Jay Bateman

Chizik returns to rebuild UNC defense again

January 19, 2022 Shawn Krest

It took three years longer than expected, but Mack has his man on defense. When Mack Brown returned to Chapel Hill, replacing Larry Fedora as Tar Heels football coach after the 2018 season, there was […]

Plenty of work ahead for Tar Heels in offseason

January 5, 2022 Shawn Krest

For the first time since 1997, Mack Brown will need to face the prospect of coaching a North Carolina team without Sam Howell as starting quarterback. When Brown returned to Chapel Hill following the 2018 […]

North Carolina loses Duke’s Mayo Bowl to South Carolina

December 30, 2021 Shawn Krest

CHARLOTTE — South Carolina entered the Duke’s Mayo Bowl without their leading rusher and starting quarterback. It turned out the Gamecocks didn’t need them, cruising to a 38-21 win over North Carolina in Charlotte. UNC […]

Tar Heels take high expectations to Blacksburg

September 1, 2021 Shawn Krest

Expectations have never been higher for North Carolina football. The Tar Heels are coming off their first Orange Bowl appearance and open the season at No. 10 in the country and the preseason pick to […]

Orange Bowl performance gives UNC plenty to build on

January 6, 2021 Shawn Krest

MIAMI — Leading up to North Carolina’s first appearance in the Orange Bowl, the focus was on the star players who wouldn’t be there. Coming out of the 41-27 loss to Texas A&M in the […]

Bowl games provide look ahead to next season for NC teams

January 6, 2021 Brett Friedlander

The ACC went 0-for-bowl season, an inglorious achievement one television analyst referred to as a “Blutarsky,” a tribute to the 0.0 grade-point average posted by John Belushi’s character in the movie “Animal House.” North Carolina, […]

Tar Heels hang on for road win at Boston College

October 3, 2020 Brett Friedlander

North Carolina’s first football game in three weeks came down to a decisive conversion attempt on which two points were scored. Only not by the offense. The Tar Heels’ Trey Morrison didn’t just prevent the […]

Mutual admiration: Close friends Brown, Healy ready to match up

September 16, 2020 Shawn Krest

When Charlotte travels to Chapel Hill on Saturday to face UNC, 49ers coach Will Healy will be facing a mentor and friend in Mack Brown. Despite all the “student is now the master” clichés, however, […]

Scrimmage gives Tar Heels taste of coming regular season

September 2, 2020 Shawn Krest

North Carolina held a dress rehearsal for the regular season with a scrimmage on Saturday. While that is standard procedure for college teams to make sure players are ready for a game-day environment, never has […]

Heels reclaim Victory Bell in Brown’s landmark win

October 30, 2019 Brett Friedlander

CHAPEL HILL — Charlie Heck isn’t the fastest player on the North Carolina football team. Far from it. At 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, Heck is used to seeing the backs of his teammates’ jerseys during […]