The last time North Carolina played a football game as a top-five team, the Tar Heels faced Florida State in what was, and still is, the biggest game in program history.

Dubbed “Judgement Day” by the national media, on the docket Nov. 8 was the No. 5 Tar Heels versus No. 2 Seminoles along with No. 1 Michigan taking on No. 6 Penn State. ESPN’s GameDay crew made its only trip to Kenan Stadium for the game as Chapel Hill morphed into a football-frenzied town seen never before or since.

But the Seminoles, who were the most dominant program of the 1990s, were determined to spoil Carolina’s party, and did.

FSU 20, UNC 3.

Twenty-three years ago, and it remains quite fresh in Mack Brown’s mind.

“I wish we’d won it then it would have been the most important one that we’ve ever played for sure,” Brown recalled, smiling. “I just remember the hype for the week and so proud that our football program was getting so much attention nationally. And that’s who you want to be. And it was helping in recruiting.”

It was the final season of Brown’s first stint as Carolina’s coach. The year before, the Tar Heels climbed as high as No. 6 before finishing the season as the No. 10 team in the land. They were in the top-10 every week of the 1997 poll, dropping to No. 8 following the loss to FSU.

UNC, however, has returned to the top-10 only sparingly since and this week is making its first appearance in the top-five since that frigid November night.

Here are some facts to chew on:

*UNC has played 266 games since it last took the field as a top-five team.

*Brown has not faced his alma mater since that game, a span of 224 games he’s coached at Texas and UNC.

*Carolina finished that season ranked No. 6 in the AP poll and No. 4 in the Coaches’ poll and has spent just 10 total weeks in the AP Top 10 since, including the last two weeks.

The biggest football game in UNC history is one most Tar Heels fans would just assume forget given the result, and most probably have. It was an offensive nightmare.

The Heels managed only 73 total yards that night. In fact, they had one yard through their first six possessions. Overall, Carolina allowed nine sacks, turned over the ball four times and had a punt blocked.

“It was who we wanted to be at that time, and I thought that we had finally arrived,” Brown said. “And then we couldn’t block them. They were just so talented and beat us 20-3. It was a great game, but it was a defensive game and very, very physical.”

But instead of swatting away the memories, Brown embraced them Monday. UNC didn’t win, but it was still a big deal on so many levels.

“I remember that (FSU) Coach (Bobby) Bowden, who I really admire and love, before the game he came out in his good ole way and put his arm around me – and it was packed, there were people hanging off the sides of the stadium it was so full – and he said, ‘Hey boy, I never thought I’d see anything like this. This is really cool,’" Brown recalled. "And it was.”

Brown returned to Carolina 23 months ago and is in the process of bringing more of those moments back to Kenan Stadium and a fan base that has starved for relevance since that season. The Heels flirted with it in 2015, winning 11 straight contests before falling to Clemson in the ACC and to Bchampionship and Baylor in the bowl game. The Heels concluded that season ranked No. 15.

Things are different now. The Tar Heels are young and Brown returned to do exactly this, take the program back to national relevance.

That’s what makes this weekend’s scene at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee such a cool setting. The dot connecting is one thing, but the game will air in primetime on ABC.

The Seminoles have fallen on hard times sitting at 1-3 after firing their previous head coach during last season. UNC has won its last two times at Doak Campbell and will be favored to pick up its fourth win of the campaign.

It’s unlikely this game will get any pre or post-game nicknames, though it will be Brown’s return to his alma mater. That offers a nice little twist.

“I hadn’t thought about it (until) right now,” said Brown, a 1973 FSU graduate. “But, I haven't coached against them, I haven't been back to Tallahassee. So, it'll be fun.”

And like the noteworthy game 23 years ago, it will be a more enjoyable experience for the Hall of Fame coach if his team wins this time.