University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Andy Mead
GoHeels Exclusive: Brown's Brilliant Night
November 3, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
Before North Carolina even took the field for Saturday's primetime tilt with Virginia, Dyami Brown felt as if it was going to be his night.
"He was telling everybody before the game that he was going to have 300 yards," said Michael Carter after UNC's 38-31 loss against the Cavaliers. "We were like, 'Ha, yeah, alright.' Not like he wasn't going to do it, but it was like, 'Alright, we can't wait to see it.'"
Ultimately, Brown fell short of 300 yards. But his premonition that he was in line for a big game proved correct, as he turned in one of the best performances ever by a Carolina receiver.
In catching six passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, the sophomore recorded the seventh-most receiving yards by a Tar Heel in a game. Of the seven players in school history to reach 200 receiving yards, only Brown and Jheranie Boyd – who posted six catches for 221 receiving yards against LSU in 2010 – accomplished the feat with fewer than eight receptions. And only Brown, Randy Marriott, Hakeem Nicks and Octavus Barnes scored multiple touchdowns.
Brown's three touchdown receptions were the most by a Carolina player since Mack Hollins had three against Wake Forest in 2015. Chesley Borders, Dwight Jones and Nicks are the only other Tar Heels to reach that mark in any game this century; Nicks did it twice in 2008.
More notes regarding Brown's career night will surely come out over the next few days. But to put it simply, as Sam Howell did: "Dyami really played outstanding."
"He had a lot of really good plays for us," said the freshman quarterback, who tossed four touchdown passes, giving him 26 on the season. "He's been kind of quiet the past couple of weeks, but I think tonight he showed what he's capable of."
It certainly wasn't the first time he has.
Through UNC's first six games, Brown led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, and appeared on the verge of the breakout campaign he expected in the preseason. Entering Saturday, though, he'd taken somewhat of a backseat to Beau Corrales and Dazz Newsome over the previous two weeks. In that span, he tallied two catches for 53 yards.
Part of Brown's dip in production likely had to do with the minor lower-body injury he sustained against Virginia Tech. It didn't keep him from playing against Duke. But the Charlotte native wasn't much of a factor in the win over the Blue Devils, finishing without a catch on four targets. That marked his first catchless effort since his collegiate debut against California last season.
Asked after Saturday's game if he's feeling significantly healthier, Brown said he's still "a little banged up." But he hardly looked it.
On the first play of Carolina's second offensive series, Howell targeted Brown on a run-pass option slant. The receiver caught the ball 11 yards downfield, then broke two tackles on his way to a 57-yard gain. That catch was his second longest of the season – and a sign of things to come.
Midway through the second quarter, Howell went to Brown again, this time on a back-shoulder hitch route. And again, Brown turned on the jets, blowing past the nearest defender and darting 47 yards for a touchdown. His second came shortly after, when Howell threw a perfectly placed pass to Brown on a post route. Brown high-pointed the ball for a 34-yard score.
At halftime, Brown already had 151 receiving yards, the most by a Tar Heel in any half since Jones had 188 in the first half of the 2010 Virginia game, according to ESPN's Bryan Ives. Brown wasn't finished, though. Late in the third quarter, Howell launched a 42-yard pass into the end zone. Brown and the corner covering him jostled for position, but the receiver came down with the ball for another touchdown.
"He's a receiver who can do anything," Howell said. "He can run every single route there is. He can take the top off any defense whenever he wants to. Every single time the ball is in his hands he's capable of going for six."
Brown's three touchdowns against the Cavaliers give him eight on the season, putting him in an eight-way tie for the fifth most by a UNC receiver. Only Jones (12 in 2011), Nicks (12 in 2008), Quinshad Davis (10 in 2013) and Marcus Wall (nine in 1994) have more.
Of Brown's eight touchdown catches, six have gone for 22 yards or more, highlighted by four of 40 or more. Overall, 15 of his 32 catches (46.9 percent) have been for 15 yards or more. As it stands, his average of 21.22 yards per catch is the 12th best among FBS receivers (minimum of two receptions per game played) and would be the second best in school history (minimum 25 receptions). Hollins averaged 24.8 yards on 30 receptions in 2015.
Few people know better than Myles Dorn how explosive Brown is. After Saturday's game, he was asked what it's like defending Brown in practice.
"It's about the same as it looks out here covering him in a game," said the senior safety. "He's just a good player. He's fast and very deceptive when running his routes. This was no surprise."
But even after his historic performance, Brown wasn't satisfied.
He expressed frustration over his two drops, the last of which came on Carolina's final offensive play. Like his teammates, he also spoke of how the Tar Heels (now 4-5 overall and 3-3 in ACC play) missed out on the opportunity to seize control of the Coastal Division.
With a home game against Mercer and two road contests against Pittsburgh and NC State left in the regular season, UNC needs two more wins to qualify for a bowl game. Brown is determined to help his team accomplish that. And he hopes to use Saturday as a springboard to success down the stretch.
"It's just going back to watching film," he said. "Just seeing who I'm going against, going over their tendencies and finding a way to get open or finding a weakness that they have, and then using it to my advantage."
As talented as Brown is, that shouldn't be a problem.
"A dude like that," Carter said, "is special."
