In a game that capsulized an entire UNC football season of “what ifs,” the Tar Heels fell to West Virginia in the Meineke Bowl game in Charlotte 31-30. (12/27)
What if Shaun Draughn hadn't fumbled in the fourth quarter setting up the winning touchdown?
What if, with the Heels ahead 23-21, a wide open Greg Little hadn't short-armed a long pass that probably would have gone for a touchdown?
What if kicker Jay Wooten hadn't kicked off out-of-bounds giving West Virginia good field position at the 40 (they drove in for a score)?
What if, on fourth and goal from the 1, the Heels had elected to go for a field goal or let someone besides the quarterback run the ball?
What if punter Terrence Brown had kicked it further than 29 yards and pinned West Virginia deep in their territory late in the game?
What if the defense had been able to stop West Virginia on a third down in the first half?
What if, with two minutes to play, quarterback T.J. Yates had gone down the field instead of throwing short right into the arms of a waiting linebacker that sealed the loss?
What if Hakeem Nicks had kept up his extraordinary first half play in the second half?
The Mountaineers were burned by two long Nicks TD receptions in the first half of 66 and 72 yards. Nicks, who had five receptions for 181 yards in the first half, scored all three of Carolina 's first-half touchdowns. But the Mountaineers made adjustments and held Nicks to three receptions for 36 yards in the second half.
Carolina fell behind early 7-0 but quickly came back on a circus catch by Nicks to tie it at 7-7. West Virginia , behind game MVP QB Pat White, scored again in the first quarter to go ahead 14-7.
On the ensuring drive, UNC running back Cooter Arnold completed a long pass to Nicks, who stiff-armed defenders and scored on the 66-yard play to make it 14-all.
Still in the first quarter, White threw 35 yards for a touchdown to put West Virginia up 21-14.
Little ran the kickoff back to mid-field and the Heels moved it all the way inside the three. Carolina ran it three times but could only manage to get it to the one. A strange delayed quarterback run on fourth down failed.
The Heels were able to get a safety on the Mountaineers first play from there to make it 21-16.
A 25-yard touchdown pass from Yates to Nicks put the Heels up 23-21. West Virginia drove all the way inside the five with less than a minute to play but UNC's Deunta Williams ended the drive with an interception in the end zone.
With nine minutes left in the third quarter, West Virginia re-took the lead on a field goal to make it 24-23.
A Carolina drive, highlighted by a third-down catch off his hip, thigh and butt by Nicks, ended on a Yates TD run that gave UNC a 30-24 advantage.
The Heels held that lead, stopping West Virginia on fourth and one in the fourth, but Draughan fumbled the ball back to the Mountaineers at the UNC 35 with about eight minutes to go.
White drove the Mountaineers down the field quickly, completing a 20-yard TD pass to Alric Arnett to put West Virginia up 31-30 with just over seven minutes to go.
Carolina moved the ball but a muffed handoff led to a punt with less than four minutes to go. A sack by Searcy forced the Mountaineers to punt on a three-and-out with more than three minutes to go.
The Heels picked up a first down but Yates threw an interception to Pat Lazear with two minutes to go and West Virginia ran out the clock.
The game ended shaky for the Heels, with two turnovers in the fourth quarter, and began shaky for the Heels, with early mistakes. West Virginia played with a short field most of the first half. For instance, on the opening drive of the game, a holding penalty negated a first down and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Draughn backed the Heels up deep and gave WVU good field position.
UNC never really had an answer for the West Virginia passing attack, which was not considered the team's strength. White threw for 332 yards to lead the Mountaineers to their fourth straight bowl victory.
West Virginia ends the season 9-4 while UNC finishes 8-5.
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