The Virginia football team arrived in Raleigh for Saturday’s clash against N.C. State beset by uncertainty at the quarterback position and a chronic inability to force turnovers.
A lot sure can change in 60 minutes of football.
Buoyed by a suffocating defensive performance and strong play from both sophomore quarterback Phillip Sims and junior quarterback Michael Rocco, Virginia walloped N.C. State 33-6 in one of the most stunning results of the college football season.
The Cavaliers (3-6, 1-4 ACC), who entered the game as 14-point underdogs, forced the Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3 ACC) into five turnovers — more takeaways than Coach Mike London’s squad had mustered in the first eight games of the season combined. A dynamic Virginia defensive line and physically imposing secondary harassed star redshirt senior quarterback Mike Glennon into one of his worst performances of the season and held N.C. State to 19 total rushing yards. Unaided by his receivers, who dropped six passes, Glennon finished 23-of-46 for 197 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Sims and Rocco, meanwhile, split time at the helm of the Cavalier offense on a series-by-series basis and combined to finish 20-of-33 for 198 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Virginia also racked up a season-high 248 yards rushing, including 115 on 25 carries from sophomore running back Kevin Parks. Senior Perry Jones chipped in 11 carries for 67 yards, and even Rocco brandished his mobility with a few nifty scrambles to total 36 yards rushing.
Sims and the Cavaliers set the tone for the afternoon with a methodical, efficient opening drive that lasted nearly five minutes and culminated in Sims’ one-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, Rocco finished his first drive since Oct. 13 against Maryland with an 18-yard toss to wide-open sophomore receiver Darius Jennings to stake Virginia a 14-0 lead with 0:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Defense dominated the second quarter, with the only points resulting from senior defensive tackle Will Hill’s sack of Glennon in the endzone for a safety. Only redshirt freshman Ian Frye’s missed 23-yard field goal at the end of the half marred a triumphant first half for the Cavaliers.
Things only improved in the second half when Sims launched a play action pass to senior wide receiver Tim Smith, his former teammate at Oscar Smith High School, for a 38-yard touchdown to push the score to 23-0. With the defense continuing to confound Glennon and stifle any semblance of a running game for the Wolfpack, Virginia nursed the lead throughout the quarter until junior placekicker Drew Jarrett capped a 15 play, 6:30 drive with a 33-yard field goal to make the lead 26-0 nine seconds into the fourth quarter.
Glennon finally got N.C. State on the board with a two-yard touchdown pass to Mario Carter, and the Wolfpack recovered the ensuing onside kick with 6:30 remaining.
But the Cavaliers polished off a gem of a defensive performance by forcing a quick turnover on downs to effectively end the game. Parks’ 31-yard touchdown sprint on fourth down punctuated the victory.
Virginia outgained N.C. State 446-216, marking the fifth straight game that the Cavaliers have finished with more yards than their opponent. They also owned a staggering 13-minute advantage in time of possession.
The win snaps a six-game losing streak for Virginia and sustains the team’s slim hopes for bowl eligibility. The Cavaliers must defeat Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech to qualify for a bowl.
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