Nearly 30 years ago, the Virginia Cavaliers defeated the No. 2 Florida State University (“FSU”) Seminoles 33-28. Friday night, the memories came flooding back. In a double overtime barnburner, the Cavaliers spent all game neck-and-neck with the No. 8 Seminoles, eventually pulling out the 46-38 win.
Walking into Friday night, the Cavaliers were heavy underdogs. Pregame odds favored FSU a 7.5 point spread, calling a 72.9% chance of winning. FSU fans were feeling confident, “I know many of you are thinking this is a trap, but don’t overthink it . . . Castellanos is that guy.” However, the hope for the Seminoles quickly turned to unease.
On their second possession of the game, the Seminoles received the ball and, within 27 seconds of the drive, fumbled the ball. The Cavaliers struck first. The Seminoles, desperate to get back to even, drove all the way down to the Cavalier’s 21-yard line, just outside the red zone. On the next play, Castellanos stepped back, threw, and was intercepted by Ja’son Prevard. The Cavaliers ended the first quarter with the lead and the ball.
Unfortunately, the momentum slowed for the Cavaliers in the second quarter. They opened strong with a touchdown on the first drive. However, the Seminoles then went on a three-touchdown streak, regaining the lead, 21-14 with only three minutes left. But the Cavaliers refused to lie down and take the half as the underdogs. Morris went on an offensive masterclass, quickly driving downfield. Then, Running Back J’Mari Taylor finished the half with a 26-yard rushing touchdown. At half, the unranked Cavaliers were tied with the top-10 FSU Seminoles.
The third quarter saw the two teams trading touchdowns to bring the score to 28-28. At the start of the fourth, the Cavaliers burned through eight minutes of clock and scored a touchdown to bring the score to 35-28 Virginia. The last 50 minutes of blood, sweat, and tears came down to a defensive drive. Can the Cavs make the stop? The first down sack brought it to second and twelve. The second down pass brought it to third and two. One yard rush brought it to fourth and one. And on the fourth down, Thomas Castellanos went for the pass, the ball flew, and it was incomplete for a turnover on downs.
With two and a half minutes left, the fans began marching their way down the hill. The Hoos are thinking this game is over. After all, there’s only two minutes left, and we’re up by seven with the ball… right? The Cavaliers got quickly stopped, only 25 seconds lost from UVA’s drive. And with 36 seconds, Castellanos made the touchdown pass, and the game-tying kick was drilled through the uprights. We got overtime.
The first overtime started with the Cavaliers shutting down the Seminoles’ offense. Unable to make any sort of progress, they settled for the field goal. The Cavaliers once again had the chance to end this game. However, the Seminole’s defense proved just as formidable, holding the Hoos from getting a touchdown. The Cavaliers also settled for the field goal, sending the game to double overtime.
Since FSU started with the ball in the first overtime, UVA now starts with the ball. However, our offense was finding cracks in the line. The Cavaliers started inching their way towards the end zone, and to finish off the drive, Morris completed a four-yard rush into the end zone to bring the score to 44-38. Now, one might expect a team to kick the extra point and look to lock down on defense. However, it seems in this big moment, tens of thousands of fans roaring, Tony Elliot remembered the old adage “no guts, no glory”.
Morris and the Cavaliers offense stayed out on the field — they’re going for a two-point conversion. The advantage of this play was that, if successful, the Seminoles would be forced to score a touchdown and successfully complete a two-point conversion of their own, putting a lot of pressure on the Seminoles offense. The problem with this theory is, if unsuccessful, UVA would be left with only a six point lead, meaning a touchdown and extra point would seal the game for the Seminoles. Morris stepped back, passed, and found Wide Receiver Trell Harris to make the catch and complete the two-point conversion. 46-38 Virginia. Yet, still, the game was not over.
The Cavaliers were one drive away from victory. All that’s left to do was stop the Seminoles offense from scoring an eight-point touchdown. The Cavaliers lined up, like a brick wall. The Seminoles were unable to make any progress. First down fell, then second, then third. The Seminoles found themselves at fourth down.
The fists of the fans rose in the air. The crowd roared yet one could still hear the heartbeats of every Hoo in that stadium. Like a scene from a movie, the fans collectively held their breath as the ball got snapped. Castellanos took the ball and found a receiver. He threw…
Interception. UVA defeats No. 8 Florida State 46-38.
The fans rushed the field like a mob. Across the nation, seas of Hoos were celebrating their victory on broadcast. Drowning in Hoos fans, Coach Elliott was able to say a few words on the win. When asked what made the win possible, Elliott responded “The staff, players, they believed. The fans showed up, but, glory goes to God.” Morris exclaims “One play at a time, that’s what this team’s all about!”
Play-by-play, yard by yard, UVA took out a top-ten team. The question on everyone’s mind now is “Where do we go from here?” After winning over Florida State, UVA’s record improves to 3-1. They find themselves leading the ACC, 2-0, with wins over Florida State and Stanford. With a strong running offense, the Cavaliers are averaging 45.6 points per game, fifth in the entire college football scene. This win could signal a promising season ahead. Go Hoos!
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