2010 BCS National Championship: Auburn 22, Oregon 19

It's a final: Auburn wins national championship on Wes Byrum's kick as time expires

Published: Monday, January 10, 2011, 11:14 PM     Updated: Monday, January 10, 2011, 11:14 PM

 By Charles Goldberg/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times 

Kodi Burns finished his Auburn career on a high note with a national championship and this 35-yard touchdown catch (Todd Van Emst photo)

GLENDALE, Ariz. - A quarterback with skills like none other this season, the school's all-time leading scorer and a defense that had just enough presented Auburn the ultimate prize in college football Monday night in the Arizona desert.

Wes Byrum kicked at the game-winning field goal as time expired to give Auburn a 22-19 victory in the BCS national championship game.

Thiller.

Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes and the Tigers' defense came up with big plays to lead Auburn to titl over Oregon in University of Phoenix Stadium in the thriller.

Oregon tied Auburn 19-19 late on a touchdown and 2-point conversion, but big runs from Mike Dyer put Auburn in a position to win it all.

Dyer rolled over a would-be tackler, got up and ran away from Oregon to the Ducks' 23-yard line to set up the winning score.

Neither snow nor rain in the South could prevent a stadium-record crowd of 78,603 from watching Auburn's win.

The Tigers finished their historic season at 14-0, the most wins in school history. It's Auburn's first national title since 1957, and helped ease the pain from the 2004 team that went 13-0 but just missed playing in the BCS title game.

The 2010 team was deserving of the BCS, leaving the game just as it entered it as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Newton threw touchdown passes to Kodi Burns and Emory Blake. Auburn also got a field goal from Wes Byrum. And the Tigers' sometimes-maligned defense stepped up and to stop Oregon's big-play, fast-paced offense. Auburn defensive tackle Mike Blanc dropped the nation's leading rusher, LaMichael James, for a safety late in the second quarter to jump start the Tigers and speed them to victory.

The Tigers quickly followed up the safety with the go-ahead touchdown pass from Newton to Blake.

Leading 19-11 late in the third quarter, Auburn turned back Oregon with a goal line stand. The Ducks had a first down at the Auburn 3. They were turned away when Auburn stopped them on fourth-and-1 from the 1.

 Sure-first-round pick Nick Fairley disrupted Oregon's offense throughout.

The Tigers started slowly, but Auburn ran 36 plays in the second quarter, and helped carry the Tigers to a 16-11  halftime lead.

© 2011 al.com. All rights reserved.

2010 Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Florida State 26, South Carolina 17

Florida State Knocks Out South Carolina, 26-17

 by Bud Elliott on Dec 31, 2010 10:56 PM EST in FSU Football

All season, the Florida State Seminoles relied on their offense to carry the 'Noles to victory.  But with four offensive linemen already down for the season, a left tackle with two shoulders needing surgery unable to pass protect, and a three-year starter at quarterback down early in the game with elbow trouble, FSU leaned on its defense and special teams to beat the South Carolina Gamecocks, 26-17.

The biggest player of the night for the Seminoles was 5'8" sophomore cornerback Greg Reid.  On the sixth play of the game, South Carolina flipped the ball to All-American Tailback Marcus Lattimore.  It would be the last time Lattimore touched the ball all night as Reid crushed Lattimore, knocking him out and causing a fumble which would be recovered by FSU's Kendall Smith. The play set the tone for the night as the 'Noles would force five turnovers on the night, including four in the first half.  Reid finished with four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and three excellent plays in the return game.  And he did it in front of his father who hadn't seen him play since his freshman season due to a prison stint.

FSU's defense was determined to stop the big play, hoping to force South Carolina into impatient mistakes.  It worked, as South Carolina failed to hit the big play for much of the night and was not sharp.  The 'Noles repeatedly gave up short and intermediate gains, but those gains were usually met with big hits.  A young and thin defensive line that had repeatedly worn down over the backstretch of the season clearly benefited from the time off and gave the 'Noles a chance to fight South Carolina's high-powered offense.  

Florida State's offense couldn't do much on the night.  Christian Ponder had reportedly looked great in practice leading up to the game but was quite ineffective and had to be pulled after just a few series.  Backup EJ Manuel came in, and the offense still couldn't get much going.  But one thing the 'Noles did not do was repeatedly turn the ball over.  FSU eventually ran the ball with some effectiveness, had three tremendous punts of more than 45 net yards off the leg of Shuan Powell, and gave South Carolina poor field position for much of the night.  

