Williams snaps ACC mark: Tech tailback Ryan Williams scored four rushing touchdowns, giving him 20 total touchdowns for the season and breaking the ACC record for touchdowns by a freshman. He surpassed the previous mark of 18 held by former N.C. State tailback T.A. McLendon, who scored that many as a freshman in 2002.
Williams already owned the Tech record for touchdowns in a season by a freshman, breaking Darren Evans’ mark of 11 set last season. He broke Evans’ record with a touchdown in the Maryland game.
Williams, whose 183 yards broke his previous career high of 179 against East Carolina, also ran for more than 100 yards for the ninth game this season, tying the school record.
“Yards, awards, … none of that matters to me,” Williams said. “You can be the best person on the field, but if your team isn’t winning, then it doesn’t mean anything. I’m a team player. The offensive line blocked great all year and the wide receivers blocked down the field. It feels good to have guys like that willing to block and do their part so we can execute the plays.”
Williams has rushed for 1,538 yards on the season, which ranks second on Tech’s all-time single-season list. He needs just 110 yards in the bowl game to break Kevin Jones’ single-season record of 1,647 set in 2003.
Coale with a career day: Tech receiver Danny Coale enjoyed his best day as a Hokie, tying a career high with six catches and surpassing his career high with 135 yards. It marked the first time in his career that he had tripped the 100-yard mark. His previous career high for catches came against ECU when he hauled in five balls and his previous career high for yardage came against Duke earlier this season when he caught 94 yards worth of passes.
“He’s as dependable as it gets,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “You know what you’re going to get.”
For the record, Coale’s brother played lacrosse at UVa and Coale grew up a UVa fan, but was never offered a scholarship by UVa’s staff and jumped at the Hokies’ offer.
“Any win is big,” Coale said. “I’m just happy to get this one.”
Chancellor’s big play: Tech safety Kam Chancellor made arguably the biggest play in the game when he recovered a UVa fumble to set up a Tech touchdown.
UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell pitched the ball on the option to tailback Mikell Simpson, but the ball hit Simpson in the facemask and fell to the ground at the UVa 25. Chancellor picked it up and went 15 yards to the Tech 10, which ultimately set up Williams’ 4-yard touchdown run that gave the Hokies a 21-13 lead.
Simpson’s fumble came one play after Chancellor had drilled him on a run up the middle.
“He took his eyes off the pitch,” Chancellor said, implying that his hit on the previous play probably caused Simpson to lose focus on the pitch. “That messed him up a bit, and he dropped the ball.”
The fumble recovery marked Chancellor’s first of the season.
Taylor’s streak ends: Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor enjoyed a fine day, but he saw his string of pass attempts without an interception end at 110 when he threw an interception in the third quarter. He was trying to hit Dyrell Roberts in the end zone, but left the ball short and UVa’s Chris Cook picked off the pass.
“It was miscommunication between me and Dyrell, but I take the fault for that one,” Taylor said. “I shouldn’t have thrown it up like I did. I thought Dyrell was going underneath the defensive back, but he said he couldn’t, so he went over the top. We’ll build off that play and learn from it and try to do better.”
Taylor finished completing 8-of-15 for 185 yards and he also rushed for 34 yards.
Waldron’s streak also ends: Matt Waldron had made 10 straight field goals dating back to the Boston College game, but the fifth-year senior saw that streak come to an end when he pushed a 40-yard field-goal attempt wide right in the second quarter. The miss was just his third of the season.