WUVA captured the scene at Bank of America Stadium last night as fans emptied out after the game.
Virginia was uncharacteristically poor on both sides of the ball for much of last night’s game. The defense struggled to stop Duke’s Nate Sheppard on the ground, who totaled 128 yards. They also coud not contain Darian Mensah in the pocket—he spun around and improvised big plays on numerous occasions, including on the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. Duke was able to control time-of-possession, especially in the first half; they opened the game with the two longest drives in ACCFCG history (9:38 in 1st Qtr, 8:02 in 2nd Qtr).
Mensah was highly efficient (19/25, 196 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT) compared to UVA’s Chandler Morris (21-40, 216 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT). The Virginia offense looked out of sync until the 4th Qtr when they sprung to life on a 96-yard touchdown drive to tie the game and send it to overtime—it was the third-longest drive in ACCFCG history. J’Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee both found success on the ground all night, but OC Des Kitching’s playcalling more heavily featured the passing game.
Losing the ACC Championship, and a shot at the CFP, in this fashion surely leaves a sour taste in the mouth of anyone who has been along for the ride with the Hoos this year. Despite a disappointing performance in Charlotte, Virginia showed great heart as they rallied to score 10 points in the game’s final five minutes left and send the game to OT. The Hoos’ season is not over yet—they will face Missouri in the Gator Bowl on December 27th at 7:30.
