Dooley's 1970 team went 8–4, finishing with a Peach Bowl loss to Arizona State. The next season, 1971, was a 9–3 season that was capped with a Gator Bowl loss to Georgia and a No. 18 ranking in the Coaches' Poll. Dooley became the first Tar Heels coach to win 11 games in a single season in 1972, going 11–1 with a victory over Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl, and rankings of No. 14 and No. 12 in the Coaches' and AP Polls. In 1973, Dooley's Tar Heels finished 4–7 with wins over William & Mary, Kentucky and Wake Forest. The 1974 Tar Heels finished 7–5 and lost to Mississippi State in the Sun Bowl. In 1975, North Carolina finished 3–7–1.