Youngblood, Tigers rise to challenge
As in 2001, a play in the end zone determines UVa's fate vs. Clemson, but the result is different.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CLEMSON, S.C. - Same end zone, different corner.
Two years after beating Clemson on a jump ball in the end zone, 25th-ranked Virginia was the victim of another alley-oop pass Saturday in a 30-27 overtime loss at Memorial Stadium.

Kevin Youngblood, a 6-foot-5 senior, was able to distance himself from 5-10 Jamaine Winborne and catch a 4-yard, game-winning touchdown pass after UVa had opened the overtime scoring with a Connor Hughes field goal.

"His hands were on me," Winborne said, "but you don't expect the call in a situation like that. He was my man; he caught the ball. I've got to take responsibility. That's life on the corner."

Winborne said it "never crossed my mind" that Virginia had beaten Clemson 26-24 in 2001, when the Tigers felt UVa wide receiver Billy McMullen had pushed off. Third-year UVa coach Al Groh made the connection.

"You could whine about it," Groh said, "but we had that same situation two years ago. That's football in the end zone. I'm not going to think about it for one instant."

Of greater concern was the Cavaliers' performance on their possession in the overtime. UVa is 0-3 in overtime games since that format was adopted for Division I-A in 1996.

"On Mondays, we practice overtime," Groh said. "One of the things we emphasize is, you can't get penalties in overtime. Then, the first play in overtime, we get a penalty."

UVa, awarded the ball at the 25, immediately was whistled for a false start on fullback Brandon Isaiah. A 6-yard pass to Ryan Sawyer followed by an 8-yard run by Alvin Pearman left the Cavaliers with a third-and-one at the 16.

The Cavaliers, who had failed on two third-and-one plays and a third-and-two in the first half, gave the ball to Pearman. He was stopped in his tracks by Clemson junior linebacker and tackling machine Leroy Hill.

Groh didn't hesitate before sending Hughes on the field on fourth-and-inches.

"Would I have liked to go for it? Sure," Groh said, "but if you come out of there without any points, the game is over. At that point, it's a little bit like playing Russian roulette. If you kick a field goal, you still have a chance to make some plays on defense."

Virginia, fortunate to be in the game after being outgained 272 yards to 89 in the first half, quickly erased a 10-0 halftime lead by scoring on its three possessions of the third quarter.

Senior quarterback Matt Schaub tossed third-quarter touchdown passes to Heath Miller and Patrick Estes and appeared to have a third TD pass for a split second before Miller was nailed by Clemson rover Jamaal Fudge in the end zone.

Hughes' first field goal of the afternoon gave Virginia a 17-10 lead, but the Tigers reclaimed the lead with back-to-back touchdown drives, the first of which was kept alive on a heads-up fumble recovery by Clemson tailback Duane Coleman.

On first and goal from the UVa 43, Cavaliers outside linebacker Raymond Mann beat Coleman around the corner and blasted Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst from the blind side. However, the ball was loose for only an instant before it bounced into Coleman's arms.

"I'm like, 'Where did the ball go?'" Mann said. "I had to look at the replay board to see what happened."

Coleman, trailing the play, already was headed up field and turned the fumble into a 13-yard gain and a first down.

"I guess that's a play that I'll remember for a long time," Groh said.

The Tigers (4-2, 2-1 ACC) broke a 17-17 tie on a 12-yard touchdown run by Yusef Kelly with 3:20 left, but UVa (4-2, 3-1) quickly responded with a 48-yard kickoff return by redshirt freshman Tony Franklin. UVa needed seven plays to score with 57 seconds left on a 1-yard plunge by Pearman, who had turned a one-handed catch into a 20-yard reception to the Clemson 1.

Schaub completed 33 of 48 passes for 271 yards, including 210 in the second half, but was matched by Whitehurst, who was listed as doubtful before the game. Whitehurst was 27-of-44 for 265 yards. Nine of the completions went to Youngblood, who credited former teammate and current Washington Redskin Rod Gardner for teaching him the tricks of the trade.

"Catching or pushing off?" Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said jokingly after the game. "Which one?"

 

Cavaliers' runners stymied
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CLEMSON, S.C. -- In a matchup involving the ACC's first- and eighth-rated rushing offenses, Virginia figured to be at an advantage Saturday.
There was no contest between the two running games, but it was Clemson that was superior in a 30-27 overtime victory Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers, who had a total of 10 rushing yards one week earlier in a 21-7 loss at Maryland, had a season-high 194 rushing yards against the Cavaliers. Virginia had a season-low 53 rushing yards.

UVa's ineffectiveness in short-yardage situations proved critical when Alvin Pearman was stopped for no gain on third-and-one from the Clemson 16 in overtime.

Coach Al Groh went for a 33-yard Connor Hughes field goal that did not hold up when Kevin Youngblood caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

The Cavaliers had failed to convert two third-and-ones and a third-and-two in the first half.

"If you don't acknowledge what happened in the game, then you're not paying attention," Groh said. "There was too much penetration. There were too many plays that never had a chance. We've just got to block them better."

UVa sophomore Wali Lundy came into the game as the ACC's leading rusher after three straight 100-yard games, but Lundy lost yardage on three of his first four carries and five carries overall. Lundy had 12 rushing attempts for 26 yards before limping off the field with a sprained ankle with 11:15 left in the third quarter.

Elton Brown, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound junior, regained his starting job at right guard after missing two games following a concussion. He admittedly had problems with 6-6, 320-pound Clemson defensive tackle Donnell Washington.

"I'd say, in the first half, I played awful," Brown said. "I wouldn't blame it on the time off. Halftime was a reality check. I knew I had played bad."

Groh was so frustrated with the running game that the Cavaliers passed the ball on their first 18 plays of the second half. Senior quarterback Matt Schaub was 16-of-22 for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter alone, when the Cavaliers erased a 10-0 deficit and went ahead 17-10.

Schaub, too, lamented the Cavaliers' ineffectiveness in the kind of short-yardage situatuions where some teams run quarterback sneaks. It is unclear whether Virginia has a quarterback sneak in its playbook.

"If we did, we would have run it, probably," said Schaub, a 6-5, 240-pounder.

