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No. 24 Louisville Shuts Out UNC, 34-0
Sept. 25, 2004
By AARON BEARD CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Eric Shelton ran for three touchdowns and No. 24 Louisville earned its second shutout of the season with a 34-0 victory over North Carolina on Saturday. Shelton rushed for 86 yards to lead the Cardinals, who improved to 3-0 for the second straight season under coach Bobby Petrino. Brian Brohm added a touchdown run and Michael Bush ran for 82 yards. Louisville averaged 35 points in 15 games under Petrino, but the Cardinals didn't need much offense Saturday. Their defense shut down North Carolina's balanced attack, closing just about every running lane and allowing few gains through the air. Louisville, which ranked 11th nationally by allowing 10.5 points per game, opened the season with a 28-0 win against Kentucky. North Carolina (2-2) came in averaging 36 points and 478 yards, but the Tar Heels finished with 222 total yards. They also committed two turnovers inside Louisville's 20. It was a demoralizing way for North Carolina to follow last week's 34-13 win against Georgia Tech, a game that coach John Bunting hoped would build momentum heading into a difficult stretch that includes Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech. In that game, the Tar Heels forced five turnovers - their first takeaways of the year - and got 161 rushing yards from Jacque Lewis to lead an efficient offense. But on Saturday, North Carolina looked a lot like the team that struggled in its opening win against Division I-AA William & Mary and its lopsided loss to Virginia. Louisville moved the ball effectively throughout the game, with Stefan LeFors going 13-for-16 with 123 yards to complement the Shelton-Bush running tandem.
The Cardinals had not played in two weeks - last week's scheduled game at Tulane was postponed due to Hurricane Ivan - but came out with 14- and 12-play scoring drives that built a 10-0 halftime lead. The Cardinals put the game away with a dominant third quarter, getting two TD runs from Shelton and allowing just 41 total yards. The Cardinals opened the game with a 77-yard scoring drive that took 6{ minutes off the clock. Shelton capped the drive with a 1-yard run. After the Tar Heels went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, Shelton pushed the lead to 17-0 with a 37-yard touchdown run. Shelton hit the right side, then split defenders Jacoby Watkins and Linwood Williams - who managed little more than attempted arm tackles - on his way to the end zone. Shelton scored his third touchdown midway through the third, plowing over Gerald Sensabaugh for a 1-yard score and a 24-0 lead. Darian Durant, who owns North Carolina's career passing and total offense records, went 10-for-19 for 80 yards and an interception. Chad Scott rushed for 33 yards - 31 coming on one carry - to lead a ground attack which gained 285 yards against the Yellow Jackets. Lewis had just 29 yards on eight carries. The Tar Heels were without starting tailback Ronnie McGill, who sprained an ankle in last week's win. |
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