Virginia falls to No. 17 North Carolina 31-28 in latest edition of South’s Oldest Rivalry

Virginia hosted No. 17 North Carolina at Scott Stadium Saturday afternoon for the 127th version of The South’s Oldest Rivalry. Regardless of enjoying one among their most full video games up to now underneath first-year Coach Tony Elliott, the Cavaliers (3-6, 1-5 ACC) couldn’t fairly handle to topple the surging Tar Heels (8-1, 6-0 ACC), falling 31-28. 

Senior quarterback Brennan Armstrong had an important day, contributing 296 whole yards and two speeding touchdowns regardless of being down every of his prime three receivers — junior extensive receivers Lavel Davis and Dontayvion Wicks and graduate scholar extensive receiver Keytaon Thompson. Nonetheless, freshman Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye and his prime goal, junior receiver Josh Downs, ultimately broke a stout Virginia protection, getting back from a halftime deficit to attain 21 factors. 

Virginia’s first drive of the sport was as scientific as they arrive. Armstrong leaned on fast passing and his legs to drive the Cavaliers all the best way to the North Carolina 4 yard line, earlier than he adopted his blockers in for a straightforward landing and a 7-0 lead lower than 5 minutes into the competition. 

The ACC’s greatest offense began simply as successfully, with Maye discovering his tight ends persistently earlier than working the ball contained in the Virginia 10 yard line. Nonetheless, they stalled there, as a false begin and a sack from senior linebacker Nick Jackson pressured a Tar Heel discipline aim and a rating of 7-3.

Virginia has struggled with turnovers all yr, and that reared its head on the following drive. Armstrong drove the Cavaliers to the sting of discipline aim vary, then had a go tipped twice and picked by junior defensive again Storm Duck. 

The Cavaliers pounded the rock on their subsequent drive, with Armstrong both preserving or handing the ball to senior working again Ronnie Walker. Virginia rode the efficient run sport to the North Carolina 35 yard line, however the offense stalled there and Armstrong pooch punted for a touchback on fourth down.

The Tar Heel offense appeared to get up on its first drive of the second quarter, as sophomore working again Elijah Inexperienced assisted Maye in shifting the ball. North Carolina discovered the endzone with Maye scampering across the line-of-scrimmage and reversing the entire discipline, earlier than strolling into the endzone untouched for a six-yard rating. The landing gave the Tar Heels their first lead of the sport at 10-7 with lower than seven minutes left within the half 

The Cavaliers took the ball again and continued to run, with Armstrong selecting up a pair of first downs on scything runs. North Carolina practically reeled of their second tipped interception of the half, however the ball scraped the turf and the catch was waved off. The Cavaliers recovered properly, and freshman working again Xavier Brown capped off a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a three-yard landing plunge to maneuver Virginia forward 14-10 with 2:04 left within the opening half. 

The Virginia protection held to shut the half, however the Tar Heels began the second half with the ball and Maye set to work shortly. A number of lovely passes and daring runs later, he had North Carolina sitting on the Virginia three-yard line, the place Inexperienced punched it in. 

Virginia did every little thing in its energy to reply, and on a fourth down inside Tar Heel territory, Walker pushed the pile ahead to select up first down. On the following set of downs, freshman extensive receiver Sean Wilson needed to stretch to transform a 3rd and lengthy, establishing a junior tight finish Sackett Wooden catch-and-run to the aim line and a Walker rating with underneath eight minutes left within the third quarter. 

North Carolina took over with the Cavaliers again on prime 21-17. Maye continued to energy the Tar Heel offense, pulling the ball down and scrambling for optimistic yards on the uncommon events he didn’t join on a go. The freshman delivered a landing go to Downs within the nook to reinstate the North Carolina lead. 

Virginia punted after three straight passes bounced off Cavalier palms. Maye lastly appeared to have found out the opposing protection and shredded the protection up the sector, changing a fourth down earlier than Inexperienced took a swing go for a rating, placing the Tar Heels up 10 factors with 14 minutes to play. 

Following a string of punts and a failed North Carolina fourth down conversion, the Cavaliers put collectively a one-minute, 75-yard landing drive because the clock ticked down. Highlighting the possession was an Armstrong throw to junior receiver Demick Starling down the sideline for 40 yards adopted by Armstrong’s second speeding landing of the afternoon.

With simply over three minutes to play, Virginia tried an onside kick, however did not get well. Carolina solely wanted one first all the way down to ice the sport with the Cavaliers out of timeouts. Maye discovered Downs for his fifteenth catch of the day to maneuver the chains. The Tar Heels kneeled out the clock to finish the sport, however not with out pleasure — Virginia refused to go down quietly and dedicated a pair private fouls as tensions flared.

“Clearly, they scored greater than we wished them to attain,” graduate scholar defensive finish Paul Akere mentioned. “However, that’s the way it goes within the sport. We didn’t play nicely sufficient, and have a number of performs to wash up. General, we fought arduous when it was time to struggle, and we received some good timed stops and loads of momentum to construct on.”

Regardless of a troublesome day on the defensive facet, the Cavalier offense confirmed indicators of promise regardless of lacking a number of key items. 

“After we’re lacking our three largest playmakers, we all know we’ve received to come back collectively as a bunch and actually work to attain,” Wooden mentioned postgame. “We haven’t been doing that nicely up to now. So, it was good to see that right this moment by this group. As soon as we get these guys again, we’ll have the ability to get higher.”

The Cavaliers will look to rebound after they play their third straight house sport Saturday towards Pitt (5-4, 2-3 ACC). The sport will kickoff at midday and be broadcast on ACC Community.