CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Cedric Peerman scored from 2 yards in overtime to give Virginia a 16-13 win over No. 18 North Carolina on Saturday, continuing the Tar Heels’ struggles in Charlottesville.
Virginia (4-3, 2-1, Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 10-3 with 2:18 to play, but Peerman scored on a 2-yard run with 47 seconds left in regulation and Robert Randolph’s conversion was barely good to send the game into overtime.
Casey Barth kicked a 28-yard field goal to begin OT, and North Carolina (5-2, 1-2) led 13-10.
Tight end John Phillips caught a 19-yard pass from Marc Verica to put the ball on the Tar Heels’ 4. Peerman ran for 2 yards and then 2 more for the winning score.
The win extended the Cavaliers 14-game winning streak at Scott Stadium.
Thousands of fans stormed the Scott Stadium field, but warnings from the public address announcer quickly cleared the turf.
North Carolina, which won its previous three games and was off to its best start since winning eight straight games to start 1997, was without key playmaker Brandon Tate, who suffered torn ligaments in his right knee in last week’s win over Notre Dame. He was lost for the season.
Tate had five touchdowns and was leading the ACC in all-purpose yards when he was hurt. The Tar Heels, who haven’t won in Charlottesville since Nov. 14, 1981, didn’t seem to miss him at first as they crisply moved the ball downfield on their opening drive. Ryan Houston scored on a 1-yard run, and North Carolina led 7-0.
Tar Heels sophomore Shaun Draughn had 13 carries for 80 yards in the first quarter. He finished 140 yards.
