When working out of his Boulder, Colorado, office, Brian Williams often takes advantage of its surrounding beauty with nature hikes, trail runs and overnight camping trips.
The views at 5,430 feet are awe-inspiring and peaceful. It’s a quiet he relishes as the CEO of Viget, a Washington-based software development firm with four locations throughout the country.
But don’t get it twisted: If the 1997 University of Virginia graduate could go back to the chaotic evening on Nov. 2, 1995, in Charlottesville, he would “do it in a heartbeat.”
Brian Williams, while hanging on the crossbar of a Scott Stadium goalpost, hams it up for a camera that captures the scene following UVA’s win over Florida State. Williams, a 1997 alumnus, learned later this image of him was featured on ESPN during “SportsCenter’s” recap of the game. (Contributed photo)
Williams’ favorite view that night was of a Scott Stadium field covered with jubilant UVA football fans. His vivid memory of the scene stems from the three to four minutes he spent hanging from a goalpost.
“One of the best nights of my life,” he said. “Incredible.”
Williams will be among many UVA alumni reliving an epic memory Friday when the 3-1 Cavaliers host eighth-ranked Florida State University, nearly 30 years after beating the Seminoles in what remains, arguably, the program’s signature performance.
The Wahoos’ uniforms will emulate those donned by Tiki Barber, Anthony Poindexter and the other household names who led the Hoos to a 33-28 upset of the No. 2 Noles, which ended on a last-second, goal-line stand that sparked an orange-and-blue-colored celebration for the ages.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬.
’95 Throwbacks 🔥#GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/SpubWHZbXW— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 23, 2025
Mike Groh: At Virginia, tradition runs deep.
Born from visionaries, shaped by legends. These colors have long told the story of this great University. Every stitch, every stripe. It carries the legacies of the ones that have come before us.
It’s time to write the next chapter. Tradition never dies. It lives with us.
[♪ “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey plays. ♪]
Fans ripped down the goalposts and carried the parts all over Grounds.
“I went by Madison Bowl the next day,” recalled 1990 alumnus Myron Ripley, “and the freaking goalpost was down there in the bowl.”
“Thousands tear up field, party in street” reads a headline from the Nov. 3, 1995, edition of the Cavalier Daily that was packed with coverage of a win the UVA student newspaper later called the “most dramatic” in the “school’s sports history.”
Virginia’s victory snapped Florida State’s 29-game winning streak over its Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. The Seminoles entered the ACC three years earlier and had never lost to a league opponent – until Poindexter and Adrian Burnim combined to stop FSU star running back Warrick Dunn just short of the end zone as time expired.
UVA fans carry a piece of a goalpost out of Scott Stadium following the Wahoos’ win that snapped FSU’s 29-game win streak against ACC opponents. (Daily Progress photo)
Pandemonium ensued. “A spiritual experience” is how then-third-year student Mary Zambri described to the Cavalier Daily the feeling of gleefully rushing the field.
Decades have passed, but the memories have hardly faded for those lucky enough to be in the capacity crowd of 44,300 that evening.
The Cavaliers entered the game – a rare Thursday night affair – with a 6-3 record and a No. 24 national ranking, yet they were decided underdogs against an undefeated FSU bunch trending toward its second national championship in three years.
Broadcaster 1: Here’s the ballgame. Virginia leads, 33-28, trying to shock the No. 2 team in the country here in Charlottesville.
Broadcaster 2: One last play.
Broadcaster 1: You’ll know in four seconds who wins it.
Touchdown … no!
Narrator: Confidence isn’t always derived from unfettered success. Sometimes it’s born from simply getting off the mat.
Florida State and Virginia represented both sides of this same coin in 1995. The Seminoles had run roughshod through the ACC, unbeaten in 29 contests over three seasons.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, suffered gutting last-second losses at national powers Michigan and Texas that only served to embolden the talented roster. They could play with anyone.
Tiki Barber: As a team, we felt like if we can play with Michigan, we can play with Texas, we can play with Florida State. And we did.
Mike Groh: I think our preparation was really good. I think we were focused on what we wanted to do. We knew their key players and the things we needed to take away and felt really confident in our gameplan. We knew we were going to play really well at home.
Certainly, when we showed up to the stadium that night, it was unmatched and electric for a Scott Stadium crowd.
Barber: It was chilly, but rainy, but kind of the perfect football night. There was this aura. We couldn’t wait to get on the field.
Broadcaster 1: Inside it’s heating up because the Cavaliers fans know that Florida State in the last four years has seen their opponents go down like a cold beer on a hot day. The Wahoos of Virginia tonight hope to snap that long conference winning streak.
