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Tag: second half

  • Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell out to torment Magic in rematch

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    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell finished sixth in balloting for the Eastern Conference All-Star starters, one spot shy of earning the nod.

    His quest to be added to the All-Star Game as a reserve continues Monday, when Cleveland welcomes the Orlando Magic in the second half of a home-and-home set.

    Mitchell poured in 27 of his game-high 36 points in the second half Saturday, powering the Cavaliers to a 119-105 win at Orlando. He made 15 of 30 field goal attempts in 38 minutes, four more than he is averaging on the season.

    ‘Good decision by the coach,’ Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said, smiling. ‘I felt like the game was in the balance, so Donovan, we just had to ride him. I usually get him out there in the fourth quarter, but didn’t think we had that option.

    ‘He was great at both ends. He didn’t conserve himself on defense, and obviously the shot-making was insane.’

    Mitchell was sixth in voting by the fans, coaches and media in their independent polls, but ranks first in the NBA in second-half scoring with an average of 17.1 points. He also leads the East with 162 3-pointers.

    The six-time All-Star has driven the Cavaliers to three straight wins, continuing a push that has seen them go 10-4 since Dec. 29. Cleveland now sits fifth in the conference, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Magic for the final playoff position.

    ‘We just continue to find ways,’ said Mitchell, who is averaging a career-high 29.1 points, along with 5.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds. ‘These are the moments you enjoy. We’ll see these guys again Monday, so we’ve got to be ready.’

    Another positive trend for the Cavaliers is their work on the glass, having outrebounded their foes in six consecutive games, including a 38-37 edge over Orlando. Third-string point guard Lonzo Ball led all players with eight and Evan Mobley had seven.

    On the flip side is Cleveland’s inability to string wins together in its arena. The Cavaliers are 7-8 in their last 15 home contests and just 15-11 there on the season.

    ‘Obviously, we’ve had some injuries, but I love how our young guys continue to impress,’ Atkinson said, singling out second-year swingman Jaylon Tyson. ‘We’re doing it by committee and celebrating our depth. It feels like a collective effort.’

    The Magic have only played twice in the last seven days — dropping home games to the Charlotte Hornets and Cavaliers — following their European trip. Orlando beat the Memphis Grizzlies in Berlin but lost to them in London.

    Paulo Banchero showed some energy by scoring 27 points and making 10 of 12 free throw attempts against Cleveland, but the team in general appeared fatigued in its third straight double-digit defeat.

    The Cavaliers didn’t trail in the final three quarters as Moritz Wagner was the only Magic bench player to make more than one basket. Jalen Suggs did have nine points and six assists in his first action since bruising his right medial collateral ligament on Jan. 2.

    ‘It’s hard to slow down Donovan Mitchell because he’s seen it all,’ Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. ‘Obviously, we know him very well and his ability to score at a high clip. Our ability to guard him with multiple bodies is very important.’

    Though Suggs is expected to play in the rematch, the Magic will not have small forward Franz Wagner for the third game in a row after the pain in his left ankle flared up. He missed six weeks with a high ankle sprain before playing in the overseas games.

    Mosley declined to second-guess the decision to have the Berlin native return in his homeland. Wagner is currently not cleared for contact.

    ‘Those are things I’m not looking at,’ the coach said. ‘When he thought he could go, he went. And when we thought he could go, he went. Now, we’ve got to be smart moving forward with him.’

