North Carolina loses its fourth straight game after inexplicably allowing a 68-yard TD run with 16 seconds left

North Carolina's inability to stop the run led to a shocking 41-34 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday.

After UNC tied the game at 34-34 with 44 seconds left, the Tar Heels somehow allowed a 68-yard TD run by Jamal Haynes up the middle. Haynes received the ball on a short completion in the second to start the Yellow Jackets' drive. The play call was simply intended to get a first down and stop the clock in hopes of getting a few yards against a UNC defense that was guarding against a big play.

So much for that.

Georgia Tech rushed 48 times for 371 yards and five touchdowns against the Tar Heels. Haynes had 19 carries for 170 yards, while QB Haynes King had 11 carries for 107 yards and two scores before leaving the game due to injury. Yes, North Carolina gave up a 68-yard TD run against a Georgia Tech offense that had backup QB Zach Pyron in the game. The pass Pyron threw just before Haynes' run was his first pass attempt of the game.

It was an embarrassing performance for North Carolina's defense, currently led by former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins. The Yellow Jackets visited a bowl game in 2023 for the first time since 2018 under coach Brent Key. Key replaced Collins in four games during the 2022 season after a 1-3 start, and the Yellow Jackets never won more than three games in a season during Collins' three-plus year tenure.

The loss is the fourth straight for North Carolina after the Tar Heels opened the season with three straight wins. It will inevitably raise questions about the immediate and long-term future of coach Mack Brown, who told his players he would resign if they didn't believe he could coach the team after a 70-50 loss to James in Madison Week 4. Since that loss, UNC lost 21-20 to Duke after taking a 20-0 lead and was outscored 10-0 in the fourth quarter in a 34-24 home loss to Pitt.

Georgia Tech, meanwhile, is 5-2 and now needs just one win to be bowl eligible. The Yellow Jackets haven't been to consecutive bowl games in a decade.