The entire night seemed to be building toward some dramatic conclusion. A final Matt Schaub fling downfield, perhaps, or maybe another crucial Alvin Pearman catch. A record crowd at Scott Stadium was waiting for one more big moment, a fitting end to an electric evening of football.
Instead, Saturday’s showdown between the top two teams in the ACC fizzled out with a botched snap and a clock-killing Florida State drive.
A night full of drama ended with the most boring play possible, a kneeldown that let the seventh-ranked Seminoles survive Virginia’s upset bid and walk off the field with a 19-14 victory. The 62,875 fans also trudged to the exits denied the last-ditch Cavalier comeback many of them may have expected.
And why wouldn’t they have? After all, Schaub had stood in the face of FSU’s fearsome pass rush and thrown 53 passes, completing 39 for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Pearman, subbing for injured tailback Wali Lundy, tied an ACC record with 16 receptions for 134 yards and a score.
But as it turned out, the defining play of the game came with about 6½ minutes remaining, with the Cavaliers facing a third-and-3 at their own 42. Senior center Kevin Bailey’s snap sailed past Schaub, who was in shotgun formation and looking to his right. Schaub had to fall on the ball for a 17-yard loss.
UVa coach Al Groh called it “a misunderstanding of the center as to what the snap count was. It was an unfortunate play there. We never really had a shot to win the game after that.”
Said Schaub: “It was a mix-up in cadence. We were on the silent count. I gave him a leg [motion] … [but] there was miscommunication. I don’t know whether he heard something or whatever. I saw in my peripheral vision the ball coming at me. I was shocked.”
The Cavaliers (4-3, 3-2 ACC) punted and never got the ball back. That’s because the Seminoles (6-1, 5-0) chewed the final 6:19 off the clock, running 11 times in 12 plays as Virginia failed to get the stop it needed while using all three of its timeouts.
To FSU coach Bobby Bowden, the game provided more than enough excitement.
“We’ve had some come-from-behind wins, and we’ve had last-second wins, and we’ve had bigger wins,” said Bowden, who tied Penn State’s Joe Paterno atop the Division I-A coaches’ list with his 338th victory. “But I think this was one of the guttiest wins we’ve ever had.”
At first, it looked like it might be a Florida State rout, like the teams’ past three meetings. The Seminoles jumped to a 13-0 lead on a 79-yard touchdown catch by Craphonso Thorpe and a pair of Xavier Beitia field goals, both set up by Cavalier turnovers.
Thorpe, the ACC 100- and 200-meter outdoor track champion, blew by cornerback Almondo Curry and safety Jay Dorsey on FSU’s fifth offensive play. He caught Chris Rix’s pass near midfield, then froze Dorsey with a jab step before racing to the end zone.
Beitia then kicked field goals of 34 and 38 yards following short drives that started, respectively, on Schaub’s only interception and Heath Miller’s fumble.
“There are things Florida State historically has done to blow the game open early,” Groh said. “Unfortunately, we let some of those things occur.”
But Virginia’s defense stiffened, keeping the Seminoles out of the end zone for the final 54 minutes. And the Cavaliers finally got untracked on offense against the nation’s top scoring defense.
Field position was a problem for Virginia much of the game, thanks in part to poor punting by Tom Hagan, but it didn’t matter on UVa’s final drive of the first half.
Backed up at their own 8-yard line, the Cavaliers marched 92 yards in 12 plays. Schaub completed nine of 10 passes for 86 yards, including a key 24-yarder to freshman Deyon Williams on third down. He zipped throws to Pearman, Miller and Ottowa Anderson for three more first downs.
Finally, he dumped the ball to Pearman, who made a juke move and followed a convoy around right end for a 21-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half.
The crowd cheered as the Cavaliers went into the locker room down just 13-7, then stood for much of the second half as momentum swung back and forth.
Beitia gave the Seminoles a 16-7 lead with a 47-yard field goal, but the Cavaliers answered with Schaub’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Miller.
Schaub completed eight straight passes on the drive, including four to Pearman and a 12-yarder to backup fullback Brandon Isaiah on fourth down.
On the next play, Schaub faked to his right and threw over the middle to Miller, who scooped up the low pass and bulled his way into the end zone.
Beitia’s fourth field goal from 39 yards out made it 19-14 late in the third quarter. He finally missed on his fifth attempt, pushing a 38-yard kick wide left with less than nine minutes remaining.
But the Cavaliers only had the ball twice in the final period, recording a single first down. Bailey’s bad snap snuffed out the last drive, leaving Groh disappointed but proud.
“That’s one of the best teams we’ve played since we’ve been here,” Groh said. “It shows how far we’ve come.”
In the final analysis, the Cavaliers didn’t much feel like analysis.
That tends to happen when you face the alleged best team in your conference and find out why it is often so alleged.
“That’s one of the best teams we’ve played since we’ve been here,” said Virginia coach Al Groh after his team threw a scare into No. 7 Florida State before falling 19-14 to the Seminoles in Scott Stadium on Saturday night. “It shows how far we’ve come but also shows we’ve got a ways to go yet.”
