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"It was something people had been judging us for two years," said Myles Wolfolk, head of junior safety, before the match.
Wolfolk was the story of the last game, intercepting two balls from the Gamecocks at the end of the fourth quarter to eliminate any hope of return. This time it was defensive lineman Jason Strowbridge and linebacker Tomon Fox.
It was Strowbridge who blocked what would have been an attempt to tie extra points in the third quarter. And it's Fox who has recorded three sacks in the game – more than the 2.5 he had all last season – a crucial one at the beginning of the fourth quarter to end a Miami command.
"It was an exciting man, everyone wanted to have (a bag) after that," Fox said. "From the starting line, it was only a quarterback race after that."
There were moments in the game where it seemed that the defense was out of breath. In the second quarter, UNC allowed a combined total of 10 points on back-to-back drives and on the third, the Hurricanes have amassed 75 yards in seven innings, ending with a touchdown of Cam & Ron Harris.
"Usually, to win the game, you have to win the last five minutes before the half, but we have not done it," said head coach Mack Brown. "They won, I think they scored twice in seven minutes, then you have to go out and win the first five minutes of the second half, and they still drove the field."
But one way or another, the defense found enough ways to stay in place when it mattered most. Miami has crossed the 25-yard UNC line three times. Three times, North Carolina managed to stop the Hurricanes from reaching the end zone, transforming what could have been 21 points into just six – two goals scored and one missed.
In a match where Miami beat UNC at 99 yards, the Tar Heels held up well.
"I am comforted to know that on my left and to my right, I have criminals next to me who can go out and do a play," Crawford said.
Crawford made the first bag of the fourth quarter, eliminating four yards from the Hurricanes who had the wind in their sails after completing a 29-yard pass to finish the third quarter. Fox did the second to force the punt.
Chants of "We want Clemson!" After the win, Ken said he had to stop talking about his locker room as one of the top 25 teams in the country.
His players respectfully disagree.
"I think we're definitely one of the top 25 teams," said linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel, who led the team with 14 points on Saturday. "Especially when we play at our best, and I feel like the last two games we did not even play at our best, and we always found a way to win."
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