ESPN College Football

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	North Carolina came in to Saturday's UConn game determined to shut down running back Donald Brown (#34..)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Butch Davis delivered a message for his team at the start of the week: "If you want more, do more."

His intent was to make sure North Carolina didn't get complacent after its pulsating, come-from-behind win at Miami the prior weekend. He wanted them to work even harder to prepare for No. 24 Connecticut.

"As a program, we have to expect more out of ourselves," he said. "I thought the kids really responded to that this week."

The defense really seemed to take the message to heart, and that unit couldn't have done much more in the 38-12 victory on Saturday. Defensive players talked afterward about how they had woken up at 5:30 a.m. all week for extra meetings and film study, focusing especially on how to slow down running back Donald Brown and the UConn offense.

"It sucks getting up at 5:30, but this is freaking worth it," linebacker Mark Paschal said. "Every minute you have go to bed early is worth it to be able to cherish this win with the guys you're waking up early with."

The Tar Heels came up with three interceptions, giving them five in their last two games and 12 on the year. They had 11 all last season.

Two of the interceptions directly turned into touchdowns, and another score resulted from a punt block recovery in the end zone. Just as Trimaine Goddard's two interceptions played a huge role against Miami, so too did Saturday's big plays by the defense.

"Coach always says if we just catch the ones they throw to you, we'll lead the nation in interceptions," said Goddard, who had another pick versus the Huskies, giving him four on the year. "We're making plays when they come to us."

No one illustrated that more than Marvin Austin. The 300-pound defensive tackle found a gift interception from Connecticut's Zach Frazer and rumbled -- and we mean rumbled -- 23 yards for his first career score.

"I was just thinking, 'Don't fall,'" Austin said. "We're making plays when we need to, and we're executing as a defense."

The defense didn't shut down Brown, as the nation's leading rusher had 161 yards. But that was 20 yards below his average, and North Carolina mostly contained him until he busted a 40-yard run when the game was well in hand.

The game plan called for forcing UConn to throw, which Frazer did 44 times, and the turnovers proved that strategy's wisdom. Paschal made the first interception while jumping a route he said he had seen countless times on film this week.

More importantly, the Tar Heels converted those mistakes into points.

"That's huge," Goddard said. "It gets the crowd into the game and gets the (opposing) offense into a little mental block. They have to go right back out there, and we're still pumped up from that."

They didn't allow a UConn touchdown until the fourth quarter despite being on the field for 84 plays and more than 36 minutes of game time.

"I'm worn out," Paschal said. "But I can't tell you how unbelievable good I feel right now. We've been working for this for a long, long time and it's starting to turn the corner. It's exciting to be a part of."