CHAPEL HILL — Maybe it was the nine-month layoff or maybe North Carolina was mesmerized by the familiarity of The Citadel's uniforms, either way it took one quarter for the Tar Heels to find their bearings in Saturday's season-opener at Kenan Stadium.

The 21st-ranked Tar Heels made up for a sluggish start with an assertive finish in a 40-6 win over the lower Division I Bulldogs.

See an audio slide show of UNC tailback Shaun Draughn who worships in the same Edgecombe County church where his parents are pastors. Photos and ... more

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina tailback Shaun Draughn can't really blame people for pronouncing his name incorrectly for the first two-thirds of the season.

After all, the sophomore was a reserve safety last year — meaning his name wasn't exactly announced on television all that often — and even he knows his name has more of a ring to it if you pronounce it as a rhyme.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — North Carolina quarterback Cameron Sexton was frustrated with himself after tossing two interceptions during Saturday’s 16-13 overtime loss to Virginia, saying “I feel like I let down our fans, the state of North Carolina, I feel like I let down the University, I really feel like I let down my teammates pretty good today.”

But the redshirt junior said he plans to take that frustration out on future defenses.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina sophomore Greg Little doesn’t see himself as competing for the starting tailback position with Shaun Draughn, who ran for over 100 yards against Connecticut, instead, Little said, “he’s pushing me, and I’m pushing him … to try to make each other better.”

Draughn, a converted safety, came in on UNC’s second offensive series of the game and rushed 19 times for 109 yards and a touchdown. Little, a converted wide receiver, made his fifth consecutive start in the backfield but rushed only three times for six yards.