White: Turnovers Doom 'Hoos In Opener
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/05/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As recently as 2007, UVa's football team opened with a humbling loss and bounced back to have a successful season.
That season-opener, however, was on the road, in the high altitude of Laramie, Wyo., against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.
The Cavaliers' loss Saturday night came in the friendly confines of Scott Stadium, against a Football Championship Subdivision foe. This one -- a 26-14 loss to William and Mary -- stings worse than the setback at Wyoming.
"It's definitely a tough pill to swallow," senior linebacker Denzel Burrell said.
Four minutes into the game, the crowd of 54,587, save for the W&M fans in the stadium's southeast corner, was in high spirits. So were the UVa players.
After forcing a Tribe punt on the opening series, Virginia had needed only three plays to go up 7-0 on quarterback Vic Hall's 34-yard touchdown run and Robert Randolph's PAT.
"And then it seemed from then on, we just stalled out," said junior Marc Verica, the third of the three quarterbacks to play for Virginia. "Too many three-and-outs and too many turnovers. We put the defense in bad position all game long."
Not since 1994, when they turned the ball over seven times in a win over Clemson, had the Cavaliers been so careless with the ball. Against William and Mary, UVa lost four fumbles and threw three interceptions.
"We know why we lost: We turned the ball over too many times," Verica said.
The Tribe, by contrast, had no fumbles and only one interception.
"I wish I could give you something more profound, fellas, but I think we all know what the story of this one was," said Al Groh, whose record in season-openers as UVa's coach fell to 3-6.
Given the emphasis the Cavaliers put on ball security throughtout training camp, to lose this way was particularly frustrating.
"That's been a pretty prominent goal of ours," Verica said, "if not the primary focus offensively: Just don't beat yourself. Don't make yourself easy to beat, and teams that make themselves hard to beat are teams that don't turn the ball over, they don't get penalties, they don't make mental errors, just don't do things of that nature.
"It's definitely been a goal of ours and will continue to be a focus of ours. And it has to improve if we have any hope of winning games this year."
After Virginia's first series, the spread offense installed by new coordinator Gregg Brandon rarely seemed to faze the Tribe's defense. UVa totaled only 268 yards of offense and all but abandoned the passing game for long stretches.
"Clearly we need some more work on what we're trying to do," Groh said. "We were hoping that this game would be a lot smoother than it was."
The coaching staff entered the game planning to use Hall and Sewell. It held open the possibility of playing Verica, who started nine games in 2008, as well.
Hall and Sewell split time at QB in the first half, and each had a TD run. But Hall, who played cornerback for the first 11 games last season, hurt a hip late in the second quarter, and he didn't take any snaps after intermission.
He played a pivotal role in the outcome, however. Hall muffed a punt inside Virginia's 10 midway through the third quarter. The Tribe, trailing 14-13, recovered at the 9. Two minutes later, the third of Brian Pate's four field goals put W&M ahead for good.
"That's a decision that Vic had to make at the spur of the moment," Groh said. "I'm sure he'd like to have it back. By the same token, his seven points were pretty important to us at the beginning. He gave it everything that he had for us today."
Sewell, who started 22 consecutive games at quarterback before missing last season for academic reasons, looked rusty in his first game back. He ran effectively at times but completed only 9 of 17 passes for 80 yards. Worse, he had three passes picked off, all by cornerback B.W. Webb.
Webb's third interception sealed the Tribe's victory. After two fourth-quarter series with Verica stalled, UVa's coaches went back to Sewell. The score was 19-14, 3:45 remained, and Virginia took over in good field position (its 41-yard line).
In 2007, Sewell became known for morphing into Steve Young in the fourth quarter, but the magic was missing on this drive. Webb stepped in front of an ill-advised throw by Sewell and returned it 50 yards for a TD.
On a night when William and Mary quarterback R.J. Archer, a graduate of nearby Albemarle High, completed 23 of 44 throws for 184 yards and one TD, Virginia's QBs were a combined 18 for 33 passing for 137 yards.
"Clearly we need better performance than what we got at the position," Groh said.
The loss was Virginia's first to a team from the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) since 1986, when William and Mary won a 41-37 shootout at Scott Stadium.
"They deserved it in every respect," Groh said Saturday night.
His message to his players after the game?
"We've got 11 more weeks to go," Groh said. "There'll be a lot of negativity out there, some of it well-deserved. We can either crack or we can stick together. One thing we haven't ever done around here is crack."
Groh said he didn't plan to bring up the 2007 season, which started for UVa with the 23-3 loss at Wyoming and ended with a trip to the Gator Bowl. His players, however, might.
"You try not to make too many connections between two seasons -- they're definitely different, with different players and things like that -- but we have the ability to bounce back, and that's just what we're going to have to do right now," Burrell said. "Starting 0-1 is definitely not what we envisioned for ourselves, but we definitely need to just move on from now and get even at 1-1 next weekend."
Hall said: "The best thing we can do is stick together and keep working hard, because we still got a long season left."
It resumes next weekend. No. 17 Texas Christian comes to town Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. game at Scott Stadium.
"We can't get this game back," Burrell said. "We can't play [W&M] again this year, so we've just got to look forward to TCU."
Asked what he would tell UVa students and fans, Burrell said, "Hopefully to just keep faith in us and keep supporting us. We're as down as they are about this loss, obviously, and I just want them to know we're going to work as hard as we possibly can."
 

UVa-W&M Postgame Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/05/2009

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes
On William & Mary:
"We congratulate them on the win. They did everything they needed to in order to win. They deserved it in every respect."

On the game:
"We were hoping this game would be a lot smoother than it was. They had a very good plan and we didn't execute very well. Hopefully, now that we've played against some competition, we'll have a chance to move forward with it."

On William & Mary QB R.J. Archer:
"He brought his team home a winner. That's what he's supposed to do."

