So the Heels beat Virginia for the first time in a while. A long while.

The Cavaliers (or Wahoos; pick one please) came into Kenan today with momentum from a big win over previously-undefeated Florida State last week. That was a game in which Marques Hagans looked great. The UVa defense looked great. But the Heels were not to be denied.

Coming off a timely bye week following a horrible loss at Louisville, the Heels needed to strap in and play big to beat this rival.

The scoring was low. Obviously. Rikki Cook's touchdown was the only one of the game, from either side. But the Heels were able to chew up clock on the ground against Virginia, and the defense played their best game in a long, long time.

Mike Mason made a mental mistake at the end of the game, kicking a live ball in punt coverage after time had expired, but it ended up okay. Could be costly in another situation, but he'll learn.

One thing I'd like to see from the Heels is taking advantage of opportunities created by the defense. On any given Saturday (heh), a team will make you pay if you miss chances.

Offensive player of the game: Ronnie had 118 yards. That's big. Didn't get in for six, but frustrated the Cavaliers enough to open up the passing game. Dropped passes by the wideouts are another story.

Defensive player of the game: Off the top of my head, Trimane Goddard. It seemed like the sophomore safety was in on a lot of the stops, and his tipped pass led to one of the biggest plays of the game, as Cedrick Holt intercepted Marques Hagans, killing a drive that likely would have brought a Connor Hughes go-ahead field goal attempt.

Grades:
Offense: C-
Matt made some good throws and was able to scramble to make plays when things broke down. The running game was there, but dropped passes turned into missed opportunities. Still, the touchdown was all we needed. However, if Virginia makes a field goal to go up 8-7 with four minutes to go, I wasn't feeling too confident.

Defense: A
How can it be anything else? They held the #24 team in the nation to 199 yards of offense, and gave up just three points on the day. Big plays from Trimane Goddard and Kareen Taylor, and it seemed like Kentwan Balmer's name was called alot on the PA.

Special Teams: C-
Tate's fair catch inside the 10 was costly. The high snap on the punt team gave UVa two points. Connor missed two field goals. What's going on here? Mike's mental mistake. Special teams didn't give up a return score, or the grade would be worse.

Overall: A win is a win is a win, and it's big in the Coastal Division of the ACC. And it's nice to beat a team you haven't since 2001. And it's nice that it's Virginia.

Check out Adam Lucas' article on the game, with quotes from Trimane Goddard and Barrington Edwards.