University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Extra Points: North Of The Border
October 29, 2018 | Football, Featured Writers, Extra Points
By Lee Pace
There were fifty-three seconds left in the game and the Virginia Cavaliers were milking the clock toward what would be an eventual 31-21 victory over Carolina when Virginia inexplicably called a timeout. Referee Duane Heydt clicked his public-address microphone and announced to the jubilant masses, "Timeout, Virginia Tech."
It started as a rumble through Scott Stadium as the orange-and-blue clad home folks checked their ears for accuracy—"Did I hear that right?"—then realizing the umbrage heaped on Mr. Jefferson's University by mistaking it for its archrival to the west, the multitudes exploded in roars of protest. Even the Cavalier players railed their arms in dissent—albeit with smiles on their faces.
All Heydt could do was sheepishly acknowledge his error.
And all the Tar Heels could do was lick yet another rash of physical wounds (defenders Aaron Crawford, Tyler Powell and Jonathan Smith were helped off the field Saturday, and receive Dyami Brown didn't make the trip) and grimace at the thought that perhaps now for the first time in more than a decade, their rival institutions from the Commonwealth each field a formidable football program at the same time.
Carolina's annual trip north of the border has suddenly gotten a wee bit more ominous with the rise of the Virginia program under third-year coach Bronco Mendenhall. For 16 seasons now since Virginia Tech entered the ACC, the Tar Heels have alternated Coastal Division excursions into the state of Virginia, each year taking Hwy. 86 through Hillborough and on up to Danville, in even years veering northeast on Hwy. 29 to Lynchburg and then Charlotttesville, on odd years turning west on Hwy. 58 toward Roanoke and deep into the moutains to Blacksburg.
It's been tough sledding at Virginia Tech—two wins and five losses in Lane Stadium against a consistently strong program that from 2004-11 enjoyed double-digit win seasons.
It's been streaky in Charlottesville—losses in 2004, '06 and '08 at the tail end of "The Curse" that ran nearly three decades followed by four straight wins against a floundering Wahoo program that has had losing seasons in nine of the last 10 years and has never played in the ACC Championship Game.
But a team led on offense by the fleet-footed QB Bryce Perkins and the dynamic slot receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and a talented secondary on defense that has snared 10 interceptions is getting good enough that folks could in fact confuse a Wahoo and a Hokie. Virginia is focused and disciplined, ranking eighth best in the nation in fewest penalties, and has a positive turnover margin. And now the Cavaliers are first in the ACC Coastal with a 6-2 overall mark.
"I'm thrilled that the new standard is being fulfilled," Mendenhall said. "Part of that is we expect to win football games, we expect to play in the postseason. It's not something to marvel or wonder about. The program has moved to a different place than it was one year ago."
The Tar Heels are taking a similar inventory but from a contrasting viewpoint. In the aftermath of consecutive three-point losses to Virginia Tech and Syracuse, Larry Fedora, his staff and players at least had the lifeline to grab of those one or two specific plays in the waning moments of each game that easily could have gone in the Tar Heels' favor and flipped Ls to Ws. But there was no such comfort this Saturday on what turned out to be an idyllic afternoon in Charlottesville after a nasty nor'easter whipped through the mid-Atlantic Friday and into early Saturday morning.
Carolina's normally proficient running game was stymied by Virginia, the Tar Heels gaining a scant 66 yards rushing for a three-yards-a-snap average. And that figure is not sullied as rushing stats sometimes are with a deluge of negative quarterback yards via sacks; Nathan Elliott was sacked just once for a six-yard loss (and that resulted in a costly fumble).
