After a scoreless, largely uneventful first half, North Carolina managed to push across touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to seal a 14-7 win against Louisville.
UNC reached the red zone for the first time in the third quarter after getting only two first downs in the first half. UNC was ready to settle for the field goal, but with placekicker Thomas Moore on the field, the Tar Heels drew Louisville offsides. The penalty allowed UNC tailback Giovani Bernard to cross the plane with a three-yard run, giving the Tar Heels a 7-0 lead.
Bernard finished the day with 109 yards, making him the first UNC running back to run for 100 yards in four straight games since Ethan Horton did it in 1984.
In the fourth quarter, North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner connected on a deep throw to wide receiver Dwight Jones, who broke past a pair of Louisville defenders and delivered the Tar Heels their second touchdown of the day. Renner went 12 for 18 on the day and picked up 178 yards through the air.
Louisville was in control for much of the first half, possessing the ball for 22 minutes. But the Cardinals had no luck putting points on the board, as placekicker Chris Philpott came up empty on two field goal attempts. The Cardinals finally broke through in the final minute of the game, as freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected on an 18-yard pass to tailback Dominique Brown.
