North Carolina HC Mack Brown on upcoming matchup with Wake Forest
Leading into this week’s showdown with Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, head coach Mack Brown has his No. 15 team at 8-1 and primed for a return to the ACC Championship. Much of the team’s success has come from their offense, which is ranked fifth in scoring (48 TDs) and putting up 497 yards per game.
“We're scoring better in the red zone,” Brown said in his midweek press conference. “We're going for fourth downs more aggressively and making them. Our kicking game is better. We have fewer sacks, fewer penalties. It's a game of inches. Sometimes it's the smallest things that make a difference, and we're doing those things better this year.”
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Leading that prolific offense is redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye. In his first year starting for the Tar Heels, Maye leads the nation with 31 passing touchdowns, is third in QBR (89.5) and fifth in passing yards (2,964). To Brown, what’s even more impressive is his ability to reduce turnovers — Maye has only thrown three interceptions this season.
“He's really taken care of the ball,” Brown noted. “Saturday, we didn't have anything close to giving up a turnover. He didn't have a pass that was even near where someone could intercept it.”
Maye has also brought a new flair to the offense. Despite his youth, his confidence and desire to further develop throughout the season has been a big stepping stone.
Drake Maye out here doing Drake Maye things 🤷♂️
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 5, 2022
📺 https://t.co/b7TfBtUL5S (ACC Network) pic.twitter.com/0ZmskTIPyw
“He's so competitive,” Brown said. “He wants to win every game. Football is so important to him. He's got a really good learning curve, and when he sees something that he needs to get fixed, he puts total emphasis on it and he fixes it.”
Looking ahead to Wake Forest, much like Dave Clawson, Brown remembers the recent games between the two teams as high-scoring affairs that came down to massive comebacks.
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“It’s another tough road game,” Brown said. “We've had two unbelievable games within the last two years at home. Sam Hartman's one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He's been so effective against us the last couple of years.”
But, Brown has not forgotten his first game against the Demon Deacons as the head coach at North Carolina. In 2019, Wake Forest rode a big-time lead to victory and went on to win the Big 4 that season. Despite the successes of the past two years against the Deacs, that loss is still remembered.
“The first year we were here in Winston Salem, we came back and fought and made it close at the end,” he added. “They were much more physical than we were and played much better than we did. They whipped us pretty good up there.”
This week, preparing for the Wake Forest offense has been a big emphasis for Brown and his team. Between Hartman and a litany of threats at receiver, there’s a lot to cover.
“They can throw the ball, and they really beat you,” Brown said. “They throw it deep 20 times a game. They've got really good receivers that go up and get it. That's who they are. We're going to have to do a great job of covering [receivers].”
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Over the last two weeks, Hartman has thrown six interceptions for Wake Forest and fumbled the ball three times. Perhaps Hartman is due for a turnaround, or maybe it will be another struggle. Regardless, Brown is ready to see him at his best.
“We'll find his best video and we'll take highlights and clips out,” Brown said. “And that's who he'll be against us. That's what we expect and we fully anticipate him playing great.”
Despite Wake Forest being 6-3, Brown expects the Demon Deacons to give his team a hard fight.
“We saw it against Clemson, and they’re one of the best teams in the country,” Brown said. “Now we’re 8-1, so we're gonna get their best shot.”
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Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.