I’ve been lucky enough the last couple of years to shoot the Military Bowl presented by Northrup Grumman. It is quite the task but it’s probably some of the most fun that I have at a football game all season. Yeah, I shoot roughly 30-40 football games each season. What sets this one apart from all the others? The is the one game a year where my focus is not entirely on the game, but everything that goes into putting on such a huge production. It’s very unique because I liken it to photographing a wedding day more than your average football game.
The 2019 Military Bowl, played on December 27 at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, featured a matchup between the Temple Owls of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and the North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). While Temple entered the game with a respectable 8-4 record, North Carolina, finishing at 6-6, was seeking a strong finish to a season that marked the return of legendary coach Mack Brown. The contest ultimately became a showcase for the potent Tar Heel offense, led by true freshman quarterback Sam Howell, who delivered a performance that foreshadowed his future success and secured UNC’s first bowl victory since 2013.
North Carolina established its dominance early, though Temple showed brief signs of resilience in the first half. The Tar Heels took an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Howell to Dyami Brown. After UNC extended the lead with a field goal, Temple managed to respond with a 4-yard touchdown run by Re’Mahn Davis, bringing the score to 10-6 (the extra point was blocked). This, however, was as close as the Owls would get. UNC quickly answered with another touchdown pass, a spectacular 16-yard snag by Dazz Newsome, and closed the half with a field goal to take a commanding 20-6 lead into the locker room.
The second half was a complete rout, marked by a North Carolina offensive explosion and a punishing defensive turnover. The Tar Heels scored three touchdowns in less than six minutes in the third quarter alone, effectively ending the game. The turning point came with a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Storm Duck, immediately followed by an unusual trick play where wide receiver Rontavius Groves threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to the star of the day, Sam Howell. These quick-fire scores stretched the lead to an insurmountable 41-6. Temple managed a late 45-yard touchdown pass to Re’Mahn Davis to make it 41-13, but the damage was irreversible.
North Carolina cruised through the fourth quarter, adding two more touchdowns to secure a lopsided 55-13 victory. The final statistics reflected the sheer domination, with North Carolina outgaining Temple in total yards 534 to 272. Sam Howell, who was named the game’s MVP, finished his impressive freshman campaign by throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns, while also hauling in the trick-play score. For the Temple Owls and first-year coach Rod Carey, the bowl loss was a disappointing end to an otherwise solid season, but the game stood as a clear indicator of the rising trajectory of Mack Brown’s program at UNC.