Virginia outclassed by Southern California
Virginia out of its league against relentless Southern California
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 09:40 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Yesterday's beat-down at Scott Stadium confirmed what virtually everyone had suspected: The University of Virginia foot-ball team isn't ready to run with the nation's elite.

Still to be determined is whether U.Va., which had 11 first-time starters yesterday, can compete in the ACC's Coastal Division, which includes no teams of Southern California's caliber.

The first football game between U.Va. and USC was over almost as soon as it started yesterday. On a steamy afternoon in front of 64,947 fans -- a Scott Stadium record -- the third-ranked Trojans scored on their first three possessions and led 21-0 with 4:01 left in the opening quarter.

By the time the clock mercifully ran out last night, the score was 52-7, and most of the fans left in the stands wore USC colors. The loss was the Cavaliers' most one-sided in their eight seasons under Al Groh and their worst overall since Oct. 17, 1987, when they fell 58-10 at South Carolina.

The Trojans used waves of tailbacks and wideouts yesterday, with little, if any, dropoff in talent. They all seemed to run faster than the Cavaliers chasing them.

"Speed kills," U.Va. defensive end Matt Conrath said after his first college game.

It was the third straight opening-day defeat for Virginia, which lost 38-13 at Pittsburgh in 2006 and 23-3 at Wyoming last year.

"Obviously, you never want the outcome to be like it was today, but we will try to use it as a learning experience and move forward," U.Va. senior linebacker Clint Sintim said. "Anytime you get your butt kicked like we did today, it is humbling. We know what we have to do, and now we just have to execute."

As impressive as the Trojans were with the ball -- they totaled 558 yards behind junior quarterback Mark Sanchez -- they were more so on defense. USC held U.Va. to 32 yards rushing and 187 overall. In his first start, Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich shined at times, but he also turned over the ball three times against the swarming Trojans.

Junior tailback Mikell Simpson got away from the Trojans on a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but neither he nor teammate Cedric Peerman had much room to maneuver all day.

"The holes close awful fast," Groh said.

Sanchez, who dislocated his left kneecap Aug. 8, had a career day, in part because the Cavaliers did not mount a serious pass rush. He completed 26 of 35 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns and wasn't sacked.

Lalich faced considerably more pressure. A sophomore from Northern Virginia, Lalich finished 18 of 35 passing for 155 yards, and USC sacked him twice. His game deteriorated in the second half. He threw a pass into double coverage that was intercepted and twice lost fumbles.

The turnovers displeased Groh, but he acknowledged that overall Lalich "did a pretty decent job. He made some real nice throws. I think everybody who watched the game can see the type of throws that he's capable of making. He had to make those without having the opportunity to get much of a look at the defense. That pocket didn't hold up very long on many occasions."

Lalich said: "I'm encouraged by some things, and some things I need to improve upon. The whole team needs to improve, and that's what we're working for, especially for next week, to get the thing turned around."

U.Va. hosts Richmond next weekend. A year ago, after its embarrassing start at Wyoming, Virginia reeled off seven straight wins. Is this team as resilient?

"We'll have to see," Groh said. "It'll be be up to us as a team to decide what we're going to do with what we experienced here today and see what we make of it."


 

First-time starts show team's experience lack
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 09:49 AM

First-time starts show team's experience lack
Virginia, one of the ACC's least-experienced teams, had 11 first-time starters in yesterday's opener against third-ranked Southern California: quarterback Peter Lalich, offensive guard B.J. Cabbell, wide receivers Dontrelle Inman and Cary Koch, center Jack Shields, nose tackle Nate Collins, defensive ends Matt Conrath and Alex Field, linebacker Aaron Clark, cornerback Chase Minnifield and safety Brandon Woods.

Conrath and Minnifield are redshirt freshmen. Minnifield started for the injured Ras-I Dowling, who didn't suit up.

Two true freshmen made their debuts for U.Va. -- punter Jimmy Howell and offensive lineman Austin Pasztor, who played on the extra-point team. It was also the first college football game for kicker Yannick Reyering, a former soccer standout at Virginia.

Ten other Cavaliers played for the first time: wideouts Jared Green and Kris Burd (Matoaca), tight end Andrew Devlin, defensive lineman John-Kevin Dolce, nose tackle Nick Jenkins, cornerback Dom Joseph, center Anthony Mihota, safety Corey Mosley, defensive end Zane Parr and quarterback Marc Verica.