On the Virginia Quarterbacks:
"Clearly we need better performance than what we got from that position."

On playing three quarterbacks:
"With three players who have all performed in games before, whatever it will take to get that position to be as productive as necessary, in any particular game, we will do it."

On turnovers:
"We turned the ball over seven times ... and it's clear that we need more work on what we're trying to do. That's the answer to this game. Turnovers."

On Vic Hall:
"He gave it everything he had today. His seven points were pretty important to us in the beginning."

On the Virginia Offensive Line:
"Clearly we struggled. We had one ball turned over. We need to do a better job up there but we all need to do a better job."

On what he told his team after the game:
"There are 11 more weeks to go. There will be a lot of negativity out there. Some of it well deserved. We can either crack or we can stick together. One thing we have never done around here is crack."

Virginia Player Quotes
Junior Quarterback Marc Verica
On how to rebound from a loss like this:
"All we can really do is stick together. It's a tough loss, but we had one of our best seasons ever when we played at Laramie (Wyoming) a couple years ago. There will be a lot of negativity, but it's important we don't point fingers and correct the things that cause us to lose, and simply move forward."

On the team's psyche after this game:
"I think it's tough. Losing the way we did today would be tough on anyone. It is extremely important to bounce back, and how we respond will ultimately define this team."

On what needs to change before you play TCU next week:
"We have to take care of the football."

Senior Quarterback Vic Hall
On how to rebound from a game like this:
"It's extremely frustrating. We have to stick together to overcome this, and the only thing that can right something like this is hard work."

On touchdown run in first quarter:
"It doesn't matter. We didn't win the game. If one of us dies, we all die. Mistakes overshadow plays like that."

On how it felt to be back under center:
"I just want to play football, and I was just glad to be out there with my teammates."

On moving forward and preparing for TCU:
"We have to stay together, and most importantly remain positive."

Sophomore Wide Receiver Matt Snyder
On bouncing back:
"Tomorrow's a new day. We will have to go out there, practice extremely hard, and work together to correct our mistakes."

On the wide receivers as a unit:
"Everyone played hard today, but we didn't take care of business. We have to go out tomorrow, practice hard, and we will bounce back."

On play of the defense:
"They played great. They played their hearts out for us."

On team's psyche:
"Losing is always the most painful thing that could happen to a team. We just have to be sure to stay together, pick each other up, push each other and get ready for TCU next week."

Senior Linebacker Denzel Burrell
On what to take from the game:
"Obviously you can't turn the ball over as much as we did, and every Saturday, both teams are out here to win. You're not guaranteed a win by any means. You have to play harder than the other team, and tonight they just outplayed us."

On how to move forward and prepare for TCU:
"We have to work on the fundamentals and holding the ball. We have to work on the fundamentals, execute and prepare all week for TCU, and that's what we're going to do."

Freshman Linebacker Steve Greer
On the loss:
"Obviously we're disappointed. We didn't get the results we wanted, but right now I think we just need to move on."

On the William & Mary offensive line:
"We practiced defending the quick passes all week and they tried to deny us from having a good pass rush."

On illegal substitutions calls:
"Sometimes I think we can be in a hurry to get out there. We felt the urgency to get out and try to stop this team."
William & Mary Head Coach Jimmye Laycock
Opening remarks:
"I feel like we can be a pretty good team. During the preseason, we pushed them pretty hard and held them to a higher standard. They worked at it really hard, and they got the payoff tonight by playing extremely well. I thought after we got by those first few opening plays, where we were maybe a little jittery, we settled down and showed poise. We played extremely smart on both sides of the ball. This is a tremendous win for us."

On the William & Mary offense:
"We can't worry about [missed opportunities]. We had some posts open that we didn't connect on, and you don't know how many plays you will have like that. We came in with more of a limited offense tonight. We took some shots that we didn't hit, but we kept plugging away."

On the William & Mary defense:
"Our defense really settled in and played well. Our coaches did a good job of putting them in the right spot, and we made the big plays. I have a lot of confidence in our defense."

On senior quarterback R.J. Archer playing in his hometown:
"I was a little worried about the emotional factor. R.J. is pretty cool and almost nonchalant. Tonight he was very poised. I was extremely impressed."

William & Mary Player Quotes
Senior Defensive End Adrian Tracy
On being ready for the game:
"Our coach has prepared us very well. We were mentally tough and well conditioned. Coach said we were in the right place at the right time."

Senior Quarterback R.J. Archer
On being from the Charlottesville area:
"I don't think it's sunk in too much yet. I told these guys on defense, I mean, they played their hearts out tonight and really I think they won the game for us. I'm tired of going against them in practice, I really didn't care who it was, I just wanted to come out here and play someone else. They're, as you see tonight, the toughest team to go against. Yeah, it really hasn't sunk in too much yet. It's the first game still and I hope we can build on this and make it a nice season."

On whether he had pre-game jitters:
"I was more nervous before the Villanova game last year, opening at home in front of all the fans that like me a lot. Coming in here, I just... I don't know why, maybe just the same thing, it hasn't sunk in yet, but I just went out there and had a blast."

Freshman Defensive Back B.W. Webb
On starting his career with this win:
"It's kind of like a dream almost. Everything happened at the right time."

On his interception:
"Coach always told me to know my techniques and watch the other guy... and the guy came right into my area."

"I was really excited. My first touchdown, I can't even explain it. So much emotion."

Sophomore Linebacker Jake Trantin
On containing UVa's quarterbacks:
"We knew they could make plays, but they did a really good job containing the quarterback. For the most part we contained him pretty well."
 

Turnovers Prove Costly in UVa Loss to William & Mary
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/05/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- B.W. Webb had three interceptions and William & Mary shut down Virginia's new spread offense in a 26-14 win on Saturday.

