Quick exit for UNC football in Quick Lane Bowl

DETROIT — They never could respond.

The team couldn’t end its season on a win. The seniors couldn’t end their careers without hung heads.

Quinshad Davis couldn’t get his record-breaking touchdown to cement his place in school record books as the program’s most productive wide receiver.

The defense couldn’t find it’s footing, even with a new defensive coordinator calling its plays.

The North Carolina football team’s regular season ended more than a month ago with a 35-7 blowout loss to N.C. State on the Kenan Stadium field in Chapel Hill. But the team’s year, which began full of hope and promise, ended Friday in the inaugural Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field, where few things could materialize for the Tar Heels (6-7, 4-4 ACC).

Rutgers (8-5, 3-5 Big Ten) left Detroit with a 40-21 win, denying the Tar Heels consecutive bowl wins after they claimed a 39-17 victory over Cincinnati in the 2013 Belk Bowl.

Coach Larry Fedora and his players had few answers for the loss after the game.

"Well, it's not the way we want to finish up a season. But, it is what it is," said Fedora, who on Friday capped off his first losing season in six years as a head coach.

"Just the whole thing was a little bit of a blur," said sophomore wide receiver Ryan Switzer. "I'm really puzzled as to why things happened to they they did today. (I) definitely didn't come to Detroit for a whole week and miss Christmas for something like this. So, pretty disappointing."

One thing that's for certain is Rutgers came to Detroit ready to play.

The Scarlett Knights opened the game with a 75-yard scoring drive that ended in a 34-yard touchdown pass from senior Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova to sophomore wide receiver Andre Patton.

Just two minutes and 17 seconds into the bowl and the Tar Heels were already forced to respond. But the mishaps came out of UNC, early and often.

Davis, who entered the game tied with former UNC wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on the school’s all-time list for career touchdown catches with 21, got the ball knocked out of his hands by Rutgers defensive back Anthony Cioffi after catching a nine-yard pass from quarterback Marquise Williams on UNC’s first drive. Rutgers’ Lorenzo Waters recovered the fumble at his team’s own 40-yard line after the Tar Heels drove into Scarlett Knight territory.

UNC, however, didn't just struggle on its first drive of the game. The Tar Heel offense's first five possessions: fumble by Davis, punt, failed fake field goal attempt, fumble by junior running back Romar Morris and a blocked 31-yard field goal attempt.

After failing to score in the first half against N.C. State, the Tar Heels again put up a goose egg on the scoreboard in the first half, even despite entering the game as a three-point favorite.

"It’s tough. Not putting up too many points. Things not going well when we expected them to, "Williams said.

While the UNC offense struggled, Rutgers' unit played with consistency the entire game behind a solid rushing attack. The Scarlett Knights had two rushers with more than 100 rushing yards on the day. And two freshmen at that. Robert Martin finished the game with 19 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns while Josh Hicks picked up 202 yards on the ground, also on 19 carries, and one touchdown.

Add the mistake-free play of Nova, who competed 9 of 20 passes for 184 yards and two touchdown throws, and the Rutgers offense couldn't be stopped by a somewhat new look UNC defense.

But while the team parted ways with associate head coach for defense Vic Koenning two weeks before the bowl, the same UNC defense that allowed the most total points to opponents in program history this season lined up on Ford Field with assistant coach Dan Disch calling the plays during the game.

"Throughout the year, our coaches have been doing their best to energize us for the games — doing what they need to do," said senior safety Tim Scott. "They’ve prepared us for these games. But, they can’t play for us."

The Tar Heels didn't get on the scoreboard until their first drive of the second half on a one-yard touchdown run from Williams, who completed 25 of his 37 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown pass, which came more than 17 minutes after UNC's first score when the redshirt junior quarterback connected with senior tight end Jack Tabb on a seven-yard pass to make the game 40-14.

Backup redshirt freshman quarterback Mitch Trubisky came in the game late in the fourth quarter and accounted for UNC's final touchdown of the game with a one-yard throw to junior wideout Kendrick Singleton.

On UNC's final offensive play of the bowl, a 4th down and 4 at the Rutgers 8-yard line, Trubisky attempted to find Davis in the end zone to break Nicks' record. Davis, however, injured his lower right leg on the play and was carted off the field with about three minutes to play.

After Friday's loss, insult came after injury. And that insult appeared take shape in UNC's own locker room.

"You can tell on a lot of guys’ faces," Williams said. "A lot of guys really don’t care."

"It’s just maturity. We’ve got guys that you can tell just don’t care," Scott echoed. "We also got guys that are just happy with us losing if they have good stats."

So, how does the North Carolina football team respond this year's disappointing, losing season that all came to end in Detroit?

Switzer has that answer — one he's directing to some of his teammates.

"Either you’re with us or you’re not."