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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Mike Hollins ran for three touchdowns and Malik Washington had the go-ahead scoring catch in the fourth quarter to help Virginia upset No. 10 North Carolina 31-27 on Saturday night, shaking up the Atlantic Coast Conference race with its first road win against a top-10 opponent.

James Jackson had the clinching interception with 26 seconds left, picking off UNC star quarterback Drake Maye as Maye was hit by Paul Akere with the Tar Heels (6-1, 3-1) reaching midfield on a drive for a winning score.

Instead, Virginia players started spilling onto the field to celebrate, while Jackson ran all the way down the field to the end zone in his own jubilation.

“We knew we had the capability to do it,” Hollins said, “we just had to put it all together.”

Virginia closed as 24-point underdogs, per ESPN Stats & Information, so this result is the largest upset win by an ACC team since NC State in 1998 vs. No. 2 Florida State. The Wolfpack were 26.5-point underdogs in that game.

Washington pushed the Cavaliers (2-5, 1-2) over the top, taking a short feed from Tony Muskett and then turning toward the end zone to push across the goal line with 8:51 left while shrugging off multiple would-be tacklers.

Washington quickly began to celebrate by raising both arms to flex his biceps, which was appropriate considering the way Virginia repeatedly ran the ball at and through the Tar Heels despite coming in as one of the nation’s most anemic ground attacks.

Virginia came in averaging 99.5 yards rushing per game, worst in the ACC and 122nd in the FBS ranks. But the Cavaliers ran for a season-high 228 yards, with Hollins, Muskett and Perris Jones all running for at least 60 yards.

“I’ve seen this coming for several weeks,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. “In all those games that we’ve been close, I’ve seen it coming. At some point, we had to make a decision to finish a game and not be close.”

As for the Tar Heels, it was a stunning stumble for a team that had looked to be possibly the ACC’s best team behind a star quarterback discussed as a Heisman Trophy candidate in Maye.

Maye threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, including a fourth one in two games to Devontez “Tez” Walker, who had 11 catches for 146 yards. But Maye completed just half of his passes (24-for-48), missing numerous throws while his receivers also dropped numerous passes, and the Tar Heels never found the high-scoring form from recent romps amid the program’s best start in 26 years.

“I’m disappointed in me,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “I’m disappointed in us as coaches. Kids listen to us, they’re young people. It’s our job to get them ready to play.”

Hollins scored twice on first-quarter runs, then added a tough 1-yard score in the third quarter that capped a critical drive after UNC had pushed ahead by 10. He very nearly had a fourth rushing score with a chance to put Virginia up two scores, but was stripped of the ball before crossing the goal line, and the ball ultimately bounced straight out the back of the end zone with 4:50 left.

Yet Virginia’s defense hung in, with Maye throwing incomplete for Walker on the sideline inside the 10-yard line on fourth down to end the ensuing drive. UNC ended up with one last chance, forcing a punt to get the ball back to Maye with 1:12 left and no timeouts — only to see Jackson haul in Virginia’s clinching takeaway.

It was hard to imagine this kind of outcome, too, considering Virginia’s lone win had come against William & Mary of the FCS ranks before last week’s open date. Not to mention UNC had scored at least 31 points in every game and cracked 40 four times, while Maye and the offense had seemingly been picking up steam in recent wins with Walker being cleared to play after a lengthy NCAA eligibility debate.

None of that mattered, though, as Virginia finally could fully celebrate on UNC’s field once the clock hit all zeroes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kansas extends offer deadline for Chiefs, Royals

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Kansas extends offer deadline for Chiefs, Royals

A Kansas legislative committee has extended a deadline for the Chiefs and Royals to take advantage of a stadium financing plan from the state.

The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council on Monday unanimously approved the extension to use bonds to cover 70% of a new stadium’s cost if the teams decide to relocate to the state. The new deadline is June 30, 2026, although the committee indicated it is seeking an answer from the teams by Dec. 31 of this year.

Chiefs president Mark Donovan requested the extension late last month in a letter to Kansas Senate president Ty Masterson. The Royals verbally requested an extension around the same time. The deadline expired on June 30 but was retroactively extended Monday.

“Together, we have the opportunity to bring the National Football League to Kansas, anchored by a world-class domed stadium, new team headquarters, a state-of-the-art practice facility, and a vibrant mixed-use and entertainment district,” Donovan wrote in his letter to Masterson.

