UConn crushes Virginia 45-10
Huskies avenge loss last year, embarrass Cavaliers' defense
Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 - 12:15 AM Updated: 05:50 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Marc Verica was not the problem last night -- far from it.

In his first start at quarterback for the University of Virginia football team, the redshirt sophomore from the Philadelphia area played well and looked remarkably poised. Overall, however, the Cavaliers' performance in their first road game was a disaster of epic proportions.

It was reminiscent of U.Va.'s opener, the 52-7 loss to Southern California that no longer can be called an aberration. Connecticut, led by quarterback Tyler Lorenzen and tailback Donald Brown, made Virginia's defense look utterly inept last night.

The final score was 45-10 at Rentschler Field, where a raucous crowd saw the Huskies emphatically avenge the one-point loss they suffered at Scott Stadium last year.

The outcome was in doubt for less than a quarter, by which time message-board meltdowns by angry and embarrassed U.Va. fans had commenced. UConn (3-0) scored a touchdown on each of its first four possessions and led 28-0 at the break.

Junior tailback Donald Brown, far too quick for U.Va.'s plodding front seven, had two 63-yard runs. On the first, U.Va. cornerback Ras-I Dowling chased him down from behind to save a touchdown. On the second, Brown juked into the secondary and ran untouched to the end zone, and Tony Ciaravino's fifth PAT made it 35-3.

Brown, the Big East's leading rusher and a one-time U.Va. recruiting target, finished with 206 yards and three TDs on 20 carries. Lorenzen was ruthlessly efficient, too, completing 13 of 15 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown, without an interception. He carried 10 times for 52 yards against a U.Va. defense that looked more than a step slow.

Lorenzen, a senior left-hander, completed his first 11 passes. Not until the 9:18 mark of the third quarter did he throw an incompletion.

Virginia fell to 1-2, and it's hard to look at the schedule and see where Al Groh's team is likely to pick up many more victories.

Verica, starting because of a decision by Groh and university officials to keep Peter Lalich home this weekend, completed 22 of 30 passes for 158 yards, with one interception before giving way to Scott Deke late in the third quarter. Junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree led U.Va. with seven receptions for 58 yards.

Deke's 12-yard run to the Huskies' 1 in the fourth quarter set up U.Va.'s lone touchdown. That TD, which came on tailback Cedric Peerman's 1-yard run, was the first allowed by UConn this season.

One sequence summed up this dismal outing for U.Va. The game was effectively out of their reach, but the Cavaliers opened the third quarter with an impressive drive, and a 21-yard completion from Verica to Ogletree gave them a first down at the Huskies' 5.

A touchdown seemed possible, if not imminent, but Virginia self-destructed.

First down: 7-yard loss when Verica fumbled an errant shotgun snap. Second down: 8-yard loss when UConn sacked him. Third down: 5-yard penalty on U.Va. for delay of game. Finally, on third and goal from the 25, Verica threw incomplete, and the Wahoos came away with only three points, on Yannick Reyering's 43-yard field goal.

That made it 28-3, and Virginia's defense followed by forcing the Huskies to punt for the first time all game. But redshirt freshman Kris Burd was called for a personal foul after roughing punter Desi Cullen, and the automatic first down extended UConn's drive.


 

U.VA. NOTES
Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Night of firsts
Not only had Marc Verica never started a college game before Virginia's game with Connecticut, the redshirt sophomore quarterback never had been on a regular-season road trip with Virginia.

He'd never thrown a pass as a Cavalier, either, until the first quarter last night at Rentschler Field. But Verica looked remarkably poised in a hostile environment. He completed his first three passes and four of five on U.Va.'s opening possession.

Verica redshirted as a U.Va. freshman in 2006. The Cavaliers' travel squad last season included three quarterbacks: starter Jameel Sewell, backup Peter Lalich and No. 3 man Scott Deke.

Virginia coach Al Groh brought only two quarterbacks to last night's game at Connecticut: Verica and Deke.

Also traveling to their first regular-season road games for Virginia: redshirt freshmen Zane Parr, Anthony Mihota, Landon Bradley, Chase Minnifield and Kris Burd, true freshmen Jimmy Howell, Rodney McLeod, Ausar Walcott, Robert Randolph, Steve Greer, Cameron Johnson and Austin Pasztor, and junior Yannick Reyering, a former U.Va. soccer star who joined the football team this year.

Burd, a Matoaca High graduate, recorded his first collegiate reception in the second quarter, snaring a 6-yard pass from Verica.

