Game day blog: Carolina 33, UM 27 (F)

l've had beer, chips and my TV set tuned into ESPN2 from my living room. I watched the Canes take on former coach Butch Davis and the Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. We shared our thoughts  and I kept track of some notes as the game went on.

FOURTH QUARTER
- UNC finds itself back in Miami territory when UM cornerback Bruce Johnson falls down on coverage on a short pass and Brandon Tate runs past the Miami defense -- despite losing his shoe -- all the way to UM 27. UNC settles for a field goa, making 30-20 with 14:12 left to play.
- Can the Canes keep their momentum going now? The offensed has to come through again now.
- Big third down conversion on 3rd and 15. Wright finds Sam Shields over the middle for a first down. But shortly after, Wright throws his third interception of the game when he forces the ball in. UNC takes over at its 41.
- Well, UM's defense limits the damage and holds UNC to another Conner Barth field goal, his fourth of the game. With 10:55 left to play, Miami trails 33-20.
- Miami is moving the football on the ground, peppering UNC with Graig Cooper and Javarris James. Can the Hurricanes score?
- Big fourth down with 6:47 left to play deep inside UNC territory. Wright keeps it and gets the first down. Canes fans can breathe a momentary sigh of relief.
- And it lasts just a moment. Another bad decision and bad throw by Kyle Wright. Four interceptions for Wright. It looks like it just isn't meant to be for Miami. 6:15 left to play.
- It's not over yet. Graig Cooper flips the ball to Darnell Jenkins on a punt return, the Canes build a wall and Miami moves the ball to the UNC 11 with 2:59 to play. Miami eventually scores on a Javarris James' plunge with 1:17 left to play in the game. But the Canes had to blow two time outs inside the 5. Now, they need an onside kick.
- Hakeem Nicks recovers the onside kick for UNC. The Canes are going to go down in UNC again. But at least, they battled back and made a game of it. They just couldn't overcome a terrible first half.

THIRD QUARTER
- Wow. What was that? With 12:38 to go in the first half, a different UM team comes out of the break and marches right down the field and scores a touchdown on a 1-yard Kyle Wright sneak to make it 27-7.
- The Rock was at UM this week. Anybody smell a comeback?
- On UNC's first drive of the second half, the Canes force a fumble on the their third play. Kenny Phillips forces it. Spencer Adkins recovers. Miami has the ball at UNC 30.
- Miami capitalizes when Wright connects with Sam Shields on a 4-yard, fourth down touchdown pass. Francesco Zampogna, though, misses the extra point when he hits the upright. But so far, the Canes have shown some life. It's 27-13 now.
- It was announced on TV by the way that McCarthy and Dixon will not return from their injuries today.
- Change the quarterback! This team stinks! Where are you now pessimistic Canes fans? Kyle Wright connects with Darnell Jenkins on a 97-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-20 with 4:22 left in the third quarter. Wright tried it first with Shields, but overthrew him. The second longest play in UM history has the Canes right back in the game. Wow!
- The Canes get the ball back, but on third down, Wright gets sacked. Miami ends up punting and UNC gets the ball back. The pressure is now once again on Miami's defense.

SECOND QUARTER
- Canes have put themselves in a much deeper hole after having a punt blocked inside their own 20. Yates scores on a 1-yard sneak with 11:25 left to put Carolina up 20-0.
- Both Antonio Dixon and Colin McCarthy were injured in the last series. Dixon had to be helped off the field and appears to have suffered a serious knee injury.
- The nightmare continues. After Kyle Wright and the offense struggle to pick up a first down again, UNC takes over and scores again. Brandon Tate on a 55-yard reverse makes it 27-0 with 9:59 left in the first half. Is it time to fire up the buses? Already?
- What I wouldn't do to be a fly on the wall in the Canes locker room right now. UM has been outgained 279-113.
- Kyle Wright has thrown two interceptions and has looked like the old Kyle Wright. Everything has gone wrong.

FIRST QUARTER
- After the teams exchange punts, Carolina draws first blood when Anthony Elzy gashes the Miami defense on a long touchdown run with 10:33 left in the first quarter.
- With 4:33 left in the first quarter, Conner Barth connects on his 16th straight field goal, a 33-yarder, to put Carolina up 10-0. On the drive, Calais Campbell was flagged for a phantom roughing the passer penalty. Replays showed Campbell never hit quarterback T.J. Yates. Amazing!
- Miami responds by moving the ball downfield after Ryan Hill gives them a real nice return out to midfield. But the drive fizzles and Francesco Zampogna misses a 32-yard field goal with 2:15 left.
- The hits keep on coming for Carolina. After another long passing play moves the ball into Miami territory, Conner Barth -- that guy again -- connects on a season-long 51-yard field goal to put Carolina up 13-0.
- This just in: The Canes are in trouble.

