The countdown to kick off in Blacksburg is under way.

Mack Brown and his coaching staff know most of the 80 players who will be traveling to Virginia Tech next Thursday.

The game plan for the Hokies is being implemented by Phil Longo and Jay Bateman, the coordinators who will make the next 10 days as cerebral as physical, as Brown wants a team with fresh legs to take the field at Lane Stadium on Friday night, September 3.

Brown has been in plenty of big games over his nearly 30 years of coaching at what are now called Power 5 schools. His record, best among active coaches, stands at 259-132-1, with some very tough losses. But he refuses to think about the possibility of defeat.

“I absolutely don’t prepare to lose,” Brown said at his most recent press conference. “We can’t control how Virginia Tech plays, and we expect a fight. But I never think about losing the next game.”

Sam Howell has been through a fraction of the big games as his head coach. Brown went to Texas knowing the expectations there would be higher than anything he experienced in his first 10 seasons at UNC. Howell is beginning his third as a college quarterback.

“I try not to think about losing,” Howell said. “Everyone knows the hype we have and the anticipation going into this season. Everyone knows what kind of a challenge we’ll have at Virginia Tech.

“It’s going to take our best to go up there and get a win. We will try to control what we can control with the same mindset we have with every single game. Don’t let the pressure get to us. Just play our game, everyone does the best he can to help our team win, and at the end of the day if it’s not good enough, we’ll just have to get better.”

Howell may know the numbers but hasn’t experienced the trouble Carolina has had with the Hokies, going 4-13 since they joined the ACC with one of those wins vacated by NCAA penalties. Over that span, the Tar Heels have never won two in a row.

They won a shootout at Kenan Stadium last year, so they have to snap that string in order to start the new season the way they want.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
None