Five-point differential
If Virginia fans want to use this as a measuring stick between the ACC’s dominant program and their own, then they can take some solace that the difference on this evening was five points. More so, it was a handful of correctable blunders and a rancid display of punting that handed Florida State favorable field position most of the game and a huge conference win.
Still, trailing 13-0 at one point before clawing back to 13-7 at halftime, Groh believed his team still had a chance, thanks in part to a textbook 92-yard drive engineered by Schaub that put the Cavaliers back into the game.
Offensive production
With the ACC’s leading rusher, tailback Wali Lundy, sidelined with a foot injury, the Cavaliers left the running game in the trunk but got amazing production from its passing game as quarterback Matt Schaub completed 39 of 53 passes for 326 yards and two TDs. A UVa record 16 of those darts were rocketed toward backup running back Alvin Pearman for 134 yards and a score.
Groh was proud of his defense, who did what defenses are supposed to do most of the night, with one hiccup that cost the Cavs’ big time.
Opening jolt
“There are certain things that Florida State has traditionally done to blow open games early,” said Groh as the emotional Novocain from this thriller-diller began to wash over him, realizing that his Cavaliers submitted to those cold facts of life.
Historically, the Seminoles take a vertical shot with their passing game early and make it count. They also are effective at creating take-aways defensively and making big plays in the kicking game.
Let’s see, now ... vertical shot. Check. Take aways ... check. Kicking game. Ditto.
“That was an unfortunate start,” Groh said.
Less than five minutes into the game, the much-maligned FSU quarterback Chris Rix delivered a 79-yard scoring strike to the ACC’s most dangerous receiver, Craphonso Thorpe to stun the Cavs for a 7-0 lead.
Exactly one minute later, the Seminoles intercepted a Schaub pass at the Virginia 42, leading to the first of four FSU field goals.
The accumulation of miscues threatened to suck the air out of the record crowd of 62,875 that jammed every
nook and cranny of ancient Scott Stadium.
Still, Groh believed that his team had overcome the formula for disaster and was convinced that if his team could hold Florida State to between 17 and 21 points that his guys could pull off the biggest upset in Charlottesville since the 1995 stunner over the then-No. 2 Seminoles.
Cavaliers don’t blink, it says in Groh’s company handbook. They do the attacking, not the defending. They create the turnovers, not offer them up. And they break the other team’s will, not the other way around.
But in the end, Virginia blinked in the glare of the brightest lights the ACC has to offer.
The early mistakes, combined with the faulty punting and a snap that went soaring over Schaub’s head on Virginia’s final chance to cheat the reaper, proved to be gridicide.
Bobby Bowden did what good coaches are supposed to do at the end as he chose to rely on his running game to seal his 338th career win, pushing him into a tie with Joe Paterno as the game’s all-time winningest coach on the Division I-A level.
You don’t win 338 without making sound decisions. Seventeen of FSU’s offensive play calls in the fourth quarter were runs and Virginia simply couldn’t stop it.
Yes, Groh’s team showed that it is inching closer and closer to where the Cavaliers’ brainbox plans for it to be. The offense was almost good enough against the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation and the defense did its job well.
It made Saint Bobby sweat for this one.
“We’ve had come-from-behind wins and we’ve had last-second wins, and we’ve had bigger wins,” Bowden said. “But I think this was one of the guttiest wins we’ve ever had. If our guys wouldn’t have played so good, we would have lost the game. One more let up and we would have lost the game.”
That’s little solace to Groh and his Cavaliers until later in the season when they can reflect on this one as all those blue chips continue to pour into Charlottesville.
But for now, this one will sting a little until the Wahoos can get back in the win column and continue to fight for what’s left of this season.
Maybe someday Alvin Pearman will gain an appreciation for his performance on Saturday night in Virginia’s 19-14 loss to Florida State. Or maybe he never will.
It was clear that his ACC record-tying, 16-catch performance was not something Pearman wanted to discuss immediately after the contest.
“A loss is a loss is a loss,” said a quiet Pearman, who had 16 catches for 134 yards, including a dazzling 21-yard touchdown catch and run in the second quarter.
The screen and flares to Pearman in the flat proved to be Virginia’s most successful play of the evening as their rushing attack – without an injured Wali Lundy – mustered minus -5 yards on 30 carries.
“They were so successful with that other stuff, there was no reason to run it. I was hoping they would run the ball more,” said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden.
UVa coach Al Groh said the screenplay to Pearman was just part of the offense and something that made itself available Saturday night.
“We ran our regular stuff and just ran it more. A lot of times, the ball goes to the guy who is most open to the quarterback,” Groh said. “If somebody else had been open, maybe he would have had eight of Alvin’s receptions.”
UVa QB Matt Schaub said the play was particularly effective because it took advantage of FSU’s emphasis on rushing the quarterback.
