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BYHoo? Cavaliers slash Cougars in thrilling shootout

PROVO, UTAH-Thomas Jones rushed for a career high 210 yards and Jerton Evans snagged two interceptions, including one on then-No. 17 Brigham Young's final drive, as Virginia upended the Cougars 45-40 Saturday night.

"I knew that we would have to score a lot of points, but I didn't think we would have to score 45," Cavalier coach George Welsh said. "It's amazing. Our offense can't ordinarily generate all those points because we are a ground-oriented team."

Jones' running made it easier for the No. 24 Cavs (3-1) to score a lot of points on the ground. As part of his career-best day, he scored on breakaway runs of 23 and 45 yards.

Afterwards, a humble Jones gave most of the credit to the offensive line.

"Their defense has a lot of big guys who can move, and our offensive line did a good job of blocking them," Jones said.

"We were determined to come out here and show them we had a good running game," center John St. Clair said. "We wanted to support Thomas and also wanted to put points on the board."

Lighting up the scoreboard was something neither team had a problem doing.

The Cavs drew first blood scoring on their first possession when quarterback Dan Ellis connected with Anthony Southern on a 15-yard touchdown pass.

The Cougars (2-1) then took the ball, but Tim Spruill quickly ended BYU's first possession, intercepting a pass from Kevin Feterik intended for Jonathan Pittman.

The pick "was critical ... because we can't let them get started on a good foot," Spruill said. "We needed to get the ball out of their offensive hands."

After the first quarter, it looked as if Virginia was on its way to a blowout victory. They scored 21 points in the first, while the Cougar offense struggled. BYU mustered only two first downs and Kevin Feterik completed just two of eight passes for nine yards, and threw two interceptions.

"I was really disappointed the way we started," Cougar coach LaVell Edwards said.

BYU turned things around in the second, however. While the Cavs added another score on Jones' 45-yard sprint, a pair of touchdown runs by Lucas Staley and a 28-yard interception return by Brian Gray got Brigham Young back in the game.

"We kind of leveled out in the second quarter," Spruill said. "We decided at the half we can't play like that and win this game."

Spruill set the tone right away in the second half. On the Cougars' second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Pittman dropped a lateral from Feterik. Spruill scooped it up and ran it back through a bewildered BYU squad for the touchdown and a 35-19 lead.

For the rest of the game, the Cavs and Cougars would continue to trade blows like a pair of heavyweight prizefighters.

The two teams combined to score 31 points in the third quarter alone, and the Cavaliers held a 45-33 lead going into the fourth. BYU added another score early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 45-40.

They would not score again.

After all the offensive fireworks, it was a clutch performance by the Virginia defense that preserved the win.

After beginning on their own 11 yard line, BYU marched into the red zone and had a 1st and goal with 2:57 to go. The Cougars looked poised to take their first lead of the game, but the Cavaliers had other ideas.

"We said in the huddle: 'This is going to make or break our season; we need to make a big play or we go home sad,'" Spruill said.

BYU committed a holding penalty on their first play, and the Cavs stuffed the Cougars' next two running plays. Staley got wide open but dropped what looked to be a sure touchdown pass.

This gave the Cougars one more play. Feterik dropped back to pass, but a throw intended for Pittman found Evans instead. The late interception killed the last BYU hopes of a comeback.

"I thought the gods were against us for sure but somehow we hung on," Welsh said. "I thought they were destined to win. Football is a strange game. You have to remember that you're dealing with young humans. You just never know."

The win gives Virginia tremendous momentum heading into the pending clash with Virginia Tech Saturday. And after a marathon game that ended just before 1 a.m. Charlottesville time, the five-point win no doubt helped make the Cavs' trip home a little easier.

"I'm worn out - I played almost the whole game," St. Clair said. "But when you win, you feel a lot better, you know?"

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