By Dave Holcomb
SouthernPigskin.com

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In addition to his three touchdown tosses, the freshman signal caller averaged 8.6 yards per attempt with 294 yards.

Friday marked the end of the first season in Mack Browns second tenure as North Carolina head coach. Its hard to imagine it going any better than it did.

Nationally, the 2019 Tar Heels season will be remembered as the year they nearly (and maybe should have) knocked off the mighty Clemson Tigers. Despite that missed opportunity, North Carolina still ended with a successful season, rallying to win its final two games to reach bowl eligibility and capping off the season with a blowout victory over Temple.

North Carolina never trailed Friday, routing Temple, 55-13, in the Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD. The five minutes before and after halftime ensured the game would never be close.

Temple scored one of its only two touchdowns in the game to cut the UNC lead to four about halfway through the second quarter, but North Carolina answered back with its own touchdown less than four minutes later. It wasnt just any standard touchdown either, as junior wideout Dazz Newsome made an absolutely fantastic catch for the Tar Heels second trip to the end zone.

A Temple defender appeared to just barely tip the pass from Sam Howell in the end zone, which Newsome then batted up into the air with his own arm. However, Newsome never lost concentration on the ball, hauling it in and holding on with his right hand while his right foot was still firmly planted on the ground.

The 16-yard score was one of two circus touchdown catches for Newsome in the Military Bowl. He brought in a 29-yard reception in the corner of the end zone as well despite double coverage early in the fourth quarter.

Newsomes first touchdown was the first of five straight scores for North Carolina which turned the bowl game into a lopsided affair.

Following the initial Tar Heels response from Newsome, Temple moved into fringe field goal position on its next drive, but the decision to attempt a 54-yard field goal proved to be a fruitless one. Sophomore Will Mobley missed a 42-yard field goal for the Owls in the first quarter, so senior Jacob LaFree attempted the 54-yard try inside the final minute of the second quarter.

The long attempt was short and wide by a significant margin, and with 28 seconds remaining, North Carolina took advantage of the great field position by moving 44 yards on four plays to add its own field goal.

The Tar Heels then double dipped with a touchdown on the first drive of the second half. The rout was on when freshman defensive back Storm Duck returned an interception for a touchdown on Temples first possession of the second half. Both scores came before the 11-minute mark of the third quarter.

North Carolina picked off two passes and held Temple to just 194 passing yards. The Tar Heels outgained the Owls, 534-272.

Howell threw a third touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Dyami Brown, who led the Tar Heels with 87 receiving yards. Newsome had a game-high eight catches for 71 yards with his two touchdowns.

In addition to his three touchdown tosses, the freshman signal caller averaged 8.6 yards per attempt with 294 yards. Temple sophomore wide receiver Jadan Blue led the Owls with 92 receiving yards.

In each of Browns first two seasons in his first tenure at the helm of North Carolina football, the Tar Heels went 1-10. From 2017-18, North Carolina posted a 5-18 record. With that in mind, at 7-6 with a bowl win, Browns first season should be looked at as a huge successful

North Carolina couldnt secure the bigger upset, but the team still scored a massive program-building win over South Carolina in Week 1. A 4-4 record in the ACC with a freshman signal caller should be a sign of great things to come as well.

Cruising to an easy bowl win is just icing on the cake.