Game 609: Carolina Tar Heels trample Temple Owls in Military Bowl, 55-13
Annapolis, MD- Under Head Coach Mack Brown, starting in his second stint at North Carolina since leaving in 1997, the Tar Heels came to Annapolis looking to build for the future clobbering lackluster Temple in the 12th annual Military Bowl, 55-13. Attended by 24,242 with the sky blue stands of Carolina outnumbering the Cherry and White clan, our contingent of traditional tailgaters attending this one together shared surprise at the smaller than usual crowd at this game, but the action left us all totally disappointed by the lack of effort usually given by the competitive Owls (8-5). The lopsided blow-out ended the season for most of us in attendance with a whimper, instead of a bang.
True Freshman leads Tar Heels
UNC Frosh QB Sam Howell earned game MVP honors throwing for 294 yards and three TD passes while also being on the receiving end on a well-executed reverse option play. He led the Tar Heels (7-6) to a 20-6 lead by halftime with a first quarter 39-yard TD pass to Dyami Brown and on a 16-yarder to Dazz Newsome in the second. Noah Ruggles added six booting FGs from 26 and 36 yards in the second period. In the mix, the Owls cut the score 10-6 with a 75-yard TD drive capped by Re’Mahn Davis’s four-yard TD run for the Owls set up by a 60-yard pass to Jadan Blue following Ruggles first three.
Catching up
At halftime, I went back in time. On the way in on the blue side of Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, I recognized a former Boonton (NJ) Bomber High School teammate of mine, Tom Strother, working security at the entrance. Tom retired from the Navy 20 years ago and settled in the Annapolis area. We shared stories of high school football memories playing for our late Head Coach Joe Molitoris, a Marine Reserve Colonel for many years while teaching and coaching at Boonton. Jim Kiick of Miami Dolphin Super Bowl fame played for him ten years prior to Tom and me.
Ever read Meat on the Hoof about HC Darrel Royal at Texas, or The Junction Boys about Paul “Bear” Bryant and his first season at Texas A&M? Our memories with Joe “Mol” could be entitled something like “Paris Island, Jr.” We reminisced about early, hot September double sessions; no water during practices, and in my two years after Tom, maybe at least a squirt on your face; salt tablets; tackling and blocking drills basically every day; fumble drills on rocks and glass; Bull-in-the ring; Oklahoma drills; and “gut-buster’s” after every practice. It was more like boot camp then football practice. Only the strong survived to say the least. We focused on hitting and conditioning significantly more than game execution. Our game results reflected that focus for sure. And games on Saturdays came as a relief.
Another book?
We Boonton Bombers always played tough defense and were known as hard-hitters. Our offensive strategy around the area was always diagnosed by local followers as, “sweep left, sweep right, up the middle, punt.” Fond memories. As tough as it was, I think Joe’s intention was to prepare us for life beyond football. Our games were generally close. We never really got blown out even when our school population got cut in half as one sending district pulled out to open its own school and we continued to play much bigger schools. We always ended up generally around .500. Each year had its ups and downs.
Joe’s best year was a 6-0-3 record. No play-offs in those days. Tom reflected, if only Joe could have turned the offense over to somebody else. At the end of our conversation, he suggested that we could write a book about the stories we could collect from among the many players that played for good old BHS in those days. We should think about it. In 2022, BHS will celebrate its 100th anniversary of Bomber football.
Back to the future!
In the second half, UNC finished off an 83-yard drive with Antonio Williams’ one-yard run. The Heels scored again twelve seconds later on Storm Duck’s (great name and another freshman) 20-yard INT return. Later Howell snuck into the end zone wide open for a two-yard pass reception on a reverse option pass from WR Rontavius Groves. Davis scored his second TD on a 45-yard pass from Todd Centeio to trail heading into the fourth, 41-13. I told my fellow tailgaters, Brian, Jay, Jason, Geoff, Pat, and Dan, all celebrating the end of the season here at the Military Bowl that UNC was due two more TDs in the final period.
Called it
Newsome caught a 29-yard pass from Howell, and Williams scored again following a drive from the two to finalize the score, 55-13. We continued our tailgating at nearby Germantown Elementary School afterward. Basically, the only ones hanging after the game, a group of Temple fans dropped by with two young ladies telling us that the guy they were with scored the only two TDs for Temple that day. We met Re’Mahn (Ray) Davis. Showered and looking dapper in a nice suit, he seemed like a nice kid. I noted that he played prep ball not far from me at Blair Academy though his hometown is listed as San Francisco. He said he was only there one season. The thing that struck me later though, that I never recovered that quickly from a loss. It would sit with me for days. Used to bug the hell out of my Mother. I always wrestled with what I should have / could have done better to get the win. Didn’t matter if I played well or not. I guess that’s another difference between playing back then and now, too.
Next!
Both of these squads travel to Florida to open season in 2020. The Heels go to the Land of Disney to play Central Florida. Should be interesting. Temple goes to Miami. Two competitive openers. As for collegefootballfan.com, we travel south as well but not as far and not next season. Leaving next morning for Atlanta to see No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma in the CFP Peach Bowl with much anticipation to get to see No. 1 and hopefully a more competitive game than this one.
