UNC Football: No. 5 Tar Heels fall to Seminoles in Tallahassee

UNC football falters in Tallahassee, as Tar Heels come up short to Seminoles in waning moments

Sam Howell completed 20-of-36 passes for a season-best 374 yards and three touchdowns, but North Carolina couldn’t overcome a 24-point first half deficit in a 31-28 loss to the Florida State Seminoles.

North Carolina was aided by a game-high 119 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown from junior running back Javonte Williams, as well as 67 yards and a score through the air. His senior backfield counterpart, Michael Carter, rushed 17 times for 67 yards, as the Tar Heels totaled 184 yards on the ground on Saturday night.

Beau Corrales led all UNC receivers with 141 yards receiving on four catches for a 35.3 yard-per-reception average. Junior receiver Dyami Brown added four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, while Dazz Newsome had a quiet game of just four catches for 37 yards, and a big drop on the game’s final drive. His drop on third down was followed up by a Javonte Williams drop on fourth down that effectively ended the game.

Florida State got just 191 yards on eight completions from sophomore quarterback Jordan Travis, but he ran the ball 16 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Running back La’Damien Webb ran the ball 12 times for a team-high 109 yards.

Despite how bad the Tar Heels played in the game’s first half, their defense held FSU scoreless in the second half. Blocked punts, a missed field goal, missed tackles, suspect play-calling and timeouts called at suboptimal times are among the reasons that North Carolina faced a three-score deficit in the third quarter, and eventually lost to the Seminoles after mounting a furious comback.

The 3-1 Tar Heels will be back at it next Saturday when they face off with the NC State Wolfpack at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC football program.