Storm Duck reveals emotion of North Carolina defense after slow start

North Carolina‘s defense finally came back to bite it last week in a 45-32 loss to Notre Dame, a seeming inevitability at some point given how poorly the unit had played through the first three weeks of the season.

There’s definite frustration building, though coach Mack Brown has pleaded with fans to take an uplifting and positive approach to the players busting their tail to get things right on the defense.

“I feel like it’s obviously like frustration between us, but the main feeling is just frustration knowing that we have the talent,” junior defensive back Storm Duck said. “It’s never a lack of talent between everybody in there on the defense. We have everybody we need and knowing what we’re capable of doing is probably the reason why we’re frustrated.”

Some of the numbers that have fans rightfully troubled by what has happened under Gene Chizik‘s current stint as defensive coordinator are downright disastrous.

Out of 131 FBS teams, North Carolina currently ranks 113th in passing defense (278.8 yards per game allowed), 123rd in rushing defense (216.5 yards per game), 123rd in scoring defense (39.5 points per game) and 126th in total defense (495.2 yards per game).

The complaints are warranted, and players know it.

“Our main goal is to change that and play how we’re supposed to play, play like the players we are,” Duck said.

North Carolina defense seeking turnaround, positivity

It isn’t all that often you hear a college football coach come close to chastising his own fanbase for how it’s treating players, though Brown did his best to toe that line respectfully and carefully this week.

He didn’t mince words in terms of the approach he’d like to see the fanbase take, though.

“You asked me what the fans should feel about our defense?” Brown said. “We should be very unique here, and we’ve got a really powerful offense and a chance to be really good. We should take a defense that’s really struggling and have a fanbase that picks them up. What a concept that would be. Oh my gosh.

“Why don’t we be positive as a fanbase to help somebody that’s struggling? Instead of our society being just, ‘they’re bad. They should all be fired,’ that’s the new term.”

Duck, for his part, also handled some tough questions about the defense’s performance with aplomb.

North Carolina still has a ton to play for as conference play begins, too. The ACC Coastal division still looks completely wide open with every team already having suffered at least one loss this season.

The Tar Heels begin league play with a home game against Virginia Tech this weekend.

Will they get the positive reception Brown is hoping for? That remains to be seen. Either way, Duck and his cohort are ready to turn things around, despite the frustration the North Carolina defense has felt the first month of the season.

“I felt with coach Brown he’s always encouraging. Obviously like you see he’s a little frustrated,” Duck said. “We’re all frustrated. But we know, like I said, what we’re capable of doing, and that’s the main thing. Just staying true to who we are and listening to him and taking the notes he says, also coach Chizik, just staying positive and improving day by day.”

North Carolina and Virginia Tech will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday with a broadcast on the ACC Network.