For UVA, nothing’s finer that beating Carolina for its first victory

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Rashawn Jackson ran to the corner of the end zone and started conducting the band. Chris Cook went to the locker room “almost in tears,” and Mikell Simpson wore an ice pack and a giant smile.

So this is what it’s like to win a football game.

“It’s hard to even explain how good it feels,” quarterback Jameel Sewell said.

Virginia’s seven-game losing streak was snapped by knocking off North Carolina 16-3, an ugly win by some banged-up players that showed the Wahoos aren’t done yet.

Even coach Al Groh got into the spirit, waving to the orange-clad supporters and proclaiming that “it’s tough to stick a fork in us.”

This was the place for the ’Hoos to turn their season around, having now won 10 of their last 12 games against the Tar Heels. This one resembled the last few, a grind-it-out game where every point was a valuable one.

Kicker Robert Randolph had three field goals to help the team cling to a lead until Mikell Simpson broke through for an 8-yard touchdown run, pushing him over 100 yards on the day. Chris Cook grabbed an interception to seal the victory, helping the team finish strong.

That was one of Virginia’s main objectives this week, and the players watched a video of the 2007 Maryland game Friday night to drive home the point.

“We’ve lost two games in the final five minutes, so it showed the drive and dedication from that year,” Simpson said.

After a season of injuries, he finally had a breakout game Saturday, taking a beating from the defense but ultimately scoring the lone touchdown and celebrating a victory that “made it all worth it.”

He wasn’t the only comeback player to make a difference. Cook was back from a groin injury to anchor the secondary, and former quarterback Vic Hall debuted in a new role as both a wide receiver and safety. He said he was willing to cede the signal-caller job to the hot hand, Sewell.

“We’ve got some stability at the quarterback position,” Hall said. “I don’t see why you would fix something that’s not broken.”

He took a direct-snap run, as well as catching a lateral from Sewell and throwing it back to the quarterback for a 22-yard gain that was negated by holding.

The rest of the receivers suffered from a lack of pocket time for Sewell, who was under pressure regularly. The two running backs — Simpson and Jackson — were the only players to log more than two catches.

Most of the ’Hoos progress came on the ground, with Simpson logging exactly 100 yards after being tackled for a loss late.

On the other side, North Carolina’s run game slid even further after an abysmal performance last week against Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels didn’t advance the ball into the opposing red zone at any point during the game.

By the end of the second quarter, an offense was being booed off the field, but for the first time this year it wasn’t UVa’s.

The Tar Heels offensive struggles negated a solid outing by defensive end Robert Quinn, who logged three sacks against Virginia left tackle Landon Bradley. The sophomore drew a personal foul call late in the game for a late hit.

“It’s very frustrating when they’re going three and out and we’re back on the field,” Quinn said. “I’m not trying to play the blame game, but the offense has got to help us some.”

Meanwhile in the ’Hoos’ locker room, there wasn’t a trace of finger-pointing, just a celebration of a team that is now 1-0 in ACC play.

For the 25 freshman who have seen the field this year, it was also their first taste of victory — one that Groh hopes will motivate them to come back for more.

“Everything we did for weeks and months was to experience the five or six minutes there when the team comes back into the locker room and has that sense of satisfaction,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”