White: Another Long Day For 'Hoos
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 09/12/2009
By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With the outcome long since settled and only a smattering of orange-clad fans still at Scott Stadium -- plenty of purple remained in the stands -- UVa scored two late touchdowns Saturday night.

Each came on a long pass by senior quarterback Jameel Sewell, who entered the fourth quarter having thrown for all of 18 yards.

Was that the equivalent of a meaningless garbage-time spurt by a basketball team that's getting blown out?

Or was the late-game production something the Wahoos, who looked inept for much of the first 55 minutes against No. 16 Texas Christian, can build on moving forward?

We won't know for sure until next weekend, when Virginia visits Southern Mississippi. But Sewell's scoring passes -- one of 56 yards to redshirt freshman receiver Javaris Brown, the other of 26 yards to true freshman receiver Tim Smith -- were slivers of hope for a football team that's 0-2 for the first time since 2002, Al Groh's second season as UVa's coach.

"We got beat up a lot, but we didn't quit," Sewell said after Virginia's 30-14 loss to TCU.

Sewell started and played every snap for the Cavaliers, who'd used three quarterbacks in their season-opening loss to William and Mary last weekend. One of them, senior Vic Hall, was unavailable for QB duty yesterday because of an injury, and Groh said he didn't consider using the other one, junior Marc Verica, against the Horned Frogs (1-0).

And so Sewell, who was out of school serving an academic suspension last fall, started for the first time since the Jan. 1, 2008, Gator Bowl.

Take away the yardage Sewell lost on sacks, and his rushing total (35 yards) would have been much more impressive. He struggled to find time to pass and open receivers, though, against a TCU defense that didn't ease up until the score was 30-0.

Sewell completed only 4 of 10 passes through three quarters. He finished 8 of 18 for 120 yards, in part because TCU inserted reserves late in the game. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Horned Frogs had allowed only 80 yards of offense.


"We understood that it was going to be rugged moving the ball," Groh said, "but still, we expect more out of ourselves."

The Cavaliers have lost six straight since upsetting Georgia Tech last Oct. 25 in Atlanta. UVa hasn't started a season 0-3 since 1982, George Welsh's first season as coach, but it's likely to do so again if its offensive line doesn't play better next weekend.

TCU recorded eight sacks Saturday, the most UVa has allowed since giving up nine against Florida State in 1997. In 2008, the Cavaliers surrendered the fewest sacks of any ACC team, but Sewell faced pressure all game from the Horned Frogs and their All-America defensive end, Jerry Hughes.

"Everything starts with the offensive line," said Will Barker, a four-year starter at right tackle.

"It's nice to know if stuff does break down, Jameel or Vic, they've got the legs to get out of there ... But as an offensive line, you don't really want it to come down to that. We take pride in protecting our quarterback, and today was a big disappointment. We didn't get the job done."

Virginia shifted to the spread offense in the offseason, but Groh said that didn't excuse the line's breakdowns against TCU.

"That's a position where clearly we need a little bit higher level of performance," he said. "Those things really aren't scheme-related. It doesn't make any difference what your scheme is called. That's just individual execution in those circumstances."

The official attendance was 48,336, the lowest total since Scott Stadium's capacity was increased to 61,500 before the 2000 season. Most of the crowd had departed by the time Sewell overthrew Smith on a long pass with 4:22 left, but the UVa fans who'd stuck around produced an impressive mock cheer.

That's because Sewell had thrown nothing but short passes to that point, to the frustration and bewilderment of many at the stadium.

"As a quarterback, you want to air it out," Sewell said, "but sometimes it's not the right time to do it, and you've got to go with the flow and make something happen with what's called."

Smith would like to see more deep balls, too, but he'll leave the play-calling to new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon.

"We've got to take what he gives us and make the best of it," said Smith, who played only one series against William and Mary but started Saturday night. "Whether it's a run play or a pass play, we've just got to do our job."

Asked why UVa didn't try to test TCU's secondary more, Groh said "the ability for a quarterback and a team to go downfield is based significantly on the amount of time that he has to do so. Those are pretty long routes, and they take a long time to get there, and unfortunately Jameel was under quite a bit of duress in doing that."

Brown's touchdown reception came with 4:14 left, and tight end Colter Phillips ran for the 2-point conversion to make it 30-8. Then, with 1:48 remaining, Sewell hit Smith in the end zone.

"That's what the offense could do if we get just a little more protection and just play together as a unit," senior cornerback Chris Cook said. "I'm hoping there's more of that to come."

Barker said: "Obviously it's good to know that when we do try and go for it, on those two big throws, we can do it. Obviously it was too late to really affect the score that much, but that's something we've got to start the game with. We can't wait till we're down 30."

The Cavaliers ran off the field to boos at the end of the first half. The boos faded late in the game, as fans seemed numbed by the team's repeated breakdowns.

These tough times won't last forever, Sewell vowed.

"I'm not going to predict any wins or anything, but we're capable of competing with anybody," he said. "We're going to win some games. We're definitely going to do that. There's no doubt about that. The guys we got, nobody's going to back down. Everybody's willing to work and get better."

 

White: UVa-TCU Notes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 09/13/2009
By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Nearly 11 months have passed since UVa won in football, and many fans have chosen to show their frustration by not attending games at Scott Stadium. Others continue to come, even as the Cavaliers' slide continues.

After his winless team lost 30-14 to No. 16 Texas Christian, Al Groh opened his news conference Saturday night by thanking the "many people who were there to greet the team when we arrived at the stadium. The positive encouragement and positive energy that they supplied was wonderful. Those are the people we really want to win for, those are what real true fans are, and we haven't given them much to be positive about."

Groh also thanked UVa students for their support. Virginia (0-2) doesn't play at Scott Stadium again until Oct. 10, when Indiana comes to town for Homecomings, and that's likely to draw a crowd much smaller than the official count of 48,336 for the TCU game.

Between now and then, UVa plays Sept. 19 at Southern Mississippi (2-0) and Oct. 3 at ACC rival North Carolina (2-0).

* * * * * *

Against teams from conferences with automatic Bowl Championship Series bids, including the ACC, Texas Christian has now won 12 of its past 15 games.

TCU plays at Clemson on Sept. 26.

Saturday night's game was the Horned Frogs first against an ACC opponent since 1997, when they lost 31-10 to North Carolina.

* * * * * *

In the TCU game, Perry Jones became the fifth true freshman to play for UVa this season. Jones had a 25-yard kickoff return late in the game.

It was the opener for TCU, which played six true freshmen.

* * * * * *

The score was 0-0 early in the second quarter when UVa safety Corey Mosley was called for a dubious personal foul after hitting a receiver late on an incomplete third-down pass.

The penalty gave the Horned Frogs an automatic first down, and two plays later they scored.

"It certainly was a significant play in the game. It turned out to be a seven-point play," Groh said. "You gotta have a conscience when you make certain calls. But that's what gets called, and we have to understand what the rules are, and as we say, every player's responsible for his own penalties."

Mosley, probably the most aggressive player on UVa's defense, wasn't pleased with the penalty, but said he won't change his style.

"No, sir. I'm going to continue being aggressive," he said. "I'm going to continue being me. I'm going to continue tackle, I'm going to continue doing whatever my team needs."

* * * * * *

That his 2009 roster would include such players as wideouts Javaris Brown and Tim Smith was one reason Groh hired Gregg Brandon as offensive coordinator after the '08 season.

"Some of the things that we're attempting to do are because we have some players who can work the open field with more speed and more quickness than their predecessors," Groh said. "Those are two of the players who can do that. And for them to be able to step up and make those plays, now they have their first big plays. Neither one was an easy catch."

Late in the TCU game, Brown got behind backup safety Johnny Fobbs and caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jameel Sewell.

On Virginia's next possession, Sewell threw a 26-yard TD pass to Smith, who out-fought first-team cornerback Rafael Priest for the ball in the end zone.

"It was like a slant and out," Smith said, "but when I went for the slant, [Priest] really didn't bite, so I just went outside, and [Sewell] put it on the money, so I had to take it and wrestle it away from him.

"We both had our hands on it, but as I said, I wanted it more, so I took it."

Sewell said the TD receptions "boost my confidence in what I know those other players can do, what they're capable of. They show it in practice a little bit, but it's great to see it in the game. It means a lot."

* * * * * *

For the second straight game, UVa failed to distinguish itself on special teams. The Wahoos' first drive against TCU ended when Danny Aiken's snap got past holder Vic Hall on what would have been a 40-yard field-goal attempt by Robert Randolph.

Later in the first half, Virginia tried to run a fake punt on fourth-and-2 from the 50. The snap went directly to one of the up men, tight end Joe Torchia, who made a ball fake that didn't fool TCU and then tried to run.

Torchia was stopped for no gain, and TCU answered with a touchdown drive that made it 14-0.

"In retrospect, I think that was a poor decision on my part," Groh said of the fake punt. "It had the same effect as a turnover. But we weren't out there to try to prevent losing. We were out there to try to win, and we really hadn't generated anything close to making us think we were going to get any points at that point offensively, so the thought was to try to generate some field position and some movement and maybe turn that into some points."

Hall, who started at quarterback and returned punts in the opener against William and Mary, hurt his hip in that game, and his only appearance Saturday was on the early field-goal attempt.

"I would say that was probably a mistake on my part," Groh said of using Hall, "but I have such trust in Vic."

