Cavs don't crack versus Jackets
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 23, 2007

Al Groh’s inability to pass out game balls had nothing to do with Saturday’s outcome.

Due to a quirky NCAA rule, college football teams cannot give them out. That should go down as a cost-cutting move for Virginia’s budget.

UVa delighted a sun-filled Scott Stadium, delivering a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter and staving off a would-be rally defensively en route to a 28-23 win over Georgia Tech.

The Cavaliers (3-1, 3-0 ACC) padded their lead in the ACC’s Coastal Division in the process, handing the Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-2 ACC) their eighth straight setback in Charlottesville.

“If we’re successful, we are going to have a lot of games of that nature,” Groh said. “We have had three in a row and what they’ve shown in those three games is when the game is on the line they won’t crack.

“They trust in each other and they believe in each other. It was all the players - they stepped up and made a lot of plays. We have [improved] three weeks in a row and we might be a little bit better than most people gave us credit for.”

The game remained in doubt until the fourth quarter. In fact, Georgia Tech led, 23-21, until punt returner Andrew Smith muffed a kick at the Yellow Jacket 26 with 8 minutes, 56 seconds left. After bobbling the ball, Smith was drilled by Aaron Clark and the fumble was recovered by Virginia’s Trey Womack.

“I think everybody in the stadium could feel the [momentum swing]. It was electric,” Clark said. “As soon as you make that hit you feel the crowd roar and all your boys are patting you on the back, and when you turn around and watch the offense score on one play you kind of know it is going to end in a good day.”

Virginia did strike on just one play - quarterback Jameel Sewell fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Staton Jobe, who beat Georgia Tech cornerback Avery Roberson on skinny post.

The play served as redemption of sorts for Jobe, who dropped a pair of passes earlier in the game.

“I knew the next time they gave me an opportunity to make a play that I would step up and do it,” Jobe said of his first career TD. “The play developed perfectly. Jameel threw a perfect ball.”

The call from offensive coordinator Mike Groh drew heavy praise.

“I thought it was a great aggressive call by coach Mike Groh,” Jobe said.

Al Groh added: “We wanted to be pretty bold with our play-calling. You don’t win games like this by pulling your punches. We were going to go in there and take our swings and just see what happened.”

Georgia Tech, which entered the game as the nation’s only team without a turnover, had three more possessions to answer, but the respective drives were squashed as the Yellow Jackets’ final 13 plays netted only 10 yards.

The defensive effort for Virginia included a pair of stops on fourth-down conversions and came after a scary helmet-to-helmet collision between Virginia defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Georgia Tech wideout Correy Earls. After a near 10-minute stoppage, during which players from both teams huddled in prayer circles, Earls was carted out of the stadium on a stretcher. He had feeling in his extremities.

“We felt for him as if he were one of our guys,” Groh said. “But we also told our players that we don’t have any idea what’s going on over there. We’re not doctors. We can’t do anything at this present moment, so let’s just keep our focus on what’s coming up here in the next couple of plays.”

Long before the crowd-hushing injury, Georgia Tech took an early lead in the contest, scoring 119 seconds into the game on a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Bennett to wideout Demaryius Thomas.

Virginia’s offense answered, scoring a touchdown on its first drive on a 4-yard touchdown run from tailback Cedric Peerman. The play capped a 5-play, 81-yard drive.

“They came and punched us in the face and we had to come retaliate,” said Sewell, who finished 16 for 25 passing for 177 yards. “We are not getting punched in the face and not doing anything about it.

“We came back down with something for that defense.”

It marked the third straight week that Virginia scored on its opening possession.

“It certainly raised the whole tone of the place and most particularly, I think, it demonstrated to ourselves that we were going to be able to move the ball on this team,” Al Groh said.

Virginia, which gained 174 yards on 20 plays in the opening quarter, added to its lead late in the first with a pair of touchdowns.

The first, which came with 2:26 left in the first quarter, occurred on a 4-yard run from Sewell. The second score followed just 25 seconds later on a 25-yard interception return from Fitzgerald. The Yellow Jackets’ first turnover of the season came on a pass that was tipped by Virginia defensive end Chris Long and inadvertently batted by Bennett into Fitzgerald’s hands.

“I got into the backfield and after that I was just in the right spot at the right time,” Fitzgerald said.

While Virginia’s offense struggled throughout the second and third quarters, Georgia Tech slowly chipped away at the lead. The Yellow Jackets scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run from Jonathan Dwyer with 12:27 left in the first half and added three field goals from Travis Bell in the second and third quarters, the last of which gave Georgia Tech a 23-21 lead and set the stage for the final heroics.

For the game, Virginia finished with 354 yards of total offense and showcased a balanced attack - the Cavaliers registered 11 first downs through the air and nine on the ground.

Peerman paced the attack with 138 yards on 28 carries.

Virginia’s defense, despite allowing 351 yards, dominated on third downs, stopping the Yellow Jackets on 12 of their 15 attempts and stopped a pair of fourth-down tries.

After the final stop, which allowed the Cavaliers to milk the final 78 seconds, Virginia’s coach happily hugged cornerback Chris Cook and safety Nate Lyles.

“They were the only two that I could get to,” Al Groh said. “I wanted to do it with about 85 of them, but they were the only two that I could get.”

 

A retro rebirth for Virginia
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
September 23, 2007

Maybe you had given up hope on Virginia. Maybe you thought never again in your lifetime.

After last year’s disappointing season, and a shocking loss at Wyoming to open this season, even wins over ACC cellar-dwellers Duke and North Carolina wasn’t a lot to get excited about.

Suddenly came Saturday and a rebirth for Wahoo football. The moment arrived brash and bold at high noon, and continued nonstop into midday. Sixty minutes of retro drama, just the way it used to be.

When the dust had settled, Virginia sat atop the ACC’s Coastal Division with a 3-0 conference record and favored Georgia Tech’s 17-year curse in Charlottesville continued to flourish.

Big-time football

Yes, (cue the Hallelujah Chorus), a big-time football game broke out again at Scott Stadium. Retro became reality.

The Cavaliers took a haymaker from the Yellow Jackets on the opening series of the game, a 56-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Bennett to Demaryius Thomas. But the Wahoos didn’t have a glass jaw.

Instead, they responded with an 81-yard scoring drive highlighted by punishing runs by the ACC’s leading rusher, Cedric Peerman, and pinpoint rollout passing by quarterback Jameel Sewell, who, along with UVa’s offensive line, matured before our very eyes on Saturday.

Pregame intensity

Coach Al Groh, who must have wondered if his surname had been switched to ‘Embattled’ over the past few weeks, didn’t flinch when the Jackets took the early lead.

“Before the game, it was pretty raucous in our locker room ... our players were very into the game,” Groh said to describe the unusually intense pre-game atmosphere. “That’s why when we got hit for the long one right away, we didn’t feel [our players] would be deterred.”

Instead, the first half looked like something straight out of the Cavaliers’ video library. We’ve seen this one before around these parts, but not in years. This kind of gritty, important, testing victory was a flashback to more glorious times en route to a 28-23 victory over Chan Gailey’s Ramblin’ Wreck, now 0-2 in the ACC after whupping up on Notre Dame and Samford to start the season.

Gutsy game plan

Virginia’s game plan was impressive. All week long the conversation focused on Georgia Tech’s blitzing defense and whether Sewell, who had crumbled under pressure in the past, could deliver. Could the Cavs’ offensive line, which inexplicably couldn’t handle Wyoming’s numbers at 7,000 feet above sea level, deal with what the Jackets would deliver fresh from The Plains of Atlanta?

The answer, much to the chagrin of Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta, was an emphatic “yes.”

Groh had faced Gailey’s program for seven years so he had a pretty good grip on the Yellow Jackets’ schemes. He believed the Cavaliers could attack a blitzing Tech defense in the flats and that’s exactly what Sewell did for much of his 177 yards passing on the day.

“They blitz a lot and left a lot of big gaps wherever they blitzed from,” Sewell said. “With the experience our tight ends have, they know where to go and I know where they’re going to be.”

First thing Groh told his offense and his coaches last Sunday morning, following Tech’s lopsided loss to Boston College, had to do with how the Cavs could and couldn’t win this week.

“There’s some things we think we can get on these guys (Tech), but don’t count on getting them by getting plays like [Boston College QB] Matt Ryan threw,” Groh told his team. “We’re going to have to find different ways to get ’em.”

When Sewell wasn’t hitting his receivers with short, quick-hitting throws, Peerman was simply bulling over one would-be Jackets’ tackler after another on his way to a third straight 100-plus-yard rushing performance.

Meanwhile, Virginia’s defense, led by defensive ends Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald, were shutting down Tech’s heralded running game (14th best in the country) and causing havoc with an intense pass rush of their own.

Groh’s plan was to be bold with the calls, both offensively and defensively. The coach confessed afterward that Virginia tried everything defensively, 15 different pressures against Tech’s maximum pass protection.

Offensively, coordinator Mike Groh (Al’s son), who has come under fire for an impotent attack in recent weeks, called a solid game and kept Tech’s defense guessing.

“What we were able to put up against that team speaks for itself,” said Groh the Elder.

Virginia gashed the Jackets for 21 points in the first quarter, the first time Georgia Tech had given up more than seven points in any quarter this season.

There was tremendous pressure on the Cavaliers to succeed in this game. Georgia Tech couldn’t afford to drop a second conference game. The Jackets’ would bring incredible blitz pressure.

It looked like a make-or-break situation for Sewell. It was a game that Groh desperately needed to win for a myriad of reasons.

It was the kind of game that Groh predicted back in August that this particular Virginia team would be asked to win over and over this season.

“We’re just a grind-it-out every week team,” the coach said. “We’re going to have to do all the right things every week to win.”

Sewell had his own point to prove. The first start of his career came a year ago at Georgia Tech and it wasn’t pretty. He hasn’t forgotten.

“I got a lot more confidence out of this game because Georgia Tech thrashed me last year,” said Sewell, who completed 16 of 25 for 177 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions and no sacks. “They thrashed me every play last year and I didn’t want that to happen again. I said in the preseason I had matured and it showed. I think this game showed how far all of us have come in a year.”

Sewell sucked the air out of the Jackets’ hopes of ending their long, frustrating win-drought in Charlottesville when he spotted receiver Staton Jobe open and connected for what proved to be the winning TD with 8:56 to play.

It was the first time Virginia had bolted to a 3-0 getaway in the ACC since 2003 behind Matt Schaub.

“It’s a good spot to be in if you look at the big picture,” Groh said. “Frankly, this team isn’t looking very far ahead.”

Only to Pittsburgh coming to town this coming Saturday night.

If you thought the pre-game atmosphere in Virginia’s locker room was charged, you should have gotten a load of the postgame. There hadn’t been a lot of reasons to celebrate wildly in a while.

