No. 16 Virginia has figured out how to navigate late-game situations during the past month.
North Carolina finally had a sampling of a tight finish in a game with a power conference opponent, but it didn’t end well.
Now the teams are set to meet Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Virginia has plenty at stake as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s front-runners.
Virginia (6-1, 3-0 ACC) is bowl eligible for the first time under fourth-year coach Tony Elliott.
North Carolina (2-4, 0-2) is on a three-game losing streak that included a blowout defeat to Clemson on Oct. 4 and spiraled into an off week in which coach Bill Belichick remained in news cycles because of what he later claimed to be false reports about him inquiring about a buyout.
The Cavaliers have won five games in a row and will be the first ranked team to face the Tar Heels this year.
“This has really been an impressive string that they’re on,” Belichick said of Virginia. “Played really well in some critical situations in games, and that’s been the difference for them.”
Elliott said North Carolina is still a work in progress but definitely is dangerous.
“It’s Year 1, and he has 70 new guys on his roster, (and he’s) making the transition (from) the NFL to college,” Elliott said of Belichick. “… But what you are seeing, is you’re seeing his team getting better.”
The early talk this week was about Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris reportedly seeking to join UNC during the offseason, when he was seeking a transfer destination. That’s before he landed with the Cavaliers.
“I don’t know where that came from,” Belichick said of the reporting related to Morris’ offseason pursuits.
Morris is focusing on the matchup.
“I think (North Carolina) is the most important game, just because it’s the next game,” he said. “That’s my mentality. I don’t really care who it is we’re facing.”
Morris has completed 68.7% of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Virginia has won close games in each of its last three outings, including Saturday’s 22-20 home decision against Washington State that came with a game-winning safety. The two previous games ended with overtime victories.
“What you’re seeing is our guys finding a way to make a play to win a game and eliminating the mistakes to lose the game,” Elliott said. “If we can stay poised and composed in those moments, we don’t make the critical mistake.”
North Carolina may have trouble keeping up with Virginia. The Cavaliers average 40 points per game, while the Tar Heels check in at 18.7.
North Carolina fell last week at ACC foe Cal, doomed by a late-game fumble near the goal line when it appeared the Tar Heels would take the lead. Virginia has yet to lose a fumble this season.
Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for three touchdowns and three interceptions this year.
Even with all of the conference membership changes and various scheduling formats, this series has been preserved. This will be the 130th meeting between the teams, with the Tar Heels leading 66-59-4.
There was an upset the last time the teams met in Chapel Hill, with Drake Maye as quarterback for then-No. 10 North Carolina. Virginia won 31-27 in 2023.