It wasn't the best of snaps, Groh said, but a holder with better mobility than the injured Hall might have handled it OK.

* * * * * *

Sewell talked about how difficult it was for his close friend Hall to not be involved more against TCU.

"It's killing him," Sewell said. "He's a competitor ... It's eating him up, because he wants to contribute, and he can't."

* * * * * *

B.J. Cabbell started all 12 games at right offensive guard in 2008, and he was there for the first snap against William and Mary last weekend, too.

Against TCU, however, junior Isaac Cain lined up at Cabbell's spot on the opening series. Cabbell later played, but he's dealing with a knee injury, and the coaching staff is trying to limit his work.

Cain, a Hampton High graduate, came to UVa as a walk-on in 2006. Others who didn't start in the opener but were on the field for the first snap Saturday were Smith, who's a true freshman, and running back Rashawn Jackson, a fifth-year senior.

Also, sophomore Chris Hinkebein, who didn't play against W&M, kicked off for UVa versus TCU.

* * * * * *

In its 26-14 loss to William and Mary, UVa turned the ball over seven times. The 'Hoos had one turnover against TCU.

"That's an improvement," Groh said. "Had we done that last week, the outcome probably would have been considerably different."

 

Cavaliers Fall to No. 16 TCU 30-14
Courtesy: Associated Press Release: 09/12/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -TCU's defense picked up right where it left off last season, holding Virginia to seven first downs Saturday as the No. 16 Horned Frogs breezed to a 30-14 victory in their season opener.
The Horned Frogs of the Mountain West Conference, looking to make a splash against a team from a league (the ACC) with an automatic BCS bowl spot, dominated until Virginia connected on a couple of scoring passes in the final five minutes, long after the outcome had been decided.
Last year's TCU defense led the nation in yards allowed, and this season's group looks equally stout. Virginia never snapped the ball in the red zone and managed only 177 yards total offense, 83 of them coming on Jameel Sewell's two late touchdown passes.
It was a rough day for Sewell. He went the whole way after sharing time last week with Marc Verica and Vic Hall, who was idled Saturday by a hip injury. Sewell was sacked eight times and finished 8 of 18 for 120 yards and one interception - the Cavaliers' only turnover after committing seven in their season-opening loss to William and Mary.
TCU gained 380 yards and converted on all five red-zone chances. Andy Dalton was 15 of 21 for 177 yards and one touchdown, a 31-yarder to Jimmy Young. Joseph Turner and Jeremy Kerley had scoring runs for the Horned Frogs.
The first half was filled with kicking game misadventures for the Cavaliers. First, the Cavaliers botched the snap on a 40-yard field goal attempt. Then, Chase Minnifield, filling in at punt returner for Hall, fair-caught a punt at the Virginia 3. That brought groans from fans who remembered Hall muffing a punt inside the 10 against William and Mary.
On Minnifield's next chance, he signaled for a fair catch at the 10 but let the ball go, and it was downed at the 3 again. Virginia finally was able to flip the field position, thanks to a 29-yard run by Sewell, but TCU put together a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Kerley scored from the 2 to make it 7-0 early in the second quarter.
Later, with Virginia facing fourth-and-2 at midfield, Joe Torcia was stopped for no gain on a fake punt. Six plays later, Turner scored on a 1-yard run with 2:55 left in the half.
Sewell's 56-yard TD pass to Javaris Brown late in the game allowed Virginia to avoid its first home shutout since a 55-0 loss to Clemson in 1984. He added a 26-yard touchdown pass to Tim Smith with 1:48 left.
 

UVa Coach/Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 09/12/2009
Virginia vs. TCU
Sept. 12, 2009
Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes

On the game:

"Clearly we need to play a lot better than that. We need to be cohesive. We'll continue to work and grind away at that."

On the penalty called prior to TCU's first touchdown:

"It certainly was a significant play in the game. It turned out to be a seven-point play."

On TCU's strengths:

"They were the No. 7 team in the country last year and it is pretty apparent why they're ranked highly. Their quarterback [Andy Dalton] is an excellent player. He was able to really control the game in a lot of different ways. And their defense was one or two in the country last year so we understood it was going to be rugged moving the ball but still, we expect more out of ourselves."

On the Cavaliers' difficulty to complete long passes:

"First of all, quite obviously, the ability of a quarterback to go downfield, or for that matter, the team to go downfield, it's based significantly on the amount of time the quarterback has to do so. Unfortunately, Jameel [Sewell] was under quite a bit of duress. We need to do a better job of protecting him on those plays."

On the positives in the game:

"I think the catches of the two young receivers late in the game [Javaris Brown and Tim Smith], we had to be encouraged by that. For them to be able to step up and make those plays and now they have their first big plays and they both resulted in touchdowns. There's certainly hope that there's a boost of confidence that comes from that. Jameel has a whole game under his belt. We hope to see some benefits from that. Obviously the points say we have to perform better on defense than we did but we had our moments there where we did okay."

On scoring late in the game:

"We had some really good individual plays. Jameel shook loose. Javaris stayed with his route. That's how you score points."

On the Cavaliers' fake punt:

"In retrospect, I think that was a poor decision on my part. It had the same effect as a turnover. But we weren't out there to try to prevent losing. We were out there to try to win. We hadn't generated anything close to making us think that we were going to get any points at that point offensively so the thought was to try to generate some movement and field position and try to turn that into points."

On what he'll tell the team moving forward:

"Stay together and keep grinding."

On fan support:

"There was a great group of fans there to greet the team when we arrived at the stadium today. The positive encouragement and positive energy they supplied was wonderful and those are the people we really want to win for. We're grateful for the energy and the enthusiasm the players got from their fellow students."


UVa Player Quotes

UVa sophomore cornerback Chase Minnifield

On what the team will take away from this game:

"I think we can take a few things away from this game. The fact that we never quit playing says a lot. We are just going to keep working and keep going tomorrow."

UVa senior linebacker Denzel Burrell

On the positive aspects of the game:

"We can build on some things. We knew they were a spread offense, and they came in and did what they wanted to do and what we had expected from them."

"I really think there are some things we can take back from this game, like not giving up and fighting until the end. We did not allow points when a lot of other defenses would have probably given in."

On TCU's first touchdown:

"That was a really tough break, especially with the call, but you just have to bounce back and get it out of your head. You have to play every down and you cannot think about things that are in the past."

"It was tough, but we stayed in and kept fighting and I'm proud of everyone for the fight we brought."

On the rest of the season and sticking together:

"We still have tons of football left, and that is the beauty of it. This is just one game, and we are in the hole at 0-2 but we can come out of it just as quickly next week."

"The locker room stands together, and it is a tough loss for all of us. We are just going to get in there tomorrow, watch some film and get this out of our heads. We are going to work hard and have a helpful week of practice."

Virginia sophomore safety Corey Mosley

On matching up with TCU:

"We knew what they wanted to do going into the game. They wanted to make first downs, take care of the ball, and eventually put points on the board. We just wanted to keep everything in front of us and let our athletes make plays."

On late hit call:

"I am a pretty aggressive player, and that's something we preach on defense. We want everyone to be aggressive and look to make plays. I had to just keep my focus and worry about the next play. Hopefully next time we won't get that yellow flag."

Virginia senior linebacker Aaron Clark

On TCU offense:

"They have a lot of very good players on their team and today they came to play. We didn't accomplish what we set out to do, and they did, so hats off to them."

On looking ahead:

"You have to have a short memory. We have to keep working hard, and strive to get better as a team."

On fake punt attempt:

" Sometimes you have to try things, and unfortunately for us, it didn't work out. We definitely have to execute better next time."

Virginia freshman wide receiver Tim Smith

On fourth quarter touchdown catch:

"They called a play, and I ran a route. Jameel made a great throw and I was able to make a play. That's my job."

On TCU defense:

"They mixed up coverages, showed us cover two, cover eight, and pressed us a little. They gave us a number of different looks. Next time we just have to execute better."


 

TCU Coach/Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 09/12/2009

TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson
On the win:

"We are glad to get the first game out of the way and get a victory. Evidenced by those last three minutes, crazy things can happen on the road. We felt like Virginia would be a dangerous team, based on what happened last week, and we still think that way."

On TCU's offense:

"We have to throw the ball better. We had some guys open and didn't hit them. As we get down the road, we are going to have to make those plays. We can't just run the ball."

On playing the first game:

"Crazy things can happen in first games, and this was our first game. We didn't want to beat ourselves. Going on the road and beating an ACC team is a tough thing to do. We feel fortunate to go home with a victory."

On converting third downs:

"We are not going to be very happy when we get home because we were 1-for-11 on third downs. We need to do a better job on third down. Fortunately, we were able to get first downs on other downs."

On Virginia's offense:

"We had five weeks to get ready for Virginia. They are so diversified on offense. It got us ready for the rest of the season. I was proud of our kids, and they handled the no-huddle well."

TCU junior quarterback Andy Dalton

On TCU's offense in its first game:

"It was good to come out with a win for the first game. Offense, we were up and down, sometimes we'd come in and there were a few three and outs that you never want on offense, but you know, that's part of the game. I really think we came in and bounced back and had some good plays."

On his early mistakes in the game:

"There are a couple throws I wish I had back but I guess it was the first game, I was probably going too fast for things."

On Matthew Tucker and Ed Wesley:

"You know, it's great to see these young guys go in and really carry the ball really well. They're explosive backs who can handle a lot of things and we really got to see what they can do today."

