Recap: North Carolina 40, Middle Tennessee State 20
Sep 7, 2013
North Carolina 40, Middle Tennessee State 20: Bryn Renner threw for 339 yards and a touchdown and Romar Morris added a pair of first-half rushing scores as the host Tar Heels jumped to an early lead and coasted past the Blue Raiders.
North Carolina (1-1) led 20-0 after Morris' pair of touchdowns and a 1-yard sneak from Renner, who finished 23-of-34 passing. Sean Tapley led the Tar Heels with four catches for 93 yards.
Jordan Parker paced Middle Tennessee State (1-1) with 109 rushing yards and a third-quarter score. Logan Kilgore, who was injured in last week's win, went 21-of-35 for 211 yards but threw three interceptions.
Tavarres Jefferson led the Blue Raiders with seven catches for 101 yards. Kyle Griswould added seven catches for 65 yards to extend his streak to 24 straight games with a reception.
Jared Singletary returned a Tar Heels fumble 25 yards to cut the deficit to 26-13 early in the fourth, but Renner answered with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Quinshad Davis for a 20-point advantage. Backup quarterbacks Marquise Williams (North Carolina) and Austin Grammer (Middle Tennessee State) traded touchdowns in the game's final minutes.
GAME NOTEBOOK: A second-quarter interception ended Renner's streak at 140 passes without an interception. ... The Tar Heels outgained the Blue Raiders, 511-401. ... Singletary's fumble return for a TD was the team's first since 2010.
