Virginia quarterback Michael Rocco threw three interceptions, the last for a Louisiana Tech touchdown to help push the Bulldogs to a commanding 20-point fourth-quarter lead.
Backup quarterback Phillip Sims led a valiant fourth-quarter comeback that came up short on a controversial illegal-substitution penalty, and Tech held on for a 44-38 win on Saturday in Charlottesville.
UVa. (2-3, 0-1 ACC) led 24-10 midway through the second quarter before Rocco began a stretch of three interceptions in seven passes spanning the second and third quarters.
Louisiana Tech (4-0) used the turnovers to fuel a 34-point run that left the ‘Dogs up 44-24 in the fourth quarter.
Sims drove the Cavaliers down the Cavs into field-goal range on his first series of the game, but a 39-yard attempt by Drew Jarrett was wide way left.
Sims’ next two drives ended with touchdown passes to Jake McGee and Adrian Gamble, the second of which, a 24-yarder to Gamble, brought the ‘Hoos to within a single score with 2:08 to go.
The Virginia defense seemed to have held, stopping Louisiana Tech short on a third-and-1 play at the Bulldog 35 with 1:45 to go. But after a timeout, UVa. sent its punt-return team onto the field, and Tech countered by sending its offense out, sending the Cavs, without a timeout, into a frenzy to get its defense back into position. In the frenzy, Virginia was flagged for an illegal-substitution infraction, giving the Bulldogs a first fown that allowed them to then run out the clock.
UVa. came out short despite gaining 625 yards of total offense and holding Louisiana Tech to 385 yards of offense. Virginia turned the ball over three times, and the Bulldogs turned those miscues into 21 points.
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