San Diego State scored first after receiver Lonny Mitchell recovered a San Diego State fumble and advanced it 60 yards for a touchdown, putting the Aztecs up 7-0. North Carolina got back into the game with field goals of 32 and 23 yards from Josh McGee, to pull the Tar Heels to within 7-6. Quarterback Ronald Curry took off on a 48-yard touchdown run, but a missed extra point left the score at 12-7, North Carolina.
In the second quarter, safety David Bomar recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown, and a two-point conversion made the score 20-7 North Carolina. North Carolina would not score for the rest of the game. Before halftime, Nate Tandberg kicked a 32-yard field goal to pull SDSU to within 20-10. Later in the fourth quarter, he drilled another 38-yard field goal, to make it 20-13 UNC. North Carolina would hold on to win the game by that margin.
