UNC Football

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Appalachian State Mountaineers 63-61 on Saturday to move to 2-0 on the season, and head coach Mack Brown is more than happy with the victory despite his team allowing 40 points in the fourth quarter.

"You take a win and go," Brown told reporters after the game. "We were underdogs and hadn't won a road game all of last year, so anybody who thinks I'm going to be mad or disappointed over this one doesn't understand coaching. I'm excited to win against a really good team on the road."

The Tar Heels entered the fourth quarter up 41-21 and added another 22 points in the final frame. However, the team's defense struggled to contain Mountaineers quarterback Chase Brice in the fourth quarter.

Brice led Appalachian State on a whopping six touchdown drives in the game's final 15 minutes, and the Mountaineers would have tied the game at 63 had he not been stopped while trying to rush into the end zone on a two-point conversion.

Brice completed 25-of-38 passes for 361 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 36 yards.

UNC freshman quarterback Drake Maye, meanwhile, completed 24-of-36 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown.

It's clear that Maye and the offense have things under control, especially considering this is the second straight week they have posted at least 56 points. Last week, the Tar Heels defeated Florida A&M 56-24.

The defense, on the other hand, has some work to do ahead of next weekend's game against Georgia State.

Brown has coached North Carolina since 2019, going 23-17. He led the team to a win in the Military Bowl in his first season, but it has lost each of its last two bowl games.

The 71-year-old previously coached the Tar Heels from 1988-97 and is 92-63-1 in 14 total seasons with the team. Considering all of his experience, UNC should be just fine moving forward.

Even at full strength, the Florida A&M Rattlers figured to have their hands full during Saturday's matchup against the ACC's North Carolina Tar Heels, but they reportedly will be far from it.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, a FAMU spokesperson said the program will be down 20 players because of eligibility issues. What's more, it will have just eight eligible offensive linemen.

Competing without 20 players will be a daunting task for the Rattlers, and the idea of canceling the game surely came to mind for some.

Thamel shared a statement from head coach Willie Simmons suggesting university leadership may have talked the players into playing:

Statement from FAMU coach Willie Simmons to ESPN: “After final certification of our entire team late last night, we were made aware that 7 of our Offensive Lineman were deemed ineligible. When you consider that 3 others are nursing injuries, that only leaves us with 7 healthy…

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 26, 2022

After a few more discussions with university leadership, including the president of the university, the players ultimately decided to play the game. I support these young men 100% in whatever they decide and I’m extremely proud of them for advocating for themselves!”

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 26, 2022

David Hale of ESPN pointed out canceling would mean the program would have to forfeit the payout it will receive from North Carolina, face a cancellation penalty and lose any travel fees it has already paid—approximately one-tenth of its annual athletics budget.

C.L. Brown of the Charlotte Observer noted North Carolina will pay FAMU $450,000 for the game. What's more, Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown pushed for the Rattlers to bring their famed marching band.

"The Marching 100s is one of the best bands ever—it may be the best," Brown said. "They've played at the Grammys, they've played at a Super Bowl, and they're gonna play in pregame by themselves and then with our band, and then the same at halftime. So everybody needs to get there early. And make sure we honor the Marching 100 and enjoy and appreciate their band."

Florida A&M impressed last season at 9-3, finishing strong after a 1-2 start. Saturday's game represented an opportunity for it to make a statement on a national stage, especially after head coach and quarterbacks coach Willie Simmons named former Hawaii and Vanderbilt quarterback Jeremy Moussa as the Rattlers' starter.

As for the Tar Heels, they are looking to bounce back from a 6-7 season and perhaps win double-digit games for just the second time since the 1997 season.

They will need to win if they plan on doing that since they will still have to face Notre Dame, Miami, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and North Carolina State.

The only quarterback selected in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday was Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, whom the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted with the No. 20 pick. That said, let's take a look at where North Carolina's Sam Howell and Ole Miss' Matt Corral could end up on Day 2. 

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reported before the draft began that the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions were "most often linked as potential quarterback teams" in Round 1. 

That said, those teams could be looking for a quarterback in the second round. In terms of specifics, the Lions could select Corral with the No. 46 overall pick, and the Saints could select Howell with the 49th overall pick.

The Lions aren't necessarily confident that Jared Goff can be their quarterback of the future, so it would not be surprising if the franchise selected a quarterback in Round 2. 

Detroit acquired Goff in the deal that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, and he didn't show much improvement from his inconsistent days out west. The 27-year-old completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,245 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 14 games. 