FREAK INJURY: A mishap on the hill down which the Clemson players run to the field cost them the services of holder Gene Pate, who suffered a broken leg. The pregame jaunt also cost the Tigers a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for taunting their Virginia counterparts when they got to the field.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Cavaliers, who are 7-35-1 against Clemson, were foiled in their attempt to win three straight games for the first time in the series' history. ... Before Saturday, Clemson was 4-13 against Top 25 opponents in coach Tommy Bowden 's five seasons. ... UVa sophomore Connor Hughes is 10-for-10 on field goals this year and has made 13 in a row in two seasons, one shy of the school record held by Jake McInerney.

CAVS NEXT WEEK: The outcome of Saturday's game was expected to determine if Virginia's game next Saturday with Florida State will be on ESPN or ESPN2. Given that the Cavaliers (4-2, 3-1 ACC) and the Seminoles (5-1, 4-0) both lost, look for next week's 7:45 game in Charlottesville to be televised on ESPN2.

 

ACC officials will be sued in Conn.
League may invite Boston Coll. today
By Ken Davis
Special to the Daily Press
Published October 12, 2003

Attorneys representing the Big East Conference will be back in Rockville (Conn.) Superior Court on Tuesday morning to file a new lawsuit against officials in the ACC.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Saturday that the presidents of the four Big East schools who sued the ACC and Miami in June met by conference call Saturday and decided to file the new suit in Connecticut. Blumenthal said ACC commissioner John Swofford and three other ACC officials will be named in the suit that centers on the expansion plans that led to the defection of Miami and Virginia Tech from the Big East.

Superior Court Judge Samuel Sferrazza issued two rulings Friday, dismissing the suit against the ACC but maintaining Miami as a defendant.

Blumenthal said several options were discussed. He said Sferrazza's decision regarding the ACC was based on a "narrow, technical decision" that still allows the schools to go after individual ACC officers.

"We are prepared to initiate separate legal actions against individual officers ... and to hold them and the ACC accountable for the same wrongdoing and damage that we claimed in our original lawsuit," Blumenthal said. "They are legally and morally accountable for the defection and the purposeful effort to destroy the Big East."

Blumenthal said others named in the suit would be Virginia Carolyn Callahan, president of the ACC; North Carolina State's Don Ward, vice president; and Clemson's Cecil Huey, treasurer.

Presidents of the ACC are scheduled to hold a conference call this morning to discuss inviting Boston College as a 12th member. Sources said Friday that BC will accept if an invitation is issued. Seven of the nine presidents must vote in favor of adding a 12th member. Virginia Tech and Miami do not have voting rights at this time.

Boston College was denied membership in the ACC in June by a 6-3 vote. Blumenthal said attorneys representing the Big East are drafting legal papers in the event that BC decides to leave the Big East.

NCAA rules require that a conference have 12 schools to stage a lucrative league championship football game.

"It's natural to think about Boston College and Syracuse because they are the ones we've already visited," N.C. State chancellor Marye Anne Fox said Saturday, "but I wouldn't say we're restricted to just those schools."

The New York Times reported Saturday that BC will be extended an invitation by the ACC today. Fox called that report "completely premature."

"I haven't even decided myself which way I would vote," Fox said. "There have been subtle inaccuracies (in the media) that mean a lot, like the when, and the if, and the who."
 

Another loss for run game
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published October 12, 2003

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Already missing one tailback Saturday, Virginia became further depleted when starter Wali Lundy, the conference's leading rusher, went down with a sprained right ankle on the Cavaliers' third play from scrimmage in the second half.

Lundy, who had been held to 26 yards on 12 carries in the first half, landed awkwardly while being tackled by Clemson's Leroy Hill following a 3-yard reception. He spend the remainder of the game on the bench, his right ankle heavily wrapped. He left the locker room on crutches.

With Lundy out, Virginia all but abandoned the running game. Quarterback Matt Schaub attempted 36 of his 48 passes after halftime and the Cavs called only seven running plays.

The big question is, how long will Lundy be out? Since head coach Al Groh refuses to discuss - or even acknowledge - injuries, it's hard to say. But with third-stringer Marquis Weeks having missed the last two games with a knee injury, Alvin Pearman might be the only healthy tailback going into Saturday's home game against Florida State.

And if that's the case, you have to wonder: Will Groh take that "red shirt" off Michael Johnson?

STUFFED. If you want to sum up Virginia's 30-27 loss in one play, pick the third-and-one in overtime where Pearman was swarmed for no gain. The Cavaliers were 1-for-5 in short-yardage situations, and that more than anything sealed their fate.

But here's a question: Considering Schaub weighs 240 pounds, why not a quarterback sneak in that situation? Groh has said previously that he believes quarterbacks should throw and not run. In fact, when Schaub was asked if the playbook included a sneak, he answered, "If it did, I'm sure we would have ran it, probably."

OT WOES. Saturday's overtime game went pretty much the way the Cavaliers' two previous OT encounters had gone - no first downs and a loss.

Yes, in three overtime games, Virginia hasn't even made a first down. U.Va. had lost previously in OT to Duke in 1999 and Brigham Young the following season, both in Scott Stadium.

Saturday's overtime was doomed from the start. On first down from the 25, fullback Brandon Isaiah was flagged for a false start. That led to a first-and-15 from the 30, and Pearman was eventually stopped short on third-and-one.

"On Mondays we practice overtimes," Groh said. "And one of the things we emphasize is not getting penalties in the overtime. And the first play of overtime we get a penalty."

NOTABLES. With his two field goals Saturday, from 26 and 33 yards, Virginia's Connor Hughes is 10-for-10 this season. Going back to his freshman year, he has made 13 in a row. ...

After starting Week Two at South Carolina, redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Martinez has not taken a snap since working the final series on Sept. 13 at Western Michigan. And for the second consecutive week, Martinez was not on the Cavaliers' travel roster. ...

Here's being born under a bad sign: Prior to kickoff, as Clemson did its traditional run down the hill, holder Gene

Pate fell and broke his leg. Punter Cole Chason took over and did a credible job.

