Mack Brown is back, and the hype train for the new era of UNC football is hitting full steam after freshman quarterback Sam Howell led the Tar Heels to a thrilling 24-20 comeback victory on Saturday in Charlotte over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
All offseason long, Brown and the coaching staff placed an enormous emphasis on closing out games—pinpointing one of the major issues the team has dealt with over the last two seasons.
A conservative approach on offense early in the game put the Tar Heels (1-0) down 20-9 entering the fourth quarter, but everything changed when offensive coordinator Phil Longo finally took the training wheels off UNC’s new freshman sensation and let him put the ball in the air. Howell led back-to-back touchdown drives of over 95 yards in the final period, capped with beautiful scoring tosses to Dyami Brown and Beau Corrales.
For the game, Howell finished with 245 yards through the air and, most importantly, he did not throw a single interception.
Michael Carter was one of three UNC running backs to gain at least 50 yards on the ground against South Carolina. (AP Photo/Neil Redmond)
It was quite the coming out party for the man who is expected to be the face of the UNC football program for years to come, as he was the driving force in the Tar Heels getting their first win over South Carolina since 1991.
“In the second half, we said we’re gonna have to let him go,” Mack Brown said after the game, about Howell. “We’re gonna have to move him around more. Because he’s really, really effective when he gets outside the pocket.
“It was obvious today,” the coach continued. “That Sam’s a special player.”
The second score came with just over eight minutes remaining, and put the new-look Tar Heel defense under the spotlight.
Having played incredibly well all game long, they kept that same composure in the clutch—with safety Myles Wolfolk intercepting two passes by South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley in those final eight minutes.
While it was Howell and the offense who stole the headlines with their late-game heroics, it was the strong defensive effort that put the final nail in the coffin.
“I thought we tackled much better in the second half,” Brown said. “We didn’t get pressure on the quarterback until late, but in the fourth quarter we really stepped it up and started harassing [Bentley.] And he’s not as good when you make him move out of the pocket.”
The UNC defense provided plenty of reasons for optimism with its performance on Saturday. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
As one might expect, the emotions were flying high once the clock hit triple zeroes.
Many UNC players took to the sidelines to celebrate with fans and their head coach had to choke back tears during his postgame TV interview with ESPN.
Not since 1997 had the Tar Heels beaten an opponent from a Power Five conference in the season opener, which dates back to Brown’s first tenure with the team.
With the Hall-of-Famer back in the fold—and results like this one starting to come to fruition—it’s safe to say now that the Hall-of-Famer might be selling a little more than just hope.
“Tonight really reinforces what we’ve been selling over the last 10 months,” Brown said. “Because you can win the offseason, but it doesn’t continue unless you win in the season. That’s why this was such a huge win tonight.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will have their home opener at Kenan Stadium in primetime next Saturday night, as they host the Miami Hurricanes at 8 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Howell took over the fourth quarter, but it was UNC’s dynamic trio of running backs that largely carried the offense. Javonte Williams led the way with 102 yards on 18 carries, while Michael Carter added 77 on 16 touches and Antonio Williams chipped in 53 yards with his four carries.
- UNC piled up 483 total yards of offense, while holding South Carolina to just 270.
- Former Tar Heel quarterback Chazz Surratt made his debut at middle linebacker and was impressive, totaling a team-high 12 tackles to go along with a sack and a pass breakup.
Cover photo via Associated Press
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