North Carolina rushed for 222 yards Saturday against Virginia to beat the Cavaliers 28-17 at Kenan Stadium.
The win marked the first time since 2000 that the Tar Heels have started the season 1-0 in the ACC.
Redshirt freshman tailback Giovani Bernard rushed for 102 yards on 12 carries — the first UNC freshman running back to break the 100-yard mark in a game since Greg Little did it against Duke in 2007. Senior tailback Ryan Houston had two rushing touchdowns, his first multi-score game since 2009.
UNC had five turnovers and nine penalties for 94 yards against Rutgers last week, but against the Cavaliers, North Carolina played a cleaner game. UNC had three penalties for 40 yards in Saturday’s win, and quarterback Bryn Renner’s fourth-quarter fumble was the only turnover for the Tar Heels.
Renner — who was sacked for the first time this season — completed 15 of 21 for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
UNC will play its next game against Georgia Tech on Sept. 24 in Atlanta.
