Read the Orange side (the whole game, score included)
Syracuse at North Carolina
This is Missed It. Syracuse at North Carolina, Saturday, October twenty-fourth, with the Orange. 58 and clear at Kenan Stadium. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
Alright, Orange Nation, here we are. Syracuse comes in at two and four, North Carolina at four and two. We're on the road, and the Tar Heels get the ball first. We need this one. Plain and simple. A win today keeps us breathing in the race, and a loss makes the road that much harder. The stage is set in Chapel Hill, and we're about to find out what this team is made of.
Q1
The Tar Heels start with the football, and they waste no time. On their very first drive, they're moving. It's a quick strike, and it stings. Edwards Jr. drops back, and he finds Shipp on a short pass to the right. Shipp catches it at the goal line, and he's in for the touchdown. Just like that, it's seven to nothing, North Carolina. The crowd is buzzing, and we're on our heels early. We get the ball back, and we try to answer. We put together a drive, eight plays of work, but it stalls. We can't convert, and we turn it over on downs. That's a wasted opportunity, and it hurts. We needed points there, and we came away with nothing. North Carolina takes over, and they start to grind. Thirteen plays, chewing up the clock, and they march all the way down the field. They don't get the touchdown, but they get the field goal. It's ten to nothing now, and we're staring at a two-score deficit. The offense needs to wake up, and fast. And then, something clicks. We get the ball back with just under two minutes left in the quarter, and we start to move. It's a long, methodical drive. We're not panicking. We're taking what they give us. On a big third down, Angeli finds Russell over the middle for a short gain, and it's enough to move the chains. First down. We keep pushing. Then comes the moment. Miller takes the handoff and bursts through the left side. He's gone, nineteen yards down to the North Carolina nineteen. The sideline is alive. We're in business. The drive keeps rolling into the second quarter, and Miller finishes the job. He takes it up the middle from two yards out, and he's in for the touchdown. The extra point is good, and just like that, it's a three-point game. Ten to seven, North Carolina. We're right back in this thing.
Q2
The second quarter starts with a defensive stand. North Carolina gets the ball back, and they try to answer our touchdown. But our defense holds. Six plays, and they're forced to give it up on downs. That's a huge stop. We have all the momentum now. We get the ball back, but we can't keep it. Four plays, and we're punting it away. That's a letdown after the big stop. We had a chance to take the lead, and we gave it right back. North Carolina takes over, and they start to move again. Twelve plays, eating up the clock, and they get themselves into field goal range. Verhoff lines up from thirty-nine yards out, and he drills it. It's thirteen to seven, and the lead is back to six. We need an answer before the half. We get the ball back with under three minutes to go, and we start to drive. Eleven plays, and we're moving. Then, with just over a minute left, Johnson takes the handoff and cuts right. He finds a seam and he's off, twenty-five yards down to the North Carolina sixteen. That's a massive play. We're in field goal range, and we've got time. We can't get the touchdown, but we don't need it. Shay Barker lines up from thirty yards out, and she splits the uprights as time expires. It's thirteen to ten at the half, and we're right where we need to be. We've got the momentum, and we're getting the ball to start the second half.
Halftime
So there we are at the break, down three. Thirteen to ten. It could be worse, but it could be a whole lot better. The play that turned this half was Johnson's twenty-five-yard run right before the field goal. That gave us life, that gave us a score, and that gave us the belief that we can move the ball on this defense. We needed that. We go into the locker room with the ball coming to us in the third quarter. We need to come out and take control. We need to be the aggressor. This game is there for the taking.
Q3
We get the ball to start the second half, and we're looking to take the lead. We put together a drive, eight plays, but we can't finish. We get into their territory, but we stall out and turn it over on downs. That's a missed chance. We had all the momentum, and we gave it right back. North Carolina takes over, and they make us pay. Ten plays, and they're marching. Then June takes the handoff and breaks loose. Twenty-five yards to the house. Touchdown, North Carolina. The extra point is good, and it's twenty to ten. The lead is back to ten, and the air goes out of the building. We need an answer, and we need it now. We get the ball back, and we start to move. On a big third down, Angeli tucks it and runs. He scrambles left, picks up nine yards, and gets the first down. That's a gutsy play, and it keeps the drive alive. We're fighting. But we can't finish again. Eleven plays, and we're stopped on downs. That's two straight drives inside their territory with no points. We're killing ourselves. Then, our defense steps up. North Carolina gets the ball, and on third down, they drop back to pass. D'Appolonia gets home. He sacks Edwards for a loss of fourteen yards. That's a huge momentum swing. They're forced to punt, and we've got the ball back with a chance to make it a one-score game. We start to drive, ten plays, and we're moving. But then, disaster. We turn it over. We give the ball right back, and we're still down ten. This is getting frustrating.
Q4
North Carolina gets the ball, but our defense holds. Four plays, and they're punting. We've got the ball back, and we need a big play. We need a spark. And then, it happens. Angeli drops back, and he lets it fly. Deep left, and Hatcher is streaking down the sideline. He catches it in stride at the forty, and he's gone. Seventy-six yards for the touchdown. The extra point is good, and it's a three-point game. Twenty to seventeen. The sideline is erupting. We're right back in this thing.
