North Carolina had a busy offseason with dark horse playoff buzz. But Virginia Tech shattered those hopes with a win of 17-10 in front raucous Lane Stadium.
Mack Brown, UNC's head coach, said that the Tar Heels were "apparently the shine's off". "The ratings are meaningless at this point. "We were overrated tonight."
Brown stated that he expected the Hokies to be tenacious, but was disappointed with how his team responded.
Virginia Tech ran 75 yards to score a touchdown on its first drive. It then fumbled on a 56-yard drive. The Hokies scored again on the third drive to make it 14-0. The defense of the Hokies was utterly flustered by Sam Howell and Tar Heels' offense during the first half. They made several big plays in the second half to win.
Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech's coach, said that they kept getting them back in the second half. "We couldn’t win the game and the defense rose to the occasion. It was the most impressive performance I have ever seen. It was amazing. It was amazing to continue answering the bell in the second part.
UNC lost four offensive stars last season, including tailbacks Javonte Williams and Dyami Brown, as well as receivers Dyami Brown (and receivers Dazz Newsome) -- but Brown had expressed enthusiasm for the next generation of skill-position players. The Tar Heels were instead plagued by miscues from their tight end and receivers, while the offensive line, which was supposed to be a strength, struggled against an unrelenting Virginia Tech pass rush.
Brown stated that he had learned some things about players who may be ready to play at high levels, but was disappointed that Howell, a preseason Heisman candidate, wasn't given a chance to make many plays.
Brown stated that if you can't run the ball well, and you have six tackles, you must run for your life. "We have to do better at protecting him." It's impossible to expect a man to play a great game if he has people surrounding him throughout the game. Protect your quarterback.
Howell was 17-of-32 for 228 yards and a touchdown. Josh Downs, the receiver, had 123 yards and a touchdown. However, the rest of the receiving corp struggled to get downfield. UNC was missing veterans Beau Corrales, Khafre Brown.
Afterward, Howell stated that North Carolina's expectations were not affected by the loss. However, he acknowledged that the team didn't play well.
Howell stated, "We cannot let this game define our team." Even though we didn't show it tonight, we know what this team can do. We just lost [tonight] I think. "I don't think that the pressure was a problem for anyone in the program. We had a great week of practice and I don't think it really affected anybody. But we weren't the best team."
Since Brown's return in 2019, UNC has lost 11 games. This was the ninth consecutive loss by a touchdown.
Virginia Tech, on the other hand, brushed aside the offseason of questions surrounding Fuente and put forth a dynamic performance.
Braxton Burmeister, QB, completed 12 of 19 passes with a touchdown and ran for 53 yards more and a score. The defense of the Hokies was outstanding, with six sacks, three interceptions and a clever pick on Chamarri Conner's last throw by Howell to win.
Fuente considered it a major win. Fuente was on the brink of losing his job after Virginia Tech lost a bowl match in 1992. Whit Babcock, the athletic director, decided to keep Fuente. However, he presented a series items in a postseason conference that he needed to see to ensure Fuente's continued participation with the program after 2021.
Friday's win was a firm rebuttal for a fan base hoping for a change.
Fuente stated, "For a game no one thought we could win, and for a group that most people had given up on," Fuente added.