EJ Manuel was a safe and efficient 11-15 for 84 yards with a TD and no interceptions.  With the inability to pass protect due to injury and inexperience on the offensive line, FSU rarely tested the Gamecocks deep.  But he was quite special with his legs and his handoffs, scrambling for 46 of Florida State's 212 rushing yards.  Only Auburn rushed for more against the Gamecocks.  

Florida State won 10 games for the first time since 2003.  For first-year head coach Jimbo Fisher, it was a storybook season and perhaps the start of something very special in Tallahassee as FSU is the odds-on favorite to land the top recruiting class in the entire country.  

2010 Liberty Bowl: Central Florida 10, Georgia 6

OrlandoSentinel.com

UCF's Liberty Bowl win over Georgia is proof that Knights have arrived

Mike Bianchi
SPORTS COMMENTARY
9:54 PM EST, December 31, 2010

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The bell is ringing.

The Liberty Bell.

It is ringing loud and proud.

The UCF players are parading around the field with it; holding it up high over their heads and jingling and jangling it in front of the manic, frantic UCF rooting section.

The rain is pouring down on their heads and they are soaking it all up; hugging and high-fiving and dancing and singing … and ringing!

"The sweetest sound in the world," UCF senior Bruce Miller says with a huge smile splashed across his face. "I rang that bell until I couldn't ring it anymore."

Ding dong, UCF's bowl futility streak is dead.

The bell is a replica of the real Liberty Bell and is given to the champions of the Autozone Liberty Bowl.

And how poetically appropriate that UCF players were clanging it Friday after their elating, liberating 10-6 victory over Georgia gave Coach George O'Leary and his team the first bowl victory in school history.

If Patrick Henry were a UCF fan, he would have been wearing a gold-and-black wig Friday and screaming, "Give me the Liberty Bowl or give me death!"

And, so, let freedom ring across Knight Nation.

UCF, the one-time directional school that for so long was ignored and neglected by fans and media in this football-fanatical state, has finally been unshackled from the dungeon of darkness. The program has arrived. The sleeping giant has not only woken up, he just gobbled down breakfast and is ready to tackle the world.

"This is the biggest win ever at UCF," school president John Hitt declared outside a jubilant UCF locker room. "Another barrier has fallen. We've shown we can go toe-to-toe with a traditional powerhouse and come out a winner,"

Added O'Leary: "A great win for our players, our seniors and the UCF program!"

What is going on at Orlando's hometown university is absolutely euphoric and historic. The Knights basketball team is unbeaten at 13-0 and ranked No. 19 in the nation. The football team, with 11 wins, has more victories than any team in the state and is ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in school history.

And, astoundingly, they just beat Georgia. You heard me … Georgia! From the big, bad Southeastern Conference – the league that has won four straight national championships.

"In my four years playing at Florida, I never beat Georgia," said UCF athletic director Keith Tribble, an offensive lineman for the Gators in the late 1970s. "This is a huge win for the UCF program. Maybe people nationally will start taking notice of us now."

Maybe the Big East better start taking notice -- quickly. UCF's basketball team beat Florida earlier in the season, and now the football team has beaten Georgia. I'm starting to wonder if the Big East is good enough for UCF. Why not the ACC? Why not the SEC? If the SEC were smart, they'd boot out Vanderbilt and add UCF – a team that can actually play with the conference's big bullies.

Let's face it, not many of the naysayers thought UCF had what it took to beat Georgia – even if it was a mediocre version of the once-feared Dawgs. But perhaps it was an omen of good things to come when Georgia mascot – Uga VIII – didn't show up for the game because of gastrointestinal issues. Or at least that was the official story. Considering what is going on at big-time BCS schools this year, I believe Uga VIII was probably suspended for selling his commemorative Liberty Bowl pooper scooper to a Georgia booster for $1,000.

Once the game started, UCF freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey added another chapter to a spectacular rookie season that has seen him emerge as one of the most dynamic players in the country. He was crushed by a Georgia pass rush in the first quarter and got up limping badly. Coaches tried to convince him to come out of the game.

He refused.

He somehow managed to finish the game and showed he is more than just fast, sleek athlete. He is a tough, tenacious one, too. When it appeared UCF's offense was destined to be kept out of the end zone, Godfrey willed his team down the field in the fourth quarter. He took the Knights 65 yards on 11 plays for the winning touchdown – a 10-yard run by game MVP Latavius Murray.

