UVA football tops Ohio U. in Nashville, 45-31

Olamide Zaccheaus had an OK day, with two long touchdowns and 247 yards receiving, lifting UVA football to a 45-31 win over Ohio U. on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

The ‘Hoos (2-1), five-point favorites coming in, led 35-7 late in the second quarter, before a pair of Bobcats touchdowns made it interesting late in the first half.

An A.J. Mejia 32-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half left it at 38-21 Virginia at the half.

Ohio U. (1-1) closed to down 10 on a Maleek Irons 1-yard TD, capping a six-play, 80-yard drive, cutting the Virginia lead to 10, at 38-28, at the 9:27 mark of the third quarter.

Mejia hit the upright on a 30-yard field-goal try in the fourth quarter. After the UVA D got a stop, Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins connected with Zaccheaus on a 77-yard catch-and-run TD pass, their second long connection of the game.

UVA got on the board first, after a Bobcats turnover, on an 18-yard TD run by Jordan Ellis, on Virginia’s first play from scrimmage.

Perkins hooked up with Zaccheaus on an 86-yard catch-and-run on UVA’s next play from scrimmage.

Ellis scored on runs of 75 and six yards, and Hasise Dubois caught a 10-yard TD pass from Perkins, as the ‘Hoos rolled out to that 35-7 second-quarter lead.

The Bobcats pulled closer with touchdown catches by Papi White and Isiah Cox before the Mejia field goal that closed out the first-half scoring for the Cavaliers.

Perkins was 25-for-30 passing for 379 yards and three touchdowns.

Ellis ran for 171 yards on 19 carries with three scores on the ground.

Virginia outgained Ohio U. 552-364.