The Associated Press
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Ÿ In a stunning upset last night, Virginia snapped Florida State's 29-game Atlantic Coast Conference winning streak and probably ended the Seminoles' bid for a national championship.
Tiki Barber had 297 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns and the No. 24 Cavaliers stopped second-ranked Florida State inches from the goal line on the final play for a 33-28 victory.
It was Florida State's first ACC loss since joining the league in 1992. The Seminoles (7-1, 5-1) had won their first 29 ACC games by an average margin of 33 points, and had beaten their first five league foes this season by an average of 43 points.
Virginia (7-3, 6-1) played an inspired game against explosive Florida State, which was leading the nation with 56 points and 600 yards per game.
After building a 27-21 halftime lead, the Cavaliers shut out the Seminoles for most of the second half and got two field goals from Rafael Garcia, who had four in the game.
FSU pulled to 33-28 on Warrick Dunn's 7-yard TD run with 6:13 left in the game, and drove to the Virginia 6 in the final seconds. But Dunn was stopped inches from the end zone by Anthony Poindexter and Adrian Burnim on the final play, setting off a wild celebration at Scott Stadium.
The Florida State loss scrambled the major bowl picture. Had the Seminoles beaten Virginia and gone undefeated, they probably would have played No. 1 Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title.
Now, the only way the Fiesta will get two undefeated teams is if Nebraska and No. 3 Florida win out. Florida plays Florida State at Gainesville on Nov. 25.