Rough road trip for Tar Heels: 3 takeaways from UNC football’s loss to Boston College

Boston College didn’t need a “Hail Mary” miracle to beat North Carolina.

Sixty minutes of hard-nosed football was enough as the Eagles lined up Saturday and dominated the Tar Heels at chilly Alumni Stadium, pounding out a 41-21 victory that put an end to UNC’s three-game winning streak.

The Tar Heels (6-5, 3-4) were beaten in most aspects of the game as the fundamentally sound Eagles became bowl eligible under first-year coach Bill O’Brien. Start to finish, it was all BC.

UNC’s biggest play came Chris Culliver’s 95-yard kickoff return in the second quarter after the Eagles had taken a 17-0 lead. The Tar Heels scored two touchdowns late in the game on a pair of Devon Gause runs that narrowed the final margin.

On the 40th anniversary of Doug Flutie’s last-gasp “Hail Mary” pass to upset Miami in 1984, BC quarterback Grayson James, in his second start of the season, made the winning plays and a physical BC defense was sound and stifling.

Boston College (6-5, 3-4) kept UNC’s Omarion Hampton corralled, stacking the line, filling the gaps and allowing the junior 53 yards on 11 carries. Hampton, the ACC’s leading rusher, had rushed for 100 or more yards in eight straight games, but found no room to run as the Eagles’ defensive front decisively controlled the line of scrimmage.

The Tar Heels, who trailed 24-7 at the half, did not convert a third-down play on offense until late in the game, had 36 net yards rushing and 212 yards in the game.

The Eagles sacked UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell seven times and picked off three Criswell passes, and cornerback Ryan Turner returned the third 78 yards for a touchdown that gave BC a 34-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Criswell finished 16-of-30 for 176 yards, with the three picks.

James, the transfer from Florida International, completed 18 of his 27 throws for 192 yards and touchdown, and ran for a score. The Eagles’ Kye Robichaux added 93 yards rushing on 23 carries as BC closed with 420 yards in total offense.

The Eagles were 0-5 in ACC games against the Tar Heels, but had no problem on their Senior Day in Chesnut Hill, Massachusetts.

UNC coach Mack Brown, in his postgame interview with the Tar Heel Sports Network, called it a “frustrating” day and used the term “awful” to describe the Heels’ offensive problems. “Way too many mistakes, too many sacks,” he said.

The Tar Heels end the regular season Saturday at Kenan Stadium as UNC hosts N.C. State in a rivalry game the Wolfpack must win to be bowl eligible. It will be Senior Day for UNC, which has lost to the Pack the last three years.

Three takeaways from Saturday’s game and the BC victory:

Nightmare first half for UNC

The Eagles could not have scripted a better first half — minus one special teams gaffe — nor could the Tar Heels envisioned a more miserable half.

The UNC defense could not get off the field. Not enough. BC kept the ball as James made all the plays and the Eagles picked up just the yardage needed.

If it was third-and-four, the Eagles would get 5 yards. If it was third-and-9, they’d get 10. It went that way nearly all of the first half as the Eagles ate up the time of possession.

BC didn’t hit the Heels with explosive plays, just efficient plays. BC coach Bill O’Brien has an NFL background and his offense played it like an NFL offense, satisfied to grind out first downs and hold on to the ball.

At halftime, BC had 240 total yards to UNC’s 77 and it was a balanced offense: 116 rushing and 124 passing. The Eagles ran 44 plays to UNC’s 34 and had 20:33 in possession time.

“We kept trying to find a way but nothing was going our way,” Criswell said to the media.

UNC was 0-5 on its third-down plays, unable to sustain anything.

“We couldn’t get them off the field, and when we got the ball we couldn’t do anything with it,” Brown told the UNC radio network.

UNC’s lone highlight in the half, and it was quite the run, came on Culliver’s big return. With kick returner Nate McCollum injured and missing the game, Culliver got his chance.

UNC’s Criswell struggles, takes step back

For whatever reason, UNC’s Criswell has not been as sharp after UNC’s second bye week.

Criswell had been stacking together solid games as the starter, seemingly improving each week, in games against Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Florida State. The Heels lost the first two and won the last two, but Criswell had big plays and made most of the small ones.

After the Heels’ road win at FSU, UNC had a second bye week – in theory the chance for Criswell to get in further work with offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and Clyde Christensen, who works with the QBs. But Criswell’s play in the 31-24 win over Wake Forest was spotty and the sharpness not there. Then, BC.

Criswell had thrown 154 consecutive passes without an interception before linebacker Joe Marinaro picked off a throw and returned it 18 yards to the UNC 32. That set up BC’s touchdown with 40 seconds left in the first half that pushed the Eagles ahead, 24-7. Later came the BC pick-6 for a score.

UNC’s offensive line did not give Criswell enough protection. BC had four first-half sacks -- seven in the game -- against a team that allowed 20 in the season. Defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was a handful with his two sacks and four quarterback hurries.

“We’ve got to help him,” Brown said on his radio interview. “That’s too many sacks.”

Will Tar Heels bounce back?

As coaches like to say after losses, what now?

There were nothing but good vibes for UNC after the run of three ACC victories. The Heels’ defense was playing with swagger, and the offense an Omarion Hampton show with just enough Criswell passes.

But on a cold, blustery day at Boston College, the Tar Heels appeared cold and miserable much of the day. Some might say it was “BC weather” and favored the Eagles, but playing in both good weather and bad is all part of it.

No excuses. UNC had nothing most of this day.

What’s the response?

The Heels return to Chapel Hill to prepare for their rivalry game against N.C. State. The Pack, after its 30-29 loss at Georgia Tech, will need a victory to be bowl eligible while the Tar Heels will look to regroup and reestablish what it did well in winning the three ACC games before the trip to BC.

A few UNC players limped off the field Saturday. It was a physical game and took its toll.

But it will be Senior Day, with all the emotion that brings. Brown has indicated it could be Hampton’s last game at UNC -- the junior could declare for the NFL draft and could sit out the bowl game.

Should make for an interesting day at Kenan Stadium.