University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: What We Can Be
September 29, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
As Sam Howell slowly walked off the Kenan Stadium turf on Saturday evening, the right arm of Jordan Tucker wrapped around him and the Clemson fight song blaring from across the field, one thing above all else was abundantly clear.
Chances like these don't come around often.
Only 10 times since the inception of the AP poll in 1936 had North Carolina had the chance to upend the nation's No. 1 team. All 10 times the Tar Heels had failed. And for the most part, they hadn't come all that close, losing by an average margin of over 22 points.
Entering Saturday, most people thought the matchup between Mack Brown's program and the top-ranked Tigers, the first consensus reigning national champion to ever visit Kenan Stadium, wound't end much differently. Yet, with 1:17 to play, there UNC was, down by only one point and going for two.
Just as quickly as Carolina found itself in that position, though, Clemson stuffed Howell's option run to the right and burned out the clock to escape with a 21-20 win.
The Tar Heels subsequently left the field, knowing they'd missed out on a program-defining win. But they also knew they'd given Clemson all they had. And although that didn't prove to be enough, it still carried some weight.
"We were talking all week, like, 'This is going to be a test to see where we are as a team," Jeremiah Gemmel said. "I just hope everybody on the team looks at this and sees how good we can actually be. We just went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the country."
They likely wouldn't have if not for the work they put in all week.
In the aftermath of the 24-18 loss at Wake Forest, Brown and some of the players said they should've prepared better. That remained a theme after the 34-31 defeat against Appalachian State last week. But Brown ensured it wouldn't be an issue against Clemson.
Throughout the week, the Hall of Fame coach stressed how the Tigers had more talent, experience and depth and that UNC had to play clean and with intensity to pull off the win. Instead of intimidating his players, Myles Dorn said Brown's message helped them prepare better. And they clearly bought in.
Carolina scored on both of its red-zone trips and committed only three penalties compared to Clemson's six. It also won the turnover battle, recovering its first fumble of the season.
"This shows us what we can be," Brown said. "I told the guys we had the best Sunday practice, the best Tuesday practice, Wednesday practice, Thursday practice. Friday, they were so locked in. It was a fun week to coach – much more fun than the two previous weeks.
"I also told them that, 'If you do that every week, we have a chance every week to win the rest of the games.'"
They certainly will if the defense can consistently play like it did.
Led by sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, already considered one of the most surefire NFL prospects ever, the Tigers entered Saturday averaging 42.3 points and 524.8 yards in four games. But the Tar Heels held them to 21 points, Clemson's fewest since it lost to Alabama in the 2017 College Football Playoff, and 331 total yards.
Gemmel said Jay Bateman, who held Oklahoma's explosive offense to 21 points in regulation as the defensive coordinator at Army this time last year, had the Tigers' offense down "to a T." Dorn agreed. He also pointed out another reason for the unit's success.
"I think the difference was how the players bought into it this week," said the senior safety. "You kind of had to buy into everything (Bateman) was saying just because their talent level is so high everywhere on the field."
Despite all that talent, Clemson trailed for 22:54 in the first half and didn't seize its first lead until Lawrence threw a 38-yard touchdown pass with 9:54 left. UNC's offense responded with a 16-play drive that culminated with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Javonte Williams. But the upset bid ended moments later on the failed 2-point conversion attempt.
Afterward, Brown said he's not into moral victories. Still, he was encouraged by the fight his team showed.
"Winning is what matters," Brown said. "But as a coach, you're a reflection of your team and I told them in my 31 years of coaching, I've never been prouder of their effort because if I'm a reflection of the way those guys fought their guts out tonight, I'm very, very proud of that."
The 1-point defeat matched the closest loss in Carolina history against the No. 1 team in the AP poll; the fifth-ranked Tar Heels fell 7-6 at top-ranked Pittsburgh in 1982. But instead of dwelling on how close they came to shocking the college football world Saturday, they'll think about what put them in that position.
"It just showed what we're capable of as a team," Howell said. "That's the best team in the country, we just took them down to the wire and should have won the game. It shows what we're capable of."
