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Miami vs. Virginia 2012: Jake McGee keeps bowl hopes alive

Behind a remarkable catch from tight end Jake McGee, the Cavaliers defeated the Hurricanes Saturday.

Geoff Burke

The Virginia Cavaliers earned a thrilling 41-40 victory over the Miami Hurricanes Saturday in an Atlantic Coast Conference football game at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers scored the game-winning touchdown with six seconds remaining on a great pitch-and-catch from quarterback Michael Rocco to tight end Jake McGee, who somehow got his feet down in the back of the end zone.

The play helped the Cavaliers improve their overall record to 4-6 and has been the focus of the SB Nation blog Streaking The Lawn.

On second down with 10 yards to go, Michael Rocco threw an arching pass to Jake McGee, who prior to this game had been quiet for most of the season after a couple big-play heroics back in September. McGee had to stretch out about two feet in the air and a foot past the end zone to make the reception

McGee's catch capped a 10-point fourth-quarter rally by the Cavaliers, who used a great offensive effort to earn their third straight win and kept the possibilities of a bowl berth alive.

At 4-6, the recipe for the remainder of the season is simple. Beat UNC and Virginia Tech, then go to a bowl game. The Hokies also stand at 4-6, meaning that it is impossible for both teams to finish bowl-eligible. In fact, if UVA wins against UNC on Thursday and VT beats Boston College, the Hoos and Hokies' annual showdown will determine which team enters postseason play. Not quite the same implications of last year's contest, which determined the ACC Coastal, but something to play for nonetheless.

Next week, the Cavaliers host the North Carolina Tar Heels (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) in an ACC contest. Virginia closes out the season with a road game against the Virgina Tech Hokies (TBD).