Virginia hopes to keep ‘The Streak’ alive

Five years before Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim was born, North Carolina’s football program walked out of Scott Stadium with a victory.

The Tar Heels have not enjoyed that feeling since, losing 13 straight road games against the University of Virginia, some of which came in unbelievable fashion.

Sintim, however, was unaware of the Cavaliers’ lengthy success rate against UNC.

“The streak? No? What streak are we talking about?” Sintim asked this week. “I didn’t know that. Hopefully that won’t change.”

North Carolina may have its best chance in recent history to snap that long-standing slide. The Tar Heels (5-1, 1-1 ACC) enter the game ranked No. 18 and as a 4-point favorite.

With his team soaring on offense and creating turnovers at the nation’s best rate on defense, UNC coach Butch Davis all but dismissed the streak.

“To these kids it really doesn’t make any difference,” said Davis, who will be making his coaching debut in Charlottesville. “None of these guys were alive back during that period of time.”

North Carolina has enough to worry about outside of “The Curse.” Wide receiver Brandon Tate, a utility man of sorts, tore his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in the Tar Heels’ win over Notre Dame last weekend and has been lost for the season.

Tate leads the ACC with 163.7 all-purpose yards per game.

“Clearly nobody on the Carolina team or any other team has done what [Tate’s] done, so his special teams work has been dynamic,” said Virginia coach Al Groh.

Despite the loss, UNC is not without talent at wideout. Hakeem Nicks is second in the ACC with 33 receptions for 553 yards and four touchdowns.

“In terms of receiving game, Nicks has got twice as many catches as anybody else on their team,” Groh said. “There’s probably a reason for that, as it would be on any team.

“Coaches have figured out that the most dynamic receiver needs to get the ball the most.”

Virginia has gotten the ball to arguably its most dynamic offensive player of late, too.

Running back Cedric Peerman, who missed the Duke game with a knee injury, has rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns in Virginia’s past two wins over Maryland and East Carolina.