The Tar Heels had three productive possessions and scored touchdowns on drives of 11, eight and eight plays, with wide receiver Beau Corrales and tight end Carl Tucker being popular targets for Elliott's aerials (Corrales had 62 yards on four catches and Tucker 48 on three). But they had six three-and-out possessions and three drives started with penalties on the offensive line—two false starts and one holding flag. Elliott completed two-thirds of his throws, but one misfire was noticeable when he threw low to Dazz Newsome on an important third down near the end of the first half, and heavy pressure from Cavalier Chris Peace forced a fumble by Elliott and gave Virginia terrific field position at the Carolina 35. Virginia quickly turned that into a decisive touchdown and a 31-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
"We were not able to run the ball effectively," Fedora said. "There were some drives when were able to do what we wanted to do, but overall we weren't able to run the ball effectively. For us to be successful, we have to be able to do that.
"Their defense did a good job mixing it up, moving the fronts, twisting, and bringing backers and safeties. On the drives when we were successful, we had some tempo and kept them from getting into all the stuff they wanted to."
"I have to do my job and make better throws and give our team a chance," Elliott added. "I can't miss, and I have to make sure I make the right reads and take care of the ball better."
The Cavaliers smacked the Tar Heel defense with its one-two-three punch of Perkins, Zaccheaus and tailback Jordan Ellis on the first drive, Perkins running on a quarterback draw and option keeper at the front of the possession and four straight plays from the 26 yardline into the end zone to wrap it up and give Virginia a quick 7-0 lead. Zaccheaus then gained 38 yards on a run and a pass on the Cavaliers' second drive and Virginia was up 14-7 after one quarter.
"Their quarterback was really good," Fedora said. "He can really run and he got them out of some situations on third down and made some plays. There were times where he got out on the edge and we got some guys that can run, and he outran them."
"We got a little too hyper-aware of the quarterback and it allowed them to open up the passing game," linebacker Cole Holcomb added. "He's a good athlete, plain and simple. They got good matchups on us."
So now the Tar Heels go their separate ways for another year with the Cavaliers and Hokies, though those two have some serious business to settle among themselves over Thanksgiving weekend. Tech's 14-year win streak over Virginia is at stake; the ACC Coastal Division title could be as well. Meanwhile, it's become apparent that Carolina's annual October adventure to the north is a matter of picking your poison.
Carolina graduate Lee Pace (1979) has written "Extra Points" since 1990 and reported from the sidelines for the Tar Heel radio network since 2004. Reach him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.
There were fifty-three seconds left in the game and the Virginia Cavaliers were milking the clock toward what would be an eventual 31-21 victory over Carolina when Virginia inexplicably called a timeout. Referee Duane Heydt clicked his public-address microphone and announced to the jubilant masses, "Timeout, Virginia Tech."
It started as a rumble through Scott Stadium as the orange-and-blue clad home folks checked their ears for accuracy—"Did I hear that right?"—then realizing the umbrage heaped on Mr. Jefferson's University by mistaking it for its archrival to the west, the multitudes exploded in roars of protest. Even the Cavalier players railed their arms in dissent—albeit with smiles on their faces.
All Heydt could do was sheepishly acknowledge his error.
And all the Tar Heels could do was lick yet another rash of physical wounds (defenders Aaron Crawford, Tyler Powell and Jonathan Smith were helped off the field Saturday, and receive Dyami Brown didn't make the trip) and grimace at the thought that perhaps now for the first time in more than a decade, their rival institutions from the Commonwealth each field a formidable football program at the same time.
Carolina's annual trip north of the border has suddenly gotten a wee bit more ominous with the rise of the Virginia program under third-year coach Bronco Mendenhall. For 16 seasons now since Virginia Tech entered the ACC, the Tar Heels have alternated Coastal Division excursions into the state of Virginia, each year taking Hwy. 86 through Hillborough and on up to Danville, in even years veering northeast on Hwy. 29 to Lynchburg and then Charlotttesville, on odd years turning west on Hwy. 58 toward Roanoke and deep into the moutains to Blacksburg.
It's been tough sledding at Virginia Tech—two wins and five losses in Lane Stadium against a consistently strong program that from 2004-11 enjoyed double-digit win seasons.
It's been streaky in Charlottesville—losses in 2004, '06 and '08 at the tail end of "The Curse" that ran nearly three decades followed by four straight wins against a floundering Wahoo program that has had losing seasons in nine of the last 10 years and has never played in the ACC Championship Game.
