Groh said many players, "as you can imagine," turned in their best performances of the season against the then-22nd-ranked Gamecocks. UVa (1-2) made its share of mistakes but also made big plays in all three phases of the game - offense, defense and special teams - to produce its first victory of the season.

"We knew at some point that it would come together and click," junior quarterback Matt Schaub said. "It did [Saturday] and we had a good feel and we were able to put it all together. … I think this is a good sign for our football team. The defense played great and the offense was able to sustain drives. There are lots of good things to take from this."

Going into their first bye week, the Cavaliers should be a confident bunch. They limited South Carolina to 262 yards and forced seven turnovers, including six lost fumbles. They caused two of those fumbles on special teams, returning one for a touchdown. Offensively, they converted 10 of 17 third downs and threw four touchdown passes, one by tight end Heath Miller.

The drawbacks were injuries to freshmen tailbacks Michael Johnson (sprained ankle) and Wali Lundy (bruised hip), though Groh indicated Lundy could have returned to the game if necessary. Virginia also allowed a kickoff return touchdown for the first time in 28 years. Kurt Smith missed a field goal and an extra point, adding to concerns about UVa's kicking game.

Overall, however, Groh was pleased with the performance. He offered plenty of praise Sunday after watching game film, singling out Musgrave for calling offensive plays with "a good blend of things, a couple 'unusuals' in there."

One of those "unusuals" was the pass from Miller to tight end Patrick Estes late in the third quarter. It resulted in a 20-yard touchdown that turned out to be the final score of the game.

"It's been in the playbook for a couple weeks and I didn't know if we'd get to use it," said Miller, an all-state quarterback at Honaker High School. "When I caught [the lateral from Schaub], I saw that the defense bit on the pass to me so I knew if I got the ball to [Estes] that he'd make a play."

Miller also caught a touchdown pass and tied for the team lead with four receptions. McMullen had four catches for 72 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown and a spectacular one-handed grab in the third quarter that may turn into the highlight play of Virginia's season.

UVa's offensive line did not allow a sack and provided decent running room despite having two first-time starters in center Zac Yarbrough and left guard Ben Carber. The five starters played all 72 snaps and helped the Cavaliers run nearly six minutes off the clock on their final drive, sealing the victory.

"They really did a good job that last series there," Groh said. "We got good push. They were pretty blunt, direct plays - 11 straight runs. That should aid their confidence there."

The defense, which allowed 970 yards in its first two games, gave up touchdowns on two of South Carolina's first three possessions. After that, the Gamecocks scored just once more on a 95-yard kickoff return. In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers stopped South Carolina on downs, then came up with two turnovers inside their own 10-yard line. The six fumble recoveries were a school record.

"That's an every-play situation. If you were to watch one of our practices, somebody is always trying to take the ball," freshman linebacker Darryl Blackstock said. "That's not something coaches have to teach, really. It's natural, almost second nature. You're always trying to get the ball."

The only person Groh criticized was himself. He received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after arguing a questionable pass interference call in the second quarter. The two infractions, totaling 30 yards, helped set up a South Carolina touchdown.

"I apologize for that. I shouldn't have done that," Groh said. "I was trying to tell the [official] I knew a little about pass coverage and pass defense. People who are doing it part-time are trying to tell us what this game is about."

Virginia coach Al Groh wore out his rewind button watching the catch on tape. "The coach watched it about five times and the fan in me watched it about 15 times," he said. "It was something."

Officially, it was a 20-yard reception by UVa senior Billy McMullen in the third quarter of Saturday's 34-21 victory over the Gamecocks. Unofficially, it may have been the launching pad for McMullen's All-America campaign.

To be sure, few receivers in the country could have made the catch. McMullen was running to his left but Matt Schaub's pass was thrown behind him. He twisted his body, reached out with his right arm and made a one-handed grab while falling to the ground.

The play showcased what makes McMullen special: his extraordinary body control and huge hands. If he is going to receive All-America recognition this year, jaw-dropping catches like that may be necessary, because it looks like he may not end up with jaw-dropping numbers.

After setting a school record with 83 catches last season, McMullen has 12 receptions in three games as a senior. That's a dropoff of nearly three catches per game. He also has just one touchdown after scoring 12 times a year ago.

With greater offensive balance, the Cavaliers don't need to rely on McMullen as much, which may damage his chances for postseason honors. But he says he doesn't care about individual awards.

"I said earlier in the year that if I don't get passes, then I'll block and try to do other things," McMullen said. "I did that [Saturday] and so did a lot of the other receivers."

To McMullen, the real significance of the catch was its impact on the game - and on Virginia's season. The Cavaliers trailed 21-20 and faced a third-and-11 at their own 37-yard line. The reception extended a drive that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown. He also converted another third down with a 9-yard catch during the march, helping UVa (1-2) win its first game.

