The Tar Heels (5-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) got their first conference win after forcing a fumble by Ryan Williams at his 24 with 2:02 left and turning it into the winning drive.

The Hokies (5-3, 3-2), who until losing to No. 11 Georgia Tech 12 days ago were in the national championship picture, lost their second straight.

Virginia Tech lost for the first time in six meetings with North Carolina since joining the ACC in 2004.

The Tar Heels held Virginia Tech to 95 rushing yards and Williams, the nation’s No. 7 runner with an average of 119 yards, was largely ineffective.

Tydreke Powell caused Williams to fumble for just the second time this season and Deunta Williams recovered, setting the Tar Heels up at the Hokies’ 24. After six carries by Ryan Houston got it to the 4, Barth’s second field goal finished off the upset.

T.J. Yates, who was knocked out of the Tar Heels’ 20-17 loss to the Hokies last season, finished 18 of 28 for just 131 yards, but made all the big throws.

He hit Jheranie Boyd from 13 yards in the first half for the game’s first points, and Greg Little from 15 yards as the Tar Heels answered immediately after the Hokies tied it.

Yates did make one big mistake, throwing a dump pass that Rashad Carmichael intercepted at the UNC 11, setting up the second of Tyrod Taylor’s two touchdown runs. That gave the Hokies a 17-14 lead with 11:51 left, but Yates engineered a 16-play, 78-yard drive to a tying field goal.

The Hokies finished with just 256 yards and 11 first downs. They finally came to life with their first possession of the third quarter. Facing third and 17 from his 11, Taylor dodged pressure and rifled a 22-yard pass to Dyrell Roberts for the first down.

Taylor followed with passes of 16 yards to Danny Coale and 15 to Xavier Boyce, and Williams ran for 22 to the Tar Heels’ 14. Taylor then scored on fourth and goal from the 1 to tie it at 7. The Hokies’ other scoring drives covered 35 yards to a field goal and 5 yards to a TD.

The Tar Heels had done virtually nothing on offense until midway through the second quarter. On a drive that covered 84 yards in 13 plays, Yates hit Greg Little for 17 yards, Little ran for 23 around the right side to the Hokies’ 16 on third and 3, and Yates hit Boyd for 13 yards in the right corner to make it 7-0 just 2:44 before halftime.

The Hokies also drove to the Tar Heels’ 38, 34, 37, 35, and 40 and got nothing. They finished the half with just 108 yards on 29 plays.