MIAMI GARDENS, FL – North Carolina achieved something Saturday that was once taken for granted in college football by completing its season playing the maximum number of games allowed.
And it happened in part because of a player-led meeting in the summer, one where a line was clearly drawn in the sand: Do what’s right or go home.
UNC is 8-3 after a lopsided 62-26 victory at Miami this past Saturday and now awaits its bowl destination, which the Tar Heels will learn Dec. 20. Yet, the path for one of a handful of teams in the nation to complete a full schedule wasn’t as easy as it may appear from a distance. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted literally every element of life, and while college athletics tried proceeding forward, the trek has been obstacle-laden for most.
Oregon will play for the Pac-12 title Saturday owning a 3-2 overall record. Ohio State is 5-0 and will likely land a spot in the College Football Playoff if the Buckeyes defeat Northwestern in the Big Ten championship this Saturday. Numerous teams in leagues that started play in September failed to play a double-figure number of games.
The Tar Heels are a different story, and even with their many successes on the field this season, the most rewarding might be reaching the finish line fully intact.
“I'm so proud of these young guys,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said, following Carolina’s win over the Hurricanes. “I'm proud of the way they've played, I'm proud of the way they've handled COVID.”
When the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they wouldn’t play this season, a decision both conferences later amended, the ACC moved to an 11-game schedule with everyone slated to play 10 conference battles. Thirteen of the league’s 15 football members this fall, which includes Notre Dame, played at least 10 games. Remarkably, just 43 FBS squads played at least 10 contests, and only 24 that started in September played the maximum number of games.
“I told them (Friday), I don't think people tell you enough that what you've done is absolutely remarkable,” Brown said. “I didn't think we'd get to play at one point this summer and then I thought, after the Charlotte (cancellation) thing, well we're not gonna get a full season. And I said, ‘You know, we're not gonna get to the Notre Dame, Miami game.’
“Those are so special for the seniors, I want to get there, but we'll never get to those games because it just doesn't look good and COVID’s out there.”
Carolina did, however, get there, which goes back to that summertime powwow.
“They called a team meeting after we had our little spike this summer with workouts in July,” Brown explained, noting he’d just found out about this the day before the Miami game. “And the older kids told the younger ones, ‘This is it for us. We’ve got one or two years left, we want to play. And if you don't want to play badly enough to stay out of restaurants or bars or parties or groups, then leave. But if you're going to be here, you're going to be part of this team.’
“And, when teams step up and the leadership is within, that's when you start getting better.”
The only remaking UNC faced was when Charlotte canceled in September. After scrambling, Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham worked out an agreement with Western Carolina to visit Chapel Hill. That tilt was slated for Dec. 11 but was moved up a week when the Dec. 5 game versus Miami was moved back to this past weekend.
Otherwise, the rest of Carolina’s schedule went as planned partly because the Tar Heels were ready to go each week. The program has not announced one positive COVID test since July, again, tracing back to the collective mindset and accountability within the walls of the Kenan Football Center.
“At the beginning of the season, guys were questioning whether they wanted to play or not,” senior linebacker Chazz Surratt said. “So basically, the older guys who really wanted to play and needed to play this year, kind of the leaders on our team came up and were like, ‘Hey, if you're worried about COVID, really y’all can just stay home to be honest.’
“Not that we don't love them and support them, but we knew a lot of guys really wanted to come out and play and definitely we had the guys capable to make a run… So, our guys did a great job taking care of themselves, being in the right places at all times. Not going out and doing crazy stuff and getting COVID and bringing it to the team. So, I'm really proud of how we handled the whole thing.”
The young players came through for the older players, but really for themselves, too.
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 16 in the nation in the AP poll and could be higher in the CFP poll when it comes out on Dec. 15. This didn’t happen just because guys named Carter, Williams, Howell, Brown, Surratt, Morrison, Ezeudu, Fox, Anderson and so many others that bought in, it included the young ones, too, such as guys named Grimes, Murphy, Conley, Rucker and everyone in between.
The mission was clear – win games, improve NFL draft stocks - and so was the mandate.
“We pretty much just came together and told each other, ‘If you're going to hang out with anybody, just come together with the guys on the team,’” junior linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel said.
And they did.
