CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Ryan Houston rushed for three touchdowns and Quan Sturdivant returned a fumble 49 yards for a score, one of six turnovers forced by North Carolina during a 42-12 rout of Georgia Southern on Saturday.
Bruce Carter brought back an interception 41 yards for a TD and the defense set up two quick scoring drives with takeaways for North Carolina (4-2).
Houston scored on rushes of 1, 1 and 7 yards. Shaun Draughn added a 16-yard touchdown run for the Tar Heels, who held the Eagles to 170 total yards and 75 through the air.
Adam Urbano had a 45-yard TD rush -- the longest allowed this season by North Carolina's stingy defense -- for the Eagles (3-3).
The Tar Heels managed only a combined 10 points in consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia that dropped them out of the national rankings and into last place in the ACC's Coastal Division.
Turned out, a timely visit from another outmanned Football Championship Subdivision opponent was just what they needed, building a 42-7 halftime lead -- their highest-scoring first half in nine years.
