ATLANTA — It was a perfect first collegiate touchdown for North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer.
An 82-yard reception and sprint into a wide-open end zone with a trio of Georgia Tech defenders chasing behind is more than the wide receiver could have hoped for.
But as the referee’s whistle sounded shrilly through Bobby Dodd Stadium early in the third quarter, Switzer’s and the North Carolina football team’s hopes of escaping Atlanta with a statement win deflated, and the momentum began to shift toward the home team, never to return to the Tar Heels.
With a holding call on redshirt freshman Jon Heck, the touchdown was brought back, forcing UNC (1-2, 0-1 ACC) back deep into its own territory and spiraling toward its 10th ACC opening loss in the last 11 years.
And after the penalty, UNC didn’t come close to putting any additional points on the board, eventually losing to Georgia Tech (3-0, 2-0 ACC) 28-20.
“I think that was a little problem we had, trying to get over that missed call on that touchdown call that we should have had,” sophomore running back Romar Morris said.
After the game, coach Larry Fedora said he hoped the penalty didn’t affect his players’ mentality, but his team’s second-half performance suggests otherwise.
The Tar Heels failed to score in the second half, and quarterback Bryn Renner’s first half production slowed to 40 yards passing and an interception after completing 10 of 20 passes for 178 yards in the first half. The Tar Heels failed to convert their four third down conversions in the second half and only maintained possession for 7 minutes 21 seconds of the final 30 minutes.
“We talk about (overcoming) adversity all the time,” Fedora said. “You jut have to put it behind you and move on. If it is affecting us mentally, then we’re doing a poor job dealing with the adversity.”
