CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – As Louisville took the field late in Saturday’s game at Virginia, trailing by three points, quarterback Tyler Shough had a simple and direct message for his teammates.
“Let’s go win it,” Shough said afterward. “This is the drive we go prove ourselves.”
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For a third straight week the Cardinals found themselves in a one-score game. This time they found a way to pull it out. Shough hit a wide-open Jamari Johnson for a 14-yard touchdown with 1:55 to play to snap a two-game slide with a 24-20 win over Virginia at Scott Stadium.
Isaac Brown rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and Alabama transfer Ja’Corey Brooks had 83 yards on five catches for the Cardinals.
“A back-and-forth game that wasn’t perfect by any means,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “But it was a hard, workmanlike job that our team did.”
Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea threw for 279 yards and a go-ahead touchdown with 10:03 left to play, and also ran for a season-high 84 yards. Wide receiver Malachi Fields caught nine passes for 129 yards.
Virginia, which scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s win over Boston College, sought its first three-game win streak and first back-to-back Atlantic Coast Conference home victories of the Tony Elliott era and its defense came up with a pair of huge plays on Louisville’s first possession in the final quarter.
With the Cardinals in the red zone, defensive end Chico Bennett raced off the edge to haul down Brown for a 2-yard loss on second down. On third down, linebacker Kam Robinson sacked Shough to force a 41-yard field goal try, which Louisville’s Brock Travelstead missed, keeping the Cavaliers within striking distance, down 17-13.
On the ensuing drive, with Louisville bringing pressure on a second-down play near midfield, Colandrea stood in and delivered a pass in the flat to Xavier Brown, who took off up the Cardinals’ sideline, breaking one tackle on his way to a 46-yard go-ahead touchdown.
“I knew where I was going with the football,” Colandrea said. “I see him catch it and then I just start running down, chasing him. He made a great play and scored.”
But, this time, Shough and Louisville had an answer, driving 67 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning score.
On the touchdown pass, Shough faked a handoff that most of the Virginia defense bit on, leaving Johnson running free in the end zone.
“They ran a good play, heavy play-action,” said linebacker James Jackson. “We just have to communicate, and guys have to be on the same page.”
Both teams went for fourth-and-short conversions on their opening drives. Virginia got a 2-yard touchdown run from backup quarterback Grady Brosterhous on its play. Louisville got stuffed when linebacker Kam Robinson stacked up Isaac Brown on fourth-and-1 at the Cavaliers’ 19.
Virginia went for it again on fourth-and-goal at the 3-yard line late in the second quarter, but Colandrea’s pass for Kam Courtney fell incomplete.
For the second straight game, Virginia let wide receiver Malachi Fields – a former high school quarterback – throw a pass. And, for a second time, it resulted in a big play. A week after his 29-yard completion to Kobe Pace set up a field goal in the win over Boston College, Fields connected with tight end Tyler Neville for 22 yards, again putting Virginia in position for a kick.
Louisville: The Cardinals picked up a crucial victory after the back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and SMU. Their high-powered passing game was largely held in check, and Louisville matched its lowest point total of the season, but it came through in the end.
Virginia: The Cavaliers, who had won just three games in each of the past two seasons, came within minutes of getting within their fifth win in six starts. They now face a daunting second half of their schedule, starting with a trip to Elliott’s former team, Clemson, next weekend.
Louisville: Hosts No. 6 Miami Saturday.
Virginia: Visits No. 10 Clemson Saturday.