When Virginia lined up on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line against archrival Virginia Tech last Saturday night, there was a sense something different was coming. Not just because of the situation-tight game, big moment-but because offensive coordinator Des Kitchings had been sitting on a little trick for just this kind of stage.
With a 7-0 lead late in the first half and the Hokies crowding the line, Kitchings finally pulled the trigger on a play he’d been holding for weeks. The Cavaliers had leaned heavily on a direct-snap package all season, often snapping it straight to running back J’Mari Taylor instead of quarterback Chandler Morris. It had become a signature look for Virginia in short-yardage and goal-line situations-one that had been effective enough to draw serious attention from opposing defenses.
Virginia Tech, like everyone else, thought they knew what was coming. Taylor had taken that direct snap and powered his way into the end zone plenty of times this season. So when he lined up beside Morris in the shotgun, with center Brady Wilson ready to snap it directly to him, the Hokies defense sold out to stop the run.
That’s exactly what Kitchings was counting on.
Taylor took the snap and gave a quick jab toward the line, selling the run hard. The Hokies bit-linebackers crashing downhill, linemen diving to plug gaps.
And then, just as quickly, Taylor pulled up and floated a pass over the chaos to a wide-open Sage Ennis in the back of the end zone. Touchdown, 14-0 Virginia.
And a dagger of a play that shifted the momentum in a rivalry game that means everything to both programs.
“I was thinking, we’ve got to score on this play because we’ve been practicing it all week,” Taylor said. “We got the look we wanted. The only thing left was to complete the pass.”
It wasn’t just a clever wrinkle-it was the culmination of weeks of preparation. Kitchings had been building layers into this direct-snap package all season, knowing defenses would eventually key in on it.
He mixed in different formations, motion, and misdirection, always staying one step ahead. But this was the payoff.
“We put a lot of time into our goal-line packages,” Kitchings said. “You only get maybe 15 to 20 of those plays a season, so you better be ready when the moment comes.”
This time, they were more than ready.
The play worked in part because of how convincing the setup was. Virginia had leaned so heavily on Taylor as a short-yardage runner that the Hokies had no reason to expect anything else. But also because of the execution-Taylor’s timing, the offensive line’s sell, and Ennis’ ability to slip behind the defense unnoticed.
Ennis, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end, has quietly become one of Virginia’s most reliable red-zone targets. He’s now tied with wide receiver Trell Harris for the team lead in touchdown catches with five, and it’s easy to see why. He’s big, athletic, and-on this play-completely unaccounted for.
“Man, I don’t know if I’ve ever been that wide open,” Ennis said. “There was nobody. It was a well-coordinated play, and we choreographed it well.”
Still, sometimes the easiest catches are the hardest. Ennis admitted the moment wasn’t without pressure.
“So those are usually the ones that are the hardest, right?” he said. “You’re so open, you just don’t want to mess it up.”
He nearly had to block on the play, depending on how Virginia Tech’s defensive end reacted. But when the Hokies’ front bit hard on the run, Ennis slipped past the linebacker with a subtle bluff and found himself all alone.
“Then it felt like the ball was in the air forever,” he said, laughing. “I turn around, I’m just looking at it.”
The pass wasn’t a tight spiral-it wasn’t supposed to be. It was a soft toss, just enough to clear the defenders and give Ennis a chance. And it worked to perfection.
“It was a great play by J’Mari, great play by the offensive line, great fake by Chandler,” Ennis said. “It really took all 11 of us to get it done.”
That includes center Brady Wilson, who was so fired up after the touchdown that he spiked the ball-drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. No one seemed to mind.
“Worth every yard,” Ennis said.
As for Taylor, he was all smiles afterward. Asked to rate himself as a passer?
“100 percent,” he laughed. “That’s all that matters.”
It’s not often you see a running back throw a touchdown in a rivalry game. But when you do-and it’s this well-timed, this well-executed-it’s the kind of play that sticks in fans’ memories.
For Virginia, it was more than just six points. It was a statement: this offense can beat you in more ways than one.