TV/ESPN — Another first-half offensive slugfest for the Tar Heels … but this time, UNC looked the better team and scored on a touchdown pass with less than three minutes to play.
After being torched by FSU’s Christian Ponder last Thursday, UNC’s defense made key plays on third and fourth down, stopping two key fourth down pass attempts by Tyrod Taylor in UNC territory.
Key series of the half: On third-and-3 in Hokie territory, Greg Little motioned into the backfield and rushed for 23 yards deep into Hokie territory. Little also caught a 17-yard pass on the drive, which milked much of the clock in the second quarter.
Little set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Yates to freshman receiver Jheranie Boyd and put the Heels up by seven points.
Key stats of the half: One — that’s how many more carries freshman stud running back Ryan Williams had than Taylor, who spent the first half scrambling for his life.
Williams opened the game with a 25-yard rush only to see his carries diminish as the Hokies got impatient on offense and elected to pass the ball down field.
What to watch for in the second half: Which team sticks to the run? Both the Hokies and Heels ran the ball effectively and looked terrible when passing. If the Hokies start plugging away with Williams, the Heels’ front seven should be in for a long night, especially considering the margin the Hokies are winning the field position battle.