The Tribe forced seven turnovers and Webb returned his last interception for a 50-yard touchdown with 2:39 left in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers used all three of their quarterbacks, trying to get something going, but none were effective.
The best quarterback on the field, it seemed, was R.J. Archer. The redshirt senior who grew up near Charlottesville and was a regular in the stands at Scott Stadium threw for 184 yards and made only one mistake -- a fourth-quarter interception that Virginia did not capitalize on.

The loss was Virginia's first to a Football Championship Subdivision school since 1986, when it lost 41-37 to the Tribe. William & Mary last beat an I-A school in 1998 (Temple).

Archer completed 23 of 45 passes despite twice overthrowing his receivers who were well behind the secondary and came up just short. He also rushed for 46 yards on nine carries.

The Tribe, which got four field goals (in six attempts) from Brian Pate, finished with a 309-269 total offense advantage after a start that made it seem like a rout was in order.

The Cavaliers and Hall made it look easy early. Hall completed a 3-yard pass on Virginia's first play from scrimmage, and ran 34 yards untouched for a TD on the third.

Only 2:45 was off the clock, and the crowd at Scott Stadium was delirious.

But the Tribe tied it on Archer's 5-yard pass to Rob Varno, and Virginia's only other highlight was a brilliant drive on which Sewell completed all five of his passes for 45 yards and carried four time for 35 yards, the last 26 on three straight attempts.

That made it 14-7, and it was all Tribe thereafter.

The Tribe attempted five field goals in the second quarter alone. Pate had one blocked, had another hit an upright and a third sail wide left, but he made a 40-yarder with 3:21 left in the half and a 26-yarder on the final play of the half to make it 14-13.

His 20-yarder after Hall's muff gave William & Mary the lead with 5:35 left in the third quarter, and he made a 24-yarder with 3:50 remaining after Verica's fumble on a run.
 

White: Opening Day Evokes Good, Bad Memories
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/05/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Al Groh's ninth season as UVa's football coach begins tonight against William and Mary at Scott Stadium.
This marks the first time in Groh's tenure, though, that the Cavaliers have opened against an opponent from the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA.
His team is expected to beat the Tribe, but opening day hasn't always gone well for Groh. As coach at his alma mater, he's 3-5 in those games.
Here's a look back at Virginia's past eight openers:
* Aug. 25, 2001: No. 22 Wisconsin 26, UVa 17 -- In the Eddie Robinson Classic at Madison, Wis., the Badgers spoiled Groh's return to the college game. (He'd been the New York Jets' head coach in 2000.)
In 2002, Matt Schaub established himself as one of the nation's best quarterbacks, but he struggled against Wisconsin, completing only 3 of 10 passes for 24 yards. He threw two first-half picks that led to 10 points for the Badgers, and Groh eventually replaced Schaub with Bryson Spinner.
The most talented player on that UVa team, tailback Antwoine Womack, suffered an injury in the first quarter that sidelined him for most of the season.
A bright spot for the 'Hoos: true freshman Alvin Pearman, who returned three kickoffs for 103 yards and three punts for 31 yards.
* Aug. 22, 2002: Colorado State 35, UVa 29 -- In the Jim Thorpe Classic at Scott Stadium, Schaub was unimpressive again, and this time Groh turned to the electrifying Marques Hagans.
Hagans rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown and completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards, with no interceptions. But he also had the fifth of UVa's five turnovers, fumbling away the ball at the Colorado State 1-yard line in the final seconds.
The temperature at game time was 97 degrees, and the humidity was suffocating. That didn't stop true freshman Wali Lundy, in his debut for UVa, from carrying 20 times for 94 yards and two TDs.
* Aug. 30, 2003: No. 18 UVa 27, Duke 0 -- The Cavaliers paid a steep price for their first season-opening win under Groh. Schaub, the reigning ACC player of the year, hurt his throwing shoulder on Virginia's first drive, an injury that kept him out of the following week's game at South Carolina.
Even without Schaub, the 'Hoos overwhelmed the hapless Blue Devils. Tailbacks Lundy and Pearman rushed for 88 and 68 yards, respectively.
Schaub's replacement, Anthony Martinez, completed 6 of 15 passes for 76 yards and one TD.
* Sept. 4, 2004: No. 15 UVa 44, Temple 14 -- At Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Ahmad Brooks, better known as an all-ACC linebacker, returned the opening kickoff 40 yards, and the rout was on.
The Owls offered little resistance. Lundy ran for 104 yards and three TDs, and Hagans completed 17 of 22 passes for 211 yards.
Hagans' completions included a TD pass to All-America tight end Heath Miller.
* Sept. 3, 2005: No. 25 UVa 31, Western Michigan 19 -- At Scott Stadium, the best player on the field was Broncos wide receiver Greg Jennings, who caught 16 passes for 156 yards.
For Virginia, the game marked the college debut of redshirt freshman tailback Cedric Peerman.
After three quarters, the score was 24-19, and UVa fans were uneasy. But Peerman's 1-yard TD run with 5:38 left capped a 12-play drive on which he carried 10 times, including the final seven plays. His TD ended a scoring drought of more than 35 minutes for the Wahoos.
Lundy started at tailback but limped off with a sprained left foot early in the first quarter. His replacement, Michael Johnson, fumbled twice. So did Jason Snelling (seven carries, 72 yards), who replaced Johnson.
And so Groh turned to Peerman, a move that produced the desired results. Peerman finished with 69 yards on 16 carries and returned three kickoffs for 104 yards.
Hagans completed 17 of 25 passes for 252 yards and one TD, but he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. Wideout Ottowa Anderson caught three passes for 109 yards.
* 2006: Pittsburgh 38, UVa 13 -- After three straight opening-day victories, the 'Hoos fell hard at Heinz Field. Virginia had two two interceptions returned for touchdowns, and Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko threw scoring passes of 72 and 78 yards.
Christian Olsen started at QB for UVa. He completed 17 of 34 passes for a modest 133 yards before being replaced by Kevin McCabe. Jameel Sewell, in his UVa debut, later took over for McCabe.
The Cavaliers totaled only 211 yards of offense.
* Sept. 1, 2007: Wyoming 23, UVa 3 -- What turned out to be a nine-win season started inauspiciously for the Cavaliers.
In the high altitude of Laramie, Wyo., UVa turned in an inept performance. The Cowboys totaled 452 yards of offense, to only 100 for the Wahoos. Wyoming (27) had more than five times as many first downs as Virginia (five).
The high point for UVa might have been a 67-yard kickoff return by Andrew Pearman, Alvin's kid brother.
Sewell, who'd started the final nine games of the 2006 season, was 11 for 23 passing -- for only 87 yards -- with two interceptions against Wyoming. Late in the game, Sewell gave way to true freshman Peter Lalich, who completed 3 of 5 passes for 16 yards.
* Aug. 30, 2008: No. 3 Southern California 52, UVa 7 -- In their first visit to Charlottesville, the mighty Trojans were even more dominant than expected.
Lalich battled throughout, completing 18 of 35 passes for 155 yards, with one pick, but he faced constant pressure on a day when UVa rushed for only 32 yards. The Cavaliers' only touchdown came on a 7-yard run by tailback Mikell Simpson late in the first half.
USC, whose lineup was stocked with future NFL players, piled up a staggering 558 yards of offense, to only 187 for UVa.
 

