CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ When Mack Brown was hired to coach North Carolina's football team in November, he vowed that this wouldn't be a rebuilding year. He said his team planned on winning this season.
Saturday against South Carolina, the Tar Heels made that look possible. UNC's Sam Howell, who Saturday became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season-opener in school history, threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the Tar Heels overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to win, 24-20.
Before Saturday's game, North Carolina hadn't won a season-opener against a Power 5 opponent since 1997.
"That's been too long," Brown said on Monday. "We need to fix that."
Considered it fixed.
The Tar Heels outscored the Gamecocks 15-7 in the second half.
UNC trailed South Carolina 20-9 heading into the fourth quarter.
But Howell and the defense came up big. Howell finished the game 15 of 24 with 245 yards and two touchdowns.
The touchdown pass that put the Tar Heels up for good was a 17-yard pass to junior wide receiver Beau Corrales in the corner of the end zone with 8:24 left in the game. The play was contested, but Howell placed it where only Corrales could come up with it.
South Carolina had a chance to re-take the lead three times in the fourth quarter, but UNC's defense got the stops it needed. UNC safety Myles Wolfolk intercepted two passes in the final three minutes.
His second interception occurred with 1:43 left in the game, essentially sealing the game, erasing a recent history of falling short in the clutch. Seven of UNC's nine losses in 2018 came by 10 points or less.
The game Saturday started slow for the Tar Heels. They scored three field goals in the first three quarters and played conservatively. But the coaching staff let Howell loose in the second half and he eventually found his stride late in the game.
The Tar Heels were without a few key players early on. Senior cornerback Patrice Rene and linebacker Dominique Ross were suspended for the first half by the ACC for their involvement in a fight last season. Ross was suspended the second half for violating team rules.
But it did not affect them.
