CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina could not ship coach Mack Brown out as a winner on Saturday in his ultimate recreation.
And within the course of, the Tar Heels failed to unravel NC State once more, shedding 35-30 in significantly piercing style on this ACC soccer regular-season finale between the rivals at Kenan Stadium.
UNC held second-half leads of 13-10, 20-13, 23-20 and 30-29 late, however suffered its fourth straight loss within the rivalry. The victory secured bowl eligibility or the Wolfpack, which scored on all six of its second-half possessions and gained on Hollywood Smothers’ 2-yard landing run with 25 seconds remaining. CJ Bailey’s 44-yard cross excessive to Noah Rogers put NC State (6-6 general, 3-5 ACC) in place for the game-deciding landing.
Moments earlier, Omarion Hampton’s 47-yard landing sprint on a shovel cross from quarterback Jacolby Criswell lifted Carolina (6-6, 3-5) into the lead with 1:51 remaining within the recreation, and hinted at maybe a victorious exit for Brown. The seesawing second half contained six lead modifications and two ties.
The ACC dashing chief Hampton, who would possibly’ve performed his final recreation in faculty, piled up 263 whole yards and two touchdowns, together with 185 dashing yards. He climbed to 1,660 dashing yards on the season, simply shy of Don McCauley’s school-record season of 1,720 dashing yards from 1970. Hampton now has authored the second- and third-best dashing seasons in UNC soccer historical past, and he is as much as fourth all-time at UNC with 3,565 profession yards. He moved previous Michael Carter (3,404 profession yards) on the all-time listing.
In the third quarter, Hampton’s 75-yard landing burst put the Tar Heels forward 13-10 and Chris Culliver’s 50-yard landing catch on a bullet from Criswell gave UNC a 20-13 lead. Later, the Tar Heels led 23-20 on Noah Burnette’s quick area objective that banked in off the suitable upright, earlier than Bailey discovered an open KC Concepcion on a 13-yard landing cross, pushing the Wolfpack forward 26-23 with 8:01 remaining.
Back and forth these groups went. NC State led 7-6 at halftime, then the second half turned a shootout. UNC trailed 29-23 within the recreation’s concluding 2½ minutes, when Hampton took the shovel cross from Criswell and galloped away by means of the center of the NC State protection, vaulting the Tar Heels in entrance 30-29. Criswell completed 18-of-33 passing for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
NC State’s Bailey, the true freshman, threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, and added 54 dashing yards. Smothers had 117 whole yards for the Wolfpack, together with 83 dashing yards and two landing runs.
The 73-year-old Brown bid adieu on a day that marked his farewell after 444 profession video games as a head coach and 193 video games in command of the Tar Heels. He was dismissed 4 days in the past by athletics director Bubba Cunningham, who needed Brown to step down from the job on Friday in a resignation or retirement transfer. Brown would not comply with that, so Cunningham fired him. Brown will not coach Carolina in its bowl recreation to finish this season.
Brown’s first recreation as a university soccer head coach got here on Sept. 3, 1983, when his Appalachian State Mountaineers scored at upset victory at Wake Forest. He was 32 years previous then. His goodbye unfolded right here Saturday, all these years later throughout 4 a long time, with Brown the winningest soccer coach in UNC historical past, the longest-tenured on the college, and 6 years faraway from his induction to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Carolina begins gradual in shaky first half
Noah Burnette missed extensive proper from 43 yards on a area objective try within the ultimate minute of the primary half, and for the UNC kicker, Saturday had the look of one other nightmare right here at residence in opposition to rival NC State. Earlier within the second quarter, he yanked an extra-point kick after JJ Jones scored, because the Tar Heels continued to path at 7-6.
Carolina’s six factors by halftime marked its fewest in a primary half for the reason that 2021 season opener at Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels’ first 4 possessions on offense generated nothing constructive — zero first downs, 26 whole yards, three punts and one turnover. Criswell began simply 2-of-7 passing for 13 yards. UNC did not rating within the first quarter on Saturday, the fourth straight recreation by which the Tar Heels have been shut out throughout the first quarter.
Later within the first half, Criswell’s 17-yard landing cross to Jones lastly received UNC on the scoreboard. Jones grabbed that fast throw from Criswell on third-and-11, and scampered away, breaking two tackles. He carried a 3rd Wolfpack defender into the tip zone for the landing. But Burnette hooked the extra-point try extensive left, his first miss this season in 35 extra-point makes an attempt.
Wolfpack sack pricey for Tar Heels
NC State’s first sack of Criswell turned pricey for the Tar Heels. In the primary quarter, Wolfpack defensive finish Davin Vann zoomed previous UNC left deal with Howard Sampson and hit Criswell on the quarterback’s blind aspect. Criswell fumbled and linebacker Sean Brown recovered.
NC State took over on the Carolina 11-yard line, and after a cross interference penalty in opposition to UNC’s Kaleb Cost, Hollywood Smothers scored from 2 yards out to place the Wolfpack forward 7-0 after just a little greater than 12 minutes of recreation time.
Next on the schedule
UNC awaits its bowl task for the ultimate recreation of this 2024 season. The Tar Heels be taught their vacation spot on Sunday of subsequent weekend (Dec. 8), when faculty soccer’s bowl pairings are introduced.
Carolina will probably be making its sixth straight bowl look right here in Brown’s second stint in command of this system. Altogether, the Tar Heels will probably be enjoying of their twelfth bowl recreation throughout Brown’s 16-year tenure (from 1988-97 and 2019-24).
