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Rivalry week got a lot more interesting Tuesday.

The N.C. State-North Carolina football game was set up to be a “Misery Bowl” of sorts, between two struggling programs.

Now, the Tar Heels are playing to send lame duck coach Mack Brown out with one last home victory, while the Wolfpack is playing for bowl eligibility and a chance to hand Brown a fourth-straight rivalry loss in his final game at Kenan Stadium — something akin to Carolina basketball defeating Duke in Mike Krzyzewski’s final contest at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

UNC officials announced Brown’s departure Tuesday, effective at the end of the season. Brown, in his second stint at Carolina, will coach against N.C. State on Saturday. It is unclear whether Brown will coach the Tar Heels’ bowl game.

“What a great career. I have nothing but respect for coach Brown,” Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren said on Tuesday. “I’ve known him since I was a young assistant coach, and he’s done things the right way. He’s worked hard in this profession. He’s helped a lot of coaches, so I have a lot of respect for him. I don’t know all the ins and outs of anything I found out on the field a second ago. I do know he’s coaching in the game. As always, I look forward to coaching in this rivalry and against coach and want to wish him well.”

Offensive lineman Timothy McKay, nickelback Tamarcus Cooley and Doeren all said they don’t think the news about Brown — and the heightened emotions from the Tar Heels side — will affect the Wolfpack.

Doeren said the team expected an emotional response from UNC regardless, but he acknowledges Brown’s termination creates an additional incentive for the Heels.

“For us, we’ve got to go in there with the right frame of mind and understand that the emotions of rivalry games are great, but the execution is how you win,” Doeren said. “The fundamentals, the finish, the ball security — that’s what we’re going to be focused on.”

The announcement came one day after Brown insisted he planned to return.

“What an awful thing to be talking about me when we just played a bad game and need to beat (N.C.) State,” Brown said Monday during his weekly news conference. “I’ve got way too much to do to be worried about next week. I’m trying to beat N.C. State.”

Red has been a staple in Cooley’s closet for a while now. Rolesville, where he attended high school; Maryland, where he first attended college; and N.C. State all feature it in their main color palettes. There was a time, however, when Cooley was a baby blue kind of guy.

The first-year Wolfpack player said he grew up a UNC fan. His family members are Carolina fans and he knows a lot of guys on the team. Cooley and Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp talk almost weekly — they usually avoid football-related topics — and often go to basketball games together.

“He’s really cool,” Cooley said.

UNC recruited the local player, but he connected with N.C. State more. There are good people in Chapel Hill, he said, but Cooley felt like Carolina was “a little cocky.”

Meanwhile, McKay grew up in Raleigh and hated the Tar Heels. He first watched a rivalry game in middle school, back when interim Tulsa head coach Ryan Switzer was a receiver for Carolina.

Defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland, from Florida, said, “I just don’t like UNC like, that’s just how it is.”

N.C. State is 7-4 in the rivalry under Doeren. Brown earned victories in 2019 and 2020 but has not won since.

The Wolfpack looks to spoil senior day for UNC’s players, and now its head coach, looking for a fourth consecutive win. It won at least four straight rivalry games twice in program history (1988-92, 2007-11) when the team won five in a row. It has won three consecutive games another four times.

“We talked about that in the team meeting yesterday. Getting a four in a row is a legacy thing,” McKay said. “We talked about 70 years from now, just thinking about, ‘Wow we beat them four times in a row over here.’ It’s big for us. That’s the plan this weekend.

“Going out there this last time, my sixth year, dominating them is going to be really fun. I’m excited.”

If you’re looking for a holiday gift, two North Carolina shops might have you covered.

Paper Skyscraper in Charlotte joins DECO Raleigh on a list of the nation’s 50 best places to buy presents ahead of Christmas.

“The holidays are coming to town,” the review website Yelp wrote in its Nov. 4 report. “We’ve made a list, checked it twice, and have compiled the top 50 shops to find a gift this holiday season.”

To determine the fan favorites, Yelp said it studied gift shops across the country. It “ranked those spots based on the volume and ratings of reviews” from Elite users who are active on the platform.

Of the North Carolina stores that earned spots on the list, Paper Skyscraper in Charlotte ranked highest at No. 3. The store landed a top spot after it received praise on Yelp for boasting a selection of gifts that appeal to people with different tastes, helping it earn 4.7 out of 5 stars.

“This recognition highlights our commitment to offering a unique and curated selection of gifts that cater to all tastes,” the shop wrote in an Instagram post. “We are super grateful for our loyal customers and the Yelp community for this honor.”

