The Tar Heels have a chance to claim the inside track toward an ACC Coastal Division title on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium, as they take on the Virginia Cavaliers—the team they’re currently tied with atop the division standings.

Through eight crazy games—all but one of which came down to just a few plays at the end—it’s only fitting that UNC is 4-4 at this point in the season. Games that have essentially been 50-50 coin flips have resulted in the Tar Heels having a record to match.

The craziness of the Coastal Division, however, has allowed UNC to still work itself into a favorable position when it comes to potentially making the ACC Championship Game and likely earning a rematch against Clemson.

To do that, the Tar Heels will have to defeat a Virginia team which is as good as any that school has produced in recent years.

UNC freshman quarterback Sam Howell will have to be sharp this weekend for the Tar Heels to earn a win against Virginia. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Despite losing to Louisville last weekend, head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s Cavaliers—who are currently 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC–have spent time ranked in the top 25 earlier this season.

Led by dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins on offense and outside linebackers Charles Snowden and Noah Taylor on defense, Virginia will present a stiff challenge this weekend for head coach Mack Brown and the Tar Heels.

“The quarterback is a superstar,” Brown said of Perkins at his weekly press conference on Monday. “I mean, he’s made them go.

“They’re a defense very much like Duke and Virginia Tech,” he added. “They’re gonna be very multiple up front; they’re gonna move a lot. They’ve got two of the best outside linebackers in the country. And offensively, they’re throwing the ball better than they have in the past. And they’re throwing it quite a bit. So, we’ll have our hands full.”

One of the most important developments for the Tar Heels this week has been the improved health of defensive backs Trey Morrison, Storm Duck and Myles Wolfolk.

With those three having been injured in recent weeks –not to mention Patrice Rene and Cam’Ron Kelly, who are out for the season—UNC has been extremely thin in the secondary. This has affected defensive play-calling to some degree and forced inexperienced players into unfamiliar roles.

Getting healthier in the secondary is critical for the Tar Heels if they want to have a chance against Virginia and continue in the hunt for the Coastal Division title.

Regardless of who suits up, though, Brown has asked his team to do a little more in preparation this week considering the stakes of the game.

“I told them [earlier this week] that whatever you’re doing to prepare, you need to do a little more,” Brown said. “If you’re spending an hour on video, spend some more. If you’re a scout teamer, you need to show us the picture. Go watch Virginia.

“Go watch the guy you’re going to be and try to help us prepare for the game,” the coach continued. “I think that’s part of our process of learning to win again.”

Another sell-out is expected at Kenan Stadium this weekend, the fourth in four home games for the Tar Heels this season. That number is reflective of both the entertainment provided by the team each week, and the hope that this program is finally ready to grow into a contender at the highest levels of the sport.

Beating Virginia doesn’t mean much in a vacuum, but a win on Saturday could do wonders in UNC’s pursuit of a division championship—something that was once thought to be unattainable in a rebuilding year.

“It’s kind of a rival game between Carolina and Virginia, so it’ll be fun,” Brown said. “It’s fun to be in late October and the game mean something. Our guys will be really excited about that, and I think our fan base is too.”

Cover photo via Dakota Moyer

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