Cavaliers right ship for season's first win

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By Combined dispatches

VIRGINIA 16, N. CAROLINA 3: It took just one game for Virginia to regain some of the confidence it lost during an 0-3 start. Now it's North Carolina's turn to figure out what has gone wrong.

Mikell Simpson ran for the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter while Virginia's defense turned in a dominant performance to beat host North Carolina on Saturday, giving the Cavaliers (1-3, 1-0 ACC) yet another victory against the Tar Heels (3-2, 0-2).

Robert Randolph kicked three field goals for the Cavaliers, who went into their bye week looking desperate and hearing Al Groh's critics chirping about his uncertain future at his alma mater. They emerged from that break with a victory against a team that was nationally ranked only a week earlier.

"We're very proud, very appreciative of the effort they put in to make this happen and very happy for them that they can enjoy a moment like this," Groh said. "Everything that we all do for months and weeks is to experience the five or six minutes when a team comes into that locker room and has that sense of satisfaction. That's what it's all about. And they earned every part of it."

Simpson added 100 rushing yards, but the Cavaliers didn't need much offense considering the way their defense completely locked down on the Tar Heels. North Carolina got nothing from its rushing attack, committed three turnovers and managed just 174 total yards.

The ones who stayed booed the Tar Heels steadily the rest of the way, which was coincidentally the same thing the Cavaliers heard during their last home game.

"We needed [the win] bad just for the fact we started 0-3 and a lot of guys had confidence coming into the season that we would never be in this situation," Simpson said.

No. 25 GA. TECH 42, MISSISSIPPI ST. 31: Josh Nesbitt threw for a career-high 266 yards and the visiting Yellow Yackets (4-1) converted three turnovers into touchdowns for a win over the Bulldogs (2-3) in Starkville, Miss.

Nesbitt, who rushed 32 times the week before, took to the air against Mississippi State, connecting with Demaryius Thomas eight times for 174 yards and a 23-yard touchdown in an exciting game that featured a little bit of everything.

BOSTON COLLEGE 28, FLORIDA ST. 21: Montel Harris broke free up the middle for a 42-yard touchdown run with 4:07 left - his second score of the game - as the host Eagles (4-1, 2-1 ACC) recovered after blowing an 18-point lead to beat the Seminoles (2-3, 0-2).

Harris finished with a career-high 179 yards on 25 carries.

WAKE FOREST 30, N.C. STATE 24: Riley Skinner threw three touchdown passes to become Wake Forest's career leader, the defense ended Russell Wilson's NCAA record streak by intercepting him twice, and the Demon Deacons (3-2, 1-1 ACC) beat the visiting Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1) in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Skinner won the matchup of elite ACC quarterbacks by throwing for a career-high 361 yards.