    –Field Level Media

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  • NorCal forecast: Morning fog will be followed by some afternoon sunshine

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    Northern California forecast: Morning fog will be followed by some afternoon sunshine

    THEY MIGHT GET SOME SNOW ON NEW YEAR’S EVE. YES, WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT. BUT AS FOR TODAY, NORMAL. IT ONLY TOOK US A LITTLE LESS THAN A MONTH TO GET TO NORMAL. 54 DEGREES ARE OBSERVED HIGH TODAY. THE NORMAL 55 AND OUR LOW OF 38 DEGREES THIS MORNING. SPOT ON. I WILL SAY, THOUGH, THAT THAT RECORD OF 68 DEGREES DOES LOOK PRETTY NICE RIGHT NOW. AS WE STEP OUTSIDE, WE’VE GOT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND IT IS COOL. TEMPERATURES ARE NOW DROPPING IN THE 40S. WE HAVE UPPER 40S IN MODESTO. WE EVEN HAVE MID 40S IN THE FOOTHILLS. NOT AS COLD AS TRUCKEE AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE SOME SPOTS DOWN TO TEENS. AND CURRENTLY WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREEZE. THIS AFTERNOON. THEY DID PICK UP IN TEN 15MPH RIGHT NOW. JUST A BREEZE LINGERING IN MODESTO THE REST OF THE AREA CALMING DOWN. BUT THAT BREEZE SURE HELPED US OUT TODAY. CHECK OUT THIS LITTLE BALL OF LOW CLOUDS THAT DEVELOPED IN THE NORTH VALLEY. WELL, THAT TRY TO SNEAK INTO OUR AREA, BUT THE BREEZES KEPT IT MOVING RIGHT ALONG. AND THEN WE ENDED THE DAY WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES, BUT WHEN IT PASSED OVER US, I THINK A LITTLE SOME OF US WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS THAT IT MIGHT STICK AROUND. NOT A LOT GOING ON THE RADAR AND SATELLITE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DAYS. WE DO HAVE A WIND OUT OF THE NORTH AS WE SIT IN BETWEEN OUR UNSETTLED WEATHER THAT’S SWINGING OFF TO THE EAST, AND HIGH PRESSURE THAT’S PUSHING RIGHT UP AGAINST IT. AS THAT PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT NORTH WIND, AND TOMORROW WE’RE HOPING FOR MORE, MAINLY TO KEEP THAT FOG OR ANY SORT OF LOW CLOUDS AT BAY. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SPOTS THAT MIGHT EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BREEZE TOMORROW MIGHT BE THE VERY NORTHWEST VALLEY. COLUSA WINTERS, CLEAR LAKE. YOU MIGHT GET A BREEZE TEN 20MPH. THE REST OF US WON’T NOTICE TOO MUCH IN TERMS OF WIND SPEED, SO HOPEFULLY THAT STILL WORKS TO CLEAR OUT A LITTLE FOG THAT MIGHT DEVELOP IN THE MORNING, AND WE ARE EXPECTING THAT BY AFTERNOON. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING IN THE UPPER 40S IN WOODLAN AND DAVIS SACRAMENTO LOOKING AT A HIGH OF AROUND 50 DEGREES IN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. SAME STORY MIGHT GET A LITTLE PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. ONCE THAT LIFTS AWAY, TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE LOW 50S. THEY’LL BE A TOUCH WARMER THAN US HERE IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY. QUIET DAY IN THE DELTA IN THE BAY AREA, 55 IN SAN FRANCISCO. ALSO DRYING OUT IN FAIRFIELD. HIGHS NEAR 51 DEGREES. AND IT’S GOING TO BE GORGEOUS IN THE FOOTHILLS. THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY TOO MUCH FOR FOG. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL THOUGH. THEY’LL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S. BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR THE END OF DECEMBER? SAME IN THE SIERRA. IT WILL BE CHILLY WITH TEMPERATURES RIGHT AROUND 37 IN TRUCKEE AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, A LITTLE BIT WARMER FURTHER SOUTH IN ARNOLD AND YOSEMITE, RIGHT AROUND 50 DEGREES. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVERHEAD, AND WHILE WE DO GET A LITTLE MORE OF THAT MORNING FOG, TEMPERATURES DO WARM JUST A LITTLE BIT. IT WILL BE PRETTY QUIET PRETTY MUCH FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, EXCEPT THIS FORECAST MODEL INDICATES THAT RIGHT AROUND NEW YEAR’S EVE AND WE’RE TALKING WEDNESDAY, GOING INTO THURSDAY, WE’RE GOING TO GET SOME SHOWERS BACK IN THE REGION. BUT THAT’S ONLY ACCORDING TO ONE FORECAST MODEL THAT SAYS 2026 IS GOING TO START OFF WET. ANOTHER FORECAST MODEL SUGGESTS THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANYTHING AT ALL. SO MODELS CONTINUE TO DUAL. OF COURSE, THAT IS THE STORY ALL THIS YEAR, RIGHT? AS THEY SORT OUT THEIR DIFFERENCES, WE ARE GOING TO ENJOY A NICE QUIET STRETCH WHERE ALL WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS A LITTLE BIT OF MORNING FOG IN THE AFTERNOONS WE CAN ENJOY PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES, TEMPERATURES HOVERING IN THE MID 50S WE DO WARM UP TO AROUND 53 DEGREES NOW. WEDNESDAY WE’LL NOTICE THOSE CLOUDS ROLL BACK IN AND THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING. AND AGAIN, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHICH MODEL YOU’RE LOOKING AT. BUT BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE PLANS ON NEW YEAR’S EVE, I’M GOING TO PUT THAT ON THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST SO YOU CAN AT LEAST PREPARE FOR IT. AND IF IT HAPPENS TO BE DRY, THEN YAY! RIGHT. WE LOVE TO LISTEN. WE LOVE THE RAIN. WE NEED IT. BUT