Another narrow defeat
Youngblood's catch gives Tigers victory
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published October 12, 2003

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Where to start? The terrible execution in short-yardage situations? The deja vu finish? Or the fact that Virginia has been as successful in overtime games as the Boston Red Sox have been in the World Series since 1918?

The difference is, the Cavaliers have no one but themselves to blame for this curse. Charlie Whitehurst's 4-yard pass to Kevin Youngblood on the fade route - in the same end zone but opposite corner where Billy McMullen made his leaping grab two years earlier - gave Clemson a 30-27 victory over Virginia Saturday.

The Cavaliers (4-2, 3-1 ACC) had rallied from a 10-0 halftime deficit and blown a 17-10 lead they took into the fourth quarter before rallying again to force an extra period. But for the third time in three chances since college football adopted the overtime in 1996, Virginia didn't pull it out.

"A great win for Clemson," U.Va. coach Al Groh said, "and a heartbreaking loss for our team."

Correct on both counts. The Tigers (4-2, 2-1) needed this - especially head coach Tommy Bowden, whose job might be on the line. Virginia was in position to remain undefeated in the conference despite a far from perfect day, but just couldn't make the plays.

Five times the Cavaliers faced short-yardage situations - defined here as third-and-two or third-and-one - and only once did they convert. The pivotal play in a game filled with apparent turning points came when, on third-and-one, Virginia's Alvin Pearman was stuffed for no gain in OT. That forced the Cavs to settle for Connor Hughes' 33-yard field goal.

"Third-and-one should be a gimme," Pearman said. "With a team that places as much emphasis on the running game as we do, that's got to be a gimme."

It wasn't. And that's why Groh didn't even consider, not for a second, going for it on fourth down.

"At that point, it's a little bit like playing Russian Roulette," he said. "Would I like to go for it on fourth-and-one? Sure. But if you go for it and miss, the game's over. If you kick a field goal, then you have X-amount of plays and a chance to win the game."

X-amount turned out to be five, which is how many plays Clemson needed to reach the end zone. Virginia had a chance to force a field goal attempt, but on third-and-four, Whitehurst found Duane Coleman out of the backfield for 12 yards.

Two plays later, Youngblood, who goes 6-foot-5, lined up wide left. Across the line, in single coverage, was 5-10 Jamaine Winborne. When Whitehurst lobbed his throw into the left corner of the end zone, it became a jump ball. And would you expect to win a jump ball - a 6-5 guy, or a 5-10 guy?

Replays show there was some contact between the two, but neither Groh nor Winborne accused Youngblood of pushing off.

"We were in that same situation two years ago," said Groh, who remembered McMullen was accused of offensive interference on his game-winning catch. "Two years ago, our guy went up and won the game. Today, their guy went up and won the game. That's football, and that's all that counts."

Winborne acknowledged there was contact but balked when asked if Youngblood should have been flagged.

"I don't think it's relevant," he said. "They didn't call it."

As for Youngblood, well, you could probably guess.

"It doesn't matter if I pushed off or not," he said. "It's still a touchdown - that's the only thing that matters. After what happened here two years ago, I don't think anyone should be complaining."

Virginia also couldn't complain about the 10-0 halftime deficit, which might have been twice as bad had Clemson's Aaron Hunt not pushed a 27-yard field goal try and Whitehurst not been intercepted at the goal line.

The Tigers had tripled U.Va. in total offense (272-89) and had 11 more first downs. Virginia, the league's best running team, had 28 rushing yards at halftime. Of its 14 attempts, eight gained a yard or less.

"I think much of that was because we hadn't seen a defense that fast, especially their linebackers," left guard Brian Barthelmes said. "There were running right through or right over us."
 

For Cavaliers, Separation Anxiety, Loss
Clemson 30, Virginia 27
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, October 12, 2003; Page E01

CLEMSON, S.C., Oct. 11 -- Just as it had two years ago, the Virginia-Clemson game Saturday came down to a wide receiver separating himself from a cornerback for the winning touchdown. The difference today was that it was Clemson's Kevin Youngblood breaking free for a four-yard score in overtime that gave the Tigers a 30-27 victory and spoiled a second-half comeback by Matt Schaub and the No. 25 Cavaliers.

Virginia (4-2, 3-1 ACC) had the ball first in overtime and settled for a 33-yard field goal after its running game -- true to the form it showed all day -- failed to convert a third and one.

Five plays later, Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst lofted a pass to Youngblood in the left corner of the end zone. Locked for a moment with 5-foot-11 cornerback Jamaine Winborne, Youngblood disengaged himself and stretched his 6-5 frame to catch the ball.

"It surprised me when they signaled it in," said Youngblood, who led the Tigers with nine receptions for 87 yards. "As soon as we got the play, my adrenaline went up as high as it could go. That's something I've dreamed about forever, making the game-winning catch. I finally did it."

The catch was nearly identical to the one made by Virginia wide receiver Billy McMullen with one second left here two years ago -- including potentially controversial jostling between receiver and defender. But the Cavaliers did not argue for offensive interference.

"Two years ago, our guy went up and won the game," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "This year, their guy went up and won the game. That's all that counts."

Of more concern to Groh was a running game that produced 53 yards -- 130 fewer than the ACC-best average Virginia owned entering the game. With right guard Elton Brown back from injury, the offensive line was at full strength, but Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy -- who left early in the third quarter because of a sprained foot -- found little room to run.

"Too much penetration," Groh said. "The end result was there were too many [runs] . . . that never had a chance. We've just got to block those things better than that. A lot of those were at the heart of how the ballgame went."

The Cavaliers tried to run the ball in the first half, calling 14 runs and 12 passes. But at halftime, trailing 10-0 and lucky not to be down even more, they changed to a strategy that led to a 36-8 pass-run ratio in the second half.

Schaub (33 of 48 for 271 yards) opened the half with 19 consecutive passes, guiding his team to two touchdowns and a field goal that gave Virginia a 17-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.

Whitehurst, who completed 27 of 44 passes for 265 yards despite a foot injury, brought the Tigers back, helped by 194 rushing yards from tailback Yusef Kelly. The duo ran for touchdowns that pushed Clemson back in front, 24-17, with 3 minutes 20 seconds remaining.