Tribe stuns error-prone Cavaliers
By Michael Phillips
Published: September 6, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Let a team like William and Mary hang around long enough, and they just might start thinking they belong.

Which they do.

The Tribe defeated the Hoos for the first time since 1986, a 26-14 victory orchestrated by a Charlottesville native, quarterback R.J. Archer.

He had an assist from U.Va., which stumbled and bumbled over itself in all three phases of the game.

On a night where the Cavs were supposed to unveil a three-headed quarterback monster, the best signal-caller on the field was wearing a gold helmet. Not only that, the Tribe had the better punter and defensive line.

In light of yesterday's events across the region, it can now be asked without any irony or intended humor whether the ACC really is that much better than its FCS counterpart.

The Tribe started taking over the game in the second quarter, finishing the half with seven more minutes of possession than the Cavs.

Kicker Brian Pate attempted five field goals in the quarter but only converted on two, giving U.Va. a slim halftime margin.

The Cavs struggled to find a groove on offense, no matter which quarterback they used -- all of them turned the ball over at least once.

Vic Hall went first, getting off to a strong start with a rushing touchdown, then exchanging short drives with Archer and the Tribe, which evened the score on Archer's 5-yard pass to Rob Varno.

Next up was Jameel Sewell, who had more pocket presence but also threw two interceptions allowing the Tribe its field goal binge.

Finally in the fourth quarter, a desperate Cavs squad turned to Marc Verica. He was no better, including a forced fumble in the pocket on pressure from Jake Trantin that gave the Tribe position for another field goal, this one turning the score to 19-14.

That also elicited scattered booing from the U.Va. crowd, which already was uneasy about coach Al Groh heading into this season.

He now must produce against TCU and Southern Miss, or he might not see the end of his ninth season at the helm.

Meanwhile the Tribe can celebrate one of the biggest wins in coach Jimmye Laycock's tenure. And let there be no doubt, on a big stage in front of more than 50,000 people, they belonged.

UVA/W&M Notebook:

Special teams drop the ball:

Vic Hall’s debut as punt returner was not the one he was hoping for.

In the third quarter, Hall stood on his six-yard line to field a punt, but did not catch it cleanly. The result was a William and Mary fumble recovery that turned into three points.

Hall said that he generally stands on the five-yard line and catches anything in front of him. He finished with four returns for 15 yards, though on his first catch he was able to draw fair-catch interference and improve field position for the ’Hoos.

Hall was banged up on a play towards the end of the first half – he said the extent of the injury would be determined today.
No challenge on decisive fumble:

When Marc Verica fumbled in the fourth quarter, which was recovered by William and Mary and helped to shift the momentum firmly toward the Tribe, fans were questioning whether Verica was actually throwing a forward pass on the play.

Groh did not throw his challenge flag, reasoning that the replay officials had ample time to review the play.

“They got a good look at it, because they review every play,” he said.

‘Slippery’ Grimes eats up clock:

William and Mary’s starting running back, sophomore Jonathan Grimes, was described by U.Va. defenders this week as “slippery.” Last night he proved why he has a bright future.

He finished with 46 yards rushing, including making several U.Va. tacklers miss. As a result of that and several Cavs turnovers, the Tribe dominated the time of possession battle with more than 37 minutes of possession time.

Extra points:

-There are a little more than 30,000 season tickets sold this year at Scott Stadium, but a nice night brought out a strong crowd of 54,567. They got to experience the school’s new video board and “CavMan” introduction. It wasn’t an early-departing crowd, either – a close game kept them in their seats to the finish.

-U.Va. running backs Torrey Mack and Mikell Simpson alternated possessions on the field.

-The Cavs baseball team raised the “Power of Orange” flag to begin the game.

Score: William and Mary 26, Virginia 14

For starters: Several three-and-out possessions created a lull early, but William and Mary was able to break through and dominate time of possession in the second quarter. Virignia led 14-13 at halftime.

Turning point: Marc Verica was intercepted by B.W. Webb, who took the ball 50 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown and sealed victory.

Star of the game: Tribe QB R.J. Archer said he had been looking forward to this game for a few years, and he didn’t disappoint. His steady hand kept the Tribe on the path to victory.

Big picture: Virginia coach Al Groh’s hot seat just caught fire. It will be an uphill climb to defeat TCU, which suddenly puts a lot of pressure on the third game at Southern Miss.

Go figure: 5 – attempted field goals for William and Mary in the second quarter. Kicker Robert Randolph missed three of them, the same number he missed all last season.

