| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SYR | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 31 |
| 10 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
Syracuse Orange @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Calvin Russell's 4-yard TD catch lifts Syracuse to 31-30 overtime win over North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- — Calvin Russell III caught a 4-yard touchdown, and the ensuing two-point conversion pass, to give Syracuse a 31-30 overtime win over North Carolina on Saturday night.
The Tar Heels (4-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) had opened overtime with a Demon June 3-yard touchdown catch.
“The touchdown, it was just a matter of demanding the ball,” said Russell, who finished with 86 yards on eight catches.
Syracuse (3-4, 1-4) trailed 20-10 into the fourth quarter, but its offense came alive with a pair of touchdowns. The Orange were poised to take the lead following Tylik Hill's 3-yard touchdown run with 1:54 left. But Shay Barker missed the extra-point attempt, keeping the game tied 23-23.
Syracuse's offense, stagnant for most of the game, got the big play it was looking for to help secure its first ACC win. Umari Hatcher's 76-yard touchdown catch cut the deficit to 20-17 with 11:01 left.
“I’m just happy for them, my wife and my children,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “Syracuse, the city and the alums, we’ve all been waiting for this. ... We’ve got a weight lifted off our shoulders.”
North Carolina drove down to the Syracuse 4-yard line on its next possession before settling for a Rece Verhoff 22-yard field goal.
Ahmad Miller led Syracuse with 125 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Hatcher had four catches for a team-high 103 yards.
Jaylen McGill paced North Carolina with 62 yards on 12 carries, while June rushed nine times for 53 yards. June's 25-yard touchdown run — the Tar Heels' longest of the season — on fourth-and-1 made it 20-10 early in the third quarter.
“Not too much to say about this one," North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said. “They made a couple more plays than we did today, and that was the difference in the game.”
Steve Angeli, making his first start for the Orange since a loss to Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, completed 20 of 34 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
Billy Edwards started fast for North Carolina, completing his first 11 passes for 99 yards and a 5-yard touchdown to Jordan Shipp. The Tar Heels scored on their first two drives, taking a 10-0 lead after one quarter.
Syracuse answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Miller to slice the deficit to 10-7.
Edwards threw for a season-high 271 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-44 passing. Shipp had 102 yards on eight catches.
Syracuse: Angeli stepped up in wake of injuries to Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson, giving the Orange their first ACC win.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels missed a prime opportunity to creep closer to bowl eligibility with top-ranked Miami on deck.
Angeli remarked that he “feels way better” since receiving a PRP cortisone shot in his leg earlier this month. The senior is the fifth different quarterback to appear in a game this season for the Orange.
“I just feel like myself again,” he said.
Syracuse: Hosts No. 23 SMU next Saturday.
North Carolina: Hosts No. 1 Miami next Saturday.
------
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here
