The bizarro year continues for UNC, as the Heels finally won at UVa for the first time since 1981, crushing the ‘Hoos 44-10 behind a great performance from TJ Yates and a defense that, as usual, adopted the “bend but don’t break” mentality in giving up a good chunk of yards but garnering 5 INTs. I unfortunately wasn’t able to catch this game due to ESPN3 being blocked in my area, so you’ll have to go to the always reliable Tar Heel Fan for a their game recap from Charlottesville and “good, bad and ugly” report, which are more thorough and insightful than I could hope to be, anyways. The overall takeaway is that Carolina looked good and have put themselves in a position to contend for the division title, which would be a miracle considering the attrition they’ve been through and the level of media scrutiny the program has found itself under after scandal. Next week’s game against Miami will be a big test of whether Carolina is a conference title contender or still a level below the big boys this year.
On the other end of Tobacco Road, well, Duke lost again, and that offense that was clicking on all cylinders at the start of the season didn’t find yardage so easy to come by against Miami. Maybe not all streaks were meant to be broken, after all. But hey, at least basketball season is underway! (We’ll have a report from Countdown to Craziness later in the day).
Other links from the weekend:
- The worst news out of Charlottesville was that TE Zack Pianalto fractured his fibula and doesn’t have a timetable for return yet. Feel awful for the guy - he just can’t seem to stay healthy.
- After finding out he would be eligible to play this year, Ryan Houston didn’t see any action against Virginia, an indication that Butch Davis is thinking about redshirting him for the year.
- UNC held their “Late Night with Roy” celebration, and the newcomers didn’t disappoint, as Harrison Barnes scored 13 (unofficial) points to lead the “White” team and Reggie Bullock buried a game-tying three-pointer for “Blue” with 16 seconds left to finish the 20-minute exhibition in a 31-31 deadlock. Dexter Strickland led all scorers with 16 points.
- College Hoops Journal featured a post with some of the greatest play-by-play calls in the history of college basketball that featured plenty of good memories from both sides of the rivalry. Enjoy:
