BTN.com staff, September 10, 2011
(AP) Virginia scored 11 points in the final 96 seconds Saturday night, getting a 23-yard field goal from Robert Randolph as time expired to beat Indiana 34-31. It was Mike London's first road win in two seasons as coach of the Cavaliers (2-0). Indiana (0-2) rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit, only to give away an 8-point lead in the final two minutes. Perry Jones had 3-yard TD run for Virginia with 1:36 remaining, and Michael Rocco threw to Paul Freedman for the 2-point conversion to tie the score at 31. Indiana got the ball back, but on third-and-3 from its own 23, Cam Johnson stole the ball out of quarterback Edward Wright-Baker's hands. That gave Virginia the ball at the Hoosiers' 14, setting up Randolph's winning field goal. Read the full AP recap, check out the box score and see our Big Ten scoreboard.
FINAL: Virginia barely escaped Indiana 34-31 in an offensive shootout that turned dramatic in the fourth quarter on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Robert Randolph's 23-yard field goal gave the Cavaliers their final lead. Kevin Parks rushed for 37 yards and two touchdowns, and Perry Jones picked up 78 rushing yards and one touchdown of his own, as the dynamic backfield duo led the Cavaliers' ground attack. Virginia almost threw away the game, as it committed four turnovers. However, the Cavaliers was able to pull out the victory in the end, helped in part by 361 total yards on offense. Home run plays keyed Virginia's scoring attack. The Cavaliers burned the Hoosiers' defense for five plays of more than 20 yards. With 2:43 to go in the second quarter, Michael Rocco found Jones open for a 46-yard pass, Virginia's biggest gain of the game. The big play set up a 17-play drive that gave the Cavaliers a 12-3 lead after Parks ran one yard to paydirt. Indiana's Edward Wright-Baker passed for 170 yards, completing 16 of 30 throws. He tossed one touchdown and one interception. Wright-Baker was also a threat on the ground, as he rushed for 48 yards on 15 attempts. Duwyce Wilson was a key target for Wright-Baker. He caught five passes for 59 yards and one touchdown. The Hoosiers' offense finished the game having gained 319 yards, including 170 passing yards on 16 completions. Indiana's ground game balanced its offense, bringing 149 yards on 41 attempts. Virginia's Rocco went 15 of 29 through the air for a total of 192 yards. He also threw two interceptions. Rocco's favorite target on the day was Jones. He hauled in five catches for 86 yards.
FOURTH QUARTER: Virginia beat Indiana 34-31 after taking a fourth quarter lead. Robert Randolph's 23-yard field goal gave the Cavaliers their final lead. Virginia sniffed out the Hoosiers' rushing attack in the quarter, holding Indiana to seven rush yards. The Cavaliers ended the game on a 11-point run. The Hoosiers made the score 23-17 after Matt Perez ran one yard to paydirt to finish off a a 52-yard drive. Indiana used a grind-it-out style, as no play went for more than eight yards. The Hoosiers went to the air just one time. Indiana made the score 24-23 when the Hoosiers recovered a fumble in the endzone. Indiana opened up a 31-23 lead after Edward Wright-Baker found Duwyce Wilson open for a 18-yard touchdown pass to end a eight-play, 76-yard drive. Virginia got even after Perry Jones pounded in a three-yard touchdown run to end a 16-play, 77-yard drive that tied the score at 31. The Cavaliers added two more points when Paul Freedman completed a two-yard pass. A four-play, eight-yard drive by Virginia ended when the Cavaliers scored on Randolph's field goal, breaking the tie and giving Virginia a 34-31 lead. A fumble recovery put the Cavaliers at the Indiana 14-yard line to open the drive. Virginia had no play longer than five yards.
THIRD QUARTER: Kevin Parks had a productive quarter for Virginia. He ran for seven yards and one touchdown and the margin is still 13, as the Cavaliers lead 23-10. Virginia opened up a 23-3 lead after Parks ran six yards to paydirt to end a six-play, 38-yard drive. A Rijo Walker interception set the Cavaliers up at Indiana's 38-yard line to start. The Hoosiers made the score 23-10 after Matt Perez pounded in a eight-yard touchdown run to finish off a a 68-yard drive. Indiana has possession on Virginia's five-yard line to start the fourth quarter.
SECOND QUARTER: Virginia stuffed the run, giving up just 19 yards on the ground in the second quarter and the Cavaliers now lead 16-3. Indiana tied the game at three after Mitch Ewald kicked a 37-yard field goal to end a 10-play 60-yard drive. An eight-play, 46-yard drive by Virginia ended when Robert Randolph made a 44-yard field goal, breaking the tie and giving the Cavaliers a 6-3 lead. Virginia made its lead 16-3 when Kevin Parks turned a handoff into a one-yard touchdown on the last play of a nine-play, 66-yard drive. The Cavaliers ran just four times. The Hoosiers will receive to start the second half.
FIRST QUARTER: Perry Jones did his best to lead Virginia in the quarter. He ran for 23 yards and the Cavaliers lead 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. Virginia started the scoring off when Robert Randolph kicked a 54-yard field goal to cap off an eight-play 24-yard drive, which gave the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead. Virginia kept the ball on the ground during the drive, throwing only one pass. Indiana will start the second quarter with possession on the Cavaliers' six-yard line.