Afternoon delight

RALEIGH - This, they'd seen before.

Two seasons ago, North Carolina put up a valiant effort to hang tough for one half at Carter-Finley Stadium before a blown coverage paved the way for an N.C. State touchdown and eventual rout.

Faced with a similar situation Saturday, however, the Tar Heels wouldn't let that happen. With a quarterback who suddenly couldn't miss and defenders who suddenly wouldn't relent, North Carolina stormed back from the brink of disaster for a 31-24 win.

"They have confidence, they believe that they can win and they prepare well," said UNC coach John Bunting. "As long as you do those things, you always have a chance."

But early in the third quarter it didn't appear the Tar Heels (1-2, 1-1 in the ACC) had a chance.

N.C. State quarterback Jay Davis found a wide-open T.J. Williams for an easy 39-yard touchdown and a 24-14 lead, and the Wolfpack (1-2, 0-2) appeared to be cruising to a repeat of 2003.

To make matters worse, a short run and an incomplete pass left North Carolina facing a critical third down deep in its own territory. Quarterback Matt Baker hadn't completed a pass in nearly 17 minutes of action, and his receivers showed no signs of coming to his rescue any time soon.

And with seven yards to go for the first down, the senior had to throw the ball.

"When you're in second-and-long, third-and-long, it's a pass," he said. "Everyone in the stadium knows it's a pass."

With his receivers spread wide and his offensive line providing perfect protection, Baker stepped forward and rifled an 11-yard pass to Mike Mason across the middle.

First down, and the Tar Heels were back in business. Three complete passes and three Barrington Edwards runs later, they scored a tide-turning touchdown.

"Maybe they thought, 'We've got 'em now. We've got 'em now,'" said Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato. "But we didn't. That's why the game lasts 60 minutes."

And after the UNC defense forced a punt on the next drive, Baker and Edwards combined again for a methodical march down the field. This time, Baker found tight end Jon Hamlett for a 10-yard touchdown reception and a lead the Tar Heels would not relinquish.

"This team's been close, our offense has been close," Baker said. "But close doesn't count in football. - To come out with a victory is big for this team."

And as if the need for a victory wasn't enough, several unfriendly exchanges before the game served to fire up the Tar Heels even more.

The North Carolina linebackers knelt for a prayer at the end of the ramp to the N.C. State locker room nearly an hour before kickoff, and a tussle ensued when a group of Wolfpack players charged onto the field and right through the group of Tar Heels.

"I guess we were in their way," linebacker Tommy Richardson said afterward with a smile. "That's all I can say."

Mason engaged in a shoving match of his own with N.C. State wide receiver Tramain Hall while the pair were practicing special-teams situations with their respective teams.

"He was catching a punt, and he tried to come by and bump me," Mason said. "I let him know I ain't no punk on this field, and we can go at it if you want to go at it.

"I just told him to wait for the game because we've got something for them."

Mason would have the last laugh, as he finished with three receptions for 61 yards - including the game-changing catch in the third quarter.

"As a receiving group, we knew we had to make plays," Mason said. "We're a major part of this team, and when we make plays, we get the offense rolling."

The offense still wasn't spectacular. Baker finished the game with 177 yards on 13-of-23 passing, and as Bunting wryly pointed out of his team's rushing average, "We're not going to hang our hat on rushing the football for 2.9 per carry."

But the Tar Heels did just enough to win. They took advantage of a multitude of N.C. State mistakes - the multitude of flags thrown against the Wolfpack included a 15-yard late-hit penalty to set up Baker's touchdown pass to Hamlett.

"Point the finger right here at me," Amato said. "Don't point it at my players. Point it at me."

By the time the Tar Heels swatted Davis' final desperation heave in the end zone, their fingers were pointed into the air in celebration of the team's most improbable road win in recent memory.

"We came up with a big, big victory today," Bunting said. "I'm hopeful that we can build on it and do something more next week."

 

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.