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CFB fans criticize Mack Brown and UNC for allowing 53 points to James Madison in the 1st half | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches his team play against the North Carolina Central Eagles at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

North Carolina had a disastrous first half against James Madison on Saturday, trailing 53-21 at halftime.

JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III completed 14 of 21 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Barnett also ran for 64 yards and two more scores. Omarion Dollison (two catches, 119 yards, one touchdown) and Cam Ross (6/109/1) both surpassed the 100 mark by halftime. The Dukes also had 418 yards in two quarters.

The first quarter alone was a disaster in terms of defense and special teams.

Tanner Speerman @Subscribe

They just turned the onside kick into a TD

Yet JMU only led 25-21 at the start of the second quarter. However, the Dukes then scored four unanswered touchdowns to continue their decline, the last score being a 33-yard pick-six by Terrence Spence.

It was a brutal 30 minutes for UNC and head coach Mack Brown, who subsequently drew much of the ire on social media.

Ray Rudell @RudellRT

Mack Brown is embarrassingly outdone. The @UNCFootball The team is completely unprepared for this game. It is predictable but daunting.

Brown, 73, is in his second stint as UNC's head coach. He started in Chapel Hill in 1988 and coached there until 1997 before moving to Texas. Brown coached the Longhorns from 1998 to 2013 and returned to UNC in 2019. Brown has 285 career wins, notably leading Texas to an undefeated season and the 2005 national championship. Eight of Brown's teams also finished in the top 10 in the Associated Press poll.

Brown's return to UNC has been an uphill battle, however. The Tar Heels entered Saturday with a 41-27 overall record under Brown since 2019 and a 24-18 record in the ACC. Only one of Brown's teams finished in the top 25 (2020) and four of the five teams lost in a bowl game.

This year's UNC team is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Minnesota, Charlotte and UNC Central, but JMU's performance clearly leaves much to be desired and raises questions about Brown's future.

By Vanessa

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