The Monday Read: Mack Brown’s future at North Carolina hits jarring inflection point after historic loss

For major college football in North Carolina, Week 4 just about all went south in the Old North State. FBS programs went 1-5 (Wake Forest was idle) and only one game was remotely close. Duke disposed of Middle Tennessee to uphold their state’s honor, but the rest of ’em put out comprehensive stinkers. 

It is impossible to start without mentioning North Carolina and Mack Brown. 

James Madison, now 2-0 vs. teams from North Carolina this season after beating Charlotte in Week 1, just put 70 on the Tar Heels, tying for the most points for a Group of Five team on a power-conference team since the start of the BCS era in 1998. And it represents the most points allowed by an ACC team since 2014 when East Carolina scored 70 points on … UNC. JMU’s 53 first-half points (scored and allowed) were single-half program records for both schools. 

What supposedly transpired after the game was more peculiar. Brown, in an emotional fog after the loss, perhaps hinted at retiring, according to Inside Carolina, Hours later, another source close to the situation emphasized that the 73-year-old College Football Hall of Famer, who long has taken losses hard in their immediate aftermath, isn’t resigning or quitting; however, Brown told the Tar Heels he would step down from his coaching post if that would be best for the team. Brown then told ESPN that he would indeed be back to work Sunday morning. 

It is another scenario in which Brown’s age becomes a focal point. UNC is sensitive about protecting the perception around Brown’s age. Rumors swirl every coaching cycle that he’s not long for the sidelines. On one hand, college football coaching is barely a young man’s game anymore, much less a septuagenarian’s. On the other hand, the UNC job would be coveted by any rising coach looking to wake one of college football’s last remaining sleeping giants. 

Brown’s age isn’t really why UNC is missing the mark, though. The Tar Heels haven’t played a lick of defense in Brown’s second stint. And, eventually, performances like the one on Saturday just get old. 

In South Carolina, Clemson put it on NC State 59-35 in a game that wasn’t even that close. Clemson was up 45-7 at the half, and the Wolfpack’s trio of touchdowns in the fourth quarter came with the game decided. That’s 10 straight wins at home against the Wolfpack for the Tigers. Life against top-25 teams has come fast for NC State; Tennessee thrashed ’em 51-10 in Charlotte earlier in September. 

NC State has been remarkably consistent under Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack are basically a lock every year to win eight games, although they frustratingly never play for a conference title. What makes these blowouts so jarring is the lack of defense, something you could typically count on with Doeren teams through the years. 

If NC State keeps finding itself in holes, East Carolina can’t stop blowing leads. The Pirates have blown 16- and 17-point leads in the last two weeks against Appalachian State and Liberty, respectively. ECU burst out to a 17-0 lead against the Flames before being outscored 35-7 the rest of the way in a weather-delayed matchup that didn’t finish until 2 AM. 

Speaking of App State, the Mountaineers got dump-trucked as a home favorite 48-14 at the hands of South Alabama. The Jaguars scored an ungodly 87 points against FCS Northwestern State last week and picked up right where they left off in Boone. The Mountaineers’ dirty secret of the last few years is that their defense has steadily eroded. Using SP+ by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, App State’s defense has fallen from from ninth in 2020 (Shawn Clark‘s first year) to 60th in 2021, 73rd in 2022, and 95th in 2023. Early in 2024, the Mountaineers are sub-100. It seems like there’s a bit of an outlier in Clark’s run in Boone. Next up for App State: Liberty.

Then there’s Charlotte, which got beat 52-14 by Indiana a week after struggling with in-state FCS Gardener Webb. Curt Cignetti is now the first Indiana coach ever to start 4-0, and the Hoosiers have come out of the blocks strong under their new head man. At least Biff Poggi was getting the fit off on the sideline. 

Ironic football play of the week 

Last week, The Monday Read extolled the virtues of pressuring the quarterback on Hail Mary attempts. Inherent to that is rushing the QB correctly, which Baylor did not do against Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders late in their banger Saturday night. 