Before North Carolina even took the field for Saturday's primetime tilt with Virginia, Dyami Brown felt as if it was going to be his night.
"He was telling everybody before the game that he was going to have 300 yards," said Michael Carter after UNC's 38-31 loss against the Cavaliers. "We were like, 'Ha, yeah, alright.' Not like he wasn't going to do it, but it was like, 'Alright, we can't wait to see it.'"
Ultimately, Brown fell short of 300 yards. But his premonition that he was in line for a big game proved correct, as he turned in one of the best performances ever by a Carolina receiver.
In catching six passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, the sophomore recorded the seventh-most receiving yards by a Tar Heel in a game. Of the seven players in school history to reach 200 receiving yards, only Brown and Jheranie Boyd – who posted six catches for 221 receiving yards against LSU in 2010 – accomplished the feat with fewer than eight receptions. And only Brown, Randy Marriott, Hakeem Nicks and Octavus Barnes scored multiple touchdowns.
Brown's three touchdown receptions were the most by a Carolina player since Mack Hollins had three against Wake Forest in 2015. Chesley Borders, Dwight Jones and Nicks are the only other Tar Heels to reach that mark in any game this century; Nicks did it twice in 2008.
More notes regarding Brown's career night will surely come out over the next few days. But to put it simply, as Sam Howell did: "Dyami really played outstanding."
"He had a lot of really good plays for us," said the freshman quarterback, who tossed four touchdown passes, giving him 26 on the season. "He's been kind of quiet the past couple of weeks, but I think tonight he showed what he's capable of."
It certainly wasn't the first time he has.
Through UNC's first six games, Brown led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, and appeared on the verge of the breakout campaign he expected in the preseason. Entering Saturday, though, he'd taken somewhat of a backseat to Beau Corrales and Dazz Newsome over the previous two weeks. In that span, he tallied two catches for 53 yards.
Part of Brown's dip in production likely had to do with the minor lower-body injury he sustained against Virginia Tech. It didn't keep him from playing against Duke. But the Charlotte native wasn't much of a factor in the win over the Blue Devils, finishing without a catch on four targets. That marked his first catchless effort since his collegiate debut against California last season.
Asked after Saturday's game if he's feeling significantly healthier, Brown said he's still "a little banged up." But he hardly looked it.
On the first play of Carolina's second offensive series, Howell targeted Brown on a run-pass option slant. The receiver caught the ball 11 yards downfield, then broke two tackles on his way to a 57-yard gain. That catch was his second longest of the season – and a sign of things to come.
Midway through the second quarter, Howell went to Brown again, this time on a back-shoulder hitch route. And again, Brown turned on the jets, blowing past the nearest defender and darting 47 yards for a touchdown. His second came shortly after, when Howell threw a perfectly placed pass to Brown on a post route. Brown high-pointed the ball for a 34-yard score.
At halftime, Brown already had 151 receiving yards, the most by a Tar Heel in any half since Jones had 188 in the first half of the 2010 Virginia game, according to ESPN's Bryan Ives. Brown wasn't finished, though. Late in the third quarter, Howell launched a 42-yard pass into the end zone. Brown and the corner covering him jostled for position, but the receiver came down with the ball for another touchdown.
"He's a receiver who can do anything," Howell said. "He can run every single route there is. He can take the top off any defense whenever he wants to. Every single time the ball is in his hands he's capable of going for six."
Brown's three touchdowns against the Cavaliers give him eight on the season, putting him in an eight-way tie for the fifth most by a UNC receiver. Only Jones (12 in 2011), Nicks (12 in 2008), Quinshad Davis (10 in 2013) and Marcus Wall (nine in 1994) have more.
Of Brown's eight touchdown catches, six have gone for 22 yards or more, highlighted by four of 40 or more. Overall, 15 of his 32 catches (46.9 percent) have been for 15 yards or more. As it stands, his average of 21.22 yards per catch is the 12th best among FBS receivers (minimum of two receptions per game played) and would be the second best in school history (minimum 25 receptions). Hollins averaged 24.8 yards on 30 receptions in 2015.
Few people know better than Myles Dorn how explosive Brown is. After Saturday's game, he was asked what it's like defending Brown in practice.
"It's about the same as it looks out here covering him in a game," said the senior safety. "He's just a good player. He's fast and very deceptive when running his routes. This was no surprise."
But even after his historic performance, Brown wasn't satisfied.
He expressed frustration over his two drops, the last of which came on Carolina's final offensive play. Like his teammates, he also spoke of how the Tar Heels (now 4-5 overall and 3-3 in ACC play) missed out on the opportunity to seize control of the Coastal Division.
With a home game against Mercer and two road contests against Pittsburgh and NC State left in the regular season, UNC needs two more wins to qualify for a bowl game. Brown is determined to help his team accomplish that. And he hopes to use Saturday as a springboard to success down the stretch.
"It's just going back to watching film," he said. "Just seeing who I'm going against, going over their tendencies and finding a way to get open or finding a weakness that they have, and then using it to my advantage."
As talented as Brown is, that shouldn't be a problem.
"A dude like that," Carter said, "is special."
Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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Running Back
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Wide Receiver
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Defensive Back
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Quarterback
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Wide Receiver
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