It happened Saturday in Kenan Stadium when first North Carolina, then Notre Dame, appeared to get the raw end of television booth officiating replay decisions late in the Tar Heels' dramatic 29-24 win.

On-field pass reception rulings -- one by UNC's Brooks Foster and another by Notre Dame's Michael Floyd -- were overturned, although both appeared to be clearcut catches.

The first, by Foster, would have resulted in a Tar Heels first down at the Irish 23-yard line with less that two minutes remaining. The second, by Floyd, would have given the Irish a first down with less than 10 seconds left inside Carolina's 10-yard line. Foster's catch was ruled incomplete. Floyd's was ruled a catch and fumble, which was recovered by Carolina's Trimane Goddard.

"It's a bitter ending," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said

UNC coach Butch Davis said he couldn't recall a more bizarre game.

But at the conclusion of the confusion, the better team won and justice was served. On an afternoon when Carolina wide receiver Brandon Tate, the likely midseason leader in the ACC player of the year chase, went down early with a sprained right knee and missed almost the entire game, the Tar Heels still were able to find enough weapons to overcome the Irish.

Granted, this Notre Dame team is not remotely close to those that made the program a national fixture. But Carolina wasn't looking to rewrite college football history.

In their 18th game since the arrival of Davis as head coach, the Heels simply wanted to take another step in the direction of recovering national respectability.

They did it with the defense making big plays in the second half and Cam Sexton looking more and more like the best quarterback in the state, maybe the league. In the process, the No. 22 Tar Heels (5-1) kept alive their hopes for a big-impact season.

The Irish (4-2) are on the path back, however. Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen had his way with UNC's secondary much of the afternoon and is virtually certain to emerge as the school's next legitimate Heisman candidate.

But depending upon Tate's status, the Heels may wind up paying an expensive price for Saturday's memories. Carolina sports information department personnel said a determination on the extent of Tate's injury may not be made for a while. Based on Virginia's offensive performances against East Carolina on Saturday and against Maryland a week earlier, the Heels' trip to Charlottesville this weekend suddenly looks testier than anyone could have guessed after the Cavs' 31-3 loss at Duke.

UNC's pain didn't end with Tate. Tight end Zack Pianalto exited in the second half with an ankle injury, and standout defender Bruce Carter missed several plays after limping off in the third quarter.

Even Sexton, in his third straight impressive performance, absorbed a pounding from the Notre Dame defensive front. He finished fine, completing 18 of 32 passes for 201 yards against Notre Dame defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta's coverage schemes.

With each additional game -- really with each additional series -- it's becoming clear that Sexton will be a key to UNC's aspirations. He was sacked only once and made several difficult completions on third-down situations.

But Carolina's improvements since a season-opening scare from McNeese State are far ranging. The once-beleaguered ground game produced 121 yards Saturday, and with Tate sidelined, little-used wideout Kenton Thornton made a key reception. The defense continues to play well above all preseason expectations.

Carolina tailback Shaun Draughn said of the win: "We always have a chance ... with God on your side, you never know."

That's not what most Notre Dame fans like to hear, of course. There's certainly no reason to think Carolina got this one through divine intervention. They won it the old-fashioned way -- by simply outplaying the Irish.

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