College Football
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Virginia 20, North Carolina 14
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, October 14, 2017
Where: Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Temperature: 78°
Head Official: Jeff Flanagan
Attendance: 50000

Virginia quarterback Kurt Benkert threw two touchdown passes and his team's defense had a big game in a 20-14 victory against North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Virginia (5-1, 2-0 ACC) continued its best start to a season since 2007 while snapping a seven-game losing streak in the series.

The Cavaliers had a possession of more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter, but that drive ended with a fumble by Benkert. A 13-yard return by Cayson Collins gave North Carolina the ball at its 40-yard line with 2:56 remaining.

The Tar Heels (1-6, 0-4) reached the Virginia 37 before a fourth-down sack with 1:07 sealed the outcome.

Benkert completed 19 of 31 passes for 249 yards.

Virginia junior Jordan Ellis posted his first career 100-yard rushing game by racking up 136 yards on 27 carries.

Quarterback Brandon Harris, playing the entire game in place of ill starter Chazz Surratt, was 7-for-18 for 46 yards for the Tar Heels, who lost their fourth game in a row.

Virginia led 17-14 after Olamide Zaccheaus took Benkert's short pass and turned it into an 81-yard touchdown play with 3:25 left in the third quarter.

A.J. Mejia's 27-yard field goal stretched Virginia's lead to 20-14 just 46 seconds into the final period.

North Carolina's Michael Carter ran for 127 of his 157 yards in the third quarter, when he scored on runs of 1 and 47 yards. The freshman finished with 13 carries.

The Tar Heels drove 75 yards with the opening possession of the second half. Carter's 56-yard burst early in the drive set up the scoring chance.

North Carolina had only 75 first-half yards on 25 plays.

After North Carolina missed a field goal, Virginia opened the scoring on Mejia's 20-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter to cap an 18-play drive that included a fourth-down conversion.

The Cavaliers boosted their lead to 10-0 when tight end Even Butts barreled into the end zone to complete a 10-yard pass play from Benkert with 57 seconds left in the half.

North Carolina is 0-5 at home this season, stretching its home losing streak to six games.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Virginia   North Carolina
Jordan Ellis Player Michael Carter
27 Attempts 13
136 Yards 157
5.0 Avg Yards 12.1
0 Touchdowns 2
0 Long 0
Receiving
Virginia   North Carolina
Olamide Zaccheaus Player Brandon Fritts
5 Receptions 2
100 Yards 15
20.0 Avg Yards 7.5
1 Touchdowns 0
0 Long 0
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Virginia 405 156 249 2 2 3 2.0 1
North Carolina 257 211 46 2 0 0 4.0 3