Carolina-Virginia Postgame Notes
September 17, 2011 | Football
Sept. 17, 2011
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North Carolina vs. Virginia • Sept. 17, 2011
UNC Postgame Notes
Final Score: North Carolina 28, Virginia 17
• Today was Carolina's first win in its ACC opener since 2000. The Tar Heels are off to a 3-0 start for the second time in three seasons. UNC has won its first three home games since 2001.
• With the win, Carolina now leads the all-time series, 59-53-4. The Tar Heels have won consecutive games in the series for the first time since 1981-82.
• With Virginia's second-quarter field goal to open the scoring, Carolina trailed for the first time in 2011. Prior to Robert Randolph's 38-yarder with 14:55 remaining in the first half, the Tar Heels had led or been tied for 135 minutes, five seconds.
• Carolina led at the half for the third straight game. The Tar Heels have allowed 22 first-half points so far in 2011 - 7 vs. James Madison, 12 vs. Rutgers, 3 vs. Virginia.
• Sophomore quarterback Bryn Renner finished 15 for 21 for 143 yards and two touchdowns. In the first three games, Renner is 57 for 70 for 693 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.
• Renner has completed 81.4 percent of his passes in the three wins.
• Senior tailback Ryan Houston scored a pair of rushing touchdowns - a 1-yarder in the second quarter and a 2-yarder in the third quarter. It was his first multi-score game since running for a pair of touchdowns against Boston College in 2009 and the sixth time in his career he has scored multiple times.
• Houston's touchdown runs were his second and third of the season and the 20th and 21st of his career. Fourteen of his 21 career touchdown runs have been for either 1 or 2 yards (10 1-yard TDs, 4 2-yard TDs).
• Houston (21) passed Curtis Johnson (20, 1992-94) for 10th in school history in career touchdown runs.
• Senior wide receiver Dwight Jones finished with five catches for 85 yards and a 17-yard touchdown. Jones has a touchdown in each of Carolina's first three games and four for the season. He had four touchdown catches in his career entering 2011.
• Redshirt freshman tailback Giovani Bernard rushed for a season-high 102 yards on just 12 carries. He averaged 8.5 yards per carry. He also caught five passes for 31 yards. In the first three games, Bernard has rushed for 247 yards on 37 carries, an average of 6.7 yards per attempt. Bernard is the first UNC freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game since Greg Little had 154 against Duke in 2007.
• Sophomore tailback A.J. Blue saw his most extensive action of the season, rushing nine times for 40 yards. He also attempted a pass in the second quarter, just missing on a long play to Jheranie Boyd.
• The Tar Heels rushed for a season high 222 yards, their highest figure since rushing for 255 in the 2010 regular-season finale at Duke. Eight different Tar Heels gained 14 or more yards on the ground today.
• The Carolina defense registered its first takeaways of the season, intercepting two passes and recovering a fumble. Junior defensive tackle Sylvester Williams got the first one when he recovered a Virginia fumble late in the second quarter. Safety Matt Merletti finished off Virginia's final two offensive series in the fourth quarter with interceptions.
• Merletti came into the game with two career interceptions and doubled that total in a span of two minutes and 37 seconds late in the game. It was the first time a Tar Heel picked off two passes in the fourth quarter since Trimane Goddard at Miami in 2008. It was the first time any Tar Heel had two picks in a game since Deunta Williams against The Citadel in 2009.
• Junior wide receiver Jheranie Boyd caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, his second reception of the season and his first touchdown of the year.
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Reggie Wilkins had his first career pass completion in the third quarter, a 36-yard strike to Jones. Wilkins took the ball on an end-around before pulling up and throwing to Jones. Two plays later Ryan Houston scored from two yards out to give UNC a 28-10 lead.
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Sean Tapley had his first career rush, a 17-yard gain on an end-around in the fourth quarter.
• Casey Barth made both of his point after attempts, extending his school record to 82 consecutive conversions. Barth did not kick in the second half due to a leg injury.
• Redshirt freshman PK Thomas Moore replaced Barth and converted his first career PAT attempt in the third quarter. He finished the game 2 for 2 on PATs.
• Saturday was the 116th meeting between North Carolina and Virginia since 1892. The series has been played every season for 100 straight meetings dating back to 1910, with neither school fielding a team in 1917-18 due to World War I.
• The Tar Heel defense came into today's game third in the country in run defense, allowing 30 yards per game, but the Cavaliers gained 170 yards on the ground, averaging 5.0 yards per attempt.
• Carolina gave up its first sack of the season, a 9-yard loss of Renner by Ausar Walcott.
