Notes:
Junior LB Chase Rice left the game with a left ankle sprain in the second quarter, while senior C Scott Lenahan left the game in the third quarter with a right calf strain. Both players will be evaluated tomorrow.
Rice was instrumental in setting the defensive tone in the first 20 minutes of play. The strongside LB laid a hit on JMU QB Rondey Landers on the Dukes’ first play from scrimmage that resulted in a fumble, and then tipped a Landers’ pass in the second quarter that resulted in a Deunta Williams interception.
Davis became the first head coach to win his first regular season
game at Carolina since Dick Crum beat East Carolina (14-10) in 1978. Carl Torbush won the 1997 Gator Bowl in his first game as head coach. Davis is
52-20 in seven seasons as a college head coach.
UNC played seven true freshmen in Saturday's win: DT Marvin Austin, CB
Charles Brown, LB Bruce Carter, WR Greg Little, HB Zack Pianalto, S
Da'Norris Searcy and LB Quan Sturdivant.
Freshman Bruce Carter’s third-quarter blocked punt was the first for the
Tar Heels since Wallace Wright blocked one at NC State in 2005. Sophomore
Ryan Taylor recovered the block at the 1-yard line to set up Anthony Elzy's
second touchdown run.
Carolina¹s first two scoring drives took just 1:23 and 37 seconds,
respectively. The 37-second drive was shorter than any in the 2006 season.
North Carolina used 12 first-time starters Saturday against JMU: QB T.J. Yates, TB Johnny White, LT Kyle Jolly, LG Aaron Stahl, TE Richard Quinn, HB
Zack Pianalto on offense; and DT Cam Thomas, DE E.J. Wilson, LB Wesley Flagg, CB Kendric Williams, S Deunta Williams and CB Kendric Burney on
defense. Twenty-six (26) Tar Heels saw their first action at Carolina
Saturday.
Carolina's 23-point margin of victory was its largest since a 40-17 win
over Duke in 2004.
(UNC Athletic Comm. contributed to this report.)