University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: Record-Setting Offense
December 29, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — With the clock winding down on North Carolina's 55-13 rout of Temple in the Military Bowl on Friday and yet another milestone within reach, the phone calls began.
Down on the UNC sideline, everyone knew Michael Carter was nearing 1,000 rushing yards on the season. But no one knew exactly how many more he needed. So, starting with the first play of the Tar Heels' last offensive drive, team spokesman Jeremy Sharpe, located on the sideline, began making intermittent calls to the press box, checking on Carter's progress.
Mack Brown and Phil Longo gave the junior every chance they could to break the 1,000-yard threshold, calling eight straight running plays to open the drive. They even elected to go for a fourth-and-5 after Sharpe told them Carter still needed seven more yards.
Luckily, an 11-yard strike from Sam Howell to Dyami Brown kept Carter's chase going. And on the next two plays, the tailback picked up 10 yards, pushing his season total to 1,003 – which Sharpe confirmed before informing Brown, who subsequently pulled Carter from the game.
Until then, Carter said he hadn't thought too much about reaching 1,000 yards. But he didn't downplay the achievement's significance.
"I'm really thankful for my offensive line," said Carter, who joined Giovani Bernard (2011 and 2012) and Elijah Hood (2015) as Carolina's only 1,000-yard rushers since Mack Brown's first stint in Chapel Hill ended in 1997. "I'm really thankful for my running back room, that I get to share a room with such talented guys. I'm thankful for our defense.Â
"It's like Thanksgiving. I'm just really thankful."
He was far from alone. No sentiment was more prevalent inside the UNC locker room after the Tar Heels finished the first year of the second Mack Brown era with a winning record and their first bowl win since 2013. One could rival it, though: the excitement surrounding what's in store for next year's team, especially on offense.
Carter hitting his milestone served as the final highlight in what was arguably the offense's best performance of the season. Not only did Carolina set a new Military Bowl record for points, but it also established a school record for points in a bowl game, topping its previous high of 42 set against Virginia Tech in the 1998 Gator Bowl.
No one expected UNC to accomplish that against Temple's stout defense. But the Owls – who entered Friday ranked 14th nationally in yards per play – couldn't slow the Tar Heels as they accumulated 534 total yards, good for 7.1 per play.
Temple, much like every other team, especially couldn't find an answer for Sam Howell.
On the way to being named the game's MVP, the quarterback completed 25 of 34 passes for 294 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for a season-high 53 yards and caught a touchdown pass from Rontavius Groves on a trick play midway through a 21-point third quarter that also set a Military Bowl record.
Howell ended the season with 38 touchdown passes, the most by a true freshman in FBS history. They were also the third most in single-season ACC history, trailing only Deshaun Watson (41, Clemson 2016) and Jameis Winston (40, Florida State 2013). Notably, Watson and Winston played in 15 and 14 games, respectively, in those seasons. Howell played in just 13.
"I have some really good players around me," said Howell, whose 3,641 passing yards on the season were second in school history to Mitch Trubisky's 3,748 in 2016. "My O-line did a really good job all year long keeping me protected. And how about those receivers? I have some really good receivers around me, so they make my job easy."
They certainly did Friday.
Dyami Brown, Beau Corrales and Dazz Newsome all had their moments while tallying 240 total receiving yards. Time after time, they made great grabs, prompting Carter to approach Howell at one point and say, "Dude, you've got good receivers." Howell replied, "Bro, I know."
Both Brown and Newsome eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards, becoming the first pair of Carolina receivers to accomplish that feat in the same season. In fact, only three UNC receivers – Hakeem Nicks (2008), Dwight Jones (2011) and Ryan Switzer (2016) – had previously reached that mark.
Seven plays into the second half, Brown, who tied the single-season school record with his 12th touchdown catch in the first quarter, became the program's fourth 1,000-yard receiver. Newsome said he didn't know of Brown's achievement in the moment. But he did know he needed just 30 more yards to join the 1,000-yard club, thanks to a halftime text he received from a friend.
Ultimately, Newsome surpassed 1,000 yards when he hauled in a 29-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, despite being double-covered in the back corner of the end zone.
