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CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Todd Braverman booted a career-long 50 yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining to lift 24th-ranked Virginia to a thrilling 20-17 victory over North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Braverman's previous best field goal was a 47-yarder, also against the Tar Heels (0-1), on November 14, 1998. Kicking from between the hash marks, the left-footer cleared the crossbar by inches. "I wouldn't send (Braverman) out there if I didn't think he had a chance," Virginia coach George Welsh said. "If it was into the wind I wouldn't have done it, I would have gone for it. I guess we were due for one. How many last year did he go for and not get it?" The Cavaliers (1-0) snapped a three-game losing streak in Chapel Hill, winning for just the ninth time in 39 trips to Kenan Stadium. "The first thing I have to do is congratulate Coach Welsh and his football team," North Carolina coach Carl Torbush said. "A lot of mistakes were made on both sides of the football, but the name of the game is to win and they were able to do that." Thomas Jones carried 35 times for 149 yards, giving him 329 yards in two games against the Tar Heels. "He had to take himself out a few times for the first time his career," Welsh said of Jones. "I figured we'd have a better chance to give the ball to Thomas but we knew they were going to fron the linebackers." North Carolina sophomore quarterback Ronald Curry, who committed to Virginia to play both football and basketball before changing his mind, connected on just 10-of-28 passses for 147 yards and was intercepted twice. He did throw a fourth-quarter TD and also totaled 55 yards and 16 carries. "I was hurrying at times," Curry said. "We just didn't get into a rhythm out there." North Carolina trailed 17-9 midway through the fourth quarter before Curry hit a wide-open Anthony Saunders for an 18-yard touchdown and then found tight end Dauntae' Finger for the conversion to tie it. Neither team could more the ball on its next possession and the Cavaliers took over on their own 42-yard line with 3:29 remaining. Jones was given the ball four times in the next five plays, while Tyree Foreman carried twice. Dan Ellis threw an incompletion on the drive's seventh play, setting the stage for Braverman, who gave the Cavaliers an early leg up in the ACC race. Ellis, a 6-2 junior who is taking over at quarterback from the departed Aaron Brooks, completed 10-of-25 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown and was intercepted three times. "I think Ellis had a typical first game," said Welsh. "He kept his poise and he didn't get rattled." The teams traded field goals in the opening quarter as Josh McGee connected from 39 yards for North Carolina and Braverman tied it with a 23-yarder. Virginia was driving late in the first half until safety Antwon Black picked off Ellis, eluded the attempted tackle of guard Noel LaMontagne and returned it 89 yards down the right side for a touchdown. McGee missed the point after, leaving the Tar Heels with a 9-3 lead at halftime. A one-yard run by Jones with 44 seconds left in the third quarter gave Virginia the lead. After defensive back Shernard Newby picked off Curry on the first play of North Carolina's next possession, Ellis hit Coffey for a 32-yard score to make it 17-9. "I was happy with the way the defense played," said North Carolina linebacker Brandon Spoon. "We have a lot of experienced guys and a lot of young guys, but we played well and hung in there the whole time."
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