ACC Availability Report: No UNC Surprises; Virginia Without Playmaking WR

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — While no surprise injury statuses turned up for North Carolina on Thursday night ahead of this weekend’s ACC football matchup, No. 16 Virginia was hit with some significant blows, as per the league’s new policy that mandates availability reports prior to conference games.

Offensive lineman Christo Kelly (questionable) and defensive back Thad Dixon (out) essentially carried the only notable designations on the initial availability report for the Tar Heels (2-4 overall, 0-2 ACC), who play Saturday afternoon against the visiting Cavaliers (6-1, 3-0).

Meanwhile, Virginia listed playmaking slot receiver Cam Ross and offensive lineman Kevin Wigenton II as out for the game. Ross, the James Madison transfer, is tied with Trell Harris for the UVa team lead with 28 catches on the season. Ross ranks third for the Cavaliers with 329 receiving yards, and has hauled in two touchdown catches. He also has proven to be a dangerous special teams player on limited opportunities (five kickoff returns for a whopping 41.4-yard average). Ross ripped off a touchdown return of 100 yards in UVa’s season-opening blowout of Coastal Carolina.

Earlier this week, Virginia coach Tony Elliott told reporters that Ross was participating in practice. Wigenton has started four games at right guard. Virginia receiver Andre Green Jr., the onetime highly regarded UNC recruit, also is listed as out for the Cavaliers.

Here’s a quick rundown of UNC’s portion from Thursday night’s first injury report for the Virginia game. The ACC requires coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels, along with Elliott and the Wahoos, to submit two more availability reports — another on Friday night and then a final version on Saturday morning, two hours before the game’s scheduled noon kickoff at Kenan Stadium.

OUT FOR UNC
DB Thad Dixon
LB Chinedu Onyeagoro
LB Tyler Houser
OL Peter Pesansky
DL Laderion Williams
DL Kamarion Thomas
TE Cort Halsey
TE Deems May

QUESTIONABLE FOR UNC
LB Jake Bauer
OL Christo Kelly
K Guytano Bartolomeo

UNC is in search of its first ACC victory under Belichick, and has dropped four straight conference games dating to the end of last season. Meanwhile, Virginia is off to its best start to a season since 2007, and already has become bowl eligible. Georgia Tech (4-0 ACC), SMU (3-0 ACC) and UVa are the last remaining unbeaten teams in league play. The Cavaliers have been installed as 10½-point favorites over the Tar Heels by the oddsmakers.

Due to an August foot injury from preseason training camp, Kelly, the Holy Cross transfer, hasn’t played for UNC since logging 19 snaps in the Sept. 1 season-opening loss to TCU.

Dixon, who’s considered to be UNC’s top defensive back and perhaps the team’s best player on either side of the ball, is expected to miss an extended amount of time. Two weeks ago, Inside Carolina first reported the injury, which he suffered Oct. 4 late in the first half against Clemson.

“I’m not sure exactly how that’s going to turn out,” Belichick said last week, referring to Dixon’s status. “We’ll just take it day-by-day, or week-by-week here for a couple weeks and see. Thad was certainly one of our best players. Trained very hard as one of our team captains and gave a lot of leadership to the team. As one of our most experienced and oldest players, he played a lot of football, has seen a lot of football. So it’s a tough injury for him. Especially kind of a non-contact, when he landed, it kind of hit in a weird place.

“I’ve seen him. I’ve talked to him. He’s a great competitor. He’s already bouncing back, and we’ll see what happens.”

For ACC league games this football season, availability reports are required to be submitted two nights before a game, the night before a game, and then two hours before the game’s scheduled kickoff time. For basketball and baseball games during those upcoming seasons, the ACC is requiring availability reports to be turned in the night before a game, and then two hours before the game’s scheduled tip-off time.