With its back against the wall, the Virginia football team put together its grittiest performance of the season to defeat N.C. State Saturday at Scott Stadium.
The Cavaliers (6-4, 5-3 ACC) shook off some early offensive struggles to earn a 24-17 victory over the Wolfpack (6-4, 3-4) and become eligible for a bowl game.
"We won, huh?" Virginia coach George Welsh said. "I'm satisfied. Our kids played hard the whole game. We didn't have any letups. We didn't play smart a couple of times, but we played fast, we played hard, we played tough."
The Cavs' Senior Day victory was even more impressive because the team's most important senior, quarterback Dan Ellis, did not play a down. Ellis, who missed the game with a hamstring injury, was replaced by redshirt freshman Bryson Spinner, who made his second career start.
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Spinner kept the Cavalier offense moving, passing for 149 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 83 yards. His most important pass came on a third-and-two play with the score tied at 10 at the end of the third quarter. The play originally was supposed to be a short route for a first down, but Spinner changed the play at the line and hit sophomore wide receiver Billy McMullen for a 68-yard touchdown.
"It was supposed to be a hook route," McMullen said. "But the safety came up, and Bryson gave me the signal to go deep, and I beat my man one-on-one. He got my ankles, but I kept my balance and took it in."
McMullen's touchdown gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game at 17-10. The Wolfpack answered on its next drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Cotra Jackson to tie the game at 17, but the Cavs bounced right back, with Tyree Foreman rushing 38 yards for the go-ahead score.
The teams traded possessions for the rest of the game, and the Wolfpack's hopes died as Philip Rivers' desperation pass fell incomplete as time ran out.
"It meant a lot to this team to win this game, maybe more so than most other years," Welsh said. "They've worked for it, I'll tell you that. They've worked hard."
The Virginia defenders worked as hard as anyone on the field Saturday despite giving up 266 passing yards to Rivers, N.C. State's talented freshman quarterback. For all that yardage, the Wolfpack was unable to make any big plays. The two N.C. State touchdowns came on 7- and 3-yard runs - none from their previously potent passing games.
"They put a lot of pressure on us," senior cornerback Ahmad Hawkins said. "Philip Rivers is a good quarterback, real intelligent. With that type of team, you have to keep your head in the game, because they're going to make plays. You just have to keep them out of the end zone."
The Cavs' win was especially gratifying after last week's 35-0 loss at Georgia Tech. The Virginia veterans weren't about to allow a repeat performance in their final home game.
"Our backs were against the wall," fifth-year linebacker Byron Thweatt said. "We wanted to become bowl-eligible, we wanted to get [one step closer] to that seven-win plateau, and it was the last game for our seniors at home. That was motivation, so I knew we'd be prepared."
Welsh gave credit to his players for motivating themselves.
"Friday night, when we went back to the hotel, they went into their own meeting," Welsh said. "That usually lasts two or three minutes. That lasted about 25 minutes, just the team. I don't know what went on, but maybe that was it."
Fifth-year offensive tackle Brad Barnes said the Cav veterans used the meeting to tell their younger teammates how important each game was.
"The seniors got up and talked to let the young guys know how fast it flies by, and to play every play like it's your last, because you never know when it might be," Barnes said.
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