In fact, Baylor didn’t really rush Sanders on the penultimate Hail Mary attempt, which would have converted for Colorado if the wide receiver didn’t drop the ball. On the final play, Baylor did rush Sanders and flushed him out of the pocket …

 … but the rush was unsound because nobody played contain on the edge to clean things up or perhaps even end the game with a sack. That gave Sanders enough time to deliver a laser to the end zone and send the game to overtime. Baylor’s Dave Aranda admitted the defensive lapse postgame and the unfortunate name of the play: “victory cigar.” They’ll have to wait another week to smoke ’em.

‘It just means more’ moment of the week 

Of course it was a big deal for Josh Heupel, former national title winner and offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, to go back to Norman and get the victory. It was an emotionally charged week for all involved it seems: Bob Stoops announced he wasn’t going to honor any media requests to talk about the game (he coached Heupel as a player and fired him as a coach, something he called the “worst day” of his tenure at OU). Heupel even quipped that he’s never been on the opposing sideline at Memorial Stadium. After the game, Heupel couldn’t hide his emotions. It’s a true definition of a team effort for the Vols. 

Oklahoma State‘s offensive issues 

It’s not a shock that Oklahoma State’s passing game is struggling. QB Alan Bowman was benched in the second half against Utah but apparently is still the guy for next week. Whoever starts has to help this team establish an identity. Against FBS opponents this season, all-world running back Ollie Gordon has been a non-factor: 

• Arkansas: 17 carries, 49 yards
• Tulsa: 17 carries, 41 yards 
• Utah: 11 carries, 42 yards 

The inability to run the ball has left the Cowboys unable to take pressure off a passing attack that isn’t working anyway. 

Welcome distraction of the week 

You’d be forgiven if you thought that Bret Bielema’s embrace with defensive coordinator Aaron Henry was the run-of-the-mill attaboy after a great defensive purpose. But it should be noted that Henry’s sister, Ashley Lee, passed away earlier this week. 

“It’s tragic,” Henry said earlier this week. “The hard part for me, as her older brother, is you weren’t there. That’s the hard part. I just hope that she knew she was loved when she did pass.”

Henry will fly to Florida Sunday to lay his sister to rest. This sport carries a great significance for so many of us in so many different ways. For a few hours on a Friday night Aaron Henry needed the solace that for him only the game of football could provide. 

Heartbreaker of the week

In 2022, FIU had a great escape in an overtime victory over FCS Bryant. It was an inauspicious season opener to the debutant coach Mike Macintyre’s time in charge. In 2023, the Panthers had to hold on against Maine, another FCS team. But the third time is unfortunately the charm. Monmouth was able to get the job done for the FCS, quite literally snatching the victory late in the game. 

Notable quotable of the week

“I know that there’s people open and I know that we’re running the football. We’ve got to find a guy that won’t throw it to the other team, and we’ve got to find running backs that hold on to it,” Hugh Freeze said after the loss to Arkansas. 

It’s safe to say that comment rubbed a famous former Freeze quarterback, Bo Wallace, the wrong way. 

Heisman moment of week 

How about James Madison’s Alonza Barnett’s performance against UNC: 388 yards passing, 5 TDs; 13 rushes, 99 yards, 2 TDs. He had a hand in every offensive touchdown JMU scored and did just about everything but make the pregame meal. 

Research note of the week 

The coin toss is famously a 50/50 proposition, but sometimes the sequencing can be a little off. Take Troy for instance, which has been on the wrong side of the heads/tails conundrum every time this season. The Trojans are 8-24 on the coin toss going back to 2022, according to Troy associate AD Adam Prendergast, 

Meal of the week: Lamb ribs at One Flew South 

The Monday Read spends far too much time in airports, which means a legitimately good airport meal is as essential to the pre-boarding process as getting up and aimlessly standing in front of the gate to clog things up before your zone boards. 

One Flew South is a legitimately good sushi restaurant that just happens to be in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson international Airport. (Yes, TMR is recommending airport sushi.) The restaurant recently shook up its menu and added a bunch of new items, including these coffee rubbed lamb ribs, which must be enjoyed if you have a layover in the airport of the south. Hop over to Terminal E and check it out. 

Game that TMR is already excited for next week 

Yes, Georgia-Alabama will certainly be on the main screen, but Illinois-Penn State has some serious “figure it out” implications for both Big Ten teams who fancy themselves decidedly in the mix for the conference title this year. Illinois‘ 4-0 start has the Illini feeling themselves. Are they for real?