    Northern California forecast: Morning fog will be followed by some afternoon sunshine

    Updated: 9:29 PM PST Dec 27, 2025

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    A light northerly wind should be strong enough to scrub out morning fog, making way for brighter skies during the second half of the day.This should allow Valley highs to climb to around 50 degrees. Sunday will be cool but calm in the foothills, with temperatures peaking in the upper 40s. It will be chilly in the Sierra, with highs in the 30s.As high pressure moves overhead, morning fog may become more pronounced and temperatures will hover in the low 50s, but weather will otherwise remain quiet through New Year’s Eve.New Year’s Eve is when weather models diverge in the forecast data, with disagreement centered on the timing and track of our next weather system. Some suggest an earlier, more northward push of moisture, which would result in a wet New Year’s Eve, while other models suggest the system could arrive later and that New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will be dry.

    A light northerly wind should be strong enough to scrub out morning fog, making way for brighter skies during the second half of the day.

    This should allow Valley highs to climb to around 50 degrees. Sunday will be cool but calm in the foothills, with temperatures peaking in the upper 40s. It will be chilly in the Sierra, with highs in the 30s.

    As high pressure moves overhead, morning fog may become more pronounced and temperatures will hover in the low 50s, but weather will otherwise remain quiet through New Year’s Eve.

    New Year’s Eve is when weather models diverge in the forecast data, with disagreement centered on the timing and track of our next weather system. Some suggest an earlier, more northward push of moisture, which would result in a wet New Year’s Eve, while other models suggest the system could arrive later and that New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will be dry.

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  • UCF explores newfound depth with slumping VMI on deck

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    (Photo credit: Nadia Zomorodian/News-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

    UCF coach Johnny Dawkins might have found something in Tuesday’s comeback win over Quinnipiac — a go-to big man.

    Dawkins and his Knights will search for their sixth straight win when they host VMI on Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

    The Knights (6-1) trailed Quinnipiac 60-50 in the second half before reserve Jeremy Foumena lit a fire, sending the home side on an extended 34-10 scoring tear through the Bobcats’ defense that put the game away.

    On a career night, the 6-foot-11 Foumena, a Montreal native who had just 17 points all season, stood out.

    He poured in a career-high 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting by dominating around the rim with his teammates feeding him while UCF committed a season-low 10 turnovers.

    A junior center, Foumena played sparingly in his lone season at his most recent stop at Mississippi State when he saw action in just nine games. He started his career at Rhode Island.