“It was something we saw. With their speed in the pass rush, it becomes a good play counter-acting those things. They’re playing man-to-man coverage and you can catch them with those things,” Schaub said. “You just want to get the ball out in open space and let our guys do the work. … Alvin was the workhorse. He had a great night. We couldn’t have asked anymore from him.”
When asked of his record-setting performance and if he had ever had such a game before, Pearman could only manage a shrug.
“We utilized me catching those short passes today but it just wasn’t enough,” Pearman said.
For the record. Virginia junior running back Alvin Pearman set a new
school record for receptions in a game with 16. Pearman recorded 134 yards and
one touchdown receiving on the night. He also contributed 24 yards rushing on
seven carries. The previous mark of 11 receptions was shared by several
players, including current Cavalier tailback Wali Lundy.
Also, UVa tight end Heath Miller set a new ACC record with his 13th career
touchdown catch when he pulled in a Matt Schaub pass for an eight-yard
touchdown in the third quarter. The previous mark of 12, which Miller matched
last week against Clemson, was shared by former Cavaliers Ed Carrington
(1964-66) and Bruce McGonnigal (1987-90) as well as Clemson’s John McMakin
(1969-71). Miller finished with nine receptions for 77 yards in the game.
Finally, Saturday’s crowd set a new record for attendance at Scott Stadium.
The announced attendance of 62,875 surpassed the previous mark of 61,625 set
against Virginia Tech on Nov. 17, 2001.
Catching up. With Saturday’s win, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden matched
Penn State coach Joe Paterno in career victories. Bowden and Paterno each have
338 career wins; they are two of just five coaches to reach the 300-victory
mark. Paterno’s Penn State team did not play Saturday.
Fast and furious. Florida State receiver Craphonso Thorpe’s 79-yard touchdown
reception in the first quarter was the longest catch of his career. Thorpe,
the ACC outdoor track champion in both the 100- and 200-meter dash, hauled in
the pass on the UVa sidelines, juked Jay Dorsey and turned on the speed to
easily run away from the Cavalier pursuit. Thorpe’s previous long reception
was a 72-yard catch against Georgia Tech last season.
Eye openers.
l UVa’s scoring drive of 12 plays and 92 yards at the end of the second
quarter was the longest scoring drive allowed by FSU this season. The longest
drive before that was an 82-yard, 12-play scoring drive by Duke.
l FSU junior safety B.J. Ward made the first interception of his career in the
first half. It was the Seminoles’ ninth interception of the season.
l Virginia’s two offensive touchdowns Saturday matched half of what FSU had
allowed all season. Entering the game, Florida State had allowed just four
touchdowns on defense.
l Since 1988, FSU is now 19-5 in games following a loss.
l Cavalier punter Tom Hagan had a rough night as he averaged just 28.5 yards
per punt on eight attempts. His longest kick of the night was 31 yards. FSU
counterpart Jesse Stein had five punts for a 37.2 yard average with a long of
44.
l Ahmad Brooks, who was tied with Western Michigan’s Paul Tithof for first
place nationally in tackling among rookies, added six more to his total.
Brooks had 47 tackles entering the game.
l Brennan Schmidt had a game-high 11 tackles, a season-high outing for the
sophomore that matched his career-high total that came against Wake Forest
last season. His previous season-high effort was nine against South Carolina.
l Virginia’s 39 completions Saturday were two shy of a team record and the
Cavs’ 54 attempts were five short of the record mark. Both records came
against Georgia Tech in 2002.
Injury report. Andrew Hoffman, the starting nose tackle for Virginia, left the game during the first half and iced his right ankle. Hoffman, a junior, had the ankle re-taped at halftime and returned in the third quarter. Also, UVa’s Wali Lundy, the ACC’s leading rusher, did not dress out and did not play. Lundy seemed in good spirits during a second-quarter interview with ESPN.
Faces in the crowd. Basketball recruit Tunji Soroye was in attendance at
the game. Soroye, a 6-foot-10 center/power forward out of Montrose Christian
Academy in Maryland, has narrowed his list to Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson
and FSU.
Also, the NCAA champion Virginia men’s lacrosse team and the NCAA runner-up
women’s lacrosse team were honored at halftime. The UVa men defeated John’s
Hopkins for the title in May. Finally, the Cavs men’s and women’s basketball
teams were introduced at halftime. The two squads began practice Saturday.
Seminoles exploit Cavaliers' battered safety corps
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Despite injuries that have sidelined Virginia's quarterback
and leading rusher for at least one game, nobody should overlook the loss of
free safety Willie Davis.
Davis has not played since Sept.6, when he was knocked senseless in a
helmet-to-helmet collision with South Carolina running back Cory Boyd.
Davis eventually was able to walk off the field with assistance, but, six weeks
later, was not in uniform Saturday night against Florida State and is not
expected back this season.
When asked recently if Davis' injury is career-threatening, UVa coach Al Groh
cited "confidentiality" guidelines and declined to answer.
Concerns about UVa's safety corps were heightened Saturday night when Florida
State wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Chris
Rix on the Seminoles' fourth offensive play.
