UNC to host most important game since 1997

By Lee Roberts  |   Thursday, September 18, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

North Carolina Tar Heels
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With a 44-12 road win against Rutgers last Thursday, the University of North Carolina football team showed that it's not to be taken lightly. With Virginia Tech coming to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday, the Tar Heels have a chance to take the driver’s seat in the ACC Coastal Division race. The Heels haven’t hosted a game of this importance since Mack Brown left to coach Texas in 1997.

Commentary: This year’s ACC race is as wide open as any in the country, especially in the Coastal Division. With Virginia Tech struggling on offense and Miami rebuilding, UNC looks to be capable of taking advantage. If the Heels can get a win over the Hokies at Kenan Stadium, it'll put them in early position to reach the ACC championship game.

In 1997, the fifth-ranked Tar Heels hosted third-ranked Florida State with both teams undefeated and the ACC title hanging in the balance. FSU prevailed easily, 20-3. Since then, UNC hasn’t realistically been in the conversation for an ACC championship. In what it surely a sign of how down the conference is this year, neither UNC nor VT is ranked entering this game.

Since Brown left, UNC has amassed some big wins in Kenan Stadium, most notably upsets over Florida State and Miami. However, aside from affording students a chance to celebrate, those games ultimately meant nothing. When Butch Davis took the reins in 2006, the vision was to have the Heels at the forefront of any discussion regarding ACC football. That vision can be a reality if UNC pulls off a win Saturday.

Fan Pulse: The Heels are set to host their first “football weekend” in a very long time. The players and fans are eager for the weekend.

Injury Watch: Defensive end Darius Massenburg is still out after arthroscopic knee surgery Sept. 8.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ...
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