“So far in my career, it was one of the best ones I have enjoyed,” said senior Long. “To see Jameel go out there and play his heart out, to see Cedric and the offensive line come through, it was really gratifying.”

That was retro, too.


 

Peerman continues to shine
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
September 23, 2007

The game was billed as a showdown between the ACC’s top two rushers - Georgia Tech’s Tashard Choice and Virginia’s Cedric Peerman.

Anyone who followed the league already knew about Choice. He was the leading returning active rusher in the conference with more than 2,000 career yards.

Peerman? Well, he didn’t have a lot of history unless you count the last three weekends when the junior tailback exploded onto the scene and clearly into the ACC rushing lead on Saturday.

All the Cavalier back did was rush for 138 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in helping UVa down the visiting Yellow Jackets.

When it was over, the physical back showed no signs of wear or tear after

58 carries over the last two weeks. It was the third straight Peerman went over 100 yards, which matched the longest such streak by a UVa back since Alvin Pearman in 2004.

“Cedric was wonderful again,” said Cavaliers’ coach Al Groh. “As you can clearly see, he’s the right back for this team. He fits the personality for this program. There are lots of great backs in this country who we admire, but this kid’s the right back for our team.”

Groh said that Peerman epitomizes the toughness, heart and character of his teammates.

Toughness has never been an issue for Peerman, nor has the heart or character. Even last season when he played sparingly (he had one rush for 3 yards against the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta last year), the William Campbell High School standout had faith that eventually he’d get a chance.

“I knew I had the ability and talent,” Peerman said after Saturday’s performance. “It was just a matter of time. I’m not trying to be cocky about it. It has happened and taken its course.”

Last spring when Peerman was attempting to establish himself as the No. 1 tailback for the Wahoos, outsiders were more curious about redshirt freshman Keith Payne, a bigger back that had gained a reputation as a scout team player last fall.

Peerman never blinked. He believed he had all the tools to get the job done. Now, everyone knows why.

He became the first running back to reach the 100-yard mark against Tech this season. The Yellow Jackets were ranked seventh nationally against the run coming into the game.

But that was before Cedric the Shredder got hold of them. Only seven backs have rushed for 100 or more yards against defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta’s defense over the past 16 games and four of them were on two teams (James Davis and C.J. Spiller of Clemson; Pat White and Buster Schmitt of West Virginia). Only two of those other six backs rushed for more than Peerman against the Jackets.

After gaining 62 yards on nine carries in the first quarter, Virginia went away from the back until the second half, when he rushed 19 times.

Needless to say, he wasn’t overly happy with the lack of second-quarter touches. Yet, he remained patient.

“I knew my time was going to come,” he said. “I was just waiting. I was able to run off some important time in the fourth quarter and I think that helped. We can’t run the ball every play. We had to pass to loosen up the defense.”

He couldn’t help but speak up late in the third quarter, though, after freshman quarterback Peter Lalich’s pass was intercepted at the goal line on a second-and-10 call from the 30. The Cavs were trailing 23-21 with 1:42 showing in the period.

As he came off the field, it wasn’t difficult to tell that Peerman wasn’t happy with the play selection.

“I said [give me the ball],” Peerman confirmed after the game.

On the next series, he gained 22 yards on three carries. After UVa had regained the lead, Peerman did a solid job of milking the clock on five straight runs for 22 more, including a first-down dash behind a pulling Branden Albert.

Peerman’s contribution reached far beyond the white lines, though. For the second straight week, the back delivered a brief, but emotional speech to his teammates at halftime, inspiring them to win the game.

“I don’t talk much, so it is kind of an emotional burst for me,” Peerman said. “If there’s something on my heart, I’ll say it. I don’t have a lot to say, but when I do talk I feel like it should be worth something.”

Teammate Chris Long said Peerman’s message has been important to the team.

“When you exhibit the level of play and passion the field that few guys have, people listen,” Long said. “I’ll listen. Anybody should listen to that guy.”

Peerman now has 479 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 84 attempts.

 

Clark's forced fumble set up Cavs' winning score
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 23, 2007

The players on Virginia’s special teams come into games with a simple goal.

“We have a mindset every week that we need at least one explosion play to help us win,” explained UVa reserve linebacker Aaron Clark, “So we go out there every week and try to make it.”

On Saturday afternoon at Scott Stadium, Clark provided the explosion. The Fairfield native’s hit on Georgia Tech punt returner Andrew Smith caused a fumble and keyed UVa’s 28-23 victory.

“It was certainly a big play and the biggest play that he’s made since he’s been here,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “I’m very happy for him. It takes those kinds of things - for guys to step up. Usually when you win it’s because your guys stepped up and [Clark] certainly stepped up and did that.”

With just over nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Virginia was trailing, 23-21, and brought out the punt team.

Ryan Weigand booted a 43-yarder that Smith muffed at his own 26-yard line. Before Smith could coral the ball, he was crushed by Clark.

“I was just running down the field, was the first one there and just figured I would take a shot,” Clark said. “He bobbled the ball, I hit him and the crowd went crazy.”

Even crazier after teammate Trey Womack made the recovery.

“They were double-teaming me,” said Womack, the gunner. “I took a hard inside move and luckily Aaron was there and made the big hit. I saw the ball loose and I just turned it up full speed and went after it.

“Our coaches are real big on ball security and ball disruption. There’s a drill that we do on a weekly basis, so it’s almost like second nature when you get out on the field.”

On the very next play, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell hit Staton Jobe with a 26-yard touchdown pass that gave UVa the lead for good.

Virginia offensive lineman Branden Albert said it’s always nice to get unexpected contributions from players like Clark and Womack.

“That was a big play,” Albert said. “That changed the game right there. We got field position and then scored the next play.

“Every game our special teams are very important. They can help us out in some way - and that helped us out a lot today.”

Clark, a junior who had just 10 career tackles coming into this season, was elated.

“It feels great to be able to help your team win with a play like that - it feels wonderful,” he said. “It was really my first big explosion play of my career. It felt good to get a notch on my belt.”

 

Wideouts show signs of life
By Todd Merchant / tmerchant@dailyprogress.com | 978-7236
September 23, 2007

First, Kevin Ogletree was sidelined following offseason anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Then Maurice Covington went down earlier this week with a wrist injury.

Add to that the heightened production from the tight ends and the wideouts’ recent knack for dropping the ball, and it all results in Virginia’s wide receiving corps not garnering too much respect around the ACC.

Some of that may have changed following Saturday’s showdown with Georgia Tech. Receivers Staton Jobe and Dontrelle Inman both came up with some big plays down the stretch to help the Cavs pull out the 28-23 victory.

The biggest of which was Jobe’s 26-yard touchdown catch from Jameel Sewell following the recovery of a fumbled punt with about nine minutes remaining in the game.

“It’s a route that he runs well. He runs it well in practice. He’s got a good feel for it,” Virginia coach Al Groh said of Jobe. “Obviously, that gave us the [five-point] margin. … The idea going into the game was that we were going to take our swings. We weren’t going to pull our punches.”

It was the first touchdown reception by a Virginia wide receiver since Ogletree hauled in one against Maryland on Oct. 14 of last season - that’s a span of more than 35 quarters.

While Jobe’s score helped redeem the wideouts, it also provided the former walk-on with a much-needed pick-me-up following two drops earlier in the contest.

“When I heard the play call in the huddle, I knew it was my opportunity to come back and make a play,” Jobe said. “The play developed just like we do it in practice, and Jameel made an incredible throw.”

Speaking of redemption, Inman has been plagued by a case of the drops all season and had a couple on Saturday. But the true freshman from South Carolina came through in the clutch on a key drive late in the third quarter.

On a third-and-3, Inman picked up the first down with a 6-yard catch. Two plays later, he was credited with a 31-yard reception after Avery Roberson was called for pass interference.

The drive ended abruptly two plays later when Peter Lalich was picked off at the 1-yard line.

Big-play day

Inman and Jobe were certainly not the only Cavs to come up big against the Yellow Jackets. UVa posted 14 plays that went for 11 or more yards, including seven in an explosive first quarter.

Virginia had three such plays to open its first drive - a 20-yard run by Cedric Peerman, a 45-yard reception by Tom Santi and an 11-yard catch by Jonathan Stupar. Santi’s catch was the longest reception by a UVa player since Ogletree had a 51-yarder against Maryland last year.

The drive culminated in a 4-yard scoring scamper by Peerman, which came in response to Georgia Tech’s five-play, 63-yard touchdown drive to start the game.

It was the third straight game that the Cavs have scored on their opening drive.

“That was definitely a statement. That’s what we needed to set the tempo for our offense,” Sewell said. “The line up front was doing a remarkable job, and they are going to keep getting better, which is only going to lead to everyone else getting better too.”

First-quarter fireworks

Following Peerman’s touchdown, Virginia added two more scores in the first quarter on a 4-yard run by Sewell and a 25-yard interception return by defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

The 21 points were the most UVa has scored in a quarter since putting up an equal amount against Temple on Nov. 5, 2005 in a 51-3 victory. Saturday’s output was also the highest-scoring first frame since the Cavs opened with a 21-spot in a 31-23 win over Maryland on Oct. 7, 2000.

Long’s ledger

Coming into the contest ranked second in the nation in sacks per game with 1.67, Virginia’s Chris Long added to his already gaudy numbers. The senior defensive end picked up his sixth sack of the season, marking the fourth straight game he’s tackled the quarterback for a loss. He had a similar four-game streak last season and now has 14 career sacks.

Long also finished with a season-high nine tackles and broke-up two passes. He also deflected a pass that led to Fitzgerald’s interception return.

“He is a great player,” said Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey. “He’s one of the best defensive players I’ve seen in our conference. You better know where he is, and you better have a plan.”

Big boots

Virginia’s Ryan Weigand and Georgia Tech’s Durant Brooks came into the game as the top two punters in the ACC, respectively, and among the top 10 nationally.

Weigand punted eight times for a 47.4-yard average, 2.0 below his season clip. Brooks also punted eight times for a 47.5-yard average, 1.5 above his season mark.

Brooks showed why he’s a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, as he pinned Virginia at its 1-yard line late in the first half and almost did it again in the third quarter before the ball took a low bounce past the Yellow Jacket player attempting to down it.

As for placekicking, Tech’s Travis Bell was 3 for 3 on the day, nailing field goals from 30, 43 and 51 yards out. The last was a career high.

Virginia’s Chris Gould did not attempt a field goal, but he was 4 for 4 on extra-point attempts and also had a 40-yard punt late in the contest.

Trophy time

The award for Effort of the Day goes to Peerman. In addition to rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown, he also had a key play late in the first half that helped extend a drive that nearly ended as a three-and-out.