Though Paper Skyscraper also has a presence in uptown Charlotte, Yelp highlighted the location in the Dilworth neighborhood. The business, located on East Boulevard, said it sells books, home decor, greeting cards and other gift items.

Also ranking among the nation’s favorite holiday shops is DECO Raleigh, which landed in the No. 37 spot. From its location on South Salisbury Street in downtown Raleigh, the store sells items ranging from clothing to gourmet foods and home decor.

“When you come to visit, be sure to take a look at Raleigh’s first parklet just outside our doors and enjoy the gorgeous sidewalk mural by Jenn Hales (also Raleigh’s first) — they are love letters from DECO to our home city,” the shop wrote on its website. “When you step in to the store, you might be greeted with a mimosa or a cookie.”

On Yelp, some customers were fans of “unique” gifts they found during the holiday season, helping the shop earn 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The nation’s top-ranked holiday shop was Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon.

52-year-old Earl Lamont Taylor worked with Quentin Jackson, a former N.C. State basketball player, and Edward Whitaker to obtain fraudulent loans, according to court records and trial evidence.

A Raleigh man and business owner pled guilty to a bank fraud and wire fraud scheme that totaled nearly $300,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Act (PPP) COVID-19 loans.

52-year-old Earl Lamont Taylor, a basketball scout and life coach, worked with Quentin Jackson – a former N.C. State basketball player – and Edward Whitaker to obtain fraudulent PPP loans, according to court records and evidence presented at the trial.

Jackson pled guilty in November 2022 and Whitaker pled guilty in January 2023.

This fraud was part of a multimillion-dollar national scheme. To date, more than 30 defendants have pled guilty and 26 have been sentenced.

"While most of us were trying to help our neighbors navigate a global pandemic, this talent scout and ‘life coach’ was helping himself to relief funds," said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. "We will continue to investigate and prosecute those that choose fraud over goodwill."

After Jackson connected Taylor with Whitaker, Taylor applied for and received loans for two businesses, Get Me Recruited, LLC (a basketball scouting and tournament staging business) and Changing the Game Life Coach (a life coaching service for young athletes).

The total received for both loans was $291,665.50, and Taylor paid Whitaker $72,917.24 for his assistance. Taylor also cashed alleged "payroll" checks for Jackson on Jackson’s PPP loans, trial evidence showed.

Information presented at the trial showed that Get Me Recruited, LLC did have business in 2019 and 2020, but employees listed on the loan application testified that they never made more than $2,000 per year and were not regularly salaried employees. The loan application submitted by Taylor listed their annual salaries as being between $110,145 and $128,416.

Changing the Game Life Coach did not appear to have any meaningful business during the relevant period. Employees testified that they had never done any work for the company, and the bank account associated with the business was only open to receive the loan disbursement.

Taylor faces up to 30 years in prison.

Other defendants that have been sentenced in the broader "Loanstarters" PPP scheme involving Edward Whitaker include:

The following defendants are awaiting sentencing:

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Two Raleigh men have pleaded guilty to bilking the federal government out of over $1 million of COVID relief money in separate schemes, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

Earl Lamont Taylor pleaded guilty Monday to charges of bank and wire fraud tied to his life coaching and basketball scouting businesses, according to a DOJ news release. Working with two other men, Taylor received $291,665.50 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans, the release said.

Taylor’s recruiting company was in business in 2019 and 2020, but the employees he listed on his loan application made about $2,000 a year, far from the hundreds of thousands of dollars he claimed they received, according to the release. His purported life coaching business appeared to never have been in operation; its associated bank account was only open to receive the loan payment, the release said.

“Lamont Taylor ran a business scouting players who hustled on the court, but ran his own hustle off the court, fraudulently securing over $300,000 in PPP relief funds,” U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. said in the release. “While most of us were trying to help our neighbors navigate a global pandemic, this talent scout and ‘life coach’ was helping himself to relief funds.”

Similarly, Wilson Alfredo Olivera Borda pleaded guilty last week to multiple charges after receiving nine PPP loans for five companies in 2020 and 2021, according to a DOJ release. He falsely claimed each business had substantial employees and operations and submitted fabricated tax returns supporting his applications.

▪ Two companies, The Insurance Centers.Com and The Insurance Centers LLC, were not separate businesses, but trade names used by a different company for which Olivera Borda had already received COVID relief funding, the release stated.

▪ The other three, Realty Vestors LLC, US-Kaizen LLC, and Ecobuild LLC, had little or no operations and no employees.

After getting the loans, Olivera Borda made additional false claims to obtain forgiveness. Ultimately, all nine loans were fully forgiven and paid off by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“This businessman pocketed over $1 million in PPP relief funds by submitting bogus tax returns suggesting his business had legitimate operations and employees,” Easley said in the release. “When the FBI dug in, the house of cards came tumbling down.”

