Just when you think the North Carolina Tar Heels are playing a winning brand of football, they deliver one of the more disappointing losses in recent memory.
UNC entered Saturday's game against Syracuse as nearly a 10-point favorite
. North Carolina had two consecutive road wins against strong teams, beating then-ranked-Pitt and archival Duke, so facing a reeling ACC opponent would surely be an easier test.Wrong. The Tar Heels gave up a double-digit fourth quarter league, struggled to stop the Orange late and lost in overtime, 31-30.
Last-place Syracuse (3-4, 1-4 ACC) tied things at 23-all with just under two minutes to go, but missed the ensuing extra point. UNC (4-3, 2-2 ACC) marched down the field for a potential game-winning drive, but turned
the ball over on downs when the Orange sacked Billy Edwards. North Carolina's defense then made a rare fourth-quarter stop, highlighted by Peyton Seelmann bursting into the backfield for his team's lone sack, forcing overtime.
The Tar Heels scored first in overtime, with Edwards and Demon June connecting on a 3-yard pass. UNC converted a third-and-10 earlier that drive, as Edwards found Jordan Shipp for a 20-yard gain.
North Carolina forced the Orange back to third-and-11 on their lone overtime drive, only for Steve Angeli to link up with Calvin Russell for a 16-yard gain, even with the Tar Heels' defense pummeling Angeli. Four plays later, Angeli and Russell connected again for a touchdown, followed by the game-winning 2-point conversion.
For a team that showed plenty of resurgence in the past two weeks, UNC failed when the lights shined brightest on Saturday night. Here's five takeaways from the deflating loss.
North Carolina's defense took a major step back
The Tar Heels' defense entered Saturday with clutch, fourth-quarter stops to win in their past two games. During the fourth quarter and overtime, Syracuse moved the football at will, ending its night with 455 yards, eight third-down conversions and four fourth-down conversions.
The Orange aren't nearly as good as Pitt or Duke, each of whom have better defenses than UNC's. The fact Syracuse torched North Carolina's defense in clutch time, though, exposed some issues that need to be quickly addressed.
The Tar Heels' failure to finish drives cost them a win
Without Rece Verhoff, UNC loses Saturday's game easy. A fifth-year kicker, Verhoff nailed three field goals and extra points apiece.
North Carolina drove deep into Syracuse territory on its final fourth quarter drive, ending yards away from a touchdown, but settled for a Verhoff 22-yarder.
The Orange marched right down the Kenan Stadium grass, tying the game before missing their ensuing extra point. If the Tar Heels finished their final drive in regulation with a touchdown, they win the game and don't allow Syracuse a final chance.
Billy Edwards put UNC's offense in position to win
Edwards played turnover-free football for the second-straight game, a big reason why North Carolina had multiple chances to put Syracuse away. Completing 27 passes for a season-high 271 yards, including touchdowns to Shipp and June, Edwards gave the Orange offense trouble throughout.
The Tar Heels had a costly turnover-on-downs during their final drive in regulation, but that fourth-down play can also be blamed on play-calling or a lack of blocking.
Offensive line helped UNC but issues surfaced in clutch time
Offensive line was a major question mark for North Carolina entering Saturday night. The Tar Heels' O-line gave Edwards plenty of time to throw against Syracuse, until a late-fourth quarter sack changed momentum back towards the visitors.
If UNC blocks the Orange pass-rush better on that final regulation drive, this game likely ends before overtime.
Miami (FL) will give the Tar Heels problems
Syracuse has a good offense, but Miami (FL) has the country's best offense. North Carolina's defense struggled late against a reeling ACC squad, so imaging what the Hurricanes can do on Halloween.
UNC isn't expected to beat Miami, but the team we saw in the first three quarters can put up a fight. If the Tar Heels fail to finish possessions with six points against the Hurricanes, or get third and fourth down stops, they're in for a spooky Saturday night.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Five takeaways from UNC's heartbreaking collapse vs. Syracuse
