SAN DIEGO -- In a season full of close calls, North Carolina’s year concluded 19 seconds short of pulling out another one.
The Tar Heels couldn’t stop No. 15 Oregon from scoring on its final drive on a fourth-down touchdown pass and fell, 28-27, in the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park.
The Tar Heels held a 27-21 lead with 2:34 left when Noah Burnette made a 44-yard field goal. But it left a lot of time for the Oregon offense to respond.
The Ducks quickly made their way into UNC territory thanks to a 28-yard catch and run by tight end Terrance Ferguson. They got even closer when Carolina’s Donte Balfour was called for a pass interference, which set them up at the UNC 14.
The Heels defense stiffened and forced a fourth-and-2 at the UNC 6. Carolina blitzed, but Oregon quarterback Bo Nix found Chase Cota for a completion, and he broke the plane of the end zone for a touchdown.
Oregon kicker Camden Lewis added some drama on the extra point. His kick hit the left upright, but it still bounced through to give the Ducks the lead.
That the game came down to a final drive may have seemed surprising, given all that the Heels lost heading into Wednesday’s game.
Carolina played its Holiday Bowl without its top receiver; lost its offensive coordinator and offensive line coach to Wisconsin; and had its defensive depth depleted by players entering the transfer portal including its two starting cornerbacks.
Yet none of that seemed to play a factor in the game.
Defensively, only two teams held Oregon to fewer points than UNC. No. 1 ranked Georgia, who opened the season with a 49-3 shellacking of the Ducks, and Utah in a 20-17 loss to the Ducks.
Offensively, receivers coach Lonnie Galloway called the plays for the first time all season. The Heels didn’t play with the same tempo, but they didn’t seem to show any hiccups that weren’t already there.
The game turned to Carolina’s favor in the first half. Oregon’s offense was moving the ball with relative ease and reached the UNC 16 looking to break 14-14 tie.
That’s when UNC linebacker Power Echols pulled off an interception that probably couldn’t be duplicated if it was staged.
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix threw the ball a bit behind intended receiver Terrance Ferguson. It then bounced off linebacker Cedric Gray’s calf before Echols unintentionally kicked it into the air as it hit his toe. Echols, who then caught grabbed it out of the air, and returned it 40 yards before being knocked out of bounds.
The Heels immediately took advantage of the game’s only turnover.
Quarterback Drake Maye connected with Kobe Paysour for a 51-yard touchdown to give the Heels their first lead of the game at 21-14 going into halftime.
It marked Maye’s third touchdown pass, which tied the program’s record for a bowl game and tied Sam Howell’s single-season program record with 38 touchdown passes. Maye finished with just 206 yards passing and added another 45 yards rushing.
Carolina played without its top two receivers. Josh Downs, who led the team in receptions and yards, opted out because he’s declaring for the NFL draft. Senior Antoine Green, who was second in receptions and yards and the team’s best deep threat, was dressed out for the game. But he suffered a lower body injury and was only going to be used in an emergency situation.
Fortunately for the Heels, they played both the Appalachian State and Georgia State games early in the season without both players in the lineup. Paysour was the leading receiver in those two games, and he again played a big role against the Ducks. Paysour led the team with seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Carolina also got a glimpse of its future with freshman Andre Greene Jr. not only making his first start of the season, but making his first receptions, too.
Greene had only appeared in four games previously, but had the first score of the game for the Heels on a seven-yard touchdown catch.
