University of North Carolina Athletics
CAR-O-LINES: Interesting History to William & Mary History
August 31, 2004 | Football
Aug. 31, 2004
by Rick Brewer, Sports Information Director Emeritus CHAPEL HILL -- I don't know very much about the William and Mary football team that Carolina faces Saturday in Kenan Stadium and I doubt if a lot of Tar Heel fans do either. In fact, I don't know quite what to expect from North Carolina this fall, either. Such is the nature of season openers. ut, if history is any indication, this could shape up to be a most interesting game. Although the Indians have never beaten Carolina, Williamand Mary could have easily won eight of the 13 games in the series. Instead, the Tar Heels have won 11 of those games and tied two others. Twice in the last five meetings Carolina had to score in the final two minutes towin the game. No team gave the Tar Heel teams of the Charlie Justice Era more trouble than William and Mary. The two schools have not met since a 59-36 Carolina victory in 1991. Eric Blount turned in the game'sbiggest plays that day by returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown and akickoff 93 yards for another. That game was far different from the ones played in the late 1940's. The 1946 game was the most one-sidedin that stretch with the Tar Heels jumping to a 21-0 lead before finishing with a 21-7 victory. Jim Camp scored both Carolina touchdowns in a close 13-7 game the following season. Carolina was 6-0 and ranked third nationally in 1948 when the Indians came to Kenan Stadium. The game washeralded as a showdown between two of the best backs in the South, Justice and William and Mary's Jack Cloud. The visitors were heavy underdogs and tried to keep the game close by taking no chances. That paid off as theTar Heels hurt themselves badly with fumbles on a rain-soaked field. A 0-0 final was the only blemish on a 9-0-1 regular season record for Carolina. It took Justice's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the final three minutes to top the Indians, 20-14, in 1949. These two schools played even closer games in the early 1970's. Carolina trailed, 27-26, in the closing minutes of the 1973 game. Nick Vidnovic threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Jerome with 2:05 remaining and UNC added a two-point conversion for a 34-27 victory. The most famous game in this series, however, came in 1971. Carolina had to come from behind five times before finally surviving a 36-35 shootout at Kenan Stadium. John Gargano, a 5-9, 175-pound quarterback, made life miserable for the Tar Heel defense all day. He ran for 106 yards and completed 16 of 25 passes for 283 more. His 389 yards of total offense is still the sixth most ever gained by against Carolina by an opposing player. The statistics of TarHeel quarterback Paul Miller were pale in comparison with 49 yards rushing and six pass completions in eight attempts. But, he made the big plays when they were needed the most. Coach Bill Dooley had talked for a week prior to the game about how dangerous William and Mary was. But, fans and members of the media brushed that off as a coach simply trying to build up an opponent. However, Indian Coach Lou Holtz openly said the same thing about his team. "We have a really good offense," he said prior to the game. "We can move the football on anyone. We can move the ballon the Dallas Cowboys." William and Mary gave an indication of that with a 98-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter. This was against an excellent Carolina defense. The Tar Heels led the Atlantic Coast Conferencein total defense and scoring defense that season. UNC gave up just 110 points in its other 10 games that fall. The score was tied, 14-14, athalftime after Miller threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Cowell with five seconds left in the second period. ut, that score didn't last long. It took just the first five plays of the third quarter for the Indians to regain the lead. Carolina was playing without two injured offensive starters--tailback Ike Oglesby and fullback Geof Hamlin. So backup tailback Billy Hite later did most of the running on a 71-yard drive as Carolina again tied the score, 21-21. The two teams again exchanged touchdowns. Miller made it 28-28 on a nine-yard run with 11:20 in the game. "The two offenses kept swapping touchdowns," said Miller afterwards. "The problem was our scores were the ones that kept tying the game." After Miller's nine-yard TD run, William and Mary immediately went 80 yardsin 13 plays for another go-ahead touchdown and a 35-28 advantage. Aninterception ended the Tar Heels' next possession. But, the defense stiffened and forced an Indian punt. Carolina got the ball back on its own 25 with 3:43 to play. Perhaps the game's key play then came when Miller threw a low pass to Earle Bethea at the William and Mary 44. Holtz felt the ball was trapped and exploded on the sidelines. He argued so much that he drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That pushed the ball to the 29. Hite, who was to finish with a career-high 146 yards rushing, carried twice to the 13. From there Lewis Jolley took a pitchout in fora touchdown. Miller faded left on the two-point conversion attempt and tried to throw back to Jolley on the right side. A defensive lineman tipped the ball, but Jolley made a sensational diving catch in the corner of the end zone for a 36-35 lead. "I'm not sure if I've ever been in a game quite like that," said Dooley. "Winning was a matter of having theball last." Most people feel it was that performance that got Holtz the head coaching job at N.C. State after the season. I doubt if we'll see that type of game here Saturday. But, it is a season opener and no one knows what to expect from two young teams.
