GAME THREAD: NCAAF: WAKE FOREST (6-2) at VIRGINIA (7-2)

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF WAKE FOREST (21) 16
VIRGINIA 17 1:26 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF WAKE FOREST (21) 16
VIRGINIA 17 1:13 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF WAKE FOREST (21) 16
VIRGINIA 17 1:08 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF WAKE FOREST (21) 16
VIRGINIA 17 0:37 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF WAKE FOREST (21) 16
VIRGINIA 17 0:17 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WAKE FOREST (21) 3 3 7 3 16
VIRGINIA 3 7 0 7 17 FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: WAKE FOREST - FG, SAM SWANK 27 YD, 4:51. WAKE
FOREST 3-0
VIRGINIA - FG, CHRIS GOULD 44 YD, 7:46. WAKE
FOREST 3-3
2ND QUARTER: WAKE FOREST - FG, SAM SWANK 25 YD, 4:32. WAKE
FOREST 6-3
VIRGINIA - TD, MAURICE COVINGTON 39 YD PASS
FROM JAMEEL SEWELL (CHRIS
GOULD KICK), 14:50. VIRGINIA
10-6
3RD QUARTER: WAKE FOREST - TD, KENNETH MOORE 13 YD PASS FROM
RILEY SKINNER (SAM SWANK
KICK), 12:50. WAKE FOREST
13-10
4TH QUARTER: WAKE FOREST - FG, SAM SWANK 31 YD, 4:48. WAKE
FOREST 16-10
VIRGINIA - TD, MIKELL SIMPSON 1 YD RUN (CHRIS
GOULD KICK), 12:42. VIRGINIA
17-16</div>

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NCAAF
WAKE FOREST (21) 16
VIRGINIA 17 FINAL</div>

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (Ticker) -- Mikell Simpson andVirginia apparently enjoy thrilling finishes.


Simpson rushed for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourthquarter Saturday as Virginia held on for a 17-16 victory over21st-ranked Wake Forest in a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conferencecontest.


It marked the sixth time this season that the Cavaliers (8-2,5-1 ACC Coastal) won by five points or less. The Demon Deaconshad a chance to win this one, but Sam Swank missed a 47-yardfield goal as time expired.


With the victory, Virginia remained atop the conference'sCoastal division, one-half game ahead of Virginia Tech (7-2,4-1). The in-state rivals square off here on November 24 in agame which likely will determine the division's representativein the ACC championship game.


The Cavaliers squandered a 10-6 halftime lead, as Wake Forestquarterback Riley Skinner fired a 13-yard TD to Kenneth Moore tomake it 13-10 with 2:10 left in the third quarter. Swank's31-yard field goal five minutes into the fourth quarter made it16-10.


But Simpson gave Virginia the lead for good, plunging into theend zone from a yard out to make it 17-16 with 2:18 remaining.

Simpson ran for just 34 yards on 17 carries. But the sophomorehauled in eight receptions for 77 yards for the Cavaliers.

Skinner completed 16-of-20 passes for 133 yards, a TD and aninterception for Wake Forest (6-3, 4-2 Atlantic), which had itssix-game winning streak snapped.

 

NCAAF: WAKE FOREST at VIRGINIA

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WAKE FOREST (21) 3 3 7 3 16
VIRGINIA 3 7 0 7 17 FINAL

WAKE FOREST-FG, S Swank 27 YD 4:51 1st Qtr
VIRGINIA-FG, C Gould 44 YD 7:46 1st Qtr
WAKE FOREST-FG, S Swank 25 YD 4:32 2nd Qtr
VIRGINIA-TD, M Covington 39 YD PASS FROM J Sewell (C Gould
KICK) 14:50 2nd Qtr
WAKE FOREST-TD, K Moore 13 YD PASS FROM R Skinner (S Swank
KICK) 12:50 3rd Qtr
WAKE FOREST-FG, S Swank 31 YD 4:48 4th Qtr
VIRGINIA-TD, M Simpson 1 YD RUN (C Gould KICK) 12:42 4th
Qtr


WAKE FOREST VIRGINIA
First downs 16 18
Rushed-yards 50-140 25-82
Passing yards 175 225
Sacked-yards lost 3-12 0-0
Return yards 49 28
Passes 20-26-1 20-43-0
Punts 5-43.6 7-34.7
Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 4-30 4-35
Time of possession 34:48 25:12


Individual Statistics

RUSHING: WAKE FOREST-Josh Adams 21-74, De'Angelo Bryant 9-28, Riley
Skinner 11-22, Kevin Marion 3-11, Micah Andrews 4-5, Kenneth Moore
1-1, - Team 1-MINUS 1. VIRGINIA-Jameel Sewell 9-47, Mikell Simpson
16-35.