But a team led on offense by the fleet-footed QB Bryce Perkins and the dynamic slot receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and a talented secondary on defense that has snared 10 interceptions is getting good enough that folks could in fact confuse a Wahoo and a Hokie. Virginia is focused and disciplined, ranking eighth best in the nation in fewest penalties, and has a positive turnover margin. And now the Cavaliers are first in the ACC Coastal with a 6-2 overall mark.
"I'm thrilled that the new standard is being fulfilled," Mendenhall said. "Part of that is we expect to win football games, we expect to play in the postseason. It's not something to marvel or wonder about. The program has moved to a different place than it was one year ago."
The Tar Heels are taking a similar inventory but from a contrasting viewpoint. In the aftermath of consecutive three-point losses to Virginia Tech and Syracuse, Larry Fedora, his staff and players at least had the lifeline to grab of those one or two specific plays in the waning moments of each game that easily could have gone in the Tar Heels' favor and flipped Ls to Ws. But there was no such comfort this Saturday on what turned out to be an idyllic afternoon in Charlottesville after a nasty nor'easter whipped through the mid-Atlantic Friday and into early Saturday morning.
Carolina's normally proficient running game was stymied by Virginia, the Tar Heels gaining a scant 66 yards rushing for a three-yards-a-snap average. And that figure is not sullied as rushing stats sometimes are with a deluge of negative quarterback yards via sacks; Nathan Elliott was sacked just once for a six-yard loss (and that resulted in a costly fumble).
The Tar Heels had three productive possessions and scored touchdowns on drives of 11, eight and eight plays, with wide receiver Beau Corrales and tight end Carl Tucker being popular targets for Elliott's aerials (Corrales had 62 yards on four catches and Tucker 48 on three). But they had six three-and-out possessions and three drives started with penalties on the offensive line—two false starts and one holding flag. Elliott completed two-thirds of his throws, but one misfire was noticeable when he threw low to Dazz Newsome on an important third down near the end of the first half, and heavy pressure from Cavalier Chris Peace forced a fumble by Elliott and gave Virginia terrific field position at the Carolina 35. Virginia quickly turned that into a decisive touchdown and a 31-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
"We were not able to run the ball effectively," Fedora said. "There were some drives when were able to do what we wanted to do, but overall we weren't able to run the ball effectively. For us to be successful, we have to be able to do that.
"Their defense did a good job mixing it up, moving the fronts, twisting, and bringing backers and safeties. On the drives when we were successful, we had some tempo and kept them from getting into all the stuff they wanted to."
"I have to do my job and make better throws and give our team a chance," Elliott added. "I can't miss, and I have to make sure I make the right reads and take care of the ball better."
The Cavaliers smacked the Tar Heel defense with its one-two-three punch of Perkins, Zaccheaus and tailback Jordan Ellis on the first drive, Perkins running on a quarterback draw and option keeper at the front of the possession and four straight plays from the 26 yardline into the end zone to wrap it up and give Virginia a quick 7-0 lead. Zaccheaus then gained 38 yards on a run and a pass on the Cavaliers' second drive and Virginia was up 14-7 after one quarter.
"Their quarterback was really good," Fedora said. "He can really run and he got them out of some situations on third down and made some plays. There were times where he got out on the edge and we got some guys that can run, and he outran them."
"We got a little too hyper-aware of the quarterback and it allowed them to open up the passing game," linebacker Cole Holcomb added. "He's a good athlete, plain and simple. They got good matchups on us."
So now the Tar Heels go their separate ways for another year with the Cavaliers and Hokies, though those two have some serious business to settle among themselves over Thanksgiving weekend. Tech's 14-year win streak over Virginia is at stake; the ACC Coastal Division title could be as well. Meanwhile, it's become apparent that Carolina's annual October adventure to the north is a matter of picking your poison.
Carolina graduate Lee Pace (1979) has written "Extra Points" since 1990 and reported from the sidelines for the Tar Heel radio network since 2004. Reach him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.
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