The man holds almost all North Carolina records for a quarterback. He is the all-time leader in touchdowns (51), completion percentage (.608), passing yards (6,517), total yards (7,204) and completions (523). In all, he holds 47 records for the Tar Heels. Yet senior Darian Durant's athletic career is still missing one crucial element: wins.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 217-pound senior from Florence, S.C., leads a Tar Heel squad that is coming off a two-win season last year and a three-win season his sophomore year into this weekend's matchup with No. 15 Virginia.
"It's been the most frustrating thing to deal with -- to put up tremendous stats and still lose is hard," Durant said. "You play the game to win; you don't play for individual awards. I'm a competitor, and I love to win -- so it's been the toughest thing."
Durant's time at North Carolina, while marked by many passing records, also has had its low points.
During Durant's freshman year, he showcased what made him such a special player. He set freshman records for touchdowns (17), completions (142), yards (1,843) and total offense (1,971 yards) and was second in the ACC for passing efficiency, while splitting time with senior Ronald Curry. The team went 8-5 and triumphed in the Peach Bowl. Yet during the offseason with the starting quarterback job his to lose after Curry's graduation, Durant announced he was transferring for personal reasons.
A little over a month later, Durant said he had made a mistake and decided to rejoin the football team. He took over starting quarterback duties but fractured his right thumb in the seventh game of the season against Virginia. North Carolina was up 21-0 at halftime after three Durant touchdown passes but fell 37-27 after his injury early in the third quarter.
"It probably would have ended up being one of the [best games of my career]," Durant said of the loss, in which he threw for 226 yards before the injury. "We were clicking in all cylinders. The running game was going real well. The passing game was going real well. At halftime it all seemed to go down hill."
And so did the Tar Heels' season. North Carolina never recovered, and the team lost the next four games while being outscored 172 to 33 before beating Duke in the season finale when Durant returned. Despite the injury, Durant still managed to lead the ACC in total offense in 2002.
Durant threw for 18 touchdowns and 2,551 yards and set single season school records for completions, attempts, passing yards and total offense his junior year. But those stats were tempered by the Tar Heels' two wins that season.
It comes as no surprise that for Durant's senior year, he wants more than just good stats -- he wants to win.
Durant also will pose a good challenge for the Cavalier defense, which will have to deal with a versatile starting quarterback for the second straight week.
"He's shown throughout the course of his career what he can do throwing the ball," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He's particularly dangerous in his ability to avoid within and move within the pocket, and he's got a very strong arm. He can throw on the run, so he's a very dangerous player and has been a very challenging player for us for three go-arounds already."
This time around Durant won't dwell on his stat line at the end of the game -- he'll just be focusing on the scoreboard.
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