “So they’re for real.”
Each of the Tar Heels’ first four games have come down to the final play, a fact that illustrates the team’s ability to fight through adversity and play all the way to the finish.
This week, however, UNC is a 26.5-point underdog despite playing within the friendly confines of Kenan Stadium.
While you can expect the Tar Heels to give their best effort, Clemson will be heading into the game well aware of the giant target on its back.
Having been in charge of a national powerhouse when he was at Texas, Brown gave insight into what Swinney will be telling his team leading up to this game.
“I remember it at Texas, you play the best effort from every team every week,” Brown said. “And people have come in and say, ‘Ah, North Carolina’s no good, they can’t beat you.’ Dabo’s going to say, ‘These guys played hard, they were good enough to beat Miami, they were good enough to beat South Carolina, obviously they’re good enough. So we’ve got to really be ready to play’ and all that.
“But he’s right,” he added. “This is a week where the guys are going to play, they get ready to play.”
Brown has publicly stated that his goal for his second tenure at UNC is to get the Tar Heels to become the “Clemson of the Coastal Division.” It’s an ambitious goal for sure, and one that will require years of great recruiting plus the on-field results to make that happen.
Brown also acknowledges that this first year is one that will come with ups and downs.
Having the chance to play Clemson will give the team a shot to see how big the gap is between rebuilding program and national power.
An upset win would obviously work wonders for Brown’s rebuild, but a loss wouldn’t be a shock nor will it spell doom for the future. There’s plenty of things that can be learned either way, which is what truly matters most for the long term.
“One of the good things this weekend for our players is when you play the best in the country, it’s a great challenge for you,” Brown said. “And with challenge, there’s opportunity to see how we stand up to them.”
Cover photo via Dakota Moyer
