bgorman@heraldsun.com; 419-6668
CHAPEL HILL -- The North Carolina football team dropped from the Associated Press Top 25 after a disappointing end to its season when it fell to N.C. State 28-27 on Saturday. It was the third straight year the Tar Heels have lost to the Wolfpack, and UNC coach Butch Davis is 0-3 against Tom O'Brien's N.C. State squad.
While UNC finishes the regular season 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the ACC after starting 0-3 in the league, it probably can't help but think "What if?" Of the Tar Heels' four losses this season, three could've been wins. After being outplayed by Georgia Tech in Atlanta, UNC returned home to fall to then-winless Virginia. The Tar Heels then blew an 18-point lead to Florida State as the Seminoles rallied to win the first-ever Thursday night game in Chapel Hill.
UNC had a 10-point halftime lead against N.C. State _ who entered Saturday's game with a losing record and just one ACC win _ but the Tar Heels were ultimately doomed by their mistakes. UNC left points on the board all game as Johnny White fumbled in the end zone, wiping out a touchdown, and penalties forced the Tar Heels to settle for field goals on two occasions. UNC had 10 penalties for a season-high 122 yards in the loss to N.C. State as the previous high was 120 in a win over Duke.
But the penalties weren't just limited to the offensive side of the ball. UNC was whistled for two pass interference calls and a personal foul during one drive, which helped N.C. State cut the score to 17-14 in the first half.
"We didn't play very smart," UNC coach Butch Davis said. "The penalties really hurt us. You can't have that many penalties, but especially on big plays like we did today. We gave [N.C. State] other opportunities and took scores off the board for us. Give N.C. State credit, but we didn't play very well."
