North Carolina enjoyed an offseason filled with darkhorse playoff buzz, but Virginia Tech upended those aspirations from the opening kickoff Friday, finishing with a 17-10 win in front of a raucous Lane Stadium crown.
"Obviously the shine's off," UNC head coach Mack Brown said of the 10th-ranked Tar Heels. "The ratings mean nothing at this point. We were overrated tonight."
Brown said he expected a tenacious attack from the Hokies, but was disappointed by how his team responded.
Virginia Tech went 75 yards for a touchdown on its opening drive, fumbled after a 56-yard drive and scored again on its third drive to go up 14-0.