Virginia pulled off a wild 28-25 comeback win over Syracuse on Saturday night, literally snatching victory from the jaws of a crippling home loss thanks to Beau Pribula’s 43-yard touchdown strike to Da’Shawn Martin. The Cavaliers were down 17-7 at halftime and deep into the third quarter, looking completely out of it, but that one play sparked an incredible 21-8 run to close out the game in a soggy Scott Stadium.
A Soggy Start and Stalled Offense Nearly Sank the Hoos
The night started with such promise! Virginia marched 75 yards in eight plays on their opening drive, with Xay Davis punching it in from 14 yards to take a 7-0 lead. We were all hyped, right? But Syracuse quickly punched back with a touchdown of their own, as Ahmad Miller ripped off a one-yard run to tie it up 7-7. Then, as the rain really started to fall in Charlottesville, that early momentum evaporated like water on a hot skillet. Virginia’s offense completely stalled out, forcing six straight punts, three of which were brutal three-and-outs. They managed a pathetic 66 total yards in the entire middle third of the game, falling right back into those discouraging trends we saw last week in Tallahassee. Syracuse, led by their third-string quarterback Malachi Nelson, capitalized big time. They added another touchdown with a 13-yard connection to wide receiver Umari Hatcher, who absolutely ate with eight receptions for 126 yards and that score. Then, a chip-shot field goal late in the second quarter was a punch to the gut, especially since three frustrating Virginia penalties, all by seniors and all on third down, totally gifted Syracuse those points.
The Spark That Lit the Comeback Nobody Expected
The offensive woes kept coming early in the third quarter with two more lackluster drives. It felt like disaster was inevitable. But then, Virginia safety Christian Ellis delivered a massive jolt. He had a near-interception deep in Orange territory that just infused the stadium with life. The crowd was back in it, and the team felt it. That energy set the stage for the game-changing connection: Beau Pribula hitting Da’Shawn Martin for a 43-yard touchdown. That was Martin’s fifth TD of the year, by the way! Just like that, Virginia was back within a field goal. The Hoos forced another short Syracuse possession, then put together their most balanced drive of the game. This wasn’t pretty, not by a long shot, but sometimes you just gotta grind out the W.
The Hoos are now 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, and after looking “lost and lifeless” for almost three quarters, they showed some serious grit. That kind of comeback, especially avoiding what could’ve been a disastrous home loss, tells you a lot about this squad’s fight. We’ll see how they build on this momentum, but for now, Virginia fans gotta be feeling good about finding a way to win when it mattered most.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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