{"id":21785,"date":"2022-07-22T01:09:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T01:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/north-carolina-tar-heels-football-focused-on-team-chemistry-and-effort-after-disappointing-season-bowl-loss\/"},"modified":"2022-07-22T01:09:55","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T01:09:55","slug":"north-carolina-tar-heels-football-focused-on-team-chemistry-and-effort-after-disappointing-season-bowl-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/north-carolina-tar-heels-football-focused-on-team-chemistry-and-effort-after-disappointing-season-bowl-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"North Carolina Tar Heels football focused on team chemistry and effort after disappointing season, bowl loss"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CHARLOTTE, NC — Few football teams were more disappointing in 2021 than North Carolina, which opened the year ranked No. 10 in the country, and the Tar Heels finished 6-7 after a miserable bowl loss to South Carolina. But that loss, star receiver Josh Downs said, was a turning point for a team that’s hoping to make up for last year’s mistakes in 2022.<\/p>\n

“That was embarrassing,” Downs said of UNC’s 38-21 loss in the Duke’s Swimwear Bowl. “That got a fire in me. In that locker room after the game, we had a lot of dudes stand up and say we’re not doing this next year. We’re getting this together right now rather than waiting a few weeks. We’re doing this now.”<\/p>\n

After a strong 2020 season that culminated with a trip to the Orange Bowl, UNC was one of the last offseason’s trendy picks as a potential playoff contender. The wheels came off quickly with an opening-week loss to Virginia Tech.<\/p>\n

Things got worse there.<\/p>\n

UNC was a 14-point favorite against Georgia Tech but was crushed 45-22. The Heels lost 35-25 to Florida State despite being an 18-point favorite, then ended their regular season by blowing a 10-point lead with two minutes to play against rival NC State. The loss to South Carolina — as a 12-point favorite — was the final straw.<\/p>\n

“People were angry,” linebacker Cedric Gray said. “You could see it on our faces in the locker room after the game. It was a very sick feeling.”<\/p>\n

Downs said numerous players — including himself and tailback British Brooks — made speeches in the locker room admonishing teammates for a lack of effort in the loss to South Carolina.<\/p>\n

In the weeks leading up to the bowl game, Downs said some players made comments that they weren’t interested in even playing, and that mentality filtered onto the field.<\/p>\n