By R.L. Bynum

BOSTON — There was plenty missing from North Carolina’s offense that led to the equivalent of a near no-hitter at Fenway Park.

The Tar Heels couldn’t hit on any big plays, other than Chris Culliver’s kickoff return, until a late Caleb Hood-fueled drive, as UConn easily won the Fenway Bowl 27–14 Saturday at Fenway Park before a partisan Huskies crowd.

“Disappointing result for us. I thought the guys kept fighting until the very end,” interim UNC coach Freddie Kitchens said. “We sort of ran out of time there at the end. They never gave up.”

It was a forgettable day with the tatters of Mack Brown 2.0 going out with a horrible performance and a school-record fifth consecutive bowl loss. But Carolina (6–7) looks ahead with high hopes as Coach Bill Belichick’s rebuilding efforts are off to a good start.

“We’re going to get up tomorrow, we’re going to go to work and try to make the program better,” said Kitchens, who will be on Belichick’s staff. “The players are going to do that. Coaches are going to do that.”

Already without their best player (running back Omarion Hampton) and their best offensive lineman (Willie Lampkin) because of opt-outs, as well as offensive coordinator (Chip Lindsey, who took the Michigan job), they lost quarterback Jacolby Criswell to a shoulder injury midway through the first quarter.

After that, it was a fight for survival, with Michael Merdinger, a freshman who went into the transfer portal two days ago and was taking his first college snaps, called into duty with three freshmen starting on the offensive line.

“Lonnie [Galloway] and the offensive staff did a tremendous job of having an emergency plan, and it kind of came to fruition a little bit with Caleb,” Kitchens said. “Been repping that for a little while and didn’t hesitate to get it incorporated.”

After slipping Hood over the first three quarters for spot plays at the wildcat, Hood stayed there in the fourth quarter and finally generated some offense and some points.

Hood ran for 73 of the 96 yards on the offense’s only scoring drive, and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Copenhaver with 4:09 left to trim the deficit to 13.

“Caleb executed what he’s supposed to do, and just right on down the board,” Kitchens said. “That was a real good drive and I’m proud of Caleb for making those decisions. [He] just threw an absolute dime in the back of the end zone to John.”

Hood ran for 78 yards and completed his only pass attempt and finished with a 572.8 quarterback rating.

“In the passing game, we had some opportunities there,” Kitchens said. “We didn’t hit and the protection broke down or basically didn’t make the play.”

Merdinger completed 9 of 12 passes for 86 yards, an interception and a 118.5 passer rating.

“He came in and did an admirable job,” Kitchens said. “But, of course, there’s going to be some nerves for these guys. And I thought they did a good job as far as just trying to move past some of the early situations that weren’t advantageous for us.”

UNC went 3-and-out on six of 10 drives, and turned the ball over on downs for two others, with 206 total yards and 10 first downs, both season lows. The previous lows were 212 yards and 13 first downs in their 41–21 loss a few miles away at Boston College 35 days earlier.

“They didn’t do anything special,” Copenhaver, who had four catches for a team-high 44 yards in his final college game, said of UConn’s defense. “We just weren’t executing. Play call was totally fine. Been practicing it for three weeks to a month, and we just couldn’t execute it.”

Running back Davion Gause couldn’t come anywhere close to compensating for being without Hampton, rushing for only 12 yards on five carries.

The defense reverted to some of its poorest levels of play during the regular season, with missed tackles and missed assignments, as UConn was more physical on the line.

“We were missing some guys that had played a while,” defensive lineman Beau Atkinson said. “But I think they had a good scheme where they’re just trying to run pretty much side to side, and puts our D line in a tough bind, and kind of doesn’t give us the ability to use our skill sets.”

It should have been a hint about what was to come when UConn running back Mel Brown (11 carries, game-high 96 yards) ran for 47 yards on the game’s first play. The defense limited the Huskies to a 32-yard Chris Freeman field goal on that first drive. But UConn took a 10–0 lead on quarterback Joe Fagnano’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Skyler Bell with 3:45 left in the first quarter.

Just as he did at Boston College, Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, this time a 95-yard return, tight-roping down the left sideline.

On the next play after Amare Campbell drew a roughing-the-passer penalty, Fagnano (16 of 23, 151 yards, 2 touchdowns) connected with Alexander Honig on a four-yard scoring pass with 14:10 left in the first half to expand the Huskies’ lead to 10.

Cam Edwards capped a 14-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds left to give UConn (9–4) a 23–7 halftime lead.

UNC went three-and-out on its first three drives, getting its initial first down when Merdinger connected with Hood for eight yards with 15 seconds left in the first half. Merdinger followed that, though, by throwing an interception.

After Gause’s best two runs of the game, Merdinger was stopped on a fourth-and-two sneak on the first drive of the second half. That led to a 24-yard Freeman field goal.

