Story Links
Virginia (3-3, 1-1 ACC) vs. No. 18 (AP)/22 (USA Today) North Carolina (5-1, 1-1 ACC)
Game 7 Saturday, Oct. 18 3:30 p.m.
Carl Smith Center, Home of David A. Harrison III Field
at Scott Stadium (61,500) Charlottesville, Va.
Surface: Prescription Athletic Turf
Series vs. UNC: North Carolina leads, 56-52-4
Last Meeting: 2007 (Virginia 22, UNC 20)
Television: ABC/ESPN2
Radio: Virginia Sports Network
Satellite Radio: XM Radio Ch. TBA
School Websites: VirginiaSports.com, TarHeelBlue.com
TV Coverage
ABC/ESPN2 is televising the game.
Terry Gannon (play-by-play) and David Norrie (color analysis) have the call.
Radio Coverage
All Virginia games are broadcast on the Virginia Sports Network, originating at WINA/WWWV in Charlottesville.
Dave Koehn (play-by-play), Frank Quayle (analyst) and Tim Sherman (sidelines) have the call.
Things You Need To Know
Virginia has won eight of 10 against North Carolina and has not lost to the Tar Heels in Charlottesville since 1981, a stretch of 13 games.
Virginia has rushed for 200 yards in consecutive games for the first time since 2004 and scored 30 points in back-to-back contests for the first time since 2005.
UVa has posted its best offensive totals is nearly a year in each of the last two games (427 vs. Maryland, 430 vs. East Carolina).
Clint Sintim ranks fifth nationally and leads the ACC in sacks this season. He also is the national leader in sacks among linebackers.
Virginia has had 17 players make their first career start this season while 22 have made their first college appearance.
113th Renewal of the South’s Oldest Rivalry
North Carolina holds a 56-52-4 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1892. You may notice a difference in the series record between the two schools because of the game in 1956 that North Carolina forfeited for using an ineligible player.
The Cavaliers have faced the Tar Heels more times than any other school (Virginia Tech is next at 89 games).
Cavaliers Have Dominated Series of Late
The Cavaliers have won five of the last six meetings and eight of the last 10.
UNC has not won in Charlottesville since 1981 (17-14), losing 13 straight times; in that time the Cavaliers have won five times in Chapel Hill.
UVa squeaked out a 22-20 win in Chapel Hill last year.
The South’s Oldest Rivalry
This is the 113th meeting in the long history of the Virginia-North Carolina series, the South’s oldest rivalry.
The rivalry is tied for the fifth longest in Football Bowl Subdivision history and was the seventh series in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history to reach 100 meetings with the 1995 game.
The two schools have met every season since 1919 and there have been only four seasons since 1900 when they did not meet (1906, 1909 and 1917-18, when football was postponed at both schools because of World War I).
Longest Series in FBS History
| Teams | Games |
1st Game |
| Minnesota/Wisconsin | 117 | 1890 |
| Missouri/Kansas | 116 | 1891 |
| Nebraska/Kansas | 114 | 1892 |
| Texas/Texas A&M | 114 | 1894 |
| Virginia North Carolina | 113* | 1892 |
| Miami (Ohio)/Cincinnati | 113* | 1894 |
| *includes 2008 meeting |
More on the UNC-UVa Rivalry
In the last meeting in Charlottesville in 2006, Virginia won 23-0, its first shutout of the Tar Heels in 82 years (7-0 UVa in 1924)
Virginia is 24-21 all-time against UNC in Charlottesville, while the Tar Heels hold the advantage in Chapel Hill (29-11-3).
Since 1982, Virginia is 18-7-1 against the Tar Heels.
Last Five Meetings:
2007 – Virginia 22, North Carolina 20
2006 – Virginia 23, North Carolina 0
2005 – North Carolina 7, Virginia 5
2004 – Virginia 56, North Carolina 24
2003 – Virginia 38, North Carolina 13
home team listed in bold
UVa vs. Ranked UNC Teams
Virginia is 4-11 all-time against ranked North Carolina teams (Associated Press poll).
It has been more than 11 years since the last such meeting, a 48-20 Carolina win on Sept. 27, 1997, in Chapel Hill.
