UNC football coach Mack Brown joined Ron Stutts this morning for “Mondays with Mack,” presented by Chapel Hill Tire. Read his entire interview below:
Coach, another close disappointing loss against Pitt and that is, as we know, a sign of all the hard work your players are putting in and they’re trying so hard. How much of that is going to help those who come back and play for you next season?
Ron, we are so close. I’m so proud of the guys. They keep working against teams like Virginia Tech, who is really good and may win the league, or Virginia or Pittsburgh and all of those games came down to up to a play or two. I told the guys I get confused like are fans, I’m sure. I get so excited that they’re playing so hard and I fight so hard and they come back and then I get so disappointed that we can’t make that one play to win the game.
We’re sitting there on a third down and 15 opportunity to win the game right there in overtime again and we just didn’t do it. So what we’ve got to do now is make one more play and that’s what the “Be The One” was about to start the season.
But the guys are upbeat, they’re excited about senior day this weekend. They still have a chance for a bowl game. They’ve still got a lot of things out there. They’ve won some great games and they injuries on our secondary is really hurting us. We’ll probably start three freshmen on Saturday and that limits what you can do. But like you said, it just bodes really, really well for the future.
Well last Thursday night we had some really great moments in the Pitt game. But how do you go about getting better execution of this critical plays on both sides of the ball?
Well we had a tough incident on the pass rush cause they kind of grabbed us and pulled us down there or we might’ve had a sack and it was third and 15. Then we felt like we were sitting there and just gotta make plays right. That’s the way to do it.
And then on offense, we had really good red zone offense early in the year and we haven’t done as well the last three weeks. Now the teams have been better and that’s one thing that hurts you some. But we’ve got to improve on our red zone offense and our red zone defense. And I think that’s probably the biggest improvement that we need.
Well let me ask you about a couple of individuals. First of all, I was really happy to see Antonio Williams have a really good game, his best game. Did he earn all that time he got in practice or was Javonte [Williams] hurt or, or what was happening there?
Javonte had an upper extremity hurt and did not get to play after early in the third quarter. We think he’ll be fine, but a good for Antonio Williams. He’s one of the nicest kids on this team.
I would say he’s been the hardest worker on this team all year on special teams and he’s gotten limited snaps at running back and he’s never griped one moment. And I told him, yeah, you may be a pro player. He wants to be on ESPN. He may be a TV guy and if not, I’m going to hire him somewhere because he’s one of the hardest working, most positive upbeat leaders I’ve ever been around.
Just the kind of guy you want playing on your team. That’s for sure. On the defense, Jason Strowbridge has been terrific all season. Will he be at high draft choice by an NFL team?
I think it just depends on how he finishes here. Ron. He definitely is talented enough. We moved him out to defensive end for the Pittsburgh game so he could get more looks for the NFL cause that’ll be his is a pro position. A lot of times Pittsburgh was double teaming him because that’s the respect that he draws.
But I think yes, he will be a draft choice. He will play in the NFL. He’s played with a high ankle sprain most of the year and he’s been another guy that’s a warrior for us. These seniors have really tried to do their best and that’s why I really want our fans who have been the best in the country to come out and say thank you to these seniors on Saturday because that thing is nearly a sell out.
There’s a couple of hundred tickets left but these guys have done everything for us that they can possibly do to turn this program around and get it back in a position where we can be really good again. And we all need to come out and thank them.
Well now as you alluded to before, we have two more games left and have to win both of those in order to get that bowl, which is still on the table. Are you treating this as a mini playoff where you’re playing for a chance to win a championship in a bowl?
Absolutely. I put up a playoff category on Sunday’s meeting yesterday and told them that you’ve got to beat Mercer this weekend to have an opportunity to get to the finals and then when you play in the finals, that gives you an opportunity against NC State to go to a bowl game. So it’s still on the table.
We’ve still got a lot to play for at the end of the year, which really good. These young guys have won three games in two games the last two years and only two Power Five teams. So they’ve done a lot of great things this year. They’ve overcome a lot. Now it’s just time to finish, Ron.
Well, Saturday as you mentioned already a senior day and we’d all like to send these seniors off with the big crowd and a big win. What is planned for the festivities before the game starts for these seniors?
Well the same as every weekend. They have Tar Heel Town. And I know my grandkids went to it twice and my nephews went to it and they love it. So everybody should come out and be part of that and come to the Bell Tower Walk about two hours before the game starts.
It’s right at the Bell Tower where our teams buses pull up and all of our players walk through the crowd and that’s been wonderful reception throughout the year. And and then hopefully we’ll light that tower blue at the end of the day.
Well, you know, at the beginning of this season, you know, everybody said this going to be a rebuilding year for Carolina. And I got to give you kudos because this has been much more than that. This team is so much fun to watch. And let me do my part by saying everybody get your tickets if you don’t have them already to come out and see Carolina play Mercer this coming Saturday because it’s a final home game of the year and you’re going to be excited to see these Tar Heels in action.
Absolutely, Ron. And we told our seniors, I’ve done this enough now that you don’t want to have a rebuilding year for your senior class cause they don’t have another year. It needs to be their year. So we have given it every ounce we’ve gotten every Saturday, the guys have been at every ball game. The only one that didn’t come down to the last drive of the game was Georgia Tech.
So I’m so proud of the fight. So proud of this crowd. Our fans have been unbelievably positive. Even with some tough losses and understanding. We’ve got some things we’ve got to fix as coaches, but the players have done everything we’ve asked them to do and that’s why I want this to be a special day for everybody on Saturday.
We said before, too. It’s got to get where it’s about us, not about who we play. And this is a great example. This weekend we play Mercer. It’s not a big name team, it’s a team that’s done a good job with Bobby Lamb. But people need to come and see us.
Yeah and Coach, let me just say that we’re all proud of the Tar Heels too and I know you’re just bursting with pride the way they have played and competed all season long and we’ll look forward to talking to you again soon and look forward to seeing you guys on Saturday.
Thank you Ron. See you’d see everybody on Saturday and we’ll talk to you next Monday.
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