CHAPEL HILL - With 12:41 remaining in the fourth quarter of North Carolina’s 21-20 loss to Clemson on Saturday, the Tar Heels’ offense faced a fourth-and-one on the Tigers' own 45-yard line with the game tied at 14.

In the two plays that preceded it, UNC’s offense had failed to convert a second-and-one situation into a first down after freshman quarterback Sam Howell’s pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage before his attempted run on third-and-one was gobbled up by Clemson’s defense with no gain for the Tar Heels.

Sophomore running back Javonte Williams was tasked with gaining the crucial yard. He attacked the hole well but was ultimately stuffed at the line of scrimmage, just like Howell was on the previous play, giving the ball back to the Tigers on their own 45.

“I felt like we couldn’t win the game unless we could make a fourth-and-one,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said. “We didn’t make a fourth-and-one, or a third-and-one, so that was such a key play.”

The failure to gain one yard on three consecutive plays was the turning point in the game as, just six plays later, Clemson (5-0, 3-0 ACC) quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with wide receiver Tee Higgins for a 38-yard touchdown. It gave the Tigers a 21-14 lead, their first of the game, and one they would not relinquish.

Coming into the game, the Tar Heels’ offense was 7-for-8 on fourth down conversions for the season and ended up 2-for-3 on the afternoon, with the only failed attempt coming on Williams’ run up the middle. While 9-for-11 on fourth downs is solid, the Heels’ inability to convert in that situation proved costly.

“You’ve got to love the opportunity to keep going and make the next set of downs on fourth-and-one but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out,” sophomore center Brian Anderson said. “It was a big swing in the game.”

Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney knew it was one of several significant plays his team made in the fourth quarter, as the Tar Heels (2-3, 1-1) pushed the Tigers to the final seconds.

“We had a lot of mistakes,” he said. “A lot of critical, critical errors at critical times. But when we had to make a play, we made it.”

While UNC still had a chance to win late on a two-point conversion, it may have never faced that situation had the offense been able to move one yard on the Kenan Stadium turf early in the fourth quarter.