CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The UVA football team fell behind 14-0 early in the second quarter but never panicked Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers held Boston College scoreless the rest of the way and rallied for a 24-14 victory in an ACC game at Scott Stadium.
Virginia, which won three games in each of its first two seasons under head coach Tony Elliott, is now 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The crowd at Scott Stadium included many members of UVA’s 1989 team, the first in program history to win the ACC title, and the current honored them with a stirring comeback.
“As a program we grew up today,” Elliott told his players afterward. “We took a step.”
The Eagles (4-2, 1-1) came in with a 7-1 all-time record against UVA, and for the first 17 minutes it appeared they would continue their dominance in the series. At the end of the first quarter, Virginia had one first down, and BC went up 14-0 with 13:08 left in the second quarter.
The Cavaliers managed to stay connected, though, and grew stronger as the game went on. The first of Will Bettridge’s three field goals made it 14-3, and pivotal sequence late in the first half kept BC from taking a commanding lead. The Eagles picked up a first down at the UVA 35, but their next three plays netted only one yard, and they ended up punting.
Virginia took over at its 3-yard line with 1:44 left in the half. Two penalties on BC—the first a targeting call—helped the Hoos drive across midfield and into the red zone. On the final play of the half, Bettridge’s 33-yard field goal cut the Eagles’ lead to 14-6.
The Wahoos dominated the second half, coming up with three takeaways.
Defensive end Chico Bennett Jr.’s came up with first career interception after Anthony Britton tipped a pass by BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos at the line of scrimmage. Bennett Jr.’s interception gave the Hoos possession at midfield, and two plays later they had their first lead. A first-down run by tailback Kobe Pace gained 20 yards, and quarterback Anthony Colandrea teamed with wide receiver Malachi Fields on a 30-yard touchdown pass with 10:39 to play.
Colandrea then passed to wideout Andre Greene Jr. for a two-point conversion that put Virginia up 17-14.
A disastrous series followed for BC. On third-and-9 from near midfield, Castellanos fumbled, and UVA safety Jonas Sanker scooped up the ball and raced 40 yards down the right field for a touchdown with 6:02 remaining. Bettridge added the extra point…