CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving limped gingerly through the tunnel at Bank of America Stadium with an ice pack wrapped around his torso on Sunday night after giving everything his 5-foot-11 and 192-pound body was able to handle in a 26-23 overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers.

He had just rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown and had 33 yards receiving. But it was his work in the fourth quarter — after leaving the game with a hip pointer in the third quarter — that gave the Bucs the boost they needed.

“Bucky is a guy,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “Obviously it’s good for our offense to get the ball in his hands – that goes for all of our backs. But the way Bucky played tonight gave us the spark we really needed when we weren’t doing so well.”

The Panthers limited Mayfield’s ability to penetrate and escape the pocket, and there were costly penalties that made Irving’s efforts all the more impactful.

Irving’s 185 scrimmage yards were the most of any rookie in a game this season, and his 97 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone were the fourth-most in a game this season and the most by a rookie since Week 5 in 2017 (Leonard Fournette, 139), according to ESPN Research. This was in addition to a 152-yard performance last week at the New York Giants that included 88 rushing yards, 64 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Against the Panthers, Irving scored a touchdown with a 6-yard run with 8:58 left to make it 17:16. Then came a masterful 43-yard run through the gut, which ended with a 26-yard field goal to make it 20:16.

The Panthers were able to take a late lead after a 25-yard touchdown catch by Adam Thielen with 36 seconds left nearly nullified Irving’s attempt, but Mayfield, who also left the game with an ankle/Achilles tendon injury, orchestrated one Attack attempt into field goal range – where Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard kick sent the game into overtime.

McLaughlin missed a 55-yard field goal on the Bucs’ first possession of overtime, but outside linebacker Anthony Nelson forced a fumble from Chuba Hubbard at the Tampa Bay 29-yard line, which Yaya Diaby recovered for hopes to keep Tampa Bay alive.

Then running back Rachaad White finished the game with a 38-yard run that led right tackle Luke Goedeke and right guard Cody Mauch across the line of scrimmage, setting up McLaughlin’s 30-yard game-winning score.

“I’ve never been a part of a game like this,” said White, who had 76 rushing yards. “But it was great. It was a great feeling. … This team, we never give up.”

Wide receiver Mike Evans also came up big with a one-armed touchdown grab in the first quarter and finished the game with eight receptions for 118 receiving yards – his first 100-yard game of the season.

The Bucs (6-6) had already lost in overtime on the road twice this year – in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons and then in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs. They are now tied atop the NFC South with the Falcons, who lost to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The Falcons defeated the Bucs in their two meetings this season, so they still have the edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“In the first half of the season we wouldn’t have finished the game,” coach Todd Bowles said. “Did a great job fighting back. The entire game was a tough game. They played hard.”

As for Irving, entering Sunday he was tied for the lead in rookie yards from scrimmage (1,017) and rookie rushing yards (732) and was tied with Jayden Daniels for most rushing touchdowns (6).

“Bucky is a dog,” White said. “I really admire his game. I have great love for him. I’m happy for him.”