University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Notes - SDSU
September 7, 2014 | Football
Postgame Notes • Sept. 6, 2014
• Carolina is 2-0. San Diego State falls to 1-1. The Tar Heels are 2-0 for the first time under head coach Larry Fedora and the first time since winning their first three games in 2011.
• Tonight marked the first game in Carolina football history in which the Tar Heels had two plays of 90 yards or longer. CB Brian Walker had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown and WR Mack Hollins caught a 91-yard pass from Marquise Williams for a score.
• QB Marquise Williams completed 20 of 29 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns and was Carolina's leading rusher with 12 carries for 64 yards. It was the second time in as many games that he threw a pair of touchdown passes.
• Williams moved past 2,000 career passing yards with an 8-yard completion to Quinshad Davis on his first attempt of the night. Williams has now passed for 2,316 yards. He moved past Charlie Justice (2,249) for 20th place in school history. He is eight yards shy of tying Bill Paschall for 19th place.
• CB Brian Walker returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and added a second interception in the fourth quarter. Walker now has three career interceptions (2013 at NC State). Walker had 126 interception return yards tonight, the second-highest single-game figure in UNC history.
• Walker's touchdown was the third 100-yard interception return in school history. Bob Gantt (1950 vs. William & Mary) and Reggie Love (1994 vs. Tulane) also ran interceptions back 100 yards.
• S Tim Scott sealed the win with a lunging interception in the end zone with just 14 seconds left in the game. The interception was Scott's eighth as a Tar Heel.
• The Tar Heels have forced nine turnovers in the first two games. Last year, Carolina was 60th in the nation in turnovers forced. UNC has intercepted five passes in the first two games.
• Carolina has scored on an interception return in each of the first two games this season. LB Jeff Schoettmer scored on a pick-six against Liberty and Brian Walker scored tonight vs. SDSU.
• WR Quinshad Davis caught his first touchdown pass of the season in the third quarter, an 11-yard toss from Williams. Davis is tied with Dwight Jones (2008-11) for fourth in school history with 16 career touchdown receptions. Only Hakeem Nicks (21 from 2006-08), Octavus Barnes (19 from 1994-97) and Art Weiner (18 from 1946-49) had more.
• WR Mack Hollins scored his second touchdown in as many games when he and Williams connected for a 91-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Hollins has four catches for 150 yards and two scores thus far this season.
• The 91-yard pass play from Williams to Hollins is the longest by the Tar Heels in Kenan Stadium history. Williams' 79-yard completion to Eric Ebron against Duke in 2013 was the previous longest pass play. It was also the third-longest pass play at any venue in school history.
Longest pass plays in UNC history (any stadium)
97 yards from TJ Yates to Jheranie Boyd vs LSU (in Atlanta, Georgia Dome), 2010
93 yards from Mark Maye to Randy Marriott at Georgia Tech, 1987
91 yards from Marquise Williams to Mack Hollins vs. San Diego State, 2014
• Freshman TB Elijah Hood scored his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter, a 2-yard plunge that tied the game at 27 (before the extra point gave UNC the lead). Hood 26 yards on six carries tonight.
• PK Nick Weiler gave Carolina a 31-27 lead on a 23-yard field goal with 4:00 to play. It was his first career field goal. He made all three of his point after attempts.
• Weiler kicked off six times tonight resulting in five touchbacks and one return for 11 yards. In the first two games, Weiler has kicked off 15 times and all 15 of those kicks have reached the end zone. Thirteen have resulted in touchbacks and there have two returns - one for 12 yards and another for 11 yards.
• The Carolina defense had seven tackles for loss on the night, including Donnie Miles' first career sack. Linebackers Jeff Schoettmer and Travis Hughes led the way with eight tackles apiece. Hughes had two tackles for losses.
• The Aztecs led, 21-14, after three quarters. It was UNC's first fourth-quarter comeback victory since beating NC State in 2012.
• Carolina did not score an offensive touchdown until there was 4:40 left in the third quarter and did not score any points in the opening quarter. It was the first time in 10 games (since Virginia Tech last year) that UNC did not score in the first quarter.
• San Diego State had the ball for 14 minutes and 52 seconds longer than the Tar Heels , but ran only 10 more plays from scrimmage (74 to 64).
• San Diego State compiled 509 yards. This was UNC's first win allowing 500 yards since beating NC State in 2012.
