University of North Carolina Athletics
Inside The Numbers: Virginia Game
September 21, 2021 | Football
Josh Downs was named PFF Offensive Player of the Week after his phenomenal performance last Saturday night against Virginia. His catch featured above was the standout highlight of his two touchdowns and 203 receiving yards he piled up against the Cavaliers. After Dyami Brown went over 200 yards against UVA in both 2019 and 2020, it was Downs who made it three years in a row that a Carolina receiver climbed over 200 receiving yards in the South's Oldest Rivalry.Josh Downs, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! 😲
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) September 19, 2021
📺 https://t.co/H9gKbC6hi9 pic.twitter.com/YUKnwLhSo6
From Pro Football Focus:
MORE FROM PFF"From a grading perspective, Downs' night against the Cavaliers was the best single-game performance by a North Carolina wide receiver in the PFF College era."
Josh Downs is the highest-rated Power 5 wide receiver through three weeks of the college football season.
"Downs and his amazing diving touchdown catch have leapt in front of Dontario Drummond for first among Power Five receivers. Downs leads the country with 399 yards and is second in yards after the catch. He's averaging just over 10 yards after the catch per reception and has yet to record a drop."
.@UNCFootball's @tomon_fox is a sack artist … quite literally.
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 18, 2021
Fox recently passed Lawrence Taylor on the UNC career sack list, but it's not just his play on the field that makes him a true artist: pic.twitter.com/S4GY8q1y0N
DON'T BLINK
• North Carolina ranks second in the ACC with 553.3 yards of offense per game. The Tar Heels have gone over 600 yards in back-to-back games heading into Saturday's game with Georgia Tech.
• The Tar Heels have compiled 1,306 total yards the last two games - 607 yards in the home opener against Georgia State and 699 last week against ACC foe Virginia.
• Carolina has accumulated 600 or more yards of offense five times in its last 13 games.
• UNC's 118 points over the last two weeks are tied for the 2nd most points in consecutive games, tying the feat against Virginia Medical and Wake Forest in 1914, and trails only the 125 points scored against Duke and Miami in 2015.
• Since Mack Brown's return in 2019, Carolina has posted six of the top-20 single-game total yard figures in school history. That includes a record 778 yards at Miami in 2020.
• Sam Howell has 875 yards alone of offense the last two weeks, 659 through the air and 216 on the ground. He has tossed 8 TDs in 2 games.
• Howell is the third UNC QB to ever have back-to-back 400-yard total offense games, joining Marquise WIlliams (Notre Dame and Georgia Tech in 2014) and Mitch Trubisky (James Madison and Pitt in 2016).
.@Sam7Howell is a finalist for the prestigious Sullivan Award 🏆
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) September 20, 2021
Voting is open now and runs all week ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/yymVMwHdxF#CarolinaFootball 🏈 #BeTheOne pic.twitter.com/Eg19SYIdLO
EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
• Sam Howell joined a group of only four FBS quarterbacks to ever have back-to-back games with 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards.
2007 - Chase Clement, Rice
2017 - Quinton Flowers, USF
2017 - Lamar Jackson, Louisville
2021 - Sam Howell, UNC
• Howell became just the second UNC QB to ever compile 300+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a game against Georgia State. The other was Marquise Williams against Notre Dame in 2014.
• Howell also joined Williams as the only QBs to pass for three and rush for two scores in a game (Williams vs. Baylor in 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl).
• Howell accumulated 456 total yards (sixth most at UNC) against Georgia State with 352 passing and a career-high 104 rushing yards.
• In the postgame Howell added, "He's my favorite Tar Heel ever," when talking about Williams, Carolina all-time total offense leader who played from 2012-15.
• Howell added 412 total yards against Virginia, a career-high 112 yards on the ground and 307 passing yards. He also tossed five TDs.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
Javonte Williams refuses to go down!
— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2021
📺: #DENvsJAX on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/bBUlDkAft6
Michael Carter breaking all the tackles. #TakeFlight
— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2021
📺: #NEvsNYJ on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/gbemrhnZUe
#PATSTAT
As much success as Virginia had in the passing game tonight, UNC held the Cavaliers to 21 rushing yards on 22 attempts. Those were the fewest rushing yards for a Tar Heel opponent since Rutgers had one yard on Sept. 10, 2011.
— Pat James (@patjames24) September 19, 2021
VICTORY VIBES
Victory Vibes: UVA Edition 🐏#CarolinaFootball 🏈 #BeTheOne pic.twitter.com/X7jNv1Qbas
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) September 21, 2021
