No. 12 UVa falls to Wake Forest, suffering first ACC loss

After weeks of living dangerously, the luck  finally ran out for No. 12 UVa, as Wake Forest used a punt return TD to help upset the Hoos 16-9.

The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak and left UVa at 8-2 and  5-1 in ACC play, one of five one-loss teams sitting atop the conference standings.

Going for more than half of the game without stalwart signal caller Chandler Morris, Virginia could never seem to find its groove offensively even while the defense kept making plays. 

Things looked promising for the Cavaliers on the first drive of the game when Kam Robinson blocked a Deacons’ punt, which Mitchell Melton recovered at the 24. 

However, things went south shortly thereafter. The offense went three-and-out, showing the struggles that would plague that unit for the rest of the game, and the Hoos settled for a 35-yard field goal.

It wasn’t until their third drive that the Cavaliers got their first 1st down of the night, and that drive still ended with a turnover on downs. Wake Forest took over at its own 43 and drove all the way to the 1 before the defense mounted a critical goal-line stand to force a turnover on downs. 

The Wahoos got the ball back at their own 5 and then three plays later, the hit happened.

Morris kept the ball for himself on 2nd and 7 but as he slid, he was hit hard by two defenders on either side. Despite what appeared to be clear helmet-to-helmet contact, there was no targeting call. Post-game, head coach Tony Elliott said the team will know more about Morris’ status moving forward after taking tests tomorrow and Monday.

“Any time you get hit in the head or up above the neck, you gotta make sure that you take that with a lot of caution,” he said. “So we’re very cautious. But from what I’ve seen out there, he seemed like he was doing okay.”

Elliott added that Morris was able to come back out on the sidelines in street clothes and watch the remainder of the game. 

In his place, backup Daniel Kaelin came in and did his best. 

On just his third play, Kaelin nearly found the end zone with a 54-yard rush that brought the Hoos down to the 8. But after a 2-yard tackle for loss on J’Mari Taylor took them back and they settled for a 21-yard field goal from Will Bettridge, extending the lead to 6-0.

Then came what ended up being the deciding play of the game — after Wake and UVa traded three-and-outs, Carlos Hernandez returned the ensuing punt 88 yards to the house, putting the Deacons up 7-6. It was the game’s only touchdown.

Things got worse for UVa when Kaelin fumbled the ball and Langston Hardy recovered for Wake. It was the Hoos’ first lost fumble of the season, and first of what would end up being three in the game. The Deacs took over at UVa’s 31 but a well-timed three-and-out forced them to settle for another Connor Calvert field goal, which he hit from 39-yards out. 

After Wake went into halftime up 10-6, the Hoos cut the lead to one on the first drive of the second half — a nine-play, 58-yard drive highlighted by a 34-yard reception to  Kameron Courtney. The drive stalled at the 23, though, and Bettridge hit from 40 yards out for what would be the team’s last points of the night.

After another Wake drive ended after just one 1st down, Kaelin was hit again as he threw and the Deacons came up with the fumble recovery at UVa’s 49. That turned into another field goal from 50 yards six plays and just 16 yards later. 

After two straight UVa punts with a Wake punt sandwiched in between, the Deacons drained 9:16 off the clock in the fourth quarter with a 16-play, 48-yard drive that featured four straight 3rd down conversions and ended in a 48-yard field goal from Calvert to make it 16-9.

Taylor would appear to swing momentum back in the Cavaliers’ favor with a 48-yard rush to start the next drive, but his 6-yard rush on the following play ended with what was ruled a fumble after review, recovered by Wake. 

Another well-timed three-and-out by UVa’s defense gave Kaelin and the offense one last chance to tie or potentially win the game with 2:28 remaining. The Hoos capitalized, driving 53 yards down to Wake Forest’s 5-yard line. But facing 4th and 3, Kaelin overthrew his receiver and the Deacons held on for the win.

In the end, the Wahoos outgained the Deacons 327-203 in total yards but lost the turnover battle decisively and could not find the end zone. 

Taylor led all rushers with 98 yards on 19 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per rush. Kaelin finished 18-of-28 passing for 145 yards and no interceptions. 

Postgame, Elliott praised Kaelin’s effort.

“He gave us a chance to win,” Elliott said, “and so all of us have to shoulder the blame, and we will. Coaches, players, everybody in the program, and go back to work and get ready to go chase our best four quarters down in North Carolina [at Duke.]”