University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Lose on Final Play
June 21, 1999 | Football
October 2, 1998
PALO ALTO, Calif.--Kevin Miller's 20-yard field goal on the final play of the game gave the Stanford Cardinal a wild 37-34 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels Saturday afternoon in Palo Alto, Cal. The loss drops UNC to 0-2 overall, (0-0 ACC). The Cardinal's first win of the season ups their record to 1-2, (0-1 PAC 10).
Fittingly, Borchard's game-winner was set up by a Tar Heel turnover, a Ronald Curry fumble on the UNC 41. Carolina's four turnovers led to 24 Stanford points.
Curry had just led UNC on a brilliant 98-yard drive that tied the score at 34-34 with 3:20 left in the game. Curry tossed a perfect 19-yard scoring pass to Kory Bailey on a crucial 4th and 5 play, with Josh McGee's PAT making things even.
The Tar Heels stopped the Cardinal on their ensuing possession, forcing a Stanford punt that gave the Heels the ball on their own 9-yard line. Stanford was flagged for having too many men on the field on the first down play, moving the ball out to the 24. Curry then scrambled for an apparent first down, but Sharkus Steen punched the ball loose and Willie Howard recovered with 46 seconds left.
It looked like the Heels would hold and force overtime when QB Todd Husak was forced from the game after being sacked for a 4-yard loss on the Heels' 43, but reserve Joe Borchard came in and promply made the play of the day.
Borchard dropped back to pass but saw nothing but daylight to his left and rumbled to the Tar Heels' 2-yard line. Borchard then took the snap and moved from the left hash-mark to the center of the field, dropping to his knee to leave Miller in perfect position for his field goal. Carolina took three consecutive time-outs to ice the Cardinal, and the stategy almost worked. A high snap from center led to a shaky Miller effort that was just inside the right upright.
The Cardinal never trailed in a game that saw Stanford roll up 451 yards in total offense with no turnovers. Husak completed 23 of 38 passes for 313 yards and one touchdown. Jeff Allen, who had only two career receptions before Saturday, made five catches for 111 yards and one touchdown.
Curry was 19 for 34 passing for 304 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for 66 yards and one touchdown. The Heels had 346 yards of total offense to go along with their four turnovers. Carolina gained 90 yards on 28 rushing attempts while suffering their second consecutive 9-penalty game.
The Cardinal scored on its first three possessions on the way to an early 13-3 lead. The Heels countered with a 69-yard Curry to Na Brown scoring strike to make it 13-10 with 12:18 left in the second quarter.
Stanford responded with a 9-yard Husak to Allen TD with 7:41 left in the half. McGee's 25-yard field goal with 3:08 left in the half made it 20-13 Stanford at intermission.
Another Tar Heel turnover led to a 26-yard Coy Wire to DeRonnie Pitts touchdown on a halfback option pass with 6:16 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Tar Heels' speedy Tyrell Godwin immediately got the Heels back in the game with a school-record 100-yard kickoff return to cut the Stanford lead to 27-20.
Carolina tied the score on an 8-yard Curry keeper up the middle to cap a 37-yard drive with 13:50 remaining.
The Heels were poised to seize control of the game but Durham's Kory Bailey fumbled a punt on his own 32, setting up a one-yard Coy Wire run with 10:34 left.
Carolina responded with its 98-yard scoring drive that saw Curry complete 6 of 7 passes and tie the score at 34-34 with 3:20 left to play.
The Tar Heels will be looking for their first win of the season when they host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Saturday night in a 7:30 p.m. game (ESPN) at Kenan Stadium. Tech is 1-1 overall (0-0 ACC).
NCAA 1 2 3 4 F North Carolina 3 10 7 14 34 Stanford 6 14 7 10 37 FINAL Stanford-FG Miller 19 Stanford-FG Miller 33 North Carolina-FG Mcgee 42 Stanford-Stevenson 1 run (Miller kick) North Carolina-N Brown 69 pass from Curry (Mcgee kick) Stanford-J Allen 9 pass from Husak (Miller kick) North Carolina-FG Mcgee 25 Stanford-Pitts 26 pass from Wire (Miller kick) North Carolina-Godwin 100 kickoff return (Mcgee kick) North Carolina-Curry 8 run (Mcgee kick) Stanford-Wire 2 run (Miller kick) North Carolina-Bailey 19 pass from Curry (Mcgee kick) Stanford-FG Miller 20North Carolina Stanford First downs 17 21 Rushed-yards 28-90 42-112 Passing yards 304 339 Sacked-yards lost 4-19 1-12 Return yards 278 126 Passes 19-34-1 24-39-0 Punts 6-45.0 8-39.1 Fumbles-lost 3-3 2-0 Penalties-yards 9-71 3-35 Time of possession 28:14 31:46
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: North Carolina-Curry 13-66, R Anderson 3-10, Dyer 7-7, Saunders 1-7, Robinson 3-4, Parquet 1-minus 4. Stanford-Wire 24-77, Borchard 2-39, Stevenson 3-6, Lacey 2-6, Fasani 1-minus 2, Husak 10-minus 14.PASSING: North Carolina-Curry 19-34-1-304. Stanford-Husak 23-38-0-313, Wire 1-1-0-26.
RECEIVING: North Carolina-N Brown 6-139, Stevens 4-74, Parquet 2-22, Bailey 2-22, R Anderson 2-14, Allen 1-21, Dyer 1-14, Godwin 1-minus 2. Stanford-Pitts 7-75, Davis 6-108, J Allen 5-111, Wire 5-39, Lacey 1-6. Att: 34,198
