The Cavaliers picked up right where they left off a week ago. Wali Lundy rushed for three touchdowns for the third week in a row as No. 12 Virginia (3-0, 1-0 ACC) dominated in all phases of the game to roll to a 51-0 victory over the Akron Zips in the Cavaliers' 2004 homecoming contest Saturday.
On the back of a solid passing performance from junior quarterback Marques Hagans and on the heels of tailbacks Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman and Michael Johnson, Virginia racked up 522 total yards of offense and 33 first downs, compared to only 84 yards and six first downs for Akron. The secondary limited Zips senior quarterback Charlie Frye, the holder of 49 Akron passing records, to only 72 yards passing and snagged two interceptions. The front seven held the Zips to just six total yards rushing.
The Cavalier offensive line opened up huge holes all daylong for the Virginia tailbacks. Behind the lead blocks of pulling right guard Elton Brown, who took out two Zips on Lundy's 44-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, Lundy rushed for 142 yards on 22 carries -- a 6.5 yards per carry average -- and Michael Johnson added 106 yards on just six carries.
"Elton Brown, his play will speak for itself," Lundy said. "He's out there -- corners are scared to take him on. I try to get behind him and try to find a seam, after he knocks the corner out."
The offensive line also gave Hagans ample time to complete his throws. The junior was 16 of 25 for 148 yards with one interception while also throwing for two touchdowns to junior tight end Heath Miller, who had six catches for 54 yards.
Marques "got us off to a real positive start," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He's had four or five of those in every game where he had to make the play, and I thought he did that."
One of those big plays came on Virginia's fourth possession of the second quarter with the Cavaliers already up 27-0. With less than five minutes to go in the first half, Virginia drove 93 yards, keyed by a 56-yard Michael Johnson run that set up the Cavaliers in the Akron red zone. Virginia had fourth and goal from the three-yard line, and Groh elected to go for it to put the game out of reach before the half. Hagans couldn't find anyone right away and rolled to his left. As Akron linebackers pressured him, Hagans found Miller on the left sideline of the end zone for the score.
"On fourth down, coach always preaches you have nothing to lose," Hagans said. "I just wanted to get out of the pocket and try to find somehow for somebody to get open, and the first person I saw was Big Money. He posted the cornerback up on his back, and I had to give it to him because I'll take my chances with Big Money any day, one-on-one with any D.B."
Against a Zips offense that featured the third-ranked passer nationally for active NCAA total yards in Charlie Frye, the Cavalier defense made the Akron attack look inept. Frye finished the game with 72 yards passing -- the first time in his career he has thrown for fewer than 100 yards. The Zips finished with - 11 total yards of offense in the third quarter and punted 11 times.
"Anytime you can hold a team to under 100 total yards of offense, that's amazing," senior defensive end Chris Canty said. "That's unheard of."
Virginia again got off to a fast start this weekend, as the Cavaliers now have outscored their opponents 99-10 in the first half.
A perfect 41-yard punt by sophomore Sean Johnson on Virginia's first drive forced Akron to begin its first possession at its own one-yard line, where the Cavalier defense held the Zips to zero yards and a three-and-out. The Virginia offense needed only three plays to go 34 yards to go up 6-0 on a 16-yard touchdown catch by Miller. After another Akron three-and-out, the Virginia offense drove 63 yards on 13 plays, and Lundy scored from one yard out.
The Virginia defense came through with another big fourth-down stop for the second week in a row when Akron had the ball on its own 46 and decided to risk it. On fourth-and-one, Frye was stopped for no gain by nose tackle Andrew Hoffman on a quarterback keeper.
Hagans gave the ball right back with his first pick of the season, but Akron was forced to punt on its next two possessions. Virginia took over on the Akron 36 after Zips special teamer Yamari Dixon's second kick catching interference penalty and needed only two plays to cash in. Pearman, who was decked on the previous play on Dixon's cheap shot on the punt return, rushed for nine yards on first down and followed that with the same play off right-tackle to score from 27 yards out. The play was keyed by a downfield block by wideout Michael McGrew and gave the Cavaliers a 20-0 advantage.
Lundy's second touchdown of the game was set up by senior linebacker Rich Bedesem's interception that was returned 20 yards to the Akron six-yard line and gave Virginia a 27-0 lead.
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