CHARLOTTE — When North Carolina’s Ryan Switzer returned to the locker room after Saturday’s 45-37 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship football game, a message on his phone confirmed what the Tar Heels already suspected.
In a group text with the UNC receivers who didn’t make the trip to Bank of America Stadium, a shared image indicated the Tar Heels should have had possession of the ball after recovering an onside kick with about a minute left. But controversy arose.
North Carolina cut the deficit to eight with 1:13 left on a touchdown reception by Switzer. After recovering the onside kick near midfield, it looked like the team had a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion.
But a penalty flag was thrown. An offside call was made. The UNC sideline, once celebratory, erupted in frustration.
The Tigers recovered the subsequent onside kick, and they ran the clock out on the game and the Tar Heels’ shot at a spot in the College Football Playoff. Switzer returned to the locker room, where he saw the picture showing UNC hadn’t been offside and the play should have stood.
“It sucks,” the junior receiver said. “You never want to leave the game in the ref’s hands, but we did everything we were supposed to do on that play. We executed it correctly, and we recovered the ball.
“I heard the referee say he could have picked three guys who were offsides, but when you look at the replay, guys are almost a foot behind the line when the ball is kicked. So it’s head-scratching.”
For the No. 8 Tar Heels, who trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half, the penalty wasn’t the defining factor in the defeat. But the idea of a lost opportunity weighed heavily during postgame interviews.
Coach Larry Fedora saw a replay of the onside kick before talking to reporters, and he didn’t shy away from sharing his opinion when asked about the penalty.
