What did it take on a chilly Halloween night for UVa to get its best win over a Top 25 team in nearly a decade?
It took making enough plays so that the team whose quarterback went 23 for 28 for 443 yards and four TDs (somehow) left with a loss.
It took Brennan Armstrong tying his career high with three touchdown throws, including the longest of his career.
It took Charles Snowden going absolutely berserk, with a career-high four sacks—to put that in context, he had five all of last season—to become the first Wahoo to do that since Jamie Sharper in 1996…also against Carolina.
It took UVa running for 210 yards while holding the Heels to just 93.
It took a 9:02 drive in the fourth quarter, as the Hoos ate up more than 11 minutes of the final period. It was the fourth-longest scoring drive in program history.
And yes, it took a gusty (but correct) call on a 4th and 3 from the 42-yard line with UVa clinging to a three-point lead with two minutes left.
Had Keytaon Thompson not picked up that yardage, we’re likely all talking about a very different narrative, both now and in the weeks ahead. Instead of the Cavaliers getting close but missing out on a key victory to fall to 1-5 on the year, they are now 2-4 and finally have the soul-quenching “tangible result” that Bronco Mendenhall believes they richly deserve.
To get his team a fourth-straight win in the South’s Oldest Rivalry—and to keep Mack Brown winless in Charlottesville for the seventh time—Mendenhall had to make a call late to give his team its best if not only chance to win.
And that’s when Thompson, the upback on the fake punt, called ballgame.
In truth, going for it on that play was the game for UVa. Pick up three yards and you seal it. Punt and Carolina probably scores. After all, what was more likely: Thompson picking up those three yards or Virginia’s defense being able to stop the Heels from scoring?
“No, it’s my call,” Mendenhall said when asked about the fake, “because, man, if you don’t get that they’re in great field position and that’s a game winner or probably a game loser, and the head coach is the only one that makes those. It is a lonely, lonely feeling.
“But, I trust the fake,” he added. “I’ve seen it work in practice and I loved who was doing it. It didn’t even go the way we thought it would. But, I thought it gave our team the best chance after all that battle. I wasn’t going to go out passively. And so, yeah, I chose to go for it.”
It’s crazy to think that on a night when the Hoos gave up 536 yards of total offense and 41 points that the defense played better but it certainly did in some ways, especially given the injuries in the secondary. Saturday was as complementary as UVa has been in a while, as Armstrong and Thompson and the offense kept coming and coming in waves, too.
“I’m so proud of my team and I watch them every single day work and believe and work and believe and work and believe and stay together and work and believe and trust,” Mendenhall said. “And listen to us as coaches and give us a chance to coach them. And I’m so thankful for them. I’m so proud of their effort. I’m so happy that they got a chance to have something tangible that comes out of all the work they put in and how fitting. But, it’s really every phase and every way possible to scratch out the victory and I just I couldn’t be more pleased.”
An interesting subplot wasn’t just Armstrong’s steadiness at the helm or Snowden’s dominance re-emerging. But UVa also got a lot of big contributions from its various transfers.
Thompson carried 10 times for 43 yards, including those crucial five on 4th down late, and scored. Shane Simpson caught a 71-yard TD and carried it eight times for 70 yards. Tony Poljan and Ra’Shaun Henry each caught a TD. And on the other side of the ball, JMU transfers D’Angelo Amos (eight tackles, one for loss) and Adeeb Atariwa (getting the start in place of Richard Burney) each made big contributions as well.
Now the question becomes: With some momentum behind them and the losing streak snapped, what’s next?
Several weeks ago after losing in Clemson, it felt like the Wahoos would be able to do a lot with that performance. That, of course, isn’t the way the next three games went. Now, with a Top-15 win in their pocket, what will they do against Louisville this weekend?
Win that one to get to 3-4 and suddenly the season starts to feel very different. Win that one and you go into the bye week a very different team.
Win that one and you have the makings of a winning streak.
So, what did it take on a chilly Halloween night for UVa to beat the Tar Heels? Exactly what it will take to truly turn around its season: A little bit of everything.
JOIN CAVSCORNER TODAY!
If you are not already a member of CavsCorner, come join us and see what all of the buzz is about.
Click HERE to subscribe and get all of the latest news and join hundreds of other UVa fans in talking about Cavalier football, basketball, and recruiting. You won't be disappointed!
