With his side trailing 21-10 to the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta last weekend, senior safety Anthony Harris reached high with his white-gloved hands and snagged what could have been a game-changing interception for the Virginia football team.
Set up for success on the Georgia Tech 25-yard line, sophomore quarterback Greyson Lambert then connected with sophomore Taquan Mizzell for a 20-yard gain. The math looked good: first down Cavaliers, and only five yards to paydirt.
But after two ineffective runs and an incomplete pass on third down, the Virginia offense gave way to junior placekicker Ian Frye, who converted the chip shot — his 17th field goal on 20 attempts this season — and cut the deficit to eight points.
By the end of the afternoon, Frye’s second-quarter field goal had produced the final points for the Cavaliers, Lambert had thrown two third-quarter interceptions within Georgia Tech territory and the running game had been shut down.
Senior running back Kevin Parks, who has proven explosive in recent weeks, finished with a mere 13 yards on 5 carries. His sidekick, fellow senior Khalek Shepherd, managed to gain only 15 yards on the ground.
The Georgia Tech offense possessed the football for nearly 40 minutes, amassing 413 total yards on offense — 272 of those on the ground. Consequently, the final score stood Georgia Tech 35, Virginia 10, continuing the Cavaliers’ skid into November.
“I mean, it is tough losing three in a row, especially with the start we had,” senior tight end Zachary Swanson said. “But in my mind, those games — even going back to Pitt — were ones where we had to start fast and we had to finish strong. … None of those games we finished strong.”
Virginia will be without senior wide receiver Miles Gooch the rest of the way. After suffering a injury during the second quarter of the Oct. 25 North Carolina game, Gooch required season-ending surgery which could prove career-ending as well.
“It’s been tough for me seeing Miles on the sideline on crutches,” Swanson said. “He’s a guy that’s worked extremely hard over his five years here and started having a lot of success, and [has] been a critical part of our team.”
The Cavaliers (4-5, 2-3 ACC), staring adversity straight in the face, will now prepare for their toughest test of the season. The No. 2 Florida State Seminoles eagerly await Virginia for a Saturday homecoming game in Tallahassee under the lights.
Dating back to 1992, the Seminoles have won 13 of 17 games — a 2006 win vacated — versus the Cavaliers. In 2011, their most recent meeting, Virginia upset Florida State 14-13 in Tallahassee. But the Cavaliers stand to act as more than a spoiler this Saturday.
“We've got to play our best football game against a really good football team,” coach Mike London said. “We need to, and we've shown that we can, and that's the expectation.”
An upset of the Seminoles Saturday could certainly turn around the Cavalier collapse. It would bolster the players’ confidence, reinvigorate the team’s fanbase and bring the program within a single win of bowl eligibility.
“Three games left and the opportunity to be — to still realize some of the goals you set for yourself this season, they're still there,” London said. “This is an older team that realizes we have to make the most of our opportunities.”
London said the team understands they must return to and even exceed early season form against Florida State — a team which, as the defending national champion, is used to receiving every team’s best shot.
“We have to play better the second half,” London said. “We have to score points when we get in the red zone. We have to coach better. We have to create those turnovers. Those things we can control, and if you can do those things … you can control your own destiny.”
But the Seminoles have talent which can wipe away their opponent’s self-determination. At the head of the team is 2013 Heisman Trophy Winner sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston, who has recorded 2279 yards and 16 touchdowns in the passing game this season.
“You've seen in a few games that he's played that he's brought his team back from deficits,” London said. “He's amazingly accurate. He is an emotional guy that lifts his team up … and he's playing with a good football team that's surrounding him with a lot of good talent.”
Winston’s primary offensive threats include senior running back Karlos Williams, freshman running back Dalvin Cook and senior wide receiver Rashad Greene.
Williams and Cook have been an impressive backfield tandem, combining for 830 rushing yards, 219 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Meanwhile, the nimble Greene — a battle-tested veteran — has hauled in 58 passes for 853 yards.
Seminole talent does not end with Winston and his trio of go-to-guys though, as the team flaunts an arsenal of top-notch, versatile athletes.
“There's so many different things that they do that you have to respect their speed and their athleticism,” London said. “But again, you don't shy away from anyone. You want to be the best. You've got to play the best.”
Playing under the lights, in front of a hostile crowd and nationally-televised audience, all against a team that has not lost in the past 24 games, the 19-point underdog Cavaliers will have reason to be fired up.
“We know we have to bring our A-plus game,” Swanson said. “It’s going to be a tough game. But it’s a great opportunity for us.”
Kickoff between Virginia and Florida State is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, and will be aired on ESPN.
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