UVa and UNC Clash Thursday Night in the South's 'Oldest Rivalry'

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Nov. 12, 2012

Virginia, North Carolina Square Off in the South’s Oldest Rivalry on ESPN
• Virginia and North Carolina will play a nationally televised game on Thursday on ESPN. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday’s contest will be the 117th game in the series between UVa and North Carolina.
• The Cavaliers have faced the Tar Heels more than any other school (116). Virginia Tech is next at 93 games.
• The Cavaliers are coming off a 41-40 triumph over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.

Virginia vs. North Carolina
• Virginia trails the all-time series with North Carolina, 58-54-4, but
holds a 24-22 advantage in Charlottesville. There is 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.
• Thursday’s game will tie the rivalry for the fourth longest series in Football Bowl Subdivision history; it 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).

*includes this week’s meeting

The Most Offense Typically Wins
• In UVa vs. UNC games since 1940, the winning team has out-rushed the loser 55 of 69 times, with one game featuring the same yardage for both.
• The winning team has had more offense 55 times and has been outgained just 14 times since 1940. UVa was the most recent team last season to outgain UNC and lose (468-401).
• The loser has outgained the winner just seven times since 1975, but it has happened five times in the last 12 years, including in 2007, 2008 and 2011.

Keeping the UNC Offense in Check
• Since 1979, North Carolina has scored more than 27 points four times (1997, 2001, 2010, 2011). In contrast, the Tar Heels topped 27 points seven times from 1970-78.
• Also since 1979, the Tar Heels have managed to score more than three touchdowns four times (six in 1997, five in 2010 and four in 2002 & 2011).

… On the Ground
• Since 2006, the Tar Heels have averaged 104.0 rushing yards per game vs. the Cavaliers, with UVa winning four of the last six meetings.
• Since 1996, UNC has scored only nine rushing touchdowns with two coming in 1997 and 2011. In contrast, UVa has scored 27 times on the ground in that span.
• In the last 16 games, UNC’s offense has scored 31 touchdowns, with 18 coming in four games (1997, 2002, 2010 and 2011), while the defense has scored six touchdowns (all on interceptions).

Turnovers Make a Difference
• Since 1982, the Cavaliers are 15-2-1 when committing fewer turnovers than the Tar Heels. The losses occurred in 1995 and 2001, while the tie was in 1984.
• Over the last four years, North Carolina has committed eight turnovers, while UVa has also committed eight (five of which were INTs in the 2010 meeting).
• North Carolina is 6-2 vs. Virginia 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, 1988, 2003).
fbs coaches with sons playing for same school
• TE’s coach Shawn Moore and DE Mike Moore make UVa one of 25 FBS programs to have a head coach or assistant coach that has a son(s) that also play for the same program.
• Florida State is the only other program in the ACC as offensive line coach Rick Trickett is the father of back-up QB Clint Trickett.
• Below is the entire list of FBS coaches and their sons playing for the same school.

Last Meeting: 2011 (@UNC 28 – UVa 17)
• Virginia broke through early in the second quarter after both teams played a scoreless opening quarter, as Robert Randolph gave the Cavaliers an early 3-0 lead.
• Virginia never led again after Bryn Renner found Jheranie Boyd for an 18-yard scoring strike nearly two minutes later.
• UNC scored 21 unanswered points before Michael Rocco found Max Milien for a 41-yard scoring strike at the 10:27 mark in the third quarter.
• North Carolina native Kevin Parks rushed for 98 yards in his first trip back to his home state, while Rocco was 22-of-37 for 287 yards. Kris Burd led UVa receivers with seven catches for 110 yards.

Noting Rocco After the Miami Game
• Michael Rocco threw for 300 yards against Miami for his fourth career game of 300 yards passing or more, placing him No. 3 all-time at UVa. Matt Schaub (8) and Aaron Brooks (6) are the only names ahead of Rocco in the record book.
• Rocco’s game was only the 38th time a UVa QB has passed for 300 yards or more in program history.
• In two career games against the Hurricanes, Rocco is 40-of-57 (70.2 percent) for 526 yards and six TDs (zero INTs).
• Rocco completed 18 passes in a row at one point, breaking Matt Blundin’s program record for consecutive completions in a game. Blundin completed 14 in a row against Duke in 1991. Rocco also passed Shawn Moore for most consecutive completions for a career. Moore completed 15 in a row during a two-game span in 1989.

Two-Headed QB Train
• Michael Rocco (1,585) and Phillip Sims (1,203) both have thrown for over 1,000 yards this season.
• The last time UVa had two QBs throw for over 1,000 yards in the same season was 2001 when the Matt Schaub (1,524) and Bryson Spinner (1,334) tandem did so.