With first place in the Coastal on the line, UNC appears calm before its game with UVA
When Mack Brown took the job at North Carolina for a second time last November, he said he wanted to win right away. He saw that the Tar Heels had the talent after a number of close losses in 2018 and a 2-9 finish.
But it wasn’t until Sept. 28, the day UNC nearly upset Clemson, that it became apparent the Tar Heels were good enough to win the Coastal Division this year.
After beating Duke at home 20-17 last week, the 4-4 Tar Heels are 3-2 in the Coastal Division and tied for first-place with Virginia (5-3), which they play on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Kenan Stadium.
It will by far be the Tar Heels’ most important game of the season, as winner grabs sole possession of first place, and will be in the driver’s seat to win the division with three games left on the schedule. Virginia Tech also remains a threat to UNC. The Hokies, who beat the Tar Heels 43-41 two weeks ago, are 2-2 in the division and control their own destiny. If Virginia Tech wins its final four ACC games, it will be the Coastal champion.
The Tar Heels are also two wins away from being bowl eligible. So a win here would make that much easier with Mercer, an FCS program, still left on the schedule. The Tar Heels haven’t been to a bowl game since the 2016 season.
Brown was pleased with how his team was preparing for its game against Virginia. He said on Wednesday that the Tar Heels had their best two days of practice of the season on Tuesday and Wednesday. The last time he told reporters that, the Tar Heels nearly upset Clemson.
“I think the team knows what’s ahead of us,” UNC quarterback Sam Howell said Tuesday. “We’re just taking it one step at time. One game at a time. One day at time.”
UNC getting healthy
In what has been dubbed “the South’s Oldest Rivalry,” UNC has won seven of the last 10 games against UVa. However, UVa has won the last two.
Entering Saturday’s game, the Tar Heels are expected to get a number of key starters back. Brown said junior safety Myles Wolfolk, who led the ACC with three interceptions before suffering a lower body injury on Sept. 21, senior center Nick Polino, who suffered a lower body injury on Sept. 7, and Trey Morrison, who brokehis arm on Oct. 5, all looked well in practice on Wednesday.
“We’ll have to let the trainers check them tonight to see if they’ve got soreness,” Brown said, adding that backup quarterback, Jace Ruder, will likely be out. “But the other guys have a chance to play because they’re doing a good job.”
UNC freshman cornerback Storm Duck, who suffered a head injury in the first quarter against Duke last week, also practiced Wednesday for the first time. But his status is uncertain.
The addition of those players would come at the perfect time for the Tar Heels. UNC is thin in its secondary with multiple injuries, and its offensive line has struggled in recent weeks. Howell was sacked seven times in the last two games.
Slowing Virginia
Passing and getting after the quarterback are two things the Cavaliers do well.
Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins is second in the ACC behind Howell in passing yards this season. Perkins, a 6-3, 210-pound senior, has 1,803 yards passing, nine touchdowns passing and eight interceptions in 2019. He can also run.
He has five touchdowns rushing this season.
When asked what problems Perkins poses for the UNC defense, UNC defensive coordinator Jay Bateman responded, “All of them.”
“I think it’s a real discredit to the kid to talk about his running, because he does run really well, but he can do everything,” Bateman said. “He can throw it. He knows where to go. He is not fooled in coverage. I think he’s a tremendous football player. So we have our hands full.”
Perkins is coming off a leg injury he suffered last weekend against Louisville. However, he is expected to play.
On the defensive side, UVa is in second in the ACC with 32 sacks this season. The Cavaliers average four sacks per game. Meanwhile,the Tar Heels’ offensive line has struggled recently. Against Virginia Tech two weeks ago, the Tar Heels allowed five sacks.
In order to score against the Cavaliers’ defense, the Tar Heels will have to give Howell time in the pocket.
“They bring a lot of different people and they do a really good job with their schemes,” Brown said Wednesday, “so this ought to be a great challenge for us and a fun contest.”
This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 12:56 PM.
