Photos by SAM DEAN The Roanoke Times

Virginia tailback Keith Payne dives into the end zone in the third quarter of Saturday's game against Richmond.

Virginia head coach Mike London celebrates winning the season opener. London is the first UVa coach to win his opener since Bill Elias in 1961.

Photos by SAM DEAN The Roanoke Times

Virginia's Kris Burd catches a 2-yard touchdown pass from Marc Verica in the second quarter.

Virginia tailback Keith Payne celebrates a touchdown on the Cavaliers' opening drive against Richmond. Payne rushed for 114 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Virginia quarterback Marc Verica throws for a career-high 283 yards, completing 24 of 35 passes, in the victory.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia's football opener Saturday night was all about comebacks, not just for coach Mike London upon his return to the UVa sideline but for some players who never left.

Fifth-year tailback Keith Payne, who dropped off the team last year but stayed in school, rushed for 114 yards and scored four touchdowns as the Cavaliers pulled away in the second half and defeated Richmond 34-13.

Fifth-year quarterback Marc Verica, who was Virginia's No. 3 quarterback at this time a year ago, passed for a career-high 283 yards as London became the first UVa coach since Bill Elias in 1961 to win his opening game.

The Cavaliers, as a team, hadn't won an opening game since 2005.

"We have been waiting for this for a long time and it's just awesome," said safety Trey Womack, a fifth-year senior who was making his first career start.

Virginia, which ended the 2009 season with a six-game losing streak, was playing without veteran defensive backs Ras-I Dowling and Rodney McLeod, but never trailed against a Richmond team that had won 24 games the past two seasons with London as their coach.

Latrell Scott, who replaced London as the Spiders' head coach, was the UVa receivers coach in 2009 and brought several of his Cavalier colleagues with him.

"Well, we got through the Virginia game," Scott said resignedly. "It's something we've been talking about for a long time."

The Cavaliers outgained the Spiders 287-170 in the first half, with 70 of Richmond's yards coming on a touchdown run by sophomore fullback Kendall Gaskins that forced a 7-7 tie with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Virginia had jumped offside on the play, drawing a yellow flag, and it appeared that some of UVa's players stopped playing, either in anticipation of a whistle or because Gaskins' forward momentum slowed and nearly stopped.

"I didn't hear a whistle," London said, "but the players said they heard a whistle. I'm not saying there wasn't a whistle, but, regardless, you've got to keep going till you're sure."

Virginia had opened the scoring by taking the opening kickoff and driving 77 yards, thanks in large part to a 38-yard run by Perry Jones on the Cavaliers' first play from scrimmage. UVa did not have a run of more than 34 yards during the 2009 season.

The Cavaliers went ahead 14-7 on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Verica to Kris Burd with 10:29 remaining in the second quarter, but Richmond was able to add a 36-yard Will Kamin field goal with 1:23 left in the half.

A 40-yard Kamin field goal made it a 14-13 game with 10:46 left in the third quarter, but then the Cavaliers decided to play smashmouth.

Jones, a 5-foot-8. 185-pound sophomore, gained 13 yards on the first play after the kickoff. He was replaced at that point by Payne, a 6-foot-3, 255-pounder who had consecutive rushing gains of 15, 13 and 15 yards as the Spiders were unable to keep the pile from moving.

"There were some plays there where he was just imposing his will," Verica said. "It was truly special to watch. We have a lot of guys on this team now who are ready to break out and Keith is one of them."

Payne had 10 carries for 73 yards and three touchdowns in the second half alone. He came into the game with a total of five carries in the last two seasons and was contemplating a transfer until London replaced former coach Al Groh.

"It's a new program," Payne said. "I felt good after the game, but I feel like everyone felt good and that's what it's all about."

Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said the original script did not call for Payne to lead the team in carries. Payne had 16 and Jones had nine.

"Beforehand, I would have thought it would be a little more even as far as the carries," Lazor said, "but the way the game was going and with what we were doing, it was his kind of game. So we did what we thought fit."

It was shades of 2008 for Verica, who passed for 200 yards or more in six consecutive games that season but struggled down the stretch. He completed 24 of 35 passes Saturday.

"He didn't try to do anything heroic," London said. "He stayed within himself and threw for a high percentage and moved the chains. If he continues to do that, he'll continue to help us."