Mack Brown has some bad memories to erase at Virginia.

During Brown’s first tenure here, his teams contributed to UNC’s 14-game losing streak at Virginia, which finally ended in 2010. Carolina is 7-3 against the Cavaliers since then, including four wins there.

The most disappointing of the Tar Heels’ five defeats in Charlottesville under Brown was in 1996 when his 6th-ranked team led UVa 17-3 in the fourth quarter before losing a true heartbreaker 20-17. The eventual 10-2 Heels also lost their shot at a bid to the old Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

Carolina returns to Scott Stadium Saturday night, when it has a lot more important things to accomplish than improving on the head coach’s 3-8 career record against UVa. The No. 15 Heels can keep their nationally ranked run going during “rivalry month” when State, Virginia, Duke and Wake Forest fall on the revised schedule.

Asked how long it took him to get over his last trip to Charlottesville, Brown said he remembers all losses more than the wins, presumably because pain is a stronger emotion than euphoria. And this one was truly painful, if you care to recall it along with me.

For the first time, Brown had a better team than George Welsh’s Cavaliers and played like it by building what looked like an insurmountable lead after linebacker Brian Simmons’ intercepted a pass and returned it to the Virginia red zone.

On third down, quarterback Chris Keldorf  threw a pass intended for Octavus Barnes, but it was picked off by Antoine Harris and returned 95 yards for a touchdown. That awakened the Virginia students who had been busier taunting the Tar Heels’ bench than paying attention to a game that looked lost.

“It was a bad decision,” Brown said of the play call. “I was behind our bench trying to break up a fight. But we still had plenty of time to win the game.” The Tar Heels seemingly gave it away, letting Virginia score another touchdown and kick a field goal to finish the stunner.

UNC got a measure of revenge next year in Chapel Hill as Dre Bly’s early pick-six sparked a 48-20 rout. Brown left for Texas after that season and hasn’t played at Virginia since. Until Saturday night, when his new Tar Heels try to settle an old score with, once again, a lot at stake.

 

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