North Carolina's offense couldn't keep up.
With only a minute remaining in an already tumultuous first half that found UNC down 46-21, graduate quarterback Jacolby Criswell slung a pass toward sophomore wide receiver Chris Culliver in the middle of the field.
Instead of a first down, JMU's Terrence Spence jumped the route, picking off the ball and sprinting 33 yards into the end zone.
Another touchdown. James Madison's seventh of the first half.
The Dukes scored 53 points in the first 30 minutes of play. It was the most points the Tar Heels have allowed in a first half, ever. And North Carolina couldn't answer.
In UNC's stunning 70-50 loss to JMU on Saturday in Kenan Stadium, the North Carolina offense didn't cause the bleeding, but it certainly didn't help. Even as the defense allowed James Madison to relentlessly storm down the field, incomplete passes, turnovers and offensive missteps in the first half pushed the Tar Heels further into a hole they could never get out of.
“Embarrassing day, shocking day,” head coach Mack Brown said. “You shouldn't be at North Carolina and lose to a Group of Five team. Period.”
The Dukes got whatever they wanted, and when it mattered, the Tar Heels did not.
While JMU put up 28 points in the second quarter, UNC's mistakes piled on.