Set up by Tony Franklin's 48-yard kickoff return, Schaub led Virginia 47 yards for the tying touchdown with 57 seconds left. Pearman plunged in for the score from one yard out after making a one-handed, 20-yard catch on the previous play.

In overtime, though, the Cavaliers began their possession with a false start penalty. Three plays later, Pearman was stopped for no gain by three defenders from Clemson (4-2, 2-1). Facing fourth and less than a yard at the 16, Groh sent in place kicker Connor Hughes.

"We wanted to make sure we stayed in the game," Groh said. "We'd just missed three or four third-and-ones and at that point, it's a bit like playing Russian roulette. Would I like to go for it? Sure. . . .

"But if you go for it there and miss it, we lose right there. If you kick the field goal, our backs are up against the wall [but] we still have five, six, seven plays to have a chance to win the game."

Cavaliers Notes: Heath Miller (eight catches, 52 yards) tied an ACC tight end record with his 12th career touchdown catch. . . . After missing last week's game because of a knee injury, junior inside linebacker Rich Bedesem played sparingly in relief of freshman starters Kai Parham and Ahmad Brooks.
 

Sweet revenge
Another late TD catch decides outcome vs. UVA
By KEN TYSIAC
Staff Writer

CLEMSON — Kevin Youngblood bumped Jamaine Winborne, reached high and pulled poetic justice for Clemson out of a gray sky on homecoming.

Youngblood's 4-yard touchdown reception on a fade route thrown by Charlie Whitehurst in overtime gave Clemson a 30-27 victory over No. 25 Virginia on Saturday at Death Valley.

Two years earlier, Virginia's Billy McMullen had caught a similar touchdown pass over Clemson cornerback Brian Mance in the closing seconds to lift the Cavaliers to a 26-24 victory.

Virginia coach Al Groh declined to speculate after the game whether Youngblood pushed off.

"Two years ago, our guy went up and won the game," Groh said. "This year, their guy went up and won the game. That's all that counts. The kid made a good throw. The kid made a good catch. I think that's all Virginia needs to say about it."

Youngblood, a 6-foot-5 senior, used his 7-inch height advantage over Winborne to make the biggest play of his life in man-to-man coverage. Youngblood watched his former Jacksonville Raines High School teammate Rod Gardner turn the fade pattern into an art form at Clemson in 1999 and 2000.

On Saturday afternoon, Youngblood was eager to call Gardner, who was accused of pushing off on a dramatic catch to set up a game-winning field goal against South Carolina in 2000.

This time, Winborne said Youngblood made a good play and didn't push off. Youngblood concurred.

"No, not at all," Youngblood said. "We were both fighting for the ball, and I just came out on top. That was it."

The play brought an end to a seesaw game that ended Clemson's eight-game losing streak against ranked opponents dating to 2001.

The Tigers slammed the door on Virginia's ACC-best rushing attack to lead 10-0 at halftime. Held to 28 yards on 14 carries in the first half, Virginia abandoned the running game and turned loose quarterback Matt Schaub for 146 third-quarter passing yards and a 17-10 lead.

"They saw they couldn't run the ball, so they went to the little short routes and all of that Clemson linebacker Leroy Hill said. "They kind of picked us apart in the fourth quarter."

Clemson (4-2, 2-1 ACC) set up a tying touchdown with a 29-yard reverse pass from Derrick Hamilton to fellow wide receiver Youngblood. Whitehurst ran 1 yard to tie the game, and Yusef Kelly put the Tigers ahead 24-17 with a 12-yard touchdown run with 3:20 left in regulation.

Schaub drove Virginia back into position for a 1-yard touchdown run by Pearman with 57 seconds remaining. But in overtime, Leroy Hill stopped Pearman for no gain on third-and-1 from the 16.

The Cavaliers (4-2, 3-1) had been 1-for-4 on third-and-1 running plays during the game, so Groh settled for a 33-yard field goal by Connor Hughes on fourth-and-1.

"It was overtime," Hill said. "They've got to get the points."

By getting just three points, Virginia opened the door for Clemson to win the game on its overtime possession. On second-and-goal from the 4, Clemson coach Tommy Bowden called for the fade.

Winborne had man-to-man coverage on Youngblood to Whitehurst's left. Whitehurst said his job was to put the ball up for grabs in the end zone.

"That's what you do," Whitehurst said. "You throw it to the best guy. And he went up and made a great play."

More than 60 minutes of football in front of a crowd of 77,000 rested on Youngblood's shoulders. Hill's four tackles for loss, Kelly's 88-yard rushing effort in a return from injury and Whitehurst's 265 passing yards on an injured foot would have meant little if Clemson had lost.

But Youngblood was ready when asked to make the first game-winning play of his career.

"I dream about this all day long," Youngblood. "Making a big play. Last catch of the game. I want the ball."

Bowden looked around in fear for a penalty flag after the play as players embraced and fans stormed the field. But no flag had been thrown, and the Tigers remained alive in the hunt for the ACC title.

Virginia's loss left only Florida State with an undefeated record in the conference. And a world of possibilities suddenly opened to Clemson heading into Thursday night's game at N.C. State.

"It was a great win for us," Clemson senior linebacker John Leake said. "Maybe one of the biggest wins we've had in a long time, since I've been here. It's great."
 

Clemson 'became a team today'
CLEMSON

THE GAME HAD been won, then lost, then won, then lost and was finally won, and smiles were back in style in Clemson's football camp.

Facing the challenge of salvaging the season, the Tigers squeaked by Virginia 30-27 in overtime Saturday in one of those games that means far more than the final numbers on the scoreboard.

"Winning the way we did ... this is the best win for me at Clemson," said quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, author of the game-winning pass.

The winning feeling he treasured spread through the Tigers' locker room like wildfire. The value of beating a ranked team restores some misplaced confidence, and winning the way they did — a lot of big plays from a lot of different players — means even more.

"Coach (David) Blackwell said we became a team today," Whitehurst said. "You have to gel at some point, and we did today. We made short-yardage (plays) and our defense stopped (Virginia's) short yardage, and all that is huge for us."

