What Mack Brown, Drake Maye said after North Carolina lost to Oregon in Holiday Bowl

North Carolina misplaced to No. 15 Oregon 28-27 within the Vacation Bowl Wednesday night time at Petco Park.

Tar Heels coach Mack Brown and quarterback Drake Maye recapped UNC’s fourth straight loss.

Under is a transcript of UNC’s postgame press convention.

MACK BROWN: It was an impressive journey for our guys. They’d a good time, new experiences. Most of our guys had by no means been to California, and the climate is nice. The bowl was nice. The volunteer crimson coats handled our guys with very excessive respect. It was organized it, and so they had a very good week. They ready nicely. They practiced nicely through the week, not like final 12 months. We weren’t as able to play. We have been able to play tonight. Performed our hearts out.

Very disenchanted that we didn’t win, however received to make a play right here or there, and so they’re an amazing soccer workforce, and no one gave us an opportunity within the sport, and we had an opportunity with one second left. That’s all we might ask for on this state of affairs.

So happy with this workforce, profitable 9. May have received 11, 12. Most of them are coming again, so it bodes nice for subsequent 12 months. I really like these younger guys. The saddest factor for me is that they performed their hearts out, and so they’re one level away from being on the market on the sphere and having a good time and feeling nice about themselves.

That’s one of many very tough issues about sports activities as a result of there are literally two winners on the market tonight as a result of they performed their guts out, and I’m actually, actually happy with the way in which they performed.

Advised them that. I stated if we had stopped the fourth down play, I might be happier for them than it we received, happier for our followers, our administration that we received. I wouldn’t really feel any completely different about them. They gave each every thing that they had. We had a GA teaching offensive line. We had a man calling performs that’s by no means known as performs earlier than. We had guys that weren’t even right here. We’re beginning two freshmen within the secondary.

I imply, there have been so many — we’re taking part in freshmen large receivers. We received Doc Chapman on the market. He hadn’t performed any. Andre Greene received to play solely as a result of the NCAA gave him an additional sport as a result of freshmen that performed in 4 might play in 5 as a result of we have been so skinny. Poor Drake has new receivers operating on the market he hasn’t even thrown to in the course of the Vacation Bowl.

Disillusioned within the loss, however thank the Vacation Bowl, and happy with our guys. Coaches, gamers, all people got here out right here to win, and so they gave it every thing that they had.

Questions.

Q. Are you able to speak about Drake Maye’s efficiency in the present day? He threw two touchdowns and saved you within the sport.

MACK BROWN: Drake is a completely wonderful individual. He’s higher individual than quarterback. He is likely one of the greatest quarterbacks within the nation, and we had two of one of the best quarterbacks within the nation tonight, and so they confirmed that. They placed on a present that everyone thought they might placed on it.

And right here’s Drake with out an offensive coordinator, and I assumed Lonnie Galloway did an impressive job of he and John Lilly placing an offense collectively as a result of we’ve a very good offense. We simply must tweak it some.

Once more, right here’s Drake. He had an analyst teaching him for the final month. He appeared actual good to me.

Q. How do you juxtapose among the positives you noticed tonight with closing the season with 4 losses? Now it’s important to carry that for the following eight months.

MACK BROWN: What I see is that we shut the season with 9 wins, which is it solely has occurred just one different time since I left right here, and I left right here a very long time in the past. So that is one heck of a season for North Carolina.

May have been 10. May have been 11. Most of them are coming again, and that’s what I’m trying ahead to. Are second time at school historical past it we received the Coastal, and I don’t care about the rest. There’s one Coastal trophy, and it’s in our trophy case, and these guys shall be remembered for that for the remainder of their life.

Final 12 months I walked out of Charlotte not very happy with me as a coach and never very happy with the time that I put on the market. I couldn’t be prouder tonight. I stated if it had been one level our method, I wouldn’t be any prouder of the way in which they performed. They performed actually arduous.

Q. If I might comply with up on that, is that the message? Is that what you take away greater than the rest for the offseason due to the combat, and even among the losses earlier (off microphone)?

MACK BROWN: Sure. We got here all the way down to the final drive in most of our video games. Notre Dame beat us. Clemson beat us. We beat Pittsburgh. We beat Virginia Tech. All of the others got here all the way down to the final drive of the sport. Each one among them.

And that implies that’s a workforce that’s combating their guts out to attempt to win. We received seven of those who got here all the way down to the final play of the sport. We misplaced a number of. Oregon is one of the best workforce that we performed that got here all the way down to the final play of the sport, and we misplaced it with an opportunity to win.

So what I’ve requested our guys to do always is give me every thing you’ve received, and so they did that tonight. There’s not one ounce of vitality left in that locker room as a result of they left every thing on that subject, and I sat on the market speaking with Drake with 6 seconds left, and we’re combating to get 2 seconds again on the clock as a result of we all know we are able to kick a 50-yard subject purpose, after which he throws a heck of a go to Kobe on the sideline with 1 second left. We’re combating, and he slings one deep ultimately zone, and I nonetheless imagine we’re going to have an opportunity to catch it and win the sport. That’s the message.

Q. Drake, what did you study your self this season?

DRAKE MAYE: I feel the primary factor I realized is belief the method and all of the arduous work that goes in, it exhibits and seems (inaudible) life classes exterior (inaudible) the relationships for the remainder of my life with guys I really like and taking part in with them out on the sphere, there’s nothing I might commerce on the planet for that.

