Somehow, some way, the UNC football team found itself with one final drive to win the game against Virginia on Saturday at Kenan Stadium—but came up just short on a controversial fourth down play, which all but handed the Cavaliers a 20-14 victory.
Needing a touchdown and an extra point to pull out just their second win of the season, the Tar Heels managed to advance the ball past midfield.
Forced into a 4th-and-9 opportunity, however, quarterback Brandon Harris was sacked by the Virginia defense.
No penalties were called, even though replays appeared to show a missed facemask penalty—one that would have handed the Tar Heels 15 crucial yards and a first down.
Although coaches and players alike were heated on the sidelines, it would be completely unfair to blame that call for UNC’s loss.
Wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams and the Tar Heels gained just 46 yards through the air against Virginia, their worst passing total since 2000. (AP Photo/ Gerry Broome)
Offensive woes continued to stand out as the major problem, as the Tar Heels managed only 257 total yards. Harris played the entire game in place of freshman Chazz Surratt, but threw for only 46 yards, completed just seven of his 18 attempts and also tossed three interceptions.
Fedora told reporters afterward that Surratt was healthy, but he thought Harris had a better week of practice.
“I thought Brandon did a nice job of taking the ball where it was supposed to go,” Fedora said. “There’s a couple balls he’d probably like to have back, that he didn’t get to step into because of protection breakdowns.
“But I think the kid played hard,” he added. “I think he gave everything he had.”
Freshman tailback Michael Carter represented just about the only bright spot offensively, turning his 13 carries into 157 rushing yards and both of the team’s touchdowns.
UNC missed a field goal in the first quarter that would have given them an early 3-0 lead, which allowed Virginia (5-1, 2-0 ACC) to then go on a 10-0 run before halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, Carter exploded on the Tar Heels’ first two drives.
His first carry after the break went 56 yards to the Virginia 11-yard-line. Two more touches was all he needed to get into the endzone.
Virginia gained 156 of its 405 yards on the ground Saturday against the Tar Heels. (AP Photo/ Gerry Broome)
Then, on the next possession, Carter looked like a star in the making when he hit the left side with a purpose and sprinted for a 47-yard score—giving UNC its only lead of the afternoon.
“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and I’m gonna always say it,” Carter told reporters after the game. “All I do is run. The offensive line and the receivers blocking on the perimeter—they do a great job. All I’ve gotta do is find open space.”
Once again the Tar Heel defense played just well enough to challenge for a win, but faded down the stretch after spending nearly 40 of the game’s 60 minutes on the field.
Nowhere was that more evident than when Virginia receiver Olamide Zaccheaus took a five-yard pass and turned it into an 81-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers added another field goal in the fourth quarter, as they were content to pound the Tar Heels into submission with the clock ticking down.
A late fumble put UNC into position to steal the win on its final drive, but the rest is history.
The Tar Heels are now 1-6 overall, 0-4 in the ACC and 0-5 at home.
Still though, Fedora couldn’t help but applaud his team’s effort, considering the amount of adversity it’s faced this season.
“I know for you guys, you may not think it’s a big deal—but it’s a big deal for me,” Fedora said, of the Tar Heels’ moral victory. “The way they come to practice every day. Their attitudes that they come out here with. The smiles on their faces. How hard they work.
“It kills me that I can’t help them get over the hump,” he added.
Up Next:
UNC will go on the road next week to face No. 15 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. That game is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Michael Carter became the first UNC freshman to run for over 100 yards since TJ Logan did it against Old Dominion back in 2013.
- The 81-yard passing touchdown from Benkert to Olamide Zaccheaus in the third quarter was the eighth play of 60 or more yards given up by UNC this season–more than any other team in the nation.
- It was the first time Brandon Harris had ever thrown three interceptions in a game, something he never did during his three seasons at LSU. His 46 passing yards were also the least UNC has had since 2000.
- Virginia had not picked up a win against the Tar Heels since 2009 prior to Saturday.
Cover photo via Gerry Broome (Associated Press)
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