Virginia Tech Hokies vs North Carolina Tar Heels Match Player Stats On Oct 06, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 6, 2012

North Carolina 48, Virginia Tech 34: Giovani Bernard rushed for a career-high 262 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown, as the host Tar Heels snapped the Hokies' 23-game winning streak in conference road openers.

Sean Tapley returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and also caught a TD pass, A.J. Blue ran for two touchdowns and quarterback Bryn Renner threw for one score and ran for another as North Carolina (4-2, 1-1 ACC) pinned the highest point total on Virginia Tech in an ACC game.

Logan Thomas threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another and Corey Fuller had five catches for 143 yards and a TD for the Hokies (3-3, 1-1), who are at .500 in October for the first time since 1992. Virginia Tech was 13-0 in regular season games in North Carolina - 4-0 against the Tar Heels - since joining the ACC in 2004.

Bernard's long touchdown run came on the first play of the second quarter and gave North Carolina the lead for good. Renner was 17-of-30 for 194 yards as the Tar Heels outgained the Hokies 533-394.

Renner connected with Tapley for a 19-yard score midway through the third quarter to give the Tar Heels a 35-20 lead. Virginia Tech responded when Demitri Knowles returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. North Carolina increased its advantage to 45-26 on Blue's second TD of the game - a 13-yarder with 1:19 left in the third.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Virginia Tech allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown for the first time since a 45-24 victory over Syracuse in 1993, a span of 237 games. ... The Hokies matched their scoring output in the first quarter of their first five games with 14 points in the opening period. ... Virginia Tech last lost a conference road opener in 1962 when it was a member of the Southern Conference.