Five takeaways from Virginia football’s 24-19 upset over Pittsburgh

Needing a win, Virginia Football (5-4, 3-3 ACC) immediately responded with a huge 24-19 upset against the No. 18 Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2, 3-2 ACC) to propel the Cavaliers . back in bowl contention as the Hoos now need just one more win to reach the illustrious mark of six wins for bowl eligibility.

For a summary of the game: Virginia Football claws its way back to upset Pittsburgh on the Road 24-19

That said, here are five takeaways from Virginia’s exciting upset over Pittsburgh:

Jonas Sanker is an NFL Caliber Safety

The Cavaliers’ leading tackler and captain of the defense put the football world on alert on Saturday night. Sanker single-handedly was the spark that allowed the Cavaliers to come back and beat Pittsburgh on the road. His block on the field goal was brilliant before the interception on the ensuing Pittsburgh drive gave the Cavaliers life. Sanker stepped up when his team needed him most and will be a future role player in an NFL franchise. Sanker also added five tackles on the night, four of which were solo.

Virginia has a shot at Bowl eligibility

An improbable and unpredictable path to five wins for the Cavaliers leaves them one game away from bowl qualification. After the demoralizing loss to North Carolina, many thought the season was over for the Hoos; Saturday night’s victory demonstrated the resilience and fortitude of this team, even in difficult times. Furthermore, this win shows why Tony Elliott should and will be the future of this football program. The Hoos have yet to earn one win between Notre Dame, SMU or Virginia Tech. While this will be difficult, this win builds confidence that another regular season victory is possible.

The Virginia Rushing Attack was great

The source of Virginia’s offense on Saturday night started on the ground. Xavier Brown led the Hoos with 68 yards rushing and one touchdown, while Kobe Pace rattled off 52 yards and a touchdown. The duo was used alternately, creating a two-headed monster that dominated Pittsburgh’s defense all night. Colandrea also used his legs, which was more effective than throwing the ball most of the night. The second-year quarterback scrambled for 40 yards on the ground as the Cavaliers rushed for 170 yards, an impressive feat.

Cavaliers outscored themselves in the first half

Virginia could and should have won this game by more than five points, but mistakes, especially in the first half, made this game much closer than it should have been. The Malachi Fields bobbled ball that resulted in an interception and robbed Virginia of a touchdown before Colandrea threw an interception straight to a Pittsburgh linebacker, giving the Panthers excellent field position. Daniel Sparks, although he had a 66-yard bomb in the second half, had a 16-yard kick earlier in the game. Corey Thomas Jr., who had the game-sealing interception, also had a pass interference call that continued a Pittsburgh drive on the brink of collapse on third-and-long. Virginia was fortunate to have left Pittsburgh with a win, as these types of mistakes are usually on the losing team’s stat sheet.

Colandrea shows balance in the clutch

Colandrea didn’t have his best football game on Saturday night, but even so, the sophomore delivered a masterful drive late in the game that lasted eight minutes and 26 seconds and ended in a field goal by Will Bettridge. Colandrea showed incredible poise, slowly leading the team down the field, keeping an eye on the clock and reading what the defense gave him. The drive included a 16-yard rush from Colandrea, a 25-yard pass to Tyree and a 12-yard pass to Pace as Colandrea played smart and conservative football, allowing Virginia to seal the victory over Pitt.

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