In a wild Saturday night shootout, North Carolina got in the last shot.
The Tar Heels scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds to give North Carolina a 48-43 win over Georgia Tech in a game in which touchdowns were scored on 13 of the game’s 23 possessions, no scoring drive measuring less than 52 yards.
In a game vividly reminiscent of Tech’s 68-50 win over the Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium two years ago, the two teams combined for 1,190 yards of offense, including 611 for Tech. The lead changed hands five times, one too many for the Jackets.
The Tar Heels’ game-winning drive began with 3:07 to play and Tech leading 43-42 after wide receiver DeAndre Smelter scored on a 75-yard reverse. North Carolina drove 75 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a two-yard run by running back T.J. Logan with 11 seconds remaining on a first-and-goal play.
They were the last of the 579 yards that North Carolina accumulated, 390 in the air as quarterback Marquise Williams completed 38 of 47 passes with four touchdowns, setting a school record for completions.
On the Jackets’ final possession, Tech quarterback Justin Thomas attempted two desperation pass plays, both incomplete. Thomas completed eight of 18 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 209.1.
Tech (5-2 overall, 2-2 ACC) dropped its second game in a row after starting out the season 5-0. The Jackets’ pursuit of the ACC Coastal Division title took a hit in the process. With four ACC games remaining, it may be necessary for the Jackets to run the table against Pittsburgh, Virginia, N.C. State and Clemson and possibly require some help, namely two more losses by Duke and another by North Carolina (3-4, 1-2).
Tech will go to Pittsburgh next Saturday, the Jackets’ first visit there since 1920, to correct its course.
The Jackets’ five-game winning streak against North Carolina also came to an end.
It has been the season for reversing trends. In successive games, the Jackets beat Virginia Tech to end a four-game losing streak to the Hokies, defeated Miami to stop their five-game losing streak to the Hurricanes and then last week lost to the Blue Devils to end a 10-game winning streak, leading to Saturday’s streak-killer.
In a game in which every possession mattered, Tech handcuffed itself early with a turnover after a fumble on a poor pitch by Thomas on the opening drive, and then on the third drive, when a false-start by tackle Errin Joe negated a five-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 from the UNC 5-yard line and forced a field goal.
Tech’s desperation was clear. Down 35-31 with 14:50 to play in the fourth quarter, coach Paul Johnson elected to try an onside kick. Kicker Harrison Butker dribbled the ball forward and just missed recovering it himself, instead giving the Tar Heels the ball on their 48-yard line.
On the ensuing drive, Tech managed to get the Tar Heels to third down, and then forced fourth down by sending six men in a blitz at Williams, resulting in a sack and one-yard loss. The Tar Heels faced fourth-and-6 from the Tech 36-yard line. In a bit of a no man’s land – the Tar Heels’ longest field goal this season is 23 yards – coach Larry Fedora chose to go for the first down.
Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof, loathe to blitz, dialed up the pressure. He sent seven defenders at Williams, a high-risk gamble. Williams dropped back in the face of pressure and threw down the left sideline for wide Mack Hollins, who leapt high over cornerback D.J. White for the ball inside the 5-yard line and scored with relative ease, pushing North Carolina’s lead to 42-31 with 12:34 remaining in the game.
However, Tech responded again, driving 72 yards in just nine plays, scoring on B-back Zach Laskey’s 14-yard touchdown run. The Jackets failed to score on a two-point try – they were 0-for-2 last week against Duke on two-point attempts – to leave the score at 42-37 with an even eight minutes to play.
And, finally, the Tech defense asserted itself, forcing just its third punt when the Tar Heels came up short on third-and-11 from their 48-yard line. It ended a spree in which North Carolina scored touchdowns on six of seven possessions on drives averaging 69 yards.
On the next drive, Tech was saddled by a clipping penalty on A-back Charles Perkins, giving the Jackets a first-and-25 from their 25-yard line. On the play, Thomas ran right on an apparent option play, but then flipped the ball to Smelter, running from right to left. He caught the toss in stride and ran 75 yards down an alley down the left sideline to give Tech a 43-42 lead with 3:07 to play.
It proved to be too successful a play, giving the Tar Heels ample time for one last score.
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