    ‘I’m a kid that stayed the course,’ said Foumena, who grabbed seven rebounds. ‘In the second half, we knew we had to go deep. … We just came out strong.’

    Point guard Themus Fulks handed out a career-high 13 assists, nearly double his average of 7.7 per game, while John Bol notched a career-high 13 points with six rebounds.

    A UCF win Saturday would equal the best start under Dawkins with the 2016-17 team that went 24-12 and advanced to the NIT semifinals.

    The Keydets (3-6) will finish a four-game road swing through Florida and will be looking for better play.

    VMI has dropped five straight games since notching its last win in a 106-54 pounding of Virginia-Lynchburg on Nov. 12.

    ‘I told the guys there’s usually a game every season that you have to wash away,’ Keydets coach Andrew Wilson said after an 87-54 loss to Richmond last week before leaving on the current road trip. ‘… We’ve got a tough journey ahead of us.’

    He was right.

    The Southern Conference school fell 81-48 to Bowling Green at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday, making just 10 of 50 shots (20%). Only one player, Linus Holmstrom, hit double figures with 11 points, as VMI lost for the third time in the Sunshine State after losses to Stetson and Buffalo.

    TJ Johnson leads the squad at 20.1 points per game, while Walker Andrews scores 11.3 and Mario Tatum Jr. adds 10.8.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Bill Belichick wins first ACC game

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    Bill Belichick wins first ACC game as North Carolina rallies to defeat Syracuse

