With time ticking away and rabid Virginia football fans crowding the sidelines, South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins made one last desperate run for the end zone. He was stopped short, however, by Cavalier defenders Darryl Blackstock and Almondo Curry, and Scott Stadium exploded into a frenzy as the Cavaliers upset the No. 22 Gamecocks in a 34-21 stunner Saturday night.
With a combination of big defensive stops and creative offense, Virginia took its first victory of the season in front of a crowd of 60,171 at home.
Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub lead the offense in a balanced attack that rushed 39 times for 145 yards and threw it 32 times for 195 yards.
Freshman tailback Wali Lundy set the tone for the offense on Virginia's very first drive of the game, a 76-yard, 15-play effort that culminated in a Cavalier touchdown. Lundy carried the ball three times for only seven yards, but he added two third-down catches for a combined 29 yards on the drive.
"Wali did an excellent job," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "Some of his runs gave us as a team the confidence that we could run the ball tonight, but we came in here committed to run the ball and he gave us that spark. He's a multi-talented player who is certainly just going to get better and better."
The opening drive culminated in a touchdown pass to redshirt freshman tight end Heath Miller, who would not only catch but also throw a touchdown pass before the final whistle.
With the performance of Miller, Lundy and other young players, Virginia's true and redshirt freshmen continued their run in the spotlight.
The game marked "a big step forward for our team," Groh said. "These kids have been really resilient to everything we've put them through, not just the game but to be thrown into the action as they have been. They can be very proud of what they have accomplished. The coaches are certainly proud of what they have accomplished."
After Virginia's early touchdown, South Carolina took the momentum, and answered with two touchdowns to put the Cavaliers in a 14-7 hole.
With just over seven minutes left in the half, Schaub sent a 35-yard pass to senior wide receiver Billy McMullen in the endzone and redshirt freshman Kurt Smith's PAT tied the game at 14.
Before halftime the teams managed to trade special teams touchdowns. Virginia cornerback Jermaine Hardy recovered a fumble and took it to the endzone, but South Carolina's Langston Moore blocked Smith's kick. The Gamecocks took the 21-20 lead before halftime by returning the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and a successful extra point.
The Cavaliers burst out of the blocks in the second half, defensively shutting out the Gamecocks and offensively putting up another 14 points.
The defense accounted for three South Carolina fumbles and an interception. The six fumbles recovered by Virginia match a school record set Oct. 13, 1979, against James Madison, and the Cavaliers now have 10 fumble recoveries this season, which matches their entire 2001 total.
The passing game was perhaps the final piece to fall into place for Virginia's offensive puzzle this season, but Schaub was able to move the ball, spread the defense and find a diverse group of receivers.
"It was very important," to establish the passing game, Schaub said. "We were able to sustain some drives, get some third down play conversions, and the running game was off and on there for a little bit, and we pick that up with the passing game, which is a big thing for us."
On the opening drive Schaub hit six different receivers from three different positions.
On a drive that would take up much of the third quarter, the ACC's leading receiver and team captain McMullen took control of the game.
McMullen kept the Cavalier scoring drive alive with two catches in third and long situations. On one catch, McMullen had to fall backwards and stretch out to make an acrobatic one-handed catch.
"I just turned around and the ball was a little behind me, so I just stuck my hand out," McMullen said.
"Billy McMullen was magnificent tonight," Groh said. "I'm sure he's one of the best receivers ever to play in the state of Virginia, but he probably had two of the best catches tonight that have ever been made in this state. He's a great player, a great competitor."
McMullen ended the day with five catches for 84 yards, a touchdown and a catch for a two-point conversion.
Leading 26-21 with just under two minutes in the third quarter, the Cavaliers pulled out all the stops in their play calling.
The Cavaliers had called screen plays all day, so with the Gamecocks losing momentum and desperate to make a play, Virginia made use of a versatile player, and a playcall that Groh described as "gutsy."
Schaub took a quick drop and fired a lateral screen pass to Heath Miller. Miller, a former high school quarterback, stepped back and tossed the ball downfield with impressive accuracy to sophomore tight end Patrick Estes.
"It brought back some memories," Miller said. "I just saw Patrick was open and tried to get him the ball as quick as possible. I was just thinking, first of all, sell the run block and then get off as easy as possible to get to the corner."
The Cavaliers closed out scoring when Schaub hit McMullen for the two-point conversion. The Virginia defense made quick work of the Cock's last drive, with a sack from senior linebacker Merrill Robertson and the Blackstock -- Curry stop.
"We're just on our way," Groh said. "We didn't win any championships here today. We beat a real good team. Our aim is to win championships and I think we're on our way. This is a start here."
Judging from the throngs of students that rushed the field after the game, Virginia is ready to see more of the same.
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