On third-and-2 from his team’s own 9, Peerman broke for the sideline and laid out in full extension as he dove for the first-down marker. He was able to move the chains, but Virginia never capitalized.

The award for Ballsiest Call of the Day goes to Groh. Midway through the first quarter, with the Cavs facing a fourth-and-1 on their own 44, Groh opted to go for it rather than punt.

The decision paid off as Sewell picked up the necessary yard on a quarterback sneak, extending a drive that culminated with a 4-yard touchdown run by the signal-caller that put UVa up, 14-7.

Faces in the crowd

Former Virginia basketball standout John Crotty was in attendance on Saturday. Crotty, who starred for the Cavs in the late 1980s and early 90s before playing in the NBA for 11 seasons, is now a representative for the Orange Bowl and was seen sporting a bright orange blazer while roaming the press box.

Injury report

Scott Stadium became rather quiet late in the contest as Georgia Tech receiver Correy Earls lay prostrate on the turf for about 10 minutes. The redshirt freshman reportedly had a helmet-to-helmet collision with UVa’s Fitzgerald during a 13-yard run by Taylor Bennett with 4:54 left in the game.

Earls was placed on a backboard and loaded onto a stretcher before being wheeled off the field.

According to Georgia Tech officials, Earls had movement in all of his extremities and was taken to the UVa Medical Center, where he was under observation for a possible neck injury.

“When somebody goes down like [Earls] did, we’re all comrades,” Groh said. “We felt for him as if he were one of our guys.”

On Virginia’s sideline, Covington did not dress for the game and was seen with his arm in a sling and his wrist wrapped in some sort of protective splint.

Virginia backup quarterback Peter Lalich was hopeful that the wideout will be back in the lineup soon.

“He is going to be back. He is definitely not out for the season or for too long a time,” Lalich said. “He is working hard to get back.”


 

Cavaliers rally to beat Ga. Tech
Saturday, Sep 22, 2007 - 04:33 PM Updated: 05:37 PM
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Jameel Sewell threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Staton Jobe one play after a muffed punt recovery in the fourth quarter Saturday, and Virginia rallied after blowing an early lead and beat Georgia Tech 28-23.

The surprising Cavaliers (3-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) also got 138 rushing yards from Cedric Peerman and several big plays from defensive end Chris Long as they won their third straight against ACC Coastal Division opponents.

Long batted several passes away, one turning into a 25-yard interception return, and sacked Taylor Bennett on fourth down at Virginia's 30 late in the game.

The Yellow Jackets got one more chance after a punt by Virginia set them up at their own 35 with 1:51 left, but two holding penalties moved them back and four consecutive incomplete passes by Taylor Bennett finished off the Cavaliers' victory.

Georgia Tech (2-2, 0-2) lost its second in a row and for the eighth consecutive time at Scott Stadium. Its last victory here came against No. 1 Virginia in 1990.

Sewell, whose shaky play against Wyoming helped prompt the coaching staff to get freshman Peter Lalich some turns at quarterback, played possibly his best game, and made the biggest throw of the day in the biggest spot to get Virginia back in front.

He finished 16-for-25 for 177 yards and the winning TD pass.

The Cavaliers led 21-7 after 13 minutes, but helped Georgia Tech get back in it, committing two turnovers that led to field goals and another mistake when Lalich's deep pass for Chris Gorham was intercepted by Morgan Burnett at the goal line.

That came right after Travis Bell's career-best 51-yard field goal gave Georgia Tech a 23-21 lead. But when the teams exchanged punts, Virginia made a huge play.

As Tech's Andrew Smith settled under Ryan Weigand's punt, Aaron Clark was bearing down on him and Smith muffed the catch, Trey Womack recovering for Virginia at the Yellow Jackets 26. On the next play, Sewell hit Jobe for the go-ahead touchdown.

On a day filled with costly mistakes, Smith's was the biggest.

Vic Hall muffed a punt at his own 30 early in the second quarter and Tony Clark recovered for the Yellow Jackets. Two runs by Jonathan Dwyer — the second a 21-yarder off the left side — pulled the visitors within 21-14 12:27 before halftime.

They got closer still on Travis Bell's 30-yard field goal five seconds before halftime, capping a 65-yard, 10-play march that Virginia's defense made look easy.

The Yellow Jackets had four plays in the drive covering 10 yards or more.

On the fourth play of the second half, Sewell was stripped of the ball by Darrell Robertson on an option play, and Vance Walker recovered for Tech at Virginia's 49.

Five plays later, Bell's 43-yard field goal made it 21-20.

Virginia led 21-17 at halftime, and at one point seemed primed for a blowout.

The Cavaliers drove 94 yards in 14 plays to take a 14-7 lead on Sewell's 4-yard run, then scored again 25 seconds later when Chris Long tipped a pass at the line and it fell in the arms of Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who cradled it for 25 yards and the touchdown.

It also was the first turnover of the season by Georgia Tech.
 

A 'Hoos high
Sunday, Sep 23, 2007 - 12:07 AM Updated: 01:55 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Georgia Tech, the defending champion in the ACC's Coastal Division, has tumbled into last place. The University of Virginia's football team, which looked after a dismal opening-day loss at Wyoming as if it might be bound for the cellar, leads the Coastal.

So much for conventional wisdom.

"We might be a little better than most people gave us credit for," seventh-year coach Al Groh said after Virginia rallied to beat Georgia Tech 28-23 yesterday at Scott Stadium.

The victory was the third straight for the Cavaliers (3-0, 3-1), who came in as underdogs despite having dominated the series with the Yellow Jackets at Scott Stadium. Virginia surrendered a long touchdown pass on the game's first series and later squandered a 21-7 lead. But sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell's 26-yard TD strike to walk-on wide receiver Staton Jobe put U.Va. back on top with 8:56 left, and the defense did the rest.

The Wahoos held the Jackets (0-2, 2-2) twice on fourth down in the final 4:45.

"I think a lot of people didn't believe that we could hang, but we always say, 'All we got is us,' " said senior defensive end Chris Long, who turned in another stellar effort. "And throughout the week, which just kept telling each other, 'We're going to win this game. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. It's going to be a fight, and it's going to be tough,' and that's what it was, but we pulled out the victory."

Sewell's 13th start for the Cavaliers came a year and a day after his first. That was in Atlanta, against a Georgia Tech team that spoiled his debut and whipped U.Va. 24-7 on ESPN.

Yesterday, Sewell guided the Wahoos to touchdowns on their first two possessions, and his fourth-quarter TD pass to Jobe, a redshirt freshman from Austin, stunned the Jackets' vaunted defense. Jobe had no catches to that point and had dropped two passes.

"Obviously, I had some plays early on in the game that I didn't make that I should have, so I was kind of down on myself," Jobe said. "I knew the next time they gave me an opportunity to make a play I'd step up and do it."

On an unseasonably warm day, the crowd of 57,681 had thinned when Virginia senior Ryan Weigand went back to punt with 9:12 remaining. The Jackets led 23-21, and U.Va.'s offense had done little since intermission. But the game changed when Georgia Tech's Andrew Smith dropped Weigand's punt. An instant later, linebacker Aaron Clark drilled Smith, allowing U.Va. cornerback Trey Womack to smother the football at Tech's 26.

Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman already had topped the 100-yard mark for the third straight week, but offensive coordinator Mike Groh opted not to play it safe.

"We wanted to be pretty bold with our play-calling," said his father, Al Groh. "You don't win games like this by pulling your punches."

U.Va. wanted to "try to put the dagger in [the Jackets'] hearts, try to knock them out," Sewell said. "We pretty much did that."

The Cavs' first touchdown came on a 4-yard run by Peerman; their second, on a 4-yard keeper by Sewell. Virginia's third TD, in Long's estimation, merited inclusion on SportsCenter. With U.Va. leading 14-7 late in the first quarter, Long deflected a pass by Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett. The ball hung in the air, and Bennett tried to knock it to the ground.

Instead, it ricocheted off the helmet of U.Va. linebacker Clint Sintim into the waiting hands of defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, 8 yards deep in the Jackets' backfield. The sophomore from Hermitage High grabbed the ball -- his fourth career interception -- and sprinted 25 yards to the end zone. Bedlam ensued in the stands, and Virginia's players and coaches could only marvel at Fitzgerald's latest highlight.

"There's something new that happens in this game all the time," Groh said, "and he's exceeding what might be considered reasonable for that position."

 

U.VA. NOTES
Sunday, Sep 23, 2007 - 12:07 AM

Jackets' Earls stays in hospital for observation
Yesterday's game at Scott Stadium was stopped for about 10 minutes in the fourth quarter after Georgia Tech wide receiver Correy Earls was injured in an apparent helmet-to-helmet collision with Virginia defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

A redshirt freshman from Macon, Ga., Earls lay motionless on the field near the Yellow Jackets' sideline before being placed on a backboard and then on a stretcher.

Earls was taken to the U.Va. Medical Center, where he was to remain overnight for observation. In a news release, Georgia Tech said that "initial results came back negative on Earls." Earlier, the school had said that Earls was able to move all of his extremities.

The incident was frighteningly similar to the one that occurred when these teams met at Scott Stadium in 2005. In that game, U.Va. safety Nate Lyles suffered a season-ending neck injury. Lyles returned in 2006 and made his 22nd start for the Cavaliers yesterday.

In an NFL game this month, Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered what initially appeared to be a catastrophic spinal cord injury, and since then "everybody is particularly sensitive to seeing a player down like that," Virginia coach Al Groh said yesterday. "It doesn't have to be one of your own to have the feeling. . . . When somebody goes down like [Earls] did, we're all comrades."

Peerman on a roll with 100-yard games
Against Duke on Sept. 8, Virginia junior Cedric Peerman rushed for a career-best 137 yards. It was no fluke. The former William Campbell High star ran for 186 against North Carolina last weekend and 138 against Georgia Tech yesterday. The Yellow Jackets came in allowing an average of 1.6 yards per carry.

"Cedric was wonderful again," Groh said. "As you can clearly see, he's the right back for this team. He fits the personality of this program, he fits the personality of this team . . . He epitomizes the toughness and the heart and character of all his teammates."

Covington sidelined with injury to wrist
As expected, wide receiver Maurice Covington, who'd started the Cavaliers' first three games, was in street clothes yesterday with an apparent injury to his left wrist. Covington's left arm was in a sling.

"He won't be with us for a while," said Groh, who's not fond of discussing injuries.

Senior Chris Gorham, a converted defensive back, started in Covington's place yesterday. The start was Gorham's first as a receiver, but he has nine career starts at cornerback.

Tight ends were Sewell's chief targets
Virginia doesn't object to being called "Tight End U.," and that nickname would have been appropriate yesterday. Of the Cavaliers' 20 completions, 12 went to tight ends. Seniors Jonathan Stupar and Tom Santi had 10 catches for 133 yards between them, and junior John Phillips added two receptions for 19 yards.

