University of North Carolina Athletics
View From The Press Box
November 16, 1999 | Football
Nov. 16, 1999
By Rick Brewer
When people talk of last-minute football victories, they are usually referring to late touchdowns or game-winning field goals in the closing seconds.
But, as evidenced by North Carolina's scintillating 10-6 victory over N.C. State last week, games are often won by key defensive plays in the final moments, too. In fact, defensive stops down the stretch probably win as many games as late scoring plays. They just don't stick in the minds of fans as much who can easily remember a game won by offensive heroics.
Such is the nature of sports and the people who follow them.
For example, some Carolina fans say the most amazing comeback they've seen came against Duke in 1978. Amos Lawrence capped a last-minute scoring drive with an 11-yard scoring run with 13 seconds left and produced a 16-15 win. Then there was the one-yard touchdown dive by William Humes with 10 seconds to play that gave the Tar Heels a 21-20 victory over Clemson in 1985 or the 35-yard scoring pass from Mike Thomas to Octavus Barnes with 14 seconds on the clock that lifted Carolina to a 17-10 win at Louisville in 1995.
How about Ward Marslender's 28-yard catch of a Ray Farris pass with 15 seconds to play in 1961 that resulted in a 22-21 win over Tennessee? Or the final play field goals by Tom Biddle at Tulane in 1975 and by Lee Gliarmis against Maryland in 1986 that gave Carolina improbable victories?
One of the wildest of all the great Carolina-Duke games was in 1976 when Matt Kupec's eight-yard touchdown pass to Billy Johnson and Mike Voight's two-point conversion with 37 seconds to play gave the Tar Heels a 39-38 win.
Those were magical moments in Carolina football history. But, even they would have a tough time topping the final frantic moments last Thursday in Charlotte when a young, injury-riddled Tar Heel defense stopped the Wolfpack in the shadow of its own goal as time was running out.
For a while it appeared State was going to score a memorable victory of its own. Quarterback Jamie Barnette had led his team from its own nine-yard line to a first-and-goal at the Carolina eight.
On first down there was pressure from linebacker Tim Burgess which helped cause an incompletion. Koren Robinson grabbed a second-down pass on a crossing pattern, but was stopped by Anthony Anderson on the one-yard line. However, on third down, Carlos Doggett fumbled a pitch from Barnette as he tried to avoid linebacker Sedrick Hodge who had broken into the backfield. Doggett got the ball back after an eight-yard loss.
Faced with a fourth-and-goal at the nine, State got a break when a Tar Heel lineman jumped offsides. Less than 1:40 remained as State ran its fourth-and-goal play from the four-yard line.
Barnette, dropping back to throw, got pressure from Burgess coming straight up the middle. He still got the ball off as Burgess leveled him and found his favorite receiver, Chris Coleman, in the right flat. But, cornerback Errol Hood hit Coleman around the legs just inches short of the goal and held on as the State receiver tried to struggle into the end zone. Safety David Bomar got there to help with the tackle, hitting Coleman high to knock him backwards and preserve the victory.
But, Carolina defenses have made similar goal line stands in the past to preserve victories. Two occurred just a year ago.
Also playing in Charlotte, the Tar Heels had seen N.C. State rally from a 31-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Wolfpack had the ball first and moved to a first-and-goal at the UNC eight-yard line. However, Mike Pringley dropped Ray Robinson and Ebenezer Ekuban threw Barnette for successive one-yard losses. With Dre' Bly covering Terry Holt and Barnette under a heavy rush, his third down pass to his star receiver was off target. State then had to settle for a field goal.
Four plays later Oscar Davenport fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to Na Brown for a 37-34 Carolina victory.
Earlier in the year the Tar Heels had rallied for 14 points in the fourth quarter to take a 21-14 lead over Clemson. However, the Tigers drove to a first-and-10 at the UNC 12 in the game's closing moments. After one incompletion, Brandon Streeter connected with Brian Wofford at the Tar Heel two. But, Jomo Legins popped the ball loose with a jarring tackle. As players scrambled for the loose ball, it rolled out of the end zone for a touchback and saved the Carolina lead.
Perhaps the most famous late-game goal line stand in Carolina history also came against Clemson. In 1980 at Death Valley the Tigers ran eight plays inside the UNC 13-yard line, but couldn't score against one of the Tar Heels' greatest defenses.
Trailing 24-19, Clemson gained possession at the Carolina 38 when a punt grazed the leg of a Tar Heel downfield blocker and the Tigers recovered the ball. A 25-yard pass by Homer Jordan gave Clemson a first down at the 13.
Tailback Wilbur Bullard gained eight yards on the first two plays and Jordan was hurried into an incompletion on third down. On fourth down, Bullard appeared stopped short of the two yards needed to keep the drive alive, but he fumbled as he was going down and the ball rolled out-of-bounds at the Carolina one. The Tigers had a first-and-goal there with less than two minutes to play.
Twice Bullard was sent into the line. Calvin Daniels made the key hit on first down and Donnell Thompson on Bullard's second plunge.
Then Jordan faked another handoff and rolled out to throw. Lawrence Taylor blasted through three blockers to drop the Tiger quarterback for a nine-yard loss. On fourth down Taylor and Thompson again broke through to pressure Jordan into a hurried throw and his pass to Jerry Gaillard sailed incomplete.
Last week the Tar Heels played better than they have at any point in the season. Julius Peppers and Ryan Sims showed the ability to be two of the best young defensive linemen in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Hodge and Burgess gave a lift to an injury-plagued group of linebackers. Hood, Bomar and Billy-Dee Greenwood made huge plays in the secondary.
Offensively, not enough can be said about the outstanding performance of Domonique Williams, the sophomore tailback who gave a gutsy performance at quarterback.
Now comes the season finale against arch-rival Duke. The Blue Devils went on a scoring spree last week against Wake Forest and should test the young Carolina defense once again. An effort even better than the one against the Wolfpack will be necessary. Hopefully, the thing the Tar Heels have so desperately needed-confidence-will carry over this week from the plays they made with their backs to the wall against the Wolfpack.
