Break On Through

#41 North Carolina  – 21
#24 Texas A&M – 13

North Carolina CB Lecount Fantroy shakes Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill on his way to the end zone

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Blue trudged into College Station battered and bruised, 2-7 record in tow. He and the North Carolina Tar Heels departed with a few extra gray hairs and a hard-fought victory in a tight contest between two talented squads.

Freshman return specialist/special teams gunner CB Lecount Fantroy keyed the win for UNC with two interceptions, including a 102-yard int return touchdown in the second quarter. "I'm just looking to contribute in any way I can," he said after the game. "I'm also looking to try and hang out later."

Fantroy's TD was bookended by two A&M field goals, one from 49-yards out, giving UNC a slim 7-6 advantage at the half.

Two plays into the third quarter, the Aggies returned the favor with a pick-six of their own. Junior CB Dustin Harris showed that he knows what a five is, as he Asante Samuel-ed the slot receiver running the out route, and took it to the house to put Texas A&M ahead 13-7.

North Carolina came right back on their next drive, which was capped by an 8-yard touchdown run by AJ Blue. Then, with four minutes remaining in the game, UNC got the ball back deep in their own territory on QB Ryan Tannehill's third interception of the day. The Tar Heels drove down the field, and QB Bryn Renner (UNC's other "gunner") found TE James Hurst up the middle to set up a 1st and goal from the 1. AJ Blue was able to punch it in again on a toss play, giving UNC an 8-point lead.

Texas A&M, needing a touchdown and 2-point conversion, was able to engineer a promising drive in the final minutes. They earned a 3rd and 2 at the UNC 25-yard line with 40 seconds to go, and opted to run, which may have been costly, as they were stopped short and had no timeouts remaining. Another handoff to HB Christine Michael on 4th and 1 narrowly yielded a clutch first down, but the Aggies only had time for a couple more plays. On the final play of the game, Fantroy picked off his second pass to seal it for the Heels.

It was Blue's first win over the Brothers Godfrey in 2012, and the second of three tough losses for Green on Thursday night.

North Carolina eagerly awaits the winner of #9 South Carolina and #56 Texas Tech.

Stats:
North Carolina
CB Lecount Fantroy – 2 INTs, 102-yd INT return for TD
HB AJ Blue – 11 rushes, 55 yards, 2 TDs; 5 receptions, 41 yards