Scary sight
After catching a pass in the final minute of the first half, U.Va. wide receiver Kevin Ogletree limped to the sideline, in obvious pain.

Ogletree, who missed last season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, had that same knee examined last night by the team's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. David Diduch. With his knee taped up, Ogletree jogged to the locker room with the rest of the team at halftime.

Pressure? What pressure?
Facing little to no rush, Huskies quarterback Tyler Lorenzen picked apart U.Va. in the first half. He was 11 for 11 passes, for 122 yards and one touchdown, and also ran eight times for 54 yards.

One that got away
Donald Brown seriously considered Virginia before choosing Connecticut. He punished the Wahoos last night. By halftime, Brown had 112 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

Brown, a junior tailback from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., told the Hartford Courant that he favored the Cavaliers for a long time, but they didn't commit to using him at running back until late in the recruiting process.

Of facing U.Va., Brown said, "I guess there's a little bit [of extra motivation], but things happen for a reason. I guess me not going there, there was some reason."

Young guns
Virginia's rotation on the defensive line includes three promising redshirt freshmen: Parr, Matt Conrath and Nick Jenkins.

Conrath starts at end, and Jenkins splits time with junior Nate Collins at nose tackle. Parr, an end, is a pass-rusher in U.Va.'s nickel defense.

Jenkins, who attended Good Counsel High in the D.C. area, was one of the most heralded recruits to enroll at U.Va. in 2007. He chose Virginia over Florida, Tennessee, Michigan and Penn State.

The 6-7, 277-pound Conrath has the look of a four-year starter. As a senior at St. Rita High in Chicago, he chose U.Va. over Vanderbilt, Purdue, Duke and Miami (Ohio).

Groh said that when the Cavaliers recruit outside the Old Dominion, they're "going to schools where there are odds of us finding kids [for] whom the Virginia circumstance and education is going to be meaningful, where there are people who are familiar with the University of Virginia and say, 'Hey, that's a good school. You ought to consider that.'

"St. Rita in Chicago is one of those schools. We were very fortunate when we walked in that particular year, given the way he's going to turn out to be, that there was a tall, lean player who was not being overly recruited."

Extra points
UConn expected to have three Virginians on its roster this season, but one of them -- former Highland Springs High standout Jarrell Miller -- left school in July for personal reasons.

Miller, a defensive tackle, would have been a redshirt freshman this season. He sat out last season after transferring from North Carolina. He was a Parade All-American at Highland Springs.

Still at UConn are offensive lineman Jimmy Bennett (Alexandria) and quarterback Casey Turner (Chesapeake).

The only Connecticut resident on U.Va.'s roster is tailback Torrey Mack, a true freshman from Stratford. Mack is expected to redshirt this season. -- Jeff White

 

Huskies shred Virginia defense
UConn finishes with 506 yards of total offense and back Donald Brown rushes for 206 yards.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Unless exiled quarterback Peter Lalich could have made an open-field tackle, he wouldn't have helped Virginia against Connecticut on Saturday night.

The Cavaliers might have thought they would struggle with first-time starter Marc Verica behind center, but their problems ran far deeper than that.

The Huskies scored touchdowns on their first four possessions at Rentschler Field and demolished a UVa defense that head coach Al Groh considers his baby, 45-10.

One week after shutting out Division I-AA Richmond, UVa gave up 506 yards and 25 first downs in falling to 1-2. UConn improved its record to 3-0 and avenged a 17-16 loss in Charlottesville in 2007.

"It's not about in any way, shape or form, anybody who wasn't here," Groh said. "Our team is the team we put on the field today. I'm responsible for that. I take the blame for that. And, there are really no other names necessary to discuss.

"Clearly, UConn played a terrific game. They did most everything right. We did little if anything right. Every aspect of defense, certainly, was poor."

Fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen completed all 11 of his pass attempts in the first half and tailback Donald Brown carried 15 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns as the Huskies raced to a 28-0 halftime lead.

Brown finished with 20 carries for 206 yards, and the Huskies rushed for 382 yards as a team.

"They rushed for 382 yards," said UVa linebacker Clint Sintim as he studied the final statistics. "Any time a team does that, then's that's just crazy."

Brown had a pair of 63-yard runs, one for a touchdown, and freshman Jordan Todman added a 48-yard run. UVa safety Brandon Woods missed downfield tackles on all three runs, but he wasn't alone.

