Javonte Williams had his best game of the season, “feeling like the old days,” and Josh Downs had a huge day, leading their teams to Week 4 victories on Sunday.
Category: Football
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Duke
I tried very hard to not get on the “everything is awful” train after UNC’s record-setting loss to James Madison last week. This is college football. Things happen. The game is weird sometimes. People (and coaches) get emotional. Let’s see what the Duke game brings before overreacting to the JMU debacle. Guess what? Scan my ticket and slide over as I take my seat on that train
UNC blows 20-point lead, lets Duke ‘off the hook’ as Devils rally to swipe Victory Bell
DURHAM — For 2½ quarters, North Carolina’s defense made the case that the James Madison debacle was a fluke. That case unraveled in ugly fashion, though, as Duke erased a 20-point deficit in the largest comeback in the rivalry’s history, seized ownership of the Victory Bell and enjoyed a field storming.
In year that began with heartbreak, Gio Bernard takes on Ironman challenge
Giovani Bernard will again wear a helmet and show off his athletic ability on Sunday, as he did for 10 NFL seasons. But it will be unlike any football challenge.
Tar Heels in NFL: Maye, Downs, Stewart and Heck make season debuts in Week 3; Brooks gets first NFL carry
Indianapolis’ Josh Downs finally made his season debut and Houston’s British Brooks got his first NFL carry during Week 3, but there wasn’t much production from former Tar Heels.
Brown says emotional postgame comments to team, sparked by frustration, were misinterpreted
Mack Brown admits he doesn’t handle losses very well and said Monday that’s what led him to ask his team a question in the dressing room Saturday after North Carolina’s 70–50 loss to James Madison that he regrets.
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: James Madison
There’s really no polishing this lump of coal into anything resembling a diamond, and honestly, it’s hard to find too much to be positive about. With that in mind, this is a special edition of the Good, Bad, and Ugly Report: Ugly, Uglier, and Ugliest.
JMU ravages UNC’s defense in stunningly bad performance
CHAPEL HILL — It turns out that reports of North Carolina’s defense being much-improved needed a fact-check. James Madison delivered it on Saturday as the common lament since the 1970s about “the friendly skies of Carolina” came to mind.
Criswell will continue to share QB snaps, first-team reps with Harrell
After three games, Jacolby Criswell is becoming a key part of North Carolina’s offense. Criswell will still share snaps with Conner Harrell for Saturday’s noon game (ACC Network) against James Madison (2–0). At his weekly press conference on Monday, Coach Mack Brown didn’t name a starter and said they would share starting reps in practice.
Tar Heels in NFL: Chandler has big day in Vikings’ win; potential Howell-Maye battle doesn’t happen
Ty Chandler ran for 82 yards and Javonte Williams collected 62 total yards to highlight Week 2, but what would have been a compelling matchup between Sam Howell and Drake Maye never materialized.
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: N.C. Central
A state-championship-winning coaching friend once told me you can’t get a team up 12 times a season. Sometimes you’re going to have to grind out a win, particularly over an overmatched opponent. It appeared that North Carolina might have been taking FCS N.C. Central lightly.
Hampton runs for 210 as Criswell seizes QB spot in win
The case for Jacolby Criswell was pretty simple but not overwhelming as Carolina deals with life after Drake Maye. The graduate transfer quarterback produced points in his first three drives and junior Conner Harrell struggled to move the ball on his first three drives. However, Criswell may have closed the case when he led UNC to 21 of its 28 fourth-quarter points as the Tar Heels pulled away for a 45–10 victory Saturday at Kenan Stadium over N.C. Central.
Tar Heels in NFL: Hollins’ TD catch, Brooks’ big hit highlight Week 1 as Maye watches
Mack Hollins’ touchdown reception, British Brooks’ impressive hit and Mike Hughes’ big day highlighted Week 1 of the NFL season for Carolina alums. All three quarterbacks watched as the starters playing ahead of them led their teams to victories.
Carter-Williams show in Miami convinced Gause he had to be a Tar Heel
CHAPEL HILL — On a December evening as a high school sophomore, Davion “Bullet” Gause already knew where he wanted to play college football. The South Florida kid was in the Hard Rock Stadium when Michael Carter and Javonte Williams combined for 544 rushing yards in the Tar Heels’ 62–26 win at Miami on Dec. 12, 2020. Watching the duo run all over the Hurricanes that night convinced Gause that North Carolina was where he wanted to play.
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Charlotte
When a Power Three team plays an overmatched Group of Five or FCS team, especially early in the season, there are a couple of things the P4 team hopes to accomplish. Among these are usually practicing execution and polishing some of the rough edges, while at the same time avoiding injury and ideally having a big enough lead late in the game to rest starters and get some snaps down the depth chart. And, in Carolina’s case, with the season-ending injury to Max Johnson last week, the Tar Heels hoped to get Conner Harrell more comfortable leading the offense.
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