North Carolina
William & Mary
Tar Heels Rally Past William & Mary 49-38
September 4, 2004 | Football
Sept. 4, 2004
Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina's Ronnie McGill rushed for three fourth-quarter touchdowns and the Tar Heels rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat Division I-AA William & Mary 49-38, giving coach John Bunting his first season-opening win in four tries.
McGill rushed for 133 yards, 100 coming in the final quarter as the Tar Heels scored 21 straight points to go ahead. Jacque Lewis rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown, part of a potent offense that had 575 total yards - 341 on the ground.
It was the first time in 10 years that two Tar Heels have rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game.
Chad Scott added another rushing score, while Darian Durant threw for two scores for North Carolina.
Those offensive numbers allowed the Tar Heels to overcome a disastrous first half, in which they committed four turnovers. The Tribe took a 31-21 lead on a 2-yard run from Jon Smith midway through the third quarter.
But North Carolina controlled the fourth, rolling to 199 total yards in the quarter.
Meanwhile, North Carolina's defense - which ranked among the nation's worst by allowing 38 points and 505 yards per game last year - stymied the Tribe until allowing a meaningless touchdown on the game's final play.
Lang Campbell rushed for two scores and threw for another to lead William & Mary.
This was a must-win for the Tar Heels, who had won just one of their past six season openers. Next week they travel to No. 16 Virginia - where they haven't won since 1981 - before returning home for games against Georgia Tech and Louisville.
From there, they play a stretch that includes Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech and Utah.
Trailing 31-28 entering the fourth, the Tar Heels opened with a 38-yard play-action pass from Durant to Jarwarski Pollock. McGill then carried three straight times, including a spinning 19-yard run, before scoring from 4 yards out for a 35-31 lead with 13:32 to play.
After the Tribe went three-and-out on the next possession, McGill went back to work. He carried three straight times, gaining 49 yards on his second carry before scoring from 10 yards and a 42-31 lead.
He added a third touchdown on the Tar Heels' next possession, a 7-yard run to secure the win.
