Postgame Notes

October 4, 2008 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Oct. 4, 2008

• With the 38-12 win over No. 24 Connecticut, North Carolina's first over a ranked opponent since 2005, the Tar Heels improved to 4-1 for its best start since opening the 1997 campaign 8-0. UNC, which had dropped its previous nine games versus Top 25 opponents, last beat a ranked team in 2005 - a 16-14 victory over No. 19 Boston College.

• The win was the first by Carolina over a non-conference Top 25 team since a 28-17 victory against No. 17 Stanford in 1997. The 26-point margin was the biggest by the Tar Heels against a ranked squad since a 38-3 win at Clemson in 2001.

• The victory over the Huskies marked the Tar Heels' first over a team that was at least 5-0 since the 31-28 victory over a 6-0 and fourth-ranked Miami team in 2004.

• With four wins in 2008, Carolina has already matched its victory total from last year. With a 4-8 season in 2007 and a 4-1 start this year, second-year head coach Butch Davis is 8-9 at UNC.

• Turnover margin is an indicator for success for the 2008 Tar Heels, as they improved to plus-eight in their four victories (and plus-six in all five games). UNC was minus-two in its loss to Virginia Tech. UNC's defense had three interceptions tonight and the Tar Heels threw just one.

• Connecticut had 23 first downs to 13 for Carolina, had a time of possession advantage of nearly 13 minutes (36:22 to 23:38) and had an edge in total offense of 378 to 263 yards. UNC averaged 5.4 yards per play; UConn gained 4.5 yards per play.

• Carolina's defense had seven tackles for losses (including one sack), seven pass breakups, seven quarterback hurries and three interceptions. Linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter each had two tackles for losses, Kendric Burney and Charles Brown each had two breakups and EJ Wilson pressured the quarterback three times.

• Sophomore linebacker Bruce Carter set a single-game school record by blocking three punts - all in the second quarter. Carter also tied a school record for blocked punts in a season with four to match Bracey Walker's 1993 total.

• Carter blocked four consecutive punts - the last one at Miami and UConn's first three this evening. He got a piece of the final punt in the win at Miami to help set up the game-winning score.

• With three interceptions Saturday, the Tar Heels have 12 in just five games to surpass their season total of 11 in 12 games a year ago. Mark Paschal, Trimane Goddard and Marvin Austin had the picks against the Huskies, with Austin taking his back 23 yards for his first career touchdown. UNC has returned two picks for TDs this season - Austin against UConn and linebacker Bruce Carter 66 yards at Rutgers.

• Austin's TD was the first by a UNC defensive lineman since Bryan Rackley returned a fumble two yards for a score against NC State in 2006.

• Senior linebacker Mark Paschal intercepted his third career pass and second this season (Virginia Tech) late in the first quarter to set up a 1-yard TD run by Ryan Houston to give UNC a 10-3 lead.

• Senior safety Trimane Goddard followed with his ninth career interception and fourth this season to snuff out Connecticut's final drive of the first half. Goddard has three interceptions in the last two games to help give the Tar Heels 11 on the season to match their season total from 2007 in just five games.

• Sophomore tailback Shaun Draughn carried 19 times for a career-high 109 yards, including a career-long 39-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Draughn entered the game with 97 yards in the first four games this year, including a previous single-game best of 44 yards at Rutgers. Draughn was the first Tar Heel running back to rush for 100 yards in a game this season and the first UNC running back to do so since Greg Little in the 2007 finale against Duke.

• Sophomore safety Matt Merletti recovered Bruce Carter's third blocked punt in the end zone for his first career touchdown and a 17-3 UNC lead. The blocked punt for a TD was the first by Carolina since a Wallace Wright block and a Quinton Person recovery for a score at NC State in 2005.

• Sophomore fullback Anthony Elzy caught three passes for 38 yards to double his receiving yardage total on the season entering Saturday's game.

• Ryan Houston's 1-yard go-ahead touchdown in the first quarter was the third of his career and his second in as many weeks. He also ran for a 1-yard score at Miami last week. Houston added a career-long 35-yard run (his previous long was 10 yards). Houston had 38 yards in the first four games this year and 39 tonight.

• Junior wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who had three catches for 55 yards and a TD, went over the 2,000-yard mark for his career in receiving yards. Nicks now has 2,030 yards to rank fifth in school history. Additionally, Nicks caught a pass for the 18th straight game and the 27th time in 28 career outings. Nicks' 13-yard scoring catch was his fourth this season and the 13th of his career to rank seventh in school history.

• Freshman place kicker Casey Barth connected on his first career field goal, a 31-yarder, in the first quarter. He missed his first attempt in the opener against McNeese State, and Saturday marked his first action since that game. Barth also converted five for five on extra points on the night.

• Offensive linemen Lowell Dyer (center) and Alan Pelc (left guard) made their first starts of the season against the Huskies. Dyer made his seventh career start (all at center), while Pelc made the first start of his career.

• Linebacker Quan Sturdivant tied his career high with 11 tackles (he had 11 at NC State last year).