From Virginiasports.com:

PITTSBURGH — On the road against a ranked opponent in a stadium where they had won only once, the Virginia Cavaliers found themselves trailing by six points at halftime.

They never flinched. UVA dominated the second half and knocked off No. 23 Pitt 24-19 late Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium.

With the victory, the Wahoos ended a three-game losing streak and improved to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in ACC. Not since 2019, when they broke through in this city for the first time, had the Hoos prevailed at the home of the NFL’s Steelers.

“That was a complete team win,” third-year head coach Tony Elliott told his jubilant players in the visiting locker room. “It took all three phases.”

On offense, the Cavaliers scored three touchdowns and totaled 340 yards. On defense, they forced two turnovers and held Pitt, which came in averaging 38.9 points per game, to 292 yards. On special teams, Virginia blocked a field-goal attempt that would have given Pitt a 16-7 lead in the third quarter.

Tailbacks Xavier Brown and Kobe Pace scored all of the Cavaliers’ TDs: Brown on a 1-yard run and a 24-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Colandrea, and Pace on a 3-yard run.

Colandrea threw two interceptions Saturday, but in a game that tested Virginia’s resilience, he elevated his performance when it counted. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 143 yards and one TD, and his 29-yard run late in the third quarter set up the touchdown that put the Hoos ahead to stay.

Brown finished with 68 yards on 15 carries, and Pace rushed 12 times for 52 yards. Pace’s 9-yard gain with about 1:20 to play gave the Hoos a first down and allowed them to run out the clock.

On UVA’s previous possession, Pace had run for 3 yards on fourth-and-1 from the Pitt 24, extending a drive that ended with Will Bettridge’s 32-yard field goal. That made it 24-19, and the Cavaliers’ defense did the rest.

After the Panthers (7-2, 3-2) drove to the Virginia 47, backup quarterback Nate Yarnell attempted a long pass. Safety Corey Thomas Jr., a graduate of Penn Hills High in Pittsburgh, came down with the interception to all but seal the Hoos’ victory.

With three regular-season games left, Virginia needs one more win to become bowl-eligible for the first time in Elliott’s tenure.

The first two games are against ranked opponents: No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 13 SMU. The finale, in Blacksburg, is the annual battle for the Commonwealth Cup between UVA and Virginia Tech.

UP NEXT: Two of the Cavaliers’ remaining regular-season games are on the road. At 3:30 p.m. next Saturday, in a game to air on NBC, Virginia (5-4) meets No. 10 Notre Dame (8-1) in South Bend, Ind.

The Fighting Irish routed visiting Florida State 52-3 on Saturday night.

Virginia is 0-4 all-time against Notre Dame. In the teams’ most recent meeting, the Irish defeated the Cavaliers 28-3 at Scott Stadium in 2021.

Chris Tyree, a wide receiver who’s in his first season at Virginia, is a graduate transfer from Notre Dame.