After experiencing a season of highs and lows, Virginia seniors John Duckett and Antwoine Womack made sure their college football careers ended on a positive note.
Womack rushed for 153 yards on 31 carries and Duckett forced a momentum-changing fumble to lead the Cavaliers to a 20-14 comeback win over Penn State on Saturday.
It was "our last home game, so we had to play our hearts out," Duckett said.
Virginia (5-7) looked down and out seven minutes into the third quarter. With possession on the Virginia eight-yard line, the Nittany Lions (5-6) seemed destined to add to their 14-6 lead. But on the ensuing play, Duckett stripped the ball from Penn State freshman quarterback Zack Mills and Virginia cornerback Art Thomas ran the fumble into the Penn State end zone for a touchdown.
"I ripped it out of [Mills'] arms because we needed to make a big play," Duckett said.
Thomas' 92-yard touchdown, the longest fumble recovery in Virginia history, brought the Cavaliers within one point of the Nittany Lions' lead, 14-13, and proved to be a catalyst for Virginia's offense. On the Cavaliers' next possession, Virginia freshman running back Alvin Pearman capped an eight-play, 57-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown run that gave Virginia a 19-14 lead.
"I think [my touchdown] was a big momentum changer, and that's what we needed that key moment when we were down," Thomas said.
After David Greene's extra point gave Virginia a 20-14 lead, the Cavaliers' defense clamped down on the Nittany Lions and held them scoreless in the last 18 minutes of the game. Virginia had two chances to add to its lead, but Greene sent a 33-yard field goal attempt wide left and kicked a 25-yard field goal try into the left upright.
"I wasn't really jittery or anything, every time I felt that this will be the one where I get it back, but it just didn't happen," Greene said. "This is my last game, and you have to live with what you did in your last game. It's a lot easier to take when you can just see it as a win."
Womack's prolific running helped keep the Nittany Lions off the field and off the scoreboard. Behind Womack, the Cavaliers held an edge on time of possession for the first time since their 34-30 loss to Wake Forest on Nov. 3.
"There's nothing I need to say about Antwoine," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He certainly made a powerful statement about himself."
When the Nittany Lion offense took the field, the Virginia defense pulled out big play after big play to keep the game close. In addition to Duckett's strip and Thomas' defensive touchdown, Virginia added four interceptions and three sacks. Duckett earned the ACC defensive back of the week honor with his 13-tackle, one-forced-fumble performance.
"Its great to see that we finally could come together collectively and force them to turn over [the ball], and force ourselves to catch the ball given the opportunities," Virginia safety Jerton Evans said.
According to Pearman, the younger Cavaliers wanted to send the graduating senior class off with a victory.
"We had a rough year this year," Pearman said. "I think it was a productive year, but it was a rough year. We really wanted to let these seniors go out with a good win."
Groh added that the win showed the class the seniors have exhibited throughout the season.
"My respect for [the seniors] is such that if they ever need anything from me for the rest of their lives, I hope they call on me," Groh said.
Read More
Virginia reloads with a new leader, an emphasis on fundamentals and … bowling?
By Xander Tilock | 2 days agoThe new leader of Virginia men's basketball, and some players, offered an inside look at offseason plans.
The 2025 MLB Draft: An end and a beginning for Virginia baseball
By Xander Tilock | 3 days agoVirginia upperclassmen and incoming recruits could wind up with MLB organizations.
Live tracker: the men’s basketball offseason
By Michael Liebermann , Emory Huffman and Xander Tilock | 4 days agoA frenetic offseason likely awaits.