    When you took this job, that there would be so much attention that you would bolster the profile of Carolina football this much. Uh, you know, I wasn’t really focused on that, uh, Brian. It was more just to come in and you know try to work with Michael Lombardi and our staff and try to put together *** good team and *** good program and represent the school well on the football field, and that’s really what we’re trying to do. So glad people are excited, but really just focused more on the product and delivering. Has it surprised you at all that that so many people want to hear about Bill Belichick at Carolina, so much interest you guys are going to Ireland. Yeah. Well, that’s *** long way off. We got *** full season ahead of us before that, but yeah, that’ll be exciting. But no, the sport’s been amazing. The alumni, Carolina fans, and great response from the players, the people there that are on the football staff and on the team, how hard they worked and their commitment to doing the best they can and try to put *** good team together. Can I ask you what motivates you to stay in coaching? You’ve accomplished probably more than anybody who’s ever picked up *** whistle, and now you’re you’re kind of starting over in college. What what are you trying to prove? What do you have left to prove and maybe to who do you have anything to prove? Yeah, I just love coaching. I love all the aspects of it. I love the team building. I love. The fundamentals working with players, strategy, game competition, and just the whole process. Football has been good to me. It’s been good to my family. I grew up in *** football family, with my dad and around Navy football and *** lot of great players and coaches. Interacted with the NFL, so, um, it’s just, it’s fun to be *** part of *** team. You mentioned your dad’s connection to UNC when when you got the job. Was, was UNC like *** sort of *** specific school that you would have come to or Pitt or Maryland or Oklahoma State had called, would you have entertained, you know, more options than just North Carolina? UNC special because of the brand. It’s *** great academic school. It’s *** great athletic tradition and the fact that there were some roots there for me early in my life that was coming full circles was *** good feeling. What surprised you the most, good or bad, about being the head coach at North Carolina? Um, I’ve just enjoyed the process, really enjoyed the people, uh, sport’s been great. It’s *** great opportunity, and I just appreciate every day at Carolina. You’ve you’ve turned your roster over through the transfer portal, including after spring ball. How difficult, you know, you’re only going to have *** couple of weeks of fall practice. How difficult will it be to build *** cohesive team, *** winning team with just *** couple of weeks to kind of pull all the pieces together. Well, it’s not dissimilar to the model that we had in the NFL where after the draft and free agency signing and all that, you bring in about *** third of your team is brand new and so we’ll be somewhere in that range when we start fall camp, but we’ll have *** couple of months with them here in the summer and we’ve had *** good spring with *** lot of these guys as well, so. It is what it is. I mean all schools have *** similar situation, maybe not quite the same numbers, but some degree of freshmen coming in and transfer portals, some more than others, but we’ll take it as it comes and excited to have the players that we have and work with them. I know you like to talk about you don’t want to set expectations. You just want to get better every day, but what does success look like for you at North Carolina? Get better every day, coming in and having *** good day, having *** productive day, and then rest, recovery. And do another one tomorrow and keep stacking them on top of each other. That’s how he achieves success is consistency and the discipline to do it repeatedly over and over. That that’s what we’re going to try to do. We’ll let the process play out, but it’s important that we develop *** good solid routine. How important was it that you get to work with people like Michael Lombardi, your sons? You have *** lot of, I guess people call Belichick guys around you as you embark on this on this adventure. Well, we have *** few, Brian, but we also have, you know, well over 200 years of NFL experience on the roster and various capacities from our chef to our nutritionist, strength training. Scouting operations and so forth. So it’s really important that we provide the student athletes with *** great experience and everything they need to be successful, and then if they put in the work and we do *** good job developing, then hopefully they can achieve their individual goals and collectively we can achieve our team goals. So that’s what we’re about. Two quick ones. You have *** quarterback, it looks like in Geo Lopez. How are you going to handle that quarterback battle when it comes to the fall and who do you think might even be in that competition? Yeah, well, the competition is always in the hands of the players. I can’t control performance, so we’ll give everybody an opportunity to let the players compete, and we’ll see how it all turns out. We’re excited to have *** competition, not only *** quarterback, but really at most every position on the field, and again it will be up to the players to perform and earn those spots. Everything will be earned and we’re not handed anything out. It’ll be competitive. The guys will get what they earn and they’re all competed hard, they’re working hard and so look forward to seeing what that brings. You’ve certainly got *** lot of attention here in the last couple of months. What’s it like to be with football guys talking football? I know you have some old friends in there, Bill O’Brien, Frank Reich. What’s it been like to be at these meetings and, and really getting into the season? Oh yeah, it’s been great, you know, it’s been great to, to talk about some of the things, you know, the ACC college football, uh, things that, you know, all of us are involved in, you know, it’s *** certainly *** new model here for college football, NIL, Revshare and other things that are being discussed with the House settlement that are sort of in the air, but they’re sort of coming together. Uh, so just everybody’s trying to figure it out and, um, you know, get ready for the season. Uh, um, how much are you talking in those meetings? Obviously, you know, you’re *** respected voice when it comes to football, but you know there are people who’ve been coaching college football *** lot longer, so are you speaking up or are you, uh, you sitting back and kind of taking it all in? Oh, I’m listening to people like that, but we’ve had *** lot of success and I’ve been doing it *** long time. Great. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. OK, thank you. OK.

