Virginia 45, Georgia Tech 38, No. 7CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- David Rivers grew up a huge Georgia Tech fan and confesses to rooting for the Yellow Jackets nine years ago when they came to Scott Stadium and ended Virginia's only ride as No. 1 with a 41-38 victory.
On Saturday night, Rivers helped the Cavaliers turn the tables on No. 7 Georgia Tech, playing like a Heisman contender in his first college start while Heisman front-runner Joe Hamilton didn't in Virginia's stunning 45-38 victory.
"It's what you dream of," the junior from Augusta, Ga., said, "just given the chance to come out and play against Georgia Tech. And it's icing on the cake that they were the seventh-ranked team in the country. It's amazing."
Rivers, miserable when pressed into his first significant action last week against top-ranked Florida State, started slowly again, but rallied Virginia (5-4, 4-3 ACC) from a 17-0 deficit with three touchdown passes and mistake-free play.
"After (the first quarter), I said, 'Look, it can't get much worse than this. Let's go out there and start having fun and just play football,"' he said.
It worked, and when the clock finally struck zero and thousands of fans streamed onto the field, the Cavaliers had a victory, Georgia Tech a painful loss and Hamilton was left to ponder what's left of the Yellow Jackets' season.
"We lost a game, a big game, and it dashed a lot of goals, but we've still got three games to play," the senior said, mindful that the Yellow Jackets' prospects for being part of the Bowl Championship Series probably ended, too.
Hamilton's Heisman hopes also likely took a near-fatal punch, even though he became the career total offense leader in the ACC with a 282-yard effort.
After Virginia went ahead to stay at 38-31 with 12:15 left, Hamilton couldn't get his team into the end zone again until Rivers and Co. had made it 45-31.
"I think we found a rhythm offensively running the ball, but passing the ball the rhythm wasn't really there," he said. "But there's no excuse. No excuse."
Rivers, who lost his job as the Cavaliers' long snapper on punts this week when he was picked to play instead of the injured Dan Ellis, completed 18-of-30 for 228 yards, with one interception. That came early, before he got hot.
"The poise and the way he was moving the ball and moving his team, I thought he was a starter," said Hamilton, who was 18-for-26 for 233 yards with one interception and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 49 yards on 14 tries.
Thomas Jones, whose own Heisman hopes were dashed by the Cavaliers' poor showing this season, rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries.
With the game tied at 31, the Cavaliers opened the fourth quarter by converting on fourth-and-1 from their 45 on Jones' 1-yard run. Rivers then caught a break when Marvious Hester dropped an interception.