University of North Carolina Athletics
Cedars History Report: Natrone Sparks Tight Win Over Terps
October 29, 2002 | Football
By Rick Brewer, SID Emeritus
North Carolina apparently was headed for its first bowl game since 1983 when the Tar Heels played a 1992 game at Maryland
Carolina had a 6-2 record and was coming off consecutive upsets of Virginia and Georgia Tech, a pair of Top 20 teams.
But, Coach Mack Brown was still concerned about his team's post-season chance. The Tar Heels had gone 6-4-1 in 1990, tying the national champion Yellow Jackets, and posted a 7-4 record in 1991. Neither of those teams received a bowl bid.
Brown felt Carolina had to win at least one of its three remaining games and possibly even two. All three were on the road. Following the trip to College Park, there would be games against Clemson at Death Valley and arch-rival Duke in Durham.
Maryland had only a 2-5 record. But, outside of a setback at Penn State, the other four loses had been by a touchdown or less.
And the Terps proved to be a major problem for the Tar Heels before Carolina escaped with a 31-24 victory on an overcast day at Byrd Stadium.
In a game that featured four ties and four lead changes, the Tar Heels used the running of tailback Natrone Means and a big-play defense to score an important win.
Means ran for 249 yards and two touchdowns. His performance helped Carolina roll up 523 yards of offense.
Wide receiver Randall Felton got the winning touchdown in the game's closing minutes. But even then, Means was the key to the play.
The Tar Heels got off to a fast start by taking the opening kickoff 80 yards for a 7-0 lead. Means ripped off a 27-yard run on a fourth-and-two play for the touchdown.
Later in the quarter Carolina missed a chance to take command, but was stopped on fourth down at the Terp two-yard line. Maryland tied the game in the second period on quarterback John Kaleo's one-yard run. That was set up when the Terps recovered a bad pitchout by UNC quarterback Mike Thomas.
Frank Wychek's 20-yard run with 46 seconds left in the half pushed Maryland into the lead. But Carolina tied the game moments later with a 31-second drive. Jason Stanicek came in at quarterback for that series and produced three big plays. He ran 18 yards to midfield, threw to Felton for 22 yards and then found Steven Jerry wide open in the left corner of the end zone.
The Terps opened the second half with an onsides kick. They recovered and scored in just six plays on a short run by Wychek. Means took over midway in the period with a 76-yard touchdown run down the left sideline.
Trip Pignetti and Maryland's David DeArmas traded field goals, leaving the game tied 24-24.
Carolina began the winning march with 7:34 in the game. The 11-play drive featured seven carries by Means. A key play was a 28-yard pass from Stanicek to tight end Greg DeLong. With the Terps focusing on Means at the 12, he handed off to Felton on a reverse and the flanker scored untouched with 4:03 remaining.
Although giving up 24 points, the Tar Heel defense intercepted three passes, broke up seven more, forced numerous hurried throws, sacked Kaleo four times and had five other tackles for losses.
Brown was right about the bowl situation. Carolina was beaten the following week at Clemson. A win at Duke then earned the Tar Heels a Peach Bowl invitation. But, it might not have come except for the victory at Maryland.
Rick Brewer is in his fourth decade with the University of North Carolina athletic department and brings a unique historical perspective to TarHeelBlue.com. A native of North Carolina, Brewer served as UNC's Sports Information Director from 1975 until his retirement from full-time work in 2000. Email Rick Brewer at rbrewer@uncaa.unc.edu.
