Howell became the first Tar Heels quarterback to throw for over 500 passing yards.
North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell does not get excited about the number of yards or the number of touchdowns he has thrown. He wants the Tar Heels to win games.
After UNC (6–2) fought back from a 21-point deficit in the middle of the third quarter to defeat Wake Forest 59–53, Tar Heels football coach Mack Brown talked about the importance of Howell's legacy.
"His legacy will be about how many games he wins and that's what quarterbacks are remembered for," Brown said. "I think Sam would tell you, 'I want everything about me to be about winning."
Howell recorded a superb performance against the Demon Deacons, going 32-of-45 passing for 550 yards and six touchdowns and adding a rushing score—the one that sealed the North Carolina victory.
After shaking off a tackler, Howell ran toward the corner and found his way into the end zone to put UNC up for good in the game. As a team, the Tar Heels finished with 742 yards of total offense.
As Howell led the Tar Heels to a victory to avenge their loss to Wake Forest a year ago, he became the first UNC quarterback with over 500 passing yards. Of his 500 yards, 232 came in the first quarter, the most of any FBS passer in a game this season.
Howell's six passing touchdowns earned him a new school record and tied for the most in ACC history.
Howell connected with two of his favorite targets—Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown—for a combined 352 of his 500 passing yards. Newsome caught 10 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns while Brown hauled in eight catches for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Along with Howell's record performance, Brown told the Tar Heel Sports Network that defense changed the tide in the game when it had to.
"I am so proud of our guys," Brown said. You have to give Wake Forest credit and fighting until the end. It is a hard offense to defend.
"You really have to stay disciplined. They made all of their third down opportunities in the first half and we started getting them off the field in the second half."
North Carolina returns to action on Nov. 27 at home when the Tar Heels face No. 2 Notre Dame.