TCU senior defensive end Jerry Hughes

On getting the first game out of the way:

"We prepared awesome for this game. We were looking forward to getting out there and getting to showcase our talents, and that's exactly what happened. Offense executed well, defense came out there and did the same thing."

On UVa as competition:

"Virginia came out there and played a tough first half. They came out there and played tough. We had an early turnover that hurt us, but once we got those jitters out of the way, everybody just started working together."

On UVa double-teaming:

"When they first started up, it kind of threw me for a loop but from then on, I just kind of got used to it and worked around it."

TCU senior linebacker Daryl Washington

On TCU's defense:

"We came in with a gameplan and we executed it. I give a lot of credit to d-line"

On having Jerry (Hughes) up front on defense:

"It makes it a lot easier, because it gives us time to cover easily and with the wide base Virginia has, they were good upfront tonight, and helped us tremendously. It gave us time to settle in and just do what we had to do."

On younger players' performance:

"I talked to Tyler (Luttrell) a while ago and said, "You know, you might like defense. So just try it out." You know, he didn't want to play and it took a bit for him to get his rhythm going. He likes it now, and I told him, 'You know, you want to hit somebody, here's a chance to.' Tank (Carder), he's just unbelievable. He showed up tonight and did a great job."

On this game as a statement:

"Any time you're playing against an ACC team or any team, going into their house is always tough. You want to be able to execute your defense well, so we weren't ready to look at Virginia as underdogs. We kind of see ourselves as underdogs so we ignored it and just took care of the job and had some good plays."

No-shows sending loud, clear message
By Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Ten years. That's how long it had been since a crowd this small attended a Virginia game at Scott Stadium.

The opponent then was Buffalo. The visitor Saturday was the 16th-ranked team in the country, Texas Christian.

Think about that for a second. Some real stink-bomb programs -- Akron, Duke, Temple -- have come through this town since 1999, and more people bought tickets to watch. On Saturday, a top-20 team visited Charlottesville on a gorgeous September day, and only 48,336 paid to see it.

You want me to write that UVa should fire coach Al Groh? That Saturday's 30-14 loss to TCU -- a game in which UVa looked abysmal most of the day and trailed 30-0 midway through the fourth quarter -- is just further proof that it's time for a change?

I needn't bother. You're doing it for me, simply by staying home.

And make no mistake: That is the message athletic director Craig Littlepage hears. He might scan a newspaper now and then, or check his e-mail to read an occasional note from a booster, but lost revenue screams more loudly than any all-caps post on a message board.

The absence of hope in the grandstands doomed basketball coach Dave Leitao. Groh, despite all his repeated escapes, has finally reached that point, too.

Resoundingly.

Many of the fans who did show up Saturday arrived in a bloodthirsty mood. The first boos cascaded from the bleachers less than five minutes into the game, when UVa ran the ball (unsuccessfully) on third-and-8. At halftime, the coaches were jeered as they headed to the tunnel. Chants of "Groh must go!" started at the 12:25 mark in the fourth quarter.

Surprising that it took that long, really.

Because these people had been deceived. All preseason long, we heard how UVa's new spread offense was going to be fast. Aggressive. Interesting.

Against TCU, it was none of the above. Broken down step-by-step, here was a typical offensive play Saturday in the first 3 12 quarters:

1. UVa lines up in no-huddle offense, with multiple receivers spread on both sides.

2. Linemen crouch into a half-stance.

3. Quarterback Jameel Sewell, back in the shotgun, looks to the sidelines for a play call.

4. Everybody waits.

5. And waits.

6. And waits.

7. Ball is snapped.

8. Sewell runs up the middle for one yard.

9. People boo.

You might think this is hyperbole, but it's not. The Cavaliers ran the play clock under 5 seconds on almost every play.

And this was by design! Groh said he wanted to minimize the discrepancy in time of possession. Not only did that not work -- TCU had the ball nearly 10 minutes longer than UVa -- but the plays didn't, either. The Cavs took no shots downfield and gained just 80 total yards through the first three quarters.

Doesn't this kind of defeat the purpose of the no-huddle?

"That's probably a question you should ask Coach [Gregg] Brandon," said running back Rashawn Jackson, apparently unaware that the offensive coordinator, like all UVa assistants, are forbidden by Groh to speak publicly after games. "We just had a specific game -- I'm at a loss for words I'm so upset right now -- we had a specific game plan. That's what we went out there and did. Unfortunately, it didn't work to the best of our interests."

No, it didn't. And shortly before the first half ended, I witnessed something I'd never seen before: Booing before a ball was even snapped. But UVa fans simply got sick of waiting, especially when their team trailed 14-0 with less than a minute to play in the half.

A Bronx cheer rang out when the Cavs took their first bona fide shot downfield late in the fourth quarter. By that point, most of the smallest UVa home crowd in 10 years had gone home.

But we won't have to wait another 10 years to see one smaller.

Try in three weeks, when Groh and his crew return home to face Indiana.

Provided he's still the coach.


 

Boos rain down on Cavaliers
Virginia averts a shutout with two TDs in the fourth quarter.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia played its best football Saturday in a deserted Scott Stadium.

The Cavaliers may have to get used to that.

The shrinking crowds, that is.

Texas Christian held UVa scoreless for more than 55 minutes Saturday in a 30-14 victory before an announced crowd of 48.336.

It was UVa's smallest home crowd since 1999 and most spectators were on the way home by the time Cavaliers quarterback Jameel Sewell tossed a pair of late touchdown passes.

"I'd like to acknowledge and express appreciation to the many people who met the team when it arrived at the stadium," UVa coach Al Groh said. "Those are the people we want to win for.

"We haven't given them much to be positive about."

Stunned by Division I-AA William and Mary in their season opener, the Cavaliers were on the verge of their first home shutout loss since 1984 before Sewell connected with redshirt freshman Javaris Brown on a 56-yard scoring pass with 4:14 remaining.

Coincidentally, the 1984 team was honored in a midfield ceremony at halftime.

The current team was dishonored by a booing crowd at various points, most notably at the end of the first half.

Facing a fourth-and-1 from midfield, Virginia attempted a fake punt with 5:25 left and Joe Torchia was stopped for no gain.

TCU needed only six plays to score the touchdown that put the Horned Frogs ahead 14-0 at the break.

"In retrospect, I think that was a poor decision on my part," Groh said. "It had the same effect as a turnover. It ran counter to the way we were trying to play the game."

TCU had scored its first touchdown on a drive kept alive by a personal foul against UVa safety Corey Mosley.

Andy Dalton's third-and-9 pass had slipped through the fingers of intended receiver Jimmy Young, which would have put the Horned Frogs in a punting situation if not for the late hit against Mosley.

It was the second late hit against Mosley in as many weeks, but Groh complained vociferously this time. He railed at official Greg Yette, the back judge on a crew assigned by the Big 12, and repeatedly had to be directed back to the bench by referee Karl Richins.

"It turned out to be a seven-point play," Groh said. "The other team was stopped. But, that's what they call these days. You've got to have a conscience when you make certain calls."

When questions persisted, Groh said, "I'm off the penalty thing. I'm not talking about officials today."

The story of the game was the TCU defense, or, rather, a largely non-existent UVa offense. The Horned Frogs outgained UVa 380-177 and had 23 first downs, compared to seven for the Cavaliers.

Reporters were awakened from their lethargy when first-year UVa offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon pounded the plexiglass that separates the coaches' box from the media.

The Cavaliers had one first down and 25 yards to show for six offensive series in the middle two quarters. Sewell was sacked eight times and was flushed from the pocket often as the UVa offensive line struggled.

"That's a position where, clearly, we need a little bit higher level of performance," Groh said. "Those things weren't scheme-related. That's individual execution."

A somewhat-heartfelt-yet-somewhat-mocking cheer went up from the crowd when a long pass to Tim Smith fell incomplete with 4:22 left. It was the first pass of that description that the Cavaliers had thrown.

Brown hauled in a touchdown pass from Sewell on the next play; then, with 1:48 left, Sewell threw a 26-yard touchdown to Smith.

Smith's fellow true freshman, Quintin Hunter, had a 13-yard reception on UVa's final series.

"They've shown it in practice a little bit," Sewell said, "but, it's great to see them do it in a game. I'm going to ride with the fellas all day. As a quarterback, you want to air it out."

Sewell went the distance at quarterback in place of Game 1 starter Vic Hall, who was sidelined by a bruised hip. Groh said no consideration was given to using No. 3 QB Marc Verica, who started nine games in 2008.

Sewell was intercepted on a late pass that bounced off Kris Burd's midsection, but that was UVa's only turnover of the game. The Cavaliers were victimized by seven turnovers -- three Sewell interceptions and four fumbles -- in a 26-14 loss to William and Mary.

"It's an improvement," said Groh of the lone turnover. "Had we done that last week, the outcome probably would have been considerably different. What's been difficult over the last 14 games is that we've scored too many points for the other team."

It was the Frogs' seventh straight opening-game victory and coach Gary Patterson's team was efficient if not flashy.

"Evidenced by those last [five] minutes, crazy things can happen on the road," Patterson said. "We just didn't want to beat ourselves."
 

Bruised hip limits Vic Hall's mobility
UVa notes
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Vic Hall, given late medical clearance to play in Virginia's football game Saturday with Texas Christian, got on the field for one play.

Hall, the starting quarterback in UVa's opener against William and Mary, served as the holder for a 40-yard Rob Randolph field-goal attempt on the Cavaliers' first series.