"As many years as I've been here, I can't remember a game when I've personally played as bad and we've played as bad as a defense," said Sintin, a fifth-year senior, "A lot of things have got to be corrected. I've got to look at myself first and do better.

"That's just sloppy performance. Off the top of my head, I would say I missed four clean tackles and some sacks. I take full responsibility for that."

UVa averted a shutout when Yannick Reyering kicked a 43-yard field goal with 10:03 remaining in the third quarter, but that was small consolation for the Cavaliers after they picked up a first-and-goal at the Huskies' 5.

On first down, Verica, who had completed six straight passes, couldn't handle a shotgun snap and fell on the ball at the 11. On second down, UConn defensive end Cody Brown blew past UVa tackle Will Barker for a sack and 11-yard loss. That was followed by a third-down incompletion.

Even when Virginia appeared to stop the Huskies on their first series of the second half, pressuring Lorenzen into his first incompletion, the effort went for naught. Kris Burd was penalized for crashing into punter Desi Cullen.

The tone had been set during the first quarter, when UConn outgained the Cavaliers 138-17 and had possession for more than 12 minutes. UVa had five plays from scrimmage in the first quarter, four of them pass completions by Verica.

Some might have thought the Cavaliers would turn to their running backs when Groh decided to leave Lalich in Charlottesville for failure to live up to the "standards and values" of the program, but it was obvious that they didn't feel they could run the ball.

Cedric Peerman, who scored the Cavaliers' lone touchdown on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, practiced sparingly during the week and had two carries.

Verica finished 22-of-30 for 158 yards, but the Cavaliers rushed for 31 yards as a team. Virginia occasionally lined up in empty sets that included six receivers, including a tight end, and no running backs.

"They're a very strong run-defense team; they were last year," Groh said. "We didn't want to put our quarterback in a difficult position, where we had to pass. Cedric was doubtful to questionable all week and didn't have all of his stuff."

When Verica was intercepted late in the third quarter, Groh went to fifth-year senior Scott Deke on the next series. Like Verica, Deke had never attempted a pass in a college game. He finished 3-of-8 for 30 yards and set up UVa's touchdown with a 12-yard scramble.

"We wanted to give Scott some plays," Groh said, "but, at that point, we had no touchdowns. That's how you judge an offense's performance. That's how you judge a quarterback's offense, I wanted to see if maybe we could get some touchdowns."
 

Cameo helped Verica

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Until would-be starter Peter Lalich was dropped from Virginia's dress list, nobody knew if the Cavs had a No. 2 quarterback.

Sophomore Marc Verica and senior Scott Deke were listed as equals until Verica was identified Wednesday as Lalich's replacement in the starting lineup.

Verica handed off on UVa's final three plays in a 52-7 loss to Southern Cal, when Deke's playing time was restricted to holding for kicks.

"He'd [Verica] never been in a game," UVa coach Al Groh said Thursday. "Even though it was small time, it was a first step. Hopefully, it means something. I don't know. Maybe it doesn't have any impact, other than him being able to say, 'I got in a game.'

"We had just had that conversation with [Deke and Verica] earlier in the week, when we made the decision that Peter would start the season. We told them, 'Fellas, you've done a really good job. It's been well-developed from where you were six months ago and we're going to keep it highly competitive."

Deke elected to return for his final year when 2007 starter Jameel Sewell flunked out of school, but he was not assured of playing time.

His only playing time had come in the final seconds of a 44-14 win over Pitt in 2007, when he handed off twice.

Verica (6 foot 3, 206 pounds) is the most athletic of Virginia's quarterbacks and ranks only behind Lalich in arm strength.

"Just like it was throughout the course of training camp, there wasn't much to choose from," Groh said. "Marc has had two very good weeks of practice and made some real good throws. So, it's about time to find out what he might be able to do for us in a game."

One reason why Verica and Deke were separated by an "or" on Virginia's depth chart is "that we were going to try and keep it competitive on a week-to-week basis," Groh said. "That way, if the players competed in practice for that slot, we would get the best reading."

Cutting it close

In the absence of Lalich, Virginia traveled to Connecticut with only two quarterbacks, Verica and Deke. The only other scholarship quarterback in the UVa program is freshman Riko Smalls, who has been operating the Cavaliers' scout team in practice.

On several occasions this season, running back Mikell Simpson has taken a direct snap from center in UVa's version of the "Wildcat" package popularized by Arkansas when it had Darren McFadden.

n Verica was among a large group of UVa players who were taking their first road trip, but the others were in either their first or second year.

