The North Carolina Tar Heels were 25.5-point underdogs at home Saturday against the No. 1 team in the country, but Mack Brown’s team was just three yards away from potentially handing the reigning national champions a stunning loss with a bold 2-point conversion attempt.
The North Carolina defense held Heisman favorite Trevor Lawrence to just 206 yards passing and a single touchdown to keep the game close, and with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, UNC quarterback Sam Howell led the Tar Heels on an epic 16-play touchdown drive that spanned eight minutes and 37 seconds. Javonte Williams capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut Clemson’s lead to 21-20 – and Brown opted to try and steal a win in regulation instead of playing for overtime.
The Tar Heels ran a triple-option play from the 3-yard line and Howell tried to power his way into the endzone, but the Clemson defense held to preserve a 20-game winning streak for the Tigers.
Fans and analysts were split over the play call, but many watching applauded Brown for going for the win.