Santi's first catch, on a gorgeous pass from sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell, went for 45 yards, Virginia's longest reception of the season.

"That was a perfect ball," Santi said. "He beat the defender with the throw."

Groh wasn't worried after TD Cook gave up
Less than two minutes into the game, Jackets wideout Demaryus Thomas beat junior cornerback Chris Cook on a long sideline route and caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Bennett.

Groh said he didn't worry about his top defensive back.

"I think Chris and I are developing a good connection and confidence in each other, and I had confidence in him," Groh said. "I wasn't upset about it. I knew that he was more upset about it than I was. I wasn't going to make an issue out of it, and he came up to me. He told me he owed he something for the rest of the game, and I could count on collecting it. I think he certainly lived up to what he said."

Cook later broke up two passes. - Jeff White

 

Long way is Cavs' path to success
Sunday, Sep 23, 2007 - 12:07 AM
By JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

CHARLOTTESVILLE The way Chris Long's looking at it, maybe there's no big trick to having your jersey number retired after your college career is over.

Long likes to retire his No. 91's as he goes along. There was no hope for yes terday's model, which looked as if it had been through a paper shredder well before the final whistle in the Cavaliers' 28-23 win over Georgia Tech.

"They were doing some holding, I guess," Long said. "That seems to be how they rip."

In defense of the Yellow Jackets, holding may be the only tactic that works with any degree of reliability against Long, a 280-pound senior who's threatening to prod and drag his teammates to a level of success no one would have anticipated when U.Va. opened its season with a 23-3 loss at Wyoming, a team you won't find in this week's national rankings.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about that Wyoming game every day," Long admitted, "but I think football players should be like this: When people start telling you you're pretty good, I just ignore it. When they say you're no good, that's when I usually pay attention."

His antennae could be active all season. Yesterday's win pushed Virginia (3-1 overall) to 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division. The Cavs have eight games remaining, but only one of them is against an opponent (No. 17 Virginia Tech) that you can locate in this week's Top 25.

Georgia Tech (2-2) gained some national notice for an opening win at Notre Dame but was blasted out of the rankings last week after a 24-10 loss at home to Boston College.

U.Va. coach Al Groh, a 24-7 loser at Tech last fall, still felt like doing a little crowing.

"We might just be a little better than most people gave us credit for being," chirped Groh, whose definition of "most people" may have included all 57,681 in the crowd at Scott Stadium.

Long is one of the few Cavaliers who didn't begin the year with modest expectations. After a very uneven sophomore year, he marked himself as a future pro in 2006 and seems to have taken another step forward in his fourth and final college season.

"He's one of the best players I've seen in our conference," said Tech coach Chan Gailey. "You better know where he is, and you'd better have a plan."

Long was easily spotted on most of U.Va.'s big defensive stops yesterday, including a volleyball-style tip drill that resulted in a second-quarter interception Jeffrey Fitzgerald returned for a touchdown.

"I tipped it," Long said, "and then someone else tipped it backwards. The quarterback [Taylor Bennett] got a hand on it and tried to spike it, but it hit [U.Va. linebacker] Clint Sintim's helmet, maybe bounced off another guy and wound up near Fitz, who kind of tipped it to himself and caught it.

"It's going to make some highlight."

Long was also front and center in the final minutes when Virginia stopped Tech twice, safeguarding a lead that never looked to be anything but shaky.

On defense, the Cavs didn't come close to making all the plays, but they did control the key downs. Georgia Tech moved the sticks on only three of 17 thirdand fourth-down snaps, probably the most telling statistic coming out of a generally sloppy exercise on a long, hot afternoon.

"We wanted to be bold in our play-calling," said Groh, who was true to his words and resisted most temptations to play it safe on both offense and defense, where Virginia negated Georgia Tech's considerable advantage in team speed with constant blitzing and pressure on Bennett, who didn't always handle it well.

"I think we wanted to show ourselves we could beat a good team," Long said. "Doing that means a lot."

Going through an entire season without playing many good teams? That could be priceless.


 

Fine finish for Cavs
After holding on for its last two wins, Virginia comes from behind to topple Georgia Tech.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Fourth-quarter comebacks aren't the norm for Virginia's football team, but anything goes when the opponent is Georgia Tech.

Especially when the setting is Scott Stadium.

Georgia Tech won at Virginia in an epic battle of 1990 unbeatens, but that was the last Yellow Jackets' victory at Scott Stadium, where the Cavaliers made it eight in a row Saturday with a 28-23 victory.

Recently ranked Georgia Tech erased a 14-point first-half deficit and went ahead 23-21 before Virginia scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 25-yard pass from Jameel Sewell to walk-on Staton Jobe with 8:56 remaining.

"After three of those [narrow wins] in a row, I guess we can see what type of team we're fashioning," UVa coach Al Groh said. "When a game's on the line, we won't crack.

"We might be a little better than most people credit us for."

Three weeks after losing its opener at Wyoming, Virginia (3-1, 3-0 ACC) sits atop the ACC's Coastal Division. Georgia Tech (2-2, 0-2) won the Coastal Division last year and entered play Saturday as a 312-point favorite.

The Yellow Jackets were ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense, but quickly found themselves down 21-7 to a Virginia team that had scored a total of six touchdowns in six games, dating back to last season.

The Cavaliers had touchdown drives of 81 and 94 yards on their first two possessions; then, before the Cavaliers could get the ball again, UVa defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald intercepted a Taylor Bennett pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

It was the first turnover for the Yellow Jackets this season.

"I tipped it, and then it went behind me," UVa's other defensive end, Chris Long, said. "Then Bennett tried to spike it and I think it hit Clint Sintim's helmet. Then, it went in the air and Fitz tipped it once to himself.

"That ball was hit by like six people."

Virginia stopped Georgia Tech on downs on its next series, but the game turned around when the Cavaliers' Vic Hall fumbled a punt that was recovered by the Yellow Jackets' Tony Clark at the UVa 30.

Two plays later, Tech got a 21-yard touchdown run from Jonathan Dwyer and it was a game again.

The Yellow Jackets dominated the second and third quarters and took a 23-21 lead on Travis Bell's third field goal, a career-long 51-yarder, with 4:22 remaining in the third period.

Virginia was struggling offensively and three times inserted freshman Peter Lalich for Sewell, with little impact.

The one constant was junior tailback Cedric Peerman, who rushed for 62 yards on nine first-quarter carries but got the ball intermittently thereafter.

Most glaring was a sequence after UVa had picked up a first down at the Yellow Jacket 29 at the end of the third quarter.

Clearly, the Cavaliers were inside the range of field-goal kicker Chris Gould, but Peerman didn't get the ball before Lalich was intercepted on second-and-10.

Peerman obviously was distraught when he came to the bench and the Cavaliers would not ignore him again. He finished with 28 carries for 138 yards, his third straight rushing effort of 100 yards or more.

"Cedric was wonderful again," Groh said."

Despite Peerman's hard running, it took a break for the Cavaliers to get back in the game. That came with just over nine minutes remaining, when Georgia Tech's Andrew Smith fumbled a punt that was recovered by UVa's Trey Womack at the Tech 25.

Womack was able to recover the ball because teammate Aaron Clark had plowed into Smith, rendering him incapable of recovering his fumble.

Peerman might have been the obvious call on the subsequent first down, but the Cavaliers went to Jobe on a glance pattern, sometimes known as a "skinny post."

"Once I got the play call, I was hoping I would get the perfect coverage," said Sewell, who noticed Georgia Tech's two safeties preparing to blitz, "and it was the perfect coverage and a perfect play call by Coach [Mike] Groh."

Jobe already had dropped two passes, one ruled incomplete on review.

"I definitely did not play my best game," said Jobe, whose whole family had made the trip from Austin, Texas, to Charlottesville. "I'm still not happy about my game, When they called the play, I knew it was my chance to step up."

Georgia Tech still had two offensive series after Jobe's touchdown and got to the UVa 16-yard line before Long sacked Bennett on fourth down.

The trip to Wyoming is a thing of the past, but it doesn't sound like the Cavaliers want to forget the criticism that followed it.

"I'd be lying to you if I said we didn't think about it," Long said. "It's almost a double standard for a player. When the fans are up and fans think you're pretty good, you've got to ignore it. When fans think you're no good, I like to pay attention to that."
 

For a third straight week, 3 cheers for UVa
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- He saw the hit, then he saw the ball, and if he could have seen his own eyes, he might have mistaken them for UFOs.

"Oh, I know they were wide," Trey Womack said. "They had to be wide."

Womack is a freshman cornerback for the University of Virginia. He does not play much, unless you count special teams, and be honest, you probably don't.

But he takes his job seriously. And in the fourth quarter, with UVa trailing and needing a play, he changed his alignment slightly from his gunner position. He beat two potential blockers down the field, something he couldn't do on any of UVa's previous seven punts. He watched as return man Andrew Smith juggled the ball, then felt his heart leap as Aaron Clark delivered a hit that kept Smith from making the recovery.

That's when Womack saw opportunity rolling around on the ground.

"Man, this is it," he remembers thinking, right before he fell on the ball. "This is what you worked for all summer."

Moments like this are adding up. Fumble recoveries from role players, interceptions by defensive linemen, timely sacks by stars -- together, these things have been enough.

They won again, these crazy Cavaliers. They pulled off their second upset in a row. This time it was a 28-23 victory over Georgia Tech at Scott Stadium, a game that was won and lost about six different times.

But that's nothing new. The Cavs struggled against Duke but won. They almost gave it away against North Carolina last week but won. And Saturday, they kept hustling, kept striving, kept swiping until they finally got the big, game-changing break.

"That's one of the things that we pride ourselves on," Womack said. "Try to make the other team crack."

Snap. Snap. Snap.

Three-and-oh in the ACC.

n n n

"After three of those in a row," UVa coach Al Groh said, "I think we can see what type of team we're fashioning."

"Those" would be wins. And the type of team they are fashioning is a fun one to watch -- flawed but tough, inconsistent but opportunistic.

Jameel Sewell had his best passing day of the season, but the quarterback position is still a somewhat unsettled one, as he and Peter Lalich continue to rotate based on the coaches' gut feelings.

What we know for sure is that the Cavaliers have found a leader on both sides of the ball. Senior captain Chris Long had another big day from his defensive end position, posting a team-high nine tackles and a key fourth-down sack.

And Cedric Peerman, the soft-spoken, steady tailback, had his third straight 100-yard game. He backed up last week's career effort (186 yards) with 138 yards and a touchdown. Groh lauded him after the game, calling him "the right tailback for this team," and Peerman is. On a offense with a lot of questions, he is a calm, stabilizing force.