Crowded booth

Unlike predecessor Mike London, new UVa defensive coordinator Bob Pruett does his game-day coaching from the press box, leaving only three assistants on the sidelines with Groh -- offensive line coach Dave Borbely, running backs coach Anthony Poindexter and special teams coach Bob Diaco. Diaco doubles as a linebackers coach and Poindexter as a special teams assistant.
 

Huskies hammer ’Hoos
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 13, 2008

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Randy Edsall had pleaded with Connecticut fans to make life rough for Virginia inside Renstchler Field.

In the end, the Connecticut coach’s urging was much ado about nothing.

Thanks to a career-best performance from UConn tailback Donald Brown, a majority of the fanbase had happily bolted for the exits long before the fourth quarter had even started.

With Brown taking center stage, the Huskies gained 506 yards of total offense, blasting Virginia, 45-10, in the Cavaliers’ first road game.

Virginia (1-2) struggled on offense for the third straight game, managing to amass just 219 yards of total offense.

“I think we just got outplayed,” Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said. “I got outplayed. I think our defense as a whole got outplayed. They were easily the better team.”

UConn (3-0) got 206 yards and three touchdowns from Brown and a near-perfect performance from quarterback Tyler Lorenzen, who passed for 124 yards and rushed for 52 more.

The Huskies raced out to a 28-point lead at halftime and never looked back, allowing the Cavaliers only two scoring drives.

“I did kind of blink and it was 28-0,” said Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman, who scored the Cavaliers lone touchdown on a 1-yard run with 10:24 left in the game. “We just tried to refocus but we never could get back on track.”

Marc Verica, who was 22 of 30 passing for 158 yards, was named Virginia’s starting quarterback on Wednesday in a press release that noted the benching of Pete Lalich, who did not travel with the team to the game.

“UConn played a terrific game. They did most everything right,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “We did little of anything right. It’s not about — in any way, shape or form — anybody who wasn’t here.

“Our team is the team that we put on the field today. I am responsible for that. I take the blame for that and there are really no other names necessary to discuss.”

Virginia scored its first points with 10:03 left in the third quarter on a 43-yard field goal by Yannick Reyering, but UConn answered the score as Brown broke through the Cavaliers’ defense for a 63-yard touchdown run.

“I had my hands on [Brown] numerous times and he made me look silly,” Sintim said. “He is a talented back and we knew that coming in.”

In the first half, UConn scored touchdowns on its first four possessions.

Brown opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run with 8:44 left in the first quarter, capping off an 11-play, 70-yard drive.

After forcing Virginia to punt on Verica’s second career series at quarterback, the Huskies struck again.

Lorenzen, who showcased the ability to run and pass on the drive, connected on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Davis in the back of the Cavaliers’ end zone on the fourth play of the second quarter.

In quick fashion, the Huskies added to their lead scoring 10 minutes left in the first half on a 13-yard run by Darius Butler. The 5-play, 86-yard march included a 63-yard run by Brown, who appeared headed for the end zone until cornerback Ras-I Dowling chased him down at the Virginia 23.

Virginia attempted to answer the score, moving the ball to the UConn 25, but Verica was flushed out of the pocket and threw an incompletion on 4th-and-1.

Brown, who had 112 yards rushing in the opening half, gave UConn a 28-0 halftime advantage on the Huskies’ fourth drive, scoring on an 8-yard run with 1:42 left in the half.

The Cavaliers ran 23 offensive plays in the first half and moved the ball 90 yards, but converted only once on their five third-down opportunities.

Virginia, after a bye week, returns to action at Duke on Sept. 27. It will mark the first league game of the season for the Cavaliers.

 

Verica hits the road for first time
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 13, 2008

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Despite having been a part of Virginia’s football program since 2006, Marc Verica had never traveled to a road game.

That changed Saturday night for the sophomore.

In addition to making his road debut, Verica also earned his first starting assignment.

Verica got off to a nice start, completing his first three passes for a total of 17 yards. That drive stalled, however, and led to one of three first-half punts for the Cavaliers as they fell to a 28-0 deficit.

In his defense, Verica had limited time to prepare for his starting debut. On Wednesday, Virginia coach Al Groh announced that starting quarterback Pete Lalich would not travel with the team to the contest.

Prior to the UConn game, Verica had appeared in only one game, logging just one series of work during the fourth quarter against Southern California.

Fifth-year senior Scott Deke replaced Verica in the third quarter after the sophomore threw an interception.