NOTES — The much-anticipated 2025 schedule starts on Aug. 30 when UNC welcomes TCU to Kenan Stadium. … The Tar Heels have played in bowls for six straight seasons, the second-longest streak in school history (they went to a bowl in seven consecutive seasons from 1992 to 1998). … UNC is 15–24 all-time in bowl games. … North Carolina’s 45 total yards in the first half were its fewest in a half since recording 38 yards in the first half against Cal in 2018. … UNC’s 206 total yards are its fewest yards in a bowl game since going for 196 total yards in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl. … It was the fewest total yards in a game by the Tar Heels since recording 172 against Virginia Tech in 2017. … UNC’s 11 completions are its fewest since recording 11 in a 56–7 victory over Mercer in
2019. … Culliver is the fifth Division I player to have multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown
this season. … Kobe Paysour wore the No. 13 Tylee Craft jersey. … During nearly every time out, workers tried to repair the turf over the infield dirt. … It was UConn’s first win in four meetings with UNC, which won 12–10 on Sept. 12, 2009, at East Hartford, Conn., and twice at Kenan Stadium: 38–12 on Oct. 4, 2008, and 48–21 on Sept. 15, 1990. … UConn broke a seven-game losing streak against Triangle teams. … It was the Huskies’ first win in five games against power conference opponents after losing 50–7 on Aug. 31 at Maryland, at Duke 26–21 on Sept. 14, vs. Wake Forest 23–20 on Oct. 19 and at Syracuse 31–24 on Nov. 24.

UConn 27, UNC 14

Transfer portal transactions

Incoming transfers

(Next season’s classes listed)

Senior defensive lineman Melkart Abou-Jaoude • 6–5, 260 pounds • Delaware
2024: 11 games, 10 tackles, 17 assists, 6.5 sacks for 50 yards, 8 QB hits

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Browne • 6–4, 210 pounds • Purdue
2024: 8 games, 34 of 76, 532 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 127.5 quarterback rating

Junior tight end Connor Cox • 6–6, 251 pounds • South Carolina
2024: 4 games, 1 catch, 9 yards, 1 TD

Sophomore linebacker Khmori House • 6-0, 213 pounds • Washington
2024: 12 games, 19 tackles, 16 assists, 1 interception, 4 pass breakups, 1 QB hit

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Aziah Johnson • 6–0, 175 pounds • Michigan State
2024: 12 games, 16 catches, 276 yards, 2 touchdowns; 1 rush, 15 yards

Fifth-year center Christo Kelly • 6–4, 305 pounds • Holy Cross
2024: Started 12 games, part of line that allowed 1.08 sacks per game, 11th-best in country

Senior offensive lineman Chad Lindberg • 6–6, 315 pounds • Rice (Georgia before that)
2024: Played 11 games after playing 20 games and 139 snaps for Georgia

Sophomore offensive tackle Miles McVay • 6–6, 340 pounds • Alabama
2024: 5 games, 94 snaps

Sophomore defensive tackle C.J. Mims • 6–2, 302 pounds • East Carolina
2024: 12 games, 4 tackles, 19 assists, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Junior place-kicker Adam Samaha • 5–11, 195 pounds • Michigan
2024: didn’t play (Wolverines had Big Ten Kicker of Year Dominic Zvada);
2023: 1 game, 1 extra-point attempt made • Hit 60-yard FG in training (in below video)

Tar Heels entering, exiting portal

(Next season’s classes listed)
Sophomore 6–3, 300-pound offensive lineman Aidan Banfield
2024: 62.8 Pro Football Focus grade best in country among true freshmen

Fifth-year 6–5, 310 fifth-year center Austin Blaske
2024: Started 11 games with Pro Football Focus grade of 85.6

Junior 6–0, 230-pound linebacker Amare Campbell
2024: 12 games, 42 tackles, 30 assists, 11 tackles for losses, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Fifth-year 5–11, 220-pound running back Caleb Hood
2024: 4 games, 7 carries, 3 yards, 1 catch, 29 yards

Senior 6–1, 190-pound wide receiver Kobe Paysour
2024: 12 games, 19 catches, 330 yards

In the transfer portal

— Offensive linemen Zach Greenberg, Jakiah Leftwich, Malik McGowan, Andrew Rosinski (committed to Georgia Tech), Howard Sampson and Eli Sutton (Austin Peay)
— Running back Jordan Louie
— Quarterbacks Conner Harrell and Michael Merdinger
— Linebackers Ashton Woods and Caleb LaVallee
— Defensive lineman Travis Shaw
— Defensive back Tyrane Stewart
— Place-kicker Noah Burnette

UNC season scores

Month/ date	Opponent	Time/ score	TV/ record
August
29	at Minnesota	W, 19–17	1–0
September
7	vs. Charlotte	W, 38–20	2–0
14	vs. N.C. Central	W, 45–10	3–0
21	vs. James Madison	L, 70–50	3–1
28	at Duke	L, 21–20	3–2, 0–1 ACC
October
5	vs. No. 18 Pittsburgh	L, 34–24	3–3, 0–2
12	vs. Georgia Tech	L, 41–34	3–4, 0–3
26	at Virginia	W, 41–14	4–4, 1–3
November
2	at Florida State	W, 35–11	5–4, 2–3
16	vs. Wake Forest	W, 31–24	6–4, 3–3
23	at Boston College	L, 41–21	6–5, 3–4
30	vs. N.C. State	L, 35–30	6–6, 3–5
December
28	vs. UConn in Fenway Bowl	L, 27–14	6–7