That said, Corral could be an intriguing option for the Lions. The 23-year-old was impressive in his fourth season at Ole Miss, which was his second under head coach Lane Kiffin. He completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns against five interceptions, in addition to rushing for 614 yards and 11 scores. 

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. (h/t Sports Illustrated) noted in March that he didn't see Goff being Detroit's future and projected the Lions to select Corral in the draft. He added that the Rebels quarterback "throws a ball with some zip" and "is extremely tough," but mentioned a concern being that college coaches didn't ask him to make a lot of reads, which would be an adjustment for him at the NFL level.

Even if the Lions were to select Corral, he would likely spend at least one year learning and developing under Goff. He is nowhere near ready to be a starter in the NFL and would benefit from a year on the sidelines.

Moving on to Howell, he would be a good fit for a New Orleans team looking for a quarterback for the future following Drew Brees' retirement after the 2020 season. 

The Saints relied on Jameis Winston for seven games in 2021 until he suffered a torn ACL. They then tried Ian Book, Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill under center, but none thrived for the franchise. 

Winston is back for the 2022 season and will likely start regardless if the team drafts a quarterback. However, it's unclear if the Saints view him as their long-term quarterback. 

Howell was viewed as one of the better passers in this year's draft, but his 2021 performance caused some concern. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns against nine interceptions, all of which are down from his 2020 performance. 

That said, Howell has tremendous upside and might be worth taking a chance on. 

B/R's NFL Scouting Department notes that Howell has a "good build," is a tough runner, has good arm strength and above-average accuracy. Those traits would help him fit in well in New Orleans. 

Should he remain on the board after the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, Sam Howell may not have to wait much longer to hear his name called.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the North Carolina quarterback "should have a strong market on Day 2." Fowler posited the Seattle Seahawks, who have the No. 40 and 41 picks, could be a landing spot.

Howell is the No. 90 overall player and the fifth-best player on Bleacher Report's final big board. He might nonetheless sneak into the late stages of the first round thanks in part to a weak QB class.

ESPN's Jordan Reid reported on April 22 that a team could trade up into the No. 32 spot in order to select a quarterback. Howell was cited as a possible target in that scenario, with Reid writing the NFL at large is "a bit higher on Howell than the media."

The Tar Heels star had a disappointing 2021 season as he and his team failed to meet expectations. He threw for 3,056 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions and ran for 828 yards and 11 scores.

B/R NFL scout Nate Tice only gave Howell a third-round grade but compared him to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts:

"Overall, Howell has the arm strength, athleticism and enough accuracy to make it in the NFL. But he will need a good deal of development and polish on his footwork, pocket awareness and movement, understanding of dropback concepts, and overall mechanics to become a viable NFL starting quarterback."

The second round is too early for teams to take a big swing on a player who has little chance of panning out, but Howell showed enough to warrant some level of confidence in his abilities.

While there's an obvious level of risk, his mobility in particular is something that could help him flourish with the right coaching staff.

The Seahawks have a clear need for a quarterback following the Russell Wilson trade. Geno Smith isn't a viable starting solution, and Drew Lock couldn't beat out Teddy Bridgewater for the Denver Broncos' starting gig last year.

From the perspective of the team potentially selecting Howell, the only concern with Seattle is that the state of its QB room could see him thrust to the top of the depth chart before he's ready.

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell is drawing comparison to one former NFL quarterback leading up to the 2022 draft, and that might not be a great thing. 

The Athletic's Jeff Howe interviewed one general manager, four executives and two offensive coaches in his Monday article, and one said Howell "reminds me of Tim Tebow."

While Howell is considered one of the better quarterbacks available in the 2022 draft, he's ranked behind Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral, Desmond Ridder and Malik Willis in ESPN's latest quarterback projections. 

The 21-year-old was a starter in each of his three seasons for the Tar Heels, but he took a step backward as a passer during the 2021 season. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 12 games. 

For comparison, Howell completed 68.1 percent of his passes in 2020 for 3,586 yards and 30 touchdowns against seven interceptions in the same number of games. 

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department notes that Howell's strengths are his arm strength, accuracy, deep passing skills. He also has great athleticism and can run the ball well.

B/R's Scouting Department lists Howell's height (6'0⅝") and throwing motion as some of the negatives of his game. 

Tebow had some of the same strengths and weaknesses after four seasons with the Florida Gators. He had an awkward throwing motion but good strength and running ability. 

