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ATLANTA -- Patrick Peterson kept his promise, and it’s a good thing.

If not, who knows where this LSU football team would be right now? And for that matter, could you imagine the reception his head coach would be getting back on the Bayou?

When told that he would indeed be returning kickoffs and punts this season, Peterson assured LSU coach Les Miles that he was making the right call.

“Once I saw the depth for the first time, I said, ‘Oh yeah, coach, I’m definitely going to make something happen,’ ” said Peterson, the Tigers’ star cornerback.

He didn’t just make something happen Saturday night in the Georgia Dome. He saved LSU’s bacon in a 30-24 win over a depleted North Carolina team in a Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game that went down to the final seconds with the Tar Heels throwing into the end zone from the 6-yard line.

As fate would have it, Peterson wasn’t on the field for those final two plays. He had to leave the game with cramps, a problem for him since his Pee Wee football days.

He’d done his damage earlier in the game with a record-setting performance in the return game.

His 257 combined return yards were an LSU record, and he had 244 of those by halftime. His 87-yard punt return for a touchdown looked like he was catapulted by a slingshot.

“It was like the Red Sea out there, it was so open,” Peterson said.

That gem was sandwiched between a 47-yard kickoff return to set up Russell Shepard’s 50-yard touchdown romp and a 37-yard punt return that led to Rueben Randle’s 51-yard touchdown catch.

Without any one of those plays, LSU would have been toast, and Miles would be trying to explain how he lost a game to the Tar Heels’ “B” team when the Tigers had a 30-10 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“We’ve just got to finish games,” Peterson said. “It killed us last year, and it almost got us tonight. I don’t know what it is, but something’s got to change.”

One thing that won’t change is Peterson drifting back deep on kicks. He said it’s the first time he’d returned a kick since the fourth game of his senior year in high school.

“And they stopped kicking it to me then, too,” joked Peterson, who didn’t get much of a chance to return kicks in the second half.

Shepard, who scored a pair of touchdowns himself, knew what kind of impact Peterson would make in the return game. He’s seen it too many times on the practice field.

“I think he’s the best player in the country -- period,” Shepard said. “There isn’t anything he can’t do.”

The Tigers, who struggled to put teams away last season, shifted into cruise control way too early against the Tar Heels, who never quit scrapping.

In fact, Peterson was out of the game on the 97-yard touchdown pass by T.J. Yates to Jheranie Boyd because he said LSU defensive backs coach Ron Cooper wanted to get some of the younger guys in the game.

“I guess he thought we had a comfortable lead,” Peterson said.

Senior middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said it shouldn’t have mattered who was on the field. He said the Tigers simply got sloppy, which is hard to argue when you consider Yates passed for a career-high 412 yards and didn’t have his best receiver on the field (Greg Little).

“We won the game and don’t let anybody kid you,” Sheppard said. “But there’s definitely a feeling of, ‘Man, what happened in the second half?’ I mean, it’s obvious. Guys weren’t where they’re supposed to be. Giving up a (97-yard) touchdown pass is unacceptable. I don’t care where you’re playing at. We just can’t do that.

“Again, we did win the game, so you can’t just put it in the drain. But it’s upsetting that we emphasized finishing games so much, and while we never point fingers here and I make sure of that, for guys to have their eyes in the wrong place is disappointing.”

The offense certainly contributed to the near collapse.

Running back Stevan Ridley fumbled the football with a 1:08 to play, giving the Tar Heels one last chance to drive the field.

And they did.

But the Tigers also quit going to Shepard and Randle, who are clearly the top two game-breakers on this offense.

Shepard’s a guy who needs to touch it 12 to 15 times a game at the very least. He had three touches after halftime Saturday.

“There are a lot of things we need to clean up if we want to be back here in a couple of months playing for the SEC championship,” Shepard said. “The good thing is that we have the talent do it.”

ATLANTA -- By the time North Carolina linebacker Quan Sturdivant had joined his teammates around 10:30 p.m. at their hotel on Friday night, most of the Tar Heels were already asleep.

Sturdivant, who had just learned on Friday afternoon that he had been deemed eligible to play in Saturday night’s game against LSU, was one of the few recognizable names on North Carolina’s quickly revamped defense, which was missing seven starters as a result of ongoing investigations into possible academic fraud and improper contact with agents.

The Tar Heels’ entire starting lineup had been shuffled for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff, one of the biggest games of college football’s opening weekend -- a roster filled with new faces and dependent upon teenagers fresh out of high school. North Carolina’s staff burned at least eight redshirts it had no intention of burning two weeks ago. There were walk-ons who had never played in games before. And yet despite the lack of any continuity in the personnel department, North Carolina somehow managed to establish an identity in its exciting 30-24 loss to LSU.