Comments

[AXTRAX]

fumble miami!..oh wait, im getting ahead of myself...its gonna happen in like 5 minutes..wheres kayne?

[Manny]

Great play by Bruce Johnson. The Canes are feeling it. They need to keep this momentum going.

[green]

D

[Russell]

UNC Punter for President, geez.

[AXTRAX]

mike huckabee for president

[green]

old KW sack

[VACANE]

why, why, why does kyle wright take those sacks!!!!!!!!!

[AXTRAX]

Because he is actually a mole implanted by butch several years ago to bring this program down.

[jtime]

4th quarter time! Manny, you want to make a final score prediction?

[Manny]

Jtime,

Here's my gues... Miami will pull out a 34-30 victory.

[Manny]

Everybody else make your predictions. How is this one going to end?

[AXTRAX]

notre dame 22 ucla 17

[DAVE]

The D needs to step up NOW.

[jtime]

Miami 40 UNC 37

[LouisianaCane]

Miami 34- UNC 33

[DAVE]

34-30?

[DAVE]

This kid Barth is going to knife us again...

[Manny]

Carolina has had some big plays on third down. Its time for the Canes to have one here.

[green]

KW/SS 1st down

[AXTRAX]

i told you!

[green]

old KW int ... damn!

[RB]

And he's back .... Kyle "Ain't" Wright

[Manny]

Looks like the Canes might have run out of steam. Wright gets picked for the third time. He forced that one.

[Greg D]

Triple coverage KW????? gimme a break

[DAVE]

Too many mistakes...UNC 37-27 F

[canes]

You know what. . . atleast the Canes showed some heart. If we're going to lose, we better lose by more than three points, because, like I said earlier, I'm going to be pissed if that phantom bogus roughing the passer call accounts for the three point difference.

[AXTRAX]

What else do you expect him to do? Anybody who though kyle was going to lead this team to a comeback win was and is delusional.kyle wrights game is to throw ints get sacked and look abysmal.

[Manny]

Huge 3rd down coming up. Miami's defense needs to make a play.

[Greg D]

Roughing the passer "Canes"??....how about that lame attempt at a 32 yard FG by Francesco???!!!!

Let the penalty rest, bigger fish to fry...called special teams

[DAVE]

Out of gas...

[AXTRAX]

kyle wright was jsut drafted by the guadalajara chicharones of the mexican football league...big things..big things.

[jtime]

I'm impressed that Randy got them so pumped after the half, but KW never really came into his own here. To many mistakes. They literally play 10 minutes of good football.

[AXTRAX]

thats the offense the nix installed...the 10min offense..its a work in progress.

[Greg D]

$Cash Money records just signed Connor Barth$

F-him!

[green]

goal-line stand 20-33

[DAVE]

True jtime. Lord help us when we actually play somebody...7-5 fellas...VT, FSU, BC...lucky to get by with only 5 loses....GT will bring it.

[Manny]

Its funny. Shannon always says he doesn't want Kyle Wright to have to win a game. But now, he needs him to. This game, he's needed him to win it.

[canes]

Good point Greg. I'm still going to be pissed if we lose by three or less because of it. Seriously, I give the Canes some credit for coming out in the third quarter and playing with heart. Lets see how they finish.

[DAVE]

Guess the only thing we can do now is hope the Gators get thumped. I have a prediction about that game...UF pulls a huge upset in Tiger Stadium tonight. As much as it pains me to say so...

[green]

COOP

[LouisianaCane]

I don't thinks so. The Tigers have been ready for a long time for this game

[Manny]

Fumbled snap. Derrick Morse saves the day. Now, the Canes have a huge 3rd down and long coming up.

[green]

1st & goal

[Greg D]

TUNNEL F-IN VISION!!!!!!!

[green]

old Kyle 4th int : (

[Canatic]

Who thinks KW starts Miami's next game?

[DAVE]

Get this kid off the F**King team...who was he throwing to?

[NYCFIUFan]

Recruiting trip to UM from California.....$650

Price to go to UM..... $0 on scholarship

Gatorade Hight School All American.....worthless

[RB]

How many games does Wright have to give away before Shannon permanently sits him? I can't deal with this crap. It is a measure of how bad UNC is that Wright needs TWO chances before connecting on a 97 yd bomb. Put a fork in him, he's done.

[Manny]

That power sweep has been killing the Canes. Not as much as Kyle Wright's interceptions. But UNC has done damage with its power sweep.