Thorpe got an opening to catch the ball when UVa cornerback Muffin Curry
slipped, but Davis' replacement, Jay Dorsey, was in position to knock Thorpe out
of bounds at midfield.
Thorpe made one step to the inside and then took off down the sideline as Dorsey
hesitated. Neither Dorsey nor Curry could catch him from behind.
Another safety, true freshman Robbie Catterton, was injured Oct.4 against North
Carolina and has not played since. UVa's only three scholarship safeties are
Dorsey; junior Jermaine Hardy, who was a cornerback until this year, and
redshirt freshman Lance Evans.
Senior cornerback Jamaine Winborne received playing time at safety early in his
career and has practiced at safety in recent weeks, but his move would break up
a solid cornerback tandem.
MORE OPTIONS: Walk-on Noah Greenbaum, a freshman from Collegiate School in
Richmond, has caught the eyes of the UVa coaching staff with his punting in
practice over the past couple of weeks. Greenbaum was in uniform for the first
time Saturday night.
UVa coach Al Groh stressed that there is a difference between practice and
games, but two-year punter Tom Hagan out of Cave Spring should receive increased
competition next year from Greenbaum and Sean Johnson, who is in Las Vegas in
the second year of a two-year Mormon mission.
Greenbaum warmed up after Hagan's second punt of the night Saturday, but Groh
stuck with his veteran. Hagan's four first-half punts went for 27, 31, 29 and 27
yards. That left Hagan with 10 punts of 32 yards or less over a span of six
quarters and 11 punts overall.
PERSONNEL: Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kenneth Tynes, out of commission
since the preseason for reasons not disclosed by Groh, was in uniform for the
first time. The dress list also included two walk-ons who have joined the team
since the start of drills, wide receiver Trevor Wind from Essex High School and
fullback Branden Klegin from Lake Braddock in Fairfax County.
INJURIES: ACC rushing leader Wali Lundy, who suffered a sprained ankle Oct.11 in
a 30-27 overtime loss at Clemson, was not in uniform. In his place, junior Alvin
Pearman made his first start of the season. ... Nose guard Andrew Hoffman limped
off the field with an apparent ankle injury with 3:19 left in the first quarter
and was replaced by Melvin Massey, who had played a total of 66 plays in the
Cavaliers first six games.
'NOLES AGAIN: Fifth-year senior Kevin Bailey, who missed the last 12 games of
the 2002 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament, started at
center for the first time since he was injured against the Seminoles last year.
Bailey, who did not make his first appearance of the 2003 season until the third
game, started at left guard against North Carolina on Oct.4.
ODDS 'N' ENDS: After breaking tradition and taking the ball after winning the
toss in two recent games, Virginia deferred when it won the toss Saturday night.
UVa had failed to score on its first possession in three straight games. ...
Florida State was outfitted in white jerseys and white pants.
CAVS NEXT WEEK: Virginia will entertain first-ever opponent Troy (Ala.) State at
3 p.m. next Saturday in the Cavaliers' homecoming. Troy State improved its
record to 4-3 with a 21-10 victory Saturday over Florida International. Troy
State's most notable victory of the season came at Marshall.
Upset slips through grasp
A late miscue costs UVa its final chance to upend the 'Noles, who give Bobby
Bowden his NCAA-record 338th career victory.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia might have surmised that it needed a mistake-free
performance to beat seventh-ranked Florida State.
The Cavaliers didn't get one.
Instead, the Seminoles capitalized on two UVa turnovers and a botched snap to
hold off the Cavaliers 19-14.
It was a landmark game for FSU coach Bobby Bowden, whose 338th career victory
tied him for first place with Penn State's Joe Paterno on the all-time victory
list for Division I-A coaches. The Nittany Lions were idle Saturday.
Virginia (4-3, 3-2 ACC) could have tied the Seminoles (6-1, 5-0) for first place
in the ACC but never got the ball back after punting with 6:39 remaining. The
Seminoles, now 88-5 in ACC play and 11-1 against UVa, drove from their 35-yard
line to the Cavaliers' 6 before time expired.
On the previous possession, the Cavaliers were looking at a third-and-three from
their 42-yard line before center Kevin Bailey snapped the ball past an unaware
quarterback Matt Schaub, who was calling out a play from shotgun formation. By
the time Schaub recovered for a 17-yard loss, UVa had no choice other than to
punt.
"It was a misunderstanding on the part of the center as to what the snap count
was," UVa coach Al Groh said. "It was an unfortunate play. We never really had
another chance at winning the game after that.
"I think it's important that we understand there are no medals for trying and
there are no moral victories. To even let the slightest hint of that creep in
means that we haven't set our expectations high enough."
Schaub finished 39-of-53 for 326 yards and the Cavaliers got a school-record 16
receptions for 134 yards from junior tailback Alvin Pearman. Pearman also tied
the ACC record for receptions in a game.
The Cavaliers, playing without injured ACC rushing leader Wali Lundy, passed on
33 of 36 offensive plays in the first half and finally got on the scoreboard 13
seconds before halftime on a 21-yard screen pass from Schaub to Pearman.
