Mack On Opportunity, Simplifying Things & More

*Note: Mack Brown's full Wednesday interview is posted below this report.

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina has had a very good week of practice heading into Saturday’s game with No. 1 Clemson at Kenan Stadium and the Tar Heels are excited about the opportunity to take on the best team in the nation, their coach said Wednesday.

Mack Brown met with the media following the team’s practice and hit on a variety of topics, chief among them how his team is gearing up for a game most people give them no shot at winning. Brown recognizes that but isn’t deterred in the least bit.

“We’ve got a great challenge this weekend and we know there’s a lot of things we have to do to play well to hang in there with them and have a chance in the fourth quarter because nobody else has,” Brown said.

The Hall of Fame coach also sees this as somewhat of a litmus test, as Brown said Monday he wants UNC to be the Clemson of the Coastal Division. So lining up with the talented Tigers will give everyone in his program a chance to see how just where the Tar Heels are in relation to that mission.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We tell them we want to win the game, they’ve got better players than we do, they’re deeper than we are, they’re used to winning, we know it’s an uphill battle, but also this is who you want to be. They’re the best. They’re the best in the country, they’re the best in the conference, everybody’s chasing them, not just the people in this conference.

“So, when you see their video, that’s what we want to look like.”

Brown has been around a long time and knows what kinds of things he can say in the media with respect to what his teams can handle. He’s not misleading his team or the media, and he was clear Wednesday he’s telling his team they expect to win the game. The are 2-2 but Brown thinks this should be a game pitting a pair of unbeatens.

“I told them I thought we should have won the last two games, so we should be 4-0 and then it would be two 4-0 teams matched up here,” he said. “It would be a lot better build up to this game than it is right now.

“Our job is to get better and that’s all we can do.”

A few other items Brown discussed Wednesday

*Chazz Surratt has taken some practice reps at quarterback, mainly for short yardage situations.

*Brown explained how the offensive blocking schemes have been simplified some and the playbook shortened as a result of the line’s youth.

*He hit on some things that have improved, such as the Tar Heels’ domination of the fourth quarters in their games.

*Staying with that, he also discussed the up-and-down nature of this team and its struggles in second quarters.

*In addition, Brown talked more about Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney and much more.