CHAPEL HILL-- North Carolina's recent loss in football to Virginia was a major upset, especially given the team's promising start winning its first six games of the season and reaching the No. 10 spot in the national rankings.
However, the loss doesn't signify the end but rather a twist in the Tar Heels’ journey. They still have much to play for as they are only in week eight of college football.
The media scrutiny is a lesson to be learned from, echoing a similar scenario from last season. Now, the focus shifts to how UNC will respond post-defeat.
UNC Coach Mack Brown revealed earlier this season how he approached post-game strategies. Brown drilled into his staff to scrutinize every game as if it was a loss, and this situation makes that approach all the more relevant.
“If you lose you gotta handle it, own it.” Brown said Saturday night after the 31-27 defeat to the now two-win Wahoos.
Despite defeating then-No. 25 Miami the previous week, Brown acknowledged the Tar Heels' performances weren't up to the mark, a sentiment he expressed during the Virginia week preparation.
“They are finding ways to win, and we still are not playing near to the standards we need to win every game,” he said.
The coaching staff will channel their insights to their respective leaders to avoid a repetition of last year's string of losses post a promising start. UNC is loaded with experience on both sides of the ball, the team has forged a bond through last year’s tribulations.
It started with a home loss to Georgia Tech, the same team the now-No. 17 Tar Heels visit in Atlanta this coming Saturday night.
“We got to start over (Sunday). Next week is the most important game on our schedule, we gotta get back and correct all the mistakes we made today. They are great young people that are disappointed, so they will come back and go to work in the morning.”
Defensive stalwart Kamion Rucker sees this as a moment to step up, acknowledging the diverse leadership within the team.
“We got a lot of leaders on this team,” he said. “Ced (Gray) is a very emotional leader and so is Power (Echols). With them being emotional leaders, I am kinda like the mediator. I like to keep everyone’s heads up.”
Rucker outlined the need to analyze the mistakes, make amends and ensure they stay on the winning trajectory.
“Figure out what we did wrong,” he said. “Figure what mistakes we made, why we made and anything we can do to fix them here on out. It is going to be some uncomfortable conversations (Sunday) but it is needed, we loss.”
Quarterback Drake Maye’s post-game reflections were a testament to his leadership, acknowledging his part in the loss and expressing his resolve to do better.
“I got to make better decisions, I got to lead the guys. Get back and not let this game beat us twice,” he said.
Maye displayed maturity by not pinning the blame on his teammates. Wide receiver Nate McCollum had five drops, but Maye owned up to his role in the defeat.
“I got to put (the ball) in a better spot,” he said. “Those guys work their butts off getting open. Sometimes it happens, you know, drop passes. I think some of them (passes) were a little bit behind here and there.”
Maye's focus remains steadfast, and his rallying cry post-game embodied the spirit of a team that’s down but not out.
“We still got a lot of things in reach,” he said. “I gotta do my job get these guys ready, get the offense ready, get back after it with Georgia Tech”
The resolve of the leaders will now be put to the test more than ever, a crucible that will help delineate the evolution of the 2022 Tar Heels from the 2023 Tar Heels.
Echoing this sentiment, Maye concluded the press conference with a reaffirmation of their goal.
“What we are destined for and desire for is the ACC Championship,” Maye said. “And that is still in reach.”
The journey continues…