Lalich doesn't say when he won role
Lalich declined to say when he learned he'd start against USC. Publicly, at least, Virginia coach Al Groh had said the competition was ongoing among Lalich, Verica and graduate student Scott Deke as the opener approached.

Of the interception he threw in the second half -- his intended receiver had two defensive backs around him -- Lalich said, "I think at that point I was trying to do too much with the ball. I think we were down like two touchdowns, and I was trying to get a big gain. I had an underneath guy open. I should have hit him, but I let it go too early."

Clark exits on crutches
Clark, a senior who never has redshirted, injured his right knee early in the third quarter and didn't return. He left the field on crutches.

He'd played well in his first start, recording five tackles, including one stop. Clark and junior Denzel Burrell had been splitting time at one outside linebacker spot in Virginia's 3-4 defense.

Burrell, who redshirted in 2005, missed the final 10 games of the 2006 season with a knee injury.

"I'm definitely going to be in his ear, because I've been there before," Burrell said. "Hopefully his isn't as serious as mine."

Green shows progress
Green, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green, is a redshirt freshman who wasn't listed on the two-deep yesterday. But he caught a 16-yard pass from Lalich on Virginia's first play of the second half and finished with three catches for 40 yards.

"Probably in the last seven or eight days," Groh said, "he started to show some of the things that showed up today. He made some nice plays today. That was an encouraging thing at that position.

"What he's starting to do is use his speed more. He is one of the faster players that we've had here, but if he doesn't have the pedal to the floor all the time, he doesn't play faster than other guys."

Senior tight end John Phillips led U.Va. with a career-high five receptions. Junior wideout Kevin Ogletree, who missed last season with a knee injury, caught four passes for 21 yards and returned four kickoffs for 66 yards.

Extra points
The crowd of 64,947 was a Scott Stadium record, breaking the mark of 63,701 set for the Miami (Fla.) game on Nov. 13, 2004. . . . The loss was the Wahoos' worst at home since Sept. 8, 1984, when Clemson humbled them 55-0.

Among those recognized yesterday were former U.Va. greats Jim Dombrowski and Ronde Barber. Dombroski, who played offensive tackle, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame next summer. Barber, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback with Tampa Bay, had his jersey retired at U.Va. yesterday. His twin, Tiki, had his jersey retired last season, along with that of Chris Long, who was at yesterday's game. Long is a rookie with the St. Louis Rams. -- Jeff White

 

U.Va. tie links two coaches
UR's London walked sideline with Groh as defensive coordinator
Monday, Sep 01, 2008 - 12:08 AM Updated: 08:09 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Former colleagues Mike London and Al Groh spoke Thursday, each wishing the other luck on opening day.

Groh, of course, needed more than luck Saturday. His University of Virginia football team, facing third-ranked Southern California, lost 52-7 at Scott Stadium.

His former defensive coordinator's debut as a head coach had a happier ending. The University of Richmond, ranked No. 4 in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, romped 28-10 on Saturday night at Elon.

And now comes a game that will draw considerably more interest than most matchups between teams from different NCAA divisions. UR plays Saturday afternoon at U.Va., where London had two stints as an assistant under Groh.

Three other former Groh assistants are now head college coaches -- Danny Rocco at Liberty, Al Golden at Temple and Ron Prince at Kansas State -- but U.Va. hasn't faced any of them. Moreover, London's staff at UR includes Vincent Brown and Bill Polin, who were graduate assistants at U.Va. under Groh. Another Richmond assistant, Byron Thweatt, played linebacker at Virginia for Groh's predecessor, George Welsh.

"It's going to be a cute story for you guys to write about, but it isn't going to be a consideration for us," Groh said on a teleconference last night. "We're going to prepare for this game the way we would for any other."

Virginia may have lost more than a game against USC. Senior Aaron Clark, a starting outside linebacker in U.Va.'s 3-4 defense, hurt his right knee early in the third quarter. Groh said he was awaiting the results of an MRI done yesterday on Clark's knee.