"It's a special moment for me because I set goals and wrote them on my wall," said Newsome, whose 72 catches and 10 touchdown receptions were the fourth most ever by a Tar Heel. "I set them for 1,000 (yards) and 10 touchdowns. … And I got them. So, it's a huge accomplishment."
Even if it's not all that unexpected.
Brown and Newsome are the fourth and fifth 1,000-yard receivers Longo's offensive system has produced over the last four seasons, the previous three of which came at Sam Houston State and Ole Miss. Meanwhile, Carter is Longo's fourth 1,000-yard rusher since 2014.
Receivers coach Lonnie Galloway has often referred to Longo's offense as a skill player's dream. Conversely, with Howell and essentially all his weapons returning next season, it's fair to assume it could become a defense's nightmare.
"It's going to be scary for every defense out there next year that we go against," Newsome said.
After already telling reporters two weeks ago he'd probably stay for his senior season, Newsome said the offense's outburst in the Military Bowl makes the idea of returning even more enticing. Carter also addressed his future, saying he'd "rather get a degree and be a part of something special next season" than forego his final year of eligibility.
Every other current player mentioned above – plus Javonte Williams, who ended his sophomore season with 1,109 all-purpose yards (933 rushing and 176 receiving) – should be back in 2020. Carolina will lose Charlie Heck and Nick Polino on the offensive line. But the young unit they brought along will likely benefit from the experience it gained this season and added depth.Â
Given all that, no wonder so much optimism could be felt in the bowels of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium after UNC ended the 2019 season on such a strong note.
Still, despite how good the offense looks on paper, the Tar Heels know that only means so much.
"I know our team can be great," Carter said. "It's just a matter of how bad we want it going into next season. I think it will be fun to challenge each other, push each other, because all we do is compete. So, it's going to be fun.Â
"We're not going to get our heads caught up in how many wins we need to get next year, this or that. Our goal since we got here is to compete for a national championship, and I feel like that's what we want to do."
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — With the clock winding down on North Carolina's 55-13 rout of Temple in the Military Bowl on Friday and yet another milestone within reach, the phone calls began.
Down on the UNC sideline, everyone knew Michael Carter was nearing 1,000 rushing yards on the season. But no one knew exactly how many more he needed. So, starting with the first play of the Tar Heels' last offensive drive, team spokesman Jeremy Sharpe, located on the sideline, began making intermittent calls to the press box, checking on Carter's progress.
Mack Brown and Phil Longo gave the junior every chance they could to break the 1,000-yard threshold, calling eight straight running plays to open the drive. They even elected to go for a fourth-and-5 after Sharpe told them Carter still needed seven more yards.
Luckily, an 11-yard strike from Sam Howell to Dyami Brown kept Carter's chase going. And on the next two plays, the tailback picked up 10 yards, pushing his season total to 1,003 – which Sharpe confirmed before informing Brown, who subsequently pulled Carter from the game.
Until then, Carter said he hadn't thought too much about reaching 1,000 yards. But he didn't downplay the achievement's significance.
"I'm really thankful for my offensive line," said Carter, who joined Giovani Bernard (2011 and 2012) and Elijah Hood (2015) as Carolina's only 1,000-yard rushers since Mack Brown's first stint in Chapel Hill ended in 1997. "I'm really thankful for my running back room, that I get to share a room with such talented guys. I'm thankful for our defense.Â
"It's like Thanksgiving. I'm just really thankful."
He was far from alone. No sentiment was more prevalent inside the UNC locker room after the Tar Heels finished the first year of the second Mack Brown era with a winning record and their first bowl win since 2013. One could rival it, though: the excitement surrounding what's in store for next year's team, especially on offense.
Carter hitting his milestone served as the final highlight in what was arguably the offense's best performance of the season. Not only did Carolina set a new Military Bowl record for points, but it also established a school record for points in a bowl game, topping its previous high of 42 set against Virginia Tech in the 1998 Gator Bowl.
