Virginia Returns to Scott Stadium to Host Tar Heels

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (4-3, 2-2) hosts North Carolina (3-4, 0-3) Saturday (Oct. 26) for Family Weekend, also UVA’s second-to-last home game of the 2024 season. Kickoff from Scott Stadium is set for noon on The CW and the Virginia Sports Radio Network. 

GAME DETAILS
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Time: Noon
Location: Scott Stadium (61,500)
Television: The CW • Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Max Browne (analyst), Carla Gebhart (sideline)
Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network, Virginia Sports Mobile App, TuneIn App, SiriusXM Channel 138 or 194 

INSIDE SATURDAY’S MATCHUP 

• Saturday will be the 129th meeting between Virginia and North Carolina, dubbed as the “South’s Oldest Rivalry”.  

• It is tied with Georgia-Auburn as the second-most played rivalry in all of FBS behind Wisconsin-Minnesota (133 meetings). 

• The series was first played on Oct. 22, 1892, a 30-18 Virginia victory in Charlottesville. 

• UVA and UNC 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 due to World War I). 

• Virginia won 17 of the first 22 meetings between 1892-1915. 

• Sitting President of the United States Calvin Coolidge attended the 1928 meeting on Thanksgiving Day in Charlottesville at Lambeth Field. 

• The Cavaliers and Tar Heels have split the series 23-23 at Scott Stadium. 

• UVA has won five of the last seven meetings against Carolina and is 59-65-4 against the Tar Heels all-time. Note: Both teams count the 1956 meeting as a win. The game was forfeited by UNC due to the use of an ineligible player. 

• Despite losses to Maryland, Louisville and Clemson, Virginia has held a lead in every contest this season, including a 20-17 fourth quarter edge over Louisville. UVA’s early 7-3 advantage against Clemson in the second quarter was the first by UVA against the Tigers since 2004, a span of five games. Virginia’s 31 points scored at Clemson are its second-most ever against the Tigers in 50 all-time meetings, and most since 1966. 

• With an overall record of 4-3 on the season, UVA is looking to hit the five-win mark for the first time since 2020. 

• Virginia is in search of its third ACC win and third home win of the season, which would be the most in both categories under Tony Elliott and most since 2021. 

TOP STORYLINES 

• In last season’s meeting against North Carolina, the Cavaliers claimed their first-ever road win over a top-10 opponent after defeating the tenth-ranked Tar Heels, 31-27. Entering last year’s contest, UVA was 0-30 all-time against top-10 foes on the road. 

• The Hoos are set to square off against the ACC’s leading rusher Omarion Hampton, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in all but one game this season and is 99 yards from reaching 1,000 rushing yards this season. UVA has allowed only one 100-yard rusher in 2024, Louisville’s Isaac Brown. 

• Virginia wideout Andre Greene Jr. is in his first season with the Cavaliers after transferring from North Carolina. UNC freshman kicker Lucas Osada is from Charlottesville and attended Woodberry Forest School. Among the seven Virginia natives on UNC’s roster is offensive lineman Zach Rice, who attended Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg alongside UVA’s Davis Lane Jr., a quarterback at the prep level. 

• UVA’s remaining schedule includes three matchups with foes ranked in this week’s AP top-25 poll, No. 19 Pitt (Nov. 9), No. 12 Notre Dame (Nov. 16) and No. 22 SMU (Nov. 23). Including today’s matchup, UVA’s remaining opponents have a combined winning percentage of .643 (27-15), the third highest among all ACC teams and 18th in FBS. 

NUMBERS TO KNOW 

2.4 – UVA opponents’ punt return average, the lowest in the ACC and 10th lowest in FBS. UNC is averaging an ACC-best, 18.00 yards per punt return including one touchdown. 

5.3 – Solo tackles per game this season by safety Jonas Sanker, the second-most in the ACC. Against Clemson, seven of his eight tackles were of the solo variety. 

173 – Career points for kicker Will Bettridge, 10 behind Bill Dudley for the No. 15 spot on UVA’s all-time scoring list. Bettridge co-leads the ACC, averaging 2.0 field goals per game. 

606 – Receiving yards for Malachi Fields, the third most in the ACC. He his 80 yards behind Miami’s Xavier Restrepo who leads the ACC. 

ON THE HORIZON
Virginia looks to take advantage of its second and final open date (Nov. 2) of the season before traveling to Pitt (6-0, 2-0), which is ranked No. 19 in this week’s AP top-25 poll, on Nov. 9. The start time of the Virginia-Pitt game is expected to be announced Monday (Oct. 28).