Handled by Hokies

BLACKSBURG, Va. —Lane Stadium and Ryan Houston have history.

As a freshman, Houston fumbled the ball at the goal line in a 17-10 loss to the Hokies.
Two years ago Ryan Houston pounded the ball 20 yards against the Hokies’ defense to set up North Carolina’s game-winning field goal.

And in Thursday’s 24-21 loss, Lane Stadium got the best of him again.

“I pride myself on holding onto the ball,” an emotional Houston said. “For me to lose the ball is unreal for me. The last time I remember fumbling was when I was here my freshman year right on that same goal line.

“It just brought back bad memories.”

After scoring first Thursday and forcing an ensuing turnover on downs, UNC’s offense drove the ball to the 5-yard line with a chance to take a two-possession lead. Instead, Houston fumbled the ball inside the 5-yard line, and the Hokies took over and scored 24 unanswered points.

That play changed the game. UNC’s offense wasn’t on the field for the next nine minutes, and those nine minutes were likely longer for Houston than anyone else.

He felt it.

“This is my last time here,” Houston said. “Two years ago when we came up here on a Thursday and we kicked butt. We could have done the same thing today, and I just feel like I just didn’t do the best I could today to put the team in the best position to win.”

North Carolina was in position to win after a quick start, though.

The Tar Heels scored faster than they had all season, and UNC didn’t even start with the ball.

North Carolina defensive tackle Sylvester Williams bustled through Virginia Tech’s offensive line on the first play of the game from scrimmage, sacked Hokie quarterback Logan Thomas for an 8-yard loss and forced a fumble.

North Carolina recovered the loose ball and drove it 20 yards for a touchdown just 1:18 into the game. Running back Giovani Bernard scored on a 4-yard rush after making a defender miss in the backfield with a spin move.

Momentum stayed with the Tar Heels. North Carolina linebacker Kevin Reddick broke up a pass on fourth down to halt the Hokies at UNC’s 26-yard line, and then the offense picked back up from there.

North Carolina put together an 11-play, 69-yard drive that gave the Tar Heels first-and-goal from the 5-yard line. On the next play, everything changed. Then Houston fumbled.

“We just kind of fell off a little bit,” UNC wideout Erik Highsmith said. “We didn’t go back on the field for eight minutes and got kind of stiff.”

Thomas connected with Chris Drager for 11 yards to tie the game at 7-7 and didn’t stop there. After a 22-yard field goal, Thomas scored on a 23-yard run up the middle and threw a 4-yard TD pass to D.J. Coles.

The Tar Heels scored twice in the fourth quarter – a 5-yard pass from Renner to Highsmith and a 1-yard rush by Houston – but even that wasn’t enough.

UNC kicked an onside kick with a little more than a minute remaining and almost recovered it, but the Tar Heels touched it before it traveled 10 yards and the Hokies got the ball back.

“Tough loss,” UNC coach Everett Withers said. “I thought we battled with them for most of the ballgame. Obviously, you can’t turn the ball over going in. Those are plays you have to have in the red zone.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.