This is a team that doesn’t quit -- no matter who is playing.

“We were depleted as is, and we had some guys go down during the game,” said quarterback T.J. Yates. “We had guys who have never played before -- ever -- coming out of high school ball playing against one of the top teams in the country. I’m just so proud of all my teammates stepping up.

“In terms of personnel we were uncertain coming into this game but I think we proved to everybody that no matter who’s out there playing, we can compete with anybody,” Yates said. “This is one of the top teams in the country and we’re playing with a lot of guys who have never played before. We showed everybody that no matter what’s going on in the media, the uncertainty with the players -- everything -- we can get past it.”

They just couldn’t get past their own mistakes.

UNC made miscues on special teams that contributed to poor field position at times and a safety. It fumbled the ball five times and lost it three. The quarterback-center exchange was part of the problem. The Tar Heels also allowed four sacks and totaled just 24 rushing yards, adding up to a 30-10 deficit with only 10:34 remaining. All-ACC tight end Zack Pianalto dropped two passes in the end zone in the final desperate seconds.

Yet there were times North Carolina looked capable of pulling off the improbable, like when Jheranie Boyd, who finished with an eye-popping, game-record 221 receiving yards, hauled in a beautiful 97-yard touchdown catch. Instead of being the scapegoat, Yates kept the Tar Heels in the game by completing 28 of 46 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns -- no interceptions.

“It’s encouraging but at the same time disappointing,” guard Alan Pelc said. “We feel like we can progress from here. We had a momentum swing in that second half that when we watch film tomorrow or the next day we’ll see there are some things we need to fix, but we could’ve pulled that game off.”

At the team chapel on Friday night, the message during the service was to keep each other’s heads up. Boyd said the players took it to heart.

“We have heart and we’re going to fight back,” he said. “No matter how many points we’re down, teams shouldn’t play around with us or not take us seriously. We can fight back at anytime.”

Coach Butch Davis told his team in the locker room he didn’t think he’d ever been more proud of a team.

“Our depth was unbelievably put to the test,” he said. “We were shorthanded in a significant number of phases. Defensively, in nickel packages, all of the depth got eaten up on special teams. Guys were having to play way more plays than they needed to play.

“It’s a testimony to their courage to keep fighting, keep playing,” he said. “We said before the game that there would be some kids who would step up and surprise everybody, that all they needed was a chance, just get me in the game coach and let me play. I think when we look at the film we’ll find some kids who will help this help this football team before the season is over with.”

Chris Low talks with LSU’s Russell Shepard following the win over North Carolina.

Heather Dinich talks with a disappointed T.J. Yates following North Carolina's loss to LSU.

ATLANTA -- Big plays were the difference for LSU on Saturday night, as the Tigers held on for a 30-24 victory over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

Here’s an instant analysis from the game:

How the game was won: After the Tigers’ Stevan Ridley fumbled the ball away with 1:08 to play, LSU weathered two North Carolina throws into the end zone from the 6-yard line in the final seconds. LSU’s Jai Eugene had the coverage on the first throw into the end zone, and Stefoin Francois had the coverage on the final throw.

Turning point: North Carolina got back in the game when Jheranie Boyd got behind the LSU defense for a 97-yard touchdown catch to pull the Tar Heels within 30-17 in the fourth quarter.

Player of the game: Without junior cornerback Patrick Peterson, the Tigers would have been in real trouble. He set an LSU record with combined return yards. He had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown and also set up two other touchdowns, one with a 47-yard kickoff return and another with a 37-yard punt return.

Stat of the game: After falling behind 10-7, LSU scored 23 unanswered points to take a 30-10 lead into halftime and didn’t score again. Three of the Tigers’ touchdowns were from 50 yards or longer.

Unsung hero of the game: While Peterson was the guy who might have saved LSU, sophomore receiver Russell Shepard provided a big assist. Shepard had a 6-yard touchdown catch for LSU’s first touchdown and also put the Tigers ahead to stay with a 50-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Second guessing: When Ridley fumbled the ball with 1:08 to play, the Tar Heels were out of timeouts. Why were the Tigers even running plays at that point. Why not kneel the ball down?

What it means: Despite the win, LSU still has major question marks. The Tar Heels were without 13 players, most of those starters, and the Tigers simply couldn’t put them away. LSU was unable to consistently run the ball and couldn’t get off the field defensively when it needed to in the second half. Simply, the Tigers were lucky to escape.

ATLANTA -- You can't fault North Carolina for its effort. The Tar Heels gave it everything they had in a 30-24 loss to LSU, including recovering an onside kick and a fumble for their final chances at what would have been one of the most memorable comebacks in school history.

