Lucas: Rapid Reactions

Sam Howell

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

December 27, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas

Quick takeaways from the Military Bowl.

By: Adam Lucas

By Adam Lucas

1. Mack Brown continued to be stellar in bowl games, as Carolina's 55-13 blowout of Temple makes the Tar Heel head coach 15-8 in bowl games. He also reversed some recent postseason frustration for the Tar Heels, as Carolina had lost three straight bowls and had only won three bowl games this century. Friday's Military Bowl win was the most points Carolina has ever scored in a bowl game and the biggest margin of victory in a UNC bowl game. The 534 yards of offense was also Carolina's most yards ever in a bowl game, surpassing the Baylor shootout in the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl.

2. What a dramatic change in the perception and momentum of Carolina football that was made by Mack Brown, the coaching staff, and the 2019 roster. From the season opener, when the Tar Heels won the opener for what felt like the first time in a generation, to the season finale, when the Tar Heels won a bowl for the first time since 2013, Carolina spent the season rewriting virtually all of the usual storylines about UNC football. Of course, they had the benefit of doing it with very few expectations. That will change in 2020. "We needed to hve a winning season for this team and these seniors," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "That was important for this year. We needed to win a bowl game for these seniors. The winning season and bowl win is something that gives us momentum moving forward. It gives us momentum in spring recruiting and spring practice."

3. From a purely statistical standpoint, Sam Howell--who was named the Military Bowl MVP--wrapped up the finest season ever by a Tar Heel quarterback. To put it into some perspective, Mitch Trubisky threw 41 touchdown passes in his Carolina career. Howell tossed 38 this season alone (and also caught one, just for some variety). An unexpected twist to Friday's win: Howell also got it done with his legs, rushing three times for 53 yards. The freshman quarterback was such a valuable asset to this year's offense that it was stressful to watch him venture outside the pocket at all, but as he gets more comfortable with that aspect of the game, it will add another dimension to Phil Longo's offense. No one is asking Howell to become Ronald Curry, but forcing defenses to at least account for him on occasion running the football will open up even more passing lanes. And if you weren't already feeling good enough about Mack Brown, remember that Howell likely wouldn't be in Chapel Hill if Brown hadn't returned to Carolina.

4. Howell finished the season with 38 passing touchdowns, putting him third on the single-season ACC list in that category. It's worth noting, though, that the two QBs ahead of him on that list played more games in their season than Howell. Deshaun Watson played 15 games to get his 41 scoring passes, and Jameis Winston played 14 games to get his 40 scoring strikes. Howell notched 38 passing touchdowns in 13 games. "This win means a lot to our program," the always-understated Sam Howell told Lee Pace on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "It means so much to send our seniors out the right way."

5. The pinball machine numbers put up by the Carolina offense continue. Dyami Brown's 39-yard touchdown reception, which featured Brown making a great adjustment to the ball in the air, in the first quarter was his 12th of the season and tied the school single-season record. The dozen scoring catches tied Hakeem Nicks and Dwight Jones in that category. Brown also became just the fourth UNC receiver to crack 1,000 receiving yards in a single season (following Nicks, Jones and Ryan Switzer). Two quarters later, Dazz Newsome joined him in the 1,000-yard club, meaning the Tar Heels had two receivers go over 1,000 yards in the same year for the first time in school history.

6. As good as Brown's touchdown catch was, Newsome's juggling grab later in the half might have been even better. He almost made it look too easy to really appreciate how difficult it was--he had to see the ball through a leaping attempt by the defender, then tipped the ball to himself, then reached out to grab it while getting one foot down in the end zone. Newsome then topped himself by somehow reeling in a fourth quarter pass in the back corner of the end zone around two Owls defenders while falling backwards.

7. Because virtually everyone mentioned above could return in 2020--plus Javonte Williams (85 yards on 14 carries) and Michael Carter (84 yards on 18 carries)--it's very possible Carolina is going to be a popular preseason pick for some ACC and national attention. Not only do the Tar Heels have a potent offense returning, but they also showed against the Owls that they have some defensive playmakers coming back. Storm Duck became the first Tar Heel to return an interception for a touchdown since Dominique Green in 2016, and freshman safety Don Chapman continued his rapid improvement by recording a team-high ten tackles and a sack.

8. Temple left seven points on the scoreboard in the first half because of struggles in the kicking game. The Owls missed field goals of 42 and 54 yards, and also saw Jason Strowbridge block an extra point. The Tar Heels dodged their own special teams debacle when Temple was offside on a blocked field goal scoop-and-score at the end of the first half. Noah Ruggles recovered from that potential disaster by knocking in a 36-yard field goal to make it 20-6 at the break.

9. Carolina was terrific on third down, converting 11 of the team's first 13 third down opportunities. That continued an incredibly efficient offensive performance over the last game and a half. In the final six quarters of action in the 2019 season, the Tar Heels averaged 8.0 yards per play, scored nine touchdowns on 114 plays, and outscored the opposition 90-13.

10. Football is a team game, of course. But it felt right for Carolina to feed Michael Carter late in the fourth quarter to try and enable him to break the 1,000-yard mark. The Tar Heels weren't trying to show up Temple, but it was another reminder of how in tune with his players Mack Brown has been during his return to Chapel Hill. It means something to be a 1,000-yard rusher. Brown gave Carter the chance to break that threshold, and he ended the season with 1,002 yards.

10. The ACC has shuffled its bowl alignments in recent years, and it feels like the conference has a good fit with the Military Bowl. There's enough pageantry to make it feel special (an enlistment ceremony was held between the first and second quarters, and there was a flyover and game-ball parachute delivery), and the game is geographically located in a spot that's regionally convenient for most of the league schools and in a city that's an appealing one- or two-day destination. Those are key qualities for a non-New Year's Day-type game. The ACC is tied to the Military Bowl through 2025.

11. It's hard not to draw some parallels between the end of this season and the end of the 1992 campaign. That season, the Tar Heels earned a spot in the Peach Bowl and then captured a program-energizing win over Mississippi State. That game boosted the Tar Heels into the 1993 season, when they opened against a national power in that power's backyard, beating Southern Cal in Anaheim. This season, the Tar Heels earned a spot in the Military Bowl and captured a program-energizing win over Temple. That game boosts the Tar Heels into the 2020 season, when the second game of the season will come against a national power (Auburn) in that power's backyard (Atlanta). If this bowl win sends the Tar Heels on the same trajectory they followed in Mack Brown 1.0, that would be a very positive scenario indeed. As a reminder, next year's season opener is at Central Florida on Thursday, Sept. 3.