“I thought it would be a defensive game, and obviously it wasn’t from either standpoint.”
That's how North Carolina head coach Mack Brown summed up the thought that was on everybody's mind after UNC fell to Virginia, 38-31, in the 124th edition of the South's Oldest Rivalry.
One of the main ways the Tar Heels kept Saturday night's matchup from being a defensive chess match? Sophomore wide receiver Dyami Brown.
"He balled tonight," junior linebacker Chazz Surratt said. "What’d he have, like 200 yards? He played really well, kept us in the game, so I’m proud of him."
Surratt was close. Brown finished the offensive explosion that was Saturday's game with 202 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. The fact that the sophomore stuffed his stat sheet with these numbers on just six receptions was an indicator of his ability to make big-time plays.
It was a welcome surprise for a player who hadn't reached 90 receiving yards in a game this year heading into Saturday.
"He’s kind of been quiet the past couple weeks," first-year quarterback Sam Howell said. "You could just tell he had that look in his eye before the game. Every single time he touched the ball, he wanted to take it for six."
It didn't take long for the fans in Kenan Stadium to see that look in Dyami Brown's eyes translate to tangible moments on the field.
On UNC's second drive of the game, Howell opened the series with a slant pass to Brown, who found space down the left sideline and turned the play into a 57-yard reception.