Indeed, the Tigers' spirits soared in the aftermath of their fourth victory in six games. Some question marks straightened out into exclamation points, especially the physical play in the much maligned and oft-scorned running game on display for the homecoming crowd.

Don't blame them for basking in the sunshine of satisfaction. Suddenly, the obstacles ahead do not look nearly so formidable.

Rushing attack arrives. A week ago, the running attack netted 10 yards in a loss to Maryland. Saturday, the Tigers punished the Cavaliers for 194 on the ground.

Something changed. Rather, somebody changed. Yusef Kelly came off the injury list and out of the coaching staff's doghouse to see his first extensive playing time this season and put the punch back in the infantry.

"He wouldn't have gotten 25 carries (for 88 yards) if we hadn't moved the ball successfully," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "You get yardage like that and the offensive line is doing a good job and the (assistant) coaches have a good plan."

Still, Kelly's physical presence should not be underestimated. He brings the hammer to the ground game.

"Against (Virginia's) defensive style, a back has to run through arms and move the pile," Bowden said. "Our ability to make (short yardage) at critical times was important."

With a productive ground game to complement its passing, Clemson kept the statistician busy, but the final score points out that the Tigers are still a work in progress. Thanks to a missed chip-shot field goal and a Whitehurst interception in touchdown territory, their first-half dominance produced only a 10-0 lead.

"We have a ways to go," Whitehurst said, but he spoke of all the Tigers in saying, "This is a huge plus for us."

Making plays. To win a game like this — Virginia put on a passing clinic in the third quarter to surge in front — playmakers must step to the fore, and a couple of Tigers made defensive gems that just might have saved the season.

Everybody remembers one; linebacker Leroy Hill, a terror all day, stuffed Virginia's third-and-short play in overtime, and the Cavaliers settled for a field goal. The other one, by rover Jamaal Fudge, merely saved the game.

After having its offense stuffed in the first half, the Cavaliers came out throwing and marched to a 14-10 lead. Then, given life by a face-mask penalty, quarterback Matt Schaub drove Virginia toward another score and fired a third-down strike to Heath Miller in the back of the end zone.

Out of nowhere came Fudge, who unloaded a highlight-film hit that separated the receiver from the football. A back-breaking touchdown became an incomplete pass. Though Virginia padded its lead with a field goal, the four points Fudge saved loomed larger and larger late in the afternoon.

Eventually, Kevin Youngblood's overtime catch for the winning points chased away the clouds of doubt for good. The game that could have been lost, and maybe should have been lost, had been won, and the Tigers could look ahead with anticipation, not trepidation.

What a difference that is.
 

Kelly's return resuscitates running game
By COBB OXFORD
Special Correspondent

CLEMSON — Yusef Kelly had a chance to say "I told you so" after Clemson’s 30-24 overtime victory against Virginia at Death Valley on Saturday.

But he wouldn't bite.

However, it was easy to see the satisfaction of what he had just accomplished written all over his face.

"I'm never going to say I told you so, because I'm a team player," Kelly said. "When called upon I'm just going to try and do my part."

After spending the first half of the season deep on the Clemson depth chart, Kelly, a redshirt junior tailback from Walterboro, emerged Saturday as the battering ram the Tigers have been missing. Blocking or no blocking, Kelly got positive yardage most of the game.

Kelly carried 25 times for 88 yards, both single-game highs for a Clemson running back this season, and scored on a 12-yard run late in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers a 24-17 lead. Clemson's 194 rushing yards also was a season high.

Kelly entered the Virginia game with one carry for 1 yard in Clemson's first five games.

"It doesn't surprise me that I got that many carries," Kelly said. "Coach (Tommy) Bowden told me earlier in the week to make sure I was in shape. I told him not to worry about it, just give it to me. You can give it to me 35, 40 times a game and I'm going to do what I can.

"I was fine It doesn't take me long to get in shape. Stamina was never a problem out there today."

On four third-down plays, Kelly was 2-for-4. He picked up two first downs and left the Tigers in a fourth-and-1 situation that Chad Jasmin picked up with a 4-yard run. Kelly averaged 3.5 yards per carry. Clemson’s team average before the Virginia game was 2.9.

"All good backs try to get you 3 to 4 yards," Kelly said. "If you get 3 to 4 yards every carry, that's moving the chains. If you get 1 or 2, you're not going to move the chains. Three or 4 keeps the chains moving."

Kelly's touchdown — a 12-yard burst up the middle with 3:20 remaining in the game — capped an 11-play, 74-yard drive and gave the Tigers the lead.

"We had been running the play to other side all game," he said. "When we changed and ran it to the other side, the line did an excellent job of blocking. It was wide open. The defensive back made the mistake of waiting on me. When I lowered my shoulder, he dropped and I kept going."

Even though Kelly had not been seen much this season, the Clemson fans remembered him. Every Kelly carry was greeted with a loud chorus of “U.”

"When you're not doing well, a lot of people tend to jump off the bandwagon, and when you're doing well, they jump back on," Kelly said. "Even at Georgia Tech, the fans were chanting 'U' as I was running to the locker room. I just love the fan support."

What will Kelly's role be for the remainder of the season?

"I think it depends on what type of offense they plan on running," he said. "The past two seasons, we have run for more than 200 yards against Virginia. We wanted to establish a running game today to help our passing game. That's what we did.

"I've been back in shape for six and a half weeks now. If they're trying to pound the ball, that's when I'm going to be in there the most. When they're trying to pass that's when Duane (Coleman) and Kyle (Browning) are going to be in there."

But for one glorious afternoon, Kelly was there. And he was the man.

"I think I proved that I still can do what I used to do and we won," he said. "That's all that matters."
 

ACC may vote today to expand
By LORENZO PEREZ, Staff Writer

With their sights potentially set on securing the big money of a conference championship game in football, the presidents and chancellors of the ACC's current nine member schools could vote today to invite a 12th school to the conference.
But given the circuitous route those nine leaders took this summer to invite Miami and Virginia Tech to the fold, ACC school athletics officials were reluctant Saturday to offer any predictions on the outcome of the conference call scheduled for this morning.

A published report in The New York Times had an unnamed university official assuring that a formal invitation would be made today to Boston College to join the conference. ACC school athletics directors contacted Saturday said that was more speculation than certainty.

