CHAPEL HILL – Ranked 14th in the nation, unbeaten at 4-0, and an average margin of 16.3 points over three Power 5 opponents, yet North Carolina can play much better than it has thus far.
That is the sentiment emanating from the Kenan Football Center these days, and it’s one that matches the eye test, the potential meter, and what the players and coaches truly believe. But how much better can the Tar Heels play?
“We’re off to a great start, but we’ve got so many things we can improve,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said during his weekly press conference Monday.
A few things to chew on:
*The Heels have averaged only 2.4 rushing yards per attempt over the last two games.
*Drake Maye has only five touchdown passes to four interceptions.
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*UNC has allowed an onside kick recovered by the opponent, a kickoff for a touchdown, had a punt blocked, failed to recover a muffed poor pooch kick, and missed what would have been a game-winning field at the end of regulation in week two.
*The offensive line has been banged up and without arguably its top blocker the last two weeks.
*The receiver room has been “intact” for just one game so far, not including not having Tez Walker.
And so on. And that is the clear message within the program.
“We’ve got a lot of things we can fix, and addressed all of those last week,” Brown said. “I told our coaches to act like we’re 0-4… And a lot of times, if things are good, you don’t correct them. You don’t correct your mistakes because you feel good, you think, ‘Hey, we’re doing good, man.’
“Well, act like you lost the game, because that’s when coaches start correcting things better.”
What’s fascinating is that the Tar Heels have convincing wins over its three P5 opponents, but they quickly identify areas that didn’t go so well in those contests. It’s almost as if they have been conditioned to not accept any degree of satisfaction.
Senior linebacker Cedric Gray was asked Tuesday how he’d grade the team’s performance one-through-ten. His response was not surprising.
“So far, I’d say we’re playing a seven-and-a-half, eight football,” Gray said. “I think for us to become a nine-ten, we have to get rid of the small things, the little areas in the game, whether it’s defense giving up leaky yardage, or a touchdown here and there that shouldn’t have been given up.
"Or maybe even the offense closing out games, or whatever the case may be. Really, just kind of putting our foot on team’s necks is the next step that we need to take to be a nine or ten game.”
Gray added, “I have yet to see us whoop a team from start to finish, and I think that’s what we need to consistently get to that nine or ten level.”
In responding to a question about how much better the Tar Heels can get, Maye immediately went to his own miscues and then the offense.
“Not shooting ourselves in the foot turning the ball over from me,” he said.
“Executing plays, execution. I feel like sometimes we stall. I think the big things for me we’ve been working on, Coach Brown is harping on, is putting the game away offensively.”
The Heels started last season 9-1, but lost their last four games. They got complacent some. That lesson, and the constant reminders from the staff, are fueling the team right now. A 4-0 start means nothing when 5-0 can be attained, then 6-0, 7-0 and so on.
The Tar Heels are playing for something significant this season. That has been their narrative all along and remains so now. They have plenty to fix and know it. In fact, they’ve embraced it.