The No. 25 overall draft pick in 2010, Tebow's NFL career was short as he struggled to adapt at the next level. In 35 games across three seasons with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, he completed just 47.9 percent of his passes for 2,422 yards and 17 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He was much better with his legs, rushing for 989 yards and 12 scores. 

If Howell is unable to adjust, he could find himself in a similar situation. That said, he's drawing a good amount of interest entering the draft, having met with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. 

HEIGHT: 6'0 5/8"

WEIGHT: 218

HAND: 9 1/8"

ARM: 30 3/4"

WINGSPAN: 6'3 1/2"

40-YARD DASH: DNP

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: DNP

BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Good build. Able to withstand repeated shots throughout the game and keep playing.

— Can run in between the tackles and is a tough runner overall, with enough athleticism and burst to handle designed runs. Has the play strength to bounce off tackles.

— Good arm strength, with the ability to drive intermediate throws.

— Throws a very catchable deep ball. Can consistently get distance and put touch on Go balls.

— Above-average accuracy at all three levels when in rhythm. Can help create yards after the catch with his ball placement.

NEGATIVES

— Below-average height for the position.

— Has a long, over-the-top throwing motion that defenders can punish if he's late on a throw.

— Plays in an RPO-heavy system. Has a ways to go in terms of progressing and reading over the middle of the field. Lacks consistent anticipation and will wait for receivers to flash open before pulling the trigger.

— Will look to tuck the ball and run too early.

2021 STATISTICS

12 G, 217-347 (62.5%), 3,056 YDS (8.8 Y/A), 24 TD, 9 INT, 154.2 RAT, 183 ATT, 828 YDS (4.5 AVG), 11 TD

NOTES

— 2020 second-team All-ACC.

— 2019 ACC Rookie of the Year.

OVERALL

Sam Howell is a tough quarterback with a good, strong build but below-average height for the position. He throws a very catchable deep ball and is able to get distance while also consistently getting a high arc on deep throws. Howell has good overall arm strength and flashes the ability to drive the ball when in rhythm on shorter and intermediate throws.

Being in rhythm is important for Howell. His footwork is inconsistent, which causes balls to spray, or he will take an extra bounce at the end of his dropback that makes him late on more timing-based throws. Howell will also attempt to work deep in his dropbacks to give himself more room to see his routes develop, attempting to compensate for his height. And while he has enough arm strength to make the throws, he has a longer, over-the-top throwing motion that will give him even less room for error in the NFL against better and faster defenders.

Howell is a tough runner and can make plays happen with his legs. He is willing to take a shot, and he can fire up the rest of his team when he picks up a nice gain. He can handle designed QB runs in between the tackles because of his play strength, adequate athleticism and burst.

Howell played in an RPO-heavy offense with designed quarterback runs that he was effective on, but the offense has limited his exposure to more progression-based concepts. He would look to tuck and run far too often instead of attempting to read a play out and do damage from the pocket.

Overall, Howell has the arm strength, athleticism and enough accuracy to make it in the NFL. But he will need a good deal of development and polish on his footwork, pocket awareness and movement, understanding of dropback concepts, and overall mechanics to become a viable NFL starting quarterback.

For any team that has the patience for a project, Howell has tools to work with, and his ability to create plays with his legs will help raise his bar as a player. But he'll need to become a more consistent player operating from the pocket to be anything more than a high-end backup or a spot starter.

GRADE: 7.2 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 90

POSITION RANK: QB5

PRO COMPARISON: Jalen Hurts

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice

Mack Brown will be the head football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels for the foreseeable future.

Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported the ACC program and the 70-year-old coach agreed to a one-year contract extension. It will keep Brown in place through the 2026 season and into January 2027.

"Since his return to Carolina, Mack has done an outstanding job building a positive culture and energizing our fan base,'' athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in the program's announcement. "Under his leadership, we will continue to win both on the field and in the classroom, and we are all excited about the future of our football program. Sincere thanks to Mack and Sally for all of their contributions to the Chapel Hill community."

Brown was a coaching legend even before he came to North Carolina ahead of the 2019 campaign for his second stint with the Tar Heels.

He coached Tulane from 1985 through 1987, North Carolina from 1988 through 1997 and Texas from 1998 through 2013.

He is best known for his time with the Longhorns when he went 158-48 and won a national championship during the 2005 season with Vince Young as his quarterback. He also reached the national title game during the 2009 campaign with Colt McCoy under center, but Texas lost to Alabama after its quarterback suffered an injury.

