Tar Heels ace their latest test

By: By Bill Cole | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: October 31, 2009

North Carolina defied logic and all odds Thursday night in upsetting Virginia Tech and stopping its ACC losing streak.

A week after a devastating home loss to Florida State, in which the Tar Heels squandered an 18-point lead, UNC went on the road, ignored a loud, hostile crowd at Lane Stadium and captured a 20-17 decision on the game's last play.

Coach Butch Davis praised his team for its composure and for fighting back after falling behind 17-14 in the fourth quarter, the only time all game that it did not hold the lead.

"You get tests," Davis said. "We got a test last week, and didn't do as well as you'd like to do. But life's funny. It gives you the same test again somewhere down the line.

"I thought our kids rose up and proved something to themselves. If you don't ever give up on yourself, you always have a chance."

UNC improved to 5-3 overall and 1-3 in the ACC. The Tar Heels need two wins in their final four games to secure eligibility for a bowl game. T.J. Yates, UNC's quarterback, feels that the season has taken on new life.

"This could be the turnaround for the rest of the season," he said. "It can jump-start us in this last stretch of games. We're going to be playing some top ACC opponents. This game can kind of set the stage for the rest of the season."

After being intercepted on a desperate heave and giving Virginia Tech possession to score a go-ahead touchdown with 11:51 left, Yates drove UNC to field goals on its last two possessions, with Casey Barth's 21-yard field goal providing the winning points.

Yates was at a loss to explain his interception, which happened when he tried to throw the ball away after Virginia Tech's pass rush swamped him. Virginia Tech took over on the UNC 5-yard line and scored in three plays.

"I don't know what I was doing; smoking some drugs or something," Yates said. "That was so stupid on my part. To put the defense in a hole like that was a bad decision by me. It was a horrible play by me."

The decision would not have been possible without a strong defensive effort, however. Virginia Tech managed 11 first downs, 56 offensive plays and 256 total yards.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech was hounded all game by a consistent pass rush. He was limited to 11 completions in 23 attempts and 161 passing yards. He was sacked three times.

The victory was doubly sweet for E.J. Wilson, a UNC senior defensive end from Emporia, Va. UNC had not beaten Virginia Tech or Virginia in his career until Thursday night. The win was a late present for his 22nd birthday, which he and the team celebrated on Wednesday.

"It proves that we're a very resilient team," Wilson said. "Like Coach Davis said, character really comes out when everything's down. Are you going to get up off the mat or are you going to sit there and wallow in your own pity?

"I think tonight we proved that we can get up off the mat. We're not going to let one loss stop us."

bcole@wsjournal.com.