No. 19: 1976
Our series ranking the 20 best UNC football teams of all time continues today. Once this series concludes, we will rank the best UNC basketball teams of all time:
No. 19: 1976
No. 19: 1976
Record: 9-3 (4-1)
Bowl: Peach Bowl, lost 21-0 to Kentucky
Ranking: None
Coach: Bill Dooley
All-Americans: Mike Voight (RB); Mark Cantrell (C )
First-Team All-ACC: Mike Voight, RB, Craig Funk, OG, Dee Hardison, DL, Ronny Johnson, DB, Bill Perdue, DL, Delbert Powell, return specialist
Honors: Mike Voight 8th in Heisman Trophy voting; ACC Player of the Year
What's To Know: The UNC fans that witnessed saw Mike Voight running the ball have kept him in special places in their football hearts ever since. One of the most interesting Tar Heels of all time, Voight was a bulldog but also had an element of grace in rambling up 1,407 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns in 1976.
The “Space Cowboy” and the Tar Heels notched non-league victories over No. 20 Miami (OH), at No. 18 Florida, Northwestern, at Army, and a nationally ranked ECU team. The loss was an ugly 24-3 setback at No. 12 Missouri and the ACC loss came versus N.C. State by a score of 21-13.
The final game, though, remains one of the greatest single performances in UNC history. Voight ran the ball 47 times for 261 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-38 win over Duke at Kenan stadium. If you were there, you'll never forget it. If you weren't and have heard someone who was there talk about, you shouldn't ever forget it.
Carolina held four opponents to 10 points or less and its most lopsided victory was a 31-6 thrashing of Virginia. UNC spent five weeks ranked that season with a high of No. 14 the first week of October.
1977 NFL Draft
3rd Rnd: Mike Voight, RB, Bengals
8th Rnd: Mark Griffin, OT, Lions
9th Rnd: Mark Cantrell, C, Cowboys
10th Rnd: Tom Burkett, OT, Browns