Al Groh can’t beat Frank Beamer. He can’t lose to Butch Davis.
After giving up 31 points a game in three season-opening losses, Groh’s defense – the head coach also serves as the defensive coordinator – dominated the suddenly anemic North Carolina offense, holding the Tar Heels to 39 yards rushing and nine first downs, and the Cavs got their first win in 2009, 16-3, on Saturday in Chapel Hill.
Three field goals by Robert Randolph – from 36, 38 and 43 yards – staked Virginia (1-3, 1-0 ACC) to a 9-3 lead heading into the fourth. Chase Minnifield intercepted a T.J. Yates pass at the UNC 42 with 9:22 left in the fourth, and Mikell Simpson scored from seven yards out to cap a seven-play, 42-yard drive that made it a two-score game with 5:49 to go.
Chris Cook intercepted another Yates pass with 2:50 to go to end Carolina’s final offensive possession.
Yates, who was sacked twice and hurried eight other times, finished 20-of-36 for 135 yards and the two INTs.
UNC (3-2, 0-2 ACC) had just one effective offensive series, a 16-play, 58-yard third-quarter drive that stalled at the Virginia 22 in advance of Casey Barth’s 39-yard field goal that provided the Heels’ only points.
The North Carolina offense struggled for a second straight week. The Heels were outgained 357-17 on the ground in a 24-7 loss to Georgia Tech last Saturday that knocked them out of the Top 25.
Virginia got 100 yards rushing from the heretofore-little-used Mikell Simpson on 20 carries. Jameel Sewell was 13-of-24 passing for 136 yards.
UVa. has won 10 of the last 12 in the series with UNC, including all three since Butch Davis took over as the Carolina coach in 2007.
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Chris Graham
