UNC Football: Sam Howell arrives in big way

Freshman quarterback Sam Howell introduced himself to the nation in the second half of UNC Football’s win over South Carolina on Saturday

For most of the first half, it looked like the North Carolina Tar Heels were going to go the conservative route in their matchup with South Carolina.

With true freshman quarterback Sam Howell starting his first game, head coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Phil Longo held back on rolling out their Air Raid offense for a bit. UNC ran the ball twice on 3rd and goal from the 8 and 7 yard line in the first half, settling for field goals instead of taking a chance with throws.

The four star quarterback recruit was 7 for 11 with 94 yards and it appeared as if UNC was just playing it safe with the freshman. But that changed in the second half and Howell introduced himself to the nation in a big way.

Howell turned it loose in the second half as the Tar Heels opened up the playbook a little more, running their Air Raid offense with a good balance of rushes and throws. The Tar Heels attempted their first red zone pass on the 12th snap inside South Carolina’s 20 yard line and even though the drive led to just a field goal, Howell got more comfortable.

That confidence led to an impressive second-half performance including leading the Tar Heels on two touchdown drives after they fell behind by 11.

The quarterback struggled on one drive, under-throwing a receiver for a 25-yard gain that should have been a touchdown and then fumbling on a sack. But when UNC needed him the most, he delivered.

Howell’s first touchdown drive of the season saw him drive the Tar Heels down the field 98 yards in 7 plays and it was capped off by a great catch from Dyami Brown. The touchdown pass was the first of Howell’s career and pulled UNC to within three after the two-point conversion.

He followed that up with another 7-play scoring drive and this one from 95 yards out to give the Tar Heels the lead. Howell was able to make some big throws on that drive, including one to his playmaker Dazz Newsome were he somehow fit the football throw a very tight window:

https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1167929843473764355

Howell’s poise and confidence as a freshman was very impressive, leading that scoring drive and giving UNC the win. It also helped him introduce himself on the national stage as hopefully one of the best freshman quarterbacks in college football.

One of Howell’s teammates, Michael Carter, noticed that the quarterback looked more comfortable and settled down in that second half. A big part of why he found success:

"“He got really comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Carter said via Tar Heel Illustrated. “You could see it, he got smoked a couple of times, he got up though. And then late third quarter, he made a Johnny Manziel-type of throw, and I just think he really showed his chest hair.”"

He finished the game 15-of-24 for 245 yards with two touchdowns and had one fumble. While Howell made the two mistakes on one drive in the second half, he was able to put that in the rear view mirror and deliver two fantastic drives to give UNC their first win over a Power 5 opponent in a season opener in their last 10 tries.

While the Tar Heels still have a lot of work to do to return to a bowl game this season, there’s some promise at the quarterback position early on. And Howell looks like he’s on the right track.

For more on the UNC Football program, please check back with Keeping It Heel.