The Virginia Cavaliers (4-3, 2-2 ACC) and North Carolina Tar Heels (3-4, 0-3 ACC) squared off Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville in what was a crucial game for both programs. Each team entered the contest with multiple-game skids and desperately hoping to right the ship in order to save the remainder of the quickly passing season. UNC head coach Mack Brown has been fighting rumors that his job is on the hot seat after going winless in his first three conference games, while Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott is still under tight scrutiny to prove that the triumphant start to the season was not a fluke and that he is a reliable option to change the culture of the ill-fated UVA football program. This edition of the South’s Oldest Rivalry was, needless to say, a pivotal one.
The opening drive saw North Carolina go three-and-out, and a solid Ethan Davies return gave outstanding field position to the orange & blue. The offense chipped away with a 12-play drive and nearly ended in a touchdown after a leaping effort on a run by Xavier Brown, but he was marked just shy of the goal line. On the next play, the snap went over the head of QB Anthony Colandrea, who was in shotgun position, leading to a loss of 11. The next two plays were incomplete passes, so the offense had to settle for a Will Bettridge field goal to take a 3–0 lead early. UNC’s second offensive possession was similarly sloppy, with a holding penalty creating a long second down. However, running back Omarion Hampton picked up a big gain and extended the drive. A pass from senior quarterback Jacolby Criswell to J.J. Jones turned into a huge play for the Tar Heels when the receiver quickly broke loose of a looming defender and found his way into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown catch to put his team in front.
Issues became evident for Virginia’s offense late into the first quarter as they took over possession once more – specifically with the offensive line. Colandrea, known to be one of the more mobile quarterbacks in the conference, was dropped for two sacks in three plays and an atrocious 4th-and-28 led to a Daniel Sparks punt that only traveled 30 yards and handed over fantastic position to the rival Tar Heels. The next two drives ended in punts, and heading into the second quarter, the Tar Heels’ offense began to find its groove. UNC would go on to break down the UVA defense with a balanced attack, working 68 yards downfield before the defense showed signs of strength and forced them to kick a short field goal, minimizing the damage.
On a third-and-long opportunity early in the next possession, with everything covered, a crucial scramble by Colandrea kept the drive alive. This would be his longest rush of the day, though a disappointing showing from the usual dual-threat quarterback. Later in the drive, a deep pass to star receiver Malachi Fields set up an opportunity to tie, but the red zone offense continued to come up short, failing to deliver and leading to another field goal, trimming the deficit to 4.
Things fell apart for the Wahoos late in the second quarter. A Carolina drive was kickstarted with the help of a roughing the passer penalty, courtesy of ensuing pass rusher Trey McDonald, handing them a free trip into opposing territory. Jones and Hampton continued to be impactful playmakers, each picking up first downs during the drive. Hampton punched it in for a 3-yard rush, making it a two-score game with just over 90 seconds left on the clock. Following a touchback came a disastrously managed possession by UVA with less than two minutes on the clock that included two incomplete passes and yet another double-digit loss as Colandrea wore his sixth sack of the first half alone. Shaving hardly any time off the clock in the process, it led to a punt that gifted the ball back to the warmed-up Tar Heel offense, still clinging to multiple timeouts, with over a minute to play and only fifty-five yards to go. They made the most of the opportunity, and with only eleven seconds left in the half, Criswell connected to Jones once again for his second receiving touchdown of the day, this time a 31-yard strike. The Tar Heels entered the break with a commanding 24–6 lead.
Cavalier fans who were hoping the game would be a tale of two halves were in for a rude awakening when Colandrea was dropped for yet another sack on the second play of the new drive and then promptly threw an interception on the next play, gifting North Carolina prime field position. Four plays later, they were in the end zone once again. The next drive was a three-and-out, and after a missed field goal from North Carolina, the Cavalier offense took the field once more and finally showed some signs of life. The drive consisted of seven straight completed passes (albeit with yet another sack in between) and the Cavaliers found themselves in the red zone for the third time of the game, but it ended in catastrophe yet again, with his next pass—an attempt over the middle of the field—intercepted and ran back 84 yards by defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie for a pick six, upping the score to a staggering 38–6. Backup quarterback Tony Muskett entered the game to lead the Cavalier offense in the fourth quarter and, on his third snap, delivered a perfectly-placed 68-yard strike to a wide open J.R. Wilson in what would be the Wahoos’ only trip to the end zone in the game. Muskett also connected with Dakota Twitty on the two-point conversion attempt. North Carolina tacked on another field goal late in the game, securing an all-around dominant victory with a score of 45–14.
The Cavaliers will head into their bye week with a chance to regroup—and address the woes that plagued the offensive line—before looking to salvage their chance at a bowl game. This will be a difficult feat, as three of their final four opponents are currently ranked nationally (#18 Pittsburgh, #8 Notre Dame, and #20 SMU). After facing this gauntlet, they will travel to Blacksburg to face a Virginia Tech team that has won three in a row. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels have a much lighter final month of contests, with none of their next four opponents currently having a winning record. This conquest will begin with a trip to Tallahassee this weekend to take on the struggling Florida State Seminoles.
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