"I'm extremely nervous before the games," said Peerman, explaining that yes, he does have a pulse over five beats per minute. "I just try to breathe and stay calm about things and not try to get too riled up about things.

"It's just how I was raised, just to be me. My dad always told me, 'Just be you. And if it's a little different, then that's OK.'"

Oh, it's more than OK.

It's a big part of 3-0 in the ACC.

n n n

But luck's a part of this, too. How else can you explain that 25-yard interception return defensive lineman Jeffrey Fitzgerald made on Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett? Did you see that one? The one that bumped the lead to 21-7 and had 51,000 people jumping like never before this season?

Long saw it.

He thinks.

"I tipped it," Long said. "And then it went behind me, I think, and then somebody else tipped it, and then it went back and Bennett tried to spike it, and then somebody else -- I think Clint Sintim -- got hit in the helmet, and then it went in the air, and then Fitz tipped it once to himself and then caught it."

Long took a breath.

"I mean, Stuart Scott, put that on 'SportsCenter,'" he pleaded. "That's unbelievable. It's crazy."

"That's a Pontiac game-changing moment right there," somebody said.

"Yeah, something like that," Long said. "A something-changing moment."

Perhaps a season-changing one? Who knows? There were other big moments, too, but that's when you really knew they could do this.

The Wahoos are now looking down at everyone in the Coastal Division standings, their nearest pursuers being Miami and Virginia Tech, neither of which has played a conference game.

And they're starting to believe.

n n n

We don't have to ask now. We don't ask why the coaches forgot about Peerman for long stretches in the second half. We don't have to ask why Groh declined a 10-yard holding penalty on Georgia Tech's final drive, choosing to take the lost down instead, an unconventional decision on a first-down incompletion. We don't have to ask why Peter Lalich was slinging the ball all over the place when it was clear the Jackets had trouble stopping the dives up the gut.

OK, we can still ask.

But the answers don't matter as much.

Instead, we can tell you that Groh cracked a joke. Yes! And it wasn't a bad one! Somebody asked him about tight end Jonathan Stupar, and Groh, thinking Stupar was sitting in the back of the room, gave his deadpan answer.

"You know, actually ... um ...," Groh said, craning his neck to look over the crowd. "Jonathan's not really a very good player. I thought he got very lucky today."

Turns out Stupar wasn't actually in the room, but we won't worry about that. Groh tried, and it was good to see the man smile.

They're all having fun: The coaches, the quarterbacks, the linemen, the tight ends.

Even Womack -- the special teams hustler -- had his moment to shine. His fumble recovery set up UVa's winning touchdown, and it was a series of little things that made it happen..

"I was having trouble with the double-team basically all day until that play," Womack explained. "So I adjusted my alignment slightly. I took a different release. I tried to beat one. I beat one. And then I got to the second guy, and I just knew that I had to beat the other guy. I just took our training to heart. I was just trying to find a way, and I found a way."

He did. So far, they all have.
 

Big play energizes Clark
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As he zeroed in on Georgia Tech punt returner Andrew Smith, Virginia junior Aaron Clark heard the Scott Stadium roar once.

A second roar sounded even better.

That's when Clark knew that one of his teammates had recovered a fumble that led to UVa's go-ahead touchdown in a 28-23 victory over Georgia Tech.

Clark, an outside linebacker from Rockbridge County, has been getting most of his playing time on special teams.

"I don't know if I needed this," Clark said, "but I wanted it more than anything else in the world. I'm just one of those guys who enjoys being on the field, but when you're playing behind talent, that's hard some times."

At first, it might have appeared that Clark had delivered the hit that made Smith fumble.

"That's certainly his biggest play since he's been here," Virginia head coach Al Groh said.

As it turned out, Smith bobbled the ball before Clark got to him. Clark's contribution was to run through Smith and prevent him from pursuing the ball.

"It was laying right at his feet and that's why I didn't even go for it," said Clark, a 6-foot-5, 250-pounder. "Me being a taller guy, I know it's harder for me to bend down and get those balls that are rolling around on the ground.

"So, I just figured, 'I'm going to run over this guy and knock him away from the ball.' The crowd roared for the hit, then there was dead silence, then all of a sudden it's back again. That dead silence is something the players feel more than the fans feel."

Smith returned six punts for 64 yards and the Yellow Jackets had 183 return yards, including kickoff returns. Smith repeatedly beat the first wave of UVa tacklers, which usually included bigger linebacker types like Clark and Antonio Appleby.

"It was the first big, explosive play of my career," Clark said. "I had already predetermined that I was going to run right through him because I knew there were people behind me. It feels good to have a notch on my belt."

Recovering

Correy Earls, the Georgia Tech wide receiver who was taken from the field on a stretcher, was under observation for a possible neck injury and did not return with his team to Atlanta. Earls was expected to remain at the University of Virginia Medical Center overnight but had movement in all of his extremities.

Earls was injured in a collision with Virginia defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who was pursuing quarterback Taylor Bennett. Bennett had left the pocket and picked up 13 yards on a run that gave Georgia Tech a fourth-and-1 at the UVa 16.

Play was halted for 10 minutes before Earls was removed from the field on a stretcher. Then the Yellow Jackets were whistled for a false start that sent them back to the 21.

Tech coach Chan Gailey passed up a field goal that could have cut the deficit to two points and Bennett was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Chris Long, who had considerable help from his friends.

It was reminiscent of the 2005 game between the teams, when UVa safety Nate Lyles was immobilized after a collision with Georgia Tech running back T.J. Daniels.

"When somebody goes down like that kid [Earls] did, we're all comrades," Groh said. "We felt for him as if he were one of our guys.

"We also told our players that 'we don't have any idea what's going on over there. We're not doctors. We can't do anything at this present moment, so let's just keep our focus on what's coming up here in the next couple of plays.' "

Odds 'n' ends

An interception by Fitzgerald was his second of the season and the fourth of his 16-game career, tying a school record for defensive linemen. It was the second interception that Fitzgerald, a 6-3, 280-pound sophomore, has returned for a touchdown. ... Virginia, whose longest completion in the first three games went for 20 yards, had five of 20 or more Saturday. ... Only three of Virginia's 20 completions went to wide receivers. ... Virginia's most experienced wide receiver, junior Maurice Covington, has a wrist injury and did not play Saturday. "He won't be with us for a while," Groh said. ... Converted cornerback Chris Gorham started in Covington's place.

Virginia next Saturday

The Cavaliers (3-1, 3-0 ACC) host Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. in hopes of avenging a 38-13 loss to the Panthers in the opening game of the 2006 season. It will be one of three straight nonconference games for Virginia before it finishes with five ACC games.
 

Again, Cavaliers sting like bees
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© September 23, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Virginia wasn’t going to blow out Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon, not even with a two-touchdown, first-quarter lead and more offensive spark than the Cavaliers had produced in 12 previous periods of football.

With an offense short on big-play threats and a couple of quarterbacks still holding learner’s permits, the 2007 Cavaliers just aren’t constructed that way. As coach Al Groh said last week, Virginia probably won’t knock anyone out this season.

Groh also noted that decisions count the same as KOs. Virginia got its third straight Saturday, toughing out a 28-23, four-hour marathon at Scott Stadium.

The win lifted the Cavaliers to 3-1, 3-0 in the ACC, a fairly shocking development to anyone who saw the team fail to exhibit much of a pulse in a season-opening loss to Wyoming.

That was only three weeks ago. It just feels longer.

“We might be a little better than most people gave us credit for,” Groh said.

The Cavaliers showed once again that they’ll play for a full 60 minutes, and that, with a team unlikely to flat-out outscore anyone, they’ll probably need to.

As in last week’s win at North Carolina, Saturday’s outcome turned on a handful of big plays. In the end, Virginia made one more than the Yellow Jackets. On an afternoon when the Cavaliers’ wide receivers produced little in the way of positive plays, freshman Staton Jobe finally delivered one, catching a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jameel Sewell with 8:56 left.

Jobe had already dropped a couple of passes, but he wasn’t alone in that department. The passing of Sewell and Peter Lalich was once again scattershot, and receivers were frequently hung out to dry on balls thrown high, low, or behind them.

For most of its ball movement, Virginia relied on its trio of tight ends and on the hard running of tailback Cedric Peerman, who followed last week’s 186-yard effort with a 138-yard afternoon against the nation’s No. 7 rush defense.

The Cavaliers also picked up a defensive touchdown on a bizarre play. It began with defensive end Chris Long deflecting a Taylor Bennett pass back to the quarterback, who tried to spike it the ground, volleyball-style. Bennett’s blow glanced off the ball, though, and it bounced off the helmet of linebacker Clint Sintim into the arms of defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who took it 25 yards to put Virginia up 21-7.

“It was like pinball,” Long said.

Long and Fitzgerald, a pair of 280-pounders whose knack for getting their mitts on the ball brings to mind a couple of grizzlies batting down spawning salmon, have three interceptions and five pass breakups between them.

Fitzgerald’s score was the last Virginia would get for nearly three quarters. A muffed punt by Virginia’s Vic Hall kick-started Georgia Tech’s comeback, and the Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-2 ACC) reeled off 16 straight points.

It was fitting, then, that a muffed punt by Georgia Tech set up Virginia’s final score. Aaron Clark drilled returner Andrew Smith and Trey Womack fell on the ball. On first down, Sewell threw a strike to Jobe on a slant route.

“I think we’ve showed we can bounce back,” Jobe said.

The Cavaliers also showed that they’ve got a flair for the dramatic, and Groh indicated there could be more to come.

“If we’re successful, we’re going to have a lot of games of that nature,” he said.

It shouldn’t be dull.

 

Streaking Cavs quickly turning opening day into distant memory
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 23, 2007
Last updated: 11:21 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE

YOU LOOK UP TODAY and see that Virginia is unbeaten in three ACC games and, well, you could just leave it at that, really. Enough said, because this is how we keep score.

We count Ws.

And the Cavaliers, after surviving Georgia Tech 28-23 at Scott Stadium on Saturday, have answered their opening-day shredding at mighty Wyoming with three straight Ws.

Onward, then, to future adventures for the 3-1 Cavs.

Now, the thing is, if you cared to, you could look a little deeper.

You could notice that the teams U.Va. has vanquished – Duke, North Carolina and the backfiring Ramblin’ Wreck – have two Division I-A victories among them. And those Ws are against Northwestern and Notre Dame, programs that aren’t, shall we say, particularly strong this season.

But that’s the nattering of the killjoy, who nonetheless has to recognize Virginia’s sturdy leg-up in the ACC’s Coastal Division, with three nonconference games up next, starting with a visit from Pittsburgh.

“We’re a quarter of the way through the season and we’re going to enjoy this,” said coach Al Groh, whose Cavs rallied after squandering a 21-7 first-quarter lead. “But we’re already thinking about doing everything we have to do to be the same guys next week.”

