Notre Dame’s Opponents: New QB Drake Maye not the only change for disappointing North Carolina, Mack Brown

Before Notre Dame faced North Carolina last October — at a point when the Irish were ranked No. 11 but favored by just a field goal against 4-3 Tar Heels — head coach Mack Brown criticized the media for hyping up North Carolina so much in the preseason.

Indeed, the Tar Heels began 2021 ranked No. 10, and then they promptly lost, 17-10, at Virginia Tech on the first Friday of the season, a moment which nearly all of the college football world watched. Per The News & Observer’s C.L. Brown in an interview just before Notre Dame beat North Carolina, 44-34, Mack Brown had spent the preseason trying to lower expectations from that top-10 post.

“In the beginning of the year, to a large extent, (Mack) Brown tried to temper the expectations, and he said often that he felt they would be better next year than they are this year, but they just won’t have Sam Howell,” C.L. Brown said. “They’ll be better in experience at just about every position, but obviously they are going to lose a program-changing kind of quarterback.”

Well, now it’s about to be next year, and it is hard to believe the Tar Heels are going to be much better than last year’s disappointment.

2021 REVIEW2021 was inarguably a disappointment for North Carolina. With a record-setting quarterback in Sam Howell, there were hopes of a conference championship, especially once Clemson appeared weakened. Instead, the Tar Heels limped to a 6-7 showing, finishing the dud of a season with a 38-21 loss to South Carolina in the Mayo Bowl.

Going 4-5 in the conference does not quite describe how frustrating it was for North Carolina. Georgia Tech — Georgia Tech routed the Tar Heels, 45-22. North Carolina State beat them to end the regular season. So not only did North Carolina lose