Within reach and then slipping away, North Carolina couldn’t get a grasp on the crucial finishing pieces needed to complete its considerable comeback Saturday night.
Three straight dropped passes, balls that bounced off the hands of receivers or went through them, stopped the fifth-ranked Tar Heels’ rallying efforts during the final minute of a 31-28 loss to Florida State in Atlantic Coast Conference football at Doak Campbell Stadium.
After Beau Corrales couldn’t haul in quarterback Sam Howell’s throw down the sideline and Dazz Newsome didn’t secure a leaping attempt in an opening in the middle of the field, Javonte Williams dropped a pass on fourth-and-9 with 35 seconds remaining that would’ve produced a first down and moved North Carolina in range to try the tying field goal – or perhaps even unlocked a shot at the go-ahead touchdown.
“I’m proud of the way we fought in the second half,” Howell said. “We made a lot of plays in the second half. We had a chance to win at the end, we just came up short.”
The visiting Tar Heels were tasked with a long and improbable climb to be in a potentially winning position on this night in Tallahassee, Fla., after a first half of face-planting and shell-shocking moments dumped them into deficits as deep as 24-0 and 31-7.
Howell threw for 374 yards and connected with Williams, Corrales and Dyami Brown on three touchdown passes during the second half as North Carolina (3-1 overall, 3-1 ACC), holding the status of a top-five national ranking for the first time in 23 seasons, mounted a charge from the brink to nearly overcome its disastrous start.
But the Tar Heels couldn’t make it all the way back, and coach Mack Brown fell to 0-10 all-time against Florida State, his alma mater. North Carolina’s first loss in this season of heightened expectations also reduced its margin of error for emerging as a hopeful challenger to frontrunners Clemson and Notre Dame in the ACC race.
Meanwhile, the struggling Seminoles (2-3, 1-3), who had been defeated by league opponents Georgia Tech, Miami and Notre Dame, delivered first-year coach Mike Norvell with a statement victory. Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, making his second career start, threw for 191 yards, ran for 107 yards and accounted for three touchdowns.
Florida State blocked two North Carolina punts in the first half. Later, defensive end Joshua Kaindoh’s interception return for a touchdown – he perfectly diagnosed a Howell screen pass, picked it off and jogged into the end zone from 25 yards out – upped the Seminoles’ surprising lead to 24-0.
That jarring sequence left North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo holding his hands behind his head, with the face covering concealing his mouth, nose and cheeks unable to hide his disbelief.
“The first half was awful,” Brown said. “That set all momentum against us and gave them confidence, and that’s one thing they were lacking. They had good players. We knew they’d played much better against Notre Dame, but we didn’t need to get them off to a good start, and we did that.”
On the sixth snap of the night, Florida State’s Ja’Khi Davis came free and stuffed Tar Heels punter Ben Kiernan. One play later, Travis’s 23-yard touchdown scamper on a quarterback keeper put the Seminoles ahead less than 2½ minutes into the game.
By halftime, the lead had ballooned to 31-7, after Travis eluded blitzing North Carolina linebacker Chazz Surratt and rolled out to find tight end Camren McDonald open in the end zone. “Which was just a killer,” Brown said, lamenting that Florida State score with 17 seconds remaining in the first half.
“We didn’t have people step up and make plays, and good teams do that,” Brown said. “We did that in the second half. Time and time again we did that in the second half. We didn’t do it in the second quarter, and that’s when the game got out of control.
“I told them at halftime it was going to be maybe the largest comeback in North Carolina history, and I really felt that. And we were a play or two away from making that happen.”
North Carolina’s defense responded by supplying a second-half shutout, aided by Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald’s two missed field goals and defensive back Trey Morrison’s leaping one-handed interception to start the fourth quarter.
That pick-off immediately followed Howell’s 33-yard scoring strike to Corrales, pulling Tar Heels within 31-21. The momentum had experienced a sea change by then, but despite taking over on the Seminoles’ 27-yard line after Morrison’s interception, North Carolina couldn’t cash in and Grayson Atkins missed a 44-yard field goal attempt.
“Obviously it took us a little bit longer to get rolling than we would’ve liked,” said Corrales, who collected four catches for 141 yards. “There were several situations we didn’t capitalize on, not even in the first half. Defense gets a big turnover right there in good field position, we’ve got to put points on the board right after that.
“There wasn’t anything that shocked us. It took us too long to get the ball rolling.”
Williams provided 119 rushing yards, 67 receiving yards and scored twice for the Tar Heels. Howell threw for 283 yards in the second half, powering North Carolina’s offense to 558 total yards on the night.
“We knew the offense was going to get rolling at some point,” Surratt said, “we were just waiting on them to click.”
Howell zipped a 25-yard touchdown pass that hit Dyami Brown in stride, another situation in which North Carolina burned Florida State defensive back Akeem Dent through the air, and the Tar Heels had chopped their deficit to 31-28 with 4:58 remaining.
North Carolina’s last drive and the opportunity to author a triumphant ending began on its own 22-yard line with 2:30 left. Howell’s 32-yard hookup with Corrales got the Tar Heels to midfield. They reached the Seminoles’ 41-yard line and were approaching the limits of Atkins’ range, before the three straight dropped passes brought their hopes to a halt, the final miscues at the end of an unfulfilling night.
“We’re not good enough at this stage in our program to take a half off,” Mack Brown said. “Florida State dominated the first half like we dominated the second half, and it ended up being an even game because of that, and came down to one or two plays at the end. But we can’t do that.”
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Comeback fizzles as ending slips through UNC’s grasp in loss to Florida State