It was a decision that UVa coach Al Groh came to regret.

Danny Aiken's high snap got away from Hall and the ball rolled to the TCU 42 before Randolph recovered for a 19-yard loss.

Hall had suffered a bruised hip in the Cavaliers' season-opening 26-14 loss to William and Mary and may have lacked his usual agility.

Hall did not play quarterback or return punts, duties he had in the opener, but he is the only UVa player who has held for placements.

"That was probably a mistake on my part," Groh said. "I have such trust in Vic and that's a pretty vital position, being the holder. He was cleared to go medically.

"It wasn't the best of snaps. If the ball had been snapped on target, Vic wouldn't have had to reach for it. Vic's a no-excuse guy. It's pretty guaranteed, if you had asked him, he probably would say, 'I should have caught it.'

"It was our judgment from the side that he was inhibited."

The quarterbacks

Hall's roommate, Jameel Sewell got the start at quarterback and went the distance. Doctors' approval notwithstanding, Groh said no consideration was given to using Hall as a quarterback or a returner.

He was more revealing than usual when asked if he was leaning to making Sewell the full-time starter.

"It kind of looked that way didn't it?" Groh said.

Sewell said that Hall's voice could be heard above all others on the Cavaliers' bench.

"It's killing him," Sewell said. "Everybody knows what a competitor he is. In practice, he's still right there. He dressed out for practice. He really wasn't supposed to do that. It's eating him up because he wants to contribute and he can't contribute."

Virginia had only 51 offensive plays and Sewell had a hand in 39 of them, with a career-high 21 rushing attempts and 18 passes. He had a 29-yard run on a day when no other UVa ball-carrier had a carry go for more than 9 yards.

Personnel

Tim Smith, who had monster numbers last year as a senior for Group AAA Division 6 champion Oscar Smith of Chesapeake, played only one series against William and Mary but started and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass Saturday for UVa's final score.

Groh said that Smith definitely figures in UVa's plans for upcoming games. He was one of several first-time starters, including fourth-year junior Isaac Cain at right guard.

Cain, a 6-foot-4, 300-pounder who arrived at UVa as a walk-on, replaced junior B.J. Cabbell. Groh said that Cabbell has been dealing with lingering injury problems that limited his participation in spring ball.
 

U.Va. offense sputters in loss to TCU
By Michael Phillips
Published: September 13, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When the booing finished, the leaving began. But for the fans who remained through yesterday's blowout, one emotion had yet to be explored -- sarcasm.

And so it was that a standing ovation was given to an incomplete downfield pass with 4 minutes remaining, a nod to the offensive coordinator who had refused to call such a play all day.

Of course, once Jameel Sewell and U.Va. started going deep, it worked. The Hoos were then able to put two touchdowns on the board, finishing a 30-14 loss to Texas Christian by avoiding what would have been their first home shutout in 25 years.

The No. 16 Horned Frogs showed Gregg Brandon how to run a spread offense, wearing down the defense with a steady mix of pass and run.

Meanwhile Sewell, who is now U.Va.'s starting quarterback, didn't complete a pass longer than 8 yards until the game's final minutes. That allowed TCU to pack its defense up front and shut down the running threat that Sewell presented.

"As a quarterback, you want to air it out," he said. "But sometimes it's not the right time to do that, and you've got to wait for the right situation to make it happen."

Brandon was the one making those calls, from the press box. He spoke between drives with Sewell, then called his offense in a semi-no-huddle situation.

The U.Va. offense sprinted to the line, waited for the defense to show its look, then received the play call from the sideline. The players then ran down the play clock in an attempt to win the time-of-possession battle.

Brandon was unavailable for comment, per team policy. But coach Al Groh said that failures on the offensive line meant that there was little time to send receivers downfield.

One of the day's most prominent matchups was between Cavs right tackle Will Barker and TCU left end Jerry Hughes. A few NFL scouts were on hand to watch as Hughes won the matchup, contributing to a total of eight sacks by the Horned Frogs.

"We've gotten off to a slow start," Barker said. "The defense is playing great, and the offense needs to step it up and do their part."

Getting receivers open was also a struggle for the Hoos, though with most of the routes being run inside a 15-yard box, there wasn't much room for separation.

Multiple receivers indicated that they were simply running the routes that were called -- and that several of Sewell's runs weren't scrambles or desperation, but play calls for the quarterback.

"It's just the play-calling," Tim Smith said. "We've got to take what he gives us, whether it's a run or a pass play, and do our job."

Meanwhile on the defensive side, the unit was being beaten down after more than 35 minutes on the field. TCU showed looks with four running backs, and all had effective days, combining for 203 yards on the ground.

It culminated in a back-breaking drive in the third quarter that lasted more than six minutes. TCU started with the ball on its 6, then rattled off plays with gains of 7, 7, 6, 11, 9, 2, 6, 29 and 7 yards, before settling for a field goal.

Before that, there was reason for hope from the orange and blue. TCU scored just two touchdowns in the first half, both on dubious circumstances. The first was after a late hit penalty, and the second on field position gained after a U.Va. fake punt failed.

"In retrospect, I think that was a poor decision on my part," Groh said. "But we weren't out there to prevent losing, we were out there to try to win -- and we hadn't done anything to make us think we were going to get points offensively."

Now two games old, Brandon's spread offense and his play-calling certainly haven't won him any fans in Charlottesville.

The team's challenge for the next week is to use its athletic quarterback in a way that maximizes his strengths, instead of putting him in no-win situations on the field. That's a challenge that Sewell says he and his teammates are willing to accept.

"Whatever the team needs me to do, whatever the coaches need me to do, I'll do it," he said. "Nobody's going to back down."



 

U.Va. notes: Jackson back in lineup
By Staff Reports
Published: September 13, 2009

Jackson back in lineup
Fullback Rashawn Jackson, who fought a knee injury at the end of camp, was back in the lineup and got a starting nod yesterday in Virginia's loss to TCU.

He started and took the backup minutes that had been going to freshman tailback Torrey Mack. Mikell Simpson remains the running back with the most playing time.

"They held me out of the first game to get me feeling good," Jackson said. "I felt like it worked."

The day's leading rusher was quarterback Jameel Sewell, who ran the ball 21 times for 35 yards, including a 29-yard rush down the sideline that briefly brought the crowd to life in the first half.

Most of his plays were designed to be runs, but he also scrambled out of danger a few times.

"The offensive line isn't going to be able to hold their blocks forever," he said. "I got to get out there and get away."

Special teams struggle
Brought in to revive U.Va.'s special teams, coordinator Ron Prince has had little success through two games.

Yesterday brought a new round of problems, including an early field goal attempt on which the snap was botched by holder Vic Hall.

"I would say that was probably a mistake on my part, but I have such trust in Vic," coach Al Groh said. "It was our judgment from the side that he was inhibited by his injury."

Hall was listed with a hip injury on this week's injury report, though it was a blow to the shoulder that sent him reeling during last week's game. Quarterback Jameel Sewell said that Hall was taking the injury hard.

"It's killing him. He's a competitor," Sewell said. "He's our captain, and you can still hear him on the sideline and in practice. He's right there, but it's eating him up because he wants to contribute and he can't."

Elsewhere on special teams, kicker Chris Hinkebein returned after not being allowed to join the team for last week's game. He had two kickoffs for touchbacks.

Punt returner Chase Minnifield, filling in for Hall, fair-caught a ball on the 3-yard line, then let the next punt bounce from the 11 to the 3 before it was downed.

Young receivers shine
Redshirt freshman Javaris Brown and true freshman Tim Smith caught the two touchdown passes at the end of the game.

Smith had to fight off a TCU cornerback for the ball.

"I had to take it and wrestle it from him," Smith said. "We both had hands on it, but I wanted it more, so I took it."

Flag sabotages defense
A late hit penalty called on Corey Mosley allowed TCU to avoid a fourth-down situation on what ultimately became the Horned Frogs' first touchdown drive.

It appeared that Mosley was just trying to slow down after what was a botched catch by Jimmy Young.

The crowd sided with U.Va, and a livid Al Groh had some words for the referee during a commercial break.

"It certainly was a significant play in the game - a seven-point play," Groh said. "You've got to have a conscience when you make certain calls. But that's what gets called, and we have to understand what the rules are."

Mosley said he was just trying to play aggressively and that he had to work to keep his focus for the rest of the drive.

Extra points:

•The crowd of 48,336 was the lowest at Scott Stadium in 10 years.

•Despite its offensive success, TCU struggled in pressure situations, going 1 for 11 on third downs.

•Freshman tailback Perry Jones saw his first collegiate playing time on the kick-return unit. Guard Isaac Cain made his first career start on the offensive line, replacing B.J. Cabbell, who was "trying to catch up physically," Groh said.

•Darren Childs had a career-high 12 tackles.
In what was perhaps a bad omen, "Cavman" was thrown from his horse after riding into Scott Stadium during pregame festivities. - Michael Phillips
 

Grading the three keys for U.Va.
By Staff Reports
Published: September 13, 2009

Grading the three keys

(D) No big plays. TCU used the rushing game to bait the Hoos, then struck at opportunistic times with the pass. Quarterback Andy Dalton finished 15 for 21, with many of those catches extending drives. His longest pass was 31 yards, nearly four times as far as Virginia's longest through three quarters.

