CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Chris Long's name hadn't come up since the pregame ceremony.

Ten minutes into the third quarter, Virginia Tech was well on its way to scoring more points than the Cavaliers had given up all season.

The Hokies were up 23-14 and were once again driving into Virginia territory.

Suddenly Long, the Cavs' star defensive lineman, burst through the middle of the line and bull-rushed Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon. Fourteen yards behind the line of scrimmage, Glennon went down in a sprawl, releasing the football on his way down.

"He comes up big in some big situations," said Cavaliers' linebacker Clint Sintim. "When the chips are down, you know he's going to step up."

Glennon's fumble led to a Cavaliers' touchdown, with Jameel Sewell capping an eight-play drive with a two-yard touchdown run to cut the Hokies' lead to 23-21.

Long was back in Tech's backfield on the next drive, grabbing quarterback Tyrod Taylor's legs as Antonio Appleby pulled him down for another sack to force a punt.

But Long's heroics weren't nearly enough to lift the Cavaliers to their first win over Virginia Tech since 2003. Virginia could not score again, and the Hokies weren't quite through dancing in the Cavaliers' end zone. He may be a finalist for the Lombardi Award for the nation's top lineman and the Nagurski Trophy for top defensive player, but Chris Long never beat Virginia Tech.

"They've had a great four years," Long said of the Hokies during his tenure at Virginia. "We've been through some ups and downs. I think what you saw today was a competitive ballgame. ...

"We'll probably see more of them when we come back to see this game."

Long has been a Cavaliers' captain for two seasons, and was a second-team all-ACC selection last year. Before Saturday's action, Long led the ACC and ranked fifth in the nation with 1.09 sacks per game. He also ranked third among the nation's defensive linemen with an average of 6.3 tackles per game.

On Saturday, he added to those numbers with four solo tackles, two assists and 1¹₂ sacks.

"It's been a great ride here at Scott Stadium," Long said. "I have a lot of memories, but it flies by. ...

"Man, it went fast."

Long seemed startled in the pregame ceremony when the Cavaliers announced they were retiring his jersey, a new honor at Virginia that recognizes an outstanding player but allows the number to stay in circulation.

"It's an honor," he explained later. "But I wanted to stay focused and play ball."

Former Virginia running back Tiki Barber also had his jersey retired during the game. The Cavaliers have retired the numbers of six players: Jim Dombrowski (73), Bill Dudley (35), Gene Edmunds (97), Shawn Moore (12), Joe Palumbo (48) and Frank Quayle (24). Those numbers will never be worn again.

"Chris is finishing his career as one of the all-time great Virginia players," coach Al Groh said. "It was fitting to recognize him at this time as such."

"Chris is an extraordinary dude," Sintim said. "Not only as a player, but as a man in general.

"He's a standup guy."

Long, though, isn't quite ready for his collegiate career to end. Particularly not with the taste of defeat still souring his mouth.

"It hurts badly to lose," Long said. "At the same time, we're anxious to get back and see who we play in the postseason."