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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (Ticker) -- Virginia ended a five-game losing streak as Billy McMullen scored on a hook and lateral with 22 seconds remaining for a 39-38 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over No. 17 Georgia Tech. Bryson Spinner hit Alvin Pearman near the right hashmarks and and Pearman threw an overhand pass back to McMullen on the 27. McMullen caught the ball near the right sideline and raced untouched into the end zone. "We practice the jump ball more than we do that," said Virginia coach Al Groh. "It is just a regular curl pattern with a trailer. If it is clear, he passes it to him. If it is not, we take the gain we have and move on to the next play." Virginia (4-6, 3-5 ACC) won for the first time since a 31-10 triumph over winless Duke on September 29. "This was a magnificent college football game," Groh said. "There was tremendous will and heart by both teams, a magnificent effort by both quarterbacks and a great call (by offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave) there at the end. Desperate times call for desperate measures." Georgia Tech (6-3, 3-3) had posted consecutive wins since a 20-17 overtime loss to 11th-ranked Maryland, but now has little hope for gaining a share of the conference title. "Give credit to Virginia, they made the flea-flicker when they had to," Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary said. "Virginia put seven or eight guys in the box. It's tough to run against that, so we threw more. We threw the ball well, but we just couldn't stop anybody." Spinner completed 32-of-46 passes for a season-high 327 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-2 sophomore also ran 10 times for 86 yards as the Cavaliers improved to 11-12-1 all-time against the Yellow Jackets. George Godsey was 39-of-55 for a school-record 454 yards for Georgia Tech, which has lost five straight at Virginia since Scott Sisson kicked a field goal in the closing second for a 41-38 triumph over the then No. 1 ranked Cavaliers. Georgia Tech's last three losses at Virginia have been by a combined 12 points. Godsey threw for 319 yards in the second half, but his final pass was intercepted by Shernard Newby at the Virginia 35 with four seconds to go. The Yellow Jackets held a 20-7 advantage in first downs in the first half and took a 20-7 lead into the locker room. The Cavaliers scored on their first possession of the third quarter as Spinner completed three straight passes with the final one being a 14-yard touchdown by McMullen to cut the deficit to 20-14 with 8:20 left. Spinner directed a seven-play 79-yard drive that he capped with a nine-yard pass to McMullen, giving the Cavaliers a 21-20 edge 1:48 into the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech answered as Godsey's 33-yard pass to Kerry Watkins set a up a one-yard plunge by Joe Burns to make it 26-21 after the two-point conversion attempt failed. Tavon Mason caught the ensuing kickoff in his own end zone and raced 100 yards to put Virginia ahead, 27-26, with 9:07 to play. Antoine Womack was stopped on the two-point conversion attempt. Godsey hooked up with William Glover for three straight completions before Sean Gregory scampered 12 yards to give the Yellow Jackets a 32-27 lead with 5:55 left after Godsey was stopped trying for the conversion. Tyree Foreman had an eight-yard TD catch as the Cavaliers regained the lead, 33-32, with 2:51 to go. But Godsey moved the Yellow Jackets 80 yards in 66 seconds as he completed 5-of-6 passes with the final one being a 36-yard reception by Watkins to give Georgia Tech its final lead.
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