The stakes were huge, and for UVa and its fans, so was the disappointment. The Cavaliers squandered their opportunity to claim the Commonwealth Cup, state bragging rights and a share of the ACC title today with yet another not-good-enough performance in a big game. At the same time, Virginia Tech earned all of those things with the kind of hard-fought, clutch effort that has characterized its season so far.
The No. 11 Hokies took advantage of No. 16 Virginia’s mistakes and got two second-half touchdown passes from Bryan Randall to forge out a well-deserved 24-10 victory at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech beat Virginia for the fifth time in six years, though their 86th meeting was especially meaningful because it was their first as ACC foes.
It was the seventh straight win for the Hokies (9-2, 6-1 ACC), who clinched at least a share of the ACC title in their first year in the league. They still must beat Miami – the other ACC newcomer – next week to earn a Bowl Championship Series berth.
The future is less certain for the Cavaliers (8-3, 5-3 ACC), who fell into a fourth-place tie in the conference standings with North Carolina. President John Casteen said the school would turn down an invitation to any bowl that falls in the Dec. 13-21 exam schedule, which rules out the Dec. 21 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. The Peach Bowl remains a possibility, depending on how the rest of the ACC bowl lineup shakes out. More likely, the Cavaliers will play in the Dec. 27 MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho, or seek another bowl with an open slot for an at-large team.
“Coach, you clearly had the best team today,” UVa’s Al Groh told his Tech counterpart, Frank Beamer, as they exchanged a postgame handshake on the field.
By the end, it was hard to argue with that assessment. The teams battled through a scoreless first half in which Virginia blew several chances to take the lead. Marquis Weeks returned the opening kickoff 54 yards, but Connor Hughes’ 45-yard field goal attempt was tipped by Tech’s Jim Davis . Wali Lundy later fumbled a handoff at the Hokie 4-yard line.
Alvin Pearman gave the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead early in the third quarter with a leaping 32-yard touchdown catch, a rare downfield strike for the Virginia offense. Marques Hagans threw just 14 passes, completing eight for 111 yards. The Wahoos relied almost entirely on their running game, which produced 188 yards. Pearman carried 28 times for 147 yards, with 78 coming on one run late in the first quarter. Lundy fumbled three plays later.
Virginia’s defense, outstanding in the first half, didn’t hold up. The Hokies took a 10-7 lead on a 45-yard pass from Randall to freshman Josh Hyman with 5:41 left in the third quarter. That came immediately after a 27-yard punt by UVa’s Chris Gould .
The Cavs had a chance to take the lead on their next drive, marching 79 yards in 14 plays to gain a first-and-goal at the 1. But they ended up settling for a 19-yard field goal and a 10-10 tie.
Randall made them rue that missed opportunity. He directed an 80-yard drive that ended with a 32-yard pass to Hyman, who beat cornerback Tony Franklin in man coverage and gave his team a 17-10 lead. After another Virginia punt, the Hokies put the game away on a 37-yard touchdown run by Cedric Humes with just over five minutes remaining.
“I’m really proud of our football team,” Beamer said. “When it looked the worst, that’s when we played our best.”
(For complete coverage of Virginia’s game with Virginia Tech, please sign up for Sabre Edge. Edge subscribers will be able to read John Galinsky’s game analysis and Greg Waters’ game grades.)
