North Carolina Tar Heels Survive Va Tech, Clinch Coastal

The North Carolina Tar Heels did it ugly. In fact they did it so ugly that they are lucky to come away with the victory over Virginia Tech. Yet come away they did, and after an overtime win they booked a trip to Charlotte for their first ever appearance in the ACC Championship Game.

There had to be times when it seemed that they were not going to win. Whether it was difficulty operating against a tough Hokie defense, or turnovers, or the collective will to send out Frank Beamer with a win at Lane Stadium, the Tar Heels managed to ride it out in a day of chaos in college football.

Six fumbles and eight punts can drive anyone mad. The Tar Heels looked as if they had control of the game at several junctures. Yet a 24-10 lead did not hold up in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels had broke open the running game in the second half, but the game ended in regulation at a 24-24 tie.

The overtime period looked more like the North Carolina team that everyone remembered. The defense forced a field goal. That meant that if the Tar Heel offense could just score a touchdown then they would win. Marquise Williams found Quinshad Davis for a difficult catch in the end zone to seal it.

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The Tar Heels will be glad to leave Blacksburg, but there is one more stop that must be made before the team can head to Charlotte. That is a game against old rival NC State, in a matchup that will stir up memories of the 35-7 beating that occurred the year before. Hopefully that will be enough to keep the focus.

Elsewhere the chaos of college football helped prop up the minimal chance of a Tar Heel playoff bid. Ohio State fell to the Spartans. It is one of a series of steps that have to go right to get the Tar Heels to the next step.

IF the Tar Heels play the way they did today, they have no chance at those slim playoff hopes.

It is going to stay interesting.

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