UNC vs Virginia first look: Tar Heels look to remain unbeaten in ACC and on the road
Look out now, No. 17 North Carolina is on a winning streak coach Mack Brown hasn’t experienced in Chapel Hill since his first stint.
The Tar Heels (7-1, 4-0 ACC) have won four straight games and look to make it five in a row when they travel to Virginia (3-5, 1-4) on Saturday. Since Brown returned to Carolina in 2019, the program has never won four consecutive games in a single season.
The Heels did win their last three in 2019 and first three of 2020 for a total of six straight wins under Brown. During his final season of his first tenure in 1997, Brown guided Carolina to an 8-0 start before losing to Florida State.
“Special players make special seasons, and these guys, they’re just clicking,” Brown said. “I don’t want to be rude about last year’s team because there were some great players on that team and great people, but for some reason, we didn’t have that same thing.”
UNC is in first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division, leading by two games but it’s technically a three game lead because it owns the tie breakers over Miami and Duke in second place. Barring a total collapse in its last four games, the Heels will win the division for just the second time ever and claim a spot in the ACC championship game.
The Cavaliers have stumbled out of the gate under first-year coach Tony Elliot, as Georgia Tech is their only win against a Power Five conference opponent. But Wake Forest did the Heels a favor with its embarrassing 48-21 loss at Louisville.
It’s unlikely Carolina is looking ahead to its venture into Winston-Salem next week to face the Deacons since they fell from No. 10 back to No. 20 in the Associated Press poll as a result of their loss to the Cardinals.
Tough road in Charlottesville
Carolina has an overall record of 26-26 at Virginia, but Mack Brown has not contributed to any of those wins. His combined record during his two stints at Carolina, including a 44-41 loss in 2020, is 0-6 playing at UVA.
The Heels have lost their last two games at Scott Stadium, but this season they have been resilient on the road. Carolina is 4-0 away from Kenan Stadium and look to continue the trend against a struggling UVA squad.
Paltry offense
UVA went from being the league’s third best scoring offense averaging 34.6 points per game last season, to now ranking 15th in scoring offense averaging 16.8 points per game.
Its last outing against Miami was a perfect example of its lack of production. The Wahoos lost 14-12 in four overtimes — and failed to cross the end zone with a touchdown or a two-point conversion in overtime.
Three UVA players to watch
Brennan Armstrong, QB: Ranks fourth in the ACC in total offense, averaging 272 yards per game. But the senior has had a puzzling year overall. He seems to have regressed under new head coach Elliott’s offense and has only thrown six touchdowns to nine interceptions.
Keytaon Thompson, WR: The Mississippi State transfer isn’t as versatile in the Hoos’ offense as he once was. Thompson is more of a pure receiver this season after rushing on 39 attempts last season. He’s logged just four rushing attempts this year. The fifth year senior does rank third in the ACC with 6.6 receptions per game.
Chico Bennett Jr., LB: While his teammate Nick Jackson leads the ACC in tackles, Bennett leads the ACC with seven sacks as the Cavaliers edge rusher.
Three UNC players to watch
Drake Maye, QB: His name and the Heisman Trophy are going to start appearing in a lot more stories and conversations together after another five touchdown performance against Pitt. Maye currently leads the nation in total offense, averaging 388.8 yards per game.
Cedric Gray, LB: Just continues to make big plays for the Tar Heels. He leads the team in tackles and is second in the ACC. Brown called his forced fumble and recovery in the fourth quarter against Pitt the play in the game.
Chris Collins, LB: Will likely make his first start of the season in place of starter and UNC’s sack leader Noah Taylor, who is out for the season with a lower body injury. Collins played the majority of snaps at edge rusher after Taylor was injured against Pitt. Collins, a fifth-year senior, has 6.5 career sacks.
Vegas betting odds
The Tar Heels are a 10-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com’s consensus line.
UNC at Virginia football game and TV info
Who: UNC (7-1, 4-0) vs. Virginia (3-5, 1-4)
Where: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Va.
When: 12 p.m., Saturday
TV: ACC Network
Stream: ESPN+
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 6:10 AM.