Written by Mike Abelson at Bloguin
Dreams are fickle.
The controlled idealism constructed by the mind can be beautiful in its eloquence and fulfilling in its positivity. Yet, dreams always end the same way. You wake up and they fall away into the ether, blown to dust by the reality of current existence, which is what Virginia Tech learned all too well in Blacksburg on Saturday.
It was Frank Beamer’s last game coaching at Lane Stadium. The Hokies had capped a 14-point comeback with a touchdown in the final 75 seconds, and they scored during their possession in overtime (but only a field goal). The dream was coming true, and then the Hokies woke up. The reality was that Marquise Williams and North Carolina were one step and one play better than them.
The Tar Heels scored a touchdown to escape Blacksburg with an overtime win. The Tar Heels, now 10-1, lurk in the background of the playoff picture. The win clinched the ACC Coastal Division title, and they’ll get a crack at Clemson in two weeks as their reward. The Heels still have to play at N.C. State next weekend.
For North Carolina it was all about Marquise Williams, for better or worse, and the better parts showed up enough to matter. Williams accounted for 63 percent of UNC’s yards, 205 passing and 74 rushing, and had a hand in two of Carolina’s four touchdowns. The Heels needed every bit of Williams’ brilliance as they gave up leads of 7-3 and 24-10. Williams committed the turnover which enabled Virginia Tech to tie the game and send it into overtime, and he made a few ill-advised throws into traffic, but when given a chance to claim the Tar Heels’ first-ever ACC title game berth, Williams met the moment.
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