"Nobody really knows," Wake Forest athletics director Ron Wellman said about the likelihood of the presidents and chancellors taking a formal vote today on another round of expansion. "Our president [Thomas Hearn] doesn't know, and if he doesn't know, then no one does."

At the same time, Wellman and other ACC school athletics officials acknowledged that momentum toward adding a 12th team has accelerated.

Last month, an NCAA panel informally denied the ACC's request to waive the NCAA's 12-team rule for a lucrative conference championship game. A formal decision on that request may not come before April, but ACC officials have said they want to decide by the end of this year whether to push forward with plans for a football championship game next season.

And if they look to add a 12th team quickly, Boston College could be the likely pick, school athletics officials acknowledged.

"Eleven is not a great number without having a championship game," Duke athletics director Joe Alleva said Saturday. "The only considerations are do we wait and try to get the championship game with 11 teams, or do you take Boston College?"

Alleva said that if Boston College receives the presidents' approval in a teleconference vote, the private Catholic college could be extended an invitation as soon as today.

"I think BC is a great school," Alleva said. "They have great academics and great athletic teams. They're in a good market. It's a little far away."

The chancellors of N.C. State and North Carolina met with faculty members and athletics officials at their universities Friday. In Raleigh, N.C. State chancellor Marye Anne Fox cited Boston College and Syracuse -- both of whom the ACC courted this summer -- as hypothetical 12th members.

The last-minute decision in June not to offer either school a slot in the ACC left no hard feelings among athletics officials there, N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler said Saturday.

"They understand what had happened and knew things were beyond our control," Fowler said.

When asked, however, if that meant the ACC was poised to offer either school a bid now, Fowler said he had no idea.

Reached in Greenville before North Carolina's game against East Carolina, UNC athletics director Dick Baddour declined to comment on expansion matters.

Wellman said Wake Forest has been in favor of expanding to 12 schools "from the very beginning." Boston College, he added, would be "a wonderful fit."

"They're very similar to Wake Forest, so how can Wake Forest be against having a school like that?" Wellman said.

With the Big East scheduled to start its conference meetings Nov. 4, and with league officials there expected to discuss adding new schools and raising the exit fee to as much as $5 million for member schools who bolt in the future, Wellman acknowledged there was some urgency to the ACC's own expansion debate.

"But you can't make a decision like this just to play a championship game," Wellman said. "You make a decision like this because this is the right school for your conference forever."

Meanwhile, there could be more legal action against the ACC.

One day after the conference was dropped as a defendant in a lawsuit by Big East schools over expansion, Connecticut's attorney general said Saturday a new lawsuit would be filed.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the Big East schools have agreed to sue the officials of the ACC, including its commissioner, president, vice president and treasurer.

The dispute centers around Miami and Virginia Tech leaving the Big East to join the ACC, effective next school year. Big East schools Connecticut, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and West Virginia contend they have spent millions on their football programs based on presumed loyalty from schools they had been aligned with.

On Friday, Superior Court Judge Samuel Sferrazza of Connecticut ruled the North Carolina-based ACC did not have enough business dealings in Connecticut to warrant being sued in the state.

The judge did determine that Miami, as a member of the Big East, shares in revenues from games and other events that take place at Connecticut and is eligible to be sued under the state's "long-arm" statute.

Blumenthal said Saturday that the Big East schools felt Friday's order dropping the ACC was a narrow, technical ruling that still allowed the schools to take legal action against the officers of the conference.

"We are dead set and determined to hold these individuals accountable for the harm done by the ACC," Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal said the lawsuits will be filed Tuesday in Vernon Superior Court in Connecticut.

After the judge's ruling Friday, ACC attorney D. Erik Albright. said that all parties should move on and put the matter behind them.

"Competition between the ACC and Big East schools should be on the playing field rather than in the courtroom," Albright said.

He was not available for comment Saturday.


 

BC set to make move
Invitation to join ACC expected today
By Michael Vega and Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff, 10/12/2003

The on-again, off-again courtship of Boston College by the Atlantic Coast Conference should be resolved this morning when the presidents of the nine ACC schools hold a conference call to vote to add a 12th team.

Unlike its first dalliance with the ACC in June, which ended in an 11th-hour rejection, BC expects to be welcomed with open arms this time.

The decision to accept the ACC's offer will be made by BC president William P. Leahy S.J., who could not be reached for comment yesterday.

BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo, watching BC's football game in Philadelphia against Temple yesterday, avoided the issue.

"I've been listening all day to the reports," DeFilippo said. "We've been down this road before and we'll just see what happens. If and when something does happen, then we'll react."

But officials at schools throughout the Big East and ACC expect BC to accept the offer and leave the league it has been a part of since the league's inception in 1979 as a basketball conference. The Big East added football in 1991.

"Clearly, losing BC is a major loss to the Big East," Temple AD Bill Bradshaw said. "You're talking about one of the charter members -- in fact, the only charter member who's left [the Big East]. If it were to happen, it'd be the first charter member, the first major market, and first major basketball loss. All of those things -- major market, basketball, charter member, and academic institution, all the things that are cornerstones in the Big East."

BC was one vote short of receiving an invitation to join the ACC over the summer but apparently has picked up another supporter. According to an ACC source, North Carolina State president Marye Anne Fox said yesterday that she saw no reason not to invite BC.

BC was one of three Big East teams -- along with Miami and Syracuse -- the ACC originally targeted in June.

After touring The Heights, ACC commissioner John Swofford went so far as to declare that "BC was a perfect fit." However, support for BC began to erode when University of Virginia president John Casteen III, facing mounting political pressure from his state's legislature, was placed in the position of having to protect the interest of his institution's biggest rival, Virginia Tech.

The ACC presidents, after conducting five conference calls, were unable to come up with the necessary votes to expand to 12 teams. Instead, they added two teams -- Miami and Virginia Tech -- and hoped to get a waiver from the NCAA to allow them to stage a lucrative championship game despite having only 11 teams (instead of the minimum 12).

When the NCAA denied the request, the ACC revisited expansion and briefly courted Notre Dame, then turned back to BC. Today, the Eagles expect to find out that they are, after all, a perfect fit.
 

