Justin Fuente: 'Nobody thought we could win' against North Carolina

Virginia Tech Hokies fans filed out of the stands in Blacksburg to storm the field and celebrate with coach Justin Fuente after a huge upset. The team handed No. 10 North Carolina a 17-10 on Saturday as the Tar Heels became the first top 25 team to fall in 2021.

Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente spoke with TV reporters shortly after the game.

“We got a great group of kids and they’ve been through a lot,” Fuente said “They got grit, they got resiliency, they got each other. They played their tails off tonight.”

The Hokies leaned on their defense all night long. They held UNC to just one touchdown and forced three interceptions from quarterback Sam Howell. None were more critical than Chamarri Conner’s pick with less than a minute to go.

The play effectively ended the game, though North Carolina still had three timeouts. Virginia Tech’s Tre Turner finished things off for good with a 12-yard run as the Hokies ran the clock down.

“[The defense] put out an incredible effort,” Funete said. “I felt like we didn’t play very many snaps on defense in the first half. I feel like we took every snap of defense in the second half. They rose to the challenge every single time, it was fantastic.”

This is the first time Virginia Tech has beaten an AP top-10 team with someone other than Frank Beamer as head coach since 1964. The Hokies defeated No. 10 Florida State that season.

North Carolina was picked to win the Atlantic Division in the ACC preseason media poll and face Clemson in the conference championship. Virginia Tech was projected to finish third in the division (Miami is No. 2).

Oregon transfer quarterback Braxton Burmeister showed he has what it takes to lead the Hokies under pressure. He finished 12-of-19 passing for 169 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

With the country watching on Friday night, Virginia Tech put itself on the radar. Justin Fuente said he couldn’t be more proud of his Hokies after the upset victory.

“For a game nobody thought we could win, for a group most people had given up on, to play like that really makes me proud,” Fuente said.

The Hokies’ next game is set for Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. EST against Middle Tennessee.