If Clark, who has a redshirt year available, is out, junior Denzel Burrell will take his spot. In his longest stint as a Cavalier, Burrell made two tackles and broke up a pass against the Trojans and "did a pretty decent job," Groh said.

The same couldn't be said for U.Va. as a team. The Trojans piled up 558 yards -- 340 through the air -- and held Virginia to 187, shutting down what's expected to be one of the ACC's better running games.

It didn't help that Cavaliers sophomore Ras-I Dowling, a projected starter at cornerback, missed the game with a leg injury. Two other cornerbacks who at this time last year were expected to be on the 2008 two-deep -- Chris Cook and Mike Brown -- are no longer in the program.

"Most teams have some flaws," Groh said, "and we are well aware of our flaws, even if we chose not to discuss them at length before the season started. Sometimes even if you know what your flaws are, you can't always fix them immediately."

Senior safety Byron Glaspy sparkled Saturday for Virginia, making eight tackles and breaking up two passes.

"A lot of guys showed up and were ready to play," Glaspy said. "We just made some mistakes, and we know that there's a lot of things that we're in control of fixing that don't have to do with just talent. So I think those are the things that we can correct and expect to be better next week."

That's what happened last season. After being embarrassed in its opener at Wyoming, U.Va. came back to win its next seven games.

"It definitely helps, just knowing that we were in this place last year and we were able to turn it around," Glaspy said.

 

ACC offenses pack little punch
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More Columns by Caulton TudorACC offenses pack little punch

If the ACC has ever had a more disappointing opening football weekend than what we just witnessed, I cannot remember it. I've seen a lot of wobbly takeoffs, too.
Not only did league teams fail to win one of their three banner games -- N.C. State at South Carolina, Southern California at Virginia and Clemson vs. Alabama in Atlanta -- each was an outright disaster. The ACC teams combined to score all of 17 points while surrendering 120.

But the hardest hit the ACC suffered was East Carolina's 27-22 win over Coastal Division favorite and defending league champ Virginia Tech in Charlotte. And that, mind you, was after the Pirates put themselves in a 14-0 hole by committing a couple of bizarre early blunders that skewed the game's complexion. By all rights, ECU so thoroughly outplayed the Hokies that the final score should have been something like 21-7.

Other than Wake Forest's easy win at Baylor, the best news for the ACC was that Florida State didn't play. The Seminoles should be a lock to start 2-0 by beating Western Carolina this week and Chattanooga on Sept. 13 before hosting Wake on Sept. 20. Assuming the Deacons can get past Mississippi on Saturday in Winston-Salem, that Sept. 20 game in Tallahassee almost certainly will leave the ACC with one team that reasonably can even pray for national championship contention.

Clemson, the preseason conference favorite, didn't necessarily have to defeat Alabama to leave the Georgia Dome as a viable national player. But given the manner in which the game unfolded and the Tigers' 34-10 virtual no-show, it's all but impossible to imagine a scenario that propels them back into serious Bowl Championship Series title-game consideration.

For all of the preseason bluster and optimism, the ACC's foundational problem hasn't changed in the least. It's all about offense, and the ACC quickly is becoming a sluggish Southern-fried offensive version of the Big Ten. Other than Boston College offensive coordinator Steve Logan and Wake head coach Jim Grobe, there don't seem to be any innovative offensive thinkers in the ACC. Maybe Florida State coordinator and eventual head coach Jimbo Fisher, Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain and Duke head coach David Cutcliffe will prove me wrong. Heck, I hope they do.

But with elusive quarterback Tyrod Taylor still scheduled for a redshirt season at Virginia Tech and the jury out on second-stringer Cory Holt, O'Cain has few alternatives except to send in dot-to-dot play calls for Sean Glennon. ECU's underrated defensive front needed about one series to expose the price of redshirting Taylor.

At Florida State, Fisher will get one more chance to convert water into wine with senior Drew Weatherford. If Weatherford doesn't pan out, there's no clear Plan B.

At Duke, there's no question that Cutcliffe will update the program's offensive tactics, but we're still talking about Duke. Not only that, realistically we're probably talking about Duke in 2010.

Across the board, the majority of the ACC is still thinking five or six years behind the curve. The adage that you win big with big defense no longer completely applies in the college game. The new college math proves that good defense gives you the chance to win big, but offensive diversity has emerged as the modern Holy Grail. Overall, the ACC still hasn't been able to grasp that concept. That's why the league went 2-6 in bowl games last season and began '08 with a 1-4 record against legitimate opponents.