(F) Vic's in the hall. Jameel Sewell was the lone signal-caller for the Cavs yesterday, and the Hermitage grad was unable to get the passing game going. His bursts of athleticism as a rusher kept alive some drives, but, ultimately, the Horned Frogs stopped respecting the passing game, and shut down the line of scrimmage. Don't blame Sewell on this one, he only works with what he's given.

(C-) No slippery fingers. Turning over the ball wasn't a problem for U.Va., but the team also couldn't make anything happen the other way. The offense can't rely on good field position to do the work for the unit - the players will have to create for themselves at some point.
 

Cavalier quick kicks
QUICK KICKS

Final score: No.16 TCU 30, U.Va. 14

For starters: Virginia hung around with a 14-0 halftime score, but a lackluster offense led the crowd to boo as the Cavs headed into the locker room.

Turning point: Coming out of halftime, it was clear that TCU had made the necessary adjustments to win the game. U.Va.'s defense was unable to hold on a drive the Horned Frogs started from their 6-yard line.

Star of the game: For U.Va., quarterback Jameel Sewell showed that despite getting beaten up and having nobody open, he still has the athleticism necessary to take over a game. It remains to be seen if the coaching staff will give him the chance to do that.

Big picture: Not many pundits picked this game as a Virginia victory, and the loss doesn't derail the Cavs from any aspirations for the season. However, an Orange Bowl representative was on hand, and it can be safely assumed that he was not there to watch the Cavs.

Go figure: 8. Times Sewell was sacked, on a day where U.Va. tackle Will Barker was supposed to show that he belonged against an NFL-caliber line. Instead, the Texas-sized Horned Frogs had their way with the Hoos.

Next: Virginia (0-2) visits Southern Miss (1-0 before last night's late game) on Saturday at 3:30 pm. The game is being televised on CBS College Sports.
 

U.Va. takes another tumble
By Dave Johnson
247-4649
September 13, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Even before kickoff Saturday afternoon, things had gotten off to a shaky start for the home team. As the man dressed as a Cavalier rode his horse onto the field, the beast inexplicably stopped. And the rider went tumbling to the turf.

If you're looking for symbolism or a metaphor, there it is. Virginia, trying to rebound from last week's stunning loss to William and Mary, fell off its horse.

Texas Christian showed the Cavaliers how you're supposed to run the spread offense and cruised to a 30-14 win before only 48,336 — Scott Stadium's lowest crowd in nearly 10 years. Once again, Virginia's offense struggled. And once again, the fans made their feelings known.

"We haven't given them that much to be positive about," U.Va. coach Al Groh acknowledged.

That's something of an understatement. With 41/2 minutes remaining in the game, Virginia trailed 30-0 and had only 73 total yards. Quarterback Jameel Sewell didn't have a completion longer than 8 yards.

The running game went nowhere. The offensive line allowed eight sacks, and several other times Sewell had to scramble out of trouble. For the second straight week, new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon's spread showed little execution or imagination.

"It was one of those things where I just didn't know what to think," fullback Rashawn Jackson said. "We moved the ball pretty well for a while, and then it was like running into a brick wall."

"It's disappointing," tackle Will Barker said. "We expected the offense to be much further along than this. The defense is playing great, but the offense has got to step up and do our part."

His team trailing 30-0 and facing TCU's second-team defense, Sewell threw deep over the middle for wideout Tim Smith. It was incomplete, but the Virginia fans (what few remained) went wild with applause. With 4:22 left in the game, the Cavaliers had finally thrown the ball downfield.

On the next play, Sewell hit Javaris Brown for a 56-yard touchdown. Then, after TCU punted, Sewell connected with Smith for a 26-yard touchdown.

Where did that come from? Or better yet, where had it been?

"The ability of a quarterback to go downfield (is) based significantly on the amount of time (he) has," Groh said. "Unfortunately, Jameel was under quite a bit of duress."

Wideout Kris Burd had a slightly different answer.

"We've got to run whatever they tell us to run," he said.

Defensively, Virginia played well enough in the first half to at least keep the game close. The Horned Frogs' first touchdown was a gift. On third-and-9 from the U.Va. 36, TCU wideout Jimmy Young dropped a throw from quarterback Andy Dalton for what would have been a first down.

Virginia safety Corey Mosley hit him a second later, his momentum carrying him to the ball. Back judge Greg Yette from the Big 12 flagged Mosley for a late hit, which set up first-and-10 from the 21. Two plays later, it was 7-0.

"You've got to have a conscience when you make those calls," Groh said.

TCU's second touchdown came after Virginia failed to convert a fourth-and-2 from midfield on a fake punt. Six plays later, it was 14-0 with 2:55 to go in the half.

"That was a poor decision on my part," Groh said. "It had the same effect as a turnover. We hadn't generated anything close to making us think we were going to get any points … so the thought was to try to generate some movement and field position and try to turn that into points."

TCU put it away in the third quarter, during which Virginia took nine offensive snaps and gained 8 yards.

Now, Virginia is 0-2 for the first time since 2002 going into next week's game at Southern Mississippi.

"I've never started a season 0-2 in my entire career of playing football," Jackson said. "But you know what? That doesn't matter. What matters is how we respond next week."


 

Yes, the Cavs are that bad right now
David Teel
September 13, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Don't be conned by spin doctors, delusional fans or hollow touchdowns. Virginia's football team was embarrassingly inept Saturday.

Yes, the opponent was 16th-ranked Texas Christian. And yes, the final score was a reasonable 30-14.

But two scoring passes in the final 4:30 against reserve defensive backs don't erase 55 minutes of impotence. They don't excuse timid play-calling, defensive breakdowns and special teams gaffes.

The issue isn't losing. The Cavaliers simply aren't as talented as the Horned Frogs.

The issue is coaching. The Cavaliers, particularly their offense and special teams, appear to have little direction, cohesion, or core philosophy.

Yes, that's an indictment of head coach Al Groh. No, that's not a call for his immediate resignation or dismissal — though an in-season change might be warranted absent rapid and considerable progress.

Indeed, two weeks into a 12-game schedule, it's difficult to imagine Virginia any lower.

An opening loss to William and Mary, the Cavaliers' first to a FCS program in 23 years, was disheartening for the faithful. Saturday was downright depressing as Virginia's new spread offense generated 80 yards, four first downs and no points through three quarters.

And that's not all. The home crowd of 48,336 was the smallest at Scott Stadium since a 1999 game against Buffalo.

Those who did show up were not bashful about expressing their displeasure, not at the young men mind you, but at their coaches. Moreover, they streamed for the exits after a third quarter in which TCU outgained Virginia 137-8.

With fans speaking not only with their voices, but also their wallets, rest assured suits such as athletic director Craig Littlepage and outgoing president John Casteen are listening.

"We haven't given them very much to be positive about," Groh said.

Where to start?

Groh's defense — he's the coordinator — had its moments, stopping the Horned Frogs (1-0) on 10 of 11 third downs. Still, the Cavaliers yielded 203 yards rushing (no push up front and some poor tackling), a 31-yard touchdown pass (preseason all-ACC cornerback Ras-I Dowling took a poor angle) and a critical 19-yard completion.

Special teams coordinator Ron Prince watched his bunch botch a first-quarter field goal attempt as Vic Hall, limited solely to holding duties by a sore hip, failed to handle a high snap from Danny Aiken. Later, Chase Minnifield fair-caught a punt at his own 3 rather than let it bound into the end zone for a touchback, and tight end Joe Torchia was stuffed on a fake punt from midfield.

But for the second consecutive outing, the primary problem was coordinator Gregg Brandon's offense. After managing a paltry 268 yards and two scores against William and Mary, the Cavaliers netted 177 Saturday, 82 on Jameel Sewell's two fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

Sewell was sacked eight times, the most Virginia's surrendered in a game since 1997 against Florida State, and never attempted a down field pass until the waning moments, when the count was 30-love. Groh maintained that some of the sacks derailed plays designed to go deep, but even if true, the offense's passive approach was startling.

Consider the play clock. Before almost every snap, Virginia allowed the clock to tick inside five seconds.

Groh said this was to counter the Horned Frogs' time-of-possession, a stat in which they led the country last season. It didn't work. TCU owned the ball for 34:49, while Virginia wasted time and allowed the defense to dictate.

Also for the second straight week, the Cavaliers' tailbacks were invisible. Mikell Simpson rushed for 32 yards on eight carries, giving him 64 yards in two games.

"We're close," said true freshman receiver Tim Smith, who caught a 26-yard touchdown pass. "We have the capability. It's just small mistakes."

And elephantine mistakes such as dropped passes, whiffed pass blocks and called short-side sweeps on third-and-8.

"We just couldn't execute," said offensive tackle Will Barker, a starter last season when Virginia never yielded more than two sacks in a game.

"Clearly, we need to play a lot better," Groh echoed.

In a hurry. The Cavaliers' next two games are on the road, at Southern Mississippi and North Carolina, both of which earned bowl bids last season.

Groh praised fans who enthusiastically greeted the team at the stadium Saturday, but if Virginia returns 0-4 for homecoming against Indiana, those folks might be carrying torches and pitchforks.

 

Sewell back as starter
By Dave Johnson
247-4649
September 13, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - To be sure, it had been a long wait. Twenty months, in fact, during which time he had flunked off the team and lost his job.

But Saturday afternoon against the nation's 16th-ranked team, Jameel Sewell was Virginia's starting quarterback again. Not necessarily by choice — Vic Hall, who started last week's loss to William and Mary, was out with a hip injury.

