University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Host Virginia For Homecoming Saturday
November 9, 2013 | Football
Carolina improved to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the ACC after scoring a 27-19 win over NC State last Saturday in Raleigh. The Tar Heels were led by a potent two-quarterback system and a solid defensive performance. Carolina passers combined to complete 24 of 38 attempts for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Williams also led the team in rushing with 51 yards and Renner scored his fourth career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run. The UNC defense held the Wolfpack to just one offensive touchdown on a 24-yard drive after an opening possession turnover. It was the Tar Heels' first win in Raleigh since 2005 and Larry Fedora became just the fourth coach in UNC history to start 2-0 vs. the Wolfpack.
Carolina now turns its attention to Virginia, which enters the game 2-7 overall and 0-5 in conference action. The Cavaliers lost last week to No. 8 Clemson, 59-10.
Saturday's game is the 118th edition of the "Oldest Rivalry In The South." Only three other rivals have played more often. Carolina is part of three of the longest rivalry series in ACC history against Virginia (117 previous meetings), Wake Forest (105) and NC State (103).
Carolina has won three straight against the Wahoos for the first time since winning nine straight from 1974-82. The average margin of victory in the last three games is 23.0 points. Last season, Carolina won at Virginia in an ESPN Thursday night game, 37-13.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 3-5 (2-3 ACC), Virginia 2-7 (0-5 ACC)
Rankings: Both teams are unranked.
TV: ACC Network (click for affiliates). Tim Brant (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst) and Rachel Baribeau (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network, a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Ethan Albright (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call. A link to the live stream can be found at GoHeels.com.
On The Web: GoHeels.com • Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora
Tickets: GoHeels.com
VIRGINIA SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina leads the series with Virginia, 60-53-4, and has won three straight in the series for the first time since winning nine in a row from 1974-82.
• Saturday's game will be the 118th meeting in the rivalry known as the "Oldest Rivalry in the South." Only three other rivals in the country have played more often.
• North Carolina's final game of the regular season was typically played against Virginia prior to 1950. In fact, from 1919-1950, Carolina played its regular season finale vs. Virginia 28 of 32 times.
• Six scholarship Tar Heels are from Virginia, including junior offensive tackle Nick Appel (Vienna), junior center Russell Bodine (Scottsville), junior linebacker Travis Hughes (Virginia Beach), senior quarterback Bryn Renner (West Springfield), junior cornerback Tim Scott (Fredericksburg) and sophomore offensive guard Landon Turner (Harrisonburg). Five of the six are starters.
• Corey Holliday, Carolina's Assistant Athletic Director for Football Administration and a former Tar Heel standout, is a native of Richmond, Va. Holliday ranks second at UNC in career receiving yardage.
• Many of Carolina's greatest football players have hailed from the state of Virginia. A short list includes NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor (Williamsburg), two-time ACC Player of the Year Mike Voight (Chesapeake), two-time All-America William Fuller (Chesapeake), bruising halfback Ken Willard (Richmond), All-America offensive guard Ron Rusnak (Prince George), record-setting wide receiver Corey Holliday (Richmond), linebacker Dwight Hollier (Hampton), four-time 1,000-yard back Amos Lawrence (Norfolk), three-time first-team All-America cornerback Dre' Bly (Chesapeake) and record-setting quarterback Ronald Curry (Hampton).
QUICK HITS
• Over the last 12 quarters, Carolina has allowed just four offensive touchdowns - two vs. Miami, one vs. Boston College and one vs. NC State. All four have been rushing touchdowns. Carolina has not allowed a passing TD in the last three games.
• Over the last two UNC games, both wins, the opponents have started 26 of 29 drives on their side of the 50-yard line.
• Carolina's first six opponents this season all have a winning record and are a combined 37-15 (.712). The Tar Heels last six opponents are 25-25 (.500) and only two have a winning record (Old Dominion and Duke).
• Freshman tailback T.J. Logan scored his first career touchdown in the win at NC State on a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter to give the Tar Heels a 27-19 lead. Logan had 43 yards on five carries, including four attempts for 30 yards in the fourth quarter. Logan averaged 8.6 yards per carry.
• The Tar Heels compiled 427 yards of total offense against NC State, led by 275 through the air. Three different players (Bryn Renner 124 yards, Marquise Williams 92 yards and wide receiver Ryan Switzer 59 yards) combined to complete 24 of 38 pass attempts for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Switzer is the fourth different Tar Heel to throw a touchdown pass this year (Renner, Williams, Davis and Switzer).
• Carolina's defense allowed just 59 passing yards in the win over Boston College, the fewest by an opponent since Clemson threw for 37 yards in a UNC win in Death Valley on Nov. 15, 1997. The Tar Heels allowed just 10 points, the fewest since a shutout victory last year vs. Idaho.
• TE Eric Ebron has 669 yards receiving and is 202 yards shy of the ACC single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end, set by Maryland's Vernon Davis with 871 in 2005. Ebron has 44 catches and is 26 receptions shy of the ACC record for catches by a tight end, set by Virginia's Heath Miller with 70 in 2003.
• Ebron currently ranks third on the ACC single-season record book chart for receiving yards by a tight end.
• QB Marquise Williams has been the Tar Heels' leading rusher in three of the last four games. He had a team-high 56 rushing yards vs. Virginia Tech, 55 vs. Boston College and 51 vs. NC State.
• WR Quinshad Davis has already caught 93 passes in his first two seasons. Only two other Tar Heels caught more passes as a freshman and sophomore than Davis - Hakeem Hicks (113) and Jarworski Pollock (102).
• Four Tar Heels have made 30 or more starts. OT James Hurst leads the way with 44, followed by DE Kareem Martin (36), S Tre Boston (35) and QB Bryn Renner (32).