But this victory belonged mainly to UCF defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable and his undersized, overachieving unit. Georgia came into the game ranked No. 23 nationally in scoring offense (34.3 points per game), but UCF didn't allow them in the end zone. If this defensive effort were a song, it would be called, "The Knight the lights went out in Georgia."

"Georgia thought they were going to come in here and run over us and push us around," UCF cornerback Darin Baldwin said. "We weren't going to allow that to happen."

Huxtable, it should be noted, is a huge Elvis fan and took a few hours during bowl week in Memphis to visit Graceland. Maybe that's why his unit played as mean and ornery as a hungry "hound dog" and left Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray "all shook up."

Welcome to Memphis, home of the blues, great BBQ and UCF history. It's no wonder Knight fans flooded Memphis's most famous party area after the game and were doing a black-and-gold version of the Beale Street Boogie.

What a New Year's Eve it was.

Sort of makes you want to sing a UCF version of Auld Lang Syne.

"A bowl victory to never be forgot,

And always brought to mind,

The UCF Knights are white-hot,

And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne,

We'll ring the bell of Liberty,

For auld lang syne!"

Read Mike Bianchi's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/openmike and listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740-AM. You can e-mail him at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com.

Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel

2010 Sun Bowl: Notre Dame 33, Miami (FL) 17

Article published Jan 1, 2011
Irish shine in Sun Bowl
Notre Dame beats Miami 33-17 in El Paso
By AL LESAR Tribune Staff Writer
EL PASO, Texas -- They came. They refused to shiver. They hammered the Hurricanes.

It's only a college football rivalry when both teams are competitive.

That didn't happen Friday.

It was supposed to be a battle between a couple of pit bulls. A Chihuahua showed up from South Beach.

A program built on swagger was handed a swig of humility.Notre Dame's 33-17 Sun Bowl spanking of Miami served notice that maybe first-year Irish coach Brian Kelly is doing something right.

"I don't know if one game sets who you are or where you want to go," Kelly said. "Clearly, we're gaining a lot of confidence. We've beat a lot of good football teams later in the year as we've kinda come together and found our identity."

Four straight wins and an 8-5 record have made potentially devastating losses to Navy and Tulsa appear to be nothing more than a necessary part of the growth process.

The Notre Dame team that dominated Miami Friday didn't even vaguely resemble the mistake-prone unit that flirted with another lost season two months ago.

Two hours before kickoff, the Hurricanes were whipped. It was obvious to anyone who chose to spend some extra time in 34-degree temperatures.A thick layer of snow was plowed from the artificial surface. The Irish warmed up in shorts and sweatshirts. The Hurricanes reluctantly emerged from their cozy dressing room outfitted in complete thermal suits, including the head gear that covered their mouths.

That's one way to limit trash talking.

Too cold to yap.

"Things got a little chippy from time to time," said Irish safety Harrison Smith, who had three first-half interceptions.

"We're from northern Indiana," Smith said. "We took this as a home game, in terms of the weather. I don't know about it snowing, almost in Mexico. When we came out, we don't care. We're from northern Indiana. We were excited to play.""(The Hurricanes) were pretty shocked to see the snow," said Irish quarterback Tommy Rees.

Rees was good, much better than his last outing against Southern Cal. Smith was very good.

And receiver Michael Floyd was special.

Will Floyd, who has one year of eligibility left at Notre Dame, enter the NFL draft in the spring? If he does, he'll have a heck of a highlight film to take with him.

Two touchdown receptions, 109 yards on six receptions and the game's most valuable player award will either be a fine send-off or a springboard to a senior season packed with potential.Whatever the case, it was a victory forged out of toughness and consistency.

Kelly's objectives since he arrived on campus.Staff writer Al Lesar: alesar@sbtinfo.com 574-235-6318

(vs. Maryland, 2002), as well as the Sun Bowl mark set by Auburn's Buddy McClinton in 1966. He also had seven tackles.

-Kicker David Ruffer drilled field goals of 40 and 50 yards in the first half -- then from 19 in the third quarter -- before missing for the first time in his career as time ran out in the third quarter.