No one expected UNC to accomplish that against Temple's stout defense. But the Owls – who entered Friday ranked 14th nationally in yards per play – couldn't slow the Tar Heels as they accumulated 534 total yards, good for 7.1 per play.
Temple, much like every other team, especially couldn't find an answer for Sam Howell.
On the way to being named the game's MVP, the quarterback completed 25 of 34 passes for 294 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for a season-high 53 yards and caught a touchdown pass from Rontavius Groves on a trick play midway through a 21-point third quarter that also set a Military Bowl record.
Howell ended the season with 38 touchdown passes, the most by a true freshman in FBS history. They were also the third most in single-season ACC history, trailing only Deshaun Watson (41, Clemson 2016) and Jameis Winston (40, Florida State 2013). Notably, Watson and Winston played in 15 and 14 games, respectively, in those seasons. Howell played in just 13.
"I have some really good players around me," said Howell, whose 3,641 passing yards on the season were second in school history to Mitch Trubisky's 3,748 in 2016. "My O-line did a really good job all year long keeping me protected. And how about those receivers? I have some really good receivers around me, so they make my job easy."
They certainly did Friday.
Dyami Brown, Beau Corrales and Dazz Newsome all had their moments while tallying 240 total receiving yards. Time after time, they made great grabs, prompting Carter to approach Howell at one point and say, "Dude, you've got good receivers." Howell replied, "Bro, I know."
Both Brown and Newsome eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards, becoming the first pair of Carolina receivers to accomplish that feat in the same season. In fact, only three UNC receivers – Hakeem Nicks (2008), Dwight Jones (2011) and Ryan Switzer (2016) – had previously reached that mark.
Seven plays into the second half, Brown, who tied the single-season school record with his 12th touchdown catch in the first quarter, became the program's fourth 1,000-yard receiver. Newsome said he didn't know of Brown's achievement in the moment. But he did know he needed just 30 more yards to join the 1,000-yard club, thanks to a halftime text he received from a friend.
Ultimately, Newsome surpassed 1,000 yards when he hauled in a 29-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, despite being double-covered in the back corner of the end zone.
"It's a special moment for me because I set goals and wrote them on my wall," said Newsome, whose 72 catches and 10 touchdown receptions were the fourth most ever by a Tar Heel. "I set them for 1,000 (yards) and 10 touchdowns. … And I got them. So, it's a huge accomplishment."
Even if it's not all that unexpected.
Brown and Newsome are the fourth and fifth 1,000-yard receivers Longo's offensive system has produced over the last four seasons, the previous three of which came at Sam Houston State and Ole Miss. Meanwhile, Carter is Longo's fourth 1,000-yard rusher since 2014.
Receivers coach Lonnie Galloway has often referred to Longo's offense as a skill player's dream. Conversely, with Howell and essentially all his weapons returning next season, it's fair to assume it could become a defense's nightmare.
"It's going to be scary for every defense out there next year that we go against," Newsome said.
After already telling reporters two weeks ago he'd probably stay for his senior season, Newsome said the offense's outburst in the Military Bowl makes the idea of returning even more enticing. Carter also addressed his future, saying he'd "rather get a degree and be a part of something special next season" than forego his final year of eligibility.
Every other current player mentioned above – plus Javonte Williams, who ended his sophomore season with 1,109 all-purpose yards (933 rushing and 176 receiving) – should be back in 2020. Carolina will lose Charlie Heck and Nick Polino on the offensive line. But the young unit they brought along will likely benefit from the experience it gained this season and added depth.Â
Given all that, no wonder so much optimism could be felt in the bowels of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium after UNC ended the 2019 season on such a strong note.
Still, despite how good the offense looks on paper, the Tar Heels know that only means so much.
"I know our team can be great," Carter said. "It's just a matter of how bad we want it going into next season. I think it will be fun to challenge each other, push each other, because all we do is compete. So, it's going to be fun.Â
"We're not going to get our heads caught up in how many wins we need to get next year, this or that. Our goal since we got here is to compete for a national championship, and I feel like that's what we want to do."
Players Mentioned
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Running Back
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Offensive Line
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Quarterback
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Wide Receiver
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Offensive Line
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Running Back
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