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First trip to ECU nets first win for Heels
By The Associated Press
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Game No. 6 Vitals: ECU vs. UNC-CH |
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GREENVILLE — Darian Durant
threw two touchdown passes and Chad Scott ran for a score as North
Carolina rallied to beat East Carolina 28-17 on Saturday in a battle of
winless teams.
The Tar Heels (1-5) got a solid defensive effort in the second half,
allowing them to overcome a three-point halftime deficit and avoid their
first 0-6 start in 15 years.
Desmond Robinson had two touchdown passes for the Pirates (0-6), who are
off to their worst start since losing the first six games of the 1986
season.
The intrastate rivals had met nine times before, with North Carolina
holding a 7-1-1 series lead. But this was the Tar Heels' first trip to
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, where a charged crowd of 44,040 — the
third-largest in school history — and dreary, rainy conditions awaited.
After trailing 10-7 at halftime, the Tar Heels held the Pirates
scoreless in the third quarter and charged ahead with three touchdowns
after the break.
Scott's 8-yard run gave North Carolina a 14-10 lead with 7:55 left in
the third quarter, marking the first time a Tar Heel other than Durant
had scored a rushing touchdown all season.
The Tar Heels also took advantage of the normally turnover-prone
Pirates' only mistake. Vonta Leach fumbled on a short run early in the
fourth quarter, setting up Durant's 33-yard scoring pass to tight end
Jon Hamlett. The true freshman rumbled down the right sideline and dived
in for a 21-10 lead with 11:15 to play.
It was the Pirates' 20th turnover of the season, leading to 97 points
from the opposition.
The Pirates closed the gap to four on a 26-yard touchdown pass from
Robinson to Marvin Townes, but got no closer. The Tar Heels marched 72
yards in 11 plays on the ensuing drive, getting a 1-yard run from Ronnie
McGill late to seal it.
Townes finished with 100 rushing yards for the Pirates.
North Carolina struck first, getting a 34-yard scoring toss from Durant
to Mike Mason early in the second quarter. Mason outjumped Kasey Ross in
the near corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 12:42 left before
the break.
But East Carolina took charge by going to the run. The Pirates answered
with a 13-play, 84-yard drive that took more than 7½ minutes off the
clock, cutting the deficit to 7-3 on Cameron Broadwell's 23-yard field
goal with 4:58 left in the quarter.
After holding North Carolina to a three-and-out, East Carolina again
marched the ball down the field. The Pirates pushed ahead when Robinson
found Tutu Moye wide open in the end zone for a 3-yard score, taking a
10-7 lead with 17 seconds left in the half.
The Pirates committed no first-half turnovers, rushed for 133 yards and
controlled the ball for more than 18 minutes in the half.
02/23/2007 10:52 AM
Copyright 2003 The
Associated Press. Bonesville.net contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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