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Tar Heels let lead slip away, lose 20-17
North Carolina miscues, injury to QB Yates, help spark Virginia Tech rally
AP Photo
Davon Morgan of Virginia Tech dives after Greg Little’s fumble.
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Published: September 21, 2008
CHAPEL HILL - Virginia Tech stormed from behind late yesterday to seize a game that North Carolina seemingly had under control.
The Hokies won 20-17 by taking advantage of a monumental Tar Heels collapse. The Tar Heels led 17-3 with 6:44 left in the third quarter after Greg Little's 50-yard touchdown run, but fell apart almost immediately.
Virginia Tech scored 17 points on its next three possessions. It pounded away at North Carolina's defense, took advantage of three critical North Carolina penalties on two touchdown drives and three turnovers in the final 15:39.
The Tar Heels also struggled with redshirt freshman Mike Paulus in at quarterback in place of starter T.J. Yates, who sat out the final 23:53 after spraining his left ankle when he was sacked with nine minutes left in the third quarter.
Senior linebacker Mark Paschal said that the loss, in the ACC opener, was as exasperating as he has experienced in college.
"We played our butts off, and it's just frustrating to give up a 14-point lead like that," Paschal said. "I thought we were in control. I think we were in the driver's seat. I think everybody on the team felt like that."
North Carolina fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the ACC. Virginia Tech improved to 3-1 and 2-0.
Coach Butch Davis of North Carolina said he was upset by his defense's problems stopping Virginia Tech late, four turnovers and 14 penalties for 121 yards. He said he was disappointed in his team's inability to score, especially in the first half when it settled for a 10-3 halftime lead.
North Carolina reached the Virginia Tech 17-yard line, the 42 and the 32 in the first half and the 27 in the third quarter and failed to score. The drive to the 17 in the first quarter ended when Jay Wooten missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt, three missed points that UNC could have used at the end to force overtime.
"If you turn the ball over four times, it's almost impossible to try and win a ballgame," Davis said. "I think our players pressed a little bit late in the ballgame when momentum was slipping. They struggled to make some plays. We didn't tackle as well."
X-rays of Yates' ankle were negative. Davis said that Yates will be evaluated again today and that his status for Saturday's game at Miami is unknown.
Yates was injured when he was sacked by defensive end Orion Martin for an 18-yard loss in Virginia Tech territory. Yates came up hobbling but stayed in for the next play, an incomplete pass on third down.
The Tar Heels punted but the defense held and forced a Hokies punt. The Tar Heels took over at midfield and Little scored on the first play. Wooten's kick made the score 17-3 and the crowd was delirious.
From that point on, the game belonged to Virginia Tech.
The Hokies took the kickoff and drove 89 yards for a touchdown that sliced the lead to seven points. Two penalties kept the drive alive.
The first was a holding penalty on third down that gave Virginia Tech an automatic first down. Three plays later, quarterback Tyrod Taylor overthrew receiver Danny Coale in the end zone on third and 10 at the North Carolina 20, but safety Deunta Williams was called for holding, another first down.
Virginia Tech scored on the next play from 10 yards out. Until the 89-yard drive, Virginia Tech had mustered 90 yards of offense for the game.
Little fumbled on second down after the kickoff. Virginia Tech recovered at the North Carolina 30 and scored another touchdown in five plays to tie the score with 13:46 left.
North Carolina had to punt on its next possession. Virginia Tech took over at the North Carolina 29 after a personal-foul penalty on Anthony Elzy on the return moved the ball another 15 yards. The defense held at the 28, but Dustin Keys kicked a 45-yard field goal for the winning points and to put Virginia Tech ahead for the first time with 10:42 left.
Paulus was intercepted on North Carolina's last two possessions.
The first came after Paulus had led North Carolina to the Virginia Tech 24, but forced a pass on second down to Hakeem Nicks, who was at the 3, that sailed over Nicks' head and into the arms of cornerback Victor Harris at the 2.
Paulus rolled to his right on the play and threw the ball to the middle of the field.
Robert Quinn, a freshman defensive end, said he was shocked that North Carolina couldn't hold on to stay unbeaten.
"It was like a slap in the face," Quinn said of blowing the lead. "They just played harder than us."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
Virginia Tech 0 3 7 10 -- 20
North Carolina 0 10 7 0 -- 17
Second Quarter
UNC--FG Wooten 27, 12:31.
VT--FG Keys 19, 6:59.
UNC--Tate 32 pass from Yates (Wooten kick), 1:02.
Third Quarter
UNC--Little 50 run (Wooten kick), 6:44.
VT--Evans 10 run (Keys kick), 1:09.
Fourth Quarter
VT--Lewis 11 run (Keys kick), 13:46.
VT--FG Keys 45, 10:42.
A--59,800.
TEAM STATISTICS
VT NC
First downs 16 14
Rushes-yards 42-127 32-103
Passing 141 204
Comp-Att-Int 12-22-2 14-26-2
Return Yards 31 25
Punts-Avg. 6-34.0 5-44.2
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-2
Penalties-Yards 4-21 14-121
Time of Possession 32:42 27:18
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Virginia Tech, Evans 14-61, T.Taylor 12-35, Lewis 7-28, Oglesby 4-9, Roberts 2-0, Boone 1-(minus 2), Team 2-(minus 4). UNC, Little 18-71, Foster 3-45, Tate 2-16, Draughn 5-10, Paulus 1-(minus 10), Yates 3-(minus 29).
PASSING--Virginia Tech, T.Taylor 11-21-2-125, Glennon 1-1-0-16. UNC, Yates 11-18-0-181, Paulus 3-8-2-23.
RECEIVING--Virginia Tech, Coale 4-54, Boykin 2-33, Drager 1-15, Roberts 1-15, Harris 1-9, Boone 1-5, Evans 1-5, Smith 1-5. UNC, Nicks 4-51, Tate 3-66, Foster 3-52, Pianalto 3-31, Little 1-4.
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