Keeping It Heel
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UNC Football: Tar Heels’ helmet stickers for win over Virginia

By Nick Delahanty

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 11: Ty Chandler #19 of the North Carolina Tar Heels beats Jontrey Hunter #1 of the Georgia State Panthers to the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 11, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 11: Ty Chandler #19 of the North Carolina Tar Heels beats Jontrey Hunter #1 of the Georgia State Panthers to the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 11, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 18: Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels scrambles against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half of their game at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 18, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Sam Howell

You really didn’t think that we forgot Sam Howell…did you?!

In a big game for the Tar Heels, their star player rose to the occasion. The junior quarterback completed 14 of his 21 passes for 307 yards and five touchdowns.

You saw some of his highlights earlier in the article, as he was a major reason why the Tar Heels’ offense got off to such a hot start. Similar to what we saw a week ago, Howell did a little bit of everything to help the Tar Heels capture their second straight victory.

Howell also got it done with his legs. As a very active part of the running game, he rushed 15 times for 112 yards. With his 300-plus yard passing and 100-plus yard rushing performance, Howell joined former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson as the only Power 5 quarterbacks to accomplish the feat in back-to-back games since 2004.

Additionally, for the third time in his Tar Heel career (28 total games), Howell has thrown for five touchdowns. All other quarterbacks in UNC football history have a combined total of…six.

That’s pretty darn impressive.

Howell took a ton of heat for his underwhelming performance in the team’s season-opening loss to Virginia Tech. Since then, Howell has performed like the player that many thought would make some noise in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

The success of the UNC football program will ride on Sam Howell’s shoulders. If he continues to perform at this very high level, they will be a very tough team to beat as the season rolls on.

Next. UNC Football: Josh Downs shows off speed. dark

Make sure you check out the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding the UNC football program. Be on the lookout for next week’s helmet sticker awards, as we’ll highlight the standout Tar Heels from their upcoming contest at Georgia Tech.

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