It's a mess. Worse yet, it's an expensive mess. ACC schools are paying millions of dollars to dozens of football coaches who don't have Clue 1 when it matters most.

Many of the conference's coaches spent much of the preseason emphasizing the need for their players to get better. I didn't hear a single word about a need for the league's coaches to get smarter.

 

The Cavaliers' new voice
Virginia's announcer "wants to tell the story and not be part of the story."
By DAVID TEEL
| 247-4636
August 30, 2008

Virginia unveils a new starting quarterback today against third-ranked Southern California. Not to mention defensive ends and offensive guards.

Those players will be no more nervous than the man debuting in the radio booth: the new voice of the Cavaliers, Dave Koehn.

"I had my first coach's show on Monday night," Koehn said. "But this is the first true introduction (to fans). A hundred-and-twenty years of football and your first game is one of the biggest they've played ever. It is pretty uncanny the timing of everything.

"I think you get a little extra rush out of it. I think you're going to have a little extra dose of energy regardless of what game it is when it's your first broadcast in a new place. … But the fact that it's USC adds something extra for sure."

Koehn, 32, is a 1999 graduate of the University of Kansas. He spent the past three years broadcasting University of Vermont basketball and Vermont Lake Monsters Class-A baseball.

A Colorado native, Koehn (pronounced "Kane") replaces Mac McDonald, who resigned in April after 17 seasons.

Koehn spoke to the Daily Press on Wednesday from his Scott Stadium office.

Question: Having been at Vermont, when's the last football game you did?

Answer: It would have been, let's see, the last football game would have been '06. I did a couple of high school games. I did half a college season in '05 (at Texas Lutheran), and prior to that, I'd done every season between then and '98.

Q: Do you consider yourself a football guy?

A: I think football and basketball are more in my wheelhouse. Baseball is something I enjoy, but it's not something I grew up with. I grew up with football. I'm a Colorado guy, so I grew up watching John Elway and the Broncos. So from about the time I was 8 years old, that was my passion. Then I got into the basketball along the way.

Q: And you went to somewhat of a basketball school.

A: KU? Yeah, just a little bit. You almost had no choice but to be into basketball there. That was great, an incredible experience. I think the first game I did was at Allen Field House, and I was hooked right from the start. It was a women's game and it wasn't jam-packed with people, but still the aura was there. I just felt like I had a knack, and it was something I loved to do.

Q: Was KU then where the broadcasting bug first bit?

A: I certainly was always passionate about sports. I was actually a big tennis player. I played tennis and I skied.

Q: Rough life.

A: (Laughs) Yeah, it was tough. I can't complain about my life to date. It's been a pretty good ride. So I always was into it. I felt really lucky that I grew up in a house where I was encouraged by my family to chase what I was passionate about and what I'd do even if they weren't paying me.

So I said, hey, sports is that calling, and I kind of had an inkling that broadcasting might be an area of interest. So with that in mind, I went to the University of Kansas. I knew they had a good broadcasting school.

Q: Was Sam Houston State (in Texas) your first stop out of college?

A: My first job out of college was actually in Colorado. I did high school sports there for a year. In Estes Park, Colorado, which was actually a great place to live, but not exactly a media capital. … Then I took the job at Sam Houston State, where I worked roughly two seasons' worth, football and basketball, and Texas Lutheran for about 21/2 years before Vermont, doing football, basketball, baseball there.

Q: How do broadcast teams get acquainted? Have you had a chance to talk to (analyst) Frank Quayle? Did you go back and listen to some tapes of him?

A: I did listen to tape to see how they've done things. And I have had the chance to sit down with Frank and (sideline reporter) Tim Sherman on a couple of occasions. You know, ultimately the only way you get to know each other is by doing it.

Q: I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you and I won't be the last, but you do have that voice.

A: (Laughs.) Yeah, I got lucky on that one. I assure you it wasn't anything I did.

Q: How about relations with coaches? That can get prickly.

