Texas A&M runs past North Carolina in Orange Bowl, 41-27
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Devon Achane had two late touchdown runs, including a 76-yarder with 3:44 left that put Texas A&M ahead to stay, and the fifth-ranked Aggies beat No. 14 North Carolina 41-27 in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night to cap a winless bowl season for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Kellen Mond passed for 232 yards and ran for a score for the Aggies (9-1), who were in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1944. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher improved to 3-0 in Orange Bowls, winning two previous ones at Florida State.
Achane’s go-ahead score came on a play where he darted left, nearly tripped over one of his own blockers, broke a tackle and then got loose down the sideline. The Aggies got a fourth-down stop on the ensuing possession, and Achane sealed the win on a 1-yard run with 1:34 left.
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Sam Howell passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Josh Downs, for the Tar Heels (8-4). North Carolina was without leading rushers Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, leading receiver Dyami Brown and top tackler Chazz Surratt — all of whom opted out of the bowl game.
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It was a tough end to the season for the ACC, which sent two teams to the four-team College Football Playoff, yet still had a winless postseason by a combined 223-152 count. N.C. State lost 23-21 to Kentucky, Miami lost 37-34 to Oklahoma State, and the four other games — including losses by Notre Dame and Clemson in the CFP semifinals on Friday — were all decided by two touchdowns or more.
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None of the other current Power 5 conferences has ever come close to going 0-6 in a bowl season. The last winless ACC bowl season was 1983, when the conference went 0-2.
Howell tied North Carolina’s career TD passing record of 68 with his three scoring throws, all of which gave the Tar Heels leads.
The first saw Dazz Newsome make a diving 28-yard grab with 4:56 left in the half to put the Tar Heels ahead 13-10. The next was a 10-yarder to Downs with 8:01 left in the third for a 20-17 lead, a drive extended when Texas A&M had an interception in the end zone waved off by penalty. And the third was a 75-yarder to Downs early in the fourth, when Howell saw him break free, point to him and let the ball fly.
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Every time, though, Texas A&M answered.
A 3-yard run by Isaiah Spiller with 20 seconds left in the half sent the Aggies into the locker room up 17-13, and a chip-shot field goal by Seth Small tied the game at 20 with 14:02 remaining. Mond had a 4-yard scoring run with 10:11 left.
The rest was up to Achane, and the Aggies ended their season on an eight-game win streak.
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THE TAKEAWAY
Texas A&M: Mond’s rushing score was the 93rd touchdown he was responsible for at Texas A&M, tying Johnny Manziel’s school record. Achane finished with 140 yards rushing, a stellar end to his freshman season.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels gave up 24 points in the fourth quarter, after allowing just 17 points in the first 45 minutes. It was a difficult end for a defense that forced five three-and-outs.
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POLL IMPLICATIONS
At worst, Texas A&M should remain No. 5 and match its best AP poll finish since finishing No. 1 in 1939 (joining No. 5 rankings to end the 1956 and 2012 seasons). North Carolina still could finish ranked for only the fourth time in the last 27 seasons.
BOWL WOES
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Of the 25 bowl games played so far, the ACC and Conference USA have had the losing team in 48% of them. Like the ACC, C-USA also went 0-6 this bowl season.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M: Scheduled to open 2021 against Kent State on Sept. 4.
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North Carolina: An ACC opponent likely awaits in Week 1 next season. The Tar Heels’ first non-ACC game is currently set for Sept. 11 against Georgia State.