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CHAPEL HILL -- Needing three yards for the game-clinching first down, Virginia running back Cedric Peerman put his head down and plowed into a pile of North Carolina defenders.

Slowly and steadily, Peerman churned his legs and moved the pile. When the play was whistled dead and the chains brought out, the Cavaliers had the first down they needed -- by the nose of the football.

"I told this team before the season that there would be an awful lot of games that would come down to a very, very small margin of whether or not you had a chance to win or whether or not you were going to lose the football game," said UNC coach Butch Davis.

This was one of those games.

Peerman's run was the last of several excruciatingly close plays that went against the Tar Heels. Had any of them gone the other way, the outcome, a 22-20 victory for Virginia, might very well have been reversed.

North Carolina (1-2, 0-1 ACC) might not have needed that last-minute stop of Peerman had it converted a game-tying two-point conversion with 1:57 remaining.

After throwing his third touchdown of the game -- for the third straight game -- Tar Heels quarterback T.J. Yates tried to hit former Cummings standout Brandon Tate on a crossing route. Tate was open, but the space near the goal line was so tight that Yates kept his pass trajectory low.

"I thought I had him," Yates said. "I don't who it was that made a great play getting up there and tipping the ball."

Cavaliers nose tackle Nate Collins batted down the pass and preserved Virginia's two-point lead.

That two-point conversion might not have been necessary if UNC hadn't short-circuited its two previous possessions with turnovers.

The first came on a remarkable leaping interception by Cavaliers defensive end Chris Long. That turnover was converted into Virginia's fifth field goal of the game, its final points. The second was a fumble by freshman Zack Pianalto, which was recovered by the Cavaliers at their 26. The ball came loose a split second before Pianalto's knees touched the ground.

"I just turned up the field and the next thing I know, it was out," Pianalto said. "I'm not sure what happened."

That was the same feeling the Tar Heels had earlier in the second half when they thought the Cavaliers had missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt. But the play was reviewed, and it was revealed that Chris Gould's kick had just eked its way across the crossbar. Those three points loomed huge in the end.

That kick wouldn't have happened had UNC not committed a dead-ball unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after sacking Cavaliers quarterback Jameel Sewell on third down earlier in the drive.

UNC defensive end Hilee Taylor forced a fumble on the play, leading to a wild pileup at the Virginia 38. The Cavaliers came away with the ball, and Tar Heels defensive back Charles Brown picked up the 15-yard penalty.

"One of our players picked up the ball and as he was walking off the field, threw the ball back on the field," Davis said. "Unfortunately it hit an official. The official felt like that was a personal foul."

Had the Cavaliers (2-1, 2-0) lost the game, they surely would have been in the Tar Heels' shoes, bemoaning their missed opportunities. Using a power running game to bulldoze Carolina's defense and a mix of zones to confuse the Tar Heels' passing game, Virginia shot out to a 16-0 lead.

Peerman, who finished with 186 yards on 30 carries, scored Virginia's touchdown.

But time after time, the Cavaliers marched into UNC territory, only to see their drives bog down. Penalties or curious play calls were usually the culprits. After Virginia failed to put Carolina away, Yates (339 yards passing) eventually got the Tar Heels' passing game going and pulled them out of their deep hole.

In the end, though, it was another Davis edict that proved to be true. He frequently tells his players that the game is often won not by the team that makes the most great plays but by the team that makes the fewest mistakes.

Saturday, UNC made one more mistake than the Cavaliers. That's why they now have one more loss as well.

Contact Jim Young at 373-7016 or jyoung@news-record.com

Virginia 10 6 3 3 -- 22

North Carolina 0 7 7 6 -- 20

UVa--Peerman 1 run (Gould kick)

UVa--FG Gould 51

UVa--FG Gould 28

UVa--FG Gould 37

NC--Nicks 4 pass from Yates (Barth kick)

UVa--FG Gould 48

NC--Nicks 53 pass from Yates (Barth kick)

UVa--FG Gould 32

NC--Quinn 2 pass from Yates (pass failed)

A--58,000.

Virginia North Carolina

First downs 22 20

Rushes-yards 51-197 23-60

Passing 153 339

Comp-Att-Int 18-27-0 25-38-1

Return yards 24 8

Punts-Avg. 3-42.7 4-38.0

Fumbles-Lost 2-0 3-2

Penalties-Yards 10-85 3-28

Time of possession 39:14 20:46

Individual Statistics

RUSHING--Virginia, Peerman 30-186, Pearman 5-43, Simpson 1-1, Team 3-(minus 5), Lalich 2-(minus 7), Sewell 10-(minus 21). North Carolina, J.White 16-60, Rich 1-0, Yates 6-0.

PASSING--Virginia, Sewell 11-17-0-96, Lalich 7-10-0-57. North Carolina, Yates 25-38-1-339.

RECEIVING--Virginia, Covington 4-40, R.Jackson 4-28, Peerman 3-37, Santi 3-19, Jobe 2-22, Stupar 1-5, Simpson 1-2. North Carolina, Foster 7-139, Nicks 7-113, Pianalto 5-43, Tate 2-32, J.White 2-6, Rich 1-4, Quinn 1-2.