Fourth-And-Short Mindset: Brown Is Usually Going For It

ATLANTA – Mack Brown has no aversion to taking risks on the football field, especially when it comes to fourth downs and short yardage to go. He proved that once again during North Carolina’s 35-28 win at Georgia State on Saturday.

Brown and the Tar Heels faced two fourth-down situations in which they went for, converting once, and not doing so the other time. On the season, they are now 4-for-6 on fourth down, a pretty good percentage backing up the Hall of Fame coaches’ theory that his team should almost always go for it on short distances in those scenarios.

“Analytics says go for it, but again, I think we’ve got good enough players, we should make fourth-and-two,” Brown said following the win over the Panthers. “I thought that, and we did.”

Carolina went for it twice at Center Parc Stadium, converting the first one, and getting sacked on the second.

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On fourth-and-one from its own 45-yard-line on the first possession of the contest, Omarion Hampton went up the gut gaining one yard and a first down. Three plays later, Drake Maye hooked up with tight end Kamari Morales for a 55-yard touchdown.

Then, late in the first half, Carolina faced a fourth-and-two from its own 39-yard-line. Maye dropped back and was swarmed to the ground losing eight yards and giving Georgia State the ball at UNC’s 31 with 1:31 remaining in the half.

Brown was adamant about going for it in the first quarter, but not as much with the one late in the half. So, he consulted with offensive coordinator Phil Longo before making a decision.

“There was a minute-31 left. But again, we’re playing pretty good on defense at that point,” Brown explained. “I asked Phil, ‘Do you have something that you feel really good about?’ And he said, ‘Yes,’ and it was a sack. So that was the conversation.”

UNC’s defense bowed up forcing a field goal attempt that was blocked by Myles Murphy, so no damage was done.

Highly competitive, Brown was a bit juiced over being questioned about what went into the decision to go for it on the one that failed.

“The fourth-down we didn’t make, or are you asking about the fourth-down we did make,” he said, smiling but clearly displaying his competitive nature. “You’re bragging on me about the one we did make. Exactly the same thing that went into the one we made.

“It’s fourth-and-two, we’re on the minus-(39), and I think you should make fourth-and-two. The percentages are really high.”

The Tar Heels were 2-for-3 going for it against Florida A&M and converted their only attempt at Appalachian State. In fact, of the nine times UNC has opted to punt so far, only twice has it been within the two-yard range Brown thinks his team should convert.

A fourth-and-1 at their own 21 on their first series versus FAMU, and on fourth-and-two at their own 28 midway through the fourth quarter at GSU. Otherwise, the Tar Heels have gone for it on the other six times they have had two yards or less to make for a first down, backing up Brown’s stance on those situations.

While fans, and perhaps some in the media, were surprised by some of the decisions, that isn’t the case within the program. Brown makes sure defensive side of the ball is ready for sudden change, so he communicates with defensive coordinator Gene Chizik know when it’s coming.

“I always tell him, ‘Get your guys ready because I’m going for fourth-and-one,’” Brown said.

He also makes sure the players understand his thinking, too, and not after the fact. This is understood within the program.

“I’ve told the kids, ‘I’m going to put you in some tough situations sometimes to take a risk in scoring more points.’”

Brown did that twice in Atlanta. He hit on one, and didn’t pay a price on the other because the defense stepped up. He knew he made the right call both times.

“So really, the two fourth-down-and-twos on our own 40, we went for it; we got seven points out of one, they didn’t get any on the other, so what a great call by me,” Brown said, smiling.

Explanation complete, there should be no gray area anymore when the Tar Heels go for fourth-and-two or less moving forward.