Wahoo Wire

Virginia came into Chapel Hill as a punch line among BCS teams, led by a coach whose head was on the proverbial chopping block. They left with a 1-0 record in the ACC.

With a 16-3 upset of North Carolina (3-2, 0-2 ACC), the Cavaliers (1-3, 1-0 ACC) are finally in the win column. Coming off a bye week, Virginia found the defensive dominance and offensive consistency that they’ve been missing all year.

Cavalier kicker Robert Randolph carried the scoring load for the first three quarters, drilling his 36, 38, and 43-yard field goal attempts.

Virginia tailback Mikell Simpson finally broke out for 100 yards rushing and added an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that effectively iced the game. Although quarterback Jameel Sewell’s 157 yards passing won’t turn heads, he avoided turnovers and further solidified his hold on the starting quarterback job.

The win, however, belongs to the Virginia defense. The determined squad played like they had a point to prove, limiting North Carolina’s well-regarded offense to just 3 points on 174 total yards. The Cavaliers forced three turnovers, including two interceptions off Carolina’s veteran quarterback TJ Yates. Virginia’s defense also stuffed the Tar Heel rushing game, allowing a negligible 39 rushing yards.

Virginia handed a once promising Tar Heels team their second straight loss. North Carolina was ranked 22^nd in the nation before stumbling last week against Georgia Tech. Now Carolina is winless in conference play and coach Butch Davis finds himself in a position that Virginia’s coach Al Groh knows all too well: searching for answers.

Although Saturday’s win may not save Groh’s job, it will at least lessen locker room tension. Virginia’s first three games consisted of a humiliating loss to William & Mary, a 30-14 thrashing by TCU, and a lose-from-ahead heartbreaker on the road to Southern Miss. However, a win against the respectable Tar Heels and an overpowering defensive performance may inspire faith in the team.

After all, the Cavaliers are undefeated in ACC play.