UNC vs Va Tech, more than just a game
This morning, as I was checking my emails, I had one that asked me what I thought were the chances of the Tar Heels in tonight’s game against the Hokies. I waited a while to reply to the email because my impulse reaction was “no way they win or cover” (Las Vegas has Va Tech has a 16 points favorite). When I finally did send the email back, my answer was (yet again) “no way they win the game,” (but changed the latter part to) ”but they could keep it close enough to cover”. Why the change? I am not sure I can pin point it, but I am thinking that UNC has to have a showcase game this season, so why can’t it be tonight in Blacksburgh, Va. Or it could be that North Carolina (4-3, 0-3 in the ACC) wants to play spoiler, since #13 Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1 in the ACC) is out of the picture when it comes to national championship, but as of now, they could still have a shot at the conference title.
It’s going to be a hard thing to do as North Carolina has not beaten a ranked opponent outside o the friendly confine of Kenan Stadium in eight seasons. And if they want to break this streak they have to have a stellar performance by T.J. Yates, who has been feeling the criticisms of late. And for those of you that read that small blur, I want to state for the record that I feel embarassed to be part of the same program as these “fans” who threw things at our quarterback! Yates talked about the season in this article, where the UNC gunslinger talks about the above state incident:
“I guess it’s deserving in some way,” the junior said this week, still disappointed at his team’s 18-point meltdown in the 30-27 loss. “Fans are upset that we’re not producing out there on the field. I wouldn’t take it to that extreme, but I understand their frustration.”
I am not here to say that with this Yates is off the hook for this season, I am not here to apologize for him either, but that sentence does show he has the maturity that is needed to win in Division I. The true question now has to be: does he have the skill to win in the ACC/Div I? Right now the jury is still out, but I have to say that as the year has gone on the fact that he had excellent receivers last season could have hidden many of the problems that this year are shining very brightly. If tonight, against a Va Tech team looking for redemption after a loss to Ga Tech, the QB for head coach Butch Davis does not step up (doesn’t matter if the Heels win or not) and have a solid game he might be risking his career at UNC and his OC’s job as well.
But there is more than the quarterback’s play if North Carolina wants to win this game. I think that the defense, which was supposed to be the high point of this team, needs to have a great game, meaning three things: 1) Turnovers, 2) Stop the run and 3) don’t let VA Tech’s QB Tyrod Taylor have a career game. If that can happen I think that the Heels have a chance to keep this game decent (so that people do not flip the channel to Golden Girls’ reruns). On offense I say this: “what do you have to lose?”. I mean the season’s expectations are all but gone, why not go for it from the start. John Shoop needs to do in the beginning of this game what he should have done in the last minute of the FSU game, throw it deep!
In the end North Carolina is going to be .500 when this game is over. Maybe it won’t be the rout that I it thought would be when I first began thinking about the game, but it is still going to be a loss. I see the Heels scoring three touchdowns, while the home squad will get in the end zone four times plus a couple of field goals, with the final score being 34 to 21 for Va Tech. As far as Yates is concerned I think he is going to have a good game and that is why UNC will stay close for most of the game.
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