PASSING: WAKE FOREST-Riley Skinner 20-26-175- 1. VIRGINIA-Jameel
Sewell 20-43-225- 0.

RECEIVING: WAKE FOREST-Kenneth Moore 5-59, John Tereshinski 2-26,
De'Angelo Bryant 3-24, Jordan Williams 4-18, Demir Boldin 2-13, Josh
Adams 2-13, Kevin Marion 1-12, Micah Andrews 1-10. VIRGINIA-Mikell
Simpson 8-77, Maurice Covington 4-76, Jonathan Stupar 2-20, Tom Santi
2-20, John Phillips 1-15, Staton Jobe 2-12, Cary Koch 1-5.


Att: 60,106</div>

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (Ticker) -- Mikell Simpson andVirginia apparently enjoy thrilling finishes.


Simpson rushed for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourthquarter Saturday as Virginia held on for a 17-16 victory over21st-ranked Wake Forest in a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conferencecontest.


It marked the fifth time this season that the Cavaliers (8-2,5-1 ACC Coastal) won by two points or less - an NCAA record forteams from the Football Bowl Subdivision.


"I'm happy to win and proud for the team for being able to dothat," Virginia coach Al Groh said.


The Demon Deacons had a chance to win this one, but Sam Swankmissed a 47-yard field goal as time expired.


"Everyone around our organization preaches the importance of notcracking," Simpson added. "We know if we keep working hard andplaying until the final gun, we have a good chance of thingsworking out for us."


With the victory, Virginia remained atop the conference'sCoastal division, one-half game ahead of Virginia Tech (7-2,4-1). The in-state rivals square off here on November 24 in agame which likely will determine the division's representativein the ACC championship game.


Two weeks ago, Simpson scored the game-winning TD with 16seconds remaining to lift the Cavaliers to an 18-17 victory atMaryland. The win came one week after a 17-16 triumph overConnecticut.


Virginia's seven-game winning streak ended in disappointingfashion last week, as North Carolina State rallied for a 29-24victory. But the Cavaliers bounced back this week despitesquandering a 10-6 halftime lead.


"These two teams over the last two years have had morelast-minute finishes than any two other teams in theconference," Groh said. "We showed a great deal of resiliencyand mental toughness throughout the course of the game."

Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner fired a 13-yard TD toKenneth Moore to make it 13-10 with 2:10 left in the thirdquarter. Swank's 31-yard field goal five minutes into thefourth quarter made it 16-10.


But Virginia re-claimed the lead with a 10-play, 56-yard drivecapped by Simpson's one-yard score with 2:18 remaining.

"It was a power run from one yard out, Ian (Yates Cunningham)came around and got a great pulling block," Simpson said. "Ijust waited for the hole to open up and cut back. From there, Iknew all I had to do was follow him into the end zone."

The Cavaliers prolonged the drive by converting a crucial4th-and-3 from the Wake Forest 25, as Jameel Sewell completed an11-yard pass to Maurice Covington.


"I definitely knew it was coming to me," Covington said. "Theplay was designed to come to me so I just got to my area,secured the ball, made sure I had it and then got down."

Skinner marched the Demon Deacons back down the field on theensuing drive, setting up Swank's 47-yard attempt. But the kicksailed to the right of the upright, ending Wake Forest'ssix-game winning streak.


"We felt like we were in (Swank's) range," Wake Forest coach JimGrobe said. "We would have certainly liked to get more fromthose two runs we had. But from our perspective, that was easylength for Sam."


"When the kicked missed, I was probably the happiest person inthe world," Sewell said. "After all we had been through duringthat game, there is no feeling like coming out with a big win."

Simpson ran for just 34 yards on 17 carries. But the sophomorehauled in eight receptions for 77 yards for the Cavaliers.

Sewell finished 20-of-43 for 225 yards and one TD - a 39-yardstrike to Covington with 10 seconds left in the first half.

Skinner completed 20-of-26 passes for 175 yards, a TD and aninterception for Wake Forest (6-3, 4-2 Atlantic), which has lost20 of its last 21 meetings with Virginia.