UVa Football Defeats William and Mary 35-29

One week after losing to No. 8 Notre Dame on a touchdown with 12 seconds left, Virginia was on the right side this time.

And the Hoos would take over in the 3rd quarter. “We hadn’t had that in awhile”. Rarely has a Virginia team put it all together, however. There’s lots of things we have to improve upon, but we have an opportunity next week against a very good Boise State team.

Virginia, meanwhile, was putting up explosive plays. “That’s what important. We got the W”.

“We just came out flat”, junior quarterback Matt Johns said. “That’s the only way we’re going to win the game”. Three weeks from now, we’ll have that win under our column.

The victory came in up-and-down fashion in a game that felt odd for much of the afternoon.

Virginia rallied from a 10-point, second-quarter deficit to lead at intermission. Style points, in other words, were in short supply.

After facing two consecutive top-15 opponents in UCLA and Notre Dame, Saturday’s contest against William & Mary was supposed to easy – especially after Virginia showed promise last week in a near upset against the Fighting Irish.

“At that point, you’re up two scores”, senior guard Ross Burbank said. Bottom line, a win’s a win.

Virginia hadn’t managed a first down in the quarter, and would finish it with minus three yards. Running back Jordan Ellis took a 39-yard run to the house on his first career carry to start the Hoos’ 28-3 push in the middle quarters. “He may not be the fastest guy vertically, but because of his athletic ability to go vertical, big frame, big body – you’ve seen the one-handed catches”. Mizzell posted 123 receiving yards and the long touchdown along with 44 rushing yards on five carries. He also found Connor Wingo-Reeves for a three-yard touchdown and Canaan Severin for a 26-yarder. Virginia’s secondary is loaded, featuring three members of the Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team. It marked the fifth longest punt return for touchdown in program history.

Virginia took a 21-20 lead into halftime. Tribe tailback Mikal Abdul-Saboor rushed for 100 yards. At the start of the second quarter, they struck again. Just as safety Kelvin Rainey buried him, Cluley lofted a pass to a wide open Andrew Caskin on the backside. Free safety Quin Blanding is the cream of the crop, the reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year who had the most tackles of any freshman in the country last season.

DUAL THREAT? William & Mary QB Steve Cluley had no carries in the Tribe’s opening victory at Lafayette, but has the ability to add that dimension.

After forcing another Virginia punt, the Tribe had a final chance, taking over at its own 46 with 3:01 left. Johns finished the half 13-16 for 160 yards.

Johns completed 17 of 23 passes for 263 yards.

Keanu Reuben recovered an onside kick to begin second half, but W&M was unable to pick up a first down. “We could walk around all sullen and downtrodden, but that’s a good football team we played”.