No. 24 North Carolina Downs East Carolina, 31-17 Posted Sep 19, 2009 T.J. Yates threw for two touchdowns while freshman receiver Erik Highsmith had a big game to help No. 24 UNC beat ECU 31-17 on Saturday. Highsmith had six catches for 113 yards and a score for the Tar Heels, who are off to their first 3-0 start since 1997. His big day included a pair of key catches to move the chains on the Tar Heels' clock-draining drive that ended with Ryan Houston's 5-yard score with 1:58 left in the game. (Tar Heel Blue)