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Rutgers takes down North Carolina in Detroit

Dec 27, 2014 - 5:23 AM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for more than 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as Rutgers rolled past North Carolina, 40-21, in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Martin ended the day with 100 yards and reached the end zone twice, with Hicks earning MVP honors after racking up 202 yards and another TD on 19 carries.

"This is a childhood dream come true," said Hicks. "It's just now hitting me what happened out there. Our O-line was just so good today -- they were opening lanes, and all I had to do was hit them."

Gary Nova threw for 184 yards and scores to Andrew Turzilli and Andre Patton for the Scarlet Knights (8-5), who claimed their first bowl win since beating Iowa State in the Pinstripe Bowl in December of 2011.

Marquise Williams finished 25-of-37 for 198 yards with a touchdown through the air and one on the ground for the Tar Heels (6-7), who failed in their bid for a second straight postseason victory. Mitch Trubisky finished up with a touchdown pass on 7-of-9 efficiency.

T.J. Logan compiled 110 yards on 14 carries, while Kendrick Singleton and Jack Tabb posted a scoring catch apiece in defeat.

Kyle Federico connected from 31 yards out with 10:04 to play before the Tar Heels began a late comeback when Williams found Tabb for a 7-yard score on North Carolina's ensuing possession.

UNC recovered the onside kick, setting up at their own 46, then closed within 40-21 when Trubisky was under center and hit Singleton for a 1-yard score inside of five minutes to go.

North Carolina could have closed the gap further on its next series, but had a potential TD called back on offensive pass interference before Trubisky threw out of bounds on 4th-and-4 from the Rutgers' 8-yard line.

Hicks' 49-yard run on 2nd-and-5 proved to be the lone first down the Scarlet Knights needed in order to bleed the final 2:47 off the clock.

"The game of football is pretty simple," Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora said. "If you give away the ball on offense, don't force any turnovers on defense and make multiple game-changing mistakes on special teams, you aren't going to win football games."

Patton's 34-yard strike on the opening 75-yard, five-play series put Rutgers on the board, and a 21-yard dash to paydirt from Hicks gave the Knights a 14-0 edge three snaps into the second quarter.

The latter score was set up when the Rutgers defense held firm on a Joey Mangili run during a fake field goal try, leaving the nascent Big Ten program at its own 9-yard line late in the opening period.

On the Tar Heels' next touch, Romar Morris fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Lorenzo Waters at the UNC 49. It took just five plays for a 20-0 game as Martin took it in from the eight, but the extra point failed.

UNC's Thomas Moore had a 31-yard field goal attempt blocked by Waters, several series before Federico capped the half with a successful 19-yard try to make it 23-0.

North Carolina finally reached the end zone on the initial series of the third quarter when Williams scored from 1 yard away to punctuate a 12-play march.

But Rutgers struck back on a 34-yard Nova pass to Turzilli and assumed a 30- point lead two plays into the fourth when Martin burst through for a 28-yard run on 2nd-and-9.

Game Notes

Martin and Hicks joined Ray Rice (three times) and Jawan Jamison as the only Rutgers backs to rush for 100 yards in a bowl game ... The teams combined for 1,006 yards of total offense, with Rutgers claiming 524 yards by itself ... These programs met for the sixth time overall and for the first time in the postseason, with Rutgers evening the series at three wins apiece ... North Carolina's losing record was its first since 2007.