Rewritten: Written by Mark Bergin, a senior multiplatform producer at WRAL.

Chapel Hill, N.C.

On Monday, North Carolina’s head coach Mack Brown accepted responsibility for his team’s defeat against Virginia, their first loss of the season.

On Saturday, the Tar Heels were defeated by the Cavaliers with a final score of 31-27. Despite being favored by 23.5 points against Virginia, multiple sportsbooks predicted a win for North Carolina.

Brown admitted, “The responsibility lies solely on me. It is my mistake.”

I have personally selected and hired each member of the coaching staff and recruited all of the players on this team. I am responsible for making all decisions regarding our actions and strategies.

North Carolina (6-1, 3-1 ACC) fell to No. 17 in the AP Top 25. The Tar Heels were ranked No. 10 heading into Saturday’s game.

Virginia (2-5, 1-2 ACC) recorded a season-high of 228 rushing yards in their game against North Carolina. The Cavaliers’ offensive strategy effectively controlled possession of the ball for over 37 minutes.

Brown expressed regret for disappointing his team, coaches, staff, administration, and fans.

In the third quarter, North Carolina lost a 24-14 advantage.

“Why didn’t the defense prevent them from scoring when the score was 24-14 and put us in a position to potentially go up by 17 points?” Brown asked. “Why didn’t they do their job? That’s what they’re supposed to do. That’s what they get paid for.”

“Additionally, instead of continuously passing the ball, why don’t we focus on controlling the clock and utilizing our running game?”

Omarion Hampton, a second-year running back, ended Saturday’s match with 19 attempts and a total of 112 rushing yards. However, he only had five carries during the latter half of the game.

Drake Maye, the quarterback, successfully threw 24 out of 48 passes for a total of 347 yards and two touchdowns. However, his interception by Virginia’s linebacker James Jackson ultimately sealed the victory for the Cavaliers with only 26 seconds remaining in the game.

On Saturday, North Carolina will attempt to bounce back against Georgia Tech, a team that has defeated the Tar Heels in the last two years.

During the Monday press conference, Brown discussed the velocity of Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King and the skill of the team’s wide receivers.

“They possess exceptional speed as wide receivers, the likes of which we have not encountered,” Brown stated. “They are incredibly fast.”

Other notes

The North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech game will start at 8 p.m. on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. It will be broadcasted on the ACC Network.

On Monday, a spokesperson for the athletics department announced that Jacolbe Cowan, a junior defensive lineman for North Carolina, will be unable to play for the remainder of the season due to an injury to his upper body.

Source: wralsportsfan.com