Notre Dame erases the fourth-quarter mystique of UNC quarterback Sam Howell
Since quarterback Sam Howell arrived at North Carolina, the fourth quarter has always been when the magic happened. From his first collegiate start as a freshman last season when he led a 15-point rally against South Carolina, to last game out against Wake Forest when he helped produced 28 points in the final period to complete a 21-point comeback, the Tar Heels never feel out of a game when Howell’s under center.
North Carolina entered Friday’s game against Notre Dame with a 133-point differential in fourth quarter scoring margin under Howell’s guidance the past two seasons, which leads the entire Football Bowl Subdivision. Appalachian State was the next closest team with an 84-point margin.
So why couldn’t Howell rally the No. 25 Tar Heels after trailing just by seven entering the fourth during their 31-17 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame on Friday? UNC coach Mack Brown was upfront about the answer.
“You see it, I saw it, looked like they whipped us upfront,” Brown said in his postgame video conference. “They got too much pressure on Sam, (he) didn’t have enough time to get the ball to the guys. And we knew that was an issue.”
No amount of trick plays or bubble screens or flat passes could disguise how Notre Dame’s defensive front dominated the line of scrimmage. Carolina ran a total of 14 plays on three possessions in the fourth quarter and gained a total of just 20 yards.
Brown pointed out the Irish has veteran players across the line. Two of their starters are graduate students and the other two are seniors. Having been in close games in the fourth quarter meant the Irish doesn’t get rattled.
“They were always where they’re supposed to be and they play really hard,” Howell said in his postgame remarks to the media. “They probably played harder and more physical than anyone we’ve ever played since I’ve been here.”
Irish limits Tar Heels’ running game
The Heels’ running game that ranked tied for second in the ACC with 233 yards per game, was held to a season-low 87 yards and just 2.9 yards per carry. Both of those numbers were right around the average the Irish’s top-ranked rush defense has allowed per game.
Neither Michael Carter’s speed nor Javonte Williams’ power could provide enough substantial runs through that interior line. Carter had a 26-yard run on his first carry and later had a 16-yard run. But those were the exceptions. He finished with just 15 more yards on six carries combined. Williams entered the game leading the nation with 18 rushing touchdowns and 62 avoided tackles. But he managed just 28 yards, which like Carter, was a season low.
“They had a good defensive line all the way across the board,” Carter said. “They have a lot of athletes that you’ll see at the next level.”
That inability to run underlined the Heels’ fourth quarter struggles. Play-action passes were deemed ineffective. And forget about trying to have Howell in a five-step drop -- two of the six sacks by the Irish came in the fourth.
“Unless we could run the ball well enough in this game, we knew that we couldn’t protect well enough to get the ball downfield,” Brown said. “And we had to throw the ball to win the game.”
UNC ‘struggled getting anything going’
At the end of the first half, the Heels were hampered by having to start consecutive drives from their own 3-yard-line. Field position didn’t play a factor in the fourth quarter, where they started drives from the UNC 28 and 33, respectively, before the Irish put the game out of reach with 80 seconds remaining.
Carolina entered the game second to Notre Dame in the ACC in third down conversions. The Heels were held far below their 48.9 percent average, making good on just 2-of-11 third downs. Part of their inability to get first downs was because they were hardly ever in third and short situations. Only one of their 11 third down plays was of a distance of less than 4 yards.
“I just think we struggled getting anything going really, we couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Howell said. “They’re really good on third down. So when you get behind the chains on first down, it’s hard to make up for that.”
Even if it seemed like making up seven points in the fourth quarter would be a simple task.