Live college football updates: UNC holds 17-6 lead over Virginia late in 2nd quarter

If North Carolina is going to end a frustrating losing streak and turn around its season, it may have to start Saturday against Virginia in Scott Stadium.

The Tar Heels (3-4 overall, 0-3 ACC) have had a bye week and extra time to heal up and prepare for the ACC road game. Likely, changes have been made. The extra week also allowed the Tar Heels to properly mourn and grieve for wide receiver Tylee Craft, who died of cancer on Oct. 12.

UNC wide receiver Kobe Paysour will wear Craft’s jersey, No. 13, in Saturday’s game. To help honor Craft’s memory, the Cavaliers will wear a No. 13 decal with “Tylee Strong” on their helmets.

The Heels have five games remaining and consider all of them winnable: Virginia, Florida State, Wake Forest, Boston College and N.C. State. But Virginia (4-3, 2-2) is a slight betting favorite Saturday. The Cavaliers were three-touchdown underdogs a year ago when they shocked the then-unbeaten Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

Check back here for live updates from the game at Scott Stadium.

Tar Heels score TD late in half

Omarion Hampton’s 3-yard touchdown run with 3:32 left in the first half ended a 7-play, 75-yard drive that took 2:30 and pushed the UNC lead to 17-6.

Jacolby Criswell had completions of 25 yards to JJ Jones and 15 to Hampton, who also broke off a 12-yard run to the UVa. 3. Hampton then bulled over for the TD on the next play.

Cavaliers make it 10-6 game

Virginia answered a UNC field goal with one of its own as Will Bettridge’s 27-yarder trimmed the UNC lead to 10-6 with 4:02 left in the half.

The Cavs, like the Heels, bogged down in the red zone.. Anthony Colandrea had completions of 15 and 34 yards to wideout Malachi Fields and had an 11-yard run on a third-and-10 conversion. But a third-down pass to Fields from the UNC 10 was incomplete.

UNC adds to lead

The Heels reached the UVa. 12 midway through the second quarter before Noah Burnette’s 30-yard field goal pushed the UNC lead to 10-3 with 7:51 left in the first half.

Jacolby Criswell’s had a 24-yard completion to Nate McCollum and a 15-yarder to Omarion Hampton in the drive.

Heels respond with TD

After falling behind 3-0, the Heels went 75 yards on nine plays to take the lead. Jacolby Criswell hit JJ Jones over the middle and Jones broke two tackles in going 37 yards for the score with 5:23 left in the first.

UNC converted twice on third down, the first on Criswell’s 12-yard pass to Nate McCollum and the second after a 19-yard run by Criswell on a second-and-20 play.

Cavs with early lead

After a three-and-out series by UNC’s offense -- a third-down penalty preventing a first down -- the Wahoos got a 24-yard punt return by Chris Tyree and steadily moved down field. Virginia reached the UNC 1 and nearly scored but a bad snap resulted in a loss.

Virginia took a 30-yard field goal by Will Bettridge for the 3-0 lead.