Wasabi Fenway Bowl • Fenway Park • December 28, 2024 • Boston, Mass.
Team:
• North Carolina finishes the season at 6-7. The Tar Heels have participated in a bowl
game in six straight seasons, the second-longest streak in school history (went to a bowl
in seven consecutive seasons from 1992-98).
• UNC faced Connecticut for the fourth time and for the first time since 2009. UNC is 3-1
all-time against the Huskies.
• UNC has lost five straight bowl games, the longest bowl-losing streak in school history.
• 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.
• Freddie Kitchens served as UNC’s interim head coach.
• UNC’s two All-Americans, Willie Lampkin (1st team) and Omarion Hampton (2nd team),
opted not to play in the bowl game.
o This is the third time since 2020 and the seventh time since 2000 that UNC has
had multiple All-Americans in the same season.
Offense:
• Michael Merdinger made his first appearance as a Tar Heel in relief of an injured Jacolby
Criswell.
o Merdinger finished 9-of-12 with 86 yards passing.
o Merdinger is the fourth Tar Heel quarterback to receive snaps this season.
• Caleb Hood threw for his first-career touchdown, a 17-yard pass to John Copenhaver.
o Hood is the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown since Rontavious Groves
threw a 1-yard touchdown to Sam Howell against Miami in 2020.
• Copenhaver caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season and the ninth of his career.
o Copenhaver has had four touchdown catches in each of the past two seasons.
Defense:
• With six tackles, Beau Atkinson surpassed 50 for his career.
o Atkinson has 55 in two seasons as a Tar Heel.
o Atkinson also added a sack, bringing him to 7.5 for the season and 11 for his
career.
• Marcus Allen had two tackles, surpassing 100 for his career.
o Allen has 101 tackles in his career.
• Caleb LaVallee recorded the first tackle for loss of his career and had a season-high nine
tackles.
o LaVallee’s six tackles in the first quarter alone were more than his entire career
output entering the game.
• Cade Law recorded the first sack of his career.
Special Teams:
• Chris Culliver returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
o It was Culliver’s second kick returned for a touchdown this season.
o Culliver is the first Tar Heel since Anthony Ratliff-Williams in 2017 to record
multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same season.
§ This is the fifth time a Tar Heel has returned multiple kickoffs for
touchdowns in the same season. Culliver joins Brandon Tate (2006), T.J.
Logan (2013 & 2016), and Ratliff-Williams in 2017.
• Culliver’s 95-yard return is the 20th time a Tar Heel has returned a kickoff for at least 95
yards, all touchdowns.
• Culliver is the fifth Division I player to have multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown
this season.
• Culliver’s kickoff return for a touchdown was the second by a Tar Heel in a bowl game.
o T.J. Logan’s 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 2013 Belk Bowl is the
only other.
Team:
• North Carolina finishes the season at 6-7. The Tar Heels have participated in a bowl
game in six straight seasons, the second-longest streak in school history (went to a bowl
in seven consecutive seasons from 1992-98).
• UNC faced Connecticut for the fourth time and for the first time since 2009. UNC is 3-1
all-time against the Huskies.
• UNC has lost five straight bowl games, the longest bowl-losing streak in school history.
• 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.
• Freddie Kitchens served as UNC’s interim head coach.
• UNC’s two All-Americans, Willie Lampkin (1st team) and Omarion Hampton (2nd team),
opted not to play in the bowl game.
o This is the third time since 2020 and the seventh time since 2000 that UNC has
had multiple All-Americans in the same season.
Offense:
• Michael Merdinger made his first appearance as a Tar Heel in relief of an injured Jacolby
Criswell.
o Merdinger finished 9-of-12 with 86 yards passing.
o Merdinger is the fourth Tar Heel quarterback to receive snaps this season.
• Caleb Hood threw for his first-career touchdown, a 17-yard pass to John Copenhaver.
o Hood is the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown since Rontavious Groves
threw a 1-yard touchdown to Sam Howell against Miami in 2020.
• Copenhaver caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season and the ninth of his career.
o Copenhaver has had four touchdown catches in each of the past two seasons.
Defense:
• With six tackles, Beau Atkinson surpassed 50 for his career.
o Atkinson has 55 in two seasons as a Tar Heel.
o Atkinson also added a sack, bringing him to 7.5 for the season and 11 for his
career.
• Marcus Allen had two tackles, surpassing 100 for his career.
o Allen has 101 tackles in his career.
• Caleb LaVallee recorded the first tackle for loss of his career and had a season-high nine
tackles.
o LaVallee’s six tackles in the first quarter alone were more than his entire career
output entering the game.
• Cade Law recorded the first sack of his career.
Special Teams:
• Chris Culliver returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
o It was Culliver’s second kick returned for a touchdown this season.
o Culliver is the first Tar Heel since Anthony Ratliff-Williams in 2017 to record
multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same season.
§ This is the fifth time a Tar Heel has returned multiple kickoffs for
touchdowns in the same season. Culliver joins Brandon Tate (2006), T.J.
Logan (2013 & 2016), and Ratliff-Williams in 2017.
• Culliver’s 95-yard return is the 20th time a Tar Heel has returned a kickoff for at least 95
yards, all touchdowns.
• Culliver is the fifth Division I player to have multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown
this season.
• Culliver’s kickoff return for a touchdown was the second by a Tar Heel in a bowl game.
o T.J. Logan’s 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 2013 Belk Bowl is the
only other.
