Note: Mack Brown's post-practice interview Wednesday morning is posted below this report.

CHAPEL HILL – Mack Brown would rather his team learn its lessons after close wins instead of losses, but when a defeat happens, it’s best to make the most of it.

Time will tell if the Tar Heels are a better team since falling at Wake Forest last Friday, but with most of their practice week in preparation for Saturday’s home game versus Appalachian State behind them, Brown believes his team has appropriately processed what happened.

“Energy’s been really good this week,” he said at the team’s indoor practice facility. “We’ve obviously talked about the lack of energy we had on Friday night and that you have to earn the right to win a game, and if you don’t come out with all you’ve got and play your best, then you’re probably not going to win the game. We’re not good enough to do that at this point.

“Practice yesterday was really good, practice today was really good (and) the guys are excited about the challenge of playing Appalachian.”

One of the lessons Brown has tried to impart on his team this week is the importance of infusing oneself with proper energy on days it doesn’t come as easily. He offered a real-life example as to why it’s important on and off the field.

“I think like you do in your life, you have to learn to create it,” he said. “You have to create an edge in everything you do every day, and it’s hard to do. But what a great lesson for our coaches and our players last week that we didn’t create it and we got beat, and if we had created it maybe we’d be 3-0. But you can’t look back at that.

“So, every day in your life, if you get up and you’re sick and you’ve got a wife and kids, you’ve got to have energy and you’ve got to do the things you need to do. That’s why you can learn really good life lessons from a loss.”

Brown often says player-led teams are better than coach-led teams. He and other coaches also say true leadership is born out of adversity. So has Brown seen the player-led leadership take greater form over the last few days?

“I did,” he said. “These guys have done everything we’ve asked them to do. We were aware we spent a lot of energy in the first two games and that was a huge week for them to step up and see if they could manage it, and as a group we didn’t. This week, I think we’re seeing more guys that are stepping up and talking more and being more involved.”

*Staying on the vocal players front, true freshman quarterback Sam Howell was anything but that during fall camp and even after the first game or two. But his teammates said Tuesday evening he’s talked it up more over the last week, hinting a leader is emerging in the just-turned 19-year-old. Brown says being comfortable and confidence after performing well has escalated the process for Howell, while also noting backup Jace Ruder’s qualities there, too.

“With he and Jace, they’ve got no experience,” Brown said. “So every game brings them out more and they understand what that leadership role has to be because the center and the quarterback are the only two that touch it every time that we’re on the field, and the center doesn’t keep it long. So the quarterback’s the guy that’s got to be the leader and he and Jace are really trying hard to step up in that leadership role.”

*The Tar Heels face an App State program that for one year was run by Brown. In 1983, he led the Mountaineers to a 6-5 mark before leaving to take the offensive coordinator job at Oklahoma. Brown’s reason for leaving Boone after one season makes a lot of sense, or rather it makes a lot of cents.

“I was making $38,500 and Oklahoma offered me $125,000 to be the offensive coordinator and I thought, ‘Hmm, I probably should look at this,’” he said. “And I really hated that because I loved Appalachian State and still live up there and go up there every chance we get. I just love the people in that community and place and the fact that they gave me a chance.”

*Uniforms are an important topic of discussion for many UNC fans and some have wondered what the alternate duds will look like under Brown, who mainly prefers Carolina blue helmets and jerseys with white pants at home and all white on the road. On Wednesday, he offered up a little bit of information about the unies, noting the 23 players that comprise the team’s leadership council will have opportunities to determine what they wear and then some.

“They’ll pick the postgame meal after a win or the meal we have on Sunday,” Brown said. “They’ll whether we go to a movie or not, if it’s a noon or 3:30 game, on Friday night. They’ll pick what we wear basically. We’ve got basic uniforms that we wear home and away, but then they can change up the away one a little bit and they have two alternative uniforms they can use at any time they want to during the season.”

So, what are the alternative uniforms?

“I think one of them at home includes Navy and I think the one on the road probably includes Navy but obviously you have to wear white jerseys on the road,” he said.