A: I have always had really strong relationships with the coaches I've worked with. I don't know whether I've been lucky. I think I have a personality that's not particularly abrasive. I think I know my role, too. I've always been somebody who wants to tell the story and not be part of the story. … It is a big part of the job and you want to have good working relationship with them. It comes with time. It's a trust thing. In my position, I'm not one who's going to try and burn a coach, and once they learn that through working with me, that trust develops.

Q: Do you have signature calls?

A: I've always been a believer that you have to let it happen within the context of a game. Here's the other piece of it. There's been so many guys who have been doing this for so long, it's my opinion that a lot of signature calls are taken.

Q: So we won't hear the same thing every time Virginia scores a touchdown?

A: Well, I don't know. We'll see what develops.



 

Groh to Lalich: control game's flow COLLEGE FOOTBALL
September 1, 2008 12:15 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

There wasn't much positive for University of Virginia football coach Al Groh to discuss following the Cavaliers' 52-7 thumping to Southern California on Saturday.

That's why Groh didn't mince words when talking about his team's performance, particularly the showing put forth by sophomore quarterback Peter Lalich.

Groh said no one was worthy of praise, including Lalich, who made his first career start for Virginia (0-1) after winning a three-way battle for the position.

Lalich, who wasn't named the starter until late last week, threw for 155 yards and committed three turnovers (one interception, two lost fumbles), earning mixed reviews Groh.

The coach said he doesn't excuse multiple miscues, even if Lalich may have been trying to do too much.

"You can put all type of psychological interpretations on it," Groh said. "Sometimes bad plays are just bad plays."

But it wasn't all bad from Lalich.

Groh acknowledged that the 6-foot-5 Springfield native showed flashes of the type of impressive throws he's capable of making.

He said Lalich also did a decent job of withstanding the pressure from USC's vaunted defense, but added that his game-management skills must improve.

"You evaluate a quarterback on the entire game and when you turn the ball over two or three times like that, you've got to make a lot of awesome throws to balance those things out," Groh said. "It's a lesson hopefully he'll learn. It's not about the good throws you make. It's about how you conduct the overall game."

Lalich, who appeared in eight games last season in relief of ex-quarterback Jameel Sewell, took his first start in stride.

He said his confidence isn't rattled and there are some things he can build on for the rest of the season.

He said he knows he can play well at the Division I-A level, but he's more concerned about the team coming together. He said his primary goal is to improve each week.

"I don't have much experience right now," Lalich said. "But I definitely think I have enough talent to make some of the plays I left on the field."

Mihota makes debut

Massaponax High School grad and Virginia redshirt freshman backup center Anthony Mihota saw the first action of his career on Saturday. Mihota played seven snaps during Virginia's second drive of the third quarter in place of starter Jack Shields, who Groh said was suffering from hand cramps.

After reviewing the game film, Groh said Mihota's action was "pretty nondescript."

"It was the first plays he's been in, so I guess there's a positive to, 'Now he's been in the game,'" Groh said.

A familiar face

The Cavaliers are set to host Richmond (1-0) on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. The Spiders are coached by former Virginia defensive coordinator Mike London, who took over the program in January. Groh said he prefers not to face his former assistant coaches, but the matchup was scheduled before London was hired by Richmond.

"It's unique for us. It's the first time we've gone against one of our guys who came off this staff to be a head coach," Groh said. "But frankly, it really isn't a consideration for the rest of the week."

 

Virginia players search for answers after loss to Trojans
By Jay Jenkins
Published: August 31, 2008