The Sequence
This is where the game is decided. This is where legends are made. North Carolina gets the ball back, and they're looking to answer. Ten plays, and they drive right down the field. But our defense bends, and it doesn't break. They hold them to a field goal. Verhoff from twenty-two yards out, and it's good. Twenty-three to seventeen. The lead is back to six, but we've got the ball and we've got time. We take over, and we start to move. Twelve plays, and we're driving. Then, with just over two and a half minutes left, Angeli drops back and fires deep right. Russell III is there, and he makes the catch at the thirteen. He fights for extra yards, down to the eight. First down. We're knocking on the door. We can't get it in the end zone, but we don't need to. We're in field goal range, and we're going to tie this thing. But wait. We don't settle. We keep pushing. And then, we punch it in. Touchdown. The extra point is good, and it's twenty-three to twenty-three. We've tied the game. North Carolina gets the ball back with under two minutes to go. They're driving, and they're moving. Eight plays, and they're in our territory. But our defense stands tall. They go for it on fourth down, and we stop them. We take over on downs. We've got the ball, and we can win this thing. We get the ball back with forty-five seconds left. Seven plays, and we're moving. We're in field goal range. We're going to win this. But we can't convert. We turn it over on downs. We give it right back, and we're going to overtime. Overtime. North Carolina gets the ball first. Six plays, and they're in. Edwards finds June on a short pass, and he's in for the touchdown. The extra point is good, and it's thirty to twenty-three. We need an answer. We get the ball, and we need a touchdown. Eight plays. We're moving. And then, we punch it in. Touchdown. The extra point is good, and it's thirty to thirty. We're going to a second overtime. But wait. No. The game is over. We win. Thirty-one to thirty. We win.
Wrap-up
Final score, Syracuse thirty-one, North Carolina thirty. We win by one. We're three and four, and they're four and three. We needed this one, and we got it. The series moves on, and we're still in the race. That's all that matters. We fought, we never quit, and we came away with the win. Orange Nation, we're still alive.
By the Numbers
The Orange by the numbers. Final score, Syracuse 31, North Carolina 30. 455 yards of offense to their 372, 256 through the air and 199 on the ground. 23 first downs. 8 of 19 on third down. 0 turnovers for us, 0 for them. We held the ball for just over 31 minutes.
Outro
That was Syracuse at North Carolina, from the Orange side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.
Read the Tar Heels side (the whole game, score included)
Syracuse at North Carolina
This is Missed It. Syracuse at North Carolina, Saturday, October twenty-fourth, with the Tar Heels. 58 and clear at Kenan Stadium. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
It's a crisp one here in Chapel Hill, and we've got ourselves a football game. The Syracuse Orange come in at two and four, looking to right the ship. But we're four and two, we're at home, and we've got the ball first. This is a game we should win, a game we need to win, to keep our season heading where we want it to go. The Orange have had their struggles, but they're hungry, and we can't afford to look past anybody. We've got the ball at the start, and that's exactly where we want to be. Let's get after it.
Q1
We come out firing. Edwards Jr. leads the offense down the field, methodical, patient, eight plays of pure execution. And then, on the eleventh minute mark, he drops back, scans, and finds Shipp on the short right. Shipp catches it at the goal line, and that's all she wrote. Five yards, touchdown, and just like that we're up seven to nothing. The crowd is on its feet, the sideline is buzzing, and we look every bit the team that came in here four and two. Syracuse gets the ball back and they try to answer, but our defense stands tall. They push the Orange backward, force them into tough spots, and after eight plays, Syracuse is staring at fourth down. They go for it, and they come up empty. Our ball, our momentum, and we're rolling. We take over and grind it out. Thirteen plays, chewing up clock, moving the chains. We don't get the touchdown, but Verhoff trots out and knocks through a field goal. Ten to nothing, and we're in complete control. This is exactly how we wanted to start. But Syracuse isn't going away quietly. They get the ball back with just under two minutes left in the quarter, and they start to move. It's a long, grinding drive, and they're converting on third downs, keeping our defense on the field. Early in the second quarter, they face a big third down, and Angeli finds Russell over the middle for a couple of yards, just enough to move the chains. Then Miller takes a handoff left, breaks through the line, and rumbles for nineteen yards into our territory. You can feel the momentum starting to shift. They keep pushing, keep grinding, and finally, at the nine minute mark, Miller punches it in from two yards out. Touchdown, and the lead is cut to three. Ten to seven, and this is suddenly a ballgame.
Q2
We need an answer. We get the ball back and we try to drive, but Syracuse's defense stiffens. Six plays, and we're facing fourth down. We go for it, and we come up short. Turnover on downs, and the Orange have all the momentum now. They can't do anything with it, though. Four plays, and they're punting it right back to us. We take over again, and this time we're methodical. Twelve plays, moving the ball, bleeding the clock. We stall out in the red zone, but Verhoff is automatic. He drills a thirty-nine-yard field goal, and we're back up by six. Thirteen to seven, and we've got a little breathing room again. But Syracuse has the ball with just over two minutes left, and they're not playing it safe. They're moving, they're aggressive, and then Johnson takes a rush to the right side. He finds a seam, breaks into the open, and he's gone for twenty-five yards down to our sixteen. That's a big play, a huge play, and it sets them up in scoring position. They milk the clock, they get down to the goal line, and as time expires, Barker lines up and knocks through a thirty-yard field goal. Ten to thirteen at the half.
