North Carolina is tied at 14 with the visiting East Carolina Pirates at halftime. ECU scored touchdowns on consecutive drives to go ahead of the Tar Heels but UNC’s Da’Norris Searcy intercepted a pass and rumbled 46 yards to even the score.
The Pirates opened the scoring by driving 75 yards down the field, capped off by a 13-yard pass from Dominique Davis to Lance Lewis.
UNC answered with a 77 yard drive led by T.J. Yates that ended with a 25 yard touchdown catch to Jheranie Boyd. UNC had East Carolina reeling on the Pirates’ next possession, but a costly roughing the kicker penalty by Bruce Carter kept the ECU drive alive and the Pirates took advantage.
In a bit of trickery, wide receiver Dwayne Harris caught a ball in the right flats and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to a streaking Joe Womack.
Both offenses stalled during the second quarter with the two teams combining for seven punts. Searcy’s interception was a welcome sight for North Carolina’s offense, and a good sign for the senior who missed the first three games of the season amid an ongoing academic investigation.
UNC quarterback T.J. Yates had a solid first half, throwing for 120 yards while going 13 for 18 on completions without an interception. Johnny White led the running game with 37 yards on 6 carries.
