As Virginia shines, UNC football shows it still has some growing to do
North Carolina really wasn’t supposed to be in this position.
Picked to finish sixth out of seven teams in the ACC’s Coastal Division, the Tar Heels were supposed be among the division’s bottom feeders after two losing seasons in 2017 and 2018.
And yet, here was UNC, tied for first with Virginia, as the Tar Heels entered the home game as the two-point favorite. The winner would grab sole possession of first place in the Coastal.
But as the game progressed, it became clear that Virginia was the team that was just more poised, moved the ball a lot easier, and looked more experienced. The Cavaliers, who won 38-31, showed that it was their time to win the Coastal, and not the Tar Heels, who on Saturday, appeared at least a season away.
Mack Brown, who is in his first year in his second stint at UNC, said earlier in the week that his team had its two best practices of the season this past Tuesday and Wednesday.
But the Tar Heels’ performance on Saturday was indicative of how it has been all season: an up and down roller coaster ride.
Why UNC struggled
UNC’s ups included its offense, which played well enough to win the game. UNC freshman quarterback Sam Howell passed for 353 yards and four touchdowns. His primary target, sophomore Dyami Brown, had a career-high 202 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
The downs included the defense, and containing UVA quarterback Bryce Perkins. Perkins and his receivers seemed to expose UNC’s young secondary, which has been decimated by injuries. Two injured players — cornerback Trey Morrison and safety Myles Wolfolk — returned after a number of weeks off, but both played limited snaps.
“He had not been as good a thrower as he was a runner,” Brown said of Perkins, “so we felt like we had to make him throw the ball to win the game, and he did.”
When Virginia trailed 17-10 with two minutes left in the second quarter, Perkins engineered a 13-play, 78-yard touchdown drive to tie the game before halftime. The Cavaliers got the ball to start the second half, and Perkins scored again — this time on a 65-yard scramble that put the Cavaliers up 24-17. The Tar Heels’ poor tackling allowed Perkins to weave in and out of traffic and run down the sideline for the score.
“It was just a terrible effort on our end,” UNC senior linebacker Dominique Ross said after the game. “That’s not our standard of defense. That play, that really killed us. We don’t play like that, and when we do, that’s what happens.”
It was those two back-to-back touchdowns in the second and third quarters that served as the game’s turning point.
“That’s a 14-point turnaround right there,” UNC senior safety Myles Dorn said. “If we just limit one of those, we have a chance to win the game.”
It shifted momentum in the Cavaliers’ favor. They scored two more touchdowns on their next two possessions to take a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter. Prior to Virginia’s last touchdown, the Tar Heels forced a fumble, but did not recover it. It was their second forced fumble of the day, and the second one they didn’t recover.
Perkins finished with 378 yards passing, 112 yards rushing and five total touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing). He was also accurate, completing 77 percent of his passes.
The only players who have gained more yards against the Tar Heels are former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, both are now NFL starting quarterbacks.
In a game that had huge implications for both teams, it was Virginia that looked more poised. The Cavaliers committed only one penalty for five yards. The Tar Heels committed six penalties for 46 yards. Both offensive penalties negated first downs. Three of the four defensive penalties resulted in first downs for the Cavaliers.
Remaining optimistic
With the loss, UNC (4-5, 3-3 ACC) fell a game behind Virginia (6-3, 4-2) for first place in the Coastal, with only two conference games remaining. In order for the Tar Heels to win the division, they must win their remaining two ACC games, while Virginia loses its last two ACC games — against Georgia Tech (2-6, 1-4) and Virginia Tech (5-3, 2-2)
That scenario seems highly unlikely.
A bowl game is still in reach, but the Tar Heels’ chances are dwindling. They need to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible.
UNC is expected to beat Mercer on Nov. 23. The Tar Heels’ other two — at Pitt on Nov. 14 and at N.C. State on Nov. 30 — will likely be as close as their other nine games.
Eight of the Tar Heels’ nine games have been decided by one possession or less; they’re 3-5 in those games.
Some players remain optimistic, though.
“I want gifts. I want to spend more time with my friends. I want to play one more game,” running back Michael Carter said of making a bowl game. “We’re going to take it one game at a time.
“We’ve got Pitt next after the bye — it’s going to be fun going to Heinz Field — then we got Mercer, then we’ve got the other team (N.C. State).
“I’m excited. I think we’re going to win out.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2019 at 5:37 AM.