Halftime
So we go into the break up three, and it feels like we should be up more. We had control early, we were moving the ball, we were up ten to nothing. But that Johnson run right before the half, that twenty-five-yard burst down to our sixteen, that's the play that turned things. It gave them life, it gave them points, and it changed the whole feel of this game. We're still ahead, but we've let them hang around. We need to come out in the second half, take the ball, and remind them who we are. We need to be the team that started this game, not the team that finished the half.
Q3
Syracuse gets the ball to start the half, and our defense comes out with something to prove. They force the Orange into tough situations, and after eight plays, Syracuse is facing fourth down again. They go for it, and again, they come up empty. Our defense is bending but not breaking, and we've got the ball with a chance to extend the lead. We take over and we go to work. Ten plays, and we're marching. June takes a handoff to the left, finds a crease, and he's off. Twenty-five yards, untouched, into the end zone. Touchdown. Verhoff adds the extra point, and just like that we're up twenty to ten. The crowd is roaring, the sideline is alive, and we've got the cushion we've been looking for. Syracuse needs an answer, and they start to move. They're driving, they convert a big third down when Angeli scrambles left for nine yards, and they're in our territory. But our defense digs in. They force another fourth down, and again, Syracuse comes up empty. Three times they've gone for it, three times they've failed. We're winning the battle of wills. We take over, but we can't get anything going. On third down, Edwards Jr. drops back, and he's swallowed up. D'Appolonia gets to him, sacks him for a loss of fourteen yards, and we're forced to punt. That's a momentum swing, and you can feel the Orange starting to believe. They take over with under two minutes left in the quarter, and they're driving again. They move the ball into our territory as the quarter ends, and we're clinging to a ten-point lead.
Q4
Syracuse keeps pushing, but our defense holds. They force a turnover, and we take over with a chance to put this game away. But we can't do anything with it. Four plays, and we're punting it right back. That's a missed opportunity, and it's going to cost us. Because on the very next play, Angeli drops back, and he lets it fly. Deep left, Hatcher is streaking down the sideline, and he hauls it in at our forty. And he's gone. Seventy-six yards, untouched, into the end zone. Touchdown. Just like that, the lead is down to three. Seventeen to twenty, and this place has gone quiet.
The Sequence
This is where the game gets decided. We've got the ball, we're up three, and we need to answer. We drive, we move the chains, we chew up clock. Ten plays, and we get down to the Syracuse twenty-two. We can't punch it in, but Verhoff comes on and knocks through a twenty-two-yard field goal. Twenty-three to seventeen, and we've got a six-point lead with just over seven minutes to play. But Syracuse isn't done. They take over, and they're methodical. They're moving the ball, they're converting, and they're eating up the clock. With just over two minutes left, Angeli drops back and finds Russell III deep down the right side. He catches it at our thirteen, and he rumbles down to our eight. Twenty-eight yards, and they're knocking on the door. They punch it in, and just like that, it's tied. Twenty-three to twenty-three. We've got the ball with under two minutes left, and we need to win this thing. We drive, we move, we get into their territory. But we can't finish. Eight plays, and we're facing fourth down. We go for it, and we come up short. Turnover on downs, and Syracuse has the ball with under a minute to play. They're trying to get into field goal range, but our defense holds. They push them back, they force them into tough spots, and after seven plays, Syracuse is facing fourth down. They go for it, and they come up empty. Our ball, and we've got one last chance. We take over, and we've got no timeouts. We've got to move. Edwards Jr. drops back, he scrambles, he finds June on the short right. June catches it at the one, and he lunges for the pylon. Touchdown. Verhoff adds the extra point, and we're up thirty to twenty-three. The place erupts. We've done it. We've won. But wait. There's time on the clock. Syracuse gets the ball back, and they've got one last chance. They drive, they move, they're in our territory. And then, with no time left, they find the end zone. They go for two, they get it, and just like that, it's thirty-one to thirty.
Wrap-up
Final score, Syracuse thirty-one, North Carolina thirty. We had them. We were up ten, we were up thirteen, we had every chance to put this game away. But we let them hang around, we let them believe, and they made the plays when it mattered. We fall to four and three, and Syracuse improves to three and four. It's a bitter one, a heartbreaker, and it's going to sting for a while. But we've got to learn from it, we've got to grow from it, and we've got to come back stronger. This one hurts, but the season isn't over.
By the Numbers
The Tar Heels by the numbers. Final score, North Carolina 30, Syracuse 31. 372 yards of offense to their 455, 271 through the air and 101 on the ground. 20 first downs. 9 of 17 on third down. 0 turnovers for us, 0 for them. We held the ball for just under 29 minutes.
Outro
That was Syracuse at North Carolina, from the Tar Heels side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.