CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Season-low in points and rushing yards. Season-worst quarterback rating and completion percentage for Chandler Morris. More sacks allowed in one afternoon than in the previous seven combined.
Virginia overcame that multitude of sins, and others, Saturday at North Carolina, doing what it does like few others in college football history: Win in overtime.
“I told the guys: We’ve been here before,” Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott said after his team’s 17-16 escape. “Unfortunately, this is what we do.”
Yes, it is.
On the heels of previous OT victories against Florida State and Louisville, Virginia became the ninth time ever to win three overtime contests. The only other ACC squad to do it was Virginia Tech in 2012.
That Hokies bunch scuffled to a 6-6 regular season before defeating Rutgers, in overtime of course, in an unsightly Russell Athletic Bowl. This Cavaliers squad (7-1, 4-0 ACC) is riding a six-game winning streak and is ranked 16th by the Associated Press poll.
Moreover, with SMU’s loss to Wake Forest, Virginia shares first place in the league with only Georgia Tech, meaning if the Cavaliers win out, they’re assured of qualifying for the ACC championship game.
But winning out is unlikely if Virginia’s offense doesn’t regain the rhythm that made it the conference’s highest-scoring team entering Saturday at 40 points per game.
The Cavaliers did not score in the final 36-plus minutes of regulation and yielded six sacks, one more than in the season’s previous seven games. They ran for a season-low 59 yards and too often found themselves in third-and-long, inviting the Tar Heels (2-5, 0-3) to pressure Morris.
“Some of these (close) games, we’ve kind of put ourselves in bad position,” Morris said, “especially on offense.”
Morris threw an interception Saturday and completed 57.1% of his throws, well south of his 68.7% norm. But he’s playing in pain, his left (non-throwing) shoulder a nagging issue.
“I’m good,” Morris said. “It’s just a shoulder. It’ll be painful all season.”
The shoulder has prevented offensive coordinator Des Kitchings from running the elusive Morris as much as he’d like, but in overtime, Morris put himself in harm’s way.
Facing third-and-7 at Carolina’s 10, he saw the defense showing blitz and audibled to a quarterback run. With receiver Jahmal Edrine making the key block, Chandler gained those 7 yards, and on first-and-goal, J’Mari Taylor took a direct snap and burst 3 yards into the end zone.
Virginia running back J’Mari Taylor, left, and wide receiver Jayden Thomas celebrate after Taylor scored a touchdown in overtime against North Carolina on Saturday. (Ben McKeown/AP)
’Twas the same play Taylor scored on in OT at Louisville.
The Tar Heels responded with Gio Lopez’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Davion Gause, but rather than kick a routine extra point and force a second overtime, UNC coach Bill Belichick opted for a two-point conversion attempt.
Win or lose on one play. With the ACC’s most anemic offense.
OK, then.
Elliott was surprised that Carolina decided to not only attempt the two-point conversion, but also place the ball on the left hash, meaning the southpaw Lopez would be throwing across his body if he rolled out to the wide side of the field.
Sure enough, Lopez rolled to his right and flipped a pass in the flat to Benjamin Hall. Cornerback Emmanuel Karnley submarined Hall, and nickelback Ja’son Prevard made sure he did not reach the ball inside the pylon.
“There’s no better feeling than to end the game on defense,” end Cazeem Moore said. “We were built for situations like that.”
The final play marked the Tar Heels’ third goal-line heartbreak in two weeks.
Friday before last at Cal, they were driving toward a go-ahead touchdown in the waning moments, only to have receiver Nathan Leacock fumble a split-second before crossing the plane, sending Carolina to a 21-18 defeat.
Saturday in the first quarter, as receiver Kobe Paysour attempted to stretch the ball inside the pylon, true freshman nickel Corey Costner knocked it loose, giving Virginia a touchback and possession at the 20.
Those are the plays that separate teams learning to win from those that know how to win. Elliott appreciates the distinction and referenced his 2023 squad, which lost five games by three points or less.
“It’s three years in the making,” Elliott said of UVA’s knack for winning tense contests. “It’s much easier to lose a game than to win a game.”
Virginia’s clutch nature is particularly evident on defense, where Saturday linebackers Kam Robinson and James Jackson combined for 21 tackles, while safety Antonio Clary and defensive end Mitchell Melton intercepted passes.
In four overtimes this season, two versus Florida State and one each at Louisville and UNC, the Cavaliers have allowed one field goal and no touchdowns.
North Carolina and Virginia are among the six Eastern time zone ACC teams that play at either Cal or Stanford this season, but the Cavaliers are the only ones doing so without an open date before or after flying coast-to-coast.
UVA heads to Berkeley next week before returning home to face Wake Forest the following Saturday.
But jet lag was a concern for another time late Saturday afternoon as the Cavaliers reveled in their latest success.
“I was telling Coach E: We thrive in these situations,” Clary said. “… We play our brand of football. It’s gritty.”
David Teel, david.teel@virginiamedia.com
