Nov. 13, 2001

By Mick Mixon, Tar Heel Sports Network

"I don't want to hear any reports that we are holding our position. We're not holding on to anything except the Hun and we're gonna hold them by the ears and kick 'em in the ass. We're gonna kick 'em in the ass all the time and we're gonna go through 'em like crap through a goose!" General George S. Patton's address to the United States 3rd Army in the motion picture, "Patton."

That quote explains how the Tar Heels lost the second half 32-7 on Saturday and lost the game to Wake Forest, 32-31.

Carolina forged a two-dozen point lead by trying to steamroll the Deacons and lost the game trying to hold their position.

Did you see it? Did you feel it? The Tar Heel team that played the first and second quarters was an attacking, aggressive, determined, goal-setting, purposeful unit. They played offense to GET points and they got them! They played defense to create havoc, inflict pain and force three-and-outs and they were successful!

But in the second half, with a win nearly secured, the Carolina players, the fans in attendance, and perhaps even the coaches, got caught up in the dangerous, defensive undertow of the human mind. Once in the grip of this curious psychological riptide, we no longer play to win in a route. Instead, we stupidly abandon the very principles and strategies that created the advantage in the first place and suddenly play to merely protect that advantage.

In that "let's not mess this up" froth, play-calling can become less daring, tacklers can get tentative, and the excitement level can drop off. The opponent, sensing all of this, gets happy and begins to take mental possesion of victory. Then, in some cases, the team trying to hold their position can be joined by an unwanted, non-productive intruder, Self-doubt.

Dean Smith used to tell his players to do three things if they made a mistake. Admit it, learn from it, and forget it.

Football, like no other team sport, rewards aggression, courage and enthusiasm. And, like no other team sport, football penalizes the conservative, the timid and the risk-averse.

So what is there to be learned from the Wake Forest loss?

Simply this: In athletics and in life, don't try to hold your position. Improve it.

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