With 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, UNC kicker Grayson Atkins nailed a 50-yard field goal to give the Tar Heels a 30-21 lead over NC State. With the Wolfpack needing two scores and having only one timeout left, it appeared Carolina would be nabbing their third win in a row over NC State, and spoiling their rivals’ hopes for an Atlantic Division crown.
Well, it didn’t quite turn out that way.
When the clock hit zero, the Wolfpack celebrated a 34-30 win, having scored two touchdowns in 26 seconds to stun Carolina and send the Tar Heels to their sixth loss of the season.
“What a great game, if you didn’t care who won,” said a despondent Mack Brown after the game.
After UNC sacked NC State quarterback Devin Leary on the first play following Atkins’ kick, Leary heaved a bomb to a wide open Emeka Emezie, who pranced into the end zone to cut UNC’s lead to two points.
On the ensuing onside kick, Carolina couldn’t handle the loose ball, allowing the Wolfpack to recover near midfield. With assists from two 15-yard penalties on the UNC defense, NC State quickly moved the ball down the field, setting up Leary to find Emezie on another touchdown pass to give the Wolfpack the lead.
Though Sam Howell got UNC to within range of a short Hail Mary play as time expired, his pass fell into the arms of a Wolfpack defender to send Carter-Finley Stadium into a frenzy. The heartbreaking result put an unfortunate capper on a disappointing UNC season, one which started out with a Top 10 ranking, and ended with NC State fans storming the field at Carolina’s expense.
“I think the biggest thing that… caught us is getting too excited when we made that field goal,” said senior linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel. “It’s like we won the national championship. We acted like we’d never been there before. We need to get some maturity, and understand that it ain’t over until that clock hits zero.”
The loss snaps Carolina’s brief two-game winning streak over the Wolfpack, and head coach Mack Brown’s personal seven-game winning streak against them. UNC was also on the verge of winning three straight games against NC State for the first time since 2004-06.
The Tar Heels finish the season with a 6-6 record overall and 3-5 mark in ACC play. They will be invited to a bowl game for the third consecutive season, but it will pale in comparison to the program’s Orange Bowl berth a year ago.
“We’ve gotta learn how to finish games,” Brown told reporters. “This one was so much like Pittsburgh. And it goes back to the head coach, because [the players] have got to believe in themselves enough, and be disciplined enough that they finish games like this. So it’s on me. Those kids really played hard, and I feel bad for them. They played their absolute guts out, like they did at Pittsburgh. Somebody’s gonna get a good bowl team.”
Whether the bowl game will see Howell play or not remains to be seen. One Tar Heel likely to play in that game will be senior running back British Brooks, who has burst into life in the team’s last two games. Brooks finished with 15 carries for 124 yards on the night against the Wolfpack, a week after rushing for two touchdowns against Wofford on Senior Day. Howell also reached the end zone twice on the ground.
“I’m proud of the effort our guys gave,” Brown said. “I’m proud that we ran the ball against a defense that had been stopping the run so much. British Brooks played really, really well. Sam Howell’s a fighter. He competes at all times. But we dropped two or three touchdown passes, and just absolutely let one go at the end.”
Before kickoff, UNC fans may have found it difficult to envision the program dipping lower than it has in a lost season, but after what transpired in Raleigh, no one in light blue (or cherry red, for that matter) will ever forget those fateful 2:12.
Up Next
UNC will receive its bowl invitation next Sunday, December 5.
Game Notes
- Sam Howell threw a third quarter touchdown pass to Justin Olson, meaning he’s thrown a touchdown in every game he’s played as a Tar Heel.
- Receiver Josh Downs finished with eight catches for 75 yards, and has now set single-season school records in both statistics (98 catches, 1,273 yards).
- Running back Ty Chandler carried the ball just six times, his lowest total of the season.
- Before Friday night, teams this season had been 0-451 when trailing by nine points in the final 2:30 of a game. NC State was the first team to win in such a scenario. Or rather, UNC was the first winning team to lose.
Featured image via The News & Observer
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