Next: Virginia hosts No. 17 TCU next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Scoring summary:

12:15, 1st quarter – U.Va. Hall 34 run (Randolph kick). Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, :58. Key play: Hall’s touchdown scramble set the tone early, but Hall was unable to duplicate that success on his next few possessions.

4:57, 1st quarter – W&M Varno 5 pass from Archer (Pate kick). Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 2:43. Key play: A 48-yard pass to Ryan Moody kick-started the William and Mary offense, and was the start of what was mostly a long night for cornerback Ras-I Dowling.

7:29, 2nd quarter – U.Va. Sewell 8 run (Randolph kick). Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 2:53. Key plays: Sewell took matters into his own hands inside the Tribe territory, and had three successful runs.

3:21, 2nd quarter – Pate 40 FG. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:11. Key play: Tight end Rob Varno has been a favored target of Archer, and he delivered here with a 19-yard catch to make the field goal possible.

0:00, 2nd quarter, Pate 26 FG. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, :40. Key play: A personal foul penalty against safety Corey Mosley not only gave the Tribe a first down, it overruled an illegal shift penalty that would have pushed the Tribe backwards.

5:35, 3rd quarter, Pate 20 FG. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 2:16. Key play: Vic Hall dropped a punt on his own six yard line, and the Tribe recovered inside the red zone.

3:45, 4th quarter, Pate 24 FG. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:56. Key play: Marc Verica’s fumble set up the Tribe for another score.

2:39, 4th quarter, Webb 49 INT return. Drive: No drive. Key play: B.W. Webb read Verica, and sent a disgruntled U.Va. fan base to the exits.

Grading the three keys:

No linebacker letdown: Virginia’s linebackers came to play in their debut, specifically the inside duo of Steve Greer and Darren Childs. On the outside, Aaron Clark, Cam Johnson and Denzel Burrell all rotated playing time. Clark showed his rust at times as he returned after missing 2008 with a knee injury. Meanwhile the secondary, which it was assumed would be strong, struggled mightily – cornerback Ras-I Dowling was repeatedly picked on.

Getting their kicks: Virginia has no field goal attempts, so there’s no verdict on that just yet. Punter Chris Cook averaged 44.4 yards per punt, but will continue to work on hang time.

Alone on an island: The offensive line struggled against the William and Mary defensive line for most of the evening. The Tribe has a high-caliber line, but certainly nothing above what the ’Hoos will have to face in the ACC.


 

Tribe adds to UVa's tribulations, 26 to 14
Virginia loses its fourth straight season-opening game and the sixth in nine games under coach Al Groh.
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- If the 2009 Virginia football season were a Broadway show, it would have closed after one night.

Chants of "Groh Must Go" were audible in the waning moments of UVa's 26-14 loss to William and Mary in the season opener for both teams.

It was the Cavaliers' first loss to a team from the Football Championship Subdivision (previously Division I-AA) since the Tribe defeated UVa 41-37 in 1986.

"No way we envisioned this," said UVa co-captain Denzel Burrell, a linebacker on a UVa defense that was victimized by seven Cavalier turnovers.

Virginia lost four fumbles and back-up quarterback Jameel Sewell was intercepted three times, the last resulting in a 50-yard return for a touchdown by Tribe defensive back B.W. Webb that clinched the victory for William and Mary with 2:39 left.

UVa was saddled with its fourth straight loss in an opening game and its sixthloss in nine openers under head coach Al Groh.

"We've got 11 more weeks," said Groh, whose Cavaliers entertain 17th-ranked Texas Christian next week. "There will be a lot of negativity, some of it well-deserved."

On a night when the Cavaliers used three quarterbacks, they watched an Albemarle County product, fifth-year William and Mary quarterback R.J. Archer, display the leadership that UVa sorely lacked.

It was shades of 1986, when the Tribe rode the arm of quarterback Kenny Lambiotte, who had transferred to William and Mary from UVa, where he was a scholarship basketball player.

"I was worried about the emotional factor [with Archer] but one thing about R.J., he's pretty cool about that," said Jimmye Layock, who is in his 30th season as William and Mary's coach. "He's almost nonchalant sometimes.

"He comes across that way, but he's very poised. He was certainly very poised tonight. I was extremely impressed, not just with him, but with everybody."

William and Mary did not have a first down on its first three series, falling behind 7-0 after starting quarterback Vic Hall ran 34 yards for a touchdown on his first run from scrimmage and UVa's third offensive play.

The Tribe tied the score on a 5-yard pass from Archer to tight end Rob Varno with 4:57 left in the first period, but there was one offensive touchdown scored the rest of the game.

That came with 7:29 remaining in the second quarter, when Sewell, returning from a year's academic suspension, ran 8 yards on first-and-goal.

Sewell had four carries for 35 yards on the drive and completed all five of his passes.

While it appeared that Sewell had hit his stride after an earlier interception, it was nothing but ineptitude by Virginia's quarterbacks the rest of the way.

The Cavaliers' last three drives before halftime ended with turnovers, contributing to five second-quarter field-goal attempts by William and Mary's Brian Pate. Pate converted only two of them, the second coming at the halftime buzzer, sending the teams to the locker room with UVa leading 14-13.

That's where the score stood when Hall elected to field a punt inside the Cavaliers' 10-yard line and fumbled with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter. Dante Cook recovered for the Tribe, who took their first lead at 16-14 following a 20-yard Pate field goal.

"We stand on the 5, and anything above the 5 we can catch," said Hall, who has been UVa's principal punt returner since the 2007 season.

By that time, Hall was doing nothing but returning punts, having injured a hip earlier in the game.

There were intermittent boos throughout the game but the crowd perked up when UVa switched to a third quarterback, Marc Verica with 11 12 minutes remaining in the game.