But coach Al Groh stuck with him the whole way, which meant plenty to Sewell. Never did the coach consider switching gears to backup Mark Verica.

"That helped me a lot," Sewell said after Saturday's 30-14 loss to TCU. "They believe in me as a coaching staff, even after last week's poor performance. That helps with my confidence."

Sewell certainly wasn't great, but it wasn't all his fault. His offensive line gave up eight sacks. And offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon didn't help with his conservative play calling.

When the offense took the field with 4:22 remaining in the game, Sewell had completed 4 of 11 passes for 18 yards. His longest completion? An 8-yarder to wideout Kris Burd. Not once had he thrown a pass down field more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.

But with the score 30-0 and TCU's second-team defense in, Sewell threw touchdown passes of 56 yards to Javaris Brown and 26 yards to Tim Smith. Which makes you wonder: Why not throw down field more often?

"As a quarterback, you want to air it out," said Sewell, who finished 8 of 18 for 120 yards. "But sometimes it's not the right thing to do. You've got to go with the flow of what's called."


 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
September 13, 2009 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--After the Virginia football team lost 30-14 to No. 16 Texas Christian yesterday at Scott Stadium, head coach Al Groh thanked supporters who showed up to cheer the team on before the game.

However, those fans weren't the ones making the most noise throughout the Cavaliers' second-straight debacle to open the season.

Virginia (0-2) fell behind 30-0 and quarterback Jameel Sewell had thrown for just 18 yards before he tossed two meaningless touchdowns in the final 4:14.

Cavalier fans had seen enough.

Plenty of them booed and chanted "Groh must go." And when halftime arrived one fan said, "This is the best part of the game."

After TCU (1-0) scored on a 31-yard pass from Andy Dalton to Jimmy Young with 11:42 left in the third-quarter, many among the crowd of 48,336 called it a day. They walked out of the stadium with the Cavaliers trailing 21-0.

"It's definitely one of the worst feelings in the world," Virginia senior linebacker Denzel Burrell said. "It's definitely disheartening to see the fans leave like that, but it's understandable with how we've played. We need to pick it up and do it immediately."

Yesterday started off bad for Virginia when its mascot fell off his horse during the pregame sprint onto the field.

Virginia's players didn't execute much better.

Sewell played the entire game and was sacked eight times, frustrating the Cavaliers' offensive linemen who are struggling to adjust to the new spread offense installed by first-year offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon.

"What do you think my thoughts are? It's disappointing," Cavaliers' senior right tackle Will Barker said of the spread offense. "I definitely expected our offense to be further along than this. We've gotten off to a pretty slow start."

That's an understatement.

The Cavaliers have picked up just 445 total yards in two games. They've thrown for 257 yards and their running backs have accounted for only 90 yards rushing.

Groh was desperate to get something going offensively when he called for a fake punt on a fourth-and-2 play from the 48-yard line in the second quarter.

But tight end Joe Torchia was stopped short on a rushing attempt. Groh said the call was a gaffe.

"In retrospect, I think that was a poor decision on my part," Groh said. "It had the same effect as a turnover. But we weren't out there to try to prevent losing. We were out there to try to win. We hadn't generated anything close to making us think we were going to get any points. The thought was to try to generate some movement and field position."

It backfired.

The Horned Frogs took over and marched down the field on a six-play, 50-yard drive that culminated in Joseph Turner's 1-yard touchdown run that gave them a 14-0 lead with 2:55 left before halftime.

It was the second touchdown drive of the half that was aided by a Virginia mistake. The Cavaliers thought they had stopped TCU after Dalton threw an incompletion on third-and-9 from the Virginia 36, but sophomore safety Corey Mosley was called for a late hit.

The 15-yard penalty gave TCU life and Jeremy Kerley scored two plays later for a 7-0 lead.

Groh was visibly upset at the call. Mosley said the flag was a bit surprising.

"The last thing I wanted to do was be unsportsmanlike," Mosley said. "Coach told us to fly to the ball every play. That's what I was doing and I didn't mean anything bad by it."

Still, the result hurt Virginia's cause.

The Cavaliers finally got something positive going when the Horned Frogs inserted mostly reserve players. That's when Sewell (8-for-18, 120 yards) hit Javaris Brown for a 56-yard touchdown pass with 4:14 left. He connected with true freshman Tim Smith on a 26-yard scoring strike with 1:48 remaining.

"We had to be encouraged by that," Groh said. "There's certainly a hope that there's a boost of confidence that comes from that."

Notes

Virginia freshman wide receiver Quintin Hunter, a former Orange High standout, caught the first pass of his career yesterday, a 13-yard grab on the final possession of the game. Ex-Chancellor standout Dominique Wallace rushed once for seven yards.

Senior quarterback Vic Hall (hip injury) entered the game once to hold for a field goal that slipped through his hands in the first quarter. Hall didn't play quarterback or return punts.
 

Virginia’s problems start in trenches
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: September 13, 2009

Two weeks and two lopsided losses into the new season, Virginia fans are looking around wondering what is wrong with their football team.

While the checklist isn’t as long, perhaps, as it was a week ago, most of the problems can be traced to back-to-back disappointing performances by the Cavaliers’ offensive line. Considering that most of those linemen have at least a season of experience under their belt, it must be unsettling for UVa quarterbacks to wonder if these big wide-bodies really have their backs.

Texas Christian, a team with speed — but not the among fastest defenses the Cavaliers have faced in recent years — kept Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell running for his life most of the day. He must have had flashbacks to the 2006 season when he broke into the starting lineup as an unprepared freshman and performed under similar duress.

A steep fall

The 2009 season wasn’t supposed to go this way. Granted, the line misses NFL first-round draft choice Eugene Monroe, but everyone else is back and that line led the ACC in the fewest sacks allowed.

In Saturday’s 30-14 loss to 16th-ranked TCU, the Cavaliers’ offensive line gave up, count ’em, eight sacks — the most a Virginia team had given up since Florida State got nine in 1997. Heck, they only gave up 16 all of last season, and the most any opponent managed was two.

It’s a good thing that Sewell has wheels, or the count would have been even more embarrassing.

You thought Virginia’s offense was putrid the last three seasons, well get a load of this. In two games, the Cavs have averaged around 222 yards, around 70 less than last season’s average, when UVa was near the bottom of the FBS barrel.

The Cavs haven’t been able to run it consistently or throw it consistently or move the changes consistently. Oh, Gene Monroe, Branden Albert, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Brad Butler, where art thou?

It’s not the scheme

Coach Al Groh insists it’s not the new no-huddle, spread offense that has been the problem. Last week’s befuddling seven turnovers against William & Mary and yesterday’s lack of production have one thing in common: Shoddy performances by the O-line.

“Giving up sacks, especially coming off the year we had last year, is disappointing,” said senior fourth-year starting right tackle Will Barker. “As an offensive line, we take pride in protecting our quarterback.”

One would forgive Sewell if he responded with a “Say what?”

Sewell is a team guy and would never point fingers. About the only thing Virginia has going for it right now is that through its first 0-2 start since 2002, is that hasn’t thrown in the towel and is sticking together, just like the ’02 squad hung in there and won a bowl game.

Barker didn’t mind, well maybe he did mind, but fessed up anyway that most of the offensive problems lie on the ample shoulders of the big uglies up front.

A team that controls the offensive line can do pretty much anything it desires. One that can’t is doomed, and that’s what is worrisome about the prospects of this team turning things around.

Virginia scored two touchdowns after it was 30-zip and TCU coach Gary Patterson called off the dogs. Still, those scores displayed some positive signs for the Cavaliers. The passes were significant downfield throws, which boosted Sewell’s confidence and perhaps showed new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon that Sewell could complete some deep throws. Brandon seemed reluctant to call downfield passes until midway through the third quarter, and even then, Sewell was trying to escape the mitts of the charging Horned Frogs’ defense.

Word on the street was that perhaps TCU’s defense’s lone kryptonite was a pro-style quarterback who could throw deep, but up until late in the game, Sewell never had time to throw deep.

Sewell said after the game that he played with “no confidence last week,” which he said led to three interceptions as he came off the bench behind starter Vic Hall. With Hall out with a hip injury Saturday, Sewell played wire-to-wire and was intercepted only once, when a ball bounced off a receiver and into TCU’s hands.

The difference?

“Just them believing in me as a coaching staff,” said Sewell, who completed 8 of 18 passes for 120 yards and two scores. “I played very poor last week, and just to have them start the game with me and keep me in when things didn’t go well, that helped a lot with my confidence.”

While the two late TDs may have seemed meaningless in some circles, they were important to Sewell and his teammates, who are desperately searching for any kind of spark to reverse their fortunes.

Still, until the offensive line gets its act together, Virginia is going to struggle.

The Cavs rushed for 137 yards last week but a mere 57 against a very good TCU defense that led the nation in run defense last year (47.1 per game).

Brandon’s plan was to run a lot more out of the spread than perhaps some observers expected. But, as Groh has pointed out many times, all running backs run the same when there’s no hole.

Until the Cavaliers fix that problem, nothing is going to change.
 

Cavs sputter to lopsided loss
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 13, 2009

Moments prior to kickoff, Virginia’s mascot was toppled from his usual perch on his horse.

Despite falling, the mascot got up. Several hours later, Virginia had fallen. The Cavaliers did not rise.

