After being frustrated by South Carolina, most experts figured that North Carolina would clobber Middle Tennessee State at home. And I suppose a 40-20 victory qualifies as a solid win.
But the game could have been much different except for a replay ruling early in the game. The game started with an unusual coin toss where the Tar Heels chose the direction the visitors would travel, allowing Middle Tennessee to take the opening kickoff and the second half kickoff.
Middle Tennessee drove right down the field and looked to score but, after looking at the replay, officials changed their ruling calling the receiver down at the half-yard line. The Tar Heel defense stiffened, throwing a runner for a two-yard loss. After a motion penalty put MTSU back at the seven, an incompletion brought up a third and goal from the seven.
Instead of MTSU getting a touchdown or even a field goal, preseason All-ACC safety Tre Boston made a brilliant one-handed interception in the end zone to change the momentum.
“Our defense bowed up on that first drive and that was huge,” UNC coach Larry Fedora said. “I was proud of the way those guys responded.”
The Tar Heels offense went to work, getting the score up to 23-0 by halftime. The offense had less success in the second half althought the Tar Heels finished with 511 offensive yards.
The first-team defense really only gave up one score as a fumble gave MTSU a short field for one score and the second-team defense gave up a TD late.
“We still have a long way to go, a lot of work to do. There were a lot of bright spots too,” Fedora said, pointing out that the defense, much-maligned last year and suspect after the Gamecocks game, ended up with four turnovers.
But had that first drive ended in a touchdown, it may have been a different story as momentum and confidence seems to count more in college athletics than in pro sports.
The Heels were playing Middle Tennessee State for the first time ever as a result of a vacation spot in the schedule caused by Minnesota pulling out of a home-and-home series with the Heels.
By the way, the Moe’s free Heels Queso deal is in effect Monday. Anytime the Tar Heels score 40 points in a game, the next day, Queso and Chips are free at any of Moe’s 16 Triangle locations.
Post-Game Notes:
• Carolina is now 1-1 overall and 1-0 at home this season. The Tar Heels are idle next week and return to action on Sept. 21st at Georgia Tech. UNC is next at home on Sept. 28th against East Carolina.
• The Tar Heels gained 511 total offense yards, the fifth time in 14 games under Larry Fedora that UNC has topped the 500-yard mark. UNC has gained at least 400 yards in 13 of Fedora’s first 14 games as head coach.
• Carolina scored 40 points, the seventh time in 14 games under head coach Larry Fedora that the Tar Heels have scored 40 or more points. Fedora’s teams are averaging 47.6 points in eight games at Kenan Stadium.
• QB Bryn Renner completed 23 of 34 for 339 yards and a touchdown. His fourth quarter scoring strike to Quinshad Davis was the 56th touchdown pass of his career, two shy of T.J. Yates (58) for second all-time at Carolina. Renner also scored his third career rushing touchdown, a 1-yard score in the first quarter.
• Renner saw his career-best streak of pass attempts without an interception snapped at 140 in the second quarter. The school record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception is 154 (Oscar Davenport, 1996-97).
• Three Tar Heels completed passes – 23 by Renner, one by tailback A.J. Blue (for 23 yards) and one by sophomore QB Marquise Williams (a 15-yard touchdown pass to Bug Howard). It was Blue’s second career completion and first since 2009. It was Williams’ second career touchdown pass. Williams also was on the receiving end of Blue’s 23-yard pass completion.
• TB Romar Morris scored his first two touchdowns of the season, a 26-yard scamper in the first quarter and a 1-yard plunge in the second. Morris had four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) as a freshman in 2012. Morris gained 46 rushing yards on 10 carries in addition to two catches for five yards.
• Freshman TB Khris Francis saw his first collegiate action and gained 42 yards on 10 carries.
• WR Sean Tapley caught four passes for a career-high 93 yards.
• Twelve different Tar Heels caught passes, including eight players who had at least one reception that gained 15 or more yards.
• WR Quinshad Davis caught his second touchdown pass of the season, an 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter. Davis has seven career touchdown receptions.
• WR Mark McNeill pulled down a 59-yard reception in the first quarter, his longest career play. Entering Saturday, McNeill had 13 career catches for 95 yards with a long of 21 yards.
• Freshman WR Bug Howard scored for the first time as a Tar Heel, hauling in a 15-yard pass from Marquise Williams in the fourth quarter.
• S Tre Boston’s interception in the end zone to snuff out a Middle Tennessee drive in the first quarter. It was Boston’s ninth career interception and his first of the season. He now has intercepted a pass in each of his four seasons as a Tar Heel.
• CB Tim Scott picked up his sixth career interception in the second quarter. Scott matched a team high with four picks in 2012.
• The Carolina defense had three interceptions (Boston, Scott, Darien Rankin) for the first time since the Idaho game in 2012.
• OT James Hurst started his team-leading 38th career game Saturday. Hurst was joined on the offensive line by C Russell Bodine (16 career starts), OG Landon Turner (six), OG Caleb Peterson (two) and OT Jon Heck (two).
• PK Thomas Moore made all four of his extra point attempts Saturday, making him a perfect 55 for 55 in his career. Combined with Casey Barth (126), Carolina has made a school-record 181 consecutive PATs. Moore also made a pair of field goals – a 39-yarder in the second quarter and a 35-yarder in the third.
• The Tar Heels scored five touchdowns, going 80, 73, 82, 75 and 43 yards respectively in the five scoring drives, an average of 71 yards per touchdown drive.
• Carolina wore an all blue uniform for just the fourth time since 2001. UNC defeated ECU 24-21 in 2001, lost to Florida State 37-0 in 2003 and lost to Duke 30-22 in 2003. All three games were in Chapel Hill.