In a word, Improbable.
Dustin Hopkins missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt with three seconds left, and Virginia held on by the slimmest of margins for a 14-13 win over #25 Florida State Saturday night in Tallahassee.
The win propels the Cavs into a de facto ACC Coastal Division championship game against in-state rival Virginia Tech next Saturday in Charlottesville.
Virginia (8-3, 5-2 ACC) took the lead with 1:16 to go on a 10-yard Kevin Parks touchdown run that capped a five-play, 75-yard, 37-second drive.
The ‘Hoos seemed to stop FSU (7-4, 5-3 ACC) on a fourth-and-one with 31 seconds left, but defensive end Cam Johnson was called for a 15-yard facemask penalty on his sack of ‘Noles quarterback EJ Manuel, giving Florida State a first down at the Virginia 35.
UVa. then got a second apparent stop on the final drive when Bert Reed caught a sideline pass from Manuel and was tackled in bounds. FSU had no timeouts and could not get Hopkins on the field in position for the game-winning field goal before time expired.
The call on the field was reversed on instant replay, and it was ruled that Reed had not caught the pass, giving the Seminoles a chance for the kick on fourth down. A UVa. offsides penalty moved Hopkins five yards closer, but the kicker, who had been 5-for-5 on the year on kicks of 40 yards or longer, missed the kick wide left.
Virginia had jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a 7-yard scoring pass from Michael Rocco to Perry Jones. Manuel connected with Ja’Baris Little on a 1-yard scoring strike in the second quarter to tie the game at 7, and a 26-yard Hopkins field goal sent Florida State to the halftime break with a 10-7 lead.
Hopkins added a 21-yard field goal at the 7:55 mark of the third quarter to extend the FSU lead to 13-7.
Rocco was 4-for-4 for 65 yards on the game-winning drive, with a 34-yard pass to Tim Smith and a 16-yard pass to Jones the key plays of that drive before the Parks TD run.
Rocco finished the game 22-for-31 passing for 238 yards and the one TD pass.
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