UNC football vs. Virginia Tech: Scouting report, score prediction

The North Carolina Tar Heels had plenty of reasons to be frustrated by their play in the first four games of the 2022 season. But a 3-1 record at the end of the non-conference portion of their schedule is an encouraging result as UNC begins the ACC competition.

The 45-32 thumping at the hands of Notre Dame to close out non-league play had UNC coach Mack Brown on the defensive this week as the Tar Heels prepared to meet Virginia Tech (2-2, 1-0) for their first foray into ACC play Saturday at Kenan Stadium (3:30 p.m., ACC Network).

"We're still excited. We're 3-1 heading into conference play,'' Brown said during his weekly press conference. "That's better than we were this time last year. So we have a lot of positive things moving forward.''

The Tar Heels opened their season and ACC play a year ago with a 17-10 loss at Virginia Tech. The Hokies shut out UNC for almost three quarters but didn't seal the win until forcing an interception in the final minute.

Here's what to know about this year's Virginia Tech-UNC matchup and a score prediction.

ANOTHER WEAPON:UNC football WR Antoine Green back from injury and punishing defenses

DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES:Can Gene Chizik help UNC football improve some of the worst defensive ratings in the nation?

BOILING POINT:UNC football's growing frustration boils over

A defensive quandary

The pressure is mounting on North Carolina's defense and its coaching staff. After struggling against teams outside the Power Five conferences to start the year, the Tar Heels were further humiliated last Saturday by a Notre Dame offense that was ranked 113th nationally in total offense.

The Fighting Irish piled up 576 total yards on UNC and were especially effective with the running game, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Social media critics were out in full force after the performance, with much of their diatribe aimed at defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, who was just hired in January.

"Defensively, we are very disappointed,'' UNC's Brown said. "We have good players. We have good coaches. I'm not sure what the disconnect is, but it's there. It's real. We can't hide from it. ... But I really believe we'll be good before the season is over.''

A players-only meeting by the defense was called Sunday after the Notre Dame debacle to discuss their issues."Everybody chipped in and talked about it and I think it was a productive meeting for us,'' graduate defensive lineman Ray Vohasek said Tuesday.

See UNC pass

You can expect North Carolina's high-octane passing game to be on display against the Hokies for two reasons. First and foremost, the Tar Heels are good at it. Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye is off to a start that has even exceeded his record-setting predecessor, Sam Howell. Maye leads the nation in passing touchdowns (16), is 10th in passing yards (1,231) and is sixth in passing efficiency (188.53). With veteran receivers Josh Downs and Antoine Green recovered from injuries and back in the lineup, Maye could be even more effective moving forward.

The second reason North Carolina will likely rely heavily on its passing attack is Virginia Tech's ability to stop the run. The Hokies aren't exactly a star-studded group but as a well-oiled unit, they are limiting foes to an average of 86 yards rushing and 2.67 per carry.

See Virginia Tech run

The Hokies haven't done anything spectacular in the run game so far, averaging 112 yards and 3.1 yards per carry through the first four games. But after watching Notre Dame slice up UNC's defense for 291 yards rushing last Saturday, it's a sure bet that Tech is going to line up and try to ram the ball down the Tar Heels' throats.

Quick Keshawn King (178 yards rushing) and power back Jalen Holston (144) present a solid one-two punch for the Hokies, and quarterback Grant Wells is a capable runner as well (81). They'll try to control the clock, wear down the defense and, in the process, keep UNC's explosive offense off the field.

Flag day

We're not talking about honoring Old Glory here. But you can expect flags to be flying when North Carolina and Virginia Tech meet. They've been two of the nation's most penalized teams in the early season with the Tar Heels ranked 99th and the Hokies 129th out of 131 Football Bowl Subdivision clubs.

UNC has drawn 30 flags in four games at a cost of 289 yards with nine of those for 64 yards occurring in the loss against Notre Dame.

Virginia Tech has been penalized 40 times for 323 yards on the season and has been flagged 15 times in two of its four games.

Score prediction

North Carolina 37, Virginia Tech 24: Will this be the game in which UNC's defense finally gets its act together? Probably not. But Virginia Tech isn't as explosive as Appalachian State or as powerful as Notre Dame on offense, so just a small improvement on defense should be enough for the Tar Heels to get their first league win.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football score prediction vs. Virginia Tech: Scouting report