CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Javonte Williams ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 14 North Carolina beat 23rd-ranked rival North Carolina State 48-21.
Michael Carter ran for 106 yards and a score in a strong ground game for the Tar Heels.
UNC ran for 326 yards and had 578 total yards. Wolfpack quarterback Bailey Hockman threw and ran for scores.
But he was pulled for true freshman Ben Finley after three series and didn't return until the third quarter.
This was the first meeting with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 since 1993.
Postgame Notes From UNC Football
• UNC is now 68-36-6 all-time against NC State and has won back-to-back games against the Wolfpack for the first time since winning in 2012 and 2013.
• Head coach Mack Brown has led the Tar Heels to seven straight wins against NC State (1993-94-95-96-97-2019-20).
• Brown is 7-7 against NC State as a head coach, including 7-5 as UNC’s head coach. His record improved to 255-129-1 all-time and 80-53-1 as Carolina’s head coach.
• Today marked just the second time in school history the Tar Heels had two rushers over 100 yards (160 by Javonte Williams, 106 by Michael Carter), a 100-yard receiver (105 by Dyami Brown) and a passer with 200 yards (252 by Sam Howell). The only other time was against Maryland in 1993 (Curtis Johnson and Leon Johnson were the rushers, Jason Stanicek the quarterback and both Bucky Brooks and Corey Holliday the receivers).
• Carolina is 3-0 against NC State when both teams are ranked in the AP poll (also wins in 1979 and 1993). Today, UNC was No. 14 and NC State No. 23.
• The 27-point victory over No. 23 NC State is UNC’s largest win over an AP-ranked opponent since a 38-3 win over No. 13 Clemson in 2001. This is UNC’s third-largest win ever over a ranked team (also a 41-9 win over No. 6 Florida State in 2001).
• Carolina has accumulated more than 400 yards of total offense in each of its last 13 games. Today, the Tar Heels gained 578 total offense yards, while NC State managed 392. UNC has posted 550-plus yards of total offense in three straight games for the first time in at least 50 years, dating back to existing records that begin in 1971.
• Carolina rushed for 326 yards and passed for 252. NC State passed for 358, but the Tar Heel defense allowed only 34 rushing yards.
• NC State’s 34 rushing yards were the fewest allowed by the Tar Heels since holding Rutgers to one yard on Sept. 10, 2011.
• The 48 points scored by the Tar Heels were the most against NC State since 1996, when UNC produced 52.
• This marked the first time UNC has scored 40 or more points in consecutive games against NC State since 1982 (41) and 1983 (42). The Tar Heels scored 41 last season in Raleigh.
• Carolina’s 34 first downs were a season-high (31 vs. Virginia Tech). It matches the season high from a year (34 vs. Georgia Tech). The Tar Heels matched their season-high with seven third-down conversions (in 12 attempts; also were 7 of 12 at Boston College).
• Carolina had a season-high time of possession of 39:08 (previous was 33:15 last week at Florida State).
• Javonte Williams rushed for 160 yards. It was the third straight game he eclipsed the 100-yard mark and the fifth time in his career. He became the first Tar Heel rusher to gain 100 yards in three consecutive games since Elijah Hood in the final three games in 2015.
• Today’s game marked the second time this season two Tar Heels rushed for 100 or more yards. Michael Carter and Williams also did that against Virginia Tech on Oct. 10. That hadn’t happened in a game since 2015 against NC State (Hood and T.J. Logan).
• Williams and Carter are the fourth pair of Tar Heels to rush for 100 yards in a game against NC State. The others were Logan and Hood in 2015; Ethan Horton and William Humes in 1984; and Ike Oglesby and Don McCauley in 1970.
• Williams scored three rushing touchdowns today. He’s rushed for multiple touchdowns in three of five games this season and has scored eight touchdowns in UNC’s three games this season in Kenan Stadium.
• Carter rushed for 106 yards, his third 100-yard outing this season and the eighth of his career.
• Howell completed 18 of 29 passes for 252 passing yards and a touchdown. The 252 yards moved the sophomore into fifth place in UNC history in passing yards with 5,044, passing Ronald Curry (4,987). He surpassed the 5,000-yard mark in just 18 collegiate games.