Virginia’s run game was key to upsetting No. 8 FSU

By Jerry Ratcliffe

If there was a defining moment in Friday night’s massive Virginia upset over 8th-ranked Florida State, it came in the third quarter with the score knotted at 21-all.

After a missed FSU field goal, the Cavaliers got the ball at their own 27 with just less than 10 minutes to go before halftime. Trading haymakers with the high-powered Seminoles, UVA quarterback Chandler Morris converted a third-and-four with an 8-yard dink pass to Trell Harris for a first down.

Problem was, Morris had hurt his hand when it hit an FSU helmet on the follow through. He was visibly hurt.

“He was [hurting],” Coach Tony Elliott confirmed afterward. “He was told that it looked like a little sprain. But he’s a warrior.”

With that in mind, offensive coordinator Des Kitchings proceeded to call nine straight running plays, alternating carries between Virginia’s three-pronged running attack — J’Mari Taylor, Harrison Waylee and Xavier Brown — moving the ball from their own 40 to FSU’s 7.

From there, Morris himself took it the final distance for his second of three rushing touchdowns on the night and lifted UVA to a 28-21 lead. We told you he was a warrior.

The drive was yet another statement made Friday night by the Cavaliers’ offensive line and a running game that has now produced four consecutive games with at least 200 yards rushing in each.

During that 73-yard march, Virginia ran railroad stakes down vaunted FSU’s throats. Brown to the left, Waylee to the right, Taylor up the middle. See Virginia run.

The Wahoos sliced and diced the Seminoles into a ground game shishkabob.

Coming into the game, Florida State was ranked the No. 15 defense against the run in the entire nation, giving up only 78 yards a game on the ground to opposing offenses. The ‘Noles had surrendered only 235 yards rushing in three games and had not given up a rushing touchdown all season.

Virginia put up 223 yards rushing in four quarters and scored four rushing touchdowns.

Kitchings had declared earlier in the week that it was critical that his offense could run the ball on the Seminoles, knowing full well what they were up against. Kitchings, who for the most part called a brilliant game Friday night, thought it critical to run the ball to eliminate obvious pass situations and to milk the clock and keep FSU’s No.-1-in-the-nation offense off the field.

Bingo. Virginia came through with flying colors with 14 rushing first downs, 4.4 yards per carry, behind an offensive line that was minus starting center Brady Wilson, causing right guard Drake Metcalf to slide to center without any snap issues, and for UVA to insert Kevin Wigenton into Metcalf’s right guard spot. The Cavaliers were already down to their fourth-team right tackle in Jack Witmer.

Still, Friday night’s game ball had to go to the O-Line. The Big Uglies moved FSU’s defensive front all night long and made line coach Terry Heffernan proud.

“Virginia did a good job of staying multiple, and what they did with the different run schemes, it was a good offense, one that’s been averaging a lot of yards and obviously a lot of points,” said Florida State coach Mike Norvell. “[UVA] was able to create some seams, so sometimes we weren’t all on the same page of where we needed to be.

“Those were some of the things we talked about the last few weeks, where you play a team that can expose that and the challenges it creates.”

Elliott said it was all about believing.

“We got Metcalf at center, Wigenton, who was questionable last week with an ankle injury, at guard,” the coach said. “At the end of the day, it’s all belief. It’s about the heart of a champion. You just believe.”

Elliott said he could see it all during a short week of practice, how they showed up for pregame, that they didn’t know how they were going to get it done, but they believed that at the end of the day playmakers would find a way. It was considered a strength of the team during the offseason that because Virginia brought in seven offensive linemen through the portal, there would be serious depth and experience. Five of those linemen have been unavailable most of the season.

Virginia’s wide bodies certainly made believers out of Florida State’s defensive front, stacking up rushing yardage against the Seminoles, who a few weeks ago knocked off Alabama in an opening-season showdown.

Morris, who had a hand in five TDs, including the three he personally ran in, sang the praise of the O-Line, especially on the drive where he hurt his hand.

“It was awesome,” Morris said. “If you want to beat a team and empower your will, I mean, that’s when you run the football. To see our guys up front, and we had some new faces up front, to go out there and just stick their nose in it and just get after it and play tough football, it was awesome to see. I was encouraging those guys throughout.”

Taylor led the ground game with 99 yards and a TD, while Morris had 37 and Brown 60 (plus a 15-yard TD reception). Brown joined Morris in applauding the blockers up front.

“They dominated today,” Brown said. “I’m so happy and proud of them. They stepped up in the moment when we needed them and that’s what it’s all about. It’s always about next man up, and those guys came in and did their job.”

So, your Wahoos woke up this morning in first place in the ACC standings, essentially steamrolling their way to the top after being picked 14th in the preseason poll.

Armed with a dangerous running attack for the first time in years, Virginia has to now be considered a force to be reckoned with.