No. 21 Virginia rallied from an early 17-point deficit against upset-minded Old Dominion to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2004 with a 28-17 victory in the non-conference game Saturday night at Charlottesville, Va.

Arizona State transfer Bryce Perkins completed 15 of 24 passes for 175 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown strike to Joe Reed with 7:33 left in regulation, to lead the Cavaliers to the comeback win. Perkins ran for 35 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.

Virginia's defense also came on strong in the second half, limiting Old Dominion to 46 total yards. The Cavaliers had 11 tackles for loss, including six sacks, in the game. Linebacker Charles Snowden finished with a career-high 15 tackles with 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks.

Old Dominion, an in-state school, won at Virginia Tech last season despite being a 29-point underdog. The Monarchs (1-2) entered Saturday's game as a 26.5-point underdog in the first meeting between the schools.

Virginia took its first lead of the game, 21-17, two plays after Old Dominion failed a fourth-and-1 attempt at its own 29 with 10:54 left in regulation. Monarchs quarterback Stone Smartt was stopped short of the line by free safety Joey Blount.

Perkins completed a 22-yard pass to Tanner Cowley to the Old Dominion 7, and Wayne Taulapapa ran the ball into the end zone on the next play with 10:16 left.

The Monarchs came out strong at the start, building a 17-0 lead in the second quarter after scoring on their first three possessions of the game.

After opening the game on an 11-play drive that went 74 yards and using 7:38, Old Dominion placekicker Nick Rose made a 21-yard field goal to give Old Dominion a 3-0 lead.

Smartt ran for a 10-yard touchdown, capping a 48-yard drive, on the next possession to increase the lead to 10-0 with 3:37 left in the first quarter. His 47-yard touchdown pass to Matt Geiger culminated a nine-play, 89-yard possession, increasing the lead to 17-0 with 10:32 left in the half.

Smartt finished 16 of 26 for 206 yards with a touchdown and interception. Keion White, a tight end turned to defensive end, had 3.5 tackles for loss and blocked a field goal for the Monarchs.

Reed awoke Virginia with a 57-yard return on the kickoff following Smartt's touchdown pass to Geiger.

Six plays later, Perkins kept the ball on a fourth-and-2 at the Old Dominion 8 and reached the end zone to cut the lead to 17-7 with 6:57 left in the first half.

The Monarchs held Virginia to only 66 yards of total offense in the first half, including just 23 yards on the ground.

Virginia cut the lead to 17-14 with 10:00 left in the third quarter on Zane Zandier's 22-yard interception return to the end zone. Smartt was feeling pressure and appeared to be trying to throw the ball to the ground, but Zandier was there to grab it.

--Field Level Media