Within the first half after you go up 7-0, probably the most enjoyable I’ve had the whole season on the market tonight. With these guys, the vitality on the sideline, all the grins going within the locker room. I’ll keep in mind that for the remainder of my life, these guys. They poured their coronary heart out tonight.

Like Coach stated, sure issues have been in opposition to us. We had a brand new man calling performs. We had freshmen receivers on the market. We gave all of it we received, and if it wasn’t nicely sufficient for us to win tonight it (inaudible).

I really like these guys. What a sport.

Q. You stated 50-yard subject purpose. Was that form of the road of demarcation? Ultimately, did it’s important to get a bit bit additional to attempt?

MACK BROWN: We thought if we might get it to the 35, we had an opportunity, and that’s why Drake tried to get it to the 35 on the out. After which when there was one second left, we knew we needed to sling it ultimately zone. That was our solely probability. We put our it tallest guys, most athletic guys on the market, and Drake received it up there with nonetheless an opportunity.

I feel the opposite message, type of to reply Andrew’s query, as a head coach you need to know who you go in an alley with. For those who suppose you’re going to get jumped, who’s going to combat for you? These two. And a bunch of different guys on this workforce combating their guts out to maintain me upright, man. That’s principally what it’s when you’re on the market on the sphere.

I wouldn’t commerce them for anyone within the nation. Not anyone within the nation.

Q. That is for you too —

MACK BROWN: I’m sorry. I didn’t reply your query, did I?

Q. I simply didn’t understand how shut you have been it. I feel it was a 50-yard subject purpose.

MACK BROWN: We couldn’t try this. The 2 issues that got here up that have been choices have been fourth and purpose from the two. We made 3 out of three fourth downs. Ought to we’ve gone for it? In all probability ought to have as a result of we made all of them. I used to be a bit hesitant as a result of Drake was on his head, and so they put it on the 3. I stated no. Then they moved it to the two.

If there’s a second guessing on my half, it’s best to kick the sphere purpose, however I’m unsure in that state of affairs pretty much as good as they’re on offense it. If I might do it over, I might clearly go for it.

Q. What’s it about Coach Brown (inaudible)?

MACK BROWN: I threaten them (laughing).

CEDRIC GRAY: I feel one of many largest issues that I respect about Coach Brown is (inaudible) he’s a Corridor of Fame coach. He stated it quite a few instances that he got here again for us to assist us out, and I feel at all times having that makes us who we’re).

DRAKE MAYE: Coach Brown, he mentions he desires us to have (inaudible) irrespective of age or no matter, it doesn’t matter as a result of we go on the market for Coach Brown there with us (inaudible). Additionally, Coach Brown, you get recruited, a variety of instances (inaudible). Coach Brown, he stayed the identical all through. He’s so approachable, so personable, and cares about us, loves us like one among his personal.

I feel all all through the locker room these guys really feel the identical method about Coach Brown.

Q. Drake, that is for you. I used to be curious what you felt just like the variations have been within the offense tonight given all the modifications, not having Josh, not having Antoine, not having Phil calling performs? Given all these modifications, what do you’re feeling like have been the variations?

DRAKE MAYE: I feel the primary factor is we have been all on the market relaxed having enjoyable. No one is uptight. Made a bunch of performs. Performed our butts off. It was a bit little bit of a scramble drill typically getting in personnel and late within the shot clock, sport clock, however that’s the factor. You recognize, that’s what made it enjoyable tonight.

I feel typically at factors of the sport Coach Galloway, Coach Lilly calling performs and left it as much as the gamers to make performs. That’s what it’s important to do. Allow us to choose the performs, and on the finish of the day and that’s a giant a part of it. Gamers make the play.

MACK BROWN: Gavin Blackwell pulled a hamstring, and he didn’t play. We have been tight finish and receivers. Doc Chapman hadn’t performed in any sport that mattered. See him on the market on third and purpose, I imply, it’s wonderful, what these youngsters completed tonight.

Q. Coach, I do know it’s a tricky loss for you, however are you able to communicate of your veteran management on the gamers, how they carried out for you tonight?

MACK BROWN: Yeah. The management on final 12 months’s workforce, I assumed there have been some good leaders. However it wasn’t a player-led workforce. These guys lead the workforce. That’s two of our captains. The most important distinction on this 12 months’s workforce and final 12 months’s workforce, though individuals will say we didn’t end proper, , we completed like we have been all 12 months. We completed combating our guts out on the finish of the sport, and also you catch a ball, and also you win it. You drop a ball, and also you lose it. That is the way in which our workforce was.

However lots of people wish to swap their season for ours tonight. Lots of people would have favored to be within the Vacation Bowl taking part in an amazing workforce like Oregon, and I put these guys in a tricky spot as a result of we’ve received an opportunity to be so good subsequent 12 months, I needed to play one of the best workforce that we might probably play as a result of that’s who we’ve received to begin beating to take our subsequent step.

And the management on this workforce has been unbelievable. I don’t say something. If something, if I’ve to choose them up, they’re selecting individuals up, and so they’re on the market combating their guts out. I instructed them, I don’t need dangerous physique language. I don’t need you to get your head down. Simply preserve combating as a result of a soccer sport is like life. It simulates life. You might have good. You might have dangerous