Texas A&M runs past North Carolina in Orange Bowl, 41-27

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla — Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher pulled a hamstring as he tried to avoid the players who wanted to give him a celebratory Gatorade bath.

Luckily, Fisher didn’t have to run in the Orange Bowl.

Devon Achane did more than enough of that for the Aggies.

Achane had two touchdowns in the final 3:44, including a 76-yarder that put Texas A&M ahead to stay, and the fifthranked Aggies beat No. 14 North Carolina 41-27 on Saturday night — capping a winless bowl season for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“North Carolina had one heck of a team, man,” Fisher said. “That was one of the great Orange Bowls. … But I also say, there’s a heck of a football team standing in front of me.”

Kellen Mond passed for 232 yards and ran for a score for the Aggies (9-1), who were in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1944 and were one spot away from making the College Football Playoff field. Fisher improved to 3-0 in Orange Bowls, winning two previous ones at Florida State.

Achane’s go-ahead score came on a play where he nearly tripped over one of his own blockers, broke a tackle and then got loose down the left sideline. “Ain’t nobody catching me,” Achane said.

The Aggies got a fourth-down stop on the ensuing possession, and Achane — the game’s MVP after a 140-yard effort, taking over for Isaiah Spiller after he got “a little banged-up,” Fisher said — sealed the win on a 1-yard run with 1:34 left.

Fitting, in a season when young players scored the overwhelming majority of Texas A&M’s touchdowns, a freshman had the final two scores.

“I just can’t wait for next season,” Achane said.

Sam Howell passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Josh Downs, for the Tar Heels (8-4). North Carolina was without leading rushers Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, leading receiver Dyami Brown and top tackler Chazz Surratt — all of whom opted out of the bowl game.