His school-record streak ended at 23 straight, which was the longest current streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Ruffer, who was injured during an earlier kick, was wide right from 36 yards."My cleat got locked in the grass (on the 19-yarder) and it cramped up my left calf," Ruffer said. "I'm not gonna make excuses. The ball went right. It didn't matter if there was an excuse or not.

"The streak was neat while I had it, but I was going to miss eventually. It's better that it didn't really matter (in the outcome of the game)."

In other words, it was a pretty good day for the 8-5 Irish.

Miami (7-6) was forced to deal with a coaching change on top of the rude and unusually cold weather of west Texas.

"I'm not an excuse-maker," said Hurricane interim coach Jeff Stoutland. "Never have been. Weather is weather. I felt strong about this group we have here."Stoutland abandoned his plan to go with junior quarterback Jacory Harris after his third interception. True freshman Stephen Morris, who had been on crutches most of the week after an ankle injury in practice, completed 22 of 33 passes for 282 yards and two garbage-time touchdowns.

Kelly can take some time to ponder the big-picture status of his program.

"Any time you're developing a program to a championship level, all those things (bowl victories, recruiting triumphs, overall improvement) help. It's still a process for us. We have more things that we have to get done."

The next step, though, will be that much easier.Staff writer Al Lesar: alesar@sbtinfo.com 574-235-6318

2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl: USF 31, Clemson 26

Think I'll Get It Done Yesterday: USF 31, Clemson 26

 by Voodoo 5 on Jan 1, 2011 8:01 AM EST in Football

OK, right off the top. This was not as close as the score indicated. The Bulls controlled play for probably 50 out of 60 minutes, and they had an 18-point lead with three minutes left before things got out of hand.

I want to go back to a comment GarySJ wrote in the GameThread.

You can see why Clemson is 6-6.

"They just don't do the little things right. Look at USF's first drive of the half. On 3rd-and-long, Landi spun away from a guy who should have tackled him and forced a punt, but was completely out of position. 5-foot-9 Mo Plancher ran over a guy to pick up another first down. Their quarterbacks have been throwing passes to the wrong shoulder all game long. Clemson doesn't look sharp at the point of attack on offense or defense. USF does. And of course Clemson has made a ton of mistakes.

"Clemson's talent is unmistakable. The crawl says it all; they have five players who'll go in the NFL Draft. We have one. That Bowers guy has lived up to the hype; he's tremendous. They've got some guys on offense who are scary when you get them the ball and some room to move. But Clemson hasn't done that. They just don't play to their strengths."

Does that sound like a team you might recognize? It should, because those were the kind of things we would have said about the 2009 USF team while it was getting its doors blown off by a less talented, better coached, smarter opponent. It was uncanny. Didn't the Tigers look like they were going to stick with what they wanted to do no matter how well USF countered it? Didn't the Tigers show flashes of being much more talented, and that all that was holding them back was coaching? Didn't the Tigers have that 10-minute burst of intensity and emotion at the beginning of the game, and then they faded away for most of the afternoon?

It's not like USF played a fantastic game. They still played too soft in the secondary, there wasn't a whole lot of pass rush, and they were only OK at running the ball (ignore the final stats, because those were stunted by a lot of fourth-quarter running where they were trying to drain the clock and Clemson was stacking the line). It's like I said on Twitter after the Bulls went up 31-13. All other factors being equal, if you just took the two teams and gave them equal amounts of coaching, there's no way the Bulls should be 20 points better than Clemson. They played a smarter game, and they took advantage of the Tigers' mistakes.

The only reason USF didn't finish the game 20 points better than Clemson was because of the last three minutes, where the Bulls maybe eased off the gas on defense, and Clemson got hot. What, you thought there was going to be an easy, relaxing win at the end of the season? Come on, you haven't watched enough USF football. I didn't really start to freak out until it got to 31-26, but at that point I was having a little hissy fit in my living room. It was like last year's team made a brief, five-minute cameo in the middle of this season's crowning achievement.

In this time of introspection
On the eve of my election
I say to my reflection
"God, please spare me more rejection!"

'Cause my peers, they criticize me
And my ex-wives all despise me
Try to put it all behind me
But my redneck past is nipping at my heels

(Oh I'm sorry, did you really think we would go the entire month without using this song?)

Fortunately Clemson's second onside kick didn't go 10 yards before a player touched it, or those last 45 seconds would have been really hairy.

