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Texas Takes 44-14 Win In Austin
By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas shook off another sluggish game offensively with
defense and special teams for a 44-14 victory Saturday over North Carolina,
improving to 2-0.
Defensive end Cory Redding returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown
in the first quarter and Nathan Vasher added a 44-yard punt return for a TD as
the fourth-ranked Longhorns beat Brown's former team.
Vasher set a school record with 153 yards on eight punt returns. Dusty
Mangum kicked field goals of 24, 49 and 51 yards.
Texas held the Tar Heels (0-3) to 211 total yards, including minus-5 in the
third quarter, and sacked quarterback Ronald Curry in the fourth for a safety.
The Longhorns, who expected their offense to produce big plays and plenty of
touchdowns this season, struggled again to move the ball early.
Chris Simms was 17-of-35 for 167 yards. The Longhorns managed 326 yards of
total offense.
Texas bolted to a 14-0 first quarter lead behind Redding's interception and
a 1-yard sneak by Simms that was set up by Vasher's 59-yard punt return.
Redding picked off Curry's second pass of the game and streaked for the
corner of the end zone. Curry tried to cut him off at the 5, but the 6-foot-5,
260-pound Redding leaped high and somersaulted over Curry for the touchdown.
Curry, who had been pulled from North Carolina's first two games, settled
down and capped a 77-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7.
Vasher set up North Carolina's next touchdown when he fumbled a rolling punt
on the Longhorns' 22. Andre' Williams made it 14-14 two plays later with a
9-yard TD run.
Dusty Mangum put Texas ahead 20-14 with two second-quarter field goals. His
49-yarder into a stiff wind ended the first half.
Texas' defense clamped down in the third quarter. Quentin Jammer intercepted
Curry's first pass of the second half and the Tar Heels couldn't manage a
single first down in the period.
Cedric Benson made it 26-14 with a 7-yard TD run before the safety and
Vasher's TD punt return sealed the game. Brett Robin added a late 12-yard
touchdown run.
North Carolina has been outscored 108-48 in its three losses under
first-year coach John Bunting.
Texas, which had had early upset losses to North Carolina State and Stanford
the last two seasons, is 2-0 for the first time since 1996.
Texas dedicated Saturday's game to Cole Pittman, a junior defensive tackle
who died in a singe-car accident in February.
A look at TarHeelBlue.com's weekly football game coverage:
Carolina NewsStand: Follow what's being said in the newspapers seven days a week in Carolina NewsStand. Access the NewsStand from the button in the top left corner of TarHeelBlue.com.
Lee Pace's Extra Points: With Lee Pace's weekly Extra Points newsletter as part of the fall lineup, TarHeelBlue.com provides the most
comprehensive football coverage anywhere. Available in its entirety each Monday morning throughout the season, Pace (UNC '79) combines good writing, quality information
and a true passion for the game of college football in his weekly look at the Tar Heels.
* Preseason: Tar Heels' 2001 Charge: Answer The Bell.
* August 27: Tar Heels Dust Off After Prairie Exhbition.
* September 3: No Comfort In Carolina's Trip To Maryland.
* Extra Points Special: The Bunting Era Dawns For Carolina
Extra Points Thursday: New to TarHeelBlue.com this fall, Lee Pace has expanded his weekly Extra Points
newsletter into a Thursday edition which will include mid-week news and notes as well as answers to questions submitted by fans that week. Here's a look at this week's edition of Extra Points Thursday.
Weekly Game Notes: Each Tuesday, UNC's Athletic Communications Office releases its weekly game notes package, chock
full
of notes, stats and eveything else you need to know about the Tar Heels as they prepare for their next foe. The UNC-Texas game notes are now available.
Adam Lucas Commentary: Adam Lucas, a life-long observer of UNC athletics and co-publisher of Basketball America, has
joined the TarHeelBlue.com staff to provide his insights on the Tar Heels. Lucas is a regular at UNC football games and practices and will offer his own
unique look at the Tar Heels throughout the season in weekly columns. For links to recent Adam Lucas columns, including his latest piece, Poor Field Position Leaves Tar Heels Battling Uphill,
click here.
Coach Bunting Press Conference: Each Tuesday, TarHeelBlue.com will provide quotes from Coach Bunting's weekly press
conference at the Kenan Football Center. This 30-minute question and answer session with the media allows Coach Bunting the opportunity to share his thoughts on the game
from the weekend before as well as a preview of the week ahead. TarHeelBlue.com will bring you there with highlights from each press conference throughout the season. Here's some of what Coach Bunting had to say on Sept. 4, 2001 to recap Maryland
and look ahead to Texas.
Inside The Huddle: Each week, TarHeelBlue will take you inside the huddle with the only photos you'll find available from
Carolina's
closed afternoon practice sessions. In addition, TarHeelBlue will sit down with assistant coaches and players throughout the season and provide their exclusive mid-week
comments as they prepare for the next opponent.
Inside Carolina Football with John
unting: Woody Durham, the "Voice of the Tar Heels," is your host for Inside Carolina Football with John Bunting, a daily four-minute radio show which airs
on radio stations across the state as well as on TarHeelBlue.com. Be sure to listen each morning throughout the football season to hear what Woody and Coach Bunting have to
say.
Photo Galleries: TarHeelBlue.com will present comprehensive photo galleries from each game played this season in Kenan
Stadium, as well as most road contests. If you didn't have the chance to catch the game in person, or if you were in the stands but want to relive all the action after the final
whistle blows, check out TarHeelBlue.com's wide array of photos each Sunday.
* Oklahoma Photos: Action,
Sideline.
* Maryland Photos: Sideline & Action.
* Texas Photos: Action, Sideline.
Car-O-Lines with Rick Brewer: Rick Brewer,
Carolina's sports information director emeritus, is now in his 34th year with the UNC athletic department. Brewer contributes his unique look at Tar Heel athletics in his
internet
column, Car-O-Lines, while he's also a regular contributor to Carolina's football game-day programs. Throughout the fall, Brewer offers a historical perspective on
Tar Heel football that only a UNC veteran of more than three decades can. His latest piece looks at the history behind the UNC-Oklahoma series.
