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UNC Football: Mack Brown Takes Issue With One Media Narrative

Despite an insinuation to the contrary, UNC football has largely been impressive in season openers under Mack Brown's command.

Matt Giles

UNC football head coach Mack Brown
UNC football head coach Mack Brown / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
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Prior to Thursday night's 19-17 win at Minnesota, the UNC football program hadn't prevailed in a true-road-game season opener since Mack Brown's 1992 squad won at Wake Forest, 35-17. The Tar Heels were 0-5 in such outings since then.

Some might say that's significant. In fact, one could view the stat as a compliment to Brown's 2024 Tar Heels.

Evidently, though, Brown — at the helm for only one of those five defeats — views such a headline as less than positive.

"We've been really good here in opening games," Brown explained to the media back in Chapel Hill on Monday. "It's interesting with the half-full and the negative people and reporters and media that are out there. I see after the game a slide that says, 'This is the first away game they've won since '92 in an opener.'

"I thought, That's interesting. As a head coach at North Carolina, I'm 13-3 in openers. That's pretty good. And then, we're 5-1 in openers since I've been back. And we've played South Carolina twice at a neutral site. We played Syracuse here. We played Minnesota away. We beat Florida A&M here. And we lost the game after COVID to Virginia Tech up there, where we didn't coach very well and we didn't play very well...

"So, we've done a great job of starting seasons. And the headline that we got was 'first win on the road since '92.' So, this is probably a little more positive than that for those that are looking for positive headlines. And other than that, we haven't been as good...So, I like the way we've started."

Mack Brown's 16th UNC football squad plays its home opener at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ACC Network) when Charlotte comes to Kenan Stadium.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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