Notre Dame at UNC: Gameday Open Thread
North Carolina welcomes the No. 2 team in the nation to Kenan Stadium for a nationally televised Black Friday showdown with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
The Irish are 8-0, 7-0 in the ACC, and looking to clinch a spot in the league championship game in their first year ever as a member of the conference—or any conference, for that matter.
At 5-2, UNC still has a chance to earn a spot in the ACC Championship Game, and it starts with an upset of Notre Dame.
Sam Howell thinks it’s possible, saying he’s confident the Tar Heels can put up enough points to win. Mack Brown agrees, saying that all the pressure will be on Notre Dame, since the Irish have the most to lose.
Notre Dame will be without center Jarrett Patterson and guard Tommy Kraemer, so look for Carolina to try to pressure the Irish up the middle.
UNC, meanwhile got some good injury news and may be on the verge of getting more. Starting cornerback Kyler McMichael is expected to play after missing time with an injury.
Fellow starting corner Storm Duck has also been practicing after missing several weeks. He will be a game-time decision. On offense, wide receiver Beau Corrales and starting center Brian Anderson will also be game-time decisions.
This game matches up the two winningest active coaches in college football and will be the first time Mack Brown and Brian Kelly have faced off. It’s also the first time in Brown’s career that he’s faced Notre Dame.
Notre Dame calls heads. It's tails. UNC defers. Notre Dame will get the ball first.
Irish wearing white shirts, gold pants, golden domes. UNC blue jerseys, white pants and helmets.
Here we go
Just in: Cornerback Storm Duck is out for the Heels
Howell throws as he's hit, finds Emory Simmons who was draped by a defender. He comes down with it though. UNC marches downfield and scores to take a 7-0 early lead.
Notre Dame responds with a quick touchdown drive tying the score at 7. Not the day for defenses, at least early on.
This is just the third game this season where the Irish have trailed by as much as seven--the last three games: Clemson, BC and UNC
Dazz Newsome faked a ND defender out of bounds on a 14 yard gain.
Howell finds Dyami Brown for 51 yards to the one, then takes it in himself. UNC back up 14-7.
And a 43-yard bomb to start the Notre Dame drive. Chapman looked like he had the pick, but it got completed. Book then keeps for 33 yards. First and goal already.
Dyami Brown has moved into the top 10 for UNC receiving yardage in a career, passing Bug Howard, Erik Highmith and Na Brown already today to move into eighth.
Carolina had Book in deep trouble after a bad snap to Book, nearly sacking him for a huge loss. Kevin Hester fell down in pursuit, though, allowing him to hit Williams for a game-tying touchdown. 14 all.
Howell's touchdown pass for the first score of the game moved him into sole possession of third place on UNC's career list, breaking a tie with Marquise Williams.
Notre Dame running back went crashing into the chains and broke them. Ref said it was a "time out to repair the chains" but it looks like they're getting a whole new set.
Hester, who fell down on the last touchdown, gives Notre Dame a first down with an offside.
Book again eludes what would have been a huge loss on a sack but is just short of the chains. Punt puts UNC at the three.
Notre Dame punts from the UNC 42 and downs it at the three again
Long pass to Dyami Brown, but this is coming back. Holding on McKethan
This could be a huge play. Josh Downs absolutely belted by Kyle Hamilton, perhaps the best player on the Irish defense. They've called targeting. Reviewing it now
Replay shows he lowered his shoulder, but it was definitely helmet to helmet.
It's confirmed. Hamilton is gone.
Fourth and two from the Irish 25, UNC kicks and Atkins knocks through a 42-yarder. Carolina up 17-14 with 1:10 left in the half
Carolina picks up its second flag of this ND drive, holding and now pass interference. Sets up Irish at the 14.
Chapman picked up that last flag. He's had a rough half.
With five seconds left, Notre Dame brings out the field goal unit. 32 yard attempt is good. Score is tied once again. 17-17 at the half
UNC has led Notre Dame for 7:39 of today's game. The only game this season where the Irish have trailed for longer--the opener vs. Duke, who led 3-0 for 11:22, from 7:01 left in the first to 10:39 left in the second
First drive of second half, Javonte Williams picks up a false start penalty on third down, then trips and falls after the handoff. UNC punts it to the Irish three.
More UNC sloppiness. Picks up an offside penalty on fourth and one keeping Notre Dame drive alive.
UNC has 7 penalties for 60 yards, Notre Dame 1 for 15.
Eighth penalty of the day, another pass interference, sets Irish up at the UNC 20. Notre Dame on the verge of taking its first lead of the day.
And it does. 13-yard touchdown run by Skowronek puts Irish up 24-17. It was a 97-yard touchdown drive, including 20 very important yards courtesy of UNC penalties
Howell sacked on first down, pressured on third down. UNC punts and Notre Dame passes for 53 on first down, inside the UNC 20. Heels reeling right now, in danger of going down two scores.
Carolina gets a break as Notre Dame's 32-yard field goal attempt is wide right. Grimes nearly blocked it.
The worst thing UNC's defense can do is pressure Ian Book, it seems. Every time they flush him, he completes down field for a first.
UNC drive stalls, and Dyami Brown moves the Tar Heels back another 15 yards with an unsportsmanlike penalty. Puts UNC at 90 penalty yards on the day
Notre Dame again flips the field on the first play of the drive, rushing for 47. Williams now over 100 for the Irish
That should do it. Williams takes it in for a touchdown. ND now up 31-17 with 1:20 left
Carolina goes four and out and Notre Dame kneels, and it's a final 31-17 Irish
