Week 4: VT at UNC

Written on 9/29/08

It’s taken me a long time to get to writing about this game. And it’s probably a good thing. If I’d have written this the Sunday after, id probably have been getting random calls or texts from guys just making sure I haven’t downed a whole bottle of Vicoden and chased it with a fifth of vodka. I’m writing this almost two weeks after, and 4 days after UNC’s incredible win at Miami, which obviously has me much, much more optimistic than I was for the 6 days after that collapse in Kenan. I had labeled this game ‘the most important Carolina football game in 11 years’. And it was, then. Not sense FSU came in to Chapel Hill had a game meant more. I had prepared well. With NC BBQ and about 15 Miller Lights sitting well in my stomach, I headed to Kenan for what I was prepared to be a hard, mentally taxing game, but a winnable game.
Fast forward about 2 hours, about 8 minutes left to go in the 3rd quarter. UNC up 10-3, with ball, VT 45 yard line. We were playing pretty well. VT’s offense was awful, but our D helped that. We had prepared for Tyrod Taylor well. I’m sitting on the edge of the student section, in between the students and the alumni. Everyone is loud, everyone is feeling it. I’m nervous because we should be up by much more than we are. This game should be out of reach.
Ok, regroup. Open 2nd airplane bottle of Jack…pour into coke…..sip…deep breath. Ok, so we’ve blown a 14 point lead. But our offense has looked pretty good…minus Little greg. Driving, ok not bad. In FG range. Just run the ball Shoop…ok…or pass…why is TJ dropping back so much….oh no…sacked. Damn it! Outta FG range. And then I saw it….the single most gut wrenching site a sports fan can feel. Remember watching Ty Lawson get thrown to the floor at FSU last year? Remember watching him lie on the ground, not get up, then seeing the team doctor and Roy walk over? Remember ESPN’s endless replays? Remember that feeling?
Oh….my….god….no….please…no. In a split second every Tar Heel fan felt just like that all over again. T.J. wasn’t lying on the turf that long, he got up, and (stupidly) ran another play. But that’s when the limp came. That’s when I stood, watching him limp off, paralyzed with fear. Next play, “Just don’t do anything stupid Paulus.” Run play, to Little, looks like he has…some room….LOTS OF ROOM…..TOUCHDOWN CAROLINA…50 YARDS!!!!! 17-3 UNC
Nice! Feelin’ good. But still lots of time to play. Next thing I know VT has driven down the field helped by an AWEFULL unsportsmanlike penalty and a HORRIBLE pass interference call. Frank Beamer ladies and gentlemen. Is he the Coach K of football? TD VT. 17-10 UNC. We are still in pretty good shape. As long as we don’t do anything stupid, that’s how VT gets you. Just run the ball, we’ll be fine. Good, Shoop listened to me...it’s a run….GOD FUCKING DAMNIT GREG LITTLE. VT recovers one of the most crippling fumbles I have ever witnessed. My god, just terrible. That was the 2nd time Little fumbled at our own 30. We are outplaying VT in every way, we are THE BETTER TEAM, and we are pissing it away. TD VT, 17-17. Fuck. mid-4th quarter.
We know what happened then. UNC’s tired D, gets undisciplined, VT FG. 20-17 VT. Mike Paulus...CHECK DOWN DAMMIT…NOOOOO…interception Macho Harris. VT ball. Why? Just Why? UNC got the ball back, but again…INT. Ball game VT 20 UNC 17. We should have had it. I walked home dejected just hoping T.J. was gonna be ok. Couldn’t bring myself to think what a travesty it would be to put this team, all this potential, in the hands of an incapable freshman named Paulus (how’d that work out for Duke?) or in the hands of someone who previously reminded me of a drunk, color-blind Jake Plummer.
The following monday the news hit me about T.J. Cracked ankle, 6 weeks (if we are lucky). I immediately look at the remaining schedule and mentally pencil in the W’s and L’s like every fan does. What was gonna be possibly 9-3, just fell to 6-6, again if we are lucky. Sigh.