Monday, October 19, 2015

Page 1

Vol. 126, Issue 16

Monday, October 19, 2015

Virginia defeats Syracuse in triple overtime Johns leads 88-yard final drive to force overtime Robert Elder

Senior Associate Editor

Losing can wear on a team, especially one that has lost as frequently as Virginia over the past few seasons. And when the Cavaliers entered halftime down a touchdown after Syracuse found pay dirt twice in 38 seconds, the Cavaliers could have given up. But unlike Virginia squads of old, the Cavaliers bounced back. From Notre Dame to Pittsburgh, the Cavaliers had let opportunities slip right through their hands, both literally and figuratively. That was not the case Saturday. Virginia (2-4, 1-1 ACC) dealt Syracuse (3-3, 1-1 ACC) its third consecutive loss in a 44-38 triple overtime thriller. Down 24-21 with 6:52 remaining, the Cavaliers marched 88 yards to force overtime. And in the third period, seldom-used freshman running back Jordan Ellis punched in a threeyard touchdown as a blur of or-

ange jerseys and helmets stormed the field in jubilation. “[We] showed some fight, resiliency, and grit,” coach Mike London said. “You can find all of those types of words. We found a way to win a football game.” Still, it took a while for Virginia to get going, both offensively and defensively. Despite a scoreless first quarter, Syracuse held the ball for 10:58 of the first 15 minutes as Virginia went three-and-out on its opening two possessions. The scoring didn’t begin until early in the second quarter, when junior running back Taquan Mizzell, who had 127 all-purpose yards, fumbled. Syracuse took the football 44 yards for a touchdown to snag an early 7-0 lead. “I knew I had to make it up for the team,” Mizzell said. “I knew I had to make plays when I had the chance.” And Mizzell did. Virginia responded by marching 75 yards in 5:13, with Mizzell capping the drive with the first of his two

touchdown runs. Then after forcing Syracuse into a third and long, senior defensive end Mike Moore came around the end and forced a fumble. The ball squirted 10 yards down the field, but junior safety Will Wahee scooped it up and took it 32 yards into the endzone. “I just picked it up,” Wahee said. “When I didn’t hear a whistle, I just kept going.” But Syracuse quickly seized momentum, scoring two touchdowns within 38 seconds to take a 21-14 halftime lead and create a cry of boos from the 39,223 homecomings crowd as Virginia entered the locker room. “I was not happy at all,” Johns said. Syracuse gorged the Cavalier defense on its first drive of the third quarter, going 75 yards in 6:56 before settling for a 22-yard field goal to take a 10-point advan-

see FOOTBALL, page 5

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

TRICK-OR-TREATING ON LAWN TO BE HELD EARLY PAGE 3

DARDEN SCHOOL RANKED NO. 2 PAGE 4

WOMEN’S SOCCER LEADS BOSTON COLLEGE PAGE 6

LEAD EDITORIAL: ASSIGN SEATS, LOWER CHEATING PAGE 7

DINNER SERIES ENGAGES STUDENTS, PROFESSORS PAGE 10


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