Brown's 259 career wins rank seventh on the all-time list and second to only Nick Saban among active head coaches.

It was something of a surprise when he came out of retirement to lead the Tar Heels in 2019, but he provided an immediate boost to a program that went 3-9 in 2017 and 2-9 in 2018. North Carolina went 7-6 in Brown's first season, 8-4 in his second and 6-7 in his third, reaching a bowl game all three years.

While the 6-7 mark was a disappointment in 2021 given elevated expectations and the presence of quarterback Sam Howell, the future looks bright with a 2022 recruiting class that is rated ninth in the country by 247Sports' composite rankings.

Kenny Pickett opted out of Pittsburgh's bowl game against Michigan State, but he will lace it up at the 2022 Senior Bowl.

ESPN's Jordan Reid reported Pickett, North Carolina's Sam Howell, Liberty's Malik Willis, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Nevada's Carson Strong and Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe will all compete in the Senior Bowl as quarterbacks.

The first thing that jumps out about this year's top QB prospects—not including Ole Miss' Matt Corral, who isn't playing in the Senior Bowl—is that they all come from programs that are not considered traditional football powerhouses.

While players such as Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, Alabama's Mac Jones and Ohio State's Justin Fields went from dominating headlines at major programs and competing for national titles during their collegiate careers right into the NFL spotlight as first-rounders in last year's draft, this year will be different.

Yet, this is a group that is accustomed to exceeding expectations.

All Ridder did was lead the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff as they became the first Group of Five team to reach the sport's biggest stage. Pickett directed the Panthers to the ACC title, and Zappe became the NCAA FBS single-season record holder in passing yards and touchdowns while playing for the Hilltoppers.

There will likely be more concerns that Howell and Willis will have to overcome as far as their 2021 campaigns.

Howell was seen by many as a Heisman Trophy candidate for a North Carolina team that could take home the ACC crown. Instead, the Tar Heels went 6-7 and struggled with consistency while their quarterback threw for career lows in yards (3,056) and touchdowns (24) to go with a career-high nine interceptions.

As for Willis, he didn't face the same level of competition at Liberty and struggled in a high-profile game against Ole Miss with zero touchdown passes and three interceptions.

The quarterbacks will have a chance to bolster their draft stock Feb. 5 when the Senior Bowl takes place in Mobile, Alabama, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

In B/R's latest big board, the players were ranked as follows: Ridder (17), Pickett (43), Corral (82, not playing), Willis (87), Howell (92), Strong (93), Zappe (107).

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell announced Saturday on Instagram that he will forgo his senior season with the Tar Heels and enter the 2022 NFL draft.

Howell entered the 2021 campaign with sky-high expectations, including a place in early discussions about the potential No. 1 overall pick in 2022, after tallying 68 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions across his first two seasons at UNC.

Despite that track record of success, he faded from the spotlight after throwing three interceptions in a season-opening loss to Virginia Tech.

Yet, he quickly returned to form and finished the season with a 62.5 percent completion rate for 3,056 yards with 24 touchdowns and nine picks in 12 games. He added 828 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.

One of the biggest highlights of the season came in October when he became the school's all-time leader in passing yards, moving past T.J. Yates for the top spot.

Howell used the record-breaking moment to discuss his entire UNC tenure:

It's definitely not why I play the game, but it's definitely something that I don't take for granted. It's an awesome deal. You know I have had a lot of help to get to where I am and I am just super blessed by God to be in the position I am in and have all these people around me that allow me to go out there and have success. I can be anywhere in the world and I am here playing football with the people that I love in this locker room.

I truly enjoy being with those guys. It is just super fun to go out there and fight with my brothers. I think what I take away most from the records are just the memories and the relationships I have been building. It has been a lot of fun and I am excited to finish it out.

The 21-year-old North Carolina native will ultimately go down as one of the best players in Tar Heels history.

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Howell didn't have anything left to prove in college, so his decision to make the jump doesn't come as a surprise, especially since he's a potential first-round pick.

His size (6'1'', 220 pounds) will likely become a talking point in the months ahead since his height is a bit below prototypical standards, but his ability to navigate the pocket, and escape it to run when necessary, has allowed him to minimize the impact on his game.

He's capable of being a day-one starter depending on where he lands, but spending a little time on the sideline behind a veteran wouldn't hurt development, either.

During the predraft process, Howell figures to battle with the likes of Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, Liberty's Malik Willis, Mississippi's Matt Corral and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder for the right to be the first quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL draft.