Mack Brown explains controversial decisions against Appalachian State in great detail

North Carolina coach Mack Brown was simply ready to end the game Saturday against Appalachian State. After allowing the Mountaineers to come back from 20 points to make it a one-point game, the Tar Heels would finally get the chance.

Bryson Nesbit recovered an onside kick with UNC up 56-55 and under a minute to go in the fourth, and it looked like the Tar Heels would escape with a win. However, instead of getting down to end the play so the Tar Heels could take a knee, he ran the ball back 43 yards for a touchdown.

“We told him, ‘Great job, (but) get down. The game’s over if you get down and we have to extend it,'” Brown said postgame. “Bryson’s never had an onside kick, but we got both of ’em, which is better than the last time we had an onside kick. But get down. He was so excited he scored. And our coaches were all saying, ‘Ah, man, come on. The game’s over.’ But that’s a teachable moment. There’s so many teachable moments in this game and you can be harder on them and teach them harder after you win.”

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The touchdown from Nesbit made it a 63-55 game, giving the ball back to Appalachian State with 19 seconds remaining. The Tar Heels worst fears came true when the Mountaineers scored within 10 seconds, setting them up for the game-tying two-point conversion. However, the defense was able to come up with the final stop needed and escape with a 63-61 victory.

The two teams combined for 62 points in the fourth quarter, which was one point shy of the FBS record. During the drive in which Appalachian State scored a touchdown to tie the game at 49, North Carolina declined a holding penalty that set up a third-and-18. The Tar Heels followed that up with a penalty of their own to give the Mountaineers a first down.

Asked about his decision after the game, Brown went into detail on analytics. 

“I read analytics from all over the country every week,” he said. “It’s interesting. We do what we think is best. Hawaii had a fourth-and-4 against Vanderbilt that if they had taken it would have been third-and-14. They let it stay at fourth-and-4 and went for it and made it and scored right before the half. So Gene and I — in our five seconds that we have to make those decisions — said, ‘It’s a whole lot harder to make third-and-16 than it is fourth-and-8.’ Then we held them and it was fourth-and-12, so it was the right call and then we have the late hit.

“We just felt like we were better off backing them up at that time in the game because they had to go four downs. We felt like with two opportunities and then being third-and-16 was better than fourth-and-8.”

Drake Maye had a huge day for North Carolina, completing 24 of 36 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns to help lead the Tar Heels offense. Now, the Tar Heels turn their attention to Georgia State on Sept. 10 in Week 2 action.