University of North Carolina Athletics
Virginia Game Guide
October 18, 2005 | Football
Oct. 18, 2005
By Adam Lucas
The oldest football rivalry in the South comes to Kenan Stadium this week as Virginia visits Carolina in a crucial Atlantic Coast Conference battle. As always, TarHeelBlue.com will be your home for exclusive stories and photos throughout game week. To start you off, we've put together a comprehensive game guide packed with all the information you need to get ready for the Cavaliers. In the days to come, we'll have reports from John Bunting's Tuesday press conference, an in-depth piece on the history of the Carolina-UVA rivalry, a feature on Jarwarski Pollock, Lee Pace's Friday mailbag, and much more.
Until then, we've broken down the game guide into five sections: the basics, storylines, at the game, watching on TV, and names to know. And of course, if you need some quick stats, check out the Tuesday Talking Points.
The Basics
Game Time: Virginia at North Carolina, Noon.
Carolina's game notes can be found here and Virginia's official football site is here.
Last time: In one of the low points of the 2004 season, Virginia blitzed Carolina 35-0 in the first half and cruised to a 56-24 victory. The Cavaliers rolled up 549 total yards, and that didn't even include their 238 kickoff return yards, the most allowed in that category in Carolina football history (that's a part of the game to watch again this year, as Virginia ranks 10th in the country in kickoff returns). The poor defensive effort was punctuated when Marques Hagans directed his team 97 yards in just seven plays and 2:13 for one of Virginia's eight touchdowns.
Gameday weather: Check the local weather forecast before heading for the game.
Injury report: Ben Lemming is out for the season with a shoulder injury. He should be able to obtain a medical redshirt. Jarwarski Pollock, who missed the Louisville game, is expected to play.
Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage begins at 11 a.m. Keep in mind that the local FM affiliate has changed to 106.1 FM. Far-flung Tar Heel fans can also get the radio broadcast on XM Channel 193. Because it's a home game this week, the Tar Heel Sports Network broadcast can be heard on XM. And if you need some pre-network coverage for your tailgate party, tune into Countdown to Kickoff on 1360 AM beginning at 9:30 a.m.
TV Coverage: The game will be shown on JP Sports.
Game week TV/radio coverage: John Bunting Live airs Thursday night at 7 and the John Bunting TV show airs Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on FOX Sports. If you need some Tar Heel radio coverage to get you through the week until Thursday, check out Woody Durham's daily shows or the archive of Monday's Tar Heel Talk show.
Storylines
Pivot point: Both teams enter the game needing a win to provide a solid spark into the second half of the season. This is Virginia's last road game before entering an inviting three-game home stand, and after defeating Florida State, the Cavaliers have renewed bowl hopes. Carolina, meanwhile, was motoring along in fairly consistent fashion before the debacle at Louisville. Last year's open week was followed by one of the best performances of the season. They need a similar effort this week. It's a home game but could be a unique environment, as the student body is on fall break, a scheduling quirk created when the ACC declined last winter to grant Carolina's request not to have a home game this weekend.
Series struggles: The Tar Heels have lost three straight and six of the last seven to the Cavaliers. Those losses have come by an average of 16.3 points per game, and only one defeat has been by single digits. In other words, Charlottesville isn't the only place where the rivalry has been one-sided lately. This is their first game as divisional rivals. The winner remains within shouting distance of Coastal leaders Virginia Tech and Miami. The loser can probably cancel any Jacksonville hotel reservations.
Tar Heel offense: Louisville's 69-point explosion last time out camouflaged another lingering problem--Carolina mustered just two touchdowns and has suffered through several frustrating offensive stretches this year. They're facing a Virginia defense that, until the FSU game, hadn't been especially stingy this year. The Wahoos are especially susceptible through the air, as they're 97th nationally in pass defense. But the Heels' offensive woes usually begin with an inconsistent running game, so that's the first area that needs to be established. Ronnie McGill emerged from limited action against the Cardinals unscathed, and he should be an even bigger part of the rushing attack on Saturday.