Both men face up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.

In late March, the Internal Revenue Service announced it had investigated 1,644 tax and money laundering cases related to COVID fraud potentially totaling $8.9 billion, with well over half of the cases opened in the past year.

As of Feb. 29, 795 people have been indicted for alleged COVID-related crimes and 373 people have been sentenced to an average of 2 years and 10 months in prison. During the last four years, Criminal Investigation, the agency that investigates IRS code violations, had a 98.5% conviction rate in prosecuted COVID fraud cases, according to the IRS.

“In the last year alone, we have opened nearly 700 new COVID fraud investigations that collectively add up to $5 billion in potential fraud,” Criminal Investigation Chief Guy Ficco said in an IRS news release.

“While COVID may no longer be top of mind to the average American when they wake up, the fraud committed through these different programs is very much top of mind to CI,” he said. “Our special agents continue to seek out fraudsters who stole money from government loan programs for their personal gain.”

This story was originally published November 26, 2024, 8:32 AM.

T.A. McLendon smashed into the line, the referee raised his arms and everyone thought it was over.

Touchdown, N.C. State. The Wolfpack was going to beat North Carolina.

High above Kenan Stadium that October night in 2004, a News & Observer sportswriter was quickly putting a top on his story, to be filed when the game ended. The Kenan scoreboards read 30-30 and all that was needed was a successful extra point to make it a 31-30 Wolfpack comeback victory.

The sportswriter glanced up from his laptop to see the kick, only to see a discussion going on among the game officials. What the …?

“They’re saying T.A.’s knee was down before he scored,” someone said in the press box.

Side judge Rick Page made that call. After the initial TD signal by head linesman Mike Owens, Page ran in to argue his case, the officials huddled, and Page won out. The knee was down.

No touchdown, N.C. State. Take the points off the board.

The ball was spotted inside the 1-yard line with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Wolfpack quarterback Jay Davis would later say when he walked up under center for the next play, he thought of “pulling a Bart Starr” and quickly getting off a quarterback sneak to win it like the old Green Bay Packers QB did to the Dallas Cowboys in the famous “Ice Bowl” NFL title game.

Call it a fleeting thought. Davis had T.A. McLendon behind him. The call was a handoff to the big tailback and Davis was going to run the play as called. McLendon would bang his way in and that would be that.

“How are you going to stop T.A. from a half a yard?” Mick Mixon, then the UNC radio analyst, said on the broadcast.

Again, more banging on the laptop in the press box. “On his second try, McLendon did get the ball over the goal line and …”

McLendon fumbled.

Trying to leap over the pile instead of bulldozing his way in, McLendon had the ball jarred loose by UNC’s Khalif Mitchell and Kareen Taylor recovered for the Heels with six seconds left.

North Carolina was going to beat N.C. State.

Then, the controversy, which lasts to this day and surely will talked about again this week, 20 years later.

Wolfpack fans will always believe “T.A. was in” and scored on the first carry. The ref had his hands up, didn’t he? UNC fans don’t really care — the Tar Heels won the game on the McLendon fumble, 30-24.

“I know we were cheated,” McLendon told the N&O in 2014.

There were no official video replays or reviews then, although it was being planned for the 2005 season. Video of the play would be provided by WTVD, ABC11 in Durham.

As the N&O sportswriter left the press box to go to the UNC locker room, sharing the elevator with quarterback recruit Cam Sexton, the thought was that Rick Page should hope that any video of the play clearly showed his call was correct.

Otherwise, wrath from Wolfpackers.

Nope. The ABC11 clip was not conclusive.

UNC coach John Bunting later said his team’s game film showed McLendon’s knee went down at the 2-yard line. He did not make the video available.

The Pack had 30 first downs, 304 yards rushing and 577 yards in total offense in the game. And lost.

After the game, Pack coach Chuck Amato said of the fumble, “The ball was on the six-inch line. Doggone, if you’ve rushed for 300 yards, you ought to be able to get six inches.”

The Pack didn’t get it. N.C. State would go on to finish 5-6 that season.

The N&O’s Sunday sports headline the next day: “UNC Wins By A Knee.”

In the Kenan press box that Saturday night, a rewritten story was being filed to the N&O:

“For N.C. State, it will always be remembered for the T.A. McLendon touchdown that wasn’t. For North Carolina, the game Saturday at Kenan Stadium will be remembered for the McLendon fumble that was …”

(Chip Alexander covered the 2004 game for the News & Observer)

This story was originally published November 26, 2024, 6:00 AM.

The News & Observer

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In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.