Tar Heels top Vols in bizarre Music City Bowl
Casey Barth kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second overtime to send North Carolina past Tennessee, 30-27, last night in Nashville, Tenn., in a Music City Bowl that will be remembered for the crazy finish of regulation.
Barth kicked a 39-yard field goal after officials reviewed what had been the game's final play and decided to penalize the Tar Heels (8-5) for having "more than 11 men" on the field. The officiating crew also announced that T.J. Yates had spiked the ball with one second left. That allowed Barth to run out and kick the field goal to tie it at 20.
Tennessee (6-7) was stunned at the sudden switch, which led to its second loss this season because of too many men on the field. The Vols lost to LSU Oct. 2 after they got caught having too many defenders.
"It was chaos again," coach Derek Dooley said.
Everyone was on the field after the clock appeared to run out when North Carolina got caught - and flagged - with too many men on the field. A handful of Tar Heels were running toward the sideline when Yates took the snap and spiked the ball with the holder behind him as if preparing for a field-goal attempt.
North Carolina coach Butch Davis took the blame for the confusion. He said his offensive players were doing what they were told a couple plays before, while the field-goal unit started running out.
The Vols started celebrating with the Tar Heels dejected before officials allowed a final play.
Dooley noted college football doesn't have the NFL rule that would have run out the clock to punish the offense for the penalty.
Fans began tossing bottles and other trash onto the field. Tennessee's Gerald Williams chucked his helmet in disgust, bouncing it down the field. Officials threw another flag, this one for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Army 16, SMU 14
Josh McNary returned a fumble 55 yards for a score and Army held on in the Armed Forces Bowl at Dallas, giving the Black Knights (7-6) their first winning season since 1996 and first bowl victory since 1985. SMU finished 7-7.
