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North Carolina Tar Heels: Looking Back at 33 Bowl Games

By John Woodcock

Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jordon Brown (2) scores a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal defense at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jordon Brown (2) scores a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal defense at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; A Mississippi State Bulldogs helmet sits on the sideline during the game against the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 – 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; A Mississippi State Bulldogs helmet sits on the sideline during the game against the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 – 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

19. 1974 Sun Bowl

North Carolina has faced the Mississippi State Bulldogs twice in bowl competition. The first matchup was in 1974 in the Sun Bowl. The El Paso game has been a relatively common destination for the Heels over the years. In fact Dooley had taken his team to the Sun Bowl just two years before.

The weather did some interesting things in El Paso that day. A steamy first half gained the moniker fog bowl for the game. There was a lot of the game that the Tar Heel defense may have wished it did not see. A 55 yard run on the first play from scrimmage by the Bulldogs was only the first of 455 yards of rushing offense.

The Tar Heels managed to do better than keep pace on the scoreboard and used Jim Betterson to answer the scoring efforts on the other side. They had a 14-10 lead in the third and even a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs managed a final scoring drive behind running back Tony Vitrano.

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