Scary moment

With 30 seconds left in the first half, Virginia wide receiver Kevin Ogletree went to the ground in obvious pain.

The junior clutched his left knee and had to be helped from the field.

While the severity of the injury is unknown, Ogletree had the knee taped up (and later added a black brace) and played throughout the second half.

Ogletree missed the 2007 season after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during spring practice that year.

On the road again

Verica, who did travel to the Gator Bowl last year, was not alone in making his road debut.

Seven true freshmen — LB Steve Greer, P Jimmy Howell, LB Cam Johnson, DB Rodney McLeod, OG Austin Pasztor, PK Robert Randolph and DB Ausar Walcott — were among the players to travel.

Johnson, who had not played previously, made his Cavalier debut in the second half.

Rough start

For the second time this season, Virginia’s opponent scored on their opening possession.

It did take Connecticut longer than Southern Cal. The Trojans scored in the season opener with 10:29 left in the first quarter. UConn scored with 8:44 remaining in the opening quarter.

Magical Minnifield

Chase Minnifield, a redshirt freshman, was inserted on the kickoff coverage unit late in the contest for Ogletree and did not disappoint.

The rookie collected the ball near the Cavaliers’ end zone and weaved up field for a career-best 56 yard return.

Burd gets in on the act

Virginia redshirt freshman Kris Burd made the first reception of his career in the second quarter.

Burd, who battled back woes during the 2007 season, hauled in a 6-yard pass from Verica with just over eight minutes left in the first half.

Sophomore wideout Staton Jobe, who was hobbled by a foot injury in training camp, also made his first catch of the season.

Pastor Peerman

After being held out of the end zone in the Cavaliers’ first two games, senior running back Cedric Peerman sprinted left with 10:24 left in the game to score a 1-yard touchdown.

Peerman, who missed the final seven games last season with a foot injury, scored five touchdowns in 2007.

It also marked the first touchdown that Connecticut had allowed this season. The Huskies allowed a field goal in a 35-3 win over Hofstra and limited Temple to three field goals last weekend on the road.

Up next

Virginia (1-2) will have its first bye week of the season before heading to Durham, N.C., on Sept. 27 to face Duke (2-1) The Blue Devils beat Navy, 41-31, at home on Saturday.

Connecticut (3-0) will play on Friday at home against Baylor.

 

UConn routs dazed UVa
Untested Marc Verica is functional at QB, but the Cavaliers' passing defense is a big problem.
By ZAC BOYER SPECIAL TO THE DAILY PRESS
September 14, 2008

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - Peter Lalich stayed home in Charlottesville on Saturday. So did Virginia's defense.

Appearing lost and often confused on both sides of the ball, UVa lost 45-10 to Connecticut in the Cavaliers' road opener on Saturday at Rentschler Field.

Sophomore Marc Verica, starting the game in place of Lalich, finished 22-for-30 for 158 yards with one interception in only the second appearance of his college career. It was announced Wednesday that Lalich, who started the first two games, would not join his teammates after concerns arose regarding the terms of his July probation.

On the first drive, the inexperience didn't bother Verica, who looked calm and composed in the pocket. Though the first possession ended with a punt by Jimmy Howell, Verica completed his first three passes to three receivers before things started to break down.

The UVa defense, on the other hand, never looked good. UConn running back Donald Brown, who finished with 206 yards and three touchdowns, scored his first touchdown seven minutes into the first quarter. He then began the Huskies' first full drive of the second half with a 63-yard run up the right sideline, setting up a 13-yard touchdown run on a reverse by Darius Butler.

It could be understood if UVa had permitted Brown, who entered the game with 360 rushing yards and five touchdowns, to run wild against its already-poor rush defense. But UConn quarterback Tyler Lorenzen, who threw four interceptions in the first two contests, further embarrassed the Cavaliers by completing all 11 of his passes in the first half en route to a 13-for-15, 124-yard finish.

"(He was) very strong," Cavs coach Al Groh said. "He was accurate, got out of the pocket and could throw. It was outstanding play."

Groh tried making things easy for Verica, whose first game action came against Southern California when he entered on the final offensive series but did not attempt a pass. The Lansdowne, Pa., native worked extensively out of the shotgun, often with running backs Cedric Peerman or Mikell Simpson available in the flats, and was also afforded the luxury of a five-wide set on several occasions.

