The Virginia football team seems to thrive living on the edge.
Once again Saturday, after battling through injuries, turnovers and penalties, the Cavaliers (6-1) pushed the game to its final minutes before finally pulling out a 17-16 win against previously undefeated Connecticut (5-1).
For the second straight week, Virginia found a way to eke out the victory as senior Chris Gould's kick put the Cavaliers ahead with 3:20 left on the clock.
Virginia coach Al Groh, who likened the game to a boxing match, said the Cavaliers don't crack in pressure situations.
"Once again these players have demonstrated that they're a tough-minded group," Groh said. "We're not interested in who we're impressing; we're just interested in winning games.
The Cavalier offense stumbled off the starting block as Connecticut junior safety Dahna Deleston intercepted a pass tipped by Virginia senior Chris Gorham and returned the ball to the Connecticut 46 yard line.
The Cavalier defense, however, kept the Huskies out of the end zone despite the strong field position.
The frustration continued for the Cavaliers on offense as junior Andrew Pearman fumbled the kickoff, giving the Huskies the ball at Virginia's 13-yard line. After giving up a nine-yard gain, with the ball on the 4-yard line, the Cavalier defense held strong and limited the Huskies to yet another field goal.
Virginia coach Al Groh attributed the turnaround to the resiliency of the team mentality.
"Those two possessions down there that it could have been 14-0 and it was 6-0," Groh said. "All of us are firmly convinced that it's 'we, ours and us." Every score belongs to each one of us. Every takeover and turnover belongs to us, and that's what has made it a very together group."
After two big stops by the Connecticut defense, the Virginia offense finally stepped up at the end of the first quarter, scoring on a 1-yard run by redshirt freshman tailback Keith Payne, taking a 7-6 lead.
Sophomore CB Vic Hall showed his versatility in the second quarter, surprising the Huskies by running in on an offensive series and launching a 35-yard pass to Gorham on the halfback option. The play, which set up an 8-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell to junior TE John Phillips, was unpredictable coming from a traditionally conservative Virginia offense.
"It was very exciting that the coaches believed in me to execute that play and just to know that I helped my team out," Hall said. "That's the best feeling you can feel on the football field."
The Cavaliers held the Huskies until the third quarter when Sewell misfired again, throwing right to Connecticut sophomore safety Robert Vaughn for his second interception of the day. The defense wasn't able to save the day this time, as Connecticut scored to make it 14-13.
Early in the fourth quarter, however, the Huskies drove down the field quickly thanks to two pass interference calls against Virginia. The defense produced another red zone stop and held Connecticut to a field goal, giving the Huskies a 16-14 lead.
Frustrated, and with visions of last week's come-from-behind win against Middle Tennessee State in his head, Sewell took the field with an air of determination.
"It's very frustrating for me as a player," Sewell said."I just wanted to show the team that I wasn't going to crack and I wasn't going to let them down."
Sewell connected with Gorham on his longest pass of the day, a 30-yard completion that put the Cavaliers in Connecticut territory. Repeated rushes by Pearman put Virginia at 4th and goal at the 1-yard line.
Faced with the decision to kick or take the chance on a touchdown, Groh placed the game in the hands of Gould. Once again, Gould responded with the game-winning kick.
The win, the Cavaliers' sixth in a row, did not come easily, as they played without their star running back, junior Cedric Peerman, who is week-to-week after injuring his foot in last week's win against Middle Tennessee.
Though the win may not have been pretty, it did make the Cavaliers bowl-eligible, an achievement that last year's 5-7 team never could accomplish.
"They had some tough times last year but they never listened to the stuff they were getting from the outside," Groh said."They stuck together, and now we're getting some of the results of it."
Game notes:
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Quarterback-turned-cornerback sophomore Vic Hall threw the first pass of his career, a 35-yard completion to senior Chris Gorham, setting up Virginia's second touchdown of the day. Hall said, in retrospect, he could have thrown a better pass.
Redshirt freshman Keith Payne scored the first touchdown of his career on a 1-yard carry in the first quarter.
Gorham led Virginia in receiving for the first time in his career. He had three receptions for 76 yards. Gorham's 35-yard grab from Hall was the longest reception any Cavalier wide receiver has had this season.
THE STREAK CONTINUES: The Cavaliers have won six straight games, their longest winning streak since a six-game stretch in 2002.
Player(s) of the game: The defense. Connecticut was only one for 13 on third down and got in the red zone four times and only managed one touchdown. The defense kept Virginia in the game, allowing the offense to squeak by.
Play of the game: With a little more than two minutes left in the game, Connecticut stood at 2nd and 36 on its own 30-yard line. A bad snap resulted in a loose ball, which sophomore DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald fell on, virtually ending the game for the Huskies.
SELL OUT: Scott Stadium recorded its first sell-out of the 2007 season with a crowd of 60,004. The Nov. 24 contest against Virginia Tech has also already sold out.
CLOSE CALLS:
Four of Virginia's six victories have been by five points or fewer:
Virginia 22, North Carolina 20
Virginia 28, Georgia Tech 23
Virginia 23, Middle Tennessee 21
Virginia 17, Connecticut 16
FIT TO BE RANKED: Virginia is now No. 24 in the USA Today coaches poll, its first national ranking prior to losing to North Carolina 7-5 in 2005. The Cavaliers are also ranked 19th in this week's Bowl Championship Series standings.
YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN: "There's a lot [to] be said for understanding how to win in each situation. I think, last year, [with] the mentality of the team, we wouldn't have been able to win some of these games. It's a lot of the same players -- different mentality." -- Senior DE Chris Long.
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