Other random thoughts:

• B.J. Daniels finally looked healthy and at full speed. The offensive line and the game plan did a good job taking Da'Quan Bowers out of the game, but Daniels' running ability also helped. The passing plays didn't ask a whole lot of him, but he executed them very well, and he gets points for recognizing that Clemson forgot to cover Demetris Murray on the first touchdown of the game... if only because he might have missed that earlier in the season. There are still some things to work on for next season (I still don't like him throwing passes leaning sideways), but this was the best Daniels has looked since the Cincinnati game.
• The score was actually closer than it should have been because Dabo Swinney can't add. He went for two after Clemson made it 31-19 and failed, which meant when it was 4th and 7 on their next possession, they had to go it instead of kicking a field goal. That led to the questionable touchdown pass to Brandon Ford that the replay officials awarded to the Tigers, even though Jon LeJiste ripped the ball out as Ford fell to the ground. The final score probably should have been 31-23.
• It didn't work, but that reverse pass with Evan Landi made me so happy. I kind of wish they had used Landi's experience at quarterback a little bit more during the season, but I guess it wouldn't have made that much of a difference in the end.
• Lindsey Lamar has a second career as a crash test dummy if this football thing doesn't work out. I didn't know it was legal for a player to pick another player up off the ground and body slam them down.
• You think Clemson should re-do their university commercial so that it doesn't feature Dabo Swinney? The shot of him in his camo pants with "MENTOR" on the screen just killed me.
• Speaking of commercials, ESPN must have been sandbagging really hard when they talked about how well they sold spots for these bowl games. I think I saw 35 "Foundation For a Better Life" commercials today. That is not a made-up number.
• If you were disappointed with the offense this year, just remember: A.J. Love, Sterling Griffin, Darrell Scott, and Dontae Aycock all join the team next season. And that's not even counting incoming recruits or guys who redshirted this season.
• Thanks to all the seniors on this team. Dontavia Bogan, Mistral Raymond, Terrell McClain, Craig Marshall, Jacquian Williams, Moise Plancher, Sampson Genus, Jacob Sims, David Bedford, Richard Kelly, Eric Schwartz, and everyone else I can't think of at the moment.
• 246 days until South Bend. See you there.

2010 Holiday Bowl: Washington 19, Nebraska 7

For Washington football team, progress is also a tale of perseverance

Posted by Jerry Brewer

Don James can rest assured that Steve Sarkisian is guiding the program properly.
(Seattle Times photo by Dean Rutz)

You won't remember the 2010 Huskies for how good they were. Just six weeks ago, they were terrible. They entered the UCLA game with a 3-6 record. They were on a three-game losing streak in which they were outscored 138-30. And even though they ended the season with four thrilling victories in a row, their 7-6 record is pedestrian when measured against some of the great teams in Washington football history.

But you will remember the 2010 Huskies for a long, long time. And if the persistence they showed this season built a bridge to future 10-win campaigns and Rose Bowl appearances and national-title chases, then you will remember the 2010 Huskies as fondly as other UW teams that fared much better than this one.

What this team lacked in excellence, it made up for in perseverance. The Huskies might not have always qualified as a good team, but they're a great story. They're an incredible comeback tale. Their late-season surge was tremendous. Their climb from 0-12 to Holiday Bowl victors in two years was even better. It was a thrill to watch the Huskies, individually and collectively, survive long enough for their growth to become apparent.

Thursday night's Holiday Bowl triumph illuminated that growth. It's the perfect closing chapter for the 2010 Huskies. It's a circular ending in which they avenged a 35-point, early-season loss to Nebraska -- the bully they couldn't possibly beat -- with a 19-7 victory.

Sure, the Cornhuskers didn't look like they wanted to be on the field in San Diego, especially in the first half. But that only reinforces how wonderful it was to see Washington embrace its opportunity and play with intensity worthy of a national-title game after an eight-year bowl drought. The Huskies took nothing for granted, hit Nebraska in the mouth from the start and staved off the bully once the Cornhuskers realized they were in for a fight.

It wouldn't have been as impressive a victory if Nebraska had been flat all game, and the Huskies used a couple of big plays or fluke plays to win. Instead, they beat the Huskers at their own game. The Washington offensive and defensive lines, which were mauled earlier this season by Nebraska, were the superior units in the rematch. The D-line did it despite missing three key players. Quarterback Jake Locker, who was embarrassed by Nebraska in the first meeting, took what the defensive gave him this time, used his legs and played a smart football game. Running back Chris Polk ran wild once again, finishing with 177 rushing yards. For the game, the Huskies ran for 268 yards while holding Nebraska's potent rushing attack (383 yards in first meeting) to 91 yards. Linebacker Mason Foster dominated the game, as usual, but so did defensive tackleAlameda Ta'amu and freshman end Hau'oli Jamora.

