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Cavs trump Cards, 23-21

Virginia rallies late against No. 21 Louisville for first ACC win since November 2012

Saturday at Scott Stadium, the Virginia football team scored perhaps its most memorable and significant win of the past three seasons, pulling off a 23-21 upset against then-No. 21 Louisville before an announced crowd of 34,816 fans.

The Cavaliers (2-1, 1-0 ACC), who received six votes in Sunday’s AP Top-25 Poll, trailed with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but refused to lay down with the game on the line.

“I believe this team is a team that has great resilience and [a] never quit, always fight attitude,” coach Mike London said. “And when you can have those components with a football team — any organization or program — you can go far.”

The victory was Virginia’s first in ACC play since Nov. 10, 2012, when the Cavaliers defeated Miami 41-40 in the final seconds on a touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Rocco to tight end Jake McGee. For veterans like senior receiver Miles Gooch, leaving the field as a winner was a cathartic experience.

“This is a feeling that we haven’t had in a long time, and us being the older guys, we definitely know how it feels to be on that end where you’re coming up short every weekend,” Gooch said. “So, I mean, a lot of us were in the locker room crying. I mean, it’s an amazing feeling.”

By defeating the Cardinals (2-1, 1-1 ACC), the Cavaliers also broke a five-game losing streak against ranked opponents dating to their Nov. 19, 2011 win against then-No. 23 Florida State.

Virginia has now won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 2012 and, according to London, is establishing an identity on the playing field.

“We got to play great defense,” London said. “Offensively, we have to be able to move the ball and be efficient in what we’re asking our guys to do. And then special teams, it’s a matter of field position.”

Gooch, a converted quarterback who considered not playing this year, hauled in four passes for 78 yards, including the second receiving touchdown of his career, a 15-yard catch off a high strike from sophomore quarterback Greyson Lambert. Entering the day, Gooch only had six receptions for a total of 52 yards in his time at Virginia. He and Lambert kick-started the Cavaliers on their very first offensive play, connecting for a 50-yard gain off a devious play-action. The play was both Lambert’s longest-ever pass and Gooch’s longest-ever catch.

“[Gooch] is a selfless individual and just made himself into a guy that just tries hard [and] works hard,” London said. “When you have an older guy like that who signifies that ‘this is what I am [and] this is what I’m going to do for the team,’ then other people take notice.”

Virginia came into the fourth quarter with a 20-7 lead after putting up 10 points and holding Louisville off the scoreboard and to only four offensive yards in the third. The Cardinals, however, stormed back into the game behind sophomore quarterback Will Gardner, who sat out the third quarter after an ineffective first half in which he completed just seven of 20 passes and was intercepted twice.  

Gardner returned to the game at the 13:59 mark after sophomore receiver James Quick brought back Virginia senior co-captain Alec Vozenilek’s 41-yard punt to the Cardinal 44. On the ensuing drive, Gardner connected with sophomore tight end Keith Towbridge for a 28-yard reception on third down, and six plays later senior running back Dominique Brown rushed six yards on a draw play for a touchdown.

After Virginia and Lambert failed to conjure much of anything on offense, Gardner and Brown got back to work at the Louisville 48-yard line. On the 10th play of the drive, the Cardinals struck gold when Quick hauled in a scoring reception to put his team up 21-20, their first lead since the opening period.

The Cavaliers’ next drive flamed out at their own 39-yard line despite a clutch 11-yard pass from Lambert to sophomore receiver Kyle Dockins on the series’ first third down attempt. Vozenilek — who placed three punts inside the Louisville 20 with the help of special-teams standout sophomore Wilfred Wahee — lifted the ball 36 yards downfield, where Quick prepared to gather it in and run. Quick, though, dropped the ball, and Virginia sophomore strong safety Kelvin Rainey was there for the recovery.

“I was a gunner on the punt team, and the guy who was covering me had been playing off for a while,” Rainey said. “I mean, I had been beating him most of the game, and he just let me go. And the ball was there for the taking.”

Rainey’s hustle play gave Virginia the ball at the Louisville 25, a field position too good to squander except by a true gaffe. The Cavaliers almost blew their own good fortune as the offensive line was whistled for two false starts, and Lambert lost two yards trying to run on a botched play. But senior running back Kevin Parks rushed five yards on third down to get Virginia back where it started, and junior place kicker Ian Frye drilled a 42-yard field goal to put the Cavaliers ahead.

Frye had a special day for Virginia, making all three of his field goals from distances of 35, 47 and 42 yards. His play helped Virginia accumulate enough offense to down the Cardinals, who last year produced the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense under the direction of current Texas head coach Charlie Strong.

“Oh man, he did an amazing job,” Gooch said. “I’m so proud of that boy. But Frye, he did great all day.”

The Cavaliers play yet another team ranked No. 21, travelling to Provo, Utah next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. road game against Brigham Young (3-0). As excited as London and the team are about their win against Louisville, they know they must focus on continuing to improve in the coming days.

“We’re going to enjoy [this win] for a little bit and then know that we got another task and we got another journey — we have another step on the ladder to climb,” London said.

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