Florida State had dominated the scoring until that point, quickly silencing a
Scott Stadium-record crowd of 62,875 when Craphonso Thorpe caught a 79-yard
touchdown pass from Chris Rix with 11:41 remaining in the first quarter.
It was a deep "out" pattern that does not normally result in a touchdown, but
UVa cornerback Muffin Curry slipped when Thorpe made his cut to the outside and
then safety Jay Dorsey failed to knock Thorpe out of bounds at midfield.
"We were in a coverage designed to take that play away," Groh said, "but our
defense didn't blink."
UVa woes were compounded on the next possession when Schaub's pass to Ryan
Sawyer was deflected into the air and intercepted by B.J. Ward. However, the
Cavaliers stiffened and Florida State settled for a 34-yard field goal by Xavier
Beitia, whose 38-yarder with 3:15 left in the second quarter put the Seminoles
ahead 13-0.
A short kickoff return and block in the back left Virginia with a first down at
its 8. The Cavaliers were facing the prospect of punting from deep in their
territory before Schaub spotted freshman Deyon Williamsfor a 24-yard reception.
Schaub was 9-for-11 for 86 yards on the drive, which included one rushing play,
a 6-yard run by Pearman. Schaub was 22-of-33 for 209 yards in the first half
despite an early lack of support from his receivers.
"He was so successful with that other stuff, there was no reason to run it,"
Bowden said. "I was hoping he would run the ball more."
Pearman, expected to play a major role as a rusher, instead fashioned one of the
most prolific receiving days in Virginia or ACC history. Pearman had seven
receptions by the half and broke a UVa record with 3:51 remaining in the third
quarter when he caught his 12th pass of the game.
The previous of record of 11 was established by Joe Kehoe in 1960 and matched by
former Pearman teammate Billy McMullen twice in 2001 and by Lundy in 2002.
Pearman entered the game with eight receptions for the season and he and Lundy
had a total of 17 catches in six games.
Virginia drove inside Florida State's 40-yard line on three possessions early in
the second half but scored only once, on an 8-yard pass from Schaub to Miller
with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter. It was the 13th touchdown reception of
Miller's 21-game UVa career, setting an ACC record for tight ends.
The kicking game was a major factor all night, with Beitia kicking four field
goals and the Cavaliers missing several opportunities to pin Florida State deep
in its territory. Sophomore Tom Hagan from Roanoke had punts of 27, 31, 29, 27,
31, 30, 22 and 31 yards.
Cavs end up conceding run and conference title
Published October 19 2003
David Teel
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Football teams abandon the run all the time. They fall way
behind. They can't handle superior opponents along the line of scrimmage.
But few teams with a credible rushing attack concede the run as Virginia did
Saturday night against Florida State.
Sure, the Seminoles led the nation in scoring defense at 9.8 points per game.
And yes, the Cavaliers rushed for a meager 53 yards in last week's overtime
defeat at Clemson.
But this was zany, even with Virginia's Wali Lundy, the ACC's top rusher,
sidelined due to an injured right ankle. The Cavaliers attempted 54 passes. Two
more pass plays ended in a sack and botched shotgun snap. That leaves seven true
running plays among 63 snaps.
Such imbalance rarely produces victory, and this was no exception as
seventh-ranked Florida State prevailed 19-14.
So bizarre was the game that Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden went
stream-of-consciousness during his news conference.
"I was afraid of Virginia," he said. "I was afraid of Virginia this summer.
Quarterback. Get rid of him. Too good. Pro material all the way."
Indeed, Virginia senior quarterback Matt Schaub completed 39 passes for 326
yards and two touchdowns. Lundy's backup, Alvin Pearman, established a school
record with 16 receptions on a variety of screens that confused Florida State
(6-1, 5-0 ACC) but couldn't produce enough points.
Virginia's concession of the run was immediate. Schaub passed on the Cavaliers'
first five plays. He passed on 33 of 37 first-half plays and hopefully iced down
his right elbow at intermission.
Given Florida State's run defense against the likes of Miami, Colorado and
Georgia Tech, Virginia coach Al Groh said the Cavaliers had little choice but to
go airborne. And the crazy thing was, it almost worked. Schaub's 21-yard screen
touchdown pass to Pearman on Virginia's last snap of the half drew the Cavaliers
(4-3, 3-2 ACC) within 13-7.
Why so close? First, Florida State's defense, good as it is, was gassed. Rushing
the passer saps energy, and the Seminoles (22 sacks in their first six games)
couldn't get close to Schaub.
Second, Virginia's defense slowed Florida State and Chris Rix, the Seminoles'
worst quarterback in memory. Give Florida State Schaub, and the Seminoles'
offense is unstoppable. He may not be as physically gifted as Rix, but his
football smarts and leadership skills tower over Rix's.
"He played good enough to win," was Bowden's terse assessment of Rix.
