Mack Brown recalls Mayo Bowl against South Carolina: 'It was one of the worst games I've ever seen'

Saturday night, North Carolina and South Carolina will square off for the first time since Dec. 30, 2021. That was the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, which the Gamecocks won 38-21 to cap off Shane Beamer’s first season as head coach.

It’s a game Mack Brown, quite frankly, would like to forget.

“It was one of the worst games I’ve ever seen,” Brown said this week. “We coached poorly and played poorly. It’s one, I threw all my old stuff away after the game. I felt awful about that game for North Carolina, for these kids. I felt like we let everybody down. It was one of the more disappointing games I’ve ever coached.”

South Carolina put together a monster performance on offense in that game, totaling 543 yards of offense with the running game leading the charge. Kevin Harris has 182 yards and a touchdown as the Gamecocks rushed for 301 yards on the ground as a team.

North Carolina didn’t fare as well in Sam Howell’s final game as he threw for 205 yards and a touchdown. The running game was also quiet outside of 72 yards from British Brooks and totaling 128 yards as a unit.

As for whether he’s using the bowl game as motivation, Brown said he doesn’t necessarily have to do so. His players remember how that day went.

“They know,” Brown said. “They were there.”

Mack Brown on opening the season vs. South Carolina: North Carolina didn’t get a ‘laugher’

This time around, North Carolina vs. South Carolina is one of the biggest matchups on the Week 1 schedule. College GameDay will be in Charlotte for the game, which features some big names in the sport.

Drake Maye continues to garner Heisman Trophy buzz and is viewed as the potential No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft as he looks to build off an impressive sophomore season. Last year, he threw for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns after appearing in just four games as a true freshman. He threw one pass in the Mayo Bowl game against South Carolina.

For the Gamecocks, they bring some fresh talent into the game, perhaps none bigger than Nyckoles Harbor. The ultra-athletic receiver is generating plenty of buzz with his speed and was the top “Freak” on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” earlier this month.

South Carolina also got 73 votes in the preseason AP Top 25, making the Gamecocks the de facto No. 27 team in the country. That’s why Brown said UNC didn’t get an easy draw with its opening game.

The Tar Heels didn’t get a “laugher” as their opener, according to Brown.

“I was looking at the openers across the country and most of them are laughers for Saturday, most of them are scrimmages for the teams that are going to play because they’re playing teams that couldn’t possibly beat them,” Brown said. “We’re not. We’re jumping in with both feet.”