Postgame Notes - ECU
September 21, 2014 | Football
Greenville, N.C. • September 20, 2014
East Carolina 70, North Carolina 41
• North Carolina lost its first game of the season and fell to 2-1. Carolina is 12-4-1 all-time vs. the Pirates.
• North Carolina allowed a school-record 789 yards of total offense to the Pirates. ECU had 446 yards passing and 343 yards rushing. The previous record for yards allowed by a UNC defense was 669 vs. Utah in 2004.
• The 111 combined points are the most in the history of the series (previous was 86 in a 55-31 Pirate win in 2013). The 70 points are the most by any opponent against the Tar Heels. The previous high for points allowed was 69 by Louisville in 2005.
• East Carolina had 39 first downs today. That is the most ever allowed by UNC. The previous high was 37 by Duke in 1989.
• Three different Tar Heels threw touchdown passes. Wide receiver Ryan Switzer threw a 35-yard scoring pass to T.J. Thorpe, punter Tommy Hibbard connected on a 29-yarder with Eric Albright on a fake field goal and quarterback Mitch Trubisky had a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jack Tabb in the fourth quarter.
• Junior Romar Morris was Carolina's leading rusher with nine carries for 46 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter and had a 14-yard score in the fourth quarter. He leads the Tar Heels with three rushing touchdowns on the season.
• Sophomore Mack Hollins had four catches for a team-high 92 yards. Through three games, the former walk-on is Carolina's leading receiver with 242 yards.
• Cornerback Brian Walker picked off a pass in the first half and returned it 23 yards to set up Carolina's first touchdown. Walker has now picked off three passes in two games this season. Walker also recovered a blocked field goal and returned it 30 yards.
• Sophomore Junior Gnonkonde blocked a field goal in the first half. It is the first blocked field goal by a Tar Heel since Bruce Carter blocked one at Virginia in 2008.
• In the second quarter, Carolina faked a 46-yard field goal and holder Tommy Hibbard completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Albright for a touchdown. It is the first career touchdown for Albright, a senior walk-on from Raleigh. It is also the first career TD pass for Hibbard.
• Wide receiver Ryan Switzer tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Thorpe on Carolina's second drive of the game. It is Switzer's second career touchdown pass in as many attempts. He also had a 59-yard touchdown pass to Quinshad Davis in the win last season at NC State.
• T.J. Thorpe, who missed most of training camp and the first two games of the season with a foot injury, made the most of his first appearance of the year catching a 35-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Switzer. It is his third career touchdown reception and second against ECU. His first career touchdown reception came last year vs. ECU.