On the Cavaliers' second series of the second half, Schaub completed eight
consecutive passes, the last of which tight end Heath Miller caught off his
shoetops for an 8-yard touchdown that narrowed the Seminoles' lead to 16-14.
The Scott Stadium-record crowd of 62,875 sensed an upset. Time to quit
socializing and start screaming. Time for ESPN to start flashing back to
Virginia's 1995 upset of Florida State.
Xavier Beitia's fourth field goal curbed the tide, and when Beitia hooked his
fifth attempt, Virginia took over at its own 26 with 8:39 remaining.
Plenty of time to engineer a rerun of '95.
Then, the dagger. On third-and-3 from Virginia's 42, with Schaub in the shotgun,
Kevin Bailey snapped the ball on the wrong count, sending Schaub scrambling 17
yards behind the line of scrimmage to cover the ball, force a Tom Hagan punt and
leave the Cavs with minus-5 yards rushing for the evening.
Florida State took over at its own 35 with 6:19 left and ran out the clock. The
Seminoles rushed for 196 yards Saturday to complement 189 yards passing.
The defeat all but eliminated Virginia from the ACC race, a disturbing
concession for pie-in-the-sky fans who envisioned championship contention this
season. What those folks need to remember is that the Cavaliers, for all their
success last year, lost five regular-season games. In 2001, they endured their
first losing season in 15 years.
These things take time. But if Bowden's exhaustion Saturday night is any
indication, it might not be long.
Hagan remains as the punter
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published October 19, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With the worst punter in the conference, at least
statistically, Virginia doesn't appear to have another option. Tom Hagan was
handed the starting job even before he arrived on campus last fall and has
managed to hold onto it - even with his mixed bag of results.
Going into Saturday night's game against Florida State, Hagan is averaging a net
of 35.8 yards a punt, nearly 2 yards less than the next-lowest average in the
ACC. Coach Al Groh has stuck with Hagan, the team's only scholarship punter, but
earlier in the week hinted Noah Greenbaum, a recruited walk-on from The
Collegiate Schools in Richmond, may get a chance at the job.
"We have a young player who has been getting a lot of people's attention," Groh
said. "He had a productive career at Collegiate and we were well aware of him.
We've noticed he had a lot of lift on his ball."
Groh said Greenbaum, who dressed Saturday night for the first time this season,
has been working exclusively as a punter since Tuesday.
"I think we'd like to continue kicking him under pressure on the practice
field," Groh said. "We'll see. Who knows?"
Though Virginia is seven games into the season, that's not as far along as the
Cavs were last year when true freshman Connor Hughes made his debut at
place-kicker. And that's worked out pretty well.
LUNDY. As expected, tailback Wali Lundy did not dress for Saturday night's game.
Lundy, who went into the weekend as the conference's leading rusher, badly
sprained his right ankle Oct. 11 at Clemson and did not practice all week.
Groh has not been forthcoming about the severity of Lundy's injury, but it seems
unlikely he would return until Nov. 1 against N.C. State at the earliest.
There was some speculation that the depleted situation at tailback could lead
Groh to reluctantly burn Michael Johnson's redshirt year, but that didn't happen
Saturday night. Alvin Pearman, who entered sixth among all ACC rushers, made his
first start of the season. Marquis Weeks, who had missed two games with a knee
injury, was his backup.
Also not dressing Saturday night was safety Robbie Catterton, who missed his
second game in a row with an ankle injury. But dressing for the first time this
year was freshman wideout Kenneth Tynes, who was on a leave of absence for
undisclosed reasons.
REVOLVING DOOR. Here's a stat only Michael Colley, Virginia's assistant director
of media relations and resident historian, could dig up: For the sixth
consecutive year, Virginia started a different quarterback against Florida State
than it did the previous season. And they are:
2003: Matt Schaub.
2002: Marques Hagans.
2001: Schaub.
2000: Bryson Spinner.
1999: Dan Ellis.
1998: Aaron Brooks.
HOOPS RECRUIT. Virginia's basketball team had a prospect in town for the
weekend: 6-foot-10 center Tunji Soroye from Montrose Christian Academy in
Rockville, Md.
Soroye, a native of Nigeria, will be making his first official visit. Other
schools in the mix include Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth
and Hawaii. Cavaliers assistant coach Walt Fuller flew to Greece over the summer
to see Soroye play.
Virginia has two grants spoken for: point guard Sean Singletary and swingman
Adrian Joseph have already committed. Virginia is hoping its final scholarship
will go to a frontcourt player.
BC. While neither coach specifically lobbied for Boston College's admission,
both Groh and Florida State's Bobby Bowden applauded last week's decision to add
it as the conference's 12 school.
Groh, who lived in Hingham, Mass., in the mid-1990s when he was an assistant
with the New England Patriots, said BC would be "a wonderful institution to have
in our league." But Groh might have been happy with just about anybody. He loves
the idea of a conference championship game, but only if there are two evenly
divided divisions.
Bowden hopes it goes even further.
"Maybe not in my day, but one day they'll take the super conferences and take
the champion of each one of them and have a playoff," he said.
