The Last Time Virginia Beat Wake Forest in Football

Wake missed a field goal as time expired and Virginia prevailed in a wild finish in 2007

Photo courtesy of Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Communications

12 years before the moniker of “Cardiac Cavs” was applied to the 2019 Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team, the term was used to describe the 2007 Virginia football team.

In the 2007 season, the Wahoos won five games by two points or less, breaking an NCAA record that had stood since 1971. The last of those games was a thrilling one-point victory over Wake Forest on November 3, 2007.

Virginia and Wake Forest were in the midst of very successful seasons when the two teams met on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers were 7-2 and 4-1 in the ACC coming into the game, while the Demon Deacons, who were also the defending ACC Champions at the time, came into the game on a six-game winning streak.

Quarterback Jameel Sewell found Maurice Covington for a 39-yard touchdown to give Virginia a 10-6 lead at halftime. But Wake Forest responded with a 10-0 run in the second half.

Trailing 16-10, UVA got the ball with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Sewell drove the Hoos down the field and converted a fourth down play with a 10-yard pass to Covington. Three plays later, Mikell Simpson scored a short rushing touchdown to give the Cavaliers a 17-16 lead with 2:18 left.

Jameel Sewell threw for 225 yards and a touchdown and added 47 rushing yards. Mikell Simpson had 16 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown as well as eight receptions for 77 yards. On the defensive end, the Hoos were led by Clint Sintim, who had 10 tackles and a sack, and Chris Long, who recorded 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Wake Forest responded with an 11-play, 42-yard drive that set up a Sam Swank 47-yard field goal attempt with just a few seconds left on the clock. Swank was one of the ACC’s best field goal kickers that season, converting 13 of his 14 attempts up until that point. Swank pushed the kick wide right as time expired and Scott Stadium went nuts.

The win was Virginia’s fifth victory of the season by two points or less and third consecutive win by one point. UVA defeated North Carolina 22-20, Middle Tennessee State 23-21, Connecticut 17-16, and Maryland 18-17.

It was also Virginia’s third-straight win against Wake Forest. The Cavaliers have historically dominated the Demon Deacons, leading the all-time series 34-16, including a stretch of 17 wins in a row from 1984 to 2000 in the George Welsh era.

However, that dramatic win on November 3, 2007 was the last time the Hoos have beaten Wake Forest. Virginia is just 3-5 against Wake since 2000 and the Demon Deacons have taken each of the last four meetings.

Virginia will look to put an end to that streak on Friday night, when the Cavaliers host Wake Forest at Scott Stadium at 7pm.