2008-2009 North Carolina Tar Heel Football Highlights:
Dec. 27, 2008 - Junior Wide Receiver Hakeem Nicks (#88) caught 8 passes for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Meineke Car Care Bowl game loss in Charlotte, NC to the West Virginia Mountaineers. The record setting bowl game performance for Nicks was also the second most by a Tar Heel in a single game, and Hakeem Nicks now holds 14 North Carolina receiving records in his career.
Dec. 22, 2008 - Tar Heel Safety Trimane Goddard (#31) continues to lead the NCAA in interceptions, with 7 going into the Tar Heels bowl game matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Dec. 7, 2008 - Meineke Bowl Game Notes - This will be only the second meeting between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the West Virginia Mountaineers, and first since the Tar Heels (then led by current Texas coach Mack Brown) posted a 20-13 victory in the 1997 Gator Bowl to finish 11-1. North Carolina hasn't won a postseason game since beating Auburn in the 2001 Peach Bowl. Both teams have lost their only appearances in the Meineke Bowl, now in its seventh year. West Virginia lost 48-22 to Virginia in the inaugural event in 2002, and North Carolina lost 37-24 to Boston College in 2004.
Nov. 30, 2008 - The Tar Heels have beaten the Duke Blue Devils in 18 of their last 19 games and have won 10 straight games at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. Trimane Goddard (#31) had his ACC & NCAA leading 7th interception in the fourth quarter of the Tar Heels victory over the Blue Devils.
Nov. 29, 2008 - The Tar Heels' victory against the Blue Devils in Durham was their 8th victory of the regular season and the first time they have reached 8 regular season wins since the 1997 season. Head Coach Butch Davis is now 12-12 in his first two regular seasons with the Tar Heels, with a bowl game still remaining.
Nov. 29, 2008 - Hakeem Nicks (#88) finished the regular season with 60 catches for 1,005 yards to break the North Carolina single season record. Nicks also tied the single season school record with 9 touchdown catches. The Junior Wide Receiver is now the Tar Heels all-time receiving yards leader with 2,623 yards, and is second in receptions at 173 catches in only three seasons. Nicks finished the regular season as the ACC leader in receiving yards (1,005) and touchdown receptions (9).
Nov. 8, 2008 - North Carolina Wide Receiver Hakeem Nicks (#88) had three catches and a touchdown, extending his streak of games with a reception to 22 and set the UNC school record for total career receiving yardage during the fourth quarter of the victory against Georgia Tech. Safety Trimane Goddard (#31) had his sixth interception of the season, which keeps him tied for first in the NCAA. The victory against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ensures the Tar Heels their first winning season in seven years, and keeps the team in the running for The Road to Tampa Bay - The ACC Championship Game. See More
Oct. 25, 2008 - Hakeem Nicks (#88) had three second-quarter touchdown catches and ran for a score in the fourth quarter to help North Carolina soundly beat
No. 23 Boston College 45-24 on Saturday in Chapel Hill, NC. Read More
Oct. 25, 2008 - The Tar Heels defense continues to lead the NCAA in interceptions following the team's 3 interceptions against 23rd ranked Boston College. The North Carolina defense now has 17 interceptions for the season following the Boston College win, which is the team's highest total since the 1996 season when the Tar Heels defense had 20 interceptions. Trimane Goddard also added his fifth individual interception of the season, placing him second in the NCAA behind Georgia Tech's Morgan Burnett. Goddard returned the interception 51 yards for his first career touchdown.
Oct. 15, 2008 - North Carolina star receiver Brandon Tate had surgery on his right knee and is expected to make a full recovery. The ACC leader in total yardage suffered the season-ending knee injury returning a punt early in the first quarter of the Tar Heels victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Oct. 11, 2008. Brandon Tate finished his career with an NCAA record 3,523 combined kick-return yards.
Oct. 4, 2008 - The North Carolina Tar Heels lead the nation in Interceptions by a Defense with 12 following their home victory against the Connecticut Huskies on October 5th, 2008. Tar Heel Safety Trimane Goddard (#31) is currently tied for the individual lead in college football with 4 on the season. The 12 interceptions after just 5 games eclipses the total Tar Heel defenses' interceptions of 11 last season.
Sept. 27, 2008 - North Carolina Tar Heel Senior Brandon Tate (#87) broke the NCAA record for combined kick return yardage in a career during the Tar Heels' road victory against the Miami Hurricanes on September 27, 2008. Tate is also closing in on several other NCAA records for kickoff returns and punt returns in a career.
