In South Carolina, the verdict is published by the Clerk of Court. In other words, when a jury has reached a verdict, the Clerk of Court, not a member of the jury, announces the verdict to the courtroom.
But in every jury trial – whether criminal or civil – there is no mistaking that the jury, and only the jury, is the finder of all facts.
Starting in August and running throughout the season, I will be writing a weekly column called The Verdict - presented by the Goings Law Firm. And much like a jury, I will try to base my findings and opinions on facts. But unlike a jury, I want to hear from the gallery, both what I got right and what I got wrong.
The Verdict is in: The Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina is an amazing opportunity.
By now -- if you are still reading what I have to say after all these weeks – you know I am a huge fan of evaluating, promoting, and critiquing the South Carolina program from a ten-thousand-foot view. In other words, I love thinking “big picture.”
That’s why throughout year one of the Shane Beamer era I grimaced when people said the words “must win.” That’s why I bought season tickets and stayed until the very end of each and every game I attended (yes, including the Tennessee and Clemson games). And that’s why I was excited, not disappointed, when word leaked out late last week that Carolina was not only traveling to Charlotte for their bowl game but facing a border-state rival in North Carolina.
Why did I get excited? Because being presented the chance to defeat North Carolina to conclude the 2021 season is an amazing opportunity. Let’s examine this closely.
In 2019, the Old North State doubled the Palmetto State in population. And while population isn’t the end all be all when it comes to recruiting, when it comes to North Carolina, that combination of population and emphasis on high school football leads to a lot of football talent.
That’s why North Carolina hired Butch Davis back in the mid-2000s, and that is why the Tarheels hired a 68-year-old Mack Brown in 2019. Despite North Carolina’s love for basketball, a strong contingent of Tar Heel fans is obsessed with football. Like Kentucky, many Tar Heels fans like the game of football more than the game of basketball. They just are historically better at basketball. And similarly to Kentucky, North Carolina’s administration recognized the need for a strong football program.
How do you rebuild a struggling program? Through an energized and highly effective recruiting effort. And that’s what North Carolina did when they hired Mack Brown.
The University of North Carolina knew what Mack Brown was capable of because he had rebuilt North Carolina a few decades prior. In the 1990s, Mack Brown recruited the state of North Carolina hard. Brown didn’t just hit the greater Charlotte and Raleigh areas and call it quits. He didn’t rely on name recognition and on-campus football camps. Instead, he went from town to town throughout the state of North Carolina scouting and looking for talent.
Some of the most talented football players in America come from the coastal plain of North Carolina. During Brown’s first stint in Chapel Hill, he was able to find and sign Marcus Jones, Greg Ellis, Alge Crumpler, Brian Simmons, Andre Purvis, and Julius Peppers – all natives of small towns in Eastern North Carolina. (He was also able to recruit bordering states snagging Jeff Saturday from Georgia, Vonnie Holliday from South Carolina, and Dre Bly from Virginia, to name a few.)
And while Brown built North Carolina into a power in the 1990s, his departure following the 1997 season signified the beginning of two decades worth of mediocrity. From 1998 through 2018, North Carolina went 123-129. The Tar Heels had lost their last three games to East Carolina. They had also lost their last three games to Duke. NC State had won nine of their last 12 against North Carolina. The Heels were 2-6 against the SEC since Brown left.
Unsurprisingly, the issues surrounding North Carolina’s on-field shortcomings centered mostly around recruiting. From 2011-2018, North Carolina had signed only 30 of the state’s top 135 prospects. (Wes and Chris, please forgive me, but I used 247Sports state rankings because it made the numbers more dramatic than the Rivals rankings.)
Todd Gurley (Georgia), Dexter Lawrence (Clemson), Bryce Love (Stanford), and Pharoh Cooper (South Carolina) all opted to leave the state. Five-stars like D.J Humphries (Florida) left. Four-stars like Kris Frost (Auburn) left. Heck, even three-stars like Melvin Ingram (South Carolina) left. Look at almost every SEC roster. North Carolina natives are littered throughout them.
Of course, after Brown’s return, North Carolina’s recruiting returns have skyrocketed. Fifteen of North Carolina’s 19 signees in the 2021 recruiting class were from North Carolina. 14 of their 26 signees in the 2020 recruiting class were from North Carolina. The third-ranked recruit in this year’s recruiting cycle is defensive tackle Travis Shaw. He is from North Carolina. He is currently committed to North Carolina.
I just spent over five hundred words dissecting North Carolina football and North Carolina football recruiting. It’s that important. I love the fact that Shane Beamer can go into Maryland and Pennsylvania and recruit. I love the fact we have gone out to Texas and recruited. But the three states Carolina needs to recruit at an unrivaled rate are South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina. (A sentiment I have held for a while.)
The Tar Heels and Mack Brown have presented a significant obstacle for Carolina when it comes to recruiting the state of North Carolina.
That’s why I’m fired up for the opportunity to play North Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shane Beamer and Carolina have a lot of recruiting momentum heading into the 2022 offseason. Finding a way to beat them (a program that has taken a step back this season) could be a springboard for Carolina heading into the new year, while possibly further damaging the football image of North Carolina.
Now, of course, Carolina is a touchdown underdog to the Tarheels. And there is a very strong chance that the Gamecocks could lose to North Carolina, something that has been harped on by a few crabby Carolina fans who hate the idea of returning to Bank of America Stadium (the setting of two epic losses in the recent past). But in all honesty, Carolina could lose to any bowl-eligible team it faces. What would be a more significant loss for the Gamecocks? A loss to a group of five program or a loss to Sam Howell in his final game as a Tar Heel?
Instead, I like to think of it in this regard: what would be a more significant win for the Gamecocks?
Looking at the big picture of this Carolina rebuild, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl was the best outcome for the Gamecocks.
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