Despite having two drives at the opponent’s 1-yard line that ended up netting zero points, UVa still managed to win its first ACC game of the year on the road Saturday night.
It’s just that the team in question was No. 10-ranked North Carolina. And the Wahoos played what was easily their cleanest, most complete game on the way to the 31-27 victory.
Tony Muskett went 20-for-30 passing for 208 yards and a touchdown but hit several big plays, including keys runs, that helped UVa (2-5, 1-2 ACC) dominate time of possession 37:06 to 22:54. And it was also the Cavalier running game, which racked up a season-high 228 yards on the ground including three Mike Hollins touchdowns, that fueled the win.
Not to be outdone in flipping a narrative, UVa made Heisman candidate and potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Drake Maye look pedestrian, holding the future pro to 24-for-48 passing. While Maye did put up 347 yards of offense to go with two TDs, his last pass of the night—pressured by Paul Akere and then picked following the collision by James Jackson—was his team’s lone turnover of the night.
The Heels (6-1, 1-1) finished 4-for-13 on 3rd down and 0-for-2 on 4th, statistics where UVa dominated (8-for-18 on 3rd, 2-for-3 on 4th).
Virginia got out of to a great start, forcing an initial three-and-out before putting together a seven-play, 51-yard drive that was capped by the first of Hollins’ touchdowns, an 11-yard run.
Carolina responded on the ensuing possession, rolling up 75 yards on just eight plays, the score coming on a 25-yard strike from Maye to Tez Walker.
After the teams traded punts, UVa pushed back ahead with a seven-play, 46-yard drive that ended when Hollins ran in from three yards out with 1:56 left in the first quarter.
The first of two scores for the Tar Heels in the second quarter came on Maye’s 62-yard pitch and catch to Bryson Nesbit, evening things out at 14-14 with 13:12 left in the half. UNC got its first lead of the night on a 43-yard field goal from Noah Burnette as time expired.
The home team got on the board first after intermission, putting together a seven-play, 60-yard drive that Maye finished on his own from three yards out with 9:35 left in the third. It came after UVa’s initial drive went for naught following a 4th down run by Muskett that came up short of the line to gain.
The Heels, however, wouldn’t see the end zone the rest of the way.
Virginia began to chip away at the 10-point deficit immediately, putting together a 13-play, 74-yard drive that ended when Hollins scored from the 1.
Carolina went three-and-out on the next possession and UVa again managed to put points on the board. This time, despite the four-play drive going just six yards, UVa got a 45-yard FG from Will Bettridge that tied it up at 24-24 with 0:32 left in the third.
The Heels took the lead again with 12:08 left to play thanks to a 27-yard FG, but UVa responded. The Wahoos got a 5-yard run from Perris Jones and then a 30-yard completion from Muskett to Malik Washington. After a 13-yard pass to Malachi Fields and a pair of Jones runs, Muskett scampered for five up the middle to put the ball at the 14-yard line. From there, he found Washington for a short gain and then a big effort after the catch, as the league’s leading receiver kept fighting through numerous tackles to put the Hoos up for good, capping a seven-play, 73-yard drive with the score.
Following another UNC punt, UVa drove all the way inside the 1-yard line and was on the verge of scoring when Hollins lost control of the ball mere moments before crossing the plain. Instead of taking a two-score lead, the ball trickled through the end zone and went over to UNC on the touch back.
Yet, UVa’s defense wasn’t ready to give in to the expected narrative. Rather than a long scoring drive to win it, the Heels were stymied following completions of 33 and 29 yards. Maye was sacked by Ben Smiley on 1st down, and threw an incompletion on 2nd before Coen King broke up a 3rd-down throw. The Heels went for it on 4th down from the 20 and Maye’s pass to Walker sailed high.
The Hoos ate up some clock on the ensuing possession but ultimately gave it back to North Carolina with 1:12 left to play and the Heels devoid of timeouts.
That’s what set up an eventual 2nd and 10 from UVa’s 48-yard line. Hurried by Akere’s pressure, Maye’s throw drifted aimlessly through the middle of the defense, where Jackson dove and corralled it to lock up the INT and ice the win for the Cavaliers.
It’s the first win over a Top-10 team in school history.
