Mack Brown details how North Carolina is improving defensively

Offense has not been the issue during Mack Brown’s tenure at North Carolina. The Tar Heel’s defense, though, has left a lot to be desired over the last two seasons.

Now, with their spring wrapped up, Brown knows his defense has done the little things to improve on that end. They’ve worked on the difference makers and, in his eyes, he thinks they have grown up a ton.

“We’re quicker off the ball, we’re playing with lower pads, we’re using our hands better. And we’re penetrating more. We’re being more violent,” Brown said. “That’s something you have to do to disrupt an offense. And something we haven’t done…They’re all just learning to play with lower pads and they’re growing up.”

Brown continued to say that the defensive growth is due to the challenge posed by the coaching staff to post better results on that side of the football. He also added that it’s a matter of pride for the defense considering what many have said about them and their play.

“I’m excited. We have really challenged those guys to do it…We’re telling them that if you don’t show up? If you aren’t somebody that, when we watch the video, we can say ‘that guy is making plays’? Then we can’t play you,” said Brown. “They know that there’s been a whole lot of talk about our defensive front seven. Especially our defensive line not penetrating, not getting tackles for loss, not getting sacks. And I think they’ve heard it, they’re tired of hearing it, and they’re trying to make sure that it’s rectified.”

North Carolina’s defense has finished outside the Top-100 in each of the last two seasons. They gave up an average of 31.5 points per game in the last two seasons after allowing an average of 26.6 in Brown’s first two campaigns. Their average of 30.8 points allowed last season was the worst in the ACC as they gave up a league worsts in yards per game with 438.2 and touchdowns allowed with 57, 12 more than Boston College in second to last.

The Tar Heels didn’t post decent statistics on defense either. They finished in the middle of the pack in the ACC in interceptions with eight. Even so, they also finished last in sacks with only 16 and sack yards lost with just 119 over their 14 games.

UNC was going to have to improve defensively in order to take its program to the next level under Brown. With that said, it sounds like the staff and the players have made the necessary adjustments. We’ll just have to wait until next fall to know whether they’ll make a difference or not.