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Chapel Hill, NC (Sports Network) - T.J. Yates threw for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 19-of-24 completions as 24th-ranked North Carolina downed East Carolina, 31-17, at Kenan Stadium.

"I thought T.J. Yates was outstanding today. His composure, his poise, his percentage of completions was very good," noted Tar Heels head coach Butch Davis. "He was smart with the football. He was keeping every body in there routes."

Shaun Draughn racked up 84 rushing yards on 19 carries and Ryan Houston added a pair of scores on the ground for the Tar Heels (3-0), who got 113 yards and a score on six receptions from Erik Highsmith.

Pat Pinkney was 19-of-30 for 157 yards and one touchdown for the Pirates (1-2), who have dropped two straight after a season-opening defeat of FCS powerhouse Appalachian State.

Dwayne Harris rushed for just 15 yards but scored and Jamar Bryant added four catches for 27 yards and a TD in defeat.

Casey Barth's 28-yard kick gave North Carolina a 10-point lead early in the third quarter, then the Tar Heels defense came up with a block on a Ben Hartman attempt later in the period. Hartman did connect on a 22-yard field goal with 6:21 left in the contest to bring the Pirates within a touchdown.

UNC began the following series inside its own 20, but Houston wrapped up an eight-play march on a five-yard touchdown run to lock up the win and put the hosts ahead 31-17 with 1:58 remaining.

"It's frustrating and it is hard to lose and especially for a football team that has such lofty goals for themselves and such high expectations," lamented Pirates head coach Skip Holtz. "We came in here with the expectation to not only be able to compete but to come in and win. There is no moral victory to come out of here and say it was close. It is a very down locker room right now."

ECU took advantage of a fumble on UNC's first possession, as Pinkney found Bryant for a seven-yard score with a little more than seven minutes to play in the first quarter.

North Carolina responded on its ensuing series, as Yates hit Highsmith for a 16-yard TD to cap a 60-yard drive.

Helped by a fumble recovery near midfield, the Tar Heels took a 14-7 lead when Yates connected with Jheranie Boyd for a 59-yard score down the middle with 8:09 left in the second quarter.

The Pirates came right back with a 77-yard drive for a tie after Harris scored on a six-yard run, but UNC regained a seven-point edge on a one-yard dash from Houston less than three minutes before halftime.