North Carolina @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2009 ) Virginia 16, North Carolina 3

Ronald Reagan had been president for less than a year, the price of gas was hovering at just a little more than a dollar per gallon and future Hollywood heavyweights such as Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba and Beyonce Knowles were all still newborns yet to be discovered.

A lot has transpired since November 14, 1981 — the last time North Carolina’s football team beat Virginia in Charlottesville. But the Tar Heels have ample reason to think they can finally exorcise their 14-game losing skid in the house of horrors that Scott Stadium has become.

Carolina enters this ACC matchup riding somewhat high after winning its last three consecutive games after hard-luck setbacks to start the season. The Heels, coming off a 21-16 win over Clemson, received news earlier this week that the school kicked star defensive tackle Marvin Austin off the team, and the NCAA declared wide receiver Greg Little and defensive end Robert Quinn permanently ineligible. Though stunning, the news was hardly unexpected. None of the three had played in a game this season.

UNC has welcomed a few of the suspended players back, but six others — including fullback Devon Ramsay, cornerback Charles Brown and tailback Ryan Houston — still remain in limbo as to their final status.

But coach Butch Davis has been very pleased with the players he still does have.

Tailback Johnny White, a senior who had also played receiver and cornerback before the mass suspensions forced him back into the offensive backfield, single-handedly accounted for more than 70 percent of his team’s offense last week. He rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Tigers and also caught six balls for 90 yards to pace Carolina in both categories.

The struggling Cavaliers enter Homecoming still looking for their first win of the season against a Division I-A opponent after being pasted at Georgia Tech last week, 33-21. The Wahoos have now dropped eight conference games dating back to last season and nine consecutive to Division I-A competition.

Quarterback Marc Verica again struggled last week, totaling just 65 yards passing in the game’s decisive first three quarters before adding meaningless numbers to his totals at game’s end. His inaccuracies have been among the chief reasons why the Cavs have converted on just 24 percent (6 of 25) of their third-down conversions over the past two games.

Tailbacks Keith Payne and Perry Jones offer a nice thunder-and-lighting tandem for the ‘Hoos, but Verica will ultimately have to prove he can make defenses play honest for either back to get any kind of running room. He’ll have to do without tight end Joe Torchia, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

Saturday will mark the 115th meeting between the two schools, making the rivalry the oldest in the South.

Since 1982, Virginia is 20-7-1 against North Carolina.