On his second series, Verica completed passes for two first downs, the second giving the Cavaliers a first down at the William and Mary 47 at a time when UVa needed only a field goal to re-take the lead.

However, when Verica dropped back to pass and cocked his arm with 5:46 left, the ball slipped out of his hand. Evan Francks recovered for the Tribe at the UVa 39.

It was the Cavaliers' fifth straight loss going back to the 2008 season, when the Cavaliers had six turnovers in an early season loss at Duke and four turnovers in three other games.

"All the way up to going on the field, that was the single biggest emphasis of training camp," Groh said.

It was a wonder that William and Mary outgained Virginia by only 40 yards, 309-269, because the Tribe had possession for 35:36, compared to UVa's 24:24.

"It's tough being out there 82 plays," said Burrell of the offense's struggles, "but one dies and we all die. Words can't describe how high we were before the game and now it's the lowest of the lows."
 

Virginia notebook: Hall part of rotation at QB for Cavaliers
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- No one specifically told Vic Hall that he would be Virginia's starting quarterback Saturday night against William and Mary, but he could sense that that's the way it would "shake out."

Hall, a cornerback before moving to quarterback in UVa's 2008 season finale against Virginia Tech, may have given UVa fans some false hope when he ran 34 yards for a touchdown on the Cavaliers' third offensive play.

"Obviously, a play like that is overshadowed by mistakes," said Hall, responsible for two of Virginia's seven turnovers in a 26-14 loss to the Tribe.

Hall was involved in a third fumble but only because he was the intended recipient of a shotgun snap that appeared to hit the leg of center Jack Shields.

Hall played the first three series before giving way to Jameel Sewell as part of a pre-planned rotation, according to UVa head coach Al Groh.

UVa changed quarterbacks seven times during the game -- from Hall to Sewell, from Sewell to Hall, back to Hall, then to Sewell, then to Marc Verica, back to Sewell, then back to Verica.

Hall did not play quarterback in the second half after taking a shot to the hip in the first half, although he did return punts and was guilty of a fumble that William and Mary recovered at the UVa 9-yard line and turned into a go-ahead field goal.

It was the debut of the spread offense installed by new UVa offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, previously the head coach at Bowling Green, but the Tribe had little trouble with it.

"I don't want to get into all that stuff," said 30-year William and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock. "They got their deal and we got our deal and we played pretty well. We played really, really well."

Happy homecoming

Fifth-year senior R.J. Archer, the Albemarle High School graduate who was making his second career start as William and Mary's quarterback, was responsible for one turnover -- that coming on a Chris Cook interception that was the equivalent of a 39-yard punt.

Archer finished 23-of-44 for 184 yards and one touchdown, and he rushed nine times for 46 yards. As a senior in high school, he had the opportunity to play for Virginia as a walk-on but took a scholarship at William and Mary, where he played wide receiver for two seasons before ex-starter Jake Phillips used up his eligibility.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet," said Archer, who grew up watching games at Scott Stadium. "I was surprised I wasn't more nervous. I was more nervous before the Villanova game [his first start] last year at home.

"Coming in here, I don't why, but I just went out there and had a blast."

UVa next week

Texas Christian, ranked No.17 by The Associated Press after an 11-2 season in 2008, will open its season Saturday at Virginia in a game that will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be televised by ESPNU.

The only previous meeting between the schools in football was in the 1994 Independence Bowl, where the Cavaliers prevailed 20-10.
 

A stunner: W&M surprises U.Va. 26-14
By Chris Lancia
Correspondent
September 6, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

— William and Mary kicker Brian Pate was three months old the last time the Tribe beat Virginia.

B.W. Webb and R.J. Archer weren't even born yet.

Yet that trio played big roles in providing the Tribe with a 26-14 victory over Virginia, the first win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since a 45-38 win over Temple in 1998.

Pate scored 12 straight points on four field goals, Archer went 23-of-45 for 184 yards and a touchdown, and Webb pulled down three interceptions, including one he returned 50 yards for a touchdown with 2:39 remaining, to lead the Tribe to victory.

"I feel like we can be a pretty good team, and we held (them) to a higher standard and they got the pay-off tonight," William and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock said. "We played smart on both sides of the ball, played very hard and this is just a tremendous win for us."

For as much as the Tribe did to win this game, Virginia matched them with attempts to give it away.

There were the four first-half turnovers. There was miffed punt return by Vic Hall that gave the Tribe the ball on the Virginia nine-yard-line and set up Pate's third field goal and William & Mary's first lead of the night.

There was a roughing call on a punt that gave the Tribe a first-down late in the third.

There was a lost fumble when Verica dropped back and the ball squirted out of his grasp.

And, finally, there was Jameel Sewell's throw into the flat that Webb jumped on and took back for a score.

"The reality is I'm responsible for what happens to the ball," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We turned the ball over (seven) times. "After you turn the ball over (seven) times, there really aren't any questions. That's the answer."

A year ago, Virginia had a problem with slow starts, scoring on its opening drive just three times.

They solved that one by starting Vic Hall at quarterback, as Hall scored on a 34-yard run on the Cavs first possession.

The Cavs ran into another problem: Keeping their foot on the pedal. Virginia's newly installed spread offense never panned out, as the Cavaliers appeared reluctant to pass even with four- and five-receiver sets.

Instead, it was William and Mary that seemed willing to sling the ball around.

And, on a night in which quarterbacks ran with the ball 37 times, Archer had the Tribe's longest run of the night when he pulled the ball down and ran for 23 yards to set up Pate's final kick, a 25-yard field goal that put William and Mary up by 5, 19-14, with 3:50 left in the game.

Virginia's two-headed quarterback monster of Hall and Sewell failed to get the offense rolling, and the Cavs even brought in last year's starter, Marc Verica, in the fourth quarter to try and shake things up.

"Clearly we need better performance at that position," Groh said. "I said before the season that we would do whatever it takes to get production at that position, and that's why you saw Marc tonight."

