CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Antonio Williams ran for two scores while Nathan Elliott threw for two more to help North Carolina beat Pittsburgh 38-35 on Saturday in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener.
Williams finished with a career-best 114 yards rushing for the Tar Heels (1-2, 1-0 ACC), who put together a solid all-around showing after road losses at California and East Carolina. Elliott also had a big day, shaking off two games worth of accuracy issues to throw for a career-best 313 yards while completing 71 percent of his passes.
Perhaps more importantly, UNC's frequently shaky defense contributed big plays of its own, coming up with three sacks and holding Pitt to minus-5 yards in the third quarter as the Tar Heels erased a 28-21 halftime deficit.