In their ninth game of the season, the Tar Heels lost to No. 2 Florida State, 20–3. The loss was the sole losing effort for the Tar Heels in the 1997 season, and came at the hands of the eventual Atlantic Coast champion Seminoles. During the game, the Tar Heels also lost their then-starting quarterback, Oscar Davenport, to a broken ankle.Green, Ron. "Rush buries Heels", The Charlotte Observer. November 9, 1997. Page C16. North Carolina recovered from the loss to win its final two games: 17–10 against Clemson,Green, Ron. "Ghosts in the Valley", The Charlotte Observer. November 16, 1997. Page H1. and 50–14 over Duke.Green, Ron. "A bowl statement – UNC blasts Blue Devils", The Charlotte Observer. November 23, 1997. Page H12. Despite having only one loss, the Tar Heels were denied a chance to participate in a Bowl Alliance game and instead accepted a bid to the 1998 Gator Bowl.North Carolina Athletics Department. "UNC Wins 11 Games in 1997", Tarheelblue.cstv.com . Accessed January 17, 2009.
