The final score did not accurately reflect FSU's physical dominance. More telling was the home team's 397-62 advantage in rushing yards, and the fact that about 10 Cavaliers limped out of Doak Campbell Stadium, two on crutches (left guard Mark Farrington and cornerback Marcus Hamilton).
"They were big, even bigger than I thought they'd be," said defensive end Kwakou Robinson, one of 12 true freshmen to play for UVa. "Pretty fast, too."
That certainly describes 248-pound junior tailback Greg Jones, who ran behind Florida State's monstrous offensive line for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Three other Seminoles rushed for at least 50 yards; all five of their TDs came on the ground.
The result was a pretty thorough beating for the Cavaliers, who dropped their ACC opener for the first time in five years and are off to their first 0-2 start since 1987. While the outcome came as no surprise, given the opponent and the venue, the number of injuries could have long-term ramifications for Virginia's season, depending on their severity.
"We are concerned," Groh said. "We can't afford that, certainly at some positions."
At least Groh could take some solace in a strong finish that included three Matt Schaub touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Many of the young players gained valuable experience and played better toward the end of the game.
"There have been a lot of teams that came into this place that when the score was 33-0, it finished up 68-3," Groh said. "I appreciated the fact that the players took the attitude that they were going to get in a fight and stay in a fight and I thought they did that."
For Virginia, it could have been worse. Much worse. The Seminoles committed 13 penalties and four turnovers, two deep in UVa territory. They started seven drives inside midfield, scoring 24 points on those possessions.
Had Florida State not squandered so many opportunities, it could have scored nearly twice as many points, such was the disparity in talent.
"What stopped us time after time was us," said FSU coach Bobby Bowden, whose team finished with its most rushing yards in a game in seven years.
The Seminoles were just as dominant on defense. The Cavaliers totaled 96 yards in the first half, 49 of which came on one pass from Schaub to Billy McMullen.
Redshirt freshman Marques Hagans, who sparked Virginia off the bench last week, started at quarterback but was ineffective. He completed just 1 of 7 passes, as UVa netted 44 yards on its first five possessions.
Schaub played the rest of the way and completed 19 of 25 passes for 247 yards.
"It's disappointing the way we started. It kind of fell apart on us," Schaub said. "It's good we kept fighting and kept battling out there. ... I think it definitely helps the younger players to play a top-5 team in their house and do some good things at the end. We can take this and build on it."
The Cavaliers learned some hard lessons early. Freshman Tom Hagan had a punt blocked for a safety midway through the first quarter for the game's first score.
Florida State then seemed content to let its offensive line take control. Torrance Washington, Chris Rix and Jones each rushed for touchdowns as the Seminoles took a 23-0 halftime lead.
Jones opened the second half with consecutive runs of 12, 13, 13 and 16 yards. Nick Maddox then rushed three times for 21 yards and Jones capped off the 80-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run.
Florida State, known for its pass-happy attack, didn't throw in the second half until its 16th play. It didn't have to. The Seminoles passed for just 157 yards, giving the Cavaliers a clinic in power football.
"Everyone expects Florida State to throw the ball because of the guys they used to have," Robinson said. "But I'm not surprised. I think they'll be a running team this year because of the backs and the offensive line they have. They're huge."