That win snapped a four-game Virginia winning streak over ranked UNC teams.
UVa’s last win over a ranked Tar Heel squad was Nov. 16, 1996 (20-17 in Charlottesville).
Last Five Virginia Meetings vs. Ranked UNC Teams
9/27/97 – No. 5 UNC 48, Virginia 20
11/16/96 – No. 24 UVa 20, No. 6 UNC 17
10/22/94 – No. 25 UVa 34, No. 15 UNC 10
10/23/93 – No. 21 UVa 17, No. 12 UNC 10
11/12/83 – UVa 17, No. 19 UNC 14
home team listed in bold
Groh’s Tar Heel Connection
Virginia head coach Al Groh was the linebackers coach at North Carolina from 1973-77.
While there, he coached future NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, among others.
2007: Virginia 22, North Carolina 20
Cedric Peerman shredded the UNC defense for a career-high 186 yards and a touchdown, and Chris Gould tied a school record with five field goals as Virginia held off North Carolina, 22-20, last year at Kenan Stadium.
North Carolina marched 85 yards to score on QB T.J. Yates’ 2-yard pass to Richard Quinn with 1:57 left, but Yates’ 2-point conversion pass was batted down by Nate Collins at the line of scrimmage.
Peerman also caught three passes for 37 yards and finished with 223 all-purpose yards.
The Most Offense Typically Wins
One of the factors that can be used to predict a winner of this game is looking at the team with the most rushing yards and total offense.
Since 1940 the winning team has outrushed the loser 53 of 65 times, with one game featuring the same yardage for both.
Similarly the winning team has had more offense 54 times and been outgained just 12 times since 1940.
The loser has outgained the winner just five times since 1975, but it has happened three times in the last eight years, including last year. [In both instances above the 1956 (forfeit) and 1984 (tie) games aren’t included.]
Cavaliers Hold UNC Offense in Check …
One of the keys to UVa’s recent success has been an ability to keep the Tar Heel offense in check.
Since 1979, North Carolina has scored more than 27 points just twice (1997, 2001). In contrast, the Tar Heels topped 27 points seven times between 1970-78.
Also since 1979, the Tar Heels have managed to score more than three touchdowns only twice (when they scored six in 1997 and four in 2002), while Virginia has done so three of the last five years.
… On the Ground, In Particular
North Carolina’s rushing offense is another telltale sign of predicting a winner. The Tar Heels have averaged 238.8 yards in their last six wins dating back to 1983 but have averaged just 122.4 yards in their 18 losses since then (a tie in 1984 is not included).
The Virginia defense has been even better against the run since 1993, holding the Tar Heels to an average of 114.5 yards rushing per game, while winning 11 of the last 15 meetings.
Since 1996, UNC has scored just five rushing touchdowns with two coming in 1997. In contrast, Virginia has scored 22 times on the ground since then.
In the last 12 games, UNC’s offense has scored 21 touchdowns, with nine coming in two games (1997, 2002), while the defense has scored five touchdowns (all on interceptions).
Turnovers Also Make Difference
Since 1982, the Cavaliers are 13-2-1 when committing fewer turnovers than the Tar Heels. (The losses occurred in 1995 and 2001, while the tie was in 84).
Last year, North Carolina committed three turnovers which led to six points in the 22-20 loss to UVa.
On the other hand, North Carolina is 4-2 when committing fewer turnovers.
There have been four games since 1982 where each team committed the same number of miscues and Virginia has won three (1985, 88, 2003).
Former NFL Coaches Square Off
Former NFL head coaches Al Groh and Butch Davis face off for the second time in college Saturday.
Groh coached the New York Jets (2000), while Davis coached the Cleveland Browns (2001-04).
Groh faced off with former NFL head coach Pete Carroll of Southern California this year in the season opener.
Groh’s Cavaliers also played three teams led by former NFL coaches last year North Carolina (Davis), Georgia Tech (Chan Gailey) and Pittsburgh (Dave Wannstedt).
UVa won all three of those games.
Groh is 6-4 at UVa vs. former NFL head coaches.