As a youngster, Bryn Renner went to Virginia Tech football games and followed a long family tradition of rooting for the Hokies.
When the North Carolina quarterback gets to Lane Stadium on Thursday, his objective will be to help put the Hokies through a deflating loss that would keep the ACC Coastal Division title race alive.
The good news for Tar Heel fans is that Renner will make the trip in sound health. He suffered a concussion during the first half of a 13-0 loss at N.C. State on Nov. 5.
Braden Hanson relieved Renner in the game, and there was some doubt until last Thursday about Renner's status for the rest of the season.
"The medical staff did all the necessary tests and I came out fine," Renner said Monday. "I think I could have practiced right away, but you want you want to be safe."
But having lost three of the last four games, the Tar Heels (6-4, 2-4 ACC) are an 11-point underdog for Thursday. Virginia Tech (9-1, 5-1) needs a win and a loss by Virginia at Florida State on Saturday to win another divisional championship.
Renner said the team has spent much of the time since the Nov. 5 trip to Raleigh trying to figure out what led to one of the program's worst offensive performances in years.
"There's no one thing, though," he said. "It was just a game when no one on the whole offense did anything right."
Renner and Hanson took several direct hits from a blitzing Wolfpack defense, and the offensive line wasn't able to provide explosive running back Gio Bernard with room to operate.
Interim head coach Everett Withers said Monday that he is confident the team will rebound and play well. But Virginia Tech's defense leads the ACC in quarterback sacks with 32, and UNC is ninth among the 12 teams in surrendering sacks with 23.
But Renner said Thursday night ESPN games are "like Monday night NFL games for college," and he's excited by the opportunity.
"You're the only game on ... you're the main event. It's awesome," Renner said. "You know the whole world's going to be watching."
Most of the Renner clan will be watching firsthand, including Bryn's dad Bill, a former Hokies quarterback who will be pulling against Virginia Tech for a change.
Summer Renner, Bryn's sister, won't be attending. A member of the Rockettes dancers, she'll be kicking up her heels in Durham, where the famous entertainment troupe is performing nightly through Nov. 27.
"It's pretty cool having a sister who's a Rockette," Renner said. "She's danced her entire life. She went to Florida State and was a Golden Girl. I went on Friday night to see her and the show."
Renner also got to visit in the Rockettes locker room. "Now that really was cool," he said.
It definitely has to beat getting your head swatted by a 250-pound linebacker.
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Photo Gallery
Bad day for UNC's Renner against NC State | 11.05.11 (15 images)
Photo Gallery
First Look: UNC at N.C. State | 11.05.11 (444 images)
See 444 images from the Wolfpack's 13-0 win
Photo Gallery
N.C. State 13, UNC 0 | 11.05.11 (71 images)