You couldn't make up this story. There was redemption everywhere.

For Locker, who dissed the NFL to come back for his senior season, only to endure injuries and constant criticism. This victory was proof that he made a good decision. He'll be a better NFL quarterback for going through these struggles and coming out victorious.

For coach Steve Sarkisian, who skillfully guided this team from early-season underachiever to late-season surprise by staying consistent and focused on the big picture and by evolving as an offensive play caller.

For defensive coordinator Nick Holt, whose unit looked lost in mid-November, only to show dramatic improvement in the final four games and become the primary reason the Huskies finished so strong.

The list goes on and on. But the ultimate redemption tale is that of the team itself. To see these players, most of whom are amazing kids, go from winless to joyful has been incredible. They've improved the right way -- steadily, incrementally, with attention to detail. They're not a mirage. It has been about good, old-fashioned player development. The younger players on the roster should continue to get better as the program moves forward.

If Sark had come in and taken the Huskies to a bowl in his first season a year ago and then improved to something like 9-4 this year, it would've been more dramatic. But this route - 5-7, 7-6, bowl victory -- has been more rewarding. Because it hasn't been easy. There have been times when the team and the coaching staff have been exposed. There have been times when the Huskies should've fallen apart.

But they didn't. They persevered. They improved. And at the end of this long, hard climb, they celebrated.

You will remember the joy on their faces most of all.

2010 Music City Bowl: North Carolina 30, Tennessee 27

December 30, 2010 UT loses Music City Bowl in double OT By Jeff Lockridge THE TENNESSEAN Casey Barth's 23-yard field goal in double overtime gave North Carolina a 30-27 win over Tennessee in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. North Carolina (8-5) got the opportunity to win after intercepting Tyler Bray in the second overtime. In the first overtime, T.J. Yates rushed for a 1-yard touchdown for North Carolina. Bray's 20-yard touchdown pass to Luke Stocker sent the game to double overtime. Barth kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to tie the game 20-20 and send it to overtime. Bray's 8-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter with five minutes left had given Tennessee (6-7) a 20-17 lead. The teams traded touchdowns just before halftime. The Vols, who have taken their shots deep with regularity, took a 14-10 lead when a pair of freshmen hooked up on Bray’s 45-yard toss to Da’Rick Rogers down the middle of the field with 1:30 left in the half. Not to be outdone, North Carolina answered with a five-play, 72-yard drive in just over a minute to retake the lead on T.J. Yates’ 39-yard touchdown pass to Erik Highsmith with 27 seconds in the half. Highsmith was able to get behind cornerback Prentiss Waggner on the left sideline when Yates extended the play by scrambling out of the pocket. Bray completed 13-of-27 passes for 162 yards, two scores and two interceptions in the first half. The Vols had just 18 rushing yards on 12 carries. North Carolina was more balanced, rushing for 88 yards and throwing for 119. Casey Barth’s 28-yard field goal at 10:24 of the second quarter staked the Tar Heels to a 10-7 advantage. North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown’s 43-yard interception return to the Vols 10 provided the field position for the score. Brown snagged his third pick of the season when the ball caromed off tight end Luke Stocker’s hands. It was tied 7-7 after one quarter. The Vols rallied to knot the score with 2:10 in the first quarter on Bray’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Jones, who was left uncovered on a blown assignment by the Tar Heels. Senior tailback Shaun Draughn covered 58 yards on North Carolina’s third offensive play of the game to stake the Tar Heels to a 7-0 lead with 10:58 in the quarter. Draughn, getting his second start of the season, sidestepped Vols safety Janzen Jackson to turn the toss sweep into a touchdown. North Carolina missed an opportunity to pad its lead when cornerback Kendric Burney fumbled at the Vols 28 while returning a Bray interception. Stocker recovered for Tennessee. The Tar Heels also suffered a key injury in the first quarter. Senior safety Deunta Williams, the team’s sixth leading tackler, was carted off the field with a broken right fibula after colliding with Stocker at the 5:32 mark.