    Bill Belichick wins first ACC game as North Carolina rallies to defeat Syracuse

    Updated: 12:08 AM EDT Nov 1, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Demon June accounted for two touchdowns and nearly 200 yards on offense, Gio Lopez threw for two scores, and Bill Belichick won his first Atlantic Coast Conference game when North Carolina came from behind to defeat Syracuse 27-10 Friday night.The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tar Heels (3-5, 1-3 ACC), while the Orange (3-6, 1-5) lost for the fifth consecutive time. North Carolina lost its previous two games by a combined four points.Video above: Bill Belichick speaks on his transition to college football at UNC-Chapel HillThe Tar Heels had not scored more than 20 points against an FBS team and trailed 10-6 when Lopez hit June for a short gain of 9 yards on the team’s first play of the second half. June then broke a tackle and scampered 63 yards down the right sideline for a 72-yard scoring play to give the Tar Heels a 13-10 lead they would never surrender. On the team’s next series, June ran it in from 5 yards out for a 20-10 margin. A 21-yard scoring strike from Lopez to Jordan Shipp gave the Tar Heels a 27-10 lead and 21 unanswered points.Lopez was 15-of-19 passing for 216 yards and two touchdowns. June had 101 yards on the ground and 81 yards on two receptions. Shipp had six catches for 64 yards.Syracuse walk-on Joe Filardi, a true freshman, started at quarterback for the Orange. He was 1 of 11 in the first half and didn’t complete his first pass until 6:12 remained in the half. He finished 4 of 18 for 39 yards. Filardi replaced struggling LSU transfer Rickie Collins, who had gone 0-4 as a starter in relief of Steve Angeli. Angeli, who directed the Orange to a 3-1 start, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Clemson.Syracuse hasn’t won since.Video below: Bill Belichick’s girlfriend announces second run for Miss Maine USAThe only touchdown in the first half came courtesy of the Syracuse defense. Devin Grant knocked the ball loose from Shamar Easter on a short completion from Lopez. Linebacker Anwar Sparrow scooped up the ball and ran 51 yards for the score with 4:38 to go in the first quarter, giving the Orange a 7-3 lead.Rece Verhoff had field goals of 24 and 43 yards while Tripp Woody had a 31-yarder for the Orange.Syracuse managed 12 first downs, generated 147 yards on offense, and averaged only 2.9 yards per play.The Tar Heels are showing some fight. After two tough losses, North Carolina dominated Syracuse in the second half, albeit against a walk-on quarterback, and could be turning things around.

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. —

    Demon June accounted for two touchdowns and nearly 200 yards on offense, Gio Lopez threw for two scores, and Bill Belichick won his first Atlantic Coast Conference game when North Carolina came from behind to defeat Syracuse 27-10 Friday night.

    The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tar Heels (3-5, 1-3 ACC), while the Orange (3-6, 1-5) lost for the fifth consecutive time. North Carolina lost its previous two games by a combined four points.

    Video above: Bill Belichick speaks on his transition to college football at UNC-Chapel Hill

    The Tar Heels had not scored more than 20 points against an FBS team and trailed 10-6 when Lopez hit June for a short gain of 9 yards on the team’s first play of the second half. June then broke a tackle and scampered 63 yards down the right sideline for a 72-yard scoring play to give the Tar Heels a 13-10 lead they would never surrender. On the team’s next series, June ran it in from 5 yards out for a 20-10 margin. A 21-yard scoring strike from Lopez to Jordan Shipp gave the Tar Heels a 27-10 lead and 21 unanswered points.

    Lopez was 15-of-19 passing for 216 yards and two touchdowns. June had 101 yards on the ground and 81 yards on two receptions. Shipp had six catches for 64 yards.

    Syracuse walk-on Joe Filardi, a true freshman, started at quarterback for the Orange. He was 1 of 11 in the first half and didn’t complete his first pass until 6:12 remained in the half. He finished 4 of 18 for 39 yards. Filardi replaced struggling LSU transfer Rickie Collins, who had gone 0-4 as a starter in relief of Steve Angeli. Angeli, who directed the Orange to a 3-1 start, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Clemson.

    Syracuse hasn’t won since.

    Video below: Bill Belichick’s girlfriend announces second run for Miss Maine USA

    The only touchdown in the first half came courtesy of the Syracuse defense. Devin Grant knocked the ball loose from Shamar Easter on a short completion from Lopez. Linebacker Anwar Sparrow scooped up the ball and ran 51 yards for the score with 4:38 to go in the first quarter, giving the Orange a 7-3 lead.

    Rece Verhoff had field goals of 24 and 43 yards while Tripp Woody had a 31-yarder for the Orange.

    Syracuse managed 12 first downs, generated 147 yards on offense, and averaged only 2.9 yards per play.

    The Tar Heels are showing some fight. After two tough losses, North Carolina dominated Syracuse in the second half, albeit against a walk-on quarterback, and could be turning things around.

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