Despite the first-half turnovers, Virginia went into halftime up by one, 14-13.

The Cavs punted on their first four possessions of the second half, then gave the ball back when Verica was stuffed on fourth-and-one with 9:49 left in the game.

"Clearly we need more work on what we're trying to do," Groh said. "We weren't very smooth, but they had a great plan and executed it well."


 

'Smart' play gives Tribe signature win
Dave Fairbank
September 6, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Jimmye Laycock is fond of golf analogies, but this one left him groping a little. Say that William and Mary displayed superior course management.

As Laycock began the 30th season at his alma mater, he watched as his team notched one of the signature wins in his tenure and in the history of the program.

The Tribe's 26-14 victory over a dispirited Virginia team was a product of preparation, determination and confidence in its ability.

"I thought we played very smart," Laycock said. "We went for things when we should have gone for things. We didn't at other times. I thought we let our defense play. I thought we were smart, and our guys played very, very hard."

Given that football is more match play than tournament play, the Tribe was only too happy to take pars when Virginia hit into the water or the trees or flew the greens — something the Cavaliers did in abundance.

"We congratulate William and Mary on the win," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "They did everything they had to do to win the game. They deserved it in every respect."

Though much was made of Tribe quarterback R.J. Archer's return to Scott Stadium, where he attended games growing up, it was W&M's defense that stood out.

Save for Vic Hall's 34-yard touchdown on Virginia's opening possession, the Tribe kept U.Va.'s playmakers in front of them. The Cavaliers managed only 269 yards and just 3.7 yards per play.

Tribe redshirt freshman B.W. Webb's 50-yard pick-six against Jameel Sewell in the late stages of the fourth quarter iced the win and sent many of the crowd's Orange Gang to the exits.

Virginia's new spread offense is clearly a work in progress. The Cavaliers committed seven turnovers and managed one sustained offensive drive — an 84-yard march in the second quarter.

Virginia's fourth consecutive opening-game loss also might have illustrated the old football bromide that when you have two quarterbacks — or in the Cavs' case, three — you actually have no quarterbacks.

William and Mary had an 11-minute advantage in time of possession, though such statistics are skewed a bit when a team runs a no-huddle attack.

William and Mary plays one game every year against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, not for the payday, but the competition.

Football Championship Subdivision teams always have a tough time when they step up a competitive notch. They're nearly always facing better players, and almost without fail, more of them.

In truth, the smaller-division teams need help from their I-A opponents, a monster performance from their own quarterback, or some combination of the two.

Kenny Lambiotte threw for 307 yards in the Tribe's last win in Charlottesville, 41-37 over a Virginia team on its way to 3-8. Quarterback Mike Cook was almost flawless in W&M's 45-38 win at Temple in 1998, the Tribe's last I-A win, while the Owls committed four turnovers.

Appalachian State All-America quarterback Armanti Edwards accounted for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the Mountaineers' epic 34-32 win at Michigan in 2007, but App State also needed two blocked field-goal attempts in the final two minutes to preserve the win.

Most recently, Villanova defeated Temple 27-24 last Thursday in Philly, due in large part to five Owls turnovers.

Throw in Richmond's victory at Duke on Saturday, and it was a pretty good week for the Colonial Athletic Association against its FBS brethren.

"We said from the first day of preseason practice," Laycock said, "every play we run, every defense we run is pointed toward Virginia. Every play we ran, every defense we ran, I said, are we going to run that in the Virginia game or are we not going to run that? If we're going to work on it, then throw it in. We worked hard on this one, I'm going tell you. We worked very, very hard."

Laycock promised that his players would build on Saturday's win, that there's no way the coaching staff, and the players themselves, would get complacent.

"We've certainly made a name for ourselves," Laycock said. "We're going to get people's best shot now. I don't think there's any question. If we weren't going to get it before, we're sure going to get it now. That's where you want to be. You want to be out in front."

As for where Saturday's victory rates in his tenure, Laycock's wryly offered, "It's the best one I've had today."


 

A poor debut for the spread
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: September 6, 2009

Virginia’s new spread offense laid an egg large enough to cover the Commonwealth in omelet Saturday night in a mistake-riddled, 26-14 home loss to William & Mary.

This was supposed to be the debut of a devastating weapon, something akin to college football’s version of Star Wars, unleashed against what was supposed to be an undermanned FCS opponent for a test run.

Jimmye Laycock’s Tribe didn’t get the message. Rather, Laycock and his coaching staff put together a brilliant game plan aimed at taking away favored Virginia’s advantages.

What neither Laycock or Virginia coach Al Groh counted on were a plethora of Cavalier turnovers.

Give it away

Seven — count ’em — seven devastating turnovers by the Cavaliers, the most since 1994 (also seven) against Clemson. Somehow, Virginia won that game.

Last night, those miscues doomed the Cavaliers, who couldn’t overcome three thrown interceptions by Jameel Sewell — the second of three UVa quarterbacks to try their luck at beating the Tribe — along with four lost fumbles.

As a result, an opportunistic W&M offense kicked the Cavaliers to a slow death with four field goals made and three others missed or blocked.

“All the way up to going on the field, the single biggest emphasis of training camp was ball security,” Groh said after Virginia’s fourth consecutive loss in a season opener. “That was the most disappointing aspect of the game.”

This certainly wasn’t what new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon had in mind when he brought the no-huddle, spread attack from Bowling Green, where it had produced mind-blowing numbers for more than a decade.

Then again, he probably has seldom seen such poor execution by one of his offenses.

Stuck in neutral

Virginia posted a mere 269 yards of total offense and at times stunk up the joint so badly that the performance aroused a smattering of boo-birds among the 54,000-plus that showed up at Scott Stadium anticipating an offensive show.