The Chiefs and Royals have played for more than five decades at the Truman Sports Complex on the east side of Kansas City, Missouri, where Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium share parking facilities. But leases with Jackson County are due to expire in January 2031, and the two franchises have been trying to plot a course forward for years.

Last year, Jackson County voters defeated a sales tax extension that would have helped to finance an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium — the home of the Chiefs — and a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City.

Last month, however, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session to approve a stadium financing deal that included disaster relief for the St. Louis area, where a series of devastating tornadoes caused widespread damage. The legislation authorizes bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums in Missouri, plus up to $50 million in tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.

If they choose to stay in Missouri, the Chiefs have floated plans for a $1.15 billion renovation of Arrowhead Stadium. The Royals have insisted all along that they intend to build a replacement for Kauffman Stadium.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has long professed his affinity for Arrowhead Stadium, which was built by his father and team founder Lamar Hunt. But he also is keenly aware of the revenue streams available by building a new domed stadium, including the chance to host the Super Bowl, the Final Four and other marquee sporting events.

Donovan commented Monday on the Chiefs’ looming stadium decision.

“Now, it’s literally getting down to the final points and making sure that everybody’s in agreement on what we need to do, and that we have all the pieces lined up,” he told reporters. “Because our job is to go to the Hunt family and suggest, ‘Here are your two options; they both make sense.'”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Twins’ Buxton to take part in Home Run Derby

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Twins' Buxton to take part in Home Run Derby

Minnesota Twins outfielder and Georgia native Byron Buxton was announced as the fourth participant in the Home Run Derby on Monday.

The Derby will take place July 14, the night before the All-Star Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Buxton joins Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the eight-man competition. Buxton, who has 20 homers this season, is from Baxley, Georgia, and was taken by the Twins with the second pick in the 2012 draft.

In discussing his second All-Star selection with reporters on Sunday, Buxton beamed as he described the excitement of his 11-year-old son, Brix, who regularly plays the Home Run Derby on the MLB: The Show video game at home.

“He always is like, ‘Dad, if you do this, I want to bring you a towel!’ and I’m like, ‘All right.’ That’s all he cares about. He wants Dad to do it so he can bring me a towel and a Gatorade. And for me, that’s special,” Buxton said. “Out of everybody there, all the people he’s going to see, that’s what he wants and cares about. So, it’s the small things that add up to the big ones.”

The 31-year-old Buxton will be the eighth Twins hitter to take part in the Derby. Justin Morneau won the event in 2008.

New York Mets slugger and two-time winner Pete Alonso joined Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber in electing to skip the event. Both told reporters Sunday about their decisions.

Alonso was named a National League reserve for the All-Star Game in a season when he has hit 20 homers. He won the Home Run Derby in 2019 and 2021. It wasn’t held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m not necessarily called this year to do it,” Alonso said, according to MLB.com. “I love the event. It’s a sick event. I just didn’t really feel motivated to do it this year. I just figured I’d take a break, use the break as recovery and get back at it, help the team win in the second half.”

Although he’s not participating this summer, Schwarber left the door open to taking part next season when the All-Star Game will be held in Philadelphia. Schwarber has 27 homers this season and made his third All-Star team.

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Nationals pick ‘diligent’ Cairo as interim manager

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Nationals pick 'diligent' Cairo as interim manager

The Washington Nationals have named bench coach Miguel Cairo as their interim manager, the team announced Monday.

Cairo, a native of Venezuela who played for nine teams over 17 MLB seasons from 1996 to 2012, replaces Dave Martinez, who was fired along with general manager Mike Rizzo on Sunday.

Cairo, 51, joined the Nationals in 2024 after spending the previous season as the minor league infield coordinator for the New York Mets. He also served as bench coach for the Chicago White Sox during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, being named active manager after Tony La Russa stepped aside in 2022 because of an undisclosed medical condition. The White Sox went 18-16 down the stretch under Cairo but failed to reach the playoffs.

“Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,” Nationals interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said in a statement. “A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season.”

Cairo played all positions except catcher, center fielder and pitcher during his playing career. He was a career .264 hitter with 41 home runs and 394 RBIs in 1,490 games.

DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night and will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft.

The Nationals are 37-53, last in the National League East standings after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the 2019 World Series.

Washington has a 325-473 record since the start of the 2020 season, only better than the Colorado Rockies.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.

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