State champions.
It was the Elijah Hood show.
The sophomore running back ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and backfield mate T.J. Logan added 100 more and also had two scores as UNC completed its magical run through the regular season and won its 11th straight game. Marquise Williams threw for 173 yards and a touchdown and added 50 more on the ground but had two huge turnovers that nearly swung the momentum of the game for the second straight week.
Carolina jumped on the Wolfpack early with a 73 yard scoring drive in which UNC only saw 3rd down once, and when Williams had to go out of the game because his helmet came off, Mitch Trubisky came in to hit Quinshad Davis for a 5-yard touchdown. After forcing a State punt, the Heels went 91 yards in 5 plays, capped by a 42-yard touchdown run by Logan for a 14-0 lead. After the Pack came back for a score to cut the lead to 14-7, UNC went 75 yards on four plays with Mack Hollins hauling in a 53-yard touchdown pass, then 78 yards on 7 plays with a Logan 40-yard scoring run. After Andre Smith intercepted Jacoby Brissett inside the State 10, Elijah Hood punched it in for a 35-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Then the game turned a little bizarre. The Pack put together a 16-play drive but UNC stiffened in the red zone and State turned it over on downs. And with UNC driving for a score to possibly go up 42-7, Williams threw an interception at the Wolfpack 9 yard-line. State turned that into points and Carolina led 35-14 at the half. After the Pack scored a field goal on a Hood fumble, the Carolina offense couldn't get in gear and State put together a 97-yard drive to cut the lead to 35-23.
Early in the 4th quarter, Hood again found the end zone to give the Heels a little breathing room at 42-23, but another Williams fumble allowed State to tack on a field goal. Weiler responded with a Carolina field goal, but UNC couldn't get the Pack off the field as State converted two 4th-and-long plays and Brissett scored a touchdown and passed for the two-point conversion to make the margin 45-34. State's onside kick was unsuccessful and what looked like a Carolina blowout turned into a nail-biter.
On the plus side, UNC rushed for 372 yards and nearly 10 yards per carry, and 550 yards of offense overall. On the other hand the defense gave up over 500 yards and also gave up 300 yards rushing. Carolina was able to stun State early and hold on for the win on the road. The 2015 Tar Heels become only the 4th team in UNC history to win 11 games and move on to the ACC Championship Game against Clemson in Charlotte with an outside shot at a New Year's Six bowl or even a remote shot at the College Football Playoff.
