Live from Kenan!
2:52
Now Butch Davis is the one reaching for the Maalox. A fumble by Zach Pianalto, UNC's third turnover of the day and second in its last two drives, just killed a UNC drive at the UVA 26.
7:04 to go though. Still a chance for the Heels.
2:44
I'm telling you, if UVA loses this game, Al Groh just might go straight into retirement. After an unbelievable interception by Chris Long, UVA set up shop at the UNC 28 yard-line, picked up two first downs and still had to settle for a field goal. The three penalties the Cavaliers committed really didn't help matters.
Five trips inside the 20, one touchdown. That's the only reason UNC is still alive.
8:56 to go.
I'm still wondering why UVA doesn't just run Cedric Pearman left 85 percent of the time. It's been unstoppable.
2:33
Hard to believe I'm typing this, but we're going to the fourth quarter and I like UNC's chances. UVA should be well ahead in this game, but they've screwed up consistently in the red zone and only have a five-point lead as a result. Meanwhile, the UNC passing offense is starting to click.
2:21
Hakeem Nicks just showed us what the fuss was all about. He made a leaping grab of a Yates pass at the UVA 34, zig-zagged all the way across the field and dragged UVA's Vic Hall the last seven yards into the end zone for a 53-yard score.
19-14 UVA. This just got very interesting.
2:14
Well you live long enough ...
The ruling of a missed field goal was reversed because well, it was good, as the replay clearly showed. Didn't even know you could challenge that sort of thing.
How the heck do you miss that sort of call? From looking at it, it appears that the ref was too busy ducking to keep from getting hit by the hall. His head was down when it went over the goal post, just barely I guess he figured that when the ball hit a few feet away from him, that it was short.
Wow. That was weird. 19-7 UVA. Uncle Mo is now wandering, confused, somewhere behind the field house.
2:09
Just when I was going to make a joke about Uncle Mo putting on a natty navy blue and orange tie at halftime, he apparently switched back into a sky blue golf shirt.
UVA holds the ball for over eight minutes but, thanks to some of the worst red zone execution you'll ever see, came away with a missed field goal. Still 16-7. A TD there I think would broken UNC's back. A FG would have given UVA firm control. Now? Let's see if Yates stays hot.
1:46
SoCon Pride!
The talk in the press box at the half is about The Citadel, which is tied at 21 at the half at Wisconsin (who will probably be dropping in my AP Poll ... again). Two questions - where would Bulldogs QB Duran Lawson rank among ACC quarterbacks ( probably in the upper half is the cynical guess among the press wags) and should the SoCon pass the ACC in conference power rankings?
Okay, we're being a bit extreme. Still, the SoCon is repping itself pretty well this season.
1:31
Finally, a bright side for UNC. The two-minute drill forced the Tar Heels to scrap their running game and that turned out to be a good thing. T.J. Yates got into a rhythm, finding receivers on slants and other underneath patterns in moving UNC 72 yards for the score. 16-7 UVA.
Heels got a very lucky break when a highly interceptable pass was dropped in the end zone by UVA safety Jamaal Jackson. Yates threw a four-yard TD to Hakeem Nicks three plays later.
16-7 at the half and the Cavaliers actually had to punt. Uncle Mo makes his first appearance on the UNC sideline.
1:10
16-0 now UVA. The Cavs are doing a great job of squeezing just enough out of their passing game to keep UNC from totally selling out to the run. The longest pass in the air by UVA has covered six yards, but they've moved the ball well with a collection of screens and passes in the flat off play action.
In case you might think UVA is doing this with mirrors ... 35 plays for 215 yards to UNC's 17 for 39. Chew on that for a while.
On the bright side for UNC ... give me a minute to come up with something/
35-216
17-39
1:01
As another UNC drive fizzles out, let me take this time to note that either UVA is doing a great job in coverage or T.J. Yates is just confused by the looks he's getting. Three times so far he's dropped back and had plenty of time, but was unable to find someone a target for a pass.
12:55
13-0 UVA after a 28 yard field goal by Gould. Key play on the drive in which Cedric Pearman rumbled 38 yards and broke three very weak tackle attempts along the way.
On the bright side for UNC, it's a beautiful day here.
12:35
10-0 UVA after a 51-yard field goal by Chris Gould (which I incorrectly called as wide right in mid flight. No depth perception). The 47 fans that UVA brought down for this game (football fever is rampant in the Old Dominion!) are pretty giddy right now.
If I'm the Cavaliers I keep running to the left. Seems like a whole lotta room that way.
12:30
If you're scoring at home (and you seriously need help if you are) that's six plays for -6 yards on UNC's first two possessions. Chris Long just made UNC guard Aaron Stahl look silly on that last pass rush.
On the bright side, the Tar Pit, the student section, looks pretty full. And the helicopter flyover before the game was neat.
12:24
Whoa boy, that was a little too easy. Virginia just marched down the field on its first possession, 68 yards in 12 plays and punched it in the end zone. 7-0 UVA. It's never a good sign when, on second and goal from the one, the lead fullback is four yards into the endzone before he finds someone to block. The Heels got mauled at the line toward the end. And they also allowed UVA to convert a third and 11 and a third and 10 on the drive. Needless to say, not an auspicious start.
12:10
Where I just got here, oh, about 10 minutes ago. No, I didn't oversleep. Just got a little wrapped up in daddy duties and missed that critical window around 1:30 before the game when you've got to get on the road. As a result, it took me an hour to go eight miles.
Did you really need to know that? No. But rest assured, I will not take HWY 54 into the game any more.
Now, on to kickoff.