The North Carolina football team, 2-2 on the season, will return home to Chapel Hill on Saturday to host a pivotal ACC Coastal 12:30 pm matchup against 3-2 Virginia Tech.

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When facing the Hokies, an opponent typically expects a heavy dose of old-fashioned, ground-and-pound action from the running backs.

But with the loss of talented freshman back Shai McKenzie last weekend, UNC head coach Larry Fedora says he expects a different game plan that will include more passing. The Hokies have a capable quarterback in the form of Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer.

“He’s [Brewer] doing a nice job for them. They have some big receivers. No. 7, he reminds me a lot of [Eric] Ebron. He’s really a big, physical and athletic kid. They have two very nice tight ends and are big on the outside as well. He’s doing a very nice job of spreading the ball around,” Coach Fedora says.

vt qb

VT QB Brewer (Hamptonroads.com)

The Hokie defense, however, has always been the bedrock of Virginia Tech football. This year, is no exception. The Hokies lead the nation with 41 tackles for a loss and also top the national charts with 21 sacks.

Coach Fedora understands the stiff defensive challenge that will roll into Kenan Stadium Saturday.

“Bud Foster [VT def. coord.] is one of the best out there. Year in and year out, his defense is always going to be up there. He’s evolved with them over time. They press you, play man coverage and outnumber you in the box. Other than Georgia Tech, I don’t think anybody has rushed for over 100 yards against them yet,” Coach Fedora says.

The UNC offense is averaging 40.8 points per contest. That total is good enough for 23rd in the nation, but inconsistency of the attack has been the frustrating issue for the coaching staff and players.

Coach Fedora, though, is not pinning any of the blame on new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

“I really don’t think the coordinator has had an effect as much as the people actually running it. The calls are pretty much the same as we’ve always done. The offense hasn’t changed. We’ve had to adapt the offense according to some of the talent that we have,” Coach Fedora says.

All eyes inside Kenan Stadium will be on the work in progress that is the UNC defense. Senior defensive tackle Ethan Farmer says the Tar Heels will have their hands full against the Hokies.

“They’re big up front. They have key offensive linemen back. Of course, they have a brand new quarterback. Their offensive line has always been extremely good. We are going to be challenged, as always, this week,” Farmer says.

Special teams play could prove to be the deciding factor Saturday. Coach Fedora says strong-legged senior punter Tommy Hibbard has been responding well to everything they’ve been asking him to do.

“What we do with him is difficult to do. The reason we do it is because it makes it much more difficult on the punt return unit. He has really handled that well. There are opportunities for him to boom the ball sometimes, but that’s not really what we want done. It’s always about our net and not his average. We ask him to hang it up there sometimes or put it inside the 10-yard line,” Coach Fedora says.

Hibbard in action (UNC Athletics)

Hibbard in action (UNC Athletics)

Both teams harbor hopes of winning their conference division and playing for an ACC title in Charlotte come December. With that in mind, Farmer says the Tar Heels recognize the significance of the game.

“We have goals. They have goals. It’s a big-time game for both teams. We’re going to come out ready to play. That’s our season goal – to be ACC champs. We know that starts with Virginia Tech. It previously didn’t happen against Clemson, but we’re going to be fine Saturday,” Farmer says.

Virginia Tech leads the all-time series with Carolina 19-11-6 and sports an 8-2 mark in ACC contests. The Hokies are the only team from Virginia that boasts a winning football record against the Tar Heels.

But this year’s edition is a vital chapter in the rivalry. None other than Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer says Saturday’s meeting is a must-win for both schools.

“You never know how it’s going to work out down the road, but starting off 0-2 in conference is not a great starting point. I think both of us understand it’s a critical ballgame,” Coach Beamer says.