BOSTON – The cord was fully cut from the Mack Brown era Saturday, and while North Carolina’s former coach is no longer with the program, his team and almost all of his coaching staff was.

The result was an embarrassing 27-14 loss to Connecticut in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl inside fabled Fenway Park.

The game started out poorly for the Tar Heels and the slippery slide continued. They trailed 24-7 at halftime with the lone UNC score coming on a kickoff return by Chris Culliver. Otherwise, UNC didn’t pick up a first down until 24 seconds remained in the first half while the Huskies had 14 first downs and 241 yards by that point.

Carolina put together a 96-yard scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter and got into UConn territory another time before stalling on fourth down.

UNC finished with a season-low 206 yards.

The Tar Heels, who were led by interim coach Freddie Kitchens, who will remain on Bill Belichick’s staff, finish the season at 6-7. UConn finished 9-4.

Here is how it happened:

*UConn scored on its first possession aided by a 47-yard run on the first offensive play of the game. Carolina then forced a 31-yard field goal that was good. UNC had big plays by Beau Atkinson and then Caleb LaVallee (getting his first start) to stop the possession. UConn 3, UNC 0 with 10:56 left in the quarter.

*UNC QB Jacolby Criswell left the game with an injury with 4:57 left in the quarter. True freshman Mike Merdinger replaced him on third down taking the first snap of his career. Incomplete pass.

*UConn took over on its own 49-yard-line and scored three plays later on a 38-yard pass to the right corner of the endzone. UConn 10, UNC 0 with 3:45 left in the period.

*UNC’s Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a TD. The PAT was good. UConn 10, UNC 7 with 3:24 left in the quarter.

*The Huskies responded with a 79-yard drive on 11 plays (that began in the first quarter), aided by two personal fouls on the Heels on the same play, ending with a 4-yard TD pass. The PAT made it UConn 17, UNC 7 with 14:10 left in the half.

*Following a disaster of an offensive series, the Tar Heels now have ZERO yards of offense with the Huskies having 191.

*The onslaught continued, as the Huskies capped a 14-play drive with a 1-yard TD run making it 24-7 with 54 seconds remaining in the half.

*Numbers at this juncture:

---Total yards: UConn 243, UNC 14

---First downs: UConn 14, UNC 0

---*Offensive plays: UConn 42, UNC 12

---Score: UConn 24, UNC 7

*Carolina finally picks up a first down on a 23-yard pass from Merdinger to John Copenhaver with 24 seconds left in the half. UNC got to UConn’s 34-yard-line when Merdinger was intercepted.

*UNC ran five offensive plays on its first possession of the half. It was the first time one of its offensive series took more than three plays.

*The Huskies turned good field position (at the UNC 46) into a field goal to move its lead to 27-7 with 7:40 left in the third quarter.

*UNC used an 8-play, 96-yard touchdown drive to finally get some offensive points fueled by runs from Caleb Hood for 10, 11, 16, 11, and 16 yards, and then a 14-yarder from Darwin Barlow. It was capped with a 17-yard TD pass from Hood to Copenhaver.