2002 Continental Tire Bowl
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Virginia Bowl Games
Continental Tire Bowl
December 28, 2002–Charlotte, N.C.
Virginia 48, West Virginia 22
Virginia made its first bowl appearance under head coach Al Groh a memorable one, dominating #14 West Virginia 48-22 in the inaugural Continental Tire Bowl at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The game was played in front of a national television audience and a sell-out crowd of 73,535 fans. It marked the second-highest attendance figure for a first-year bowl game in NCAA history.
Finishing with a 9-5 record (6-2 ACC), Virginia clinched its first nine-win season since 1998 and was ranked 22nd in the final Associated Press poll.
UVa combined inspired play on both sides of the ball with solid special teams play and some perfectly-executed offensive trickery to post its largest margin of victory in 13 bowl appearances. After punting the ball away on the game’s opening drive, the Cavaliers scored on their next eight possessions.
Trailing 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers tallied 31 unanswered points over the next two periods to take a commanding 38-10 lead with 6:48 left in the third quarter.Among the many Cavaliers who excelled was true freshman tailback Wali Lundy-the game’s Most Valuable Player-who totaled 239 all-purpose yards. In addition to rushing for a game-high 127 yards and two scores, he caught five passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 36-yard kickoff return.
Lundy accounted for UVa’s first score in the first quarter when he caught a 14-yard pass from backup quarterback Marques Hagans, who lined up in the backfield before going in motion on the play. Hagans took a lateral from quarterback Matt Schaub and then threw across the field to a wide open Lundy in the end zone.
Lundy later capped the game’s scoring with a 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also scored on a four-yard run and on a 48-yard pass play from Schaub.
In addition to his touchdown pass, Hagans scored on a 69-yard punt return to open up a 21-10 Cavalier lead midway through the second quarter.
Connecting on five of his first six passes of the game, Schaub finished 16 of 22 passing for 182 yards and a touchdown. The ACC Player of the Year also rushed for 39 yards, including a one-yard TD run.
Virginia played most of the game without star wide receivier Billy McMullen, who left the game for good in the first quarter with an injured elbow. He caught one pass for eight yards against WVU, giving him 210 career receptions-the second most in ACC history.
Freshman place-kicker Connor Hughes, who assumed UVa’s kick scoring duties late in the season, connected on field goals of 27 and 30 yards.
Linebacker Angelo Crowell had a team-high 14 tackles, followed by safety Jerton Evans with eight. Linebacker Darryl Blackstock and cornerback Almondo Curry each had an interception (leading to a touchdown and field goal, respectively).
SCORING SUMMARY___________________________________West Virginia 10 0 6 6--22Virginia 7 21 10 10--48___________________________________First QuarterWVU- Todd James 27 FG, 6:11UVa- Wali Lundy 14 pass from Marques Hagans (Connor Hughes kick), 4:06WVU- Avon Cobourne 6 run (James kick), 0:19Second QuarterUVa- Matt Schaub 1 run (Hughes kick), 10:12UVa- Hagans 69 punt return (Hughes kick), 7:53UVa- Lundy 4 run (Hughes kick), 0:19Third QuarterUVa- Lundy 48 pass from Schaub (Hughes kick), 9:10UVa- Hughes 27 FG, 6:48WVU- Rasheed Marshall 1 run (kick blocked), 0:56
Fourth QuarterUVa- Hughes 30 FG, 12:12WVU- Cobourne 1 run (run failed), 7:17UVa- Lundy 31 run (Hughes kick), 3:48
Attendance-73,535