The Tar Heels have 12 interceptions -- after just five games.

UNC, thanks to a 38-12 victory over No. 24 Connecticut at Kenan Stadium, is a college football team on the rise.

What's going on here?

Thanks to three blocked punts (all in the second quarter) by linebacker Bruce Carter, an improved running attack and a literal lights-out performance by the defense, it's an honest-to-goodness resurgence, now that UNC (4-1) is off to its best start since 1997.

"We're headed in the right direction," quarterback Cameron Sexton said. "All of the parts are in place. ... We're starting to mesh. But we know this isn't it; our goal isn't just to win four games."

For the previous 16 outings, Carolina had been known for its big-play offense. But Saturday, the Tar Heels' defense dominated the highlight reel.

Making his first start since 2006, Sexton (9-for-16, one touchdown, one interception) didn't have to create any comeback magic, like last weekend at Miami. He just had to hold on for the ride.

Senior linebacker Mark Paschal got the pick-party going early, when he grabbed his second interception of the season -- this time off UConn's Zach Frazer, who was starting for the injured Tyler Lorenzen. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ryan Houston that gave UNC a 10-3 lead.

Carter went to work in the second quarter, making his third block with 5:08 left in the first half. That time, Matt Merletti scooped it up for a touchdown, giving UNC a 17-3 cushion.

"It was a great physical effort on his part," said UNC coach Butch Davis, who had never seen one guy block three punts in a game.

With the Huskies (5-1) driving to end the half, safety Trimane Goddard protected the lead when he picked off a tipped pass at the 5-yard line with 10 seconds left. It marked the senior's fourth interception of the season.

And even a 22-minute third-quarter delay because two banks of lights went out couldn't help the Huskies regroup. UNC wouldn't let them.

"We circled everybody up and said, 'Sometimes you get tests in life, and if you don't handle it well enough, you get it again,' " Davis said, referring to the season-opener against McNeese State, when the Tar Heels didn't respond very aggressively after a long weather delay. "[We told them] 'Don't look in the stands, at the video Jumbotron, at the cheerleaders. After the break, we have to come out fast.' "

And they did. After UNC backup tailback Shaun Draughn raced 39 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-6, defensive tackle Marvin Austin picked off a pass by a pressured Frazer and rumbled 23 yards for a touchdown.

It marked the 12th interception of the season for the Tar Heels -- one more than all of last season -- and gave them a 31-6 lead.

By the fourth quarter, Sexton's 13-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks was almost an afterthought.

And although UConn's Donald Brown, the leading rusher in the country, finished with 161 yards, he didn't really make a dent in the score, or Carolina's momentum.

"The most healthy thing this team is willing to do it look at itself in the mirror and ask, "How are we going to get better next week?' " Davis said.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.