Finding it almost impossible to convey signals in the enclosed end zone at Scott Stadium, Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers did the only thing he could do: he called a timeout.
The full strength of an announced attendance of 56,408 was too much for the Cougars offense to grasp.
With 2:42 remaining in a 20-all game, and facing a third down at their own 1-yard line, WSU was in full panic mode.
Following the timeout, the Cavaliers slammed tailback Kirby Voorhees to the ground before he was able to escape the end zone, resulting in the game-winning safety for Virginia.
Final: Virginia 22, WSU 20.
All thanks to the Scott Stadium home-field advantage.
Which has been little more than a rumor for the past, oh, let’s say, 20 years.
After the safety, UVA managed to run out the clock, escaping with the win over Wazzu, and moving to 6-1 overall on the season.
Washington State, The Road Warriors of 2025, given their scheduling needs as a member of the Pac-12, er, Pac-2, controlled this game for over 50 minutes, dominating almost every meaningful stat line over the 16.5-point favorite Cavaliers.
“They made one more play than us,” Rogers said. “Lost control there in the end, and that’s on me. All of this is on me.”
ICYMI
- Live Coverage: #18 Virginia rallies in fourth, defeats Wazzu on safety, 22-20
- Culture win: #18 Virginia, down and almost out, finds a way, again
Not totally correct, coach.
The strength of 56,048 fans, starved from decades of something to cheer about, had plenty to do with how this bizarre game ended.
We old-timers in the press box have been preaching this sermon for years: give the fans something to be excited for, and they will respond.
And on an absolutely picturesque fall evening in Central Virginia, did they ever!
It was evident from the opening kickoff that Virginia was just a bit sluggish.
Was it the off week, after the massive win at Louisville, that followed a huge win at home against Florida State?
Possibly.
Perhaps some of the players were reading just a tad too much about what we folks in the media were writing: ACC Championship Game contenders, College Football Playoff-caliber team.
Again, it’s possible.
It’s also just possible that Washington State came to Charlottesville with a chip on its shoulder and wasn’t backing down from getting itself into a good old-fashioned street fight, which this game turned out to be.
But in the end, Virginia found a way to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
Again, credit the home-field advantage.
And, by the way, this isn’t a case of we in the media just saying, “we told you so.”
WSU coach Rogers: “We practice with crowd noise; it’s a focus thing more than anything. We’ve got to lock in, we play in tough venues, and if we expect to win in them, we’ve got to focus.”
I spoke with a couple of Wazzu fans who made the trip from Moscow, Wash., to Charlottesville, actually starting last week in Oxford, Miss., as the Cougars faced then-#4 Ole Miss.
Randy said the SEC homecoming crowd was a non-factor. “They got loud at times, but you could tell it didn’t affect us (WSU). It was a different story here tonight; it was noisy the entire game.”
Jimmy had a different take on the Scott Stadium atmosphere. “Even when we (WSU) had a double-digit lead (two separate occasions), I knew Virginia was in control. Man, that crowd was electric.
“But hey, this is the South, I guess it’s like this every game here.”
It hasn’t been, but it can be.
And when it is, anything can happen.
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