NORTH CAROLINA POSTGAME NOTES AT WAKE FOREST, OCT. 27, 2007

October 27, 2007 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Oct. 27, 2007

Recap | Final Stats | AP Photos | Action Photos

With 162 yards Saturday, junior Brandon Tate became just the third player in ACC history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark on kickoff returns. He started the day in fourth on the all-time list but moved into second place with 2,124 career yards. He is 189 yards behind Carolina's Eric Blount (2,313 yards) for the league record. Tate finished the day with 211 all-purpose yards.

Quarterback T.J. Yates established Tar Heel freshman single-season records for passing yardage and completions Saturday in just his eighth start. After a 26 for 33 effort for 236 yards against Wake Forest, Yates now has 1,907 passing yards and 148 completions on the season to move past Darian Durant's 2001 totals. Yates is also eighth all-time in passing yardage among ACC rookie quarterbacks.

Sophomore wide receiver Hakeem Nicks had a career-high nine receptions for 87 yards Saturday. He now has a career-best 48 receptions on the season after registering 39 catches as a freshman in 2006.

Sophomore fullback Bobby Rome scored his first career touchdown on an 11-yard pass from T.J. Yates early in the fourth quarter. Rome had four catches for 37 yards.

Freshman h-back Zack Pianalto had a career-best day with six catches for 55 yards.

Senior Hilee Taylor recorded his eighth sack of the season in the second quarter to move into a tie for eighth on the UNC single-season list. He now has 16.5 sacks in his career. Taylor also recorded a tackle for loss for the seventh straight game.

Sophomore defensive end E.J. Wilson had a career-high eight tackles, and freshman linebacker Quan Sturdivant equaled his career-best effort with eight stops. They shared the team lead in tackles Saturday.

Freshman cornerback Kendric Burney recorded his first career sack when he stopped Riley Skinner for a one-yard loss in the second quarter. Sophomore Cam Thomas also recorded his first sack of the season.

Senior kicker Connor Barth made his 45th career field goal, a 38-yarder in the second quarter. Barth, who has made 10 of 11 kicks this season, is second all-time at UNC and needs just seven more field goals to match UNC career leader Josh McGee.

Sophomore Richie Rich made his debut at defensive back Saturday after playing the first three games of the season at tailback.

The Tar Heels' first-half scoring drive, which resulted in Barth's field goal, was their longest of the season in terms of time at 6:14. The previous long was a 5:29 drive against Virginia Tech.

The 37 points allowed by Carolina matched a season high set in a 37-10 loss to USF Sept. 22. The 37 points were also the most allowed by the Tar Heels against Wake Forest since a 42-22 loss in 1988.

Carolina's nine penalties were a season-high.

Wake Forest's Kevin Marrion returned a second-quarter kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, marking the first kickoff returned for a score against the Tar Heels since Marquise Weeks of Virginia did so in 2004.