North Carolina Comes Back in Fourth Quarter to topple South Carolina in Season Opener
Charlotte, N.C. – It’s a football ritual for players, coaches and fans to hold four fingers to the sky at the end of the third quarter.
For the North Carolina Tar Heels, they trailed the South Carolina Gamecocks, their border foe, 20-9 with the ball on the Gamecocks 29-yard line.
The Tar Heels lost seven games last season by 10 points or less. But today, North Carolina manufactured 15 unanswered points to topple their cross-border rival 24-20 in the 2019 Belk Kickoff.
During the explosive fourth quarter, the Tar Heel offense capped off a seven-play, 98-yard drive with a 22-yard passing touchdown from true freshman quarterback Sam Howell to junior wide receiver Dyami Brown.
The Charlotte native attempted a one-handed grab, but he tipped the ball back to himself and corraled it with two hands for the score. Howell rushed in for a two-point conversion on the ensuing play to make the game 20-17, in South Carolina’s, with 14:23 left in the game.
The Tar Heels offense trotted back onto the field at their own 5-yard line with 8:26 left in the game after the defense forced the Gamecocks to punt.
Consecutive 20-plus-yard throws and catches from Howell and junior wide receiver Dazz Newsome brought the ball to the Gamecocks’ 35-yard line.
North Carolina found the endzone for the game-winning score three plays later with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Howell to junior wide receiver Beau Corrales.
The converted point-after-attempt put the Tar Heels up 24-20 with 8:26 left.
A three-and-out and two interceptions from South Carolina senior quarterback Jake Bentley to North Carolina junior strong safety Myles Wolfolk characterized their first three possessions after The Tar Heels took control of the lead.
But, bad time management by the Tar Heels gave South Carolina a final, desperation drive from North Carolina’s 47-yard line with 11 ticks left on the clock.
North Carolina head coach Mack Browned burned a timeout seeing South Carolina’s formation.
On the last play of the game, defensive newcomer, junior linebacker Chazz Surratt, and veteran junior linebacker Tomon Fox sacked Bentley for a 10-yard loss.
Key Players
North Carolina junior strong safety Myles Wolfolk: tallied six total tackles, three solo and three assisted, and two interceptions with 33 interception return yards.
North Carolina freshman quarterback Sam Howell: went 15-24 for 245 yards passing and two touchdowns passing.
North Carolina Sophomore running back Javonte Williams: had 18 rush attempts for 102 yards rushing.
What’s Next
South Carolina looks to bounce back at home against Charleston Southern University at noon on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The Tar Heels will host Miami (FL) for an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coastal Division matchup Saturday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m.
(Feature photo courtesy of Landon Bost)