U.Va. falls
Youngblood's catch high and mighty for Clemson
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 12, 2003

CLEMSON, S.C. - The ending was uncanningly similar to that of Virginia's 2001 game at Clemson's Memorial Stadium. This time, though, the Tigers ran off the field in celebration, not the Cavaliers.

Two years ago, 6-4 Billy McMullen caught a 1-yard touchdown pass on a fade route with one second left to lift U.Va. to a dramatic win over No.19 Clemson.

Yesterday, in the same end zone, 6-5 Kevin Youngblood ran a fade pattern, outjumped Virginia cornerback Jamaine Winborne and came down with a 4-yard lob from Charlie Whitehurst to give Clemson a 30-27 victory in overtime.

"It's ironic how the game turned out," said junior tailback Alvin Pearman, whose 1-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter, followed by Connor Hughes' extra point, had pulled the 25th-ranked Cavaliers to 24-24.

There was contact on the final play, just as there was on McMullen's catch in 2001. But offensive interference wasn't called on that autumn night, and it wasn't called yesterday afternoon. Neither U.Va. coach Al Groh nor Winborne took issue with that.

"You're out there for a reason, and you've got to make a play," said Winborne, who gave away 7 inches to Youngblood. "I came up short today."

Youngblood's game-ending catch aside, what will haunt the Cavaliers (3-1 ACC, 4-2) most about this loss was their inability to run effectively in short-yardage situations. Three times they came away with no first down after running on third and 1, and once on third and 2.

This from a team ranked No.1 in the ACC in rushing.

"With the pride we take in running the ball, third and 1 has to be a gimme," said Pearman, who played most of the second half after sophomore Wali Lundy, the ACC's leading rusher, left with an injured right ankle. "Today it wasn't. That's why we lost."

U.Va.'s final rushing breakdown came in overtime. The Cavaliers got the ball first, at the Clemson 25. After a false-start penalty moved Virginia back to the 30, quarterback Matt Schaub passed to wideout Ryan Sawyer for a 6-yard gain, and Pearman ran for 8 on a draw. On third and 1 from the 16, Pearman tried to run behind right guard Elton Brown and right tackle Brad Butler, and the Tigers stopped him for no gain.

"Too much penetration," Groh said.

Virginia, not wanting to come away with nothing, settled for Hughes' 33-yard field goal, which made it 27-24.

Clemson (2-1, 4-2) needed five plays to score a TD and improve to 3-0 all-time in overtime games. A third-and-4 pass from Whitehurst to tailback Duane Coleman gave the Tigers a first down at the 7. Tailback Yusef Kelly ran for 3 yards on first down, then Whitehurst teamed with Youngblood to end the Cavaliers' two-game winning streak in this series.

"That's something I've dreamed about forever, making the game-winning catch," said Youngblood, who finished with nine catches for 87 yards and one TD. "I finally did."

After a horrible first half in which its offense managed only three first downs and was outgained 272 yards to 89, U.Va. went into the locker room trailing 10-0. The margin could have been much greater, and "I thought we were in good position, provided some things changed," Groh said.

They did. The Cavs rallied for 17 unanswered points in the third quarter by abandoning their running game and letting Schaub (33 for 48, 271 yards, two TDs, two interceptions) carve up the Tigers with short passes. Schaub threw TD passes to tight ends Heath Miller and Patrick Estes to make it 14-10, then Hughes booted a 26-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead with eight seconds left in the period.

Clemson battled back, though, and scored two TDs to take a 24-17 lead with 3:20 left in the fourth quarter. But redshirt freshman Tony Franklin, who had returned the opening kickoff 43 yards for Virginia, ran this one back 48 yards to the Clemson 47, and Virginia had new life.

Schaub completed passes to wideout Ottowa Anderson, Pearman and Miller that gained 20 yards. Pearman ran for 6 yards. Pearman then gained 20 - to the Clemson 1 - on a pass on which he made a one-handed grab before eluding a would-be tackler.

After a three-and-out series by Clemson in the final minute, Virginia had a chance to win in regulation by moving into Hughes' range. But on second and 5 from their 49, the Cavaliers tried to deliver a knockout punch, and Schaub's long pass fell incomplete. His third-down throw was intercepted, and Virginia went to OT for the first time in three seasons under Groh.

"Both teams played heroicly," Groh said. "It's a great win for Clemson, obviously, and a heartbreaking loss for our team."
 

Ground crew a washout, Cavaliers run into trouble
JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Oct 12, 2003
Contact John Markon at (804) 649-6892 or jmarkon @timesdispatch.com

CLEMSON, S.C. In a classic mystery, there's subtle foreshadowing in the early chapters that can guide a careful reader to the logic of the climax.

Yesterday's Virginia-Clemson game was a lot like that, except that the initial clues were about as subtle as a whack with a sledgehammer.

As for the climax, the role of the dead body was played by the Cavaliers.

The final score was 30-27 in overtime. The video clip of the week in Charlottesville won't be Clemson receiver Kevin Youngblood pushing off U.Va. cornerback Jamaine Winborne to score the winning touchdown, but a montage of Cavaliers failures on third down and short yardage.

"With the pride we take in running the ball," said Cavs tailback Alvin Pearman, "third and 1 has to be a gimme. Today, it wasn't. That's why we lost."

Elton Brown, Virginia's 6-6, 330-pound right guard, entered a guilty plea on behalf of the entire offensive line.

"Third and 1? Third and 2?" said Brown. "The responsibility falls on us. It's not the backs' fault. It's not the quarterback's fault. It's not the receivers' fault. It's our fault."

The Cavaliers had four notable meltdowns on third and short, three of them in the first half when tailback Wali Lundy was crushed twice on third and 1 and Pearman was later held to a 1-yard gain on third and 2.

"We didn't always give up points on those exchanges," said coach Al Groh, "but we gave up a lot of field position and time of possession."

Virginia was fortunate to reach halftime trailing by no more than 10-0. Early in the second half, the Cavs lost Lundy, the ACC's rushing leader, with an ankle injury.

