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Mack Brown roasted after James Madison drops 53 on North Carolina in first half
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Mack Brown, welcome to the hot seat.
James Madison has been playing FBS football for just 3 years. Games against Power 4/5 competition have been few and far between. Dating back to a 2016 game at North Carolina, James Madison had played a team from a power conference just 5 times.
Saturday’s matchup with North Carolina in Chapel Hill marked the sixth such game.
In the previous 5, James Madison never scored more than 36 points. In the first half against the Tar Heels on Saturday, James Madison scored 53 points.
And the Dukes went into the halftime break with a 32-point lead on the road, 53-21. Brown’s team was booed off the field.
Things unraveled in spectacular fashion for the home side Tar Heels, who gave up points in comical ways. James Madison scored off a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. JMU went for 2 after that score and converted on a pass attempt from its kicker. After Carolina took a brief 14-11 lead, James Madison ripped off a 42-7 run.
James Madison is having a ton of fun against UNC
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 21, 2024
In the first half, North Carolina turned it over 4 times. Quarterback Jacolby Criswell threw 2 interceptions. Quarterback Conner Harrell fumbled. The defense gave up 418 yards at 10.4 a play. James Madison pulled off a successful onside kick and scored touchdowns on 5 straight possessions at one point. The Dukes scored touchdowns in all 3 phases of the game — special teams, defense (a pick-6), and offense.
As a result, coach Mack Brown and his staff were under considerable heat on social media for the first-half display.
Mack Brown tarnishes his legacy more and more every year pic.twitter.com/lada97xnja
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 21, 2024
With Nick Saban’s retirement and Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL, this college football season features only 3 active head coaches who have won a national championship. Brown is one of them. But his glory days at Texas are in the distant past.
Concerns about Brown’s age have been persistent. Carolina has had to answer them for several years. Earlier this summer, the 73-year-old coach responded to negative recruiting by saying that coaches who have said he’s close to retirement have been fired and “out to be worried about themselves.”
UNC’s display against a team that was playing FCS ball only a few seasons ago has many once again suggesting that it is time for Brown to step down.
Mack Brown this week if he has any sense pic.twitter.com/kTWS1lpwKN
— Alston Meadows (@alston_meadows) September 21, 2024
This game alone should be enough reason to end the Mack Brown 2.0 era.
This is flat out embarrassing.
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 21, 2024
Mack Brown is being embarrassingly out coached. This @UNCFootball team is woefully unprepared for this game. It’s predictable but disheartening.
— Ray Rudell (@RudellRT) September 21, 2024
I don’t generally like to play the “fire the coach” game but UNC has a culture problem. It has underperformed consistently in games it has no business losing. That’s not going to change under the current coach.
— Brian Barbour (@briancbarbour) September 21, 2024
Every season it’s the same thing. Too many games where UNC comes out as a huge favorite and makes the other team look like a CFP contender. That is 100% on Mack Brown.
— Brian Barbour (@briancbarbour) September 21, 2024
#UNC might have to make defensive coordinator Geoff Collins available to the media after today's game like they did with former defensive coordinator Vic Koenning when East Carolina put 70 points on UNC in Greenville in 2014.
Embarrassing display of defense.
— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) September 21, 2024
JMU & UNC scoring 50 in the 1Q basically. Never change UNC, never change.
— Tone Digs (@ToneDigz) September 21, 2024
#UNC’s reverted to its old ways today.
– Poor pash rush = little to no pressure
– Leads to secondary giving up catastropics
– Special teams is a liability, actively hurting the team
– Offense looks pretty good, meaning they’ll have to outscore to win.Seen this movie before.
— Jacob Turner (@JacobTurnerTHI) September 21, 2024
Mack Brown needs to retire man. You’ve been here for 8 years and fired 3 defensive coordinators and still have a garbage. Unbelievable that we still haven’t changed this pathetic defense
— Snake (@Set_42_) September 21, 2024
It’s time for Mack Brown to step down
— Garrett (@AllGarrett14) September 21, 2024
We're seeing the Mack Brown product without an NFL QB carrying it on their back and it's shockingly somehow WORSE than most of us thought it would be.
The fact that there are STILL people who think he's doing great things here is insane. He's a joke.
— Doug Stevens (@doug321) September 21, 2024
Mack Brown cannot retire soon enough. This program is done
— TB (@tanner_boggs) September 21, 2024
Opposing coaching staff came ready to pull out all the stops and Mack Brown is over there just hoping everyone has fun https://t.co/kXbFmzDYlu
— Doug Stevens (@doug321) September 21, 2024
This is who Carolina football has been the entirety of the Mack Brown 2.0 era
— Bryan (@btbrookshire_) September 21, 2024
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
