CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia was playing to win, not to salvage a lost season or try and ruin Penn State's bowl chances.

The Cavaliers knew their season was done after the Nittany Lions game, but they wanted to finish the year on a high note, with a win against a Big Ten team on the senior's last game in Scott Stadium.

Virginia did it.

"We beat a Big Ten team that was looking to go bowling," said Virginia quarterback Bryson Spinner, "and we stopped them from doing it."

Penn State had everything to gain and Virginia had nothing to lose Saturday in both teams' final regular season game that was rescheduled from Sept. 13.

With a win, the Lions would've been headed to Texas during the Christmas break for a bowl matchup.

But after their 20-14 loss to the Cavaliers and a second straight season with no postseason, the Lions season ends shorter than expected.

It's the first time in 70 years Penn State has had back-to-back losing seasons.

The last time it happened was during the 1931 and 1932 seasons. Penn State coach Joe Paterno hadn't even started grade school.

"We wanted to win," first year Virginia coach Al Groh said. "If you're going to compete, you have to be motivated by more than rings and watches."

Groh's defense, headed by former Penn State linebackers coach Al Golden, shut down the Lions offense in the second half, shutting out the Lions while intercepting four passes and returning a fumble 92 yards for a touchdown.

Penn State freshman quarterback Zack Mills said the 3-4 defense that the Cavaliers used confused him as they used eight players to defend the Lions passing game. He managed only 136 yards passing in the loss.

Virginia stopped the Lions offense in the second half and it held them to the lowest point total that the Cavaliers have given up all season in a win.

That list includes ACC teams like Wake Forest that scored 34, North Carolina State that scored 24 and North Carolina that put up 30 points against the same Virginia defense.

Even Richmond, a Div. I-AA team, scored more than Penn State did against the Virginia defense.

"They gave themselves something to remember about this year's team," Groh said.

Penn State had five turnovers, a season high, as Mills threw three interceptions and fumbled it once while junior quarterback Matt Senneca threw an interception in only four pass attempts.

It was the Cavaliers' best defensive performance of the season. Unfortunately for the Lions offense, it might have been their worst second half of the season. And it cost them a trip to the Alamo Bowl.

"I told them at the half, I thought we played a good game," Groh said. "We needed to play a great game in the second half and that's what we did. We played our best game."