Film Room: Sam Howell making the best of opportunities to sling it late

Howell and the offense have been at their best late. Why?

There's no doubt, North Carolina has finished strong this season.

That's a tribute to strength coach Brian Hess for getting the Tar Heels in better condition and the new coaching staff for instilling a new confidence that was lacking in recent years, when Carolina went into crunch time expecting the worst.

So far this season, the Tar Heel offense has outscored opponents 38-9 in the fourth quarter and outperformed their averages in the first through third quarters in every possible way.

Averaging 3.5 points over the first nine quarters, the Tar Heels have gone for an average 12.6 points in the fourth quarter, while raising the bar in total yardage from an average of 82 yards to 155.6 in the final quarter.

The rushing attack has gotten better late too, going from an average of 33.4 yards per quarter in the first, second and third quarters to 59.3 in fourth quarters.

The most significant growth, however, comes in the passing game, where Sam Howell has been on fire in the fourth quarter, completing 17 of 23 attempts for 289 yards and three touchdowns.

Over the first three quarters of each game, Howell is 26 for 46 for 412 yards and three touchdowns, meaning his average yardage goes from 45.7 yards to 96.3 yards in the fourth quarter.

So, what's the difference?

Receiver Dyami Brown might have risked reprimand on Tuesday night when he alluded to the fact that the Tar Heels might be too conservative until their backs are against the wall, as Carolina has trailed in every fourth quarter.

"I think that’s when the playbooks open up even more," he said. "We’ve been down the past three games in the fourth, so when we open up the playbooks and let him be him, his numbers show."

Offensive coordinator Phil Longo and head coach Mack Brown both wanted to be conservative with Howell early in the opener at South Carolina before cutting him loose in the comeback.

A self-proclaimed gunslinger, Howell was at his best vs. the Gamecocks when he simply relied on his instincts and let it fly, trusting his receivers to make plays. 

Against Miami, Howell had a few more opportunities to go downfield early, connecting with Dyami Brown for a 62-yard touchdown and completions for 39 and 36 yards.

Still, he saved his best for the end in that one.

This isn't a long throw to the boundary, but Howell's timing and placement are excellent, beginning his wind up before Beau Corrales has even turned.

This didn't end up as a score, but it's a glimpse of Howell's instincts. With the Miami player jumping, he's got a free play. Rather than looking underneath, he takes a shot downfield and, on the move, places a ball perfectly. 

These two were self-explanatory.

The Wake Forest loss is harder to gauge, as Howell and the Tar Heels had difficulties with pressure. Some of that was on the offensive line and some of it fell on him holding the ball too long and making incorrect reads.

Regardless of what happened early on, Howell had a chance to make pro-level throws late in the game and delivered in a big way, putting the ball in tight windows for big plays.

It started with this, a laser to Brown in traffic that resulted in a 55-yard gain

Again, in big spots late, Howell gets more opportunities to work the middle of the field as he did on a touchdown pass to Brown and a two-point conversion to Garrett Walston.

Maybe the toughest throw of all was this one, an absolute rocket to the sideline. This is the kind of throw that will get a guy drafted eventually, and Howell has the confidence and poise to make it in crunch time.

With all of the talk surrounding the need for a hot start against Appalachian State, expect Howell to get a few more opportunities to take chances early in the game.

To this point, the majority of Howell's early looks downfield have been low-risk vertical routes and throws to the sideline or back of the end zone, cutting the possibility of a turnover significantly.

In the fourth quarter, he's taken more shots at the middle of the field and into high-risk coverage.

He's made a few poor decisions in terms of taking hits and failing to throw the ball away, but through three games, the true freshman hasn't thrown an interception. 

He's at least earned the right to have a few more judgment calls until he proves otherwise.