Virginia was trounced for the second consecutive week, losing this time to No. 16 Texas Christian 30-14 in front of 48,336 fans, the smallest crowd at Scott Stadium in a decade.

Off to its first 0-2 start since 2002, Virginia actually trailed 30-0 before a pair of touchdowns in the final four minutes against the reserves from TCU (1-0).

“Clearly, we need to play a lot better than that,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “We need to be cohesive.

“[TCU was] the No. 7 team in the country last year, and it is pretty apparent why they’re ranked highly.”

The same can’t be said for Virginia, which managed just four first downs and 80 yards of total offense during the opening three quarters.

By that point, TCU had dropped 24 points, rattled off 20 first downs and had 220 more yards offensively.

Virginia’s late scores came with 4:14 left and with 1:48 remaining as quarterback Jameel Sewell connected with Javaris Brown and Tim Smith for touchdown passes.

Both passes marked the lone memorable times that Sewell, who played the entire contest under center, worked the ball downfield. In fact, Sewell was sacked eight times, the most registered against a Virginia signal-caller since Florida State had nine in 1997.

“I can’t sit back there and hold the ball forever,” said Sewell, placing the blame on himself. “The line is not going to be able to block forever. I have to get out of there or throw the ball away.

“[TCU] brought some pressure sometimes and sometimes some guys just slipped through … missed communication with all of us, me and the offensive line. We just have to work on that.”

After a scoreless first quarter, TCU opened the scoring in opportunistic fashion.

Facing 3rd-and-9 at the Virginia 36, TCU quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pass intended for Jimmy Young that was dropped.

Virginia safety Corey Mosley raced toward Young and lowered his shoulder moments after the ball arrived, drawing a personal foul call for the second straight week and creating a chorus of boos from a majority of the 48,336 in attendance.

Two plays later, the Horned Frogs scored on a 2-yard run by Jeremy Kerley, opening the game’s scoring.

“It is definitely frustrating. You tell the players to go hard every play and be physical and that’s what Corey did on that play,” Virginia outside linebacker Denzel Burrell said. “I kind of saw the end result of it. It is definitely a questionable call.

“You just have to let Corey know to be physical and keep being the same player, don’t slow the game down because of this. It was definitely a questionable call that turned the first half around, but we can’t harp on it.”

Groh showed his disgust for the call, pleading his case with several referees to no avail.

Later in the first half, Virginia was burned by its own miscue — junior Joe Torchia failed to convert a fake punt after the ball was directly snapped to him. He faked a handoff to another player and failed to gain a yard.

TCU scored six plays later, capping a 50-yard drive with a 1-yard scamper by Joseph Turner.

“In retrospect, I think [the fake punt] was a poor decision on my part,” Groh said. “It had the same effect as a turnover, but we weren’t out there to try to prevent losing. We were out there to try and win.

“We hadn’t generated anything close to making us think that we were going to get any points at that point offensively, so the thought was to try to generate some movement and field position to try to turn that into points.”

The Horned Frogs scored on their first two possessions of the second half, pushing their lead to 24-0 as Dalton connected with Jimmy Young for a 31-yard touchdown pass on a double post and Ross Evans drilled a 28-yard field goal.

After Virginia forced one of TCU’s six punts on the following possession, the Horned Frogs scored again in back-to-back fashion. Each time Evans connected on field goals, making them from 25- and 32-yards out.

Facing the second-team defense from TCU, Sewell then got on track. The fifth-year senior, who started for the injured Vic Hall, threw for 97 yards on 4-of-8 passing in the final frame. He finished 8 of 18 for 120 yards passing and threw an interception.

Groh was clinging to the positives from two of Sewell’s final three drives.

“I think the catches of the two young receivers late in the game, we had to be encouraged by that,” Groh said. “For them to be able to step up and make those plays and now they have the their first big plays and they both resulted in touchdowns.

“There’s certainly hope that there’s a boost of confidence that comes from that.”

For the game, TCU had a 380-177 advantage in yardage. The Horned Frogs also protected the football, committing just one turnover and helped send most in the crowd to the exits prematurely in zombie-like fashion.

“It’s definitely one of the worst feelings in the world to see the stadium empty,” Burrell said. “Both teams are out there to win and unfortunately we couldn’t get it done, but it is definitely disheartening to see the fans leaving.

“But it is understandable with how we played. We need to pick it up and we need to do it immediately. We can have a 12-hour bug with this game and then we need to get it out our system and move on to Southern Miss.”

Virginia travels to Southern Mississippi on Saturday. The game is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.
 

Virginia opens up offense after game gets out of reach
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 13, 2009

Late in the fourth quarter, amid a morgue-like environment at Scott Stadium, a loud ovation came out of nowhere.

It turned out that the crowd was giving a mock cheer for a pass thrown deep downfield in the direction of freshman wide receiver Tim Smith.

The pass was incomplete, but fans didn’t seem to care. They were just pleased that Virginia had finally attempted a pass down the field.

Until that point, most of UVa’s passing routes were short ones. Even the crowd seemed to be able to recognize the value of stretching a defense.

Exactly why Virginia didn’t attempt to stretch the field until the game was well out of reach is a mystery.

Even TCU coach Gary Patterson was a bit perplexed.

“I don’t know why that was,” Patterson said following his team’s 30-14 victory. “I was kind of surprised that we didn’t see more vertical routes on third-down situations. But I’ve got my own problems.

“Why they didn’t — I don’t know if they expected blitz. It’s hard because [UVa coach Al Groh] knew that I had [time to prepare] … we had five weeks to get ready for Virginia, so we could man-blitz them, zone-blitz them and play base defense. I mean, we had everything in our arsenal that you could possibly have.”

It was on the very next play after the long incomplete pass that was intended for Smith that Virginia finally got on the scoreboard. Jameel Sewell connected on a 56-yard bomb to Javaris Brown.

Then, on the team’s next offensive series, Sewell found Smith on a 26-yarder.

In preparing for Virginia, Patterson said his team studied film of Bowling Green games. That’s where UVa offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon served before this season.

“If you looked at Gregg Brandon’s offense at Bowling Green, which is what we had to prepare for, it got us ready for the rest of the season because you name, they can line up in it,” Patterson said. “I was proud of the way the kids handled the no-huddle, lined up and did some things.”

Believe it or not, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes said Virginia players played the Horned Frogs tough.

“They played hard,” Hughes said. “It was once we got the momentum on our side, we got things going and got the jitters out of the way.”

TCU linebacker Darryl Washington said the Horned Frogs’ defense did a good job of keeping Sewell in containment.

“Our D-line did a tremendous job up front of not letting [Sewell] scramble around,” Washington said. “We had a great game plan and executed.”

Washington said No. 16 TCU had the perfect mindset coming into the game.

“Any time you’re playing an ACC team or any team, it’s tough going into their house, you have to execute,” he said. “We didn’t look at Virginia like the underdog or anything. We looked at ourselves like the underdog.”

Patterson was just happy to get out of Dodge with a win.

“Crazy things happen in first ballgames, and this was our first ballgame, so for us the biggest thing is, ‘Don’t go in and beat yourself,’” he said. “We turned the ball over early, but then no more after that. We wanted to make sure we minimized the mistakes and not give up the big play, and we didn’t until the game was in hand.”

Despite the 0-2 start, Patterson believes UVa can still be a “dangerous” team.

“I’ve known coach Groh for a long time,” he said. “He’s a good football coach, and that’s a good staff. I wish him the best of luck the rest of the way.”

He’ll likely need it.
 

Return troubles crop up again
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 13, 2009

Virginia’s troubles in the punt-return game have become almost laughable.

At times last season, Vic Hall showed poor judgment calling for fair catches. In UVa’s loss last week to William & Mary, the senior didn’t look any better.

On Saturday, Chase Minnifield — filling in for the injured Hall — was equally poor.

In the first quarter, the sophomore inexplicably called for a fair catch on his own 3-yard line. As Minnifield came off the field, he was chastised by the Virginia coaching staff.

Later in the quarter, Minnifield, perhaps frazzled by his first returning experience, faked a fair catch at about the 10-yard line. The ball was downed by TCU at the 3.

Late in the fourth quarter, Minifield redeemed himself somewhat when he caught a punt and flipped the ball to teammate Ras-I Dowling on a reverse. The play went for 35 yards and set Virginia up for its second touchdown.

Smith scores

Freshman wide receiver Tim Smith caught his first college touchdown pass, a 26-yarder late in the fourth quarter that cut the lead to 30-14.

“It felt good,” said Smith, who is from Chesapeake. “There’s a big difference from high school to college.

“But this is what I came here for — to be a playmaker and to catch the ball. When I get the opportunity, I have to make the most of it.”

Smith said the score came on a slant-and-go route.

“He didn’t really bite, so I just went back out and Jameel [Sewell] put the ball on the money.”

Kicking debut

Virginia kicker Chris Hinkebein made his season debut on Saturday. The sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., handled the kickoff duties.

Robert Randolph had done the kicking off against William & Mary.

Empty seats

There was a noticeable amount of empty seats on Saturday, mainly in the upper tier of the stadium and on the hill where the students sit. The crowd of 48,336 was the smallest at Scott Stadium since a game versus Buffalo in 1999.

Smalls switches

With the injury to quarterback Vic Hall, wide receiver Riko Smalls moved back to quarterback, temporarily, for Saturday’s game. The redshirt freshman from Plano, Texas took snaps from center during pregame warm-ups.

