Crazy Times in Chapel Hill: UNC Football Drama Explained

On this episode of the Tar Heels Insider Podcast, beat writer Grant Chachere explains all of the latest drama regarding UNC football with Drake Maye's absence from UNC social media pages, coaches getting suspended, and more.

To hear what Grant has to say, check out the video below!

A partial transcript from defensive back Jaiden Patterson's presser from the UNC's 38-10 loss to Clemson on Oct. 4.

How did you describe today?

Max Johnson | UNC Atheltic Communications

I'll describe it as we just got to work. We got to do our jobs and keep playing. I feel like it's a lot more football to play, so we got a lot more things to do.

I know obviously you haven't had a chance to really look at it as far as doing it and everything like that, but obviously that first quarter Clemson was kind of able to do their thing against the passing game. What do you think was kind of breaking down the secondary and how I'm going to get as many explosive plays?

It was really, we just really needed to do our job. People, you know, as a whole, we weren't as locked in. I would say we got to just keep working, doing our job, and execute and do our game.

You guys defense allowed almost 400 yards, so 99 yards passing. Can you talk about what happened here?

UNC — Bill Belichick speaking to players | Jackson McCurdy, Tar Heels On SI

I was just, again, I'm sorry, I'm repeating myself. It's just like on the small plays, there was a couple plays we just didn't execute and do our jobs, and miscommunication, and that's what led to a lot of yards.

I know your general manager had written another suggesting that this season was a rebuild I want to say it's a rebuild. We still got seven more games, all ACC play, so I'm pretty confident in our team. We're going to work during this bye week and keep playing.

You said the guys weren't locked in or collectively weren't locked in. What do you mean by that? And where did that show up on the field?

I wasn't saying like not locked in as a whole. I was just saying like it was getting

Do you think that at times when a bad play happens, this team, especially defensively, kind of allowed to snowball for a few plays, they have a little difficult time regrouping?

No, I wouldn't say that at all. I would say like as a whole as a defense, we always, next play, we just leave the last play behind. We just play play to play.

What Patterson and his teammates were telling each other throughout the game ..

UNC — North Carolina running out on the field through smoke before its game against Clemson on Oct. 4, 2025. | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

We were just saying it's a whole other habit to play. You know, we just got to, the worst is behind us. We just got to keep playing, play by play, making plays. How about after the game? I mean, like player meeting, I guess. You know, it feels like kind of like an inflection to come right now. After the game, you were saying similar things, like just a couple of plays that really messed us up. We just got to keep working and work on this off-season.