The athletic history between Virginia Tech and the University of North Carolina dates back to 1895, but both historical records and recent records show the same thing — football is the only sport that Tech dominates.
The hype always looms large when Tech plays UNC in any sport except football. Whether it’s basketball, baseball or soccer, the Hokies are always underdogs.
But when it’s football season, fans see UNC on the schedule and quickly mark it off as a win. And they should.
Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Hokies have beat down the Heels year after year, amassing a 5-0 record against UNC. Even in the days of world wars, Tech won more than lost. The overall record sits at 16-9-6 in favor of the maroon and orange.
Sure, the last two games against UNC were close battles, but let’s face it — UNC has been the football team’s whipping boy. The Heels have only averaged 12.8 points against Tech since 2004.
There’s no reason that should change this year, either. UNC’s total offense is 114th in the nation, averaging a mere 289.4 yards per game.
Add on that the game is on Thursday night in Lane Stadium and it’s a recipe for disaster for Carolina.
The Hokies are 15-4 on Thursday night games; three of those losses were to Boston College, and fortunately for Tech, there’s no Matt Ryan in a UNC uniform.
Carolina does have something going for it lately, and that’s defense. In Butch Davis’ third year as head coach, he’s vaulted the defense into the upper echelon of the nation.
The Heels rank first in the ACC and seventh in the nation in total defense. Their rushing defense ranks second in the ACC while its passing defense ranks third.
Davis knows how to turn around programs. He brought the University of Miami back to prominence in the 1990s and took the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs in his second season as head coach.
UNC is a different animal, though. The last time the Tar Heels won a bowl game was the Peach Bowl in 2001 when they defeated Auburn, 16-10. At that time, the Heels had a few players named Julius Peppers, Willie Parker, David Thornton and Jeff Reed.
At a college where basketball is king, trying to field a perennially good football team is a challenge. Just ask the University of Kansas where players from the basketball and football teams fight each other.
But even the Heels’ basketball team has struggled against the Hokies lately. Fans remember the 2007 season fondly when Tech beat UNC twice — Carolina was ranked No. 1 and No. 4 during those contests.
Since that sweep, four games were played. With the exception of one blowout, two games were decided by two points and one game was decided by eight points.
Could UNC be losing its luster, or is Tech catching up in other sports? It’s a tough question to answer.
Tech’s women’s soccer team beat No. 1 UNC this season — its first win over the Heels ever.
Men’s soccer has battled the elite UNC soccer program in recent years as well. Tech is 2-3 against the Heels since 2005, and all five games were decided by one goal.
In a stretch from 2005-2008, Hokies softball went 6-3 against the Heels, who consistently rank in the top 25.
While the wins against UNC seem few and far between, Tech athletics is slowly catching up. Maybe some other sports’ players receive a little inspiration from seeing the Hokies pound the Heels every year on the gridiron.
Regardless, the Hokies have lived as the underdog ever since joining the ACC. The slayings of the UNC Goliath are growing in other sports.
But for football on Thursday, Goliath is wearing the maroon and orange, and it’s time to take care of David.
