Over the past seventeen seasons, each since 1997, one thing has remained the same in the UNC football program. The team has been unable to win its first two conference games during any of those years.

On Saturday night the 18th time proved to be the charm, as the Tar Heels overcame a sloppy first quarter at Kenan Stadium to defeat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons by a score of 50-14.

Five straight wins, including the first two ACC games, has UNC sitting in unfamiliar territory. Now at 5-1 (2-0 ACC), the Tar Heels still control their own destiny within the ACC Coastal Division, tied with Duke and Pittsburgh atop the standings.

Wake Forest drops to 3-4 overall with a 1-3 record in conference play after the loss.

“Our guys are playing well right now, they feel good about themselves as a team,” UNC Head Coach Larry Fedora said after the game. “The chemistry, the love that they have for each other–it’s fun to coach this team.”

Mack Hollins goes up for the second of his three touchdown catches. (UNC Athletics)

Mack Hollins goes up for the second of his three touchdown catches. (UNC Athletics)

Junior wide receiver Mack Hollins caught three passes in the game, all of them for touchdowns. His scores came on plays of 57, 4, and 42 yards.

“When I catch the ball I want to score, because it might mess up my yards per catch [if I don’t],” Hollins said with a laugh afterwards. “As a receiver that’s what you should do, and if you talk to [any other receiver on the team] they’ll say the same thing. When you catch the ball you might not get another opportunity to get it.”

At quarterback, senior Marquise Williams struggled early, throwing two interceptions on the Tar Heels’ first two offensive possessions, including one that was deflected by a defender. But he recovered for a solid performance–completing 14-of-20 passes for 282 yards and three scores, while also running the ball 12 times for 59 yards and another touchdown.

“Nothing you can do when you’re getting a ball batted down,” Williams said about the slow start. “If the defense is gonna bat the ball down, then that’s nothing. You can’t control that. [I said] ‘Let’s go out and let’s go answer.’  And we answered real quick. That’s the thing, just answer and come back, and keep answering and keep answering.

“This team is more of a family, more of a bonded team,” he added. “Nobody’s pointing fingers.”

The Demon Deacons were also completely helpless trying to stop UNC’s wrecking ball of a tailback, sophomore Elijah Hood.

Hood carried the ball just 8 times, but still picked up 101 yards and a touchdown while also catching two passes for 19 yards.

Sophomore quarterback John Wolford led Wake Forest offensively, completing 16-of-22 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns–but had to come out of the game on two separate occasions due to minor injuries.

Overall the Demon Deacons picked up just 310 total yards, compared to UNC’s 538.

At the end of the first quarter Wake Forest led 7-0, but 29 second quarter points helped the Tar Heels turn this into a blowout.

Marquise Williams recovered strong after throwing back-to-back interceptions to begin the game. (UNC Athletics)

Marquise Williams recovered strong after throwing back-to-back interceptions to begin the game. (UNC Athletics)

On just the fourth play of the night, Williams dropped back and looked for senior Quinshad Davis deep down the field. However, on what appeared to be a miscommunication of some type, Davis stopped running. The ball was then picked off by Wake Forest defensive back Brad Watson.

After Demon Deacon kicker Mike Weaver missed wide right on a 47-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing possession, Williams again met a similar fate.

With the ball on his own 30-yard-line, Williams was picked off for the second time in less than five minutes of game time. His pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Marquel Lee, then found the hands of Demetrius Kemp–forcing fans at Kenan Stadium to collectively hold their breath.

This time the Demon Deacons capitalized on the short field, driving down the field in five plays. A 1-yard touchdown pass from Wolford to Cam Serigne gave Wake Forest the first touchdown of the game–a strange sight considering its 3-0 victory over Boston College a week ago.

But with the end of the first quarter came the end of Wake’s luck.

Beginning the second quarter back on their own 30-yard-line, the Tar Heels finally put their offense in gear. Williams wasted no time looking down field for a streaking Mack Hollins, who reeled in a 57-yard rainbow for a touchdown–tying the game 7-7.

Wake’s first play following UNC’s touchdown also resulted in disaster. A fumble by tailback Tyler Bell was recovered by Tar Heel linebacker Jeff Schoettmer at the Demon Deacons’ 34-yard-line.

Four plays later, Williams was running the ball back into the end zone from 13 yards out, firmly shifting momentum over to UNC.

A Wake Forest three-and-out then gave the Tar Heels a chance to release the beast, as Hood rumbled for a 65 yards–including a 36-yard touchdown–on two carries.

Just like that, the Tar Heels were up 22-7 less than five minutes into the second quarter–thanks to a successful two point conversion.

The big plays weren’t done there either.

Following a methodical 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive by the Demon Deacons, Williams found sophomore receiver Austin Proehl for a 61-yard catch-and-run screen pass. A 1-yard touchdown run from TJ Logan came after, handing UNC a 29-14 halftime lead.

A small bit of controversy erupted early in the third quarter after Wake Forest was forced to punt on the half’s opening drive.

Austin Proehl caught 2 passes for 94 yards against his father's alma mater. (UNC Athletics)

Austin Proehl caught 2 passes for 94 yards against his father’s alma mater. (UNC Athletics)

Tar Heel return man Ryan Switzer brought the punt back 70 yards to the 1-yard-line, but had it wiped out due to penalty when the referee said he signaled for a fair catch–even though replays showed otherwise.

As UNC went three-and-out on offense after the penalty call, the home crowd serenaded the officials with loud boos, which lasted for close to six minutes of game time.

By the end of the quarter, those boos had all transformed into cheers. After a 33-yard scamper by Williams brought UNC into the red zone, he found Hollins two plays later in the back of the end zone for a bobbling 4-yard touchdown to give the Tar Heels a commanding 22-point lead.

Hollins again found pay dirt early in the fourth quarter as he caught another deep pass, then made a slick cut past the defense to pick up his third score of the night.

That spelled the end of the night for the UNC starters, as Mitch Trubisky replaced Williams at quarterback for the remainder of the game–scoring a 10-yard rushing touchdown before running the clock out on the Tar Heels’ first 2-0 ACC start since 1997.

“Coach Fedora talks about it all the time,” Proehl said about the statistic. “We talk about it as a team all the time, even though it doesn’t get out to the media. We know we have a special group of guys here right now that are feeding off each other, that are working together to be good–to be great.

“We don’t wanna stop,” he continued. “I think that’s the biggest part about us right now. We don’t wanna stop.”

Up Next:

UNC will remain at home next weekend for another ACC game, as they play host to the 2-4 (1-1 ACC)Virginia Cavaliers, who are coming off a wild 44-38 overtime victory over Syracuse.

Game Notes:

  • Senior cornerback Malik Simmons, suspended for the season’s first two games due to a pair of misdemeanor charges, started in place of sophomore MJ Stewart, who was suspended indefinitely earlier in the week for an assault charge relating to an October 4th incident.
  • Marquise Williams has now been responsible for 76 touchdowns in his career (passing, rushing, and receiving). The school record is 79 held by former quarterback Darian Durant (2001-2004).
  • So far in 2015, 20 of UNC’s 30 touchdown drives have taken less than two minutes.
  • Sophomore Austin Proehl, who caught a 61-yard pass in the second quarter for UNC, is the son of long time NFL receiver Ricky Proehl–the all-time leading receiver in Wake Forest history.