The Virginia Cavaliers survived a scare from Washington State on Saturday night in front of a packed Scott Stadium. The ‘Hoos entered the game as heavy favorites according to Vegas, but Washington State proved
to be a worthy opponent leading 17-7 at halftime and then 20-10 through three quarters.
It was a mix of big time plays, timely defensive stops, and the decibel level at Scott Stadium that fueled that comeback for the ‘Hoos as they squeaked out a 22-20 victory to move to 6-1 (3-0, ACC). I was on the field capturing every moment through the lens. Here are my top five photos from the night.
5. Can’t stop Kam
Junior linebacker Kam Robinson was a star on Saturday night, collecting eight total tackles with one resulting in the game-winning saftey. His efforts were enough to earn ACC Linebacker of the Week honors. QB Chandler Morris was right when he said you “know” when Kam Robinson is on the field. He has a certain presence to him which is a fear factor for the opposition.
4. Prevard’s Prey
Morgan State transfer Ja’son Prevard hauled in his third interception of the year late in the fourth quarter that set up the game tying field goal for Virginia in the waning minutes of the ballgame. Need a big play on offense? Don’t throw it in Prevard’s direction. He had two timely picks against the Florida State Seminoles Seminoles and came up big against Washington State on Saturday night to help the Cavaliers move to 6-1 on the year.
3. Chippy Cavaliers
If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought these teams were cross town rivals … until you glanced at a map. The game was chippy from start to finish. This photo of James Jackson and Trey Leckner exchanging plesantries was taken early in the second quarter, and this type of energy remaining throughout the game. I know Tony Elliott may have a different opinion, but I think this behavior and the roudiness from the crowd played a factor in Virginia’s victory.
2. Stadium Pulse
Zevi Eckhaus had a respectable game up until about halfway through the fourth quarter. He couldn’t handle the Scott Stadium crowd and the noise that came with it. This is a great photo capturing just how rattled the 4th Side had Washington State on their final offensive possession of the game, but what it doesn’t do is reveal just how loud it was inside that stadium. You just had to be there.
1. Sweet Victory
Chandler Morris didn’t have his best game in a UVA uniform by any means. In fact, his QBR of 35.8 would imply he had one of his worst, but he showed up in big moments and relied on his sure-handed WR Jahmal Edrine.
Edrine had five receptions totaling 102 yards, accounting for 57% of Virginia’s passing game in the process. Morris made sure Jahmal was the first person he embraced when the clock hit zero.
