CHAPEL HILL – Freshmen quarterbacks aren’t supposed to do this.

True freshmen absolutely aren’t supposed to.

But Sam Howell did. Actually, Sam Howell has now done it twice. In two games. The only two games of his career. And he’s a true freshman.

You’d never know it watching him make play after play, even when his team needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat South Carolina last week in Charlotte or after being violently thrown to the earth by Miami’s defense on consecutive snaps, which occurred late Saturday night inside Kenan Stadium.

But the calm, cool and collected North Carolina signal caller shrugged off the deficit a week ago as if it was no big deal did the same Saturday, and he did so with the Heels facing a fourth-and-17 with less than three minutes remaining and his team trailing by five points.

UNC defeated Miami 28-25 in part because Howell made a play on that fourth down (20-yard pass to Toe Groves) and again 114 seconds later when he connected with Dazz Newsome in the right side of the end zone to give Carolina the lead for good. The score sent Kenan into a frenzy not seen in these parts since some guy named Gio beat the rivals from Raleigh with a last-second punt return.

Howell was excited, though you couldn’t really tell, just like there hasn’t been any visible distress when things haven’t gone so swimmingly.

“He’s got ice in his veins, he’s very confident,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said. “And the weirdest thing about him, he gets sacked and he throws a touchdown pass and you can’t tell the difference in his demeanor, he’s very similar in both cases.”

Junior defensive end Tomon Fox said Howell is “cold” (see Brown’s comment) and other teammates have described him as a “baller” and a “competitor” and now they can call him a winner. A come-from-behind winner. A fourth-quarter-come-from-behind-winner.

A two-time-fourth-quarter-come-from-behind winner.

Seniors don’t often do this stuff much less dudes barely out of high school: In the fourth quarters of both wins, Howell is a combined 10-for-13 passing with 169 yards, three touchdowns no interceptions and two victories. You know, they make statues out of guys who work that kind of magic.

Now, Howell and statues aren’t a fair conversation, but it’s rather clear now why he won the job over two capable quarterbacks Jace Ruder and Cade Fortin, prompting the latter to seek football refuge elsewhere.

Offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who also serves as UNC’s quarterbacks coach, said a few weeks ago Howell has an “IT factor” about him. Maybe one of the other QBs throws a better ball and the other is better with his legs, but Howell not only has proven he can do both, he carries with him intangibles onto the field that simply can’t be coached.

It’s a quiet moxie that resonates among his teammates. That’s who Howell is. He’s confident, unflappable and on a mission to get better with every snap and help lead his team to win games.

Moments after Saturday had officially turned into Sunday, Howell was told how Brown and some teammates described him, so he was asked to do the same. His response pretty much tells it all:

“I just try to do what I can to help this team win,” he replied.

That’s it. Simple, mature, no hey-look-at-me stuff. He spoke like a grizzled veteran even though he’s just a pup. And he is. Don’t let his Luke Maye-esque beard fool you.

Howell is a true freshman, only he sure doesn’t play like one.