Virginia Cavaliers

Tar Heels Football: Takeaways from UNC vs. Virginia

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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UNC gets its second-straight win as they maintain pace in the ACC Coastal Division. But what did we learn?

Finally, the North Carolina Tar Heels overcame the mental obstacle of winning in Charlottesville, Virginia. Playing the Virginia Cavaliers in away game over the years have been troublesome for the Tar Heels.

Enter the 2016 schedule. The No. 22 ranked Tar Heels defeat the Cavaliers, 35-14. Literally, the team that scored more touchdowns won the game.

With this in mind, let’s investigate several themes that developed from the matchup between North Carolina and Virginia.

Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) runs with the ball as Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Landan Word (98) chases in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Mitch Trubisky aka ‘Big Mitch’

Still working on nicknames for UNC’s star quarterback, Mitch Trubisky. He dominated the Virginia Cavaliers.

Trubisky completed 24 of 31 passes (77.4%) for 310 yards and three touchdowns. Trubisky passed to eight different receivers on Saturday. None of them were Mack Hollins, who will sit out the rest of the 2016 season due to a broken collarbone.

In my opinion, Mitch Trubisky is the best quarterback in the ACC. Yes, I am biased; however, I can support my opinion.

Trubisky’s total passing yards for the season (2,378) trails only Syracuse’s quarterback Eric Dungey in total yards (2631).

Although Dungey leads the ACC in passing yards, Trubisky has a higher completion percentage than Dungey, a higher quarterback rating than Dungey (139.5), more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than Dungey, also.

Moreover, Trubisky has North Carolina sitting in the top position in the ACC Coastal Division right now. Syracuse sits in fifth place in the ACC Atlantic Division, out of seven teams.

Trubisky has four more games left this regular season. He has proven to be a viable candidate for ACC Player of the Year and Heisman Trophy.

Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Elijah Hood – 100 Yards and Running…

Elijah Hood is back. After taking a few weeks off (from being the focal point of the offense), Hood’s power style of running was felt by the Cavalier’s defense. He finished the game with 16 rushes for 109 yards and one touchdown.

Although Hood has a difficult time surpassing last season’s 1,463 total yards, he does have a good chance of rushing for 1,000 yards this season.

This accolade would require Hood to rush for more than 200 yards in the remaining game, including the ACC Championship and e Bowl game in December.

Hood has worked on becoming more versatile this season. Against Virginia, he caught two passes for four yards. Backfield mate T.J. Logan (the versatile running back) did not catch any passes on Saturday.

This game was a step in the right direction for Hood. He looks to be out of his rushing slump, poised to dominate the rest of the season.

Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) scores a touchdown as Virginia Cavaliers safety Kelvin Rainey (38) defends in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Bug Howard – From Hollins to Howard

Bug Howard ‘bugged out’ on Saturday. He looked good wearing Mack Hollins’ No. 13 jersey. I couldn’t tell the difference from the way he played on Saturday because Howard played very well.

Howard has been a good wide receiver for quite some time. Unfortunately, he gains more exposure due to the Hollins’ injury in addition to being an underrated wide receiver.

Currently, Howard ranks fifth in the ACC in receiving yards (538). UNC teammate Ryan Switzer ranks second in the ACC in receiving yards (678). Switzer had a ‘mediocre’ performance against Virginia (eight receptions for 72 yards).

Insert sarcasm here. A mediocre game for Switzer corresponds to a great game for most wide receivers. This illustrates how good Switzer is.

There is a possibility that Howard could surpass Switzer in receiving yards this season if he continues to have monster games like the one against Virginia.

Either way, both players are vital components of UNC’s passing game. Likewise, both players make it difficult for defenses to stop either player.

On Saturday, Howard grabbed seven catches for 109 yards and one touchdown. Howard led UNC in receptions and receiving yards against Virginia. He took stepping up his game literally. With Hollins out for the season, Howard represents North Carolina’s only wide receiver with 6’4″ height. With Hollins, UNC had two wide receivers who were 6’4″.

Howard causes problems for opposing secondaries because they have to strategize for him as well as Switzer. Both wide receivers have different styles, body frames and skill sets.

Although Hollins will be missed, Howard is more capable of stepping into his position and playing big.

Check out Howard’s big day here:

Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Taquan Mizzell (4) carries the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels safety Donnie Miles (15) and Tar Heels linebacker Ayden Bonilla (25) make the tackle in the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

UNC’s defense – Who we thought they weren’t

This title pays homage to deceased NFL coach Dennis Green. Many people thought that North Carolina’s defense did not deserve respect.

Well, they held Virginia to 14 points and 253 total yards.

These stats are HUGE plusses for the Heels’ defense because they allow an average of 437.6 yards per game.

I think it is about time people started respecting North Carolina’s defense. Sure, they are not a great defense, but they have improved.

UNC’s defense has come up big when it counted; in particular against ranked teams (Florida State and Miami).

Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) celebrates with teamates after scoring a touchdown against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Title Run for the ACC Championship

The North Carolina Tar Heels have Georgia Tech on 11/5, Duke on 11/10, & N.C. State on 11/25. Winning these three conference games will earn UNC the coveted crown of the ACC Coastal Division, in addition to a second consecutive trip to the ACC Championship game.

The million dollar question is who will North Carolina face in the ACC Championship, if this plays out in UNC’s favor?

UNC could get a rematch of their ACC Championship opponent from last season, the Clemson Tigers.

Possibly, Louisville could seize the top spot in the Atlantic Division though this would require Clemson to lose one or two games in their remaining schedule.

Clemson’s remaining schedule includes home games against Syracuse, Pittsburgh and South Carolina, and an away game against Wake Forest

. Louisville’s remaining schedule includes home games against Wake Forest and Kentucky, and away games against Virginia, Boston College and Houston.