BOSTON — In its season finale, North Carolina (6-7, ACC 3-5) fell apart against the Connecticut Huskies (9-4), 27-14, at the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Saturday in Fenway Park.
After graduate quarterback Jacolby Criswell left the game in the first quarter with an injury, UNC struggled to generate any momentum, only recording 45 yards of total offense in the first half. Although North Carolina strung together momentum in the second half on its way to 206 yard of offense, it was too little, too late. The Tar Heels allowed the Huskies to convert on eight of 16 third downs to storm down the field and accumulate 361 yards.
UNC played with a depleted roster on Saturday, missing key starters such as junior running back Omarion Hampton. 13 players have entered the transfer portal.
"We didn't really catch any breaks today," interim head coach Freddie Kitchens said.
On its first snap of the afternoon, UConn rushed for 47 yards, breaking tackles and navigating away from the UNC defense, to land at the 28-yard line. Despite the early defensive lapse, the Tar Heels strung together a series of stops to hold the Huskies to a 32-yard field goal at the 11-minute mark of the first quarter.
During a scramble on second down with 16 yards to go, Criswell was pulled to the ground and was slow to get up, holding his left shoulder. The starter was then escorted off the field to the locker room with 4:57 to go in the first quarter.
"It was definitely a big shock," graduate tight end John Copenhaver said.
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First-year quarterback Michael Merdinger — who has not seen the field this season and entered the transfer portal on Thursday — stepped in to replace Criswell.