All That Dazz: Newsome Leads Record Setting Day For UNC Offense

Receiver gets things started with 75 yard catch

Senior wide receiver Dazz Newsome helped get things started for the UNC offense. On the first play after Wake took a 7-0 lead, Newsome got open on the sideline and caught a Sam Howell pass, speeding 75 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

In the second quarter, after Wake regained the lead, Newsome again got loose, pulling in a 44-yard pass from Howell for his second touchdown of the game, giving the Heels the lead again, 24-21. He finished the game with 10 catches and 189 yards, both team highs.

The Tar Heels mounted a team-record comeback, erasing a 21-point deficit in the second half. Newsome said the team kept a level head during the comeback. The attitude on offense was “the same as it was on the first drive,” he said. “We feel like we can come back on any amount of points we’re down by.”

Newsome and Dyami Brown both had huge days, combining for 18 catches and 352 yards.

“It’s definitely exciting to see multiple receivers have big days,” he said.

Quarterback Sam Howell had a record-setting day, but some of the key plays were made with his feet. Twice on UNC’s go-ahead drive, he scrambled on third down. The first time, he converted a third-and-seven, and on the second, he went 20 yards for a touchdown.

“I thought he was going to slide a couple times,” Newsome said. “Twice actually, on the same play. He broke the tackles and got in there. That was tough. I mean, he’s competitive. He’s never going to say never. Never."