Seminoles Withstand Schaub, Cavaliers
Florida State 19, Virginia 14
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, October 19, 2003; Page E01
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 18 -- Virginia had its best chance in years to knock off
Florida State, but the seventh-ranked Seminoles maintained a 19-14 lead for the
final 19 minutes and escaped Scott Stadium with a victory Saturday night that
solidified their hold on first place in the ACC and moved Bobby Bowden into a
tie with Penn State Coach Joe Paterno for the most wins by a Division I-A coach.
The Cavaliers (4-3, 3-2) have beaten Florida State only once in 12 tries. They
had lost the past six meetings by an average of four touchdowns. But Saturday,
before a school-record crowd of 62,875, they were within striking distance,
thanks to a stout defensive performance and 326 passing yards from fifth-year
quarterback Matt Schaub.
Schaub's second touchdown pass cut the visitors' lead to 16-14 midway through
the third quarter. Four minutes later, Florida State (6-1, 5-0) pushed the
margin back to five on Xavier Beitia's fourth field goal.
And there it stayed. Facing the nation's stingiest defense, the Cavaliers
managed just 44 yards on their final three possessions. They never got a fourth,
as the Seminoles used their running game (196 yards) to drain the final 6
minutes 19 seconds off the clock.
"We've had last-second wins and we've had bigger wins, but I think this was one
of the guttiest wins we've ever had," said Bowden, who is tied with Paterno at
338 wins.
Virginia, which struggled to run the ball last week at Clemson and was without
injured tailback Wali Lundy on Saturday, had Schaub throw 53 passes. He
completed 39 of them, including 16 for 134 yards to tailback Alvin Pearman, who
tied an ACC record for catches.
The Cavaliers called only seven running plays, all for Pearman, who gained 24
yards. With one sack and one team rush factored in, Virginia's rushing total was
minus-5 yards -- its lowest net since the Florida State game six seasons ago. It
had been 60 years since Virginia ran the ball so few times.
Yet the passing game was enough to keep the Cavaliers within 19-14 when they got
the ball for the final time with 8 minutes 39 seconds remaining. Schaub moved
them to the Virginia 42-yard line with two passes to Pearman and one to tight
end Heath Miller (nine catches, 77 yards), but on third and three, center Kevin
Bailey snapped the ball on the wrong count. It skittered past Schaub, who had
lined up in the shotgun formation, and rolled 17 yards behind the line of
scrimmage before Schaub could fall on it. The Cavs settled for what would be
their last punt.
"We never really had another shot at winning the game after that," Virginia
Coach Al Groh said.
Florida State opened the scoring on their second possession with a 79-yard
touchdown pass to wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe -- exactly the type of big play
the Cavaliers had talked all week about avoiding. The Seminoles increased the
lead to 13-0 with two field goals after Virginia turnovers.
After slumbering for much of the first half, the Virginia offense marched 92
yards -- the longest drive Florida State has allowed this season -- in the final
minutes before halftime to cut the deficit to 13-7. On the scoring play, Pearman
caught a screen pass from 21 yards out and followed right guard Elton Brown and
fullback Kase Luzar into the end zone.
After Beitia's third field goal, the Cavaliers pulled within 16-14 on a 56-yard
touchdown drive capped by an eight-yard pass to Miller. Schaub also hit fullback
Brandon Isaiah on the drive's penultimate play for a first down on fourth and
inches.
Cavaliers Notes: Lundy, who injured his right foot and ankle last week at
Clemson, spent the night on the sideline in street clothes but did not have
crutches or any visible braces. He said after the game he doesn't know if he'll
be able to play next week against Troy State. . . . Schaub added another school
record to his sizable collection, surpassing Scott Gardner (1972-75) for the
career pass attempts mark. He moved past Aaron Brooks (1995-98) into third place
on the career total offense list. . . . Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kenneth
Tynes (Centreville) was in uniform for the first time this season. He had been
on what Groh called a "sabbatical" from the team for undisclosed reasons since
at least early August.
Close call for 'Noles
By Josh Robbins | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 19, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- When Bobby Bowden walked off the field Saturday night,
his wife, Ann, gave him a quick kiss before he went into the Florida State
locker room.
They did not talk about how he had just won his 338th career game to tie Penn
State Coach Joe Paterno atop the all-time Division I-A coaching victories list.
"That didn't come up, because he's only tied him," Ann said. "He hasn't passed
him."
And, after the Seminoles barely eked out a 19-14 victory over the Virginia
Cavaliers, almost everyone associated with the Florida State program felt happy
just to leave Scott Stadium with a victory.
"We've had come-from-behind wins and we've had last-second wins and we've had
bigger wins," Bowden said, "but I think this was one of the guttiest wins we've
ever had."
The 73-year-old coach has a number of people to thank for the narrow victory.
His kicker, Xavier Beitia, made four field goals -- connecting from 34, 38, 47
and 39 yards -- and his running game got into gear in the game's latter stages
to preserve FSU's precarious lead.
