Virginia and North Carolina Clash Saturday in the South's Oldest Rivalry

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Nov. 4, 2013

Virginia, North Carolina Square Off in the South’s Oldest Rivalry
• Virginia and North Carolina will meet for the 118th time in the South’s Oldest Rivalry, a series that was first played in 1892.
• The Cavaliers have faced the Tar Heels more than any other school (117). Virginia Tech is next at 94 games.

Virginia vs. North Carolina
• Virginia trails the all-time series with North Carolina, 59-54-4, and trails the series in Chapel Hill, 30-12-3.
• 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. All of UNC’s games in 1956 were forfeited by conference ation.
• Saturday’s game will tie the rivalry for the third 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).

Keeping the UNC Offense in Check
• Since 1979, North Carolina has scored more than 27 points against UVa five times (1997, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2012), including the last three meetings. 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).

UVa’s Moses Parts Hawaiian Waters to Save Bryn Renner’s Life
• In 2008, UVa’s Morgan Moses and UNC’s Bryn Renner were teammates in the inaugural Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl in Honolulu; Renner’s father Bill, was a coach for the all-star game.
• Renner had arrived in Hawaii dealing with a separated shoulder and, as he paddled out during a group outing to the beach, he felt the joint dislocate in his shoulder when a wave hit him.
• Moses was the only other person in the vicinity, the offensive tackle jumped into action and was able to grab the visibly pained quarterback and dragged him to shore and to safety.
• Recounting the story at ACC Kickoff in July, Renner said “I don’t know what I would’ve done. It was just me and him. I owe him a lot. My mom was there, too, and she was crying and saying, `Thank you so much, Morgan.’ “

The Most Offense Typically Wins
• In UVa vs. UNC games since 1940, the winning team has out-rushed the loser 55 of 70 times, with one game featuring the same yardage for both.
• The winning team has had more offense 56 times and has been outgained just 14 times since 1940. UVa was the most recent team (2011) 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.

… On the Ground
• Since 2006, the Tar Heels have averaged 121.7 rushing yards per game vs. the Cavaliers, with UVa winning four of the last seven meetings.
• Since 1996, UNC has scored only 10 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 17 games, UNC’s offense has scored 35 touchdowns, with 22 coming in five games (1997, 2002, 2010 , 2011, 2012), while the defense has scored seven 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 five years, North Carolina has committed nine turnovers, while UVa has committed 10 (five of which were INTs in the 2010 meeting).
• North Carolina is 7-2 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).

Last Meeting: 2012 (UNC 37, @UVa 13)
• Darius Jennings caught a touchdown pass at the 8:42 mark in the second quarter to pull UVa within four points, 14-10, but North Carolina went on a 23-3 run to close out the 37-13 Tar Heel victory on ESPN’s Thursday Night Football.
• UNC’s Quinshad Davis tied a UVa opponent record in receptions in a game with 16, while also collecting 178 yards rushing. UNC’s Bryn Renner completed 29-of-36 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
• Jennings caught three passes for 24 yards and the touchdown for UVa in the losing cause. Kevin Parks rushed 12 times for 53 yards. Anthony Harris had a career-high 14 tackles to lead all players.

Jon Tenuta Returns to Chapel Hill
• UVa associate head coach for defense and defensive coordinator spent the 2001 season at North Carolina as its defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. While in Chapel Hill Tenuta had such pupils as former Tar Heels Julius Peepers, Ryan Sims, David Thorton, Dexter Reid and Michael Waddle.