"This says a lot about us," said McMullen, who finished with four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. "It lets a lot of people know that we're not a pushover."

Groh said McMullen's catch on a two-point conversion following UVa's final touchdown was "just as spectacular." Despite tight coverage, he reached over a defender and "snatched it away," Groh said. "It's just a heck of a play."

"He probably had two of the best catches that have ever been made in this state," Groh said.

His teammates were equally impressed, but they weren't shocked.

"They're amazing catches, but I see them every day [in practice] so it's kind of routine," Schaub said.

Indeed, McMullen made a similar catch during last Thursday's practice. Some teammates teased him, saying it was too bad no television cameras were recording it. That wasn't a problem Saturday with a national audience looking on.

"That was unbelievable," Groh said after the game. "Fortunately for him, it was on ESPN, and they'll be showing it all weekend. If he's not an All-America player, I don't know who is."

Schaub shines. Schaub had a right to feel good after brushing aside two knocks against him – that the Cavaliers don't win when he starts, and that he never puts together two strong performances in a row.

He completed 20 of 30 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns against South Carolina. That came a week after going 19 of 25 for 247 yards and three TDs in relief against Florida State.

"It was a good all-around game for our whole team," said Schaub, now 2-6 as a starter. "The offense, defense and special teams all played well at the same time. We were able to put together a whole game."

Schaub now ranks second in the ACC and 18th nationally in passing efficiency with a rating of 152.6.

Oddly enough, two of the biggest plays he made against South Carolina came after his two interceptions. He made a touchdown-saving tackle following the first, then recovered a fumble after nose tackle Langston Moore coughed up the ball after the second interception.

"We talk about making the best out of a bad situation," Groh said. "That was a pretty good example of it."

Bye, bye. The Cavaliers do not play this weekend - one of two open dates in the 15-week schedule. They will practice until Thursday, then have the weekend free.

Schaub said he will stay in Charlottesville and watch college and pro football games all weekend.

Others, like senior linebacker Merrill Robertson, will go home. Robertson will bring home a gift - the game ball he received after the South Carolina victory.

"It's my first game ball," he said. "I'm going to get everyone to sign it and then I'm going to take it home to my dad."

Remembering 9-11. Virginia's football game against Penn State was postponed following the terrorist attacks last year. Groh said he isn't planning a specific speech to the team on Wednesday's anniversary.

"I think most of them pretty much remember those things. They don't need an epistle from me about it," Groh said. "But as daily activities go on, maybe [I'll offer] a reminder as to what the day is, and those things we learned about the world and those things we learned about ourselves last year."

Extra points. Groh said freshman tailback Michael Johnson "has a significant ankle sprain and we'll just have to see how it develops." He also indicated that center Kevin Bailey (knee) and outside linebacker Raymond Mann (knee) will not be back for the Sept. 21 game against Akron. … Sophomore defensive end Chris Canty, who missed the first two games with an injured leg, made seven tackles (including a sack) in 40 plays against South Carolina. … Groh shook up some of the special teams personnel after the Cavaliers allowed a 95-yard kickoff return to USC's Matthew Thomas. … Sophomore guard Elton Brown and senior linebacker Angelo Crowell were selected as ACC football players of the week. … Walk-on linebacker Mark Miller, who played six special teams plays against the Gamecocks, became the 13th true freshman to see action for Virginia.

Only a few weeks ago, it appeared that Deyon Williams was a lock to sign with Penn State. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound receiver was leaning hard toward committing to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions.

Things changed in a hurry as coach Al Groh's staff went to work on Williams, who had offers from the Cavaliers, Penn State and Pittsburgh. He also had attracted interest from neighboring Maryland and Boston College. Ohio State reportedly was working on Williams to play defensive back for the Buckeyes.

The Maryland wide out was supposed to attend the Cavaliers' game against South Carolina last weekend but he couldn't make it. Still, UVa's upset victory over the Gamecocks must have added a little excitement to his decision.

Williams committed to the Cavaliers on Monday, giving Virginia 11 verbals for its 2003 recruiting class. He is the first wide receiver in the class.

Virginia gains quite an athlete in the receiver from Suitland High School in Upper Marlboro, Md. He has a 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash, can high jump 6-foot-6 and long jumps better than 22 feet.

Some schools overlooked Williams, whose statistics weren't all that impressive as a junior. However, he played behind a pair of Division I-A prospects last season at Bishop McNamara High and so he had limited touches. But he still had 150 yards in receptions, another 200 on returns and 150 rushing en route to scoring nine touchdowns.

He also played safety on defense and recorded 47 tackles, had two interceptions and three sacks.

Penn State became attracted to Williams after he outperformed more name prospects at the Nike Camp held at State College during the summer.

Williams is currently listed as a two-star prospect by Rivals 100 recruiting service but has not yet been ranked. SuperPrep ranked Williams as the 13th-best prospect in the Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington region.