Peter Casey-US PRESSWIRE
The Tar Heels doused Virginia's hopes for a bowl game by defeating the Cavaliers, 37-13, on Thursday night.
The Virginia Cavaliers were denied the chance to qualify for a bowl game, losing 37-13 to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday night.
North Carolina put further distance between themselves and the Cavaliers early in the fourth, as quarterback Bryn Renner connected with running back Giovani Bernard for a 26-yard touchdown strike, making the score 27-13. The play capped a 12-play, 97 yard drive in under five minutes. Renner would add another touchdown strike, this one a 20-yard strike to wide receiver Erik Highsmith (his second of the night) to make the score 34-13 midway through the fourth.
The Tar Heels got off to a strong start in the first half, taking a 14-3 early in the second quarter after running back A.J. Blue's three-yard touchdown run. Virginia responded, however, when quarterback Phillip Sims hit sophomore wide receiver Darius Jennings for a nine-yard touchdown pass.
North Carolina's defense responded, however, when Tre Boston picked off a Michael Rocco pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, making the score 20-10 at halftime following a missed extra point attempt.
The third quarter slowed down a bit, as Virginia trimmed North Carolina's lead to 20-13 at the time after a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Drew Jarrett.
Box Score Hero: Tar Heels Quarterback Bryn Renner torched the Cavaliers, going 29-for-36 passing for 315 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
Rankings Ramifications: With the loss, the Cavaliers, at 4-7 overall, will not be able to reach the six-win threshold needed to qualify for a bowl game. North Carolina bumped their conference record over .500 to 4-3 in the ACC with the victory.
But Did They Cover? North Carolina was a 3½-point favorite, according to OddsShark, and they certainly covered that spread.
For More On This Game: For more on the Tar Heels, visit Tar Heel Blog, and for everything Virginia, head over to Streaking The Lawn.
Next Week's Schedule: North Carolina ends its regular season at home against the Maryland Terrapins, while the Cavaliers hit the road to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in their season finale.
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