By the first week of October 1990, it was apparent that Mack Brown as a coach and Natrone Means as tailback had some potential.
Brown, 39, had been throttled in his first two years as Carolina's head coach with a 2-20 record, but his ability in recruiting, discipline and establishing a healthy culture beyond Saturday afternoons was apparent, buying him time with university administration.
Means, 18, stood 5-foot-10, 230 pounds and was a freshman feeling his way through the myriad of university life and Division 1 football. He brought an immense array of skills from his home in Harrisburg, most notably a remarkable blend of speed (he was clocked at 4.