Groh's response - and it was actually a good one - was to give up on the running game. In the third quarter, quarterback Matt Schaub threw 24 passes offset by only two runs. The Cavs also assumed a 17-10 lead and, after tying the score at 24 with 57 seconds left in regulation, appeared capable of winning the game without even the pretense of offensive balance.

Overtime, however, would prove too revealing. Virginia was first on offense and went almost immediately to third and 1 on the Tigers' 16-yard line.

Pearman attempted to slam in between Brown and right tackle Brad Butler, but it just wasn't happening. Groh waved in his field goal team, knowing full well that field goals are usually losers in an NCAA overtime.

"Would I like to have gone for it?" Groh said. "Sure, but it's like Russian roulette at that point. If you don't make [the first down], it's over. If you don't acknowledge what's already happened in the game, it's like you're not paying attention."

Rival ACC coaching staffs will definitely be paying attention once this game film starts making the rounds. The Cavs, who had averaged 184 rushing yards per game, were held to a net 53 and Lundy's injury wasn't the reason. Virginia's running game actually perked up when scatback Pearman (eight rushes, 35 yards) replaced Lundy (12 for 26 yards). A flurry of dinks, screens and flares by Schaub wasn't quite enough to compensate. The Cavs play occasional games when Schaub, the 2002 ACC player of the year, seems alternately unable and unwilling to throw downfield and this was one of them.

Oddly enough, Virginia never tried a pass on third and short. The Cavs also eschewed the quarterback sneak, leading one reporter to ask Schaub if U.Va. had one in the playbook.

"If we did," he said. "We'd have run it, probably."

There's an element of the football psyche, however, that almost demands a running play on third and 1.

"If you can't pick up third and 1 on the ground," said Brown, "you don't deserve to win."

Groh answered a reasonable amount of questions on the subject of short-yardage failures but declined the last one, explaining that "It would only darken my mood."

Spoken like a man who has Florida State up next on his schedule.
 

NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 12, 2003
 

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME: Moments before the start of yesterday's game, Clemson was assessed a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct that forced the Tigers to kick off from their 20. Virginia's Tony Franklin caught Gene Pate's kick at the 6 and returned it 43 yards.

The Cavaliers, seeking their first three-game winning streak in a series that dates to 1955, couldn't have asked for a much more promising start. But tailback Wali Lundy lost 1 yard on first down and 4 yards on second down (after fumbling a pitch from quarterback Matt Schaub). U.Va. got only 7 back on third down, on a pass from Schaub to tight end Heath Miller, and Tom Hagan came on for the first of his seven punts.

"It's obviously a lost opportunity," U.Va. wideout Ottowa Anderson said of the first possession. "You start the game at the 50 and don't get anything out of it. That's a win for the defense."

Cavaliers coach Al Groh said: "It would have been nice to make something out of that. . . . That one particularly there probably could have gotten us off to a little bit more positive start."

SPECIAL-TEAMS STANDOUTS: Franklin, a redshirt freshman who's a second-team cornerback, was a star tailback in high school. He flashed his running ability yesterday, gaining 91 yards on two kickoff returns.

Junior linebacker Dennis Haley partially blocked a Clemson punt in the third quarter.

INJURY REPORT: Lundy, who entered as the ACC's leading rusher, injured his right ankle at the 11:15 mark of the third quarter and didn't return. The sophomore tailback left the locker room on crutches, and his status for next weekend is uncertain. Lundy gained a season-low 26 yards on 12 carries.

Elton Brown, who had missed the previous two games with a concussion, started at right guard and went the whole way.

Inside linebacker Rich Bedesem, who began the season as a starter, played sparingly after missing last weekend's win over North Carolina with a knee injury.

Redshirt freshman Kai Parham, who replaced Bedesem in the lineup, recorded a career-best 12 tackles yesterday.

Two other injured Cavaliers - kick returner Marquis Weeks (knee) and safety Robbie Catterton (ankle) - didn't make the trip.

AUTOMATIC: U.Va. sophomore Connor Hughes made both of his field goal attempts yesterday, connecting from 26 yards in the third quarter and from 33 in overtime. For the season, Hughes is 10 for 10. Dating to last season, he's made his past 13 attempts, including a career-high 53-yarder in U.Va.'s comeback win over Wake Forest on Sept.27.

ONE AWAY: Heath Miller, who's only a sophomore, caught the 12th touchdown pass of his college career. He shares the career record for an ACC tight end with former U.Va. stars Ed Carrington and Bruce McGonnigal and ex-Clemson standout John McMakin.

ROLE REVERSAL: U.Va., which came in averaging an ACC-best 184.2 yards rushing, ran for only 53. Clemson, meanwhile, ran for 194, a remarkable turnaround for a team that entered eighth in the ACC in rushing (98 per game).

On the Tigers' first play from scrimmage, wideout Derrick Hamilton ran for 52 yards on a reverse. Junior tailback Yusef Kelly led Clemson with 88 yards on 25 carries.

FUNNY BOUNCE: Kevin Youngblood's 4-yard touchdown catch in overtime might have been the play of the game, but it's difficult to exaggerate the significance of an improbable sequence that helped Clemson pull into a fourth-quarter tie.

With Virginia leading 17-10, Tigers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst dropped back to pass. Tailback Duane Coleman missed a block on linebacker Raymond Mann, who slammed into Whitehurst and knocked the ball loose.

Coleman alertly caught it on one bounce and ran for a 13-yard gain to the U.Va. 30. Moments later, Clemson gained 29 yards on a trick play, then Whitehurst's 1-yard sneak on second down tied the game with 8:41 left.

"I guess that's a play that I'll remember for a long time," Groh said. "But that's the way it goes in games of this nature. We've had plays like that go to our advantage in the past. In this particular case, what looked to be a very, very good play for us . . . turned out to be a very positive play for Clemson."

NEXT WEEKEND: Virginia (3-1 ACC, 4-2) returns home to meet ACC leader Florida State (4-0, 5-1) on Saturday at Scott Stadium. The 7:45 p.m. game will be shown on ESPN or ESPN2. Fifth-ranked FSU lost 22-14 to second-ranked Miami yesterday in Tallahassee. - Jeff White