CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by a singular, spectacular special teams play, Wake Forest upset Virginia 16-9 on Saturday at Scott Stadium, handing the Cavaliers a stunning defeat despite being outgained and dominated in time of possession.

A crowd of 55,568 watched as the Demon Deacons (6-3, 3-3 ACC) leaned on a relentless ground attack and a game-breaking 88-yard punt return touchdown from Carlos Hernandez to snap Virginia’s (8-2, 5-2) six-game winning streak.

The contest was a far cry from the offensive shootout projected by pregame metrics, which heavily favored the Cavaliers. Instead, it became a grueling battle of field position and defensive stops.

Virginia struck first, capitalizing on an early special teams miscue by Wake Forest. A blocked punt by Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson gave the home team the ball at the Wake Forest 24-yard line. The drive stalled, but Will Bettridge connected on a 34-yard field goal to put Virginia up 3-0 midway through the first quarter.

The Demon Deacons’ offense, led by the dual-threat running of quarterback Robby Ashford and the steady work of running back Demond Claiborne, methodically moved the ball but repeatedly failed to find the end zone. Wake Forest mounted a 19-play, 75-yard drive that consumed over nine minutes of the second quarter, but it ended with a turnover on downs at the Virginia 5-yard line after Claiborne was stopped for a loss on fourth down.

Virginia appeared to seize momentum after the goal-line stand. Quarterback Daniel Kaelin, who split time with Chandler Morris, ripped off a 54-yard run to set the Cavaliers up deep in Wake Forest territory. The drive, too, ended with a Bettridge field goal, this time from 21 yards, extending Virginia’s lead to 6-0.

The game’s decisive turn came with just over a minute remaining in the half. After a Virginia punt, Hernandez fielded the ball at his own 12-yard line, found a seam up the middle, and broke into the open field, outracing the coverage for an 88-yard touchdown. The score, followed by a successful point after, gave Wake Forest its first lead at 7-6.

Wake Forest then quickly forced a three-and-out, and a 39-yard field goal from Cameron Calvert as time expired in the half sent the Demon Deacons into the locker room with a 10-6 advantage.

The second half was a continuation of the first: a defensive slog. Bettridge hit his third field goal, from 40 yards, on Virginia’s opening drive of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 10-9. Calvert answered with a 50-yard kick later in the quarter to push the lead back to four at 13-9.

Wake Forest’s defense, led by a swarming linebacking corps of Davaughn Patterson and Nick Andersen, who each had eight tackles, and Langston Hardy, who added seven and a quarterback hurry, consistently pressured the Virginia quarterbacks and stifled the run outside of Kaelin’s long scramble. Dallas Afalava recorded the game’s only sack for the Demon Deacons.

The Cavaliers’ best chance to take the lead was snuffed out early in the fourth quarter when a fumble by running back J.Taylor was recovered by Wake Forest’s Dylan Hazen at the Demon Deacons’ 26-yard line.

Wake Forest then embarked on a clock-draining 12-play drive that resulted in Calvert’s third field goal, a 49-yarder that provided the final margin of 16-9 with 3:53 remaining.

Virginia mounted a desperate final drive, moving from its own 25-yard line to the Wake Forest 5-yard line in the final minute. But on fourth down, Kaelin’s pass into the end zone for Jahmal Edrine was broken up, sealing the victory for the Demon Deacons.

Statistically, Virginia controlled the game, outgaining Wake Forest 353 to 224 in total yards and holding a significant advantage in time of possession. Kaelin finished 18 of 28 for 145 yards passing and added 49 yards on the ground. Claiborne was the workhorse for Wake Forest, carrying the ball 25 times for 75 yards, while Ashford rushed for 57 yards on 11 attempts.

The loss is a significant setback for Virginia’s ACC Coastal Division hopes, dropping them to 5-2 in conference play. Wake Forest, meanwhile, becomes bowl-eligible with its sixth win and will host North Carolina next Saturday. Virginia travels to face Duke.