Questionable call

TCU’s first scoring drive of the game was aided largely by a penalty — a somewhat questionable one. Virginia safety Corey Mosley was called for a personal foul after hitting Horned Frogs wide receiver Jimmy Young after Young had dropped a pass deep downfield.

The penalty, which came on a third-and-9 from the Virginia 36-yard-line, paved the way for a TCU touchdown run by Jeremy Kerley two plays later.

Roger that

Former Virginia basketball standout Roger Mason Jr. raised the “Power of Orange” flag moments before kickoff. Mason, now with the San Antonio Spurs, led UVa in scoring his junior season before leaving school early for the NBA in 2002.

Streak intact

With the late touchdown by Javaris Brown, Virginia extended its streak of not being shut out at home. The last time UVa was blanked came in a 55-0 loss to Clemson in 1984. The Cavaliers went on to set the record for most ACC games without being shut out, which now stands at 153.

Hunter in the books

Former Orange County High star Quintin Hunter caught his first collegiate pass — a 13-yard reception from Jameel Sewell with under a minute to play.

Extra points

Freshman wide receiver Tim Smith and junior tackle Isaac Cain made their first career starts. … After not playing against William & Mary last week, senior fullback Rashawn Jackson started the game at running back. … Sophomore punter Jimmy Howell had his longest punt of the season (51 yards) at end of the first quarter. … Senior cornerback Chris Cook had a career-long 22-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. … TCU plays at another ACC school, Clemson, on Sept. 26.
 

Cavaliers Have Strong Day Two at UVa Classic
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/12/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The Virginia men's tennis team dominated play during day two of the UVa Classic at the Snyder Tennis Center. The Cavaliers had players advance to both singles A Flights and both doubles B flights as five singles players and three doubles teams will compete for flight titles on Sunday.
In the A1 singles flight, a pair of Cavaliers advanced to the final where they will meet each other. Top-seeded Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) won a pair of straight set wins to advance to the final. He will meet teammate Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) in the final, who topped Charles Bottoni of East Tennessee State in the quarterfinals before upsetting No. 59 ranked Christopher Aumueller of Nebraska 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals.
The A2 singles flight final will also be a battle between Cavalier teammates. No. 2 seed Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) won a pair of matches in straight sets to advance to the final, where he will play first-year Jarmere Jenkins (College Park, Md.). Jenkins won his quarterfinal in straight sets before scoring a 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 upset of No. 48 ranked Lucas Jovita of South Florida in the semifinals.
In the B flight, Santiago Villegas (Bogota, Colombia) advanced to the final where we will play Jason Morgenstern of Wake Forest.
Virginia also have doubles teams competing in the A1, A2 and C doubles flights. Top-seeded Singh and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) reached the A1 final, where they play Hannah and Atalay of George Washington. Courtney and Singer reached the A2 final by upsetting No. 37 ranked Jovita and Estrada of South Florida in the semifinals and will meet Atkinson and Forman of Wake Forest in the final. First-years Brian Fang (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) and Dino Dell'Orto (Hong Kong, China) reached the C doubles final.
The tournament concludes Sunday at the Snyder Tennis Center with play scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
Complete Draws available above.
 

UVa Golfers in Seventh Place at Maryland Intercollegiate
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/12/2009

Cambridge, MD - The Virginia men's golf team was in seventh place after the first round of the Maryland Intercollegiate at the River Marsh Golf Club. Saturday's second round was not completed due to darkness.
The Cavaliers shot 8-over 292 and trailed first-place North Carolina by eight shots entering the day's second round. Kent State was in second place at 283 followed by VCU in third at 284.
UVa was led by Ben Kohles' even-par 71 to stand 11th overall after 18 holes. Kyle Stough was 23rd at 73, Will Collins and freshman Gregor Orlando are tied for 33rd at 74 and Amory Davis is in 45th place at 75. Bruce Woodall, playing as an individual, shot 72 and was in 18th place.
North Carolina's Henry Zaytoun led the field after the first round by shooting 5-under 66.
Following the conclusion of the second round Sunday morning, the final 18 holes will be contested.

Maryland Intercollegiate
Par-72, 6,766 yards
River Marsh Golf Club
Cambridge, MD
1st Round Results
1. North Carolina 280
2. Kent State 283
3. VCU 284
4. NC State 286
5. Akron 288
6. Maryland 290
7. Virginia 292
8. Texas State 293
9. Towson 298
9. William and Mary 298
9. Xavier 298
12. Old Dominion 300
12. Pennsylvania 300
12. Georgetown 300
15. East Carolina 306

Virginia Results
11. Ben Kohles 71
18. Bruce Woodall* 72
23. Kyle Stough 73
33. Will Collins 74
33. Gregor Orland 74
45. Amory Davis 75
* Playing as individual
 

Women's Tennis Continues Play at William & Mary
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/12/2009

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia women's tennis team continued play Saturday at the William & Mary Invitational. The tournament is the opening event for the Cavaliers this season.
In Doubles Flight A, the team of Jennifer Stevens (Miami, Fla.) and Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton, Fla.) won a pair of matches to advance to the final. They will play Deanna Bailey and Michaela Kissel of Marshall in the final on Sunday. Also in that flight, the team of Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) and Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) won a pair of matches to reach the backdraw final.
In Singles Flight A, a pair of Cavaliers advanced to the backdraw final. Hardenbergh topped teammate Vierra 6-1, 6-2, whiel Stevens topped No. 107 ranked Ragini Acharya of William & Mary 6-2, 7-6.
Tomljanovic fell in the Flight B semifinals, dropping a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 result to Christin Newman of Virginia Tech. She will play Helen Cunningham of Richmond in the third place match on Sunday.
The tournament concludes on Sunday on the campus of William & Mary.
 

Cavaliers Defeat Cougars, 3-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/12/2009

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Virginia volleyball team closed out the Ameritas Players Challenge at the University of Nebraska on Saturday evening with a 3-1 (25-15, 29-27, 18-25, 25-17) win over Brigham Young University. The win improves the Cavaliers to 5-4 on the season, while BYU falls to 4-6.

“The win over BYU was a nice win because it demonstrated our improvement throughout the tournament and our tenacity as the match went on,” head coach Lee Maes said. “Our goal was to expose our team to some of the best competition in the country and this tournament certainly provided us that opportunity. We played a very good BYU squad and I’m really proud of our level of execution and the performance our team was able to sustain over the course of the match.”

Senior Lauren Dickson led the Cavaliers with her 22nd career double-double, knocking down a team-high 16 kills to go with 13 digs.

“Lauren has demonstrated such poise and maturity in her play,” Maes said. “She has been a very stabilizing factor that gives our team and coaching staff confidence. Her performance is also an example of how much she has improved in the mental approach she takes to playing this game.”

To compliment Dickson, junior libero AJ Cushman led the defense with a career-high 26 digs and six assists.

“AJ has been tremendous with her back row play,” Maes said. “She has been very dependable serving and passing. She has made a lot of big digs and it has become a significant difference maker for us.”

Sophomore Simone Asque also collected a double-double for the Cavaliers, landing 12 kills and digging 13 attacks. Freshman Rachel Gray distributed 35 assists and had a personal-best – and match-high – six blocks, while freshman Jessica O’Shoney contributed a five blocks.

For the Cougars, Kayla Walker led all players with 17 kills, while Morgan Lloyd Sorensen had 21 digs. Kiana Rogers dished out 41 helpers.

Behind the serving of sophomore Hillary Trebels and a strong presence at the net by the Cavaliers, Virginia was able to rattle off four-straight points early in the opening frame to pull ahead 6-2. The Cavaliers then strung together an 8-0 run behind a stellar defensive effort – anchored by Cushman, who had nine digs in the game – to increase their lead to 10. Dickson landed two of her seven kills of the set following the run, putting Virginia up 23-12, and the Cavaliers cruised to a 25-15 victory.

The second set didn’t go quite as smoothly for the Cavaliers, as the Cougars jumped out to a 4-0 advantage and then had another four-point run that pushed them ahead 13-6. Virginia held on until Dickson’s 10th kill of the match sparked a 7-0 run for the Cavaliers, knotting the score at 19-19 all. Virginia couldn’t take the lead though, as BYU recorded two-straight points. A kill from Hill nipped any chance of a run for the Cougars and three-straight blocks – two from the Cavaliers – evened the score again at 21. The two squads proceeded to keep the score even through extra points until an attack error on BYU and a block from Hill and Gray gave the Cavaliers the two points they needed for a 29-27 set win.

The beginning of the third frame was similar to the second with the Cougars using a 4-0 run to pull ahead 7-3. This time the Cavaliers couldn’t recover, though, as the two squads traded points the entire game and BYU went on to win it’s first set of the match, 25-18.

Virginia capitalized on five Cougar service errors in the fourth set, en route to a 24-17 win. The Cavaliers used a five-point run to pull ahead of BYU, 9-4, following an error and used another 7-2 run to increase their advantage to eight, at 16-8. Two more service errors throughout the next few points gave the Cavaliers the momentum and they used a 4-0 run to make the score 23-13 and held on for the win.

“We’re happy with the win, but more importantly this victory gives us momentum in preparation for our ACC match versus Virginia Tech,” Maes said.

The Cavaliers will return to Memorial Gymnasium next weekend to host the Marriott Cavalier Invitational. Albany, Villanova and conference-foe Virginia Tech will head to Charlottesville for the two-day tournament. Virginia will host the Hokies at 7 p.m. on Friday evening.