After hanging on to win last week against Boston College, the eighth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels earned their biggest victory of the season with a 56-45 triumph over No. 19 Virginia Tech. 

The Hokies were without 15 players, including freshman safety Keonta Jenkins. This was their first major test of the season, playing a Top 10 opponent on the road.

The Tar Heels came out of the gate Saturday at Kenan Memorial Stadium looking much more comfortable on both sides of the ball than they did against Boston College. They were up 21-0 after their first three drives, in which the offense racked up 224 total yards. 

By the time the game was over, North Carolina finished with 656 total yards and its highest point total against an FBS opponent since dropping 66 on Duke in November 2015. 

Notable Game Stats

• Sam Howell, QB (UNC): 18-of-23, 257 yards, 3 TDs
• Michael Carter, RB (UNC): 17 carries, 214 yards, 2 TDs
• Javonte Williams, RB (UNC): 20 carries, 169 yards, 2 TDs
• Dyami Brown, WR (UNC): 3 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TDs
• Hendon Hooker, QB (VA TECH): 7-of-13, 136 yards, 2 TDs; 8 carries, 29 yards, 1 TD
• Braxton Burmeister, QB (VA TECH): 7-of-15, 79 yards; 11 carries, 51 yards
• Khalil Herbert, RB (VA TECH): 18 carries, 138 yards, 2 TDs
• James Mitchell, WR (VA TECH): 4 receptions, 103 yards, TD

Explosive Offense Makes Tar Heels Playoff Sleeper

If this version of North Carolina's offense is going to show up each week, this team is set up to run the table in ACC play and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. 

The dynamic between Howell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo took a few games to settle in, but Saturday was a statement by both men. 

It didn't hurt that Michael Carter and Javonte Williams both had more than 100 yards rushing midway through the third quarter. 

Still, North Carolina has exploitable flaws, as Virginia Tech showed.

Both teams seemed to be competing to see whose run defense was worse. The Hokies won the battle for futility by allowing 399 yards on the ground, but North Carolina wasn't much better in giving up 260 rushing yards. 

The Tar Heels pass defense has been picked apart in the past two games. Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns last week.

Once Hendon Hooker took over as Virginia Tech's quarterback in the second half, the offense scored 23 points in the third quarter alone. He threw for 106 yards on just nine attempts in the frame. 

UNC head coach Mack Brown and co-defensive coordinators Jay Bateman and Tommy Thigpen have to figure out a way to tighten things up on that side of the ball. 

Fortunately for the Tar Heels, the schedule lightens for the next five weeks. They don't have to play Clemson during the regular season and don't play a ranked opponent until Notre Dame on Nov. 27. 

The Fighting Irish and Miami Hurricanes (Dec. 5) will likely be the biggest hurdles to clear in ACC play. 

If the offense continues to perform at this level, the defense won't have to be great for North Carolina to finish the regular season undefeated. If that happens, the program could win the ACC championship and sneak into the playoffs.

Hendon Hooker Deserves to Be Hokies QB

Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente has been reluctant to commit to one quarterback this season. Hooker was slated to start Sept. 19 against Virginia, but the game was postponed because of a COVID-19 spike on Virginia Tech's campus that week. 

Burmeister wound up starting the Hokies' first two games against North Carolina State and Duke. Even though the team won, his results were subpar, with 16 completions on 36 attempts, one touchdown and one interception. 

Fuente turned to Burmeister for the start against North Carolina, and things didn't get any better. The junior went 7-of-15 for 79 yards in the first half, and the Hokies trailed 35-14 at intermission. 

Hooker, who made his season debut Saturday, didn't look sharp immediately.

He played one series in the first half that resulted in a three-and-out, but Fuente gave him the keys to the offense in the second half. Things dramatically improved for the Hokies offense, as they dropped 23 points in the quarter, which closed the deficit to 42-37. 

This is a continuation of what Hooker did last season when he took over as Virginia Tech's primary quarterback in the team's fifth game against Miami. The then-sophomore quarterback threw for 1,555 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions on just 162 attempts and had five rushing touchdowns in 2019. 

Hooker has proved to be the best quarterback on Virginia Tech's roster. He provided a spark against a good North Carolina team Saturday when nothing seemed to be working. 

Fuente may have felt the need to ease Hooker back into things after he missed time, but there's no question about who should be the starter.

What's Next?

The Hokies will return to Blacksburg to host Boston College at Lane Stadium on Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET. North Carolina will travel to Tallahassee for a matchup with Florida State on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. ET.