Verica didn't look truly comfortable with the pace of the game until late in the second quarter, by which point the Huskies had built a 28-0 lead. Though Yannick Reyering made a 48-yard field goal on the first drive of the third quarter for a 28-3 UConn advantage, Brown responded by capping off his day with a 63-yard touchdown run for a 35-3 lead.

True freshman Jordan Todman then piled on by adding a 14-yard touchdown on the next possession.

"We want to have balance," UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "That does not necessarily mean throwing as much as running, but when you have the running game going the way we did and then you throw and make completions, it goes hand in hand."

Scott Deke, making his first appearance of the season, entered the game in the third quarter in relief of Verica and didn't look much better. His first three passes fell incomplete — one went short, the other two were tipped — before he led the Cavaliers on a 56-yard scoring drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Peerman.

Deke finished the game, totaling 30 yards and completing 3 of 8 with an interception. Mikell Simpson had 23 of the Cavaliers' 31 rushing yards, and wide receiver Kevin Ogletree had a team-high 58 yards on seven catches.

UVa has next week off before opening its Atlantic Coast Conference slate against Duke on Sept. 27. The Cavaliers could use the break to regroup, get Lalich back and work on improving a defense that has allowed 500 yards to two of its three opponents.

"It's never a good time for a loss," Ogletree said.

 

Verica settles down in third
By ZAC BOYER | SPECIAL TO THE DAILY PRESS
September 14, 2008

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - After a mediocre first-half performance against the suffocating UConn defense, quarterback Marc Verica looked much more composed to start the third quarter.

Taking the ball at the Cavaliers' own 26-yard line after a punt return by Cedric Peerman, Verica sent his first attempt to Kevin Ogletree short. Then he settled in.

Verica completed his next six passes, finding three different receivers, to lead UVa on a 69-yard drive to the UConn 5-yard line. But a trio of huge mistakes — a fumbled snap, a 9-yard loss on a sack by Huskies defensive end Cody Brown and a delay of game penalty — interrupted that momentum and forced the Cavaliers to face a third-and-goal from the 25.

"He's got a good head about him," coach Al Groh said. "He doesn't force the game. On some plays, he made clear decisions and made more active throws."

What Verica didn't do Saturday was run. Sure, the QB Groh said was the most athletic amongst he, Peter Lalich and Scott Deke used his feet to escape on several situations, but Verica never tucked the ball and passed the line of scrimmage.

Peerman aching
Peerman was listed as "probable to doubtful" all week by Groh and was not expected to play Saturday. Though he suffered from dizziness as the result of hard hits he suffered in consecutive weeks against USC and Richmond, Peerman carried the ball twice for 4 yards and had three kick returns for 61 yards.

Mikell Simpson, who spelled Peerman, carried the ball six times for 23 yards, while Raynard Horne tallied 5 yards on two attempts. Groh said the inconsistency in the running game has made it difficult to get the offense started, regardless of who is at quarterback.

Back to basics
While the defense appeared unable to make an open-field tackle, that wasn't the only fundamental the Cavaliers lacked.

Verica threw several passes at his receivers' knees, Deke had two of his first three tipped by UConn defenders, and Kris Burd was called for roughing the punter in the third quarter.

Opportunistic Rams dump Cavs
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: September 13, 2008

In Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth took just three shots on goal, but made its chances count in a 3-1 victory over Virginia on Saturday night.

“It was a very, very important win for us,” said VCU coach Tim O’Sullivan, “not only because it is Virginia and they have a very good team and a very good coach but it is an important win for where we are in our season. We have three losses and one win and this one was important. ...We went to North Carolina’s tournament and lost to Wake and North Carolina but we had equal chances and didn’t finish them. Here, we had very few goal scoring chances and put them all away and that’s the difference in winning games. We found a way to take our chances and when you do that and finish them, and that’s how you win games.”

Tony Tschani put the Cavaliers (2-3) up on a penalty kick late in the first half. Evan Slusser equalized for the Rams (2-3) four minutes later, scoring his first collegiate goal off a Gerson Dos Santos assist.

Dos Santos also set up Jorit Loehr’s winning goal late in the second half. UVa transfer David Rosenbaum added an insurance goal just before the final whistle.

“I thought we completely dominated the game and deserved to win,” said UVa coach George Gelnovatch. “We have a very young team that couldn’t put away their chances and that’s bad for us. I have to remind myself that we’re relying on freshmen to score our goals. I can’t get upset with them. I try not to get frustrated. We’re a good team. We’re creating a ton of chances. We’ll be fine. We just have to be patient. Our chances will come.”