After three years of fielding one of the worst offenses in major college football, Wahoo fans licked their chops at the prospects of making up for past failures by stacking up some eye-popping numbers. Instead, they walked away in dismay.

Even as bad as UVa’s offensive unit was at times last year when it finished 100 and something in the nation, the ’08 group managed more than 269 yards on eight out of 12 occasions.

Virginia fans expected a shiny, souped-up sports car that hummed to perfection. What they got was a jalopy that broke down over and over.

A trio of quarterbacks could only muster 137 passing yards on 33 attempts, three of those to the other guys. Combined with 131 rushing yards, the new offense didn’t look any better than the old one.

“Everything is correctable,” said starter Vic Hall, who suffered a hip injury during a fumbled snap late in the first half. “It’s football and mistakes happen. You’ve got to learn from the mistakes.”

Hall started the evening restoring Wahoo fans’ hope that something magical might happen as he darted 34 yards on the third play from scrimmage for a touchdown. On the evening, he rushed for 54 yards and threw for only 7, not exactly what he had envisioned.

“There were just too many three-and-outs,” said Marc Verica, the third quarterback in the rotation and the returning starter from last season.

His analysis was right.

Spread offenses just don’t work when they’re not moving the chains. Ask Oregon.

Time of possession is sometimes a meaningless statistic in football, but concerning the spread it’s a telltale sign of whether it’s operating on all cylinders or not.

Virginia converted only five of 17 third-down situations, actually a little better than William & Mary’s five of 20, but the Cavaliers didn’t benefit from seven turnovers. The Tribe didn’t have to convert because its defense did a much better job than UVa’s.

“We just didn’t execute,” said Hall, who limped noticeably out of the postgame interview room.

Virginia’s offensive line, which returned almost intact from last season, struggled mightily against a good W&M defense, perhaps its best in 30 years. The Cavaliers’ early pass rush was negated when Laycock wisely went to a quick passing game, executed brilliantly by senior quarterback R.J. Archer, who grew up in the shadows of UVa’s program, a kid who kept his poise all night long.

“Clearly, we have a lot more work to do,” said the embattled Groh. “I wish I had something more profound to say, but I think we all know what the story of this one was.”

Nationally-ranked Texas Christian, which rolls into Charlottesville next weekend, is already frothing at the mouth waiting to stick a big number on the Cavaliers.

Star Wars might actually occur, but not by the team Wahoo Nation expected.
 

Sour start for Cavaliers
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 6, 2009

When David elected to challenge Goliath, it was obviously apparent who the favorite was.

It was anything of the sort Saturday at Scott Stadium. And yet again, the unlikeliest of events occurred.

William & Mary, from the Football Championship Subdivision, stunned Virginia 26-14 in one of the most telling losses for the Cavaliers in two-plus decades.

“We congratulate William & Mary on winning the game,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “They deserved it in every respect.”

Virginia certainly did not on offense. The Cavaliers rotated three quarterbacks, committed seven turnovers, failed to score the final 37 minutes and managed just four first downs during a dreadful second half.

It was not, however, until William & Mary cornerback B.W. Webb intercepted off an errant throw from Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell and raced into the end zone for a 50-yard score that the Cavaliers’ fate was sealed with 2:39 remaining.

It gave Virginia its first loss to an FCS team since dropping a game to William & Mary in 1986.

“Obviously, we’re incredibly proud of the effort our players put forth tonight,” said William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock. “In the preseason, we pushed them pretty hard and held them to a higher standard. We expect a lot of them and they worked at it really hard.

“They got the pay off tonight by playing very, very well. Extremely well. … It’s a tremendous win for us.”

Trailing 14-13 at halftime, William & Mary opened the scoring in the second half as it capitalized on a muffed punt by Virginia senior Vic Hall at the Tribe 9-yard line.

Hall, who started the game at quarterback and scored a first-quarter touchdown, misjudged the punt despite being inside his own 10-yard line.

“I am sure that is a decision that Vic had to make on the spur of the moment,” Groh said. “I am sure he would like to have it back, but by the same token his seven points were pretty important to us in the beginning. He gave it everything he had.”

Following Hall’s fumble, Virginia’s defense forced William & Mary to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Brian Pate with 5:35 remaining, which gave the Tribe their first lead at 16-14.

They added to their cushion in the fourth quarter after Virginia quarterback Marc Verica, who was the third signal-caller to play for the Cavaliers, fumbled the ball at the Virginia 36 as he was starting to release a pass.

After giving up a 23-yard run to William & Mary quarterback R.J. Archer, who starred at Albemarle High, the Cavaliers’ defense responded again.

Pate, who missed three field goals in the second quarter alone, converted a 24-yard field goal with 3:50 left, giving the Tribe a 19-14 lead.

The possession itself was rather symbolic given the Cavaliers’ turnover woes and stagnant offense. In all, Virginia’s defense was on the field for 81 plays.

“It is definitely tough having to be out there for [81] plays, but when one dies, we all die,” said Virginia linebacker Denzel Burrell. “We all died tonight.”

The victory was the first against a Division I foe for William & Mary since upending lowly Temple in 1998 on the road, but Laycock was not willing to call the upset over the Cavaliers the program’s best win.

“It was the best one I had tonight,” he said.

For the game, Virginia managed just 12 first downs and 268 yards of total offense. Of that total, 123 yards came on the Cavaliers two scoring drives.

In addition to Hall’s 34-yard with 12:15 left in the first quarter, Sewell capped off an 81-yard, 10-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown run with 7:29 left in the second quarter.

Although Groh said he planned to play Hall and Sewell in the contest, Hall did suffer a hip injury in the first half that limited his effectiveness and ultimately his ability to play quarterback.

The senior still managed 54 yards rushing on eight carries, but passed for just for yards.

Sewell, who threw three interceptions, gained 40 yards on the ground and threw for 80 yards on 9-for-17 passing.

Verica finished 7 for 11 through the air for 50 yards.