Michael Hawkins Jr. ran for three touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes to fuel West Virginia’s 38-27 upset of No. 25 Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Classic on Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C.
Hawkins completed 10 of 17 passes for 190 yards and rushed 18 times for a career-high 123 yards. DJ Epps had three receptions for 92 yards and two TDs, and Cam Cook added 123 yards on 30 carries as the Mountaineers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2018.
Jekail Middlebrook rushed for 75 yards and scored rushing and receiving TDs for the Cavaliers (2-1), who led 14-7 after the first quarter. Beau Pribula completed 21 of 33 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
West Virginia seized a 28-21 lead with 12 seconds left in the third quarter as Hawkins found Epps in the end zone on a 21-yard pass.
Virginia reached the red zone on the ensuing possession but came up empty after a third-down sack by Ashton Woods and a missed field goal.
The Mountaineers extended the lead to 38-21 on a 5-yard dash by Hawkins with 5:24 left and a 21-yard field goal by Jack Cassidy after the two-minute warning.
Pribula added a 2-yard TD pass to John Rogers with 21 seconds left.
Virginia scored on its first possession of the game as Middlebrook’s 8-yard run completed a 12-play, 62-yard drive.
West Virginia answered quickly, making it 7-7 when Hawkins hurdled into the end zone to finish off a 13-yard run.
Xavier Brown’s 47-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the first quarter put the Cavaliers in front 14-7.
The Mountaineers leveled the score on Hawkins’ 29-yard strike to Epps early in the second quarter.
West Virginia led 21-14 at halftime on Hawkins’ 15-yard scramble with 26 seconds left before the break. He set it up with a 42-yard pass to Epps on the previous play.
Virginia made it 21-21 on Pribula’s 1-yard TD toss to Middlebrook midway through the third quarter. A 26-yard catch by Rico Flores Jr. on fourth-and-10 kept the drive alive.
–Field Level Media
