One long run seals Texas A&M’s win over North Carolina in back-and-forth Orange Bowl

Texas A&M’s Devon Achane took the fourth-quarter handoff and bounced his way to the left sideline.

Tight end Jalen Wydermyer set up the first key block ahead of him at the line of scrimmage. Wide receiver Ainias Smith had the second about 15 yards down the field.

After Achane turned the corner, eluding linebacker Eugene Asante and regaining his balance after stumbling over his tight end, the moment was his.

The freshman sprinted 76 yards into the end zone for a go-ahead rushing touchdown. One defensive stop and one more Achane touchdown later, and the fifth-ranked Aggies had sealed up a 41-27 Orange Bowl victory over the No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels.

“When I broke the tackle and I looked up, there was no one there,” Achane said. “No one was catching me.”

Achane, who had just 31 carries and two touchdown runs heading into Saturday, earned Orange Bowl MVP honors after racking up 140 yards and the two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“He has a chance to be a really special player,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said.

Texas A&M, which finished the regular season just on the outside of the College Football Playoffs, went 9-1 and closed the Fisher’s third season on an eight-game win streak in Fisher. The Aggies scored all five of their touchdowns on the ground, with Isaiah Spiller scoring twice and quarterback Kellen Mond adding one of his own. Three of those came in a 24-point fourth quarter.

The most impressive run, though, very well might have come after the game from Fisher, who sprinted onto the field after the final whistle to avoid a Gatorade bath from his players.

“If you saw me 30 pounds ago, I really had some explosive speed,” Fisher, now 7-0 as a head coach at Hard Rock Stadium and 3-0 in the Orange Bowl, said with a laugh. “That was out of necessity of not wanting to get wet. I’d hate to say, I’m not very good for a long time but I am good for one time.”

Jokes aside, Texas A&M’s fourth quarter capped a game that turned competitive after a sluggish start.

Saturday featured three lead changes in a 12-minute span and the game was tied with 10:11 left in regulation. Neither team led by more than a touchdown at any point on Saturday until Achane’s insurance touchdown with 1:34 left on the clock.

Mond and North Carolina’s Sam Howell took turns making enough plays after a subdued first quarter.

Mond finished with 232 passing yards and a game-tying rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Howell, despite not having his top three playmakers, threw for 234 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 18-of-31 passing.

Texas A&M took the early 10-6 lead midway through the second quarter before the scoring brigade began.

▪ 4:56 left in the second quarter: Howell gave North Carolina its first lead with a 28-yard touchdown pass to senior Dazz Newsome, who bobbled the ball in coverage before regaining possession as he fell to the ground in the end zone. 13-10 North Carolina.

▪ 20 second left in the second quarter: Spiller scores on a 3-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game. 17-13 Texas A&M, the score that would hold at halftime.

▪ 8:01 left in the third quarter: Howell throws his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard strike to a wide-open Josh Downs on a wheel route. 20-17 North Carolina.

▪ 14:02 left in regulation: An 11-play Texas A&M drive stalls at the UNC 6-yard line, so the Aggies settle for a game-tying 23-yard field goal from Seth Small. 20-20.

▪ 13:51 left in regulation: Howell makes arguably the best pass of the game, a 75-yard touchdown pass to Downs after rolling to his left to avoid a Texas A&M pass rush. There was no defender within five yards of Downs at the time of the catch. 27-20 North Carolina.

▪ 10:11 left in regulation: Mond marches the Aggies 75 yards down the field in seven plays and takes it in himself with a 4-yard rushing touchdown. 27-27.

And then Achane turned on the jets for his game-winning touchdown with 3:44 left in regulation.

UNC, which finished 8-4, went four and out on its final drive, handing the Aggies the win.

“That’s what we do. That’s the kind of defense that we’re becoming,” sophomore defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal said. “That’s the norm that we’re trying to have.”

The Tar Heels finished with just 324 yards of total offense, their second-lowest mark of the season ahead of only the 298 they mustered against Notre Dame.

But on Saturday, they were without their running back duo of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams who combined for 2,385 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, as well as wide receiver Dyami Brown, who had 1,099 yards and eight touchdowns of his own.

Howell, who very well could be college football’s top returning quarterback, quickly leaned on Newsome, who had six catches for 68 yards. Downs, a freshman, also came up with big plays with his two touchdown catches.

“When we had chances,” UNC coach Mack Brown said, “Sam is the reason we were in the game.”

But Texas A&M took advantage of its chances in the final quarter to pull away with the victory.