Georgia Tech scored with 1:41 to go to get back into it, then recovered an onsides kick and drove inside the UVA 35, before the Cavs defense stiffened and closed out a 27-21 upset in ACC action on Saturday in Charlottesville.
Virginia (3-5, 2-2 ACC) trailed 14-10 at the half, then took the lead at 20-14 with 8:44 left in the third on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Matt Johns to Canaan Severin following a Yellow Jackets fumble. A 24-yard TD run by Albert Reid capped a 91-yard drive with 13:15 left in the game to make it 27-14 UVA.
A Justin Thomas-to-Clinton Lynch 22-yard TD pass completed a 95-yard Georgia Tech drive with 1:41 to go to get the game back to a one-score margin. Then the Ramblin’ Wreck (3-6, 1-5 ACC) recovered an onsides kick and drove to the ‘Hoos 34, but Thomas was flushed from the pocket on a fourth-and-four play, and his pass on the run to wideout Mikell Lands-Davis was broken up by Virginia safety Quin Blanding.
Thomas finished 13-for-31 passing for 251 yards and two touchdowns and a 131.2 passer rating, with 204 yards passing coming in the second half as the Yellow Jackets tried to play from behind.
The UVA D did a good job against the Georgia Tech rushing attack, which had come into the game averaging an ACC-best 283.4 yards per game, but was only able to gain 144 yards on 33 rushes on Saturday.
Virginia racked up 408 yards total offense, including a season-high 233 yards on the ground on 42 attempts. Taquan Mizzell had 75 yards on 14 carries and also had a team-high five receptions for 33 yards.
Quarterback Matt Johns was 17-of-28 passing for 175 yards with a touchdown and an interception and a passer rating of 117.9.
Blanding had 15 tackles, eight unassisted, and two pass breakups to lead the Cavs D.
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