North Carolina's Brandon Tate racked up 397 all-purpose yards to break the UNC record and scored two touchdowns to lead the Tar Heels to a 35-27 season-opening victory over a McNeese State squad that hung tough against the favored Heels.
Tate tallied the first score of the year with an 82-yard punt return for a TD in the first quarter. A long run by Tate in the second quarter set up the second score - a 4-yard touchdown pass from UNC quarterback T.J. Yates to Brooks Foster that made it 14-0.
At that point, there was a nearly two-hour weather delay as lightning moved into the area. The Cowboys evidently handled the break better as they rallied for a 92-yard drive on their first possession after the long layoff. Then, just moments later, a 70-yard punt return on a trick, reverse play by McNeese tied it at 14-14.
After a 5-minute halftime, UNC's Yates was intercepted on a pass that was badly underthrown. McNeese State went on a methodical, time-consuming drive that ended in a score. UNC's Marvin Austin, who left the game with an injury of unknown extent in the second half, blocked the extra point.
Carolina came right back when Yates found Tate for a TD pass on a third-and-six play. After Casey Barth's extra point, the Heels had the lead 21-20 with 4:35 left in the third period.
A Barth field goal attempt from 37 yards out sailed wide late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter a leaping catch by Tate kept a drive alive. With nine minutes to go, runningback Shaun Draughn of Tarboro broke open on a 13-yard TD run that made it 28-20.
The Heels seemingly broke the whole game open with five minutes to go. Yates, who went 15 of 26 for 221 yards, hooked up with Hakeem Nicks for a 71-yard pass play that set up a 5-yard TD burst by Greg Little to make it 35-20.
A gritty McNeese State team, who had 391 total offense yards, scored late to make the final score 35-27.
Carolina travels to a highly regarded Rutgers team on Sept. 11. The Heels have a lot of work to do on offense and defense if they hope to be in that one - unless Tate goes crazy again.
"They outhustled us, outplayed us," said UNC coach Butch Davis. "The only thing they didn't do was have an answer to Brandon Tate."
Boxscore |