By Doc Kennedy

Well, I didn’t have that one on my bingo card.

Playing at Virginia, wearing throwback uniforms which were the style that UNC wore in Charlottesville in 1996 for one of their most disappointing losses in program history, on the weekend before Halloween, was a set-up for all the “house of horrors” cliches. Yet in a college football world this season where up is down and down is up, Carolina turned Scott Stadium from a haunted house into a funhouse as the Heels romped to a 41–14 win. 

It’s not so much that Carolina finally found a way to win their first ACC game of the season, as the Tar Heels were tied or led in the fourth quarter of their previous three losses. But no one thought UNC would roll on the strength of their defense, which looked the best since the season opener at Minnesota. Carolina’s defense locked down the Wahoos’ running game while keeping quarterback Anthony Colandrea in check, converting an interception into a short-field touchdown while scoring another touchdown on a pick-six. 

With that in mind, here is a trick-or-treat (but mostly treats) edition of the Good, Bad, and Ugly Report:

Good

Omarion Hampton

Just another day at the office for Hampton, gaining 105 yards and scoring two touchdowns before taking most of the fourth quarter off. Hampton crossed the 1,000 mark for the season and became the ninth Tar Heel to rush for more than 1,000 yards twice. 

Kaimon Rucker

Fully healthy for the first time since the Minnesota game, the Butcher had eight tackles, 3½ for losses, and made an immediate impact on the defense.

J.J. Jones

Carolina has been looking for one of its talented receivers to step up as “that guy” this season, and Jones laid claim to that title on Saturday. Jones had five receptions for 129 and two scores, including a SportsCenter Top 10-quality catch.

UNC’s defense

The oft-maligned unit held Virginia to just seven yards rushing, although that number is inflated (deflated?) after piling up 10 sacks (Heels only had 12 all season coming in). Carolina also added a pair of interceptions (only had two all season), one of which was an 84-yards.

Bad

Passing defense

Even though UNC only allowed seven yards on the ground, they gave up 281 yards passing. And while that’s not an awful total, they gave up that much with 10 sacks.

Ugly

Big plays

Well, it’s an improvement to see a reduction in big yardage plays, but the Cavaliers still had 12 plays of 10 or more yards, three of which were 20 yards or more (including a 68-yard touchdown pass on a blown coverage).

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After a brutal four-game stretch that saw three close league losses, culminating in the tragic passing of beloved teammate Tylee Craft, it was cathartic for Carolina to break back into the win column. Mack Brown’s teary remarks in the on-field interview after the game were emblematic of the emotions of the past six weeks. For a moment, there is a break in the shoveling of dirt on UNC’s football season. With four games to go, each week is likely a toss-up. The combined record of Carolina’s remaining opponents is 12–17, with Saturday’s results pending. The Heels only have to split their remaining games to become bowl eligible, with Florida State next on the slate. If UNC can win in Charlottesville in the manner they did, maybe Tallahassee will be the next stop on the Mack exorcism farewell tour.

Doc Kennedy is an alum, longtime UNC fan, and former high school and college basketball coach who wrote this report for years on Tar Heel Blog.

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics