With four straight losses and an unthinkable tragedy fresh on their minds last weekend, the North Carolina Tar Heels did the unthinkable: win a football game.
Not only did UNC (4-4, 1-3) beat Virginia and move just two wins away from bowl eligibility, but UNC won in dominating fashion – 41-14.
North Carolina played well in just about every aspect last weekend, including defense. The Tar Heels dropped 40 points on an opponent for the fourth time this season, while their defense generated 10 sacks, the highest amount in 24 seasons.
With UNC delivering arguably its most well-rounded performance of 2024, it should come – as no surprise – that USA Today dubbed UNC one of its Week 9 winners.
“The clock may still be ticking on Mack Brown’s second tenure at North Carolina, but a 41-14 win against Virginia rights the ship on the heels of a four-game losing streak and puts the Tar Heels back on track for a bowl bid,” USA Today’s Paul Myerberg wrote. “Defensively, UNC gave up only 288 yards of offense after allowing 41.5 points per game during the losing streak, including 70 points to James Madison and 41 points last week against Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels had 10 sacks, forced a pair of turnovers and held the Cavaliers to just 7 yards on 29 carries.”
J.J. Jones finally showcased WR1-level production, catching five passes for a career-high 129 yards. Seven different Tar Heels recorded a sack, led by three from Kaimon Rucker.
North Carolina’s season looked lost after losing to Georgia Tech. Now, all of a sudden, UNC has a chance to move back above .500 this coming weekend at Florida State.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.