UNC Football vs. Virginia Tech: Preview, game info, prediction and more

The UNC football program is hoping to get things turned around as they host Virginia Tech on Saturday night in primetime

The North Carolina Tar Heels return to action following a bye week with a Saturday primetime game against Virginia Tech.

UNC is coming off a blowout loss to Miami in a Thursday night road game sending them to 1-1 in the ACC this season. With just two months left in the season, UNC needs to get things turned around in a hurry if they want to make a bowl game.

But it won’t be easy.

Virginia Tech is 2-0 in the ACC this season and has talent on both sides of the football. The Hokies have had the Tar Heels number the past two meetings in blowout fashion including the last meeting in Chapel Hill back in 2016.

It’s going to take a lot for UNC to beat the Hokies but it would be a big win for head coach Larry Fedora who is on the hot seat. A win over the Hokies in primetime gives the Tar Heels at least a shot at making a bowl game and would cap off a big weekend also featuring Late Night With Roy, visits from basketball and football recruits and a visit from quarterback transfer Kelly Bryant.

One of the biggest storylines surrounding this game will be the quarterback play for UNC.

After Chazz Surratt was ruled out for the season, the Tar Heels are likely to turn back to Nathan Elliott as the starter. Elliott is expected to start his fifth game this season but at some point we will likely see Cade Fortin.

The freshman is expected to receive playing time per a report from Tar Heel Illustrated earlier in the week but could he start? THI noted that there’s a slim chance Fedora could turn to Fortin to start the game, hoping to provide a spark for the Tar Heels.

We likely won’t know until kickoff as Fedora likes to keep his starter as much of a secret if possible.

UNC key to victory

The run game….will be a huge factor for any chance UNC has of pulling the upset. Despite struggling this season, one thing that has been a consistent part of this team has been the run game.

With Michael Carter returning, he adds a new element to this UNC backfield. Carter’s speed is something that UNC could use to their advantage against the multiple looks that Bud Foster’s defense will throw at the Tar Heels.

The sophomore running back made his season debut in the win over Pitt, rushing for 28 yards on 6 carries but he also had 4 receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 75 yards on 7 carries against Miami and was on the verge of having a big game before things went south for the entire UNC offense.

Carter can be a big threat in this offense both on the ground and through the air, providing a good change of pace to both Antonio Williams and Jordon Brown.

Getting the run game going early will help whoever starts at quarterback and if they start picking up first downs, it could help with long scoring drives. Finishing long drives with touchdowns is something UNC has struggled to do this season but it’s going to be crucial if they want to pull off the upset.

Something to watch

The obvious choice here is Fortin…. How much will the freshman actually play and how short of a leash will Elliott have?

We’ve seen Elliott struggle a lot this season and with coach Fedora likely coaching for his job, Fortin could give him a good chance of saving it. If the freshman plays well and shows some promise, it could help Fedora in the long run.

Virginia Tech usually has a good defense but this year they’ve really struggled at times.

The Hokies are allowing close to 300 yards per game through the air, something the Tar Heels could take advantage of. However, we really haven’t seen much from UNC quarterbacks at all this season.

To be fair to Fortin, we’ve only seen him for a very limited time as he entered the blowout loss at ECU late.

With it being a big weekend in Chapel Hill, the crowd should be a good one and Fortin could feed off that energy if he starts. It’s very possible the Fortin era could officially begin on Saturday night in Chapel Hill.

What you need to know

WHAT? Virginia Tech 3-2 (2-0 ACC) AT North Carolina 1-3 (1-1 ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, October 13th  7 p.m. ET
WHERE? Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ESPNU. Roy Philpott, play-by-play; Tom Ramsey, analyst
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Brian Simmons (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline). Sirius 135, XM 193
WEATHER? Sunny with a high of 67
LINE? UNC + 6. O/U 58.5
ALL-TIME SERIES? Virginia Tech leads all-time series 22-11-6 and has won the previous two meetings.
PREDICTION? Virginia Tech 38, UNC 24