Mack Brown reveals North Carolina's mindset for game vs. South Carolina

North Carolina is going to open their season against a South Carolina team that really found its groove down the stretch of last season. That’s why Mack Brown is giving the Gamecocks nothing but flowers when he considers that matchup.

Brown spoke about UNC’s opener versus South Carolina in Charlotte during a summer press conference last month. He said that that they, along with everyone else, are going to give Shane Beamer and company all of their due credit considering how they finished compared to them.

“We give credit to South Carolina because of the way they finished. And we talk about the things we did well. We were good but nobody in our room is happy,” Brown said. “South Carolina feels good about themselves. Everybody’s bragging on them. Nobody’s bragging about us and we did pretty good. So the thing we will do is give Coach Beamer and South Carolina all the credit in the world.”

“Everybody’s going to feel like they’re going to win the game. We got that. They deserve that,” continued Brown. “I’m happy for him for the way they finished. And I wish we’d have finished that way but we didn’t.”

South Carolina closed the season on a 7-3 run. It was their final three games, though, that caught everyone’s attention. They started by beating the brakes off of Tennessee in Columbia. The Gamecocks then shocked Clemson in comeback fashion in Death Valley for their second straight Top-10 victory. Then, finally, they gave Notre Dame all that they could handle before eventually falling in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

As for North Carolina, their season’s script was essentially flipped from the Gamecock’s. Their start was far hotter as they opened at 9-1. Then, over their final four games last fall, they lost them all to Georgia Tech and NC State in the regular season as well as Clemson in the ACC Championship and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

That’s why, if the state rivalry wasn’t enough, Brown thinks this game will get his North Carolina players going. As of now, South Carolina is perceived as a team on the rise. Now, he sees their opportunity in their opener as a chance to reach their level by knocking them off.

“It’s fun for us because this program, now, is in the mix of being really good nationally,” said Brown. “What we’ve got to do is take the next step. That’s what we’re working to do.”