On Saturday, the Cavs were the guys who happily accepted a victory that Georgia Tech, leading 23-21 in the fourth quarter, was going to claim – as long as it didn’t mess up.

It messed up.

The Yellow Jackets had scored 16 consecutive points after U.Va. defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald rocked them with a 25-yard return of a deflected pass to put the Cavs up 21-7.

The Jackets had their thumb on the Cavs’ offense, which sparked early with two crisp TD drives but then lost its way. Tech needed only to be smart and take care of the ball from there.

Oops.

Return man Andrew Smith botched a punt that inconsistent quarterback Jameel Sewell, on another inconsistent day, cashed with a 26-yard strike to Staton Jobe for the clinching points.

But Georgia Tech wasn’t nearly done tying the bow. It entered with the ACC’s best ground attack but went three-and-out on the next series with incomplete passes from midfield.

Soon after, at fourth-and-1 from U.Va.’s 16, Tech was flagged for a false start – and Chris Long sacked Taylor Bennett on fourth-and-6.

Capping the implosion, the Jackets held twice in a row on their last possession and never scared the Cavs.

“They punched us in the face,” Sewell said, “and we punched them right back in the face.”

That iron jaw is where Groh and U.Va. hang their hat and their record. Offensively in particular, the Cavs remain sorely limited, so if they’re not scrapping, they’re not scoring.

Beyond bruising running back Cedric Peerman, who is piling up all-ACC rushing numbers, U.Va. is way short on game-breakers. It gets little from its receivers. If Sewell and freshman Peter Lalich, who rotated in seemingly at random Saturday and struggled, aren’t hitting their tight ends, U.Va.’s air attack is pedestrian, although props to Sewell for his pretty 45-yard dart, on the run, to Tom Santi on U.Va.’s second play of the game.

Those kinds of big pops will not be plentiful; then again, who says they have to be? There’s no such thing as the flawless team.

There are only teams that take the tools they own, take the conditions that surround them and make the best of what they can cobble together on a given day.

The record shows that, four games down, Virginia is just fine with those ground rules.

Tom Robinson, (757) 446-2518,
 

3-and-oh so sweet for Virginia
Virginia overcomes its shortcomings and a deficit to stay perfect in the ACC with another win over the Jackets.
By MELINDA WALDROP 247-4634
8:25 PM EDT, September 22, 2007
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Staton Jobe had just one catch on Saturday. But did he ever make it count.

Jobe's 26-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown reception gave Virginia a 28-23 victory against Georgia Tech as the Cavaliers improved to 3-1 and 3-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2003.

The winning TD came after Georgia Tech's Andrew Smith fumbled a punt return. After Trey Womack recovered the ball on the Yellow Jackets' 26, Jameel Sewell found Jobe on a slant pattern on the Cavaliers' first play.

"With the fumble on the punt, it's kind of a momentum shift, so I think while we had them on their heels, it was a great play to kind of go for the jugular," Jobe said.

The Cavs hadn't been able to do that since the first quarter as they watched a 21-7 lead disappear. Jobe played an unwanted starring role in U.Va.'s offensive struggles, dropping a pass in the second quarter and again in the third in front of a crowd that included his parents, up for the game from Austin, Texas.

"I obviously had some plays earlier the game that I didn't make that I should have, so I was kind of down on myself," Jobe said. "(The touchdown) was basically like a big bear getting off my back."

Virginia's defense then made sure this lead wouldn't evaporate. Chris Long sacked Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett on fourth-and-6 at the U.Va. 21 with 4:39 to play, and on Tech's final possession, the pressure the Cavs couldn't get on Bennett most of the game forced a holding call and four straight incompletions.

Jobe's go-for-the-throat touchdown exorcised nearly three quarters of frustration for Virginia, which went up by 14 early on Jeffrey Fitzgerald's 25-yard interception but then gave up 16 unanswered points to fall behind 23-21 late in the third. It also illustrated the Cavs' game plan against the Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-2 ACC), the defending Coastal Division champions who were generally viewed as a step up from the weak-sister competition U.Va. faced in knocking off Duke and North Carolina.

"We wanted to be pretty bold with our play-calling, (and) we were resolved to stay that way throughout the game in all phases offensively and defensively," Virginia coach Al Groh said. " ... You don't win games like this by pulling your punches. We were gonna go in there and take our swings and see what happened."

Georgia Tech delivered the first blow on Bennett's 56-yard touchdown pass to Demaryious Thomas just 1:59 into the game. But Virginia answered immediately, as Sewell hooked up with tight end Tom Santi for a 45-yard pass on an 81-yard, 1:13 drive capped by Cedric Peerman's 4-yard TD.

The Cavs then put together a 94-yard, 14-play drive that took 6:27 and ended in Sewell's 4-yard keeper. On Tech's next drive, Long batted a pass attempt by Bennett, who then tried to knock the ball to the turf. But it ricocheted off linebacker Clint Sintim and eventually into the arms of Fitzgerald, who rumbled 25 yards to the end zone for a 21-7 lead with 2:01 left in the first quarter.

But the Cavs' offense then went into a slumber that resulted in just 72 yards, two punts, one interception and one lost fumble in the third quarter. The Jackets, who scored their second touchdown after Vic Hall fumbled away a second-quarter punt, took full advantage, taking the lead back on Travis Bell's career-long 51-yard field goal with 2:15 to play in the third.

At the start of the fourth quarter, a Virginia drive bogged down on the Jackets' 31. But the boos that accompanied Ryan Weigand's punt morphed into raucous cheers as the ball slipped through Smith's hands.

Seconds later, Jobe made his only catch on a play the Cavs had to have.

"That's football. Sometimes the ball hits you in the hands and you drop it," Santi said. "The important thing is to come back and make the play."

 

Great win for the Cavaliers
Dave Fairbank
11:31 PM EDT, September 22, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE
 

Virginia's feel-good matinee against Georgia Tech was a testament to the value of one exceptional quarter on offense, a persistent defense and a sprinkling of timely plays.

That's how the Cavaliers find themselves unbeaten in the ACC and atop its Coastal Division after their dreadful opener at Wyoming.

That's how they extended one of the league's peculiar winning streaks -- eight in a row now against the Yellow Jackets at Scott Stadium.

That's how they overcame their own very apparent shortcomings and a second-half deficit that elicited some grumbles from the home folks.

"This is a huge win," said defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, whose first-quarter, pinball, juggling act of an interception and return for a touchdown was one of the more unusual plays you'll see. "We have the momentum in the ACC. Being 3-0 and on ?è top of the division is great. This was a big win for us, but we know we have a lot of room to get better."

Indeed, all 3-0 conference records and 3-1 overall records aren't created equally. Duke, North Carolina and a Georgia Tech program that always loses in Charlottesville aren't the conquests of legend.

But it sure beats this time a year ago, when the Cavaliers were 1-3 and had just gotten washing-machined by the Yellow Jackets in a Thursday night game in Atlanta.

That was U.Va. quarterback Jameel Sewell's first start, and it showed.

On Saturday, however, he was a relatively efficient, if unspectacular, 16-for-25 for 177 yards and one touchdown -- the game-winner, it just so happened.

"Last year was really tough against these guys," Sewell said. "I was on the ground a lot and we had a tough time. I just wanted to come out today and get the win and make a statement for the team."

The Cavaliers possess approximately three-fifths of an offense: Veteran line; productive running back in Cedric Peerman; battalion of tight ends.

However, quarterbacks Sewell and true freshman Peter Lalich are still young and inconsistent (discuss among yourselves to what degree Chairman Al's revolving door contributes to the inconsistency).

The wide receivers intimidate no one.

But just about the time everyone concluded that the Cavs' wideouts were strictly ornamental Saturday -- window treatments with numbers -- Sewell hooked up with Staton Jobe for a pretty 26-yard touchdown pass that turned out to be the final margin.

"When I heard the play call in the huddle, I knew it was my opportunity to come back and make a play," said Jobe, who had dropped two passes. "The play developed just like we do it in practice and Jameel made an incredible throw."

The winning touchdown came immediately after perhaps the biggest play of the second half: Georgia Tech punt returner Andrew Smith mishandled a kick and was blown up by backup linebacker and special-teams hound Aaron Clark, allowing teammate Trey Womack to recover the muff.

"Special teams is such a field-position game," Clark said. "Kicks go the length of the field all the time, so when you have that much field position changing on one play, it's extremely important to try and make as big an impact on the game as you can.

"One-play football is what we emphasize. So we try to go out there and turn over the ball or return it for a touchdown or have a big hit. Anything we can do to change the momentum of the game on special teams."

Sewell and Jobe gave the Cavaliers a 28-23 lead on the next play, which somewhat tempered their offensive struggles.

They totaled 174 yards and averaged 8.7 yards per play in the first quarter alone, which led to a 21-7 lead.

The last three quarters, they managed just 180 yards and 3.1 per play.

That left most of the heavy lifting to the Cavs' defense, which gradually squeezed the Yellow Jackets and quarterback Troy Bennett. Georgia Tech managed just 32 yards on four fourth-quarter possessions.

Suddenly, a bad day in Laramie, Wyoming, and all of the accompanying angst seem like a long time ago.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't think about that all the time," All-America defensive end Chris Long said. "At the same time, it's almost a double standard for a player. When fans are up and fans think you're pretty good, you've got to ignore it; but when fans think you're no good, I like to pay attention to that. That's what a football player should do.

"We've got a lot of guys who just came out angry."

Sometimes angry works, too.

 

UVa gains respect by wrecking Tech
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 23, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Wins over Duke and North Carolina did little to appease Virginia's detractors. Beating the two teams projected to finish at the bottom of the ACC standings doesn't earn you a whole lot of currency in today's college football climate.
But by holding on for a 28-23 win against defending ACC Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech on Saturday at Scott Stadium, the Cavaliers might have turned a few doubters into believers.

"We might be a little bit better than most people gave us credit for," UVa head coach Al Groh said.

The Cavaliers (3-1, 3-0 ACC) joined Boston College as the only other team with three ACC wins this year, making the season-opening disaster at Wyoming -- and resultant avalanche of criticism -- seem like it was ages ago.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't think about that all the time," Virginia defensive end Chris Long said. "At the same time, it's almost a double standard. When the fans think you're pretty good, you've got to ignore it. And when fans think you're no good, I like to pay attention to that.

"That's what a football player should do. We had a lot of guys who just came out angry."

And with something to prove, nobody more so than quarterback Jameel Sewell, who looked rejuvenated after his early season struggles, going 16-for-25 for 177 yards and a touchdown against the team that bruised and battered him last year in Atlanta in his first career start.

