North Carolina 38, UConn 21: Three takeaways and a 36-minute hold on the ball

North Carolina won this game on turnovers and time of possession. UConn gave the ball away three times, the first returned for a touchdown, and the Tar Heels held the ball for 36:23 to UConn's 23:37. The final at Pratt & Whitney Stadium on Saturday was 38-21, and it moved North Carolina to 5-4.

The Huskies moved the ball well enough, 368 total yards to North Carolina's 419. They could not stay on the field or keep from handing points back.

How it was won

The first score came from the defense. With 5:39 left in the first quarter, T. Hickman-Collins intercepted Kalieb Osborne and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown. R. Verhoff's kick made it 7-0.

The second quarter produced five touchdowns. Osborne answered 18 seconds in with an 18-yard throw to Ryder Treadway to tie it. Benjamin Hall broke a 39-yard touchdown run at 10:05, and Billy Edwards Jr. found Jordan Shipp from 6 yards at 7:41 for a 21-7 lead.

UConn pulled back within a score when Osborne hit Cam Abshire for 24 yards at 6:33. North Carolina then used the end of the half well: Edwards threw 3 yards to Jelani Thurman with 24 seconds left, and the Tar Heels went in up 28-14.

Cyncir Bowers ran 13 yards for a touchdown at 10:02 of the third to make it 28-21. North Carolina responded with Verhoff's 27-yard field goal at 6:05, and Edwards and Thurman connected from 3 yards again at 3:38 of the fourth to close it at 38-21.

Edwards was efficient, completing 29 of 38 for 255 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Thurman caught seven passes for 64 yards and both of his touchdowns came from 3 yards out. Shipp added five catches for 55 yards. Hall needed only nine carries for 81 yards, and Demon June carried 15 times for 60 as North Carolina ran for 164 yards.

The Tar Heels converted 9 of 16 third downs, which is where the possession gap came from. UConn went 7 of 16.

Osborne completed 17 of 35 for 245 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and also led the Huskies' rushing with 11 carries for 28 yards behind Bowers, who had 13 for 68. Treadway averaged better than 20 yards a catch on four receptions for 82 yards.

Against the number

North Carolina closed as a 7.5-point favorite and won by 17, a comfortable cover. The pick six and the late Thurman touchdown accounted for the difference between a narrow result and a cover.

The total closed at 55.5, and 59 points went over. Most of that came in the second quarter, when the teams combined for 35 points.

On the moneyline, North Carolina closed at -298 and UConn at +240. The odds history and closing prices are on the game page.

What's next

North Carolina is 5-4 after a stretch of close games. Before this win the Tar Heels lost 38-35 to No. 1 Miami and 31-30 to Syracuse, and earlier won one-score games at Duke and at No. 25 Pittsburgh. Their losses this season have all come against Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami and Syracuse. They host Louisville on Saturday, November 14, with a sixth win available.

UConn falls to 4-5. Its next opponent was not part of the material for this recap; check the team page for the schedule and prices as they post.