For nearly three quarters, the Virginia Cavaliers looked lost and lifeless, seemingly primed for a crippling home loss to a Syracuse Orange squad led by its third-string quarterback.
Then Beau Pribula hit Da'Shawn Martin for a 43-yard touchdown strike, and the 'Hoos finally came to life.
Though it was far from perfect, Virginia (4-2, 2-1 ACC) squeaked out a 28-25 win over Syracuse (2-3, 0-3 ACC) inside a soggy Scott Stadium on Saturday night. The 'Hoos trailed 17-7 at the half and late into the third quarter, but Pribula's strike to Martin sparked a 21-8 Cavalier run to end the game, as Virginia rallied to avoid disaster.
The evening began in promising fashion, as the 'Hoos marched 75 yards down the field in eight plays on their opening possession, capping the drive with a 14-yard Xay Davis touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead out of the gates.
The Orange, however, punched back with a quick touchdown drive of their own, gashing Virginia with eight runs, including a one-yard touchdown burst up the middle by Ahmad Miller to tie the score at 7.
As the rain fell in Charlottesville, the early momentum of Virginia's game-opening offensive success quickly melted away, with the 'Hoos forced to punt on each of their next six possessions (three of which were three-and-outs). The Cavaliers mustered just 66 total yards during the middle third of the evening, as the offense fell back into the discouraging trends we saw last Saturday in Tallahassee.
Syracuse capitalized on Virginia's stalling offense, adding another touchdown on its second possession — a 13-yard connection from quarterback Malachi Nelson to wide receiver Umari Hatcher, who finished with eight receptions for 126 yards and a score — and a chip-shot field goal late in the second quarter.
The field goal drive late in the first half was aided by three frustrating Virginia penalties, all of which were committed by seniors and all of which came on third-down plays that, otherwise, would've gotten the 'Hoos off the field.
Virginia's offensive frustration continued early in the third quarter with another pair of lackluster drives out of the break. But a near-interception by Virginia safety Christian Ellis deep in Orange territory injected some much-needed life into the stadium and set the stage for the quick touchdown connection to Martin.
Back within a field goal, the 'Hoos forced another short Syracuse possession before putting together their most balanced and impressive offensive series since the opening minutes of the game.
Jekail Middlebrook, who finished with 17 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns, ran for gains of nine and 29 on the drive, sandwiching a 17-yard completion from Pribula to Kam Courtney before Middlebrook found the end zone for a three-yard score.
After forcing a turnover on downs, Virginia took over on the Syracuse 34-yard line and added insurance with another Middlebrook touchdown scamper, extending its lead to 28-17.
The Orange would give the 'Hoos one final scare, as fourth-string quarterback Danny Lauter (who entered after Nelson left with an injury in the fourth quarter) hit Daunte Bacheyie for a 46-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 28-25. But Virginia sealed the deal with one final defensive stop, twice nearly picking off Lauter and keeping Syracuse from making any more noise in the final minutes.
"I'm proud of how they came out and responded after halftime," said head coach Tony Elliott on the field after the win. "We're not going to apologize for any wins. Winning a game against ACC competition is extremely tough. They were down two scores, and they found a way to just play complementary football. I challenged them, 'Don't worry about the scheme, just go play from the heart,' and that's what they did."
Though Virginia would've hoped for a more stress-free win and a more complete performance on both sides of the football, the 'Hoos did just enough to avoid what would've been a catastrophic loss on their home turf. Elliott's squad will have to regroup and, hopefully, build on its performance in the final quarter-and-a-half as Virginia travels to No. 24 SMU next Saturday. Kickoff from Dallas is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET inside Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