"I got a lot more confidence out of this game, because Georgia Tech thrashed me last year, consistently, just every play," Sewell said. "I didn't want that to happen (again)."

His biggest throw came at the biggest time, after a gift on special teams. Georgia Tech's Andrew Smith muffed a punt with the Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-2 ACC) leading 23-21 in the fourth quarter. Virginia's Aaron Clark was bearing down on Smith and leveled him as soon as he dropped it.

"You just start salivating," said Clark, who had as clean of a shot at Smith as he could have asked for. "You just want to tear his head off."

Trey Womack pounced on the loose ball to give UVa possession at the Georgia Tech 26 with just over nine minutes left.

Virginia wasted no time. Staton Jobe, who dropped two passes earlier in the game, ran a skinny post to the center of the field, where Sewell hit him in stride with a bullet. Jobe caught this one, shook off his defender and scored his first career touchdown to put Virginia up 28-23.

"When we had them on their heels, I thought it was a great play (call)," Jobe said.

But the Yellow Jackets weren't done. They marched into Virginia territory before getting in a third-and-14 situation at the 29 with under five minutes to play. Quarterback Taylor Bennett, who had eluded UVa's pass rush most of the day, did another Houdini act, slipping out of a sure sack and running for 13 yards to set up a fourth-and-one.

After a false start penalty backed them up, the Yellow Jackets still went for it. UVa safety Byron Glaspy blitzed off the corner, forcing Bennett up in the pocket, where Chris Long dragged him down from the ground for his sixth sack this season.

"Boy, we tried everything," Groh said of UVa's pass rush. "We must have called 15 different pressures -- not in frequency, but in design. ? (Their protection) made it a little bit trickier, but when it was on the line, we were able to put real good pressure on four downs in a row."

The Yellow Jackets got the ball back at their 35 with 1:51 to play but did nothing. A holding penalty and a dropped pass doomed the drive. They turned it over on downs to give UVa the win.

The defensive battle that most predicted did not follow script early on. Georgia Tech struck first with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Demaryius Thomas two minutes in.

UVa responded with back-to-back long touchdown drives. Tailback Cedric Peerman, who topped the century mark in rushing for the third straight game, ran for 62 of his 138 yards in the first quarter and scored on a 4-yard run.

Virginia led 21-7 after Jeffrey Fitzgerald's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Georgia Tech stormed back, though, capitalizing off a fumbled punt by Vic Hall in the second quarter. That led to a 21-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Dwyer, who ran for 75 yards on 15 carries after Tashard Choice re-aggravated a hamstring injury in the first quarter and was held out of action.

Three straight Travis Bell field goals, including a 51-yarder, gave Georgia Tech a 23-21 lead in the third , forcing the Cavaliers to have to grind out a win in the fourth quarter for the third straight week.

"What they've shown in these three games is when the game's on the line," Groh said, "they won't crack."



 

Critical late mistakes negate Jackets' rally
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/23/07

Charlottesville, Va. — The only thing Georgia Tech is losing faster than games is players.

Eight starters left the field at some point during Saturday's 28-23 loss at Virginia, and though a few returned, most didn't. The question: Will the Yellow Jackets still have a season left by the time they get back? A likely answer: They'd better hurry.

It has taken just two weeks for Tech to go from No. 15 in the country to alone in last place in the ACC Coastal Division. And current No. 15 Clemson visits Bobby Dodd Stadium next weekend.

"We've got a lot more football to play," said quarterback Taylor Bennett, and he meant that as a good thing for a team that has opened conference play with two losses after dropping only one ACC game the entire 2006 regular season.

Tech (2-2, 0-2 ACC) has a long list of worries, and its record is only one of them.

Defending ACC rushing champion Tashard Choice aggravated a hamstring injury and didn't make it out of the first quarter. James Johnson, the lone experienced receiver, also has played hurt for back-to-back games. Free safety Djay Jones, fullback Mike Cox, center Kevin Tuminello, linebacker Philip Wheeler and punt returner Tyler Evans all got hurt or, in Tuminello's case, sick, and though coach Chan Gailey said he didn't know of any injury to linebacker Shane Bowen, Bowen held his left arm awkwardly the last time he ran off the field.

Bennett wasn't hurt, but he left the field after Tech's final possession with both hands on his helmet, a picture of frustration that served as the perfect image of the Jackets' last two games. First, they got dominated at home by Boston College. Then they misfired, mishandled and mistimed at Virginia.

The day might have ended differently if Bennett had completed at least half his passes, or if Andrew Smith hadn't dropped a punt, or if Derrick Morgan hadn't made a false start that turned a crucial fourth-and-1 into a far-more-difficult fourth-and-6.

But Bennett was only 17-for-40 passing, and though he threw his first touchdown pass of the season (a career-long 56-yarder to Demaryius Thomas), he also threw his first interception. A batted-down pass deflected back up and past Bennett, who tried unsuccessfully to knock it back down. It flew into the hands of Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who returned it 25 yards for a score that gave Virginia a 21-7 lead.

It was only the first quarter, and the Jackets seemed well on their way to their eighth consecutive loss in Charlottesville, a school record for consecutive road losses to any opponent.

Then everything changed. Tech held Virginia scoreless for 10 consecutive possessions. Jonathan Dwyer ran 21 yards for a touchdown, and Travis Bell kicked three field goals, including a career-best 51-yarder. Tech led 23-21.

That's when Smith dropped the punt. He had been having a good game, with 53 yards in punt returns after replacing the injured Evans, and he was looking for more.

Smith stood at his 26, with Aaron Clark bearing down on him, and a Scott Stadium crowd of 57,681 watching him, and the ball heading straight into his hands. It didn't stay there. He dropped the ball before Clark hit him.

"I tried to make a move before I secured the ball, and he got down there pretty quick," Smith said. "He was in my face. I thought I was going to be able to pick it up, but he hit me square in the chest."

Trey Womack recovered, and there was 8:56 left. Jameel Sewell threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Staton Jobe on the next play, and Tech trailed again.

The Jackets had three more possessions, but only one showed much potential. Tech was 16 yards from a go-ahead touchdown when it faced fourth-and-1 with less than five minutes to play.

That's when Morgan left his stance too soon. Morgan, a defensive end, had practiced at tight end for less than a week, just for this short-yardage package.

Now, the yardage was no longer short. Gailey still went for it, and Bennett was sacked for a 9-yard loss, and when Tech finally got the ball back with 1:51 left it didn't get a first down.

Cedric Peerman powered Virginia's offense by rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Sewell completed 16 of 25 passes for 177 yards, and he had a 4-yard rushing touchdown to go with his touchdown pass to Jobe.

"This was the sharpest he's been, overall in the passing game," Virginia coach Al Groh said of Sewell, a sophomore making his 13th career start.

The Cavaliers (3-1, 3-0 ACC) have beaten Duke, North Carolina and Tech after a season-opening 23-3 embarrassment at Wyoming.

"We've certainly improved from last week," Groh said. "We've done that three weeks in a row. And we might be a little bit better than most people gave us credit for."

Tech is fighting the opposite perception.

 

Tech graveyard kills ACC hopes
By Terence Moore | Saturday, September 22, 2007, 08:14 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Terence Moore Charlottesville, Va. — They were done Saturday when Virginia wasted no time zipping ahead for keeps in the fourth quarter after a muffed punt deep inside Georgia Tech territory.

No, they were done four minutes later, when what was a lively gathering of 57,681 inside Scott Stadium became as silent as Thomas Jefferson’s tomb at nearby Monticello. The change was attributable to Tech wide receiver Correy Earls spending just shy of an eternity with a possible neck injury on the field before his gentle departure on a stretcher.

Actually, when you’re talking about the Yellow Jackets’ chances of reaching the ACC championship game by avoiding a second consecutive loss to start conference play, they were done as soon as their schedule said “at Virginia.”

Few campuses are more scenic than Jefferson’s little creation. Woodrow Wilson went to school here. So did Bobby and Ted Kennedy, along with Katie Couric. In fact, nearly every year, somebody or something is ranking this area sitting at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains as the definitive place to live.

Guess none of those folks bleed old gold and white.

To Tech, this is an absolutely ghastly area, especially since Virginia now has spent eight consecutive games since 1990 swatting the Jackets within these city limits.

This makes no sense.

“Every year’s different. Every team’s different. It’s just the way it’s happened,” said coach Chan Gailey, whose Tech teams have just happened to lose in Charlottesville three times in as many tries. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, or maybe it’s just one of those sports things. “I guess,” Gailey added. “I don’t put much credence in that kind of stuff.”

So what is it? “I really couldn’t tell you,” said Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett, thinking, before raising his eyebrows. “What? It’s been 17 years since Tech last won here? We’ve played in tougher stadiums. I don’t believe the atmosphere has anything to do with it.”

Goodness, no. Virginia fans are more festive than feisty. Plus, there isn’t a rock for the home team to rub, which is the case for Clemson at Death Valley, located next to a spooky cemetery. There isn’t the tomahawk chop or the war chant that echoes throughout Tallahassee. Well, Virginia does have a horse that gallops around the stadium, but Sabre isn’t as famous as Florida State’s Renegade.

Here’s what it is: When the Jackets play Virginia on the road, they do more to lose than to win.

Period.

This time, the normally sure-handed tacklers for Jon Tenuta’s defense were often sloppy in the clutch. That wasn’t good, especially since Virginia’s Cedric Peerman joins Tech’s Tashard Choice among the nation’s most prolific running backs that few people talk about. With a lot of help from the Jackets, Peerman averaged nearly five yards per carry for 138 yards overall and a touchdown.

Then there was Tech’s shaky passing game. Again. After a wonderful throw for a 56-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on his opening drive, Bennett digressed from there (17-for-40 overall for 230 yards and that touchdown). He also was victimized by dropped catches that even a poor man’s version of You Know Who with the Detroit Lions would have caught. The ugly combination caused the Jackets’ offense to keep settling for field goals (three) instead of touchdowns in an eventual 28-23 loss.

There also were all of those injuries for the Jackets. The starting backfield. A crucial wide receiver. The punt returner (which contributed to that muff by the backup). A safety. The center on occasion. Nothing was as horrific as when Earls laid motionless for nearly 20 minutes after making a block.

“Emotionally, that affected us a lot, because we’re a big family as a team, and that always has been our main thing,” said safety Morgan Burnett, a freshman from College Park who was among those pressed into service after one of those injuries. He responded with an interception.

It wasn’t enough.

Nothing ever is enough for the Jackets around here.

 

Earls injures neck, stays behind
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/23/07

Charlottesville, Va. — Georgia Tech wide receiver Correy Earls suffered a neck injury in Saturday's game at Virginia, left the game on a stretcher and was taken to the University of Virginia Medical Center, where he was expected to remain overnight for observation.

