North Carolina Keeps Dantzler, Clemson Quiet

North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers was tired of hearing about Clemson’s Woodrow Dantzler. So he and the Tar Heels shut down the talk where it counted most--on the field.

Peppers had a remarkable interception and North Carolina held Clemson’s Heisman Trophy hopeful to one of his worst games with 116 total yards in a 38-3 victory over the 13th-ranked Tigers on Saturday.

“[Dantzler] had 900-something yards the past two games, but we’re better than that,” said Peppers. “Our defense is better than that.”

North Carolina proved it against Clemson (4-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) to win its fifth in a row after opening 0-3.

Peppers tipped Dantzler’s pass and lunged for the interception, which led to the first of Bosley Allen’s two touchdown catches.

“That’s typical Julius,” Tar Heel lineman Ryan Sims said. “It looks impossible, but he does it.”

The rest of the time, North Carolina (5-3, 4-1) never gave Dantzler the chance to dazzle like he did against Georgia Tech and North Carolina State the previous two games, when he accounted for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns.

In this one, Dantzler had few magic moments. He and the team heard boos several times from the homecoming crowd of 84,000.

“Right now, a lot of people want to throw us in the back barn,” Dantzler said.

He was replaced by Willie Simmons with eight seconds to go in the third quarter and did not return.

Dantzler was 10 of 25 for 73 yards passing and had 12 rushes for 43 yards.

Both North Carolina quarterbacks, freshman Darian Durant and senior Ronald Curry, played well.

Durant was 11 for 11 for 97 yards.

He threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Allen following Pepper’s interception and rushed for scores of five and one yard in the second half.

Curry, before leaving because of a left hamstring strain, ran for 82 yards and passed for 109.

He threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Allen for a 21-3 Tar Heel lead.