UNC upsets No. 14 Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Casey Barth kicked a 21-yard field goal on the final play and North Carolina stopped No. 14 Virginia Tech all night in a 20-17 victory on Thursday night.

The Tar Heels (5-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) got their first conference win after forcing a fumble by Ryan Williams at his own 24 with 2:02 left and turning it into the winning drive.

The Hokies (5-3, 3-2), who until losing to No. 11 Georgia Tech 12 days ago were in the national championship picture, lost their second straight.

Virginia Tech for the first time in six meetings with North Carolina since joining the ACC in 2004.

The Tar Heels held Virginia Tech to just 95 rushing yards and limited Williams, the nation’s No. 7 runner with an average of 119 yards, ineffective for most of the game.

Tydreke Powell caused Williams to fumble for just the second time this season and Deunta Williams recovered, setting the Tar Heels up at the Hokies 24. After six carries by Ryan Houston got it to the 4, Barth’s second field goal finished off the big upset.

T.J. Yates, who was knocked out of the Tar Heels 20-17 loss to the Hokies last season, finished 18-for-28 for just 131 yards, but made all the big throws his team needed.

He hit Jheranie Boyd from 13 yards in the first half for the game’s first points, and Greg Little from 15 yards as the Tar Heels answered immediately after the Hokies tied it.

Yates did make one big mistake, throwing a dump pass that Rashad Carmichael intercepted at the North Carolina 11, setting up the second of Tyrod Taylor’s two touchdown runs. That gave the Hokies a 17-14 lead with 11:51 left, but Yates engineered a 16-play, 78-yard drive to a tying field goal and then the defense, fittingly, made a big play to get the win.

The Hokies finished with just 256 yards and 11 first downs.