For 58 minutes, the University of Virginia football team appeared doomed to lose on a chilly, overcast afternoon in Scott Stadium. Though they were only down 10-3 and about to get the ball, the visiting No. 18 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels had just burned seven and a half minutes off the clock while moving the ball 71 yards for a field goal. More significantly, the Cavaliers had appeared stagnant on offense all afternoon, rushing for only 30 yards in the first three quarters and passing for only 92 yards.
The situation was even more inauspicious when UVA’s Kevin Ogletree, usually electric in the open field, stumbled on the kickoff return, leaving 82 daunting yards to move the ball in only two minutes.
But it didn’t daunt UVA’s inexperienced quarterback, Marc Verica, nor the Cavalier receiving corps. Malcontent spread throughout Scott Stadium on Verica’s first pass of the drive, a short wide receiver screen that was snuffed out for a loss—was that really the play call that would get UVA back into the game?, the crowd seemed to wonder—but six consecutive pass completions later, UVA was on UNC’s 2-yard line. Verica put the ball in the hands of senior running back Cedric Peerman—UVA suddenly had six more points on the board, 10-9. When the extra point was partially blocked but wheezed over the bar of the goalpost anyway, Virginia’s comeback win suddenly seemed preordained.
“That’s what every quarterback dreams about,” said Verica, a sophomore starting only the fifth game of his career.
UVA left 47 seconds to spare, but the Heels settled for overtime, and could only muster a field goal on their turn with the ball. When the Cavs responded with another Peerman touchdown that sealed a 16-13 Virginia win, first the UVA football team and then the students rushed the field to smother Peerman and celebrate the improbable comeback.
The students rushed the field to celebrate the 16-13 overtime victory.
“It was a gritty game—a very physical game against a quality opponent,” said Head Coach Al Groh after the game. “That was an awesome win for our team and I’m tremendously proud of our players and I’m happy for them that they got a chance to celebrate the way they did.”
More improbable is how the Cavaliers (4-3, 2-1 in the ACC) have resuscitated a seemingly moribund season. After a horrid 1-3 start that included a loss to Duke, UVA is now on a three-game winning streak that puts the Cavs in position not only for bowl eligibility but also in control of their own destiny for the ACC title.
After the game, Peerman gave the game ball to Groh, whose head had been demanded on a platter by many of the Wahoo Nation only a month ago after the Duke loss.
“He just puts so much time and effort into preparing for games,” said Peerman. When he gave Groh the ball, the 64-year-old coach got a little emotional, Peerman said.
When asked about getting the game ball during his press conference, Groh had to compose himself before responding. After six long seconds, Groh said, “It will be something that I’ll cherish for a long time.”
He won’t be able to cherish it for too long. The Cavaliers travel next week to Atlanta to play a surprisingly good Georgia Tech team that has only lost one game.