CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Jabari Mack picked off a fourth-down pass from Travis Burgess with 58 seconds left to help Louisville hold off North Carolina 16-14 on Saturday night in a game that ended in a brawl and each of the teams having to be separated.
Mack's interception by snatching a ball that ricocheted off UNC receiver Jordan Shipp secured the win, with Mack returning the ball 32 yards before sliding to end the play and allow the Cardinals (7-3,
6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) to kneel out a fifth straight win.
But after the final snap, players from both teams went from jawing at each other to shoving and ultimately locking up with apparent punches being thrown. That included at least one tussle that broke off from the main mass of players and ended up with a Louisville player throwing down a UNC player in the end zone before the teams were finally separated after the brief skirmish.
The win kept the Cardinals alive in the hunt for a trip to the ACC championship game as they entered kickoff as the only two-loss team in the league standings.
Lincoln Kienholz threw for the Cardinals' only touchdown on a night when both defenses were a step ahead, with Louisville finishing with just 302 yards and UNC with 293.
Benjamin Hall scored two rushing touchdowns for UNC (5-5, 2-4), including a 6-yarder with 3:43 left that brought the Tar Heels to within 16-14. Then, after forcing a punt, UNC got the ball back with 1:41 left for a chance to drive for a winning field goal.
Burgess, pressed into duty when starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. exited in the second half after taking a jarring hit on a sack, nearly connected with Shipp on the fourth-and-12 play. But Shipp couldn't control it and the ball popped to Mack for the clinching play.
Louisville: Hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday.
North Carolina: At Virginia on Saturday.
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