Cavaliers continue revival with rally

ATLANTA | Virginia rallied for the latest win in its comeback of a season, and now the Cavaliers find themselves in a most improbable spot.

First place.

Cedric Peerman rushed for 118 bruising yards, including the winning touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes left, and Virginia won its fourth straight with a 24-17 upset of No. 21 Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Bouncing back from an early 14-3 deficit, the Cavaliers took over the top spot in the ACC’s Coastal Division - a scenario no one could have envisioned during a miserable September. Virginia lost three of its first four games by an average of 36 points.

“This is a team that never cracks,” quarterback Marc Verica said. “It shows the kind of resolve this team has, coming back from being down two touchdowns on the road.”

Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC) was off to its best start since 1990 and looked unstoppable on its first two possessions, scoring a pair of touchdowns. But the Cavaliers (5-3, 3-1) figured out the spread-option offense, keeping the Yellow Jackets out of the end zone the rest of the way.

“I’m really disappointed,” said Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech’s first-year coach. “We made enough mistakes in about every area to lose the game twice over.”

After Scott Blair kicked a 39-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-17, Virginia drove 70 yards in eight plays. Peerman got loose on a 31-yard run and finished it off with a 3-yard touchdown, lunging for the pylon with 3:29 remaining to end Georgia Tech’s four-game winning streak.

Virginia punted only once, outgained the Yellow Jackets 396-259 in total yards and finished with a big lead in time of possession (34:18 to 25:42), quite a feat against a run-focused offense. The Cavaliers converted 11 of 18 times on third down.

Could this possibly be the same group that lost to Southern Cal 52-7, Connecticut 45-10 and Duke 31-3?

“It took a little time for us to get going,” Peerman said. “Our team has come together. We’re more unified. We’re playing better.”

The senior running back certainly did his part, breaking numerous tackles and sending more than one defender flying when it’s usually the other way around.

“He’s a tough runner,” Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson said. “He’s got a lot of power and balance. His main attribute is his balance. We got some good licks on him, but he just kept staying on his feet.”