At the Game
Listening to the Tar Heel Sports Network at the game: Woody, Rick, Lee and Jones will be on the air at 11 a.m. As noted above, the local FM affiliate has changed.
Parking/construction update: Every Tar Heel fan should have the official UNC parking/transit page bookmarked. If you've got a parking-related question, it's a safe bet that it's answered there. Please keep in mind that there is extensive road construction in Chapel Hill right now, including some main arteries to town, so plan your travel times accordingly.
Pregame activities: It's News & Observer Youth Day, which means groups of 10 and their adult chaperones can obtain $10 tickets by calling 800-722-HEEL. The special price is not available online.
Make sure to be in your seats in time for the national anthem. As part of the pregame festivities, four F-15C fighter jets will do a flyover of Kenan Stadium. The lead fighter jet will be piloted by Maj. Brent "Wrench" Allen, a 1994 UNC graduate.
Carolina continues to grow and enhance Tar Heel Town, which will open Saturday at 9 a.m. John Bunting and the Tar Heels will make their customary Old Well Walk beginning at 9:45 a.m.
A group of former players that includes Rod Elkins, Steve Hendrickson, Mike Chatham, Jon Richardson, and Pat Cowan will play golf today at noon to raise money for Billy Bumgarner, whose wife passed away last August. They hope to make the golf outing an annual event.
Postgame activities: When 60,000 people try to leave a small town like Chapel Hill, it inevitably causes some traffic flow problems. To let some of those issues dissipate, consider taking part in some of the expanded postgame activities at Kenan Stadium. Fans who stay at Kenan after the game is over will enjoy live coverage of John Bunting's postgame press conference, the complete Tar Heel Sports Network postgame show, and much more (that link also details the facelift given to Kenan over the summer, which you'll notice immediately upon walking into the stadium).
Watching at Home
Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via the magic of Carolina All-Access, you'll probably encounter some delay. For the Cliffs Notes version on why that's happening and one possible solution, click here and scroll down to the last answer.
A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.
JP Sports coverage: The game is available regionally on the JP Sports network. For those out of the region, it's also slated to be available on the ESPN Gameplan package.
Names to Know
Whether you're at the game or watching it with your buddies at home, it helps to have a few names to throw out to cement your status as the Tar Heel guru. A few to remember:
The two Connors: The game marks a matchup of two kickers named Connor--Carolina's Connor Barth and Virginia's Connor Hughes. Both received significant preseason publicity, but that's where the similarities end. Although he has been solid on kickoffs, Barth has struggled with field goals lately and has missed six of his last eight attempts. Hughes, meanwhile, is on fire, having made nine straight field goals, including four against FSU.
Steven Bell: With Lemming officially out for the season, the pressure at the middle of Carolina's up-and-down offensive line shifts to Bell. The senior center has very good chemistry with Matt Baker, as they've gotten plenty of snaps together as the backups at their respective positions over the last three seasons. Now he has to solidify an offensive line that has given up 15 sacks in their past four games--and some of the biggest hits on Baker haven't been sacks, as they've come a split second after he delivers a pass.
Cedric Peerman: Alvin Pearman rolled up 275 yards against Carolina over the past four seasons. Cedric Peerman spells his name differently and isn't related to Alvin, but he's equally pesky. The redshirt freshman ranks fourth in the ACC in all-purpose yards per game and is especially dangerous on kickoff returns.
Jon Hamlett: One of eight Virginia natives on the UNC roster, Hamlett is quietly having a very solid season for the Tar Heels. His 13 catches rank second on the team and he's consistently provided a reliable outlet for Baker when pass protection breaks down.
Ahmad Brooks: Virginia's standout linebacker missed the first three games of the year with an ankle injury, played sparingly against Maryland, missed the Boston College game, and came back to make four tackles against the Seminoles. In his absence, Kai Parham has been the most valuable defender for the Cavaliers, but if Brooks is close to healthy Virginia has a quality pair of linebackers that play the run and pass effectively.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. He is the coauthor of the official book of the 2005 championship season, Led By Their Dreams, and his book on Roy Williams's first season at Carolina, Going Home Again, is now available in bookstores. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly or learn more about Going Home Again, click here.
