Fans of UNC’s football and men’s basketball teams were none too pleased Friday night after watching both programs fall in a pair of stunning upsets against unranked opponents.
The first shocker came in front of a raucous home crowd inside Kenan Memorial Stadium as No. 17 UNC (9–3) squared off against heated rival North Carolina State (8–4). In a back-and-forth affair that came down the final play, Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye attempted to send the game into overtime on third-and-goal.
Initially, it appeared that the Heisman hopeful did just that with a touchdown pass to John Copenhaver, except the play was reversed after a review determined the tight end didn’t complete the catch. However, Maye made good on the re-do with a TD toss to receiver Antoine Green.
A pair of field goals from both teams sent the game into a second OT where the outcome again came down to contest between the kickers. In the end, the Wolfpack would prevail thanks to a converted 21-yarder by NC State’s Christopher Dunn and a missed 35-yarder by UNC’s Noah Burnette.
Maye would end the night 29-of-49 for 233 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Falling in such heartbreaking fashion would typically be enough for one fanbase for one night. But, unfortunately, that is not how the evening concluded.
After NC State officially defeated UNC at 7:34 p.m. ET, a battle on the hardwood between No. 1 UNC (5–1) and Iowa State (5–0) was entering the final moments over at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The two programs are playing in the Phil Knight Invitational.
A 61–61 tie soon turned into a 9–4 Cyclones run, thanks to clutch plays by guards Caleb Grill and Jaren Holmes down the stretch. At approximately 7:42 p.m. ET, UNC lost the contest, 70–65, to put an end to their undefeated season.
Grill and Holmes torched the Tar Heels for 31 and 22 points respectively. For UNC, guards R.J. Davis and Caleb Love combined for 27 points on 9-of-28 shooting while forward Armando Bacot added 13 points, nine rebounds and five turnovers.
On a night where Tar Heels supporters hoped their teams could secure important wins, Friday ended up bringing unfavorable results in two sports less than 10 minutes apart.
Of course, those basking in UNC’s downfall over the weekend may find themselves not celebrating for long given what’s to come for both programs. Up next for football coach Mack Brown and Co. following their standout year is a date with Clemson for the ACC championship on Dec. 3. Meanwhile, coach Hubert Davis and his squad will look to bounce back from the early-season setback with a win on Sunday to close the invitational.
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