GoHeels Exclusive: Carter Breaks Out

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

When the North Carolina coaching staff called a run to the left on the second play of the third quarter Saturday, Michael Carter knew what to expect.

Carter said the offense kept finding success on the same call in the first half. And as he lined up behind Brandon Harris, he thought another hole in the Virginia defense might reveal itself once he received the handoff.

It did. Carter waited patiently behind his offensive line before cutting up a crease to his right. Green grass awaited him. But after sprinting about 30 yards, his eyes gravitated toward the Kenan Stadium video board, where he noticed safety Juan Thornhill in pursuit.

Carter started drifting to his left, trying to outlast Thornhill and reach the end zone. But he didn't. Thornhill eventually caught up and tackled Carter at the Cavaliers' 11-yard line.

"From my family, I'm going to get some backlash for getting caught," Carter said, "because finishing the run is a big deal."

But Carter's 56-yard scamper, although shorter than he hoped, proved to be one of multiple highlights for the freshman on Saturday, when he finished with 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns in UNC's 20-14 loss.

Two plays after his 56-yard run, Carter scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown, his first since accounting for two in the win over Old Dominion on Sept. 16. It didn't take quite as long for him to score another.

After three consecutive three-and-outs by both offenses, Carter broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run on his next carry. The play handed the Tar Heels a 14-10 lead, their first since 17-13 against Duke on Sept. 23.

During Friday's walkthrough, Carter said the offense reviewed the defensive look the Cavaliers showed on his second touchdown run. He read the defense wrong then. But he learned from that.

"(Running backs) coach (DeAndre) Smith said, 'Hey, it's not going to be there. It's going to be here,'" said Carter of where the hole would be, referencing Friday's walkthrough. "So I saw them coming, and I was like, 'Oh, yeah, to the crib. This one's going all the way.'"

Just five minutes, eight seconds into the third quarter, Carter had more rushing yards (114) than UNC's offense registered in the first half (75). He received seven more carries in the second half, finishing the game with 13 – two fewer than he had over his past three games combined (15).

"(He's a) great kid," Larry Fedora said, "comes to practice every day with a smile on his face, works his butt off, has a great attitude and he made some plays. So we kept him in there and kept giving him the ball."

Carter's 157 rushing yards marked the most by a Tar Heel since Elijah Hood compiled 168 against Georgia Tech on Sept. 30, 2016. They also were the most by a UNC freshman since Giovani Bernard finished with 165 against Duke on Nov. 26, 2011.

But Carter's performance alone couldn't snap the Tar Heels' three-game losing streak. Still, he said he and the team continue inching closer to doing so.

"I think it's just testimony that we're not giving up," said Carter of the team's effort. "We can still make a bowl game. It's going to be really hard, but we can still make a bowl game. So I'm trying to have a vacation."

After Carter finished speaking with reporters Saturday inside the Kenan Football Center, he was greeted by his brother, Dwayne Carter II, who played running back at Harding University from 2015-16.

The ribbing about Carter falling short of a touchdown on his 56-yard run likely started then, as they sauntered toward the elevator. But Carter already issued his response.

Players Mentioned

Michael Carter

Brandon Harris

Elijah Hood

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