The North Carolina football team (6-2, 6-2 ACC) completed a fourth quarter comeback to defeat Wake Forest (4-3, 3-3 ACC) 59-53 in an offensive showdown.
What happened?
The Tar Heel offense did not get off to its typical fast start at home. They failed to convert on a short fourth down and gave the ball to Wake Forest in good field position. The Demon Deacons took advantage of it, scoring on their first drive.
UNC responded quickly, scoring on the first play and the next drive after a 75-yard catch and run from senior receiver Dazz Newsome. A field goal on the following drive would give the Tar Heels their first lead of the game.
But the lead wouldn't last long, as Wake Forest would go down the field in only three plays and connect on a 40-yard touchdown pass to junior Jaquarii Roberson to go back ahead 14-10.
Both teams exchanged blows in an already wild first half. Sam Howell threw a dart to junior receiver Dyami Brown, who made a nice juke and strolled into the end zone. After redshirt sophomore Sam Hartman found redshirt first-year Donavon Greene for another score, Howell threw a deep bomb to a wide open Newsome on the game’s fifth touchdown drive under two minutes.
Following another Wake Forest touchdown, the fast pace started to slow down after three consecutive punts. The Demon Deacons eventually added on to their lead with under two minutes left in the half after a rushing touchdown from Kenneth Walker III.
UNC would finally get back on the board with under five minutes left in the third quarter. Howell hit Brown in stride to cut the lead to 14, before throwing a pass to senior running back Michael Carter at the start of the fourth quarter to make it a one score game. Howell got his sixth touchdown pass off of a beautiful throw to senior tight end Garrett Walston, and a 21-point Wake Forest lead was erased.
Howell decided to take the next one in himself, running 20 yards for a touchdown to give his team the lead late in the game. A big sack by senior linebacker Chazz Surratt gave the ball right back to the offense in the red zone and junior running back Javonte Williams put the game away with one final touchdown.