An impending date with the University of Richmond may have never looked so appealing.
After failing with flying colors in Saturday’s opener against No. 3 Southern California, another football game cannot arrive soon enough for Virginia.
The Trojans, apparently primed for a seventh-straight trip to a Bowl Championship Series bowl game, raced out early in the season-opening contest and eventually settled for a 52-7 victory in front of Scott Stadium’s largest crowd ever.
“USC was a big, powerful, fast team with superior quarterback play,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “We were anything but big and fast and our quarterback turned the ball over too many times.”
First-time starter Matt Conrath may have said it even better.
“Speed kills,” the defensive end said.
The Trojans, known for their recruiting prowess under coach Pete Carroll, put UVa in a statistical dilemma nationally by gaining 558 yards of total offense and allowing just 187.
“We can hope that this game gets us ready for what’s ahead,” said Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim.
Tight end John Phillips added: “I think we worked really hard to get ready for this game. They did pretty much everything we expected them to do. We just did not execute. It doesn’t matter who you play … if you don’t execute you can’t win games.”
Virginia can take some solace in the fact that the Cavaliers (0-1) may not face another team ranked in the top 10 the remainder of the year. Future opponents Clemson and Virginia Tech were upset in a rough opening week for ACC teams.
Pending encounters are not likely to include a defense that will have quarterback Pete Lalich, the quietly-named starter, on his heels to the same degree either. The sophomore passed for 155 yards, but coughed up two late fumbles that drew the wrath of his head coach.
Lalich took the blame for the entire outing — justifiable or not.
“Sometimes, I just didn’t make the play,” he said.
It was, however, the best passing effort from a first-time starter since David Rivers torched Georgia Tech for 229 yards in 1999. And Virginia showcased versatility with multiple offensive sets that included extra pass-catching options.
“[Virginia] made a big change in their style,” said USC coach Pete Carroll. “They went to the shotgun stuff and the big spread offensive-line stuff.
“We kind of guessed that was happening and we were really ready for it.”
The Trojans certainly made that appear to be the case.
“[USC] is very good,” Lalich said. “I haven’t seen that many defenses, but they are the best that I have seen.”
Richmond (1-0) will be hard-pressed to present the same challenge to Lalich or his teammates. The Spiders, ranked fourth among teams in the division formerly known as Division I-AA, beat No. 15 Elon on Saturday, 28-10, on the road.
The upcoming opponent also has a familiar face — former Virginia defensive coordinator Mike London took over Richmond’s program, his alma mater, in January.
Before entertaining thoughts of a reunion with their former coach, several Cavaliers said the previous experience needed to serve a springboard internally.
“If you don’t play well, you won’t win,” said cornerback Vic Hall. “We have to take what we learned from this game and get better on it for next week.”
Injury update
Groh said an MRI was scheduled Sunday for linebacker Aaron Clark. The senior was helped from the field in the third quarter and did not return. … Virginia sophomore Jack Shields left the contest in the second half after suffering from cramps in his hand. He returned to the game.

 

Cavs drop second straight
By Whitey Reid
Published: August 31, 2008

Not since the 2003 season had the Virginia men’s soccer team dropped its first two games. That year, UVa still wound up winning the ACC.

At this point, Virginia coach George Gelnovatch wouldn’t mind history repeating itself.

On Sunday night at Klockner Stadium, UVa lost for the second time in as many games. In a hard-fought, extremely physical contest, SMU handed the Wahoos a 3-1 defeat.

No. 18 Virginia (0-2) outshot the Mustangs, 11-9, but couldn’t punch it in when it really needed to.

The last time UVa lost its first three games of the season was in 1966. The Cavaliers will look to avoid that when they travel to play George Mason on Friday night.

No. 14 SMU (2-0) got on the board in the 33rd minute with a bit of a lucky goal. The Mustangs’ Gabe Arredondo sent a through ball across the mouth of the Virginia goal that somehow found its way in before goalie Dan Louisignau could get back into position.

UVa’s best chance to score in the first half came when junior midfielder Jonathan Villanueva snaked into the middle of the SMU box. Villanueva forced Mustang defenders to pinch, then sent a ball out on the right flank to Neil Barlow, who fired a shot that was stopped by goalie Craig Hill—he had come racing out of the net to cut down Barlow’s angle.

Virginia had numerous chances to tie things up.

Just after the halftime break, Matt Mitchell zoomed up the right sideline and blasted a shot that was topped by Hill.

Then, in the 61st minute, Hill (five saves) turned away freshman Tony Tchani’s laser.

But the Cavaliers’ best chance came in 68th minute when Tchani made a sweet pass ahead to a streaking Brian Ownby. The freshman got behind the SMU defense for a point-blank shot but fired wide left.

Just seconds later, the Mustangs’ Paulo da Silva scored on a low blast from the top of the box that snuck into the low-right corner past Louisignau.

Shortly after, da Silva scored again—on a pass from Arredondo – for a 3-0 lead.

Virginia was in major catch-up mode the rest of the way.

The Cavaliers scored their first goal of the season in the 72nd minute when freshman Chris Agorsor banged home a Mitchell crossing pass.

However, it proved too little too late.