By By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP College Football Writer
ATLANTA — Against all odds, undermanned North Carolina nearly rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit before losing 30-24 to LSU on Saturday night.
Patrick Peterson had 257 yards on kickoff and punt returns, leading No. 21 LSU to a 30-10 halftime lead over the Tar Heels, who were missing 13 key players because of NCAA investigations over player relationships with agents and possible academic violations.
But North Carolina (0-1) made a game of it, scoring two second-half touchdowns, then getting two shots at the win after recovering an onside kick and a fumble. T.J. Yates drove the Heels to the LSU 2, but two passes into the end zone slipped through the hands of Zack Pianalto.