North Carolina 27, East Carolina 6: Bryn Renner threw for 321 yards and Giovani Bernard came back from injury to score two touchdowns as the host Tar Heels pulled away in the second half.

Renner had two touchdown passes, including a 62-yard scoring strike to Sean Tapley just 4:15 into the second half for a 17-6 lead. Bernard, who missed the last two games with a sore knee, ran four yards for a score 2:50 later after a fumble by East Carolina. Bernard finished with 50 yards rushing.

North Carolina (2-2) recorded seven sacks and held the Pirates to a pair of Warren Harvey field goals.

Bernard, the Tar Heels' leading rusher last season as a freshman, made an immediate impact with a 14-yard touchdown reception from Renner with 5:50 left in the first quarter to give North Carolina a 7-0 lead.

East Carolina (2-2) allowed Renner 209 yards passing in the first half, but the Pirates hung tough. North Carolina’s Casey Barth missed his first field goal of the season – a 34-yarder – as time expired and the Tar Heels led just 10-6 at halftime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bernard has 19 touchdowns in 15 career games. … East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden was 17-of-30 passing for 124 yards. … North Carolina leads the series 12-2-1.