"As I was on the sideline with him he had a little movement in all extremities, but I'm not a doctor so it's not right for me to comment," Tech coach Chan Gailey said immediately following the game, a 28-23 Tech loss.

Earls, a redshirt freshman from Macon's Central High School, was hurt late in the fourth quarter in a collision near the Tech sideline. The 57,681 fans at Scott Stadium went quiet as Tech's trainers and medical personnel attended to Earls, and Virginia's trainers soon ran across the field to help.

Earls' teammates eventually stood in a circle around him. Many of the fans from both schools stood, too.

Earls had played much of the game after James Johnson came out at halftime with an undisclosed injury. Earls made the second and third catches of his career, an 11-yarder and a 10-yarder. He got hurt on a play blocking for quarterback Taylor Bennett, who was scambling.

"I hope he's OK, and I think he's OK. I know he was moving," Bennett said. "He should be all right. He's a tough guy."

 

Tech passing game unproductive on third down
By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/23/07

Charlottesville, Va. — Georgia Tech's first third-down play Saturday was a beauty — a picture-perfect long pass from Taylor Bennett to Demaryius Thomas for a 56-yard touchdown.

It was the longest completion of Bennett's career and Tech's first passing touchdown of the season.

After that? Not so good.

Bennett completed four of his first six passes but only 13 of 34 after that.

Tech's passing offense this season includes more plays where receivers are expected to adjust their routes based on the coverages they see. The quarterback is supposed to make sight adjustments, too.

Tech didn't adjust well. Bennett said there were several mix-ups. "We took a lot of deep shots at them," he said. "Those are pretty high-risk passes. They're more hit-and-miss."

The inconsistency of the passing game contributed to Tech converting only 3 of 15 third downs (20 percent) and missing both fourth-down tries.

This was more of the same, as Tech (2-2, 0-2 ACC) entered the game last in the league in third-down conversions, hitting on 9 of 38 (23.7 percent).

"I was hoping that we would be more consistent in the passing game," coach Chan Gailey said. "It's never one thing. It's always several. The biggest thought coming into this game was all of our third downs, or the majority, have been 8-plus [yards to go]. When you get to 8-plus, your odds go down extremely."

Those pesky tight ends

Tech knew it was coming but still had difficulty slowing Virginia's tight ends. Exactly one-third of the Cavs' receptions were made by tight ends in Virginia's first three games, and they caught a combined six in the first quarter Saturday.

Over the final three quarters, they caught another six in a game in which Tech played much less nickel defense than usual.

"It's hard because with two tight ends you're in that run mentality, and that's how we get a lot of leak-outs [by the tight ends]," strongside linebacker Anthony Barnes said. "That's why sometimes we'd lose the tight end."

First turnover turns into a TD

Trailing 14-7, Tech picked a terrible time to turn the ball over for the first time this season. Bennett's pass was deflected by defensive end Chris Long. Bennett tried to bat the ball to the ground, but it bounced off a group of players and into the hands of end Jeffrey Fitzgerald. He returned it 25 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 2:01 left in the first quarter.

Meet Mr. Peerman

The Jackets knew they would get a heavy dose of Virginia running back Cedric Peerman, who leads the ACC in rushing. He finished with 138 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Tech safety Jamal Lewis got to know Peerman better than he'd have preferred. Lewis had a game-high 12 tackles, including one for lost yardage.

"They're a big team, and they try to pound you, pull those guards and get the ball on the perimeter," Lewis said. "He's a tough guy to bring down. You've got to wrap him up and drive your legs."

Double-tackle formation

At times, Tech lined up with both offensive tackles on one side, with a guard and tight end Colin Peek on the other. Jonathan Dwyer's 21-yard touchdown run in the second quarter ran off double tackles to the left. The extra tackle was not an eligible receiver because Tech had a split end to that side.

Extra points

Tech's go-ahead points in the third quarter came on Travis Bell's career-long 51-yard field goal, and holder Durant Brooks deserved an assist. The snap from Bret White was a little low, but Brooks got the ball into position. ... Barnes played most of the game at strongside linebacker. "I don't think Shane [Bowen] got hurt," Gailey said. "We were playing Barnes." ... Saturday was the first time Tech lost when taking a lead into the fourth quarter after 15 straight victories in that situation. ... Cornerback Tony Clark forced a fumble for the second time, on a punt, and recovered. ... Tech lost the coin toss for the fourth straight game. ... Sophomore walk-on wide receiver Miles King of Landmark Christian School played on the punt return, kickoff return and kickoff teams, recording a tackle on Tech's first kickoff.

 

Cavs' Long not coming up short for defense
September 23, 2007 12:35 am

CHARLOTTESVILLE--He'd already made a team-high nine tackles, gotten his hands on three Georgia Tech passes and done more damage than a video camera at a politician's stag party. He hadn't left the field for a single one of the Yellow Jackets' 71 offensive snaps on an uncomfortably warm late-summer afternoon.

Still, Chris Long had enough energy for one last tackle. After harassing Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett into a fourth-down incompletion to preserve Virginia's unlikely 28-23 victory, Long bear-hugged a jubilant defensive coordinator Mike London and boosted him high in the air.

"I was just trying to do my job," Long explained later, a grin rarely leaving his face.

He's done it quite well lately.

Virginia's modest three-game Atlantic Coast Conference win streak--built after a dreadful opening loss at Wyoming--has been based largely on the power running of junior Cedric Peerman. He has 450 yards in that span (138 yesterday) and has been a godsend for a team with no proven receivers and inconsistent quarterback play.

But he's been no more valuable than Long, Virginia's most dominant defensive player since Anthony Poindexter a decade ago. A week after making his first career interception against North Carolina, Long wreaked even more havoc yesterday.

He was involved in the Cavaliers' two biggest defensive plays. Late in the first quarter, the senior defensive end deflected a Bennett pass that bounced off several hands and helmets--"like a pinball," according to Long--and wound up in the hands of teammate Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Long notched his sixth sack of the season, tripping Bennett on fourth down and 6 at the Virginia 17.

"He's a great player," Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "He's one of the best defensive players I've seen in our conference. You'd better know where he is and you'd better have a plan to get more than one [blocker] to him."

Long's exploits would be remarkable even if he didn't have a famous last name. He inherited his love for the game from Hall of Famer Howie Long, who starred for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders when they were good.

Fortunately for Virginia coach Al Groh, Howie Long settled in Charlottesville after he retired, and Groh didn't have to go far to recruit his progeny.

It's been well worth it. Long could have turned pro after his junior season, but he didn't need the money, and he didn't think he was ready.

He is now. Playing with what he calls a "humble confidence," he's been nearly impossible for one man to block. (Well, maybe a specific one could. While chatting with reporters yesterday, Long kept glancing at a TV tuned to the Michigan-Penn State game. "Jake Long is good," he marveled, referring to the Wolverines' stud tackle.)

Chris Long may get to join his namesake on All-America photo shoots after the season. He's a candidate for the Bednarik Award that goes to the nation's best defensive player, and he has the size (6-4, 279), the motor and the pedigree to become a first-round NFL draft choice next April.

He also has an innate knack for deflecting passes. He has four in the past two games, and two have resulted in game-changing interceptions--one for himself last week and one for Fitzgerald yesterday.

Asked if he inherited that skill from his dad, he grinned. "I don't know," he said. "I'll have to watch tape of the guy to see."

It actually comes from a knowledge of the game passed down from dad and gleaned from coaches and film study. Long can sense when to rush the passer and when to get his hands up to disrupt a screen or bat down a pass. He's not about to rest on his famous surname or any previous accomplishments.

"As you get older, you know what everybody on the defense is supposed to do--not just yourself," he said. "You can always get much better. I'm going to look at the tape tomorrow and, like everyone else, there will be a lot to improve on. I'm doing some things well, but there are some things I've got to keep improving on."

At the moment, it's mostly the former. Long and his teammates allowed 351 yards yesterday, but made the required plays at the right times. If he (and they) continue to improve, they'll be in the hunt for the weak ACC's Coastal Division title.

And maybe future opponents will learn from the discomfort Tech's Bennett endured yesterday.

"He's a very good player, that's for sure," Bennett said. "But we don't game plan for one guy."

Maybe they should have.

 

Williams says Virginia is still in the picture
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 23, 2007

When Sean Singletary completes his senior season this spring, Virginia will be losing one of its best players.

Ever.

That loss, however, would be eased dramatically if UVa could reel in 6-foot-4 guard Elliot Williams.

The five-star recruit from Memphis is an electrifying player who has been compared to a young Penny Hardaway.

The high school senior was in Charlottesville this weekend, along with four-star recruit Lance Goulbourne, on an official visit.

Historically, Williams has been the kind of player Virginia has been unable to reel in. However, Williams has UVa on his final list of schools, along with Duke, Memphis and Tennessee.

Williams has already taken his visit to Duke. He plans to visit Tennessee and then hometown Memphis later this month. He says after that, he will make his decision.

While attending the Virginia football game on Saturday, Williams told The Daily Progress that right now all four programs have an equal shot.

“I’m just trying to find the best fit for me,” said the well-spoken Williams. “Hopefully I make the right decision.”

Williams, who has a 3.8 grade point average - he hopes to major in business and sports management - was hosted by Virginia big man Jerome Meyinsse, a fellow bookworm. He also spent a lot of time with sophomore Will Harris.

When Williams participated in the NBA Top 100 Camp over the summer, he said he had a father-son relationship with UVa coach Dave Leitao. On Saturday, Williams expounded.

“He’s the first one who offered me [a scholarship], so you’ve got to have that kind of relationship with him,” Williams said. “That’s one of the main reasons I’m considering Virginia.”

Williams said his parents are also big fans of Leitao.

“They like that he has a great personality, is easy to talk to, and is a great coach and great person,” Williams said.

But Cavalier fans, still feeling the disappointment of finishing runner-up in the Ed Davis sweepstakes, shouldn’t start popping champagne yet. Williams said he also has a very close relationship with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“They’re both really similar,” said Williams, when asked to compare the Virginia and Duke programs. “It’s going to be tough.”

One thing Leitao and company may have going for them is that Williams likes the idea of being Leitao’s first “big fish.” After all, Duke brings in five-star recruits every year by the boatload.

“That definitely appeals to me,” Williams said. “That’s a reason why I’m looking at Virginia, same with Tennessee.”

Dunks

Goulbourne is considering a number of other schools, including Vanderbilt and Marquette. How would the 6-8 New York native describe his game? “I’m a 3-man who can do a lot of things,” Goulbourne said. “I can rebound, block shots, spread the floor, shoot the ball. I’m athletic, can get up and down and dunk on people. I’m just an energetic type of player. I would come in and do whatever I can to make the team win.” … Virginia is still awaiting a decision from 6-10 center John Brandenburg, who is reportedly taking another visit to Stanford.