It was déjà vu for the UNC football team on Saturday night in front of an electric sold-out crowd at Kenan Stadium, as true freshman quarterback Sam Howell led a game-winning drive in the final minutes to deliver the Tar Heels (2-0, 1-0 ACC) a stunning 28-25 victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
Howell’s nine-yard touchdown pass to junior Dazz Newsome with just over a minute remaining provided the difference on the scoreboard, capping a 75-yard drive that came directly after a Miami touchdown on the other end gave the Hurricanes their first lead of the night.
Miami (0-2, 0-1 ACC) managed to drive the ball far enough for a chance to tie the game with a 48-yard field goal, but Bubba Baxa’s attempt missed wide left—sending the Tar Heel faithful into a frenzy.
Fans making their way out of the stadium afterwards—fresh off witnessing their new quarterback lead his second fourth-quarter comeback win in his second game—couldn’t help but to break into a loud “Mack is back” chant on the concourse.
Javonte Williams celebrates after giving UNC a 17-3 lead late in the first quarter. He finished the game as the Tar Heels’ leading rusher with 76 yards on 10 carries. (Photo via Dakota Moyer)
It was just the latest sign that Howell and the return of head coach Mack Brown have rejuvenated the Tar Heel fanbase in a way that words can’t do justice for.
The freshman finished the night with 274 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. On top of that, Howell also caught a pass for 18 yards early in the game and converted a critical 4th-and-17 throw on UNC’s final drive that kept hope alive.
“He’s got ice in his veins,” Brown told reporters after the game about his quarterback. “He’s very confident. The weirdest thing about him, he gets sacked or he throws a touchdown pass—you can’t tell a difference in his demeanor.”
Outside linebacker Tomon Fox, who led the Tar Heel defense with three sacks in the game, echoed Brown’s sentiments when asked about the new star quarterback
“Oh, that boy cold,” Fox said. “He bad, you know what I’m saying. Our offense is already hot, but with the addition of Sam, he’s like the fuel to the fire. He got out there and everything just clicks.”
The atmosphere was alive right from the get-go, with UNC sprinting out to a 17-3 lead through the first quarter. A 62-yard bomb from Howell to Dyami Brown gave the Tar Heels their first touchdown, representing the longest pass to date for Howell’s young career.
Miami’s touchdown with 4:08 remaining forced UNC to put together another game-winning drive. (Photo via Dakota Moyer)
As the game wore on, Miami’s defense started to give UNC problems—especially in the running game. While the Tar Heels stalled out, the Hurricanes made a slow comeback before finally taking the lead late.
In previous years, this would have spelled doom for UNC. This year, however, is starting to feel different.
Howell and Brown are beginning to create belief that the fourth quarter can be a time where the Tar Heels steal victories rather than give them away. This has caused the excitement around the team—both inside and outside—to keep on growing.
Now through two games not many expected them to win, the Tar Heels have already matched last season’s win total. Brown’s job at this point is to make sure his team stays focused and fixes the mistakes they’ve made to keep the wins coming.
“This is two nobody expected us to win,” Brown said. “Now we’ll start having a little bit more conversation about, ‘We’ve got a chance to be decent.’
“I heard some ‘Oh, top 25’ in the dressing room, and I said ‘No, don’t go there brother, you just barely won this game,’” the coach continued. “But I do think we have a chance to keep getting better.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will now get ready to travel to Winston-Salem on Friday, Sept. 13 for a showdown with Wake Forest. Although the Demon Deacons are in the ACC, the league schedule only pits the in-state foes against one another once every seven years–which led to this game being scheduled as a non-conference affair.
Game Notes:
- In a not-so-subtle attempt at trolling its opponent, UNC honored former kicker Connor Barth (2004-07) during the first half. As a freshman in 2004, Barth kicked the game-winning field goal in UNC’s upset of Miami at Kenan Stadium.
- Sophomore Javonte Williams was once again the Tar Heels’ leading rusher, carrying the ball 10 times for 76 yards and a touchdown.
- Miami tallied 488 yards of offense compared to 389 for UNC.
Cover photo via Dakota Moyer
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