ACC Now - Heels roll Jackets, clinch winning season

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Staff photo by Robert Willett

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina today secured its first winning season since 2001. And it's still in the mix for a whole lot more.

By beating No. 22 Georgia Tech 28-7 at Kenan Stadium, the No. 19 Tar Heels (7-2, 3-2 ACC) still have a chance to win the Coastal Division and earn a trip to the ACC Championship game.

With three games left in the regular season, it still needs to keep winning and hope a couple more league foes to lose in order to achieve that goal. But against the Yellow Jackets, it did its part.

UNC scored in the first quarter when quarterback Cameron Sexton completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zack Pianalto, who had missed the last two games with a sprained ankle. It marked the sophomore's first career touchdown, but he injured his left leg on the play, and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Tech didn't attempt its first pass until the second quarter, when it missed two field goals, a 40-yarder and a 52-yarder, wide right. Then in the third quarter, two penalties — a chop block and a holding penalty — killed another Yellow Jackets drive.

UNC extended it's lead early in the fourth on a 2-yard touchdown run by tailback Ryan Houston. That score was set up when Tech's Roddy Jones muffed a punt return late in the third quarter, and it was recovered by UNC's Matt Merletti.

With 13:05 left, Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn forced back-up quarterback Jaybo Shaw to fumble. Linebacker Marc Paschal recovered it, and Houston scored his seventh touchdown of the season, this time on a 3-yard run.

Tech finally scored with six minutes left, when Jonathan Dwyer burst down the left sideline for an 85-yard touchdown score. It was the longest run ever against UNC, but it was too late to make a difference in the final outcome.

Especially when Tar Heel wide receiver Hakeem Nicks caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Sexton with 4:11 left.

On Tech's next possession, Trimane Goddard grabbed his sixth interception of the season. Quarterback T.J. Yates — sidelined the last six games because of a fractured left ankle — then entered the game and threw 28-yarder to Nicks. With that catch, Nicks broke the school record for career receiving yards.

The game marked the first time this season the Tar Heels have won a game during which they never trailed. And the performance came at a good time.

Five teams in the Coastal Division -- UNC, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Miami and Virginia Tech -- began Saturday with two conference losses (and the Yellow Jackets now have three). Several multiple-team tiebreakers exist, but the best chance for the Tar Heels to advance to the league title game is to win out and have Virginia and Virginia Tech lose at least once.

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From my vantage point in the stands, it looked pretty clear that GT was offside on that play.

This site discusses it - http://www.cb3media.com/heelprints.html

Sexton took a knee thinking that GT was offsides and they would be called for it if he took a knee. Bad thinking because they weren't offsides and even if they were, it would have been a free play
Dick Crum was the head coach of the Tar Heels the last time they were the highest ranked ACC team in the final polls. The Heels went 11-1 in 1980. Crum had a good run at UNC. He only really underachieved the last year and a half he was there.

I'd have been happy with 6 wins at the beginning of the season . . . Now, I'm greedy and want to see our first 10-win season since I can't remember. I harken back to the days of Dick Crum and the EARLY days of Mack Grown when we REALLY stunk up the joint. Carolina will definitely beat Duke and State. They SHOULD beat Maryland, but that's a toss-up. 9-3 for sure . . . 10-2 likely. Amazing.

Does anybody know why Sexton "took a knee on" 3rd down???

Davis leading canadite for UT job! govols.com

I am a leading candidate for promotion at my job. Since it involves relocation I'll turn it down. Just like Butch Davis.

Wow!! Over the last few years, this is the type of game the Heels have layed an egg in. It looks like Coach Davis is changing the culture a little bit. Let's all make sure we don't see any empty seats in Kenan anytime soon. I think we may be a football school before this is over, but we have to show up to make that happen.
Go Heels!! (and basketball season can wait awhile, for a change)

I was especially impressed with the play of the defensive and offensive lines. When GT dropped back to pass, they had no choice but to hold. The Heels D-Line rushed the qb well. The O-Line allowed Draughn and Houston to get some yards, and protected Sexton for the most part. He had to scramble some. I'd like to also commend GT's secondary. They did a decent job, except on the 4th down TD. That was a blown coverage or something. Nicks was wide open. If you take away the 85 yard TD (I know you can't) UNC did alright against the run mostly GT offense. Good win Tar Heels.