One week after the Cavalier offense was firing on all cylinders at home against Duke, sloppy and mistake-prone play returned once again in a road game as UVA fell at Louisville, 28-21.
Despite getting off to a good start and leading by a touchdown at the half, UVA couldn’t get out of their own way, committing two key turnovers: a Bryce Perkins’ interception which soiled an opportunity to extend their lead at the end of the first half, and a Joe Reed fumble, which allowed Louisville to take the lead in the third quarter. Virginia was also called for 8 penalties which cost them 70 yards, and made critical errors on special teams, including failing to down the ball inside the Louisville five yard-line on a punt and Tavares Kelly catching a kickoff just in bounds instead of letting the Louisville kickoff go out of bounds for a penalty. Bryce Perkins was not sharp, going 24-41 for 233 yards and an interception. He was consistently pressured and knocked down, and left the game briefly after sustaining a hit to his leg.
There were a few bright spots for the Cavaliers. Wayne Taulapapa had 11 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns and Hasise DuBois had 7 receptions for 93 yards.
UVA’s defense held up decently against Louisville’s high-octane offense, but struggled late in the game especially after linebacker Jordan Mack was ejected for targeting. The Cavaliers had trouble stopping the Cardinals’ rushing attack, allowing 227 yards on the ground. Javian Hawkins had two touchdowns, including one with less than three minutes remaining to give the Cardinals a 28-21 lead. Perkins found Tavares Kelly in the endzone to cut the lead to 7 with 21 seconds left, and Hasise DuBois recovered the ensuing onside kick to give UVA a chance, but Perkins’ Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game was batted down.
With the loss, Virginia drops to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC, tied with UNC atop the ACC Coastal Division standings. The Cavaliers travel to Chapel Hill next Saturday to break that tie in a pivotal matchup.
Article recap by Matt Newton
Produced by Robb Dehney, Amelia Delphos, and Matt Newton
Select footage courtesy of the ACC Network