Tiki Barber, hit in the backfield, ball loose.
Barber: I fumbled. Immediately, they scored.
If we’re going to make mistakes, they’re going to destroy us.
But that week, we had seen a lot on film that they liked to bring the safety down, force the play into extra defenders. Mike sees it coming, sees the safety creeping down and he gets up and he calls the audible and I’m like, “All right, here we go.”
Broadcaster 1: Little option, Barber’s got the corner already! Tiki Barber might have a touchdown! One man to beat, forget it, he’s gone.
Barber: And all of a sudden, I’m like, “Dude, there’s nobody here.” The obstacle is what you see when you take your eye off the prize. And so, all I was doing was digging as hard as I could. It was awesome.
Groh: Those kids of plays, when they presented themselves, we needed to make those plays. And really to a man, all 22 on offense and defense, we were able to do that throughout the night.
Broadcaster 1: They’re going to punt it, and it’s blocked!
Barber: My brother on the defense, Percy Ellsworth, James Farrior, Jamie Sharper. We have all the talent that we need. We have a really good quarterback in Mike.
Broadcaster 1: Groh, play action, deep streak for Pete Allen. He made the catch, he’s going to go! 72 yards!
Groh: I knew I had Pete outside 1 on 1. If I remember correctly, he kind of looked at me and I looked at him. I knew what that look meant and I said, “Let’s go ahead and test them down the field.” He made a great play on that ball.
Broadcaster 1: Halftime at Scott Stadium. The Wahoos are hooing it up. The Cavaliers lead the Seminoles, 27-21.
Boddy Bowden: Linebackers, you’re getting whipped. Secondary, you’ve given up long passes. You gotta fight for the stinking ball. Just remember it’s a 60-minute football game.
Jamie Sharper: They couldn’t score with the big plays. They had to throw the balls in the flat, they had to throw the balls with deep 7 routes and what have you. When they couldn’t score quick, we knew we had them.
Coach Lantz, rest in peace, our defensive coordinator. He had a certain game plan for us building up to Florida State. They call it the 3-3 stack now. Three down linemen … We brought Anthony Poindexter down as our fourth linebacker. He played in the flats as well.
Narrator: The ACC heavyweight tilt settled into a late-round war of field position. Will Brice pinning the Seminoles deep, Rafael Garcia booting field goals. And Lantz’s stacked defense stymying each offensive.
Still, an eerily familiar scene was coming into focus: Virginia would need one last stop. And with it, a reversal of fortunes.
Barber: It was almost a sense of we’ve done our part. Now our defense has to save us.
I’m just, like, chewing on my lip, chewing on my mouthpiece, just thinking they’re going to make a stop. And you realize they only have a play left.
When they direct snapped it to Warrick, I was like, “Oh, crap.” I honestly thought that’s the perfect play.
Broadcaster 3: They snap back to Danny Kanell and he hands off up the middle … oh no, he lost the ball! What are they going to call? They’re going to say no! They’re going to say no! They’re going to say no! Virginia’s won the football game! I don’t believe it!
Sharper: I started shooting through a gap, back-side. You saw me diving in the A-gap, trying to get his leg. And I just got his leg on a swipe and made him stumble. And as he was stumbling, Burnim and Poindexter finished him off at the goal line.
Barber: Everybody points to Dex, but it was Adrian Burnim who made the play. He jumped over the top and punched. He hit the ball perfectly. Even though Warrick’s head was in the end zone, the punch knocked the ball back and it stayed right there. The tip of that ball never crossed the goal line.
Warrick and me and Ronde have gotten really close over the years. And every time I see him, the first thing I say … “You weren’t in.”
Sharper: The celebration was unbelievable.
Groh: Running on the field and just overwhelmed. I don’t know if it was relief or excitement, but you got to have faith to believe something like that will happen and we had a lot of guys who did and had a lot of confidence in each other.
That was obviously an exciting night, one we’re still talking about.
Barber: That team made it feel like Virginia’s a player in college football. It shined a light on Virginia. We’re proud of that.
It changed Virginia football.
Then-third-year student Paul Davis, his face painted orange and blue, had a message for all Wahoo fans as he arrived at Scott Stadium: “Don’t come in here negative,” he told the Cav Daily.
Davis’ classmate Dave Lampton personified optimism in a few distinct ways. He remembers making a bet with a friend that the Hoos wouldn’t just cover the 18-point spread, but they would win the game outright.
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