Why UNC football appears ready to go from good to great
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina football coach Mack Brown consistently brought it up in conversations throughout the preseason.
But following the first three games – even though they were wins – Brown backtracked and stopped mentioning the Tar Heels going from good to great.
The veteran coach needed to see it. With Saturday’s 40-7 shellacking of Syracuse at Kenan Stadium, the 14th-ranked Tar Heels (5-0, 2-0 ACC) showed Brown, the ACC and the rest of the nation they appear ready to take the next step.
UNC's national standing will likely improve ahead of a big-time matchup with nationally-ranked Miami (4-1, 0-1 ACC) next Saturday in Chapel Hill. That game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
HOW UNC BEAT SYRACUSE: Drake Maye elite, Tez Walker makes debut as UNC football steamrolls Syracuse
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Will these Tar Heels handle the hype that other squads failed to meet in the past? Last season’s team was a dark horse in the College Football Playoff conversation before stumbling down the stretch with four losses in a row.
“What we’re worried about is getting better. We’ve started talking down the road before here and it jumps up and bites us,” Brown said Saturday.
“We are talking about, ‘We need to get better every day and every week to play this game.’ We’re starting to do that, but I still think our best game’s out there. We’re gonna have to have it next week, because Miami’s so good.”
If UNC’s “best game” has yet to be played, it’s a scary thought in October for their future opponents. Brown makes a habit of using scores from other games to keep the Tar Heels focused on the task at hand.
“We’ve gotta hold each other more accountable every minute of every day,” Brown said. “We can’t get comfortable.”
Here’s why this UNC squad appears primed and ready to take the next step as one of the most dangerous teams in the country.
NCAA “freeing” Tez Walker frees up UNC
Before the NCAA cleared him Thursday, wide receiver Tez Walker had resigned to the fact he wasn’t going to play for the Tar Heels this season. Walker was preparing for next season when he received the good news.
“I was just glad it was over,” Walker said. “I just felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.”
Now that he’s back in the mix, it’s safe to say the Tar Heels feel more comfortable without that cloud hanging over their sterling start to the season.
“It’s definitely freeing,” linebacker Cedric Gray said. “I think everybody’s just happy that he finally gets to play – not only because he helps our team. Just as a brother and as a friend, I know it was kind of eating him up not being able to play. I’m just really happy to have him back.”
Star quarterback Drake Maye, who connected with Walker six times for 43 yards against the Orange, had similar feelings.
“It does wonders for this football team,” Maye said. “I think we showed it out there (against Syracuse) with a big statement win. We’ve got some good things going, so we gotta keep it going.”
UNC's defense is much improved
Cedric Gray, who said he hasn’t played for a 5-0 team since he suited up for the Ballantyne Gators as a youngster in the Charlotte area, believes this UNC team is ready for the pressure.
“I think this team is a lot better equipped,” Gray said. “This team is more mature, more confident and just better all-around as a team. Understanding what’s at stake and not letting anybody get complacent, I think we’ll be just fine.”
The numbers back it up. UNC’s defense has come a long way since allowing App State to drop 61 points in Boone last season. The Tar Heels are allowing an average of 19 points through five games.
Syracuse’s 70 yards in the first half was the fewest allowed in a half since 2012. The seven points were the fewest points allowed in a game since UNC’s 38-7 win against Duke in 2021.
The Tar Heels have seven interceptions – including three from Alijah Huzzie – this season. They had nine in 14 games last year. After logging 17 sacks last season, UNC has 13 sacks through five games. Everything on that side of the ball is trending up.
Drake Maye, UNC’s offense remain elite
Offensively, the Tar Heels have scored 30 or more points in five straight games for the third year in program history. Prior to the last two seasons, the last time UNC did that was 1914. The Heels racked up 644 total yards against the Orange for their 10th-best total in program history. As for Maye, he completed 72.2% of his passes through five games and put together his best performance of the season with nearly 500 total yards and four touchdowns against Syracuse. UNC hasn't shown signs of slowing down.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Reasons why UNC football appears ready to go from good to great
