Oct. 19, 2003

There was 1:40 remaining Saturday, and Carolina--which had recovered from a 27-17 deficit against Arizona State-- only needed to convert a third-and-one at its own 45-yard line to pull out a 31-27 win and snap a nine-game losing streak in Kenan Stadium. However, the Tar Heels didn't make it happen.

The game officials seemed to not give the home team a very good spot on second down when Jacque Lewis hit the middle. It looked as if he got out across the Carolina 45 or within a half-yard of the first down marker. Yet the officials spotted the ball squarely on the 45, but the Tar Heels still should have made it.

Despite going three-and-out on five of their previous ten possessions, the Tar Heels had run the called play on several short yardage situations earlier in the game, but this time they didn't block it right. "We didn't carry over onto the game field what we had done in practice blocking that front," John Bunting said. "It's a shame because there's no way (Ronnie) McGill gets stopped, but we turned the corner loose off the edge. We double teamed a defensive lineman who was coming inside, and that's not what is called for on that particular play."

With 50 seconds left and Arizona State out of timeouts, there was probably some consideration given to going for it with another scrimmage play or maybe a faked punt. However, John Lafferty's 44-yard kick was his best effort of the day and the Sun Devils should have been bottled up inside their own 20. Instead, rookie Mike Mason came in high and Daryl Lightfoot shook him off and got to the sideline for a 28-yard return out to the Arizona State 39.

The ACC officiating group had numerous problems throughout the game, and during the return the officials failed to detect a possible hold by the Sun Devils or a couple of blocks in the back. Nevertheless, they got it right five plays later when Andrew Walter threw five yards to Skyler Fulton on the back line in the right corner of the endzone. Fulton got his left foot down before going out of bounds.

Strong safety Michael Harris was the defender, just as he had been three plays earlier when Walter found Derek Hagan for 42 yards down to the Carolina five-yard line. However, coach Bunting says the former walk-on gives everything he has week in and week out. "He gives us terrific effort. He has a lot of pride. I love the kid, and I feel bad that he got scored upon, but that's not the only play in the game. We had countless other times where we could have made a play, and we didn't do it."

Arizona State made a big play, and Carolina didn't. That was the difference in the game, and it's happened to the Tar Heels a couple of times this fall.

"There's some good to that because it shows you that we're improving upon where we were last year where we got absolutely hammered a couple of times. We've got to continue to get better, but it also shows you that we're just not good enough sometimes to make that play. We have enough talent, but we've just got to keep growing. We've just got to keep trusting. We've just got to keep working together as a team, and that's coaches and players together."

The loss was a great blow to Carolina's psyche, but the Tar Heels (1-6) have got to get over it. Bunting guarantees the team will be over it when it gets back to work Tuesday preparing for Saturday's trip to Clemson.