Big win for the Tar Heels this week as they go to 3-0 to start the season. This is the first time since Mack Brown was the head football coach in Chapel Hill that the Heels have gotten off to this kind of a start, and Carolina certainly demonstrated some of the trademarks of successful UNC teams of the past against the Pirates yesterday.

The offense finally seemed able to move the ball with some regularity, with QB T.J. Yates completing 19 of his 24 passes on the day for 227 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. Each TD went to a different receiver, with freshmen WRs Erik Highsmith (6 catches, 113 yards) and Jheranie Boyd (1 catch, 59 yards) reaping the benefits from terrific Yates strikes. RB Shaun Draughn was solid on the ground gaining 84 yards on 19 carries, while Ryan Houston ran for 41 yards and 2 TDs.

The defense was less consistent than in Carolina's previous two victories over the Citadel and UConn, but still had some big plays when the Heels needed them the most. CB Charles Brown continued his stellar 2009 campaign by leading the Heels with 9 tackles, while also recovering a fumble and breaking up two passes. DE Robert Quinn had 2 sacks on the day, while LB Quan Sturdivant was solid with 7 tackles including one for a 5-yard loss.

Overall the Heels definitely looked more balanced for this game. The offense finally started to play to their potential, and really helped the defense out by moving the ball and putting it into the end zone four times on the day. ECU was a quality opponent, and it showed with a shootout in the first half which saw the Heels go into the locker room up 21-14. Carolina really exercised their will on the Pirates as they outscored their opponent 10-3 for the final half. The last three games have seen UNC grow dramatically, and they will definitely need to call upon every lesson learned thus far if they want to beat a talented, angry, and potent Georgia Tech team in Atlanta this week.