University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC-Miami Postgame Notes
September 28, 2008 | Football
Sept. 28, 2008
Recap |
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 1 
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Photo Gallery 2
September 27, 2008
Final Score: North Carolina 28, Miami 24
• The win is North Carolina's first in the state of Florida since January 1, 1998, when the Tar Heels beat Virginia Tech, 42-3, in Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl.
• Carolina is now 2-0 at Dolphin Stadium. The Tar Heels beat Arkansas in the 1995 Carquest Bowl in this stadium (then named Joe Robbie Stadium).
• The win evens the series between UNC and Miami at 6-6. The Tar Heels have won three of the five games since the Hurricanes joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami had won five straight against the Tar Heels on the Canes' home field. This is Carolina's first win at Miami since 1957.
• Head coach Butch Davis is now 2-0 as UNC's head coach against Miami, for whom he coached as both an assistant and head coach.
• Carolina is now 3-1, 1-1 in the ACC. This is UNC's first 31 start to a season since 2000.
• Miami led 17-14 after three quarters. This is Carolina's first win in a game that it trailed after three quarters since October 9, 2004, when UNC beat NC State, 30-24. The Wolfpack led 16-13 after three quarters.
• Miami rushed 11 times for 86 yards in the first quarter (7.8 yards per carry), but Carolina then held the Canes to just 49 yards on their next 22 carries (an average of only 2.2 yards per play).
• Miami gained 127 yards on 19 first-quarter plays, then gained 182 yards on 47 snaps over the final three quarters. The Canes averaged 6.7 per play in the opening quarter, then 3.9 over the final three quarters.
• Safety Trimane Goddard's pair of fourth quarter interceptions were his second and third of the season and seventh and eighth of his career. The final play of the game was intended for #82 Kayne Farquharson.
• Linebacker Bruce Carter had the partial block on the last Miami punt late in the fourth quarter.
• WR/KR Brandon Tate, a senior from Burlington, N.C., set the all-time NCAA record for combined kick returns (kickoffs & punts) today against the Hurricanes. University of California's Deltha O'Neal set the previous record of 3,455 yards from 1996-99. Tate broke the record on a 29-yard kickoff return in the first quarter. Tate finished the game with 3,549 career kick return yards.
• Tate entered the Miami game leading the nation in all-purpose yards per game. He had 130 all-purpose yards today - 67 on kickoff returns, one yard rushing, and 62 receiving.
• Tate also completed his first career pass, a 12-yard completion to Hakeem Nicks.
• Junior Cameron Sexton saw his first action at quarterback since the season opener last year vs. James Madison. On his first drive, Sexton led the Tar Heels on a 58-yard scoring drive, capped by a 6-yard touchdown run by Greg Little. It was the first time Sexton had led the Tar Heels on a scoring drive since the South Florida game in 2006. Sexton started five games as a redshirt freshman in 2006. Sexton completed just one pass for nine yards in 2007.
• Sexton was 11 for 19 today for 242 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions (two years ago at the Orange Bowl, Sexton was 9 of 28 for 136 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions). He threw a game-winning, 14-yard touchdown with 46 seconds to play to senior wide receiver Brooks Foster.
• Sexton averaged 22.0 yards per completion and 12.7 yards per attempt.
• This was Sexton's second career game with two TD passes (also against Furman in 2006).
• The 14-yard touchdown catch was the sixth of Foster's career and the second this season.
• Sexton completed a 74-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks, his longest career completion. His previous was a 58-yard scoring pass on a screen to Ronnie McGill against Furman in 2006.
• WR Hakeem Nicks increased his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 17. He has caught a pass in 26 of his 27 career contests.
• Nicks caught five passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Today was his second-highest receiving yardage total and his seventh career 100-yard receiving game (only game with more yards was 171 at Notre Dame in 2006. The 74-yarder was Nicks' third scoring catch of the season.
• Redshirt freshman Mike Paulus made his first career start at quarterback and played the first two series. The Syracuse, N.Y., native was 1 of 4 for 10 yards, completing a pass to tight end Richard Quinn.
• Quinn's catch was his first pass of the season and fifth of his career with a 10-yard reception from Mike Paulus in the first quarter.
• Ryan Houston scored a 1-yard touchdown run, his second career TD run. His other score came last September 22 at South Florida.
• Linebacker Mark Paschal had a third-quarter sack, giving him 3.5 this season (and in his career).
