Football:Highsmith sends message to ECU

There was Erik Highsmith — a true freshman in his first career start — pointing and blowing kisses to the crowd after his first collegiate touchdown catch.

But he wasn’t beckoning to the home North Carolina fans. He was looking directly at the purple and gold corner of the stadium.

Sure, the celebration cost his team 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff, but for a moment, Highsmith had his mind set on revenge.

A product of Vanceboro, Highsmith grew up about 20 minutes away from East Carolina. The Pirates recruited him, but when it came time for scholarship offers, nothing came from the local school.

And he didn’t forget it.

“Those purple and gold boys over there,” Highsmith said. “I mean, I tried to just embarrass them a little bit.”

That celebration came after Highsmith caught a 16-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter of UNC’s 31-17 win, and it was the exclamation point of No. 88’s coming out party.

The freshman caught six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He became the first true freshman to post a 100-yard receiving game since another guy who wore No. 88 did it three times in 2006.

While it’s too early to start making Hakeem Nicks comparisons, the choice of number is not missed by many.

“I don’t know who is going to wear those numbers in the next 25 years, but whoever comes in, I would ask for 88 for sure,” UNC coach Butch Davis said. “I would try to make sure that I’m the heir apparent.”

Highsmith’s score came on his very first touch of the day. With the Tar Heels facing third and nine, the play call came in: X-corner. Highsmith, the X-receiver, remembered exactly what he was thinking as he ran to the line of scrimmage.

“I said, ‘Oh Lord, it’s about to come to me.’ And I just caught it.”

It was one of many points that he had to prove Saturday. As if he needed more motivation against ECU, Highsmith said the Pirates were jawing at him all night, using his size and age — he’s 6 feet, 3 inches tall, 175 lbs., and 18 years old — as ammunition.

But he believes that strength and maturity are more important, and he called himself a veteran in a rookie body. UNC quarterback T.J. Yates agreed.

“He’s a little undersized, but he plays a lot bigger than his size,” Yates said. “He’s a lot stronger than people think.

“He runs very, very good routes for being a true freshman, being so poised and everything.”

Highsmith found out he would be starting on Monday, as an injury to Dwight Jones has left the spot up for grabs so far this season. Since then, he has practiced with the first team and caught about 200 balls per day in preparation.

And now, No. 88 says he should be starting every game — at least until Jones’ return.

Fellow freshman wideout Jheranie Boyd, sitting nearby, said he knew all week that this game would be special for his new teammate.

“They say a lot of the ECU players go to ECU because they didn’t get an offer from Carolina,” Boyd said. “Well, ECU missed out on one.”


Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.