UNC vs. Virginia - Player of the Game: Dyami Brown

North Carolina’s loss to Virginia was a brutal one in many ways. The Tar Heels outgained UVA by well over 100 yards. They averaged over three more yards per play. They were better at converting third downs.

Yet they lost because of some ill-timed mistakes and turnovers. Considering that they were down 21 at one point, getting it to just three shows that the offense played well on the whole.

A very big reason the Heels were able to get as close to a comeback as they were was the play of Dyami Brown. The receiver had an absolutely massive day for UNC, recording 11 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns.

He helped get the game off to the perfect start when he and Sam Howell connected for a 54-yard touchdown on just the fourth play from scrimmage. He had a couple other big yardage catches in the first half, but it was really down the stretch where he next made a big impact in the game.

With just over five minutes left in the third quarter, the Cavaliers scored to go up 41-20. At that point, UNC began their attempt at a rally. In the ensuing 20 minutes of game action, Brown made seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. In the one touchdown drive in that stretch that he didn’t score, he had a 47-yard catch that set UNC up on UVA’s nine-yard line, from where they would punch it in two plays later. The rally may have come up short, but Brown was such a massive part of it even getting close.

Other nominees for player of the game include the man throwing all those passes to Brown. Sam Howell was 23-28, throwing for a career high 443 passing yards. He also threw for one other touchdown to someone other than Brown, finishing with four in total. The main thing that sees him finish in second to Brown was his third quarter fumble that Virginia recovered and score after. However on the whole, he was very good, especially considering how much the offensive line struggled.

Besides those two, there aren’t a ton of other options. UNC’s running back duo of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams were held to just a combined 118 yards and one touchdown. As for the defensive side of things: lol no.

For the second time in three weeks, UNC is left stinging after a very frustrating loss. However, once again, they did have at least one bright spot in a player that went down swinging. This week, it was Dyami Brown.