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CHAPEL HILL -- Passing statistics -- and sometimes rushing statistics -- win high-stepping, stiff-arming trophies. Turnover margin, a number attributed to an entire team and sorely lacking in Q Rating, is officially the favorite number around here these days.

North Carolina's wild, 29-24 win over Notre Dame ended unpleasantly for the visitors but appropriately in a larger context. One takeaway fueled the Tar Heels' second-half comeback, another capped it and three others contributed. If plus-five on the scoreboard is the bottom line, then plus-five in turnover margin isn't too much above it.

"We know how to play in these situations," quarterback Cam Sexton said.

The Fighting Irish surprised the Heels early by completely eschewing a running game. They didn't even have a running back on the field for their first 18 plays, and their control of the game's flow made their 17-9 halftime lead seem larger than one score's worth.

"You talk at halftime, but having said all that, and with all the Xs and Os, you need an inspirational play," Carolina coach Butch Davis said. "We needed something good to happen. Block a punt. A big punt return. A big kickoff return. We needed somebody to get a fumble or an interception."

Three times in the first half, the Heels anticipated the locations of Jimmy Clausen's intermediate throws and could have -- perhaps should have -- picked them off. Perhaps they were due.

That's where linebacker Quan Sturdivant came in. Or over.

"They were going empty (backfield) a lot, so we were trying to get more defenders back and get the pass rush with three," Sturdivant said. "I was reading the quarterback. It was an out route and I just tried to jump it."

Shortly thereafter, he was jumping for joy, having snagged Clausen's pass and taken it in untouched for a score. The Heels still trailed after electing to kick the extra point, but they had made an unequivocal statement on the first play of the second half: They were in this thing to stay.

"It got our mojo back again," Davis said, probably using that term for the first time in his life.

Down 24-22, the Heels required another stop, and it wouldn't come by compelling a punt. Notre Dame went 10-for-16 in third-down conversions -- the national average is around 40 percent -- and punted once all day.

Clausen didn't think defensive tackle Aleric Mullins was close enough to cause him great angst on a drop-back late in the third quarter, and Mullins probably wasn't in position to level a massive hit. At least not one on the quarterback.

"I saw him step up and he had the ball out and my job is to get it out," Mullins said. "Luckily, I got all of it and fell on top of it. I knew I had it once I hit it. I knew it was mine."

The game-winning touchdown drive resulted. Halfway through the regular season, there's no more fitting way for this bunch to prevail.

So far, Carolina's opponents have run 442 plays to the Heels' 344. That's 16 snaps a game; it's like spotting the other guy the first two or three possessions every time out. It also sounds quite a bit like the 2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who placed 96th nationally in total offense, defended seven more plays a game than they ran and won the ACC championship.

The Heels are now plus-2.5 a game in turnover margin. Before Saturday, the national leader, Vanderbilt, stood at plus-1.8. So the Heels will gladly tolerate an offense that won't appreciably change from its 88th-place standing.

Of course, the fifth victory in six chances didn't become certain until the Big East officiating crew, after a seemingly endless appeal to the replay gods, ruled the Irish had fumbled and the Heels had recovered with three seconds left.

"Longest dang 10 minutes of my life," Carolina linebacker Mark Paschal said.

"I'm still shaking," running back Shaun Draughn offered.

And they're still winning.

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com

Notre Dame 7 10 7 0 -- 24

North Carolina 3 6 13 7 -- 29

ND--Tate 19 pass from Clausen (B.Walker kick)

NC--FG Barth 41

ND--FG B.Walker 42

NC--FG Barth 34

ND--Floyd 7 pass from Clausen (B.Walker kick)

NC--FG Barth 42, :09.

NC--Sturdivant 32 interception return (Barth kick)

ND--Aldridge 2 run (B.Walker kick)

NC--Houston 1 run (pass failed)

NC--Sexton 4 run (Barth kick)

A--60,500.

Notre Dame North Carolina

First downs 27 21

Rushes-yards 30-89 32-121

Passing 383 201

Comp-Att-Int 31-48-2 18-32-0

Return Yards 0 49

Punts-Avg. 1-35.0 4-38.0

Fumbles-Lost 4-3 1-0

Penalties-Yards 4-33 7-55

Time of Possession 33:05 26:55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Notre Dame, Allen 11-60, Aldridge 4-23, Hughes 4-12, Clausen 11-(minus 6). North Carolina, Draughn 17-91, Houston 8-28, Little 2-7, Sexton 3-(minus 2), Team 2-(minus 3).

PASSING--Notre Dame, Clausen 31-48-2-383. North Carolina, Sexton 18-32-0-201.

RECEIVING--Notre Dame, Allen 7-47, Floyd 6-93, Tate 5-121, Kamara 5-58, Grimes 4-19, Rudolph 3-30, Hughes 1-15. North Carolina, Nicks 9-141, Foster 3-28, Arnold 2-3, Ri.Quinn 1-15, Pianalto 1-5, Thornton 1-5, Elzy 1-4.