Virginia stuns No. 10 UNC, shakes up ACC race

Oct 21, 2023, 11:27 PM ET CHAPEL HILL, N.C.– Mike Hollins ran for three touchdowns and Malik Washington had the consent scoring catch in the fourth quarter to help Virginia upset No. 10 North Carolina 31-27 on Saturday night, shocking the Atlantic Coast Conference race with its very first roadway win against a top-10 opponent.James Jackson had the

clinching interception with 26 seconds left, selecting off UNC star quarterback Drake Maye as Maye was struck by Paul Akere with the Tar Heels(6-1, 3-1)reaching midfield on a drive for a winning score.Instead, Virginia players started spilling onto the field

to commemorate, while Jackson ran all the method down the field to the end zone in his own jubilation.” We knew we had the capability to do it,”Hollins stated,” we simply had to

put it all together.” Virginia closed as 24-point underdogs, per ESPN Stats & Information, so this result is the biggest upset win by an ACC team since NC State in 1998 vs. No. 2 Florida State. The Wolfpack were 26.5-point underdogs in that game.Editor’s Picks

1 Related Washington pressed the Cavaliers( 2-5, 1-2 )over the top, taking a short feed from Tony Muskett and then turning towards completion zone to press across the goal line with 8:51 left while brushing off several prospective tacklers.Washington quickly started to commemorate by raising both arms to flex his biceps, which was appropriate considering the method Virginia repeatedly ran the ball at and through the Tar Heels in spite of coming in as one of the nation’s most anemic ground attacks.Virginia came in averaging 99.5 backyards hurrying per game, worst in the ACC and 122nd in the FBS ranks. However the Cavaliers ran for a season-high 228 yards, with Hollins, Muskett and Perris Jones all running for at least 60 yards.”I’ve seen this coming for numerous weeks,”Virginia coach Tony Elliott stated.”In all those games that we’ve been close, I’ve seen it coming. Eventually, we had to decide to complete a game and not be close.”When it comes to the Tar Heels, it was a stunning stumble for a group that had actually seemed potentially the ACC’s best group behind a star quarterback discussed as a Heisman Trophy candidate in Maye.Maye tossed for 347 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4th one in 2 games to Devontez”Tez “Walker, who had 11 catches for 146 yards. But Maye completed just half of his passes (24-for-48), missing out on many tosses while his receivers also dropped various passes, and the Tar Heels never ever found the high-scoring kind from recent rollicks amidst the program’s finest start in 26 years.”I’m dissatisfied in me,”UNC coach Mack Brown stated.”I’m disappointed in us as coaches.

Kids listen to us, they’re young people. It’s our task to get them ready to play. “Hollins scored twice on first-quarter runs, then included a tough 1-yard score in the third quarter

that capped an important drive after UNC had actually pushed ahead by 10. He very nearly had a 4th hurrying rating with an opportunity to put Virginia up two ratings, however was removed of the ball before crossing the objective line, and the ball ultimately bounced right out the back of completion zone with 4:50 left.Yet Virginia’s defense hung in, with Maye tossing insufficient for Walker on the sideline inside the 10-yard line on fourth down to end the occurring drive. UNC ended up with one last chance, forcing a punt to get the ball back to Maye with 1:12 left and no timeouts– just to see Jackson haul in Virginia’s clinching takeaway.It was difficult to imagine this sort of result, too, considering Virginia’s lone win had actually come versus William & Mary of the FCS ranks before recently’s open date.

Not to discuss UNC had actually scored at least 31 points in every game and cracked 40 four times, while Maye and the offense had relatively been getting steam in recent wins with Walker being cleared to play after a lengthy NCAA eligibility debate.None of that mattered, though, as Virginia finally could totally commemorate on UNC’s field as soon as the clock hit all zeroes.The Associated Press added to this report.