There were too many mistakes to overcome, though, and it was too little, too late. Quarterback T.J. Yates deserves a lot of credit for leading the program at one of its lowest points and for keeping the Tar Heels in that game. They could have easily folded. Instead, they recovered a fumble with about a minute to play and made it a game -- the way many of expected it to be long before any investigations ever began.

I'm heading down to the locker room now. Check the blog for more later.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina is still in this game, thanks in large part to a big night from receiver Jheranie Boyd, who has reached the 200-yard mark on five catches. With standout starter Greg Little held out of the game, somebody else had to step up and Boyd answered the call. The Tar Heels have given a gritty effort tonight and are driving on LSU as I type. This game's not over yet.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina burned LSU with a 97-yard touchdown pass to pull within 30-17, but LSU's Patrick Peterson wasn't on the field.

In fact, Peterson hasn't been in the game at cornerback a couple of different times in the second half.

He left the game early at the end of the first half and went to the locker room to have some IV fluids administered, according to LSU officials.

It's been a busy night for Peterson in the return game. In fact, even though he wasn't on the field for the Tar Heels' long touchdown pass, he was back deep on the next play when North Carolina kicked off.

ATLANTA -- A few things that stand out from the third-quarter stats:

• T.J. Yates has been sacked three times.
• The Tar Heels converted on 2 of 12 third downs.
• UNC has controlled the clock by about 10 minutes, run more plays, and has more first downs but fewer total yards. The difference? LSU's 150 yards on kickoff returns and 163 yards on punt returns.

The Tar Heels are going to be seeing Patrick Peterson in their sleep tonight. He's got three kick returns for 100 yards and four punt returns for 157 yards and a touchdown.

ATLANTA -- Suspended defensive tackle Marvin Austin is in the stands here at the Georgia Dome. He's not the only one.

The Raleigh News & Observer has reported that most of the 13 players who were held out of this game are in attendance.

UNC officials can't be happy with this decision. It only raises more questions: How did they get here? How did they get tickets? Who paid for their flights? The tickets? Hotel? Many of the same questions that brought some of these players under scrutiny to begin with.

Instead of laying low, these players opted to show their faces at the very game they weren't allowed to travel to with their teammates. Sure, it could be painted as a show of support for their teammates, but the best way to do that would have been not to put them in this position in the first place.

ATLANTA -- The Tar Heels seem to be going nowhere fast in the second half, as the game seems to now be out of their reach. UNC has given up one too many big plays, and has made too many mistakes.

The little things have added up, and that can probably be attributed to a lack of continuity offensively and defensively as far as their personnel goes. LSU has phenomenal team speed and has been killing UNC with it, especially in the kicking game. The tone was set in the second quarter and that hasn't changed. Don't expect it to.

ATLANTA -- The 244 combined return yards by Patrick Peterson in the first half Saturday was an LSU record.

The SEC record is 267 yards, held by Mississippi State's Nick Turner.

ATLANTA -- After bumbling around early, LSU used three big plays to break the game open and take a 30-10 lead over North Carolina into halftime Saturday night in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

Here's a quick halftime analysis:

Turning point: North Carolina had gone ahead 10-7 in the second quarter and had all the momentum. LSU hadn't been able to move the ball at all, either. But after a 47-yard kickoff return by Patrick Peterson, Russell Shepard took an inside handoff and raced 50 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers proceeded to score 23 unanswered points on their way to halftime.

Player of the half: LSU's Patrick Peterson is known all across college football for his cornerback skills, but he was a force in the return game in the first half. He had 244 combined yards in both kickoff and punt returns. He helped set up Shepard's 50-yard touchdown run with a long kickoff return, then returned a punt himself 87 yards for a touchdown and came back with another 37-yard punt return to set up Jordan Jefferson's 51-yard touchdown pass to Rueben Randle.

Stat of the half: The Tigers scored 30 first-half points with only 195 yards of total offense and seven first downs.

Turning point: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown with about four minutes remaining in the second half. He was untouchable as he sprinted down the sideline in a play that swung the momentum in the Tigers’ favor as they pulled ahead 23-10.

Stat of the half: All three of LSU’s touchdowns in the second quarter were scored on plays of 50 yards or more and took less than 30 seconds total. The Tigers scored on a 50-yard run, a 51-yard pass, and Peterson’s 87-yard return. North Carolina is obviously missing its seven starters on defense in giving up those big plays, but one of those ineligible players -- defensive tackle Marvin Austin -- has a prime seat in the stands.

Best player in the half: Patrick Peterson. He has been electric as a kick returner and his speed is phenomenal. He had three punt returns for 144 yards and one touchdown to go with one kick return for 11 yards. It's hard not to wonder what he'd do on offense.

ATLANTA -- The 30 points scored by LSU this half were the most the Tigers have scored in a half since scoring 35 against Georgia Tech in the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Go figure.