As Sam Howell slowly walked off the Kenan Stadium turf on Saturday evening, the right arm of Jordan Tucker wrapped around him and the Clemson fight song blaring from across the field, one thing above all else was abundantly clear.
Chances like these don't come around often.
Only 10 times since the inception of the AP poll in 1936 had North Carolina had the chance to upend the nation's No. 1 team. All 10 times the Tar Heels had failed. And for the most part, they hadn't come all that close, losing by an average margin of over 22 points.
Entering Saturday, most people thought the matchup between Mack Brown's program and the top-ranked Tigers, the first consensus reigning national champion to ever visit Kenan Stadium, wound't end much differently. Yet, with 1:17 to play, there UNC was, down by only one point and going for two.
Just as quickly as Carolina found itself in that position, though, Clemson stuffed Howell's option run to the right and burned out the clock to escape with a 21-20 win.
The Tar Heels subsequently left the field, knowing they'd missed out on a program-defining win. But they also knew they'd given Clemson all they had. And although that didn't prove to be enough, it still carried some weight.
"We were talking all week, like, 'This is going to be a test to see where we are as a team," Jeremiah Gemmel said. "I just hope everybody on the team looks at this and sees how good we can actually be. We just went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the country."
They likely wouldn't have if not for the work they put in all week.
In the aftermath of the 24-18 loss at Wake Forest, Brown and some of the players said they should've prepared better. That remained a theme after the 34-31 defeat against Appalachian State last week. But Brown ensured it wouldn't be an issue against Clemson.
Throughout the week, the Hall of Fame coach stressed how the Tigers had more talent, experience and depth and that UNC had to play clean and with intensity to pull off the win. Instead of intimidating his players, Myles Dorn said Brown's message helped them prepare better. And they clearly bought in.
Carolina scored on both of its red-zone trips and committed only three penalties compared to Clemson's six. It also won the turnover battle, recovering its first fumble of the season.
"This shows us what we can be," Brown said. "I told the guys we had the best Sunday practice, the best Tuesday practice, Wednesday practice, Thursday practice. Friday, they were so locked in. It was a fun week to coach – much more fun than the two previous weeks.
"I also told them that, 'If you do that every week, we have a chance every week to win the rest of the games.'"
They certainly will if the defense can consistently play like it did.
Led by sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, already considered one of the most surefire NFL prospects ever, the Tigers entered Saturday averaging 42.3 points and 524.8 yards in four games. But the Tar Heels held them to 21 points, Clemson's fewest since it lost to Alabama in the 2017 College Football Playoff, and 331 total yards.
Gemmel said Jay Bateman, who held Oklahoma's explosive offense to 21 points in regulation as the defensive coordinator at Army this time last year, had the Tigers' offense down "to a T." Dorn agreed. He also pointed out another reason for the unit's success.
"I think the difference was how the players bought into it this week," said the senior safety. "You kind of had to buy into everything (Bateman) was saying just because their talent level is so high everywhere on the field."
Despite all that talent, Clemson trailed for 22:54 in the first half and didn't seize its first lead until Lawrence threw a 38-yard touchdown pass with 9:54 left. UNC's offense responded with a 16-play drive that culminated with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Javonte Williams. But the upset bid ended moments later on the failed 2-point conversion attempt.
Afterward, Brown said he's not into moral victories. Still, he was encouraged by the fight his team showed.
"Winning is what matters," Brown said. "But as a coach, you're a reflection of your team and I told them in my 31 years of coaching, I've never been prouder of their effort because if I'm a reflection of the way those guys fought their guts out tonight, I'm very, very proud of that."
The 1-point defeat matched the closest loss in Carolina history against the No. 1 team in the AP poll; the fifth-ranked Tar Heels fell 7-6 at top-ranked Pittsburgh in 1982. But instead of dwelling on how close they came to shocking the college football world Saturday, they'll think about what put them in that position.
"It just showed what we're capable of as a team," Howell said. "That's the best team in the country, we just took them down to the wire and should have won the game. It shows what we're capable of."
Players Mentioned
Defensive Back
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Quarterback
/ Football
Offensive Line
/ Football
Running Back
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