Keeping It Heel
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UNC Football: Early Opponent Preview Virginia

By Brandon Griffin

Nov 28, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Albert Reid (5) carries the ball to score a touchdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. The Hokies won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Albert Reid (5) carries the ball to score a touchdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. The Hokies won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Leading up to the first game of the season, Keeping It Heel will be doing opponent previews in reverse order.

Previous Previews:

NC State / The Citadel / Duke / Georgia Tech

This Week: Virginia

The UNC-Virginia game is known as the South’s Oldest Rivalry. The two teams have played each other every year since 1919, an ACC record 116 times. UNC is 62-54-4 all-time in the rivalry and have won the last six meetings against Virginia by an average score of 35-16.

Last season in Chapel Hill, Virginia played the Heels close in the first half. With the score tied at 13 after the break, UNC’s defense stepped up and shut out the Cavaliers for the last thirty minutes of play. Will Virginia be able to stay with Carolina for a full game this season in Charlottesville?

Head Coach: Bronco Mendenhall. Career Record 99-43 (0-0 at Virginia). This will be his first season at Virginia and his second head coaching stop. Mendenhall was previously the head coach at BYU where he made a bowl game in each of his 11 seasons with the Cougars.

Best Graduate: RB Tiki Barber. Three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, Career rushed for 10,449 yards and 55 touchdowns. Barber holds 16 New York Giants franchise records and is the franchise’s career rushing leader in attempts and yards. Barber’s yardage is good for 26th all-time, just one spot behind fellow Cavaliers running back Thomas Jones.

Second Best Graduate: TE Heath Miller. Two-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion (Super Bowls XL, XLIII), Career has 592 receptions for 6,569 yards and 45 touchdowns. Miller ranks in the top 10 in receiving and top 20 for touchdowns among tight ends.

Last Season: Went 4-8 (3-5 in ACC play). Finished sixth in the Coastal Division. Season highlights include beating Syracuse in triple OT and giving Virginia Tech a bowl scare. Five of their eight losses were by eight points or less. They played much better at home than on the road where they went 0-5 and suffered two of their three double digit losses.

This Season: Nine of their opponents finished last season with a winning record and nine of them made a bowl game. Virginia may have gotten a new coach who makes bowl games but the talent and schedule are not favorable. Virginia probably continues to play closer games but ends up with a 3-9 record that extends their no bowl streak to five.

Best Player: RB Taquan Mizzell. Last season, he rushed for 671 yards with 4 touchdowns. He also had 75 receptions for 721 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mizzell is an all around player. In eight games last season he had over 100 all purpose yards which included a six game streak. If you try to contain Mizzell with the run he will beat you with the pass.

Matchup: Saturday, October 22nd in Charlottesville, Virginia. Time TBD

Oct 29, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback Des Lawrence (2) breaks up a pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Tar Heels won 26-19. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback Des Lawrence (2) breaks up a pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Tar Heels won 26-19. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Prediction: A sluggish start last year kept the game closer than the talent suggested. The Heels this season will be playing with a QB who is a little less hot and cold and with so much experience in the skill positions it will be hard for Virginia to keep up.

Final score: UNC 35, Virginia 10.

UNC has dominated this contest lately and there is no reason for that to change this season. The defense stands up strong and the same poor QB play for Virginia proves costly. Des Lawrence picks the ball off twice and the Heels go into the bye week victorious.

With the bye week coming up UNC can finish strong and let Halloween be a distraction for the rest of the nation. If things break right the Tar Heels may be looking at a top 10 ranking and a few more band wagoners than normal in late October.

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