Bowden also can thank Virginia center Kevin Bailey, who made an errant snap that
ended a Cavaliers drive late in the game.
Midway though the fourth quarter, with Virginia in the shotgun at its own
42-yard line and hoping to erase its five-point deficit, Bailey snapped the ball
when quarterback Matt Schaub wasn't looking. The ball flew past Schaub and
though Schaub fell on the ball, the play amounted to a 17-yard loss for the
Cavaliers and forced a punt.
"There was a misunderstanding on the part of the center as to what the snap
count was," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "We never really had a chance to win
the game after that."
With 6:19 left in the game, the Seminoles marched down the field and burned time
off the clock using an assortment of running plays. Greg Jones finished with a
season-high 96 yards on 20 carries for FSU, and teammate Leon Washington gained
69 yards on 13 carries.
"When you run the ball and not turn the ball over, good things are going to
happen with our defense playing the way they're playing," Washington said.
It would now take at least two losses in their three remaining Atlantic Coast
Conference games for the No. 7 Seminoles (6-1, 5-0 ACC) not to win at least a
share of the league title, while the Cavaliers (4-3, 3-2) are almost certainly
out of the hunt.
Florida State had not allowed more than one touchdown in a game this season
before Saturday, but Virginia cobbled together two touchdown drives by using a
variety of short passes. Most of those throws went to tailback Alvin Pearman,
who caught 16 passes for 134 yards to shatter a 43-year-old school record for
receptions in a game.
The Seminoles led 13-7 at halftime, but the Cavaliers nonetheless held most of
the momentum.
On Virginia's final possession of the first half, Schaub led the Cavaliers on a
12-play, 92-yard touchdown drive. The series ended when Pearman took a screen
pass 21 yards into the Florida State end zone, and the Scott Stadium crowd once
again felt like an upset was possible.
Pearman, replacing injured starter Wali Lundy, had only just started to inflict
damage on the Seminoles. He had caught seven passes in the first half and then
erupted for another seven catches in the third quarter alone.
The Seminoles opened the scoring early in the first quarter using a different
method: the deep pass.
Quarterback Chris Rix connected with wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe along the
right sideline, and the speedster juked safety Jay Dorsey with a wicked
stutter-step to turn the play into a 79-yard touchdown.
Coming off of a four-turnover performance against Miami, Rix avoided similar
miscues on Saturday. He threw for 189 yards on 12 of 25 passing and was plagued
by several dropped passes.
Schaub, who is being billed as a Heisman Trophy candidate by Virginia officials,
completed 39 of 53 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
No wonder FSU coaches refused to celebrate Bowden's record-tying win. Just
winning the game at all was good enough.
"I promise you, when we came off that field, we were happy to get out of here
with a win," said Bowden's son, FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden. "That was
the only thing on anybody's mind."
For FSU, title in the ACC may be its last
Published October 19, 2003
Mike Bianchi
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Florida State Seminoles all but
clinched yet another Atlantic Coast Conference championship Saturday night.
And it's a good thing.
It might just be their last for a while.
Yeah, Virginia made it close. Yeah, Virginia made it exciting. Yeah, Virginia
could have easily won Saturday night. But guess what? The Cavaliers didn't. FSU
won this ACC game 19-14. FSU always wins ACC games.
A hearty congratulations to Bobby Bowden for tying Joe Paterno as the winningest
coach in Division I-A history. To win 338 games is certainly a phenomenal feat,
but Bowden's record should come with an asterisk.
*Coached in the ACC.
Wait till next year, Bobby. The Hurricanes are blowing ashore on the Atlantic
Coast. And so is Virginia Tech. And, finally, these ACC titles will have some
meaning, and Florida State will understand what it means to be in a real
conference with real competition.
And thank goodness for that. Has there been anything more mundane than watching
Florida State sleepwalk to the ACC championship every year?
The Seminoles weren't overly impressive Saturday. Quarterback Chris Rix
completed just 12 of 25 passes -- and it wasn't even raining. Kicker Xavier
Beita missed what could have been a crucial kick. Virginia quarterback Matt
Schaub threw for 326 yards.
But the Seminoles won. Again. Just as they have 88 times since joining the ACC.
They've lost five.
"We just have to win," Bowden said, "and not worry about how pretty it is."
This ugly victory over Virginia all but assured Florida State of yet another ACC
title -- their 11th in 12 years. Can you say b-o-o-o-o-ring? Watching Florida
State's annual march through the ACC has been about as exciting as watching the
World Series of Canasta. Give me a PBS Special -- America: The Millard Fillmore
Years -- over FSU's ACC schedule any day.
But those days are over. Next year, when Miami and Virginia Tech join the
league, an argument could be made that the Seminoles will go from being the
unquestioned head honcho of the ACC to being the league vice president or even
secretary-treasurer.
In the past, the Seminoles have proven they can win the league title without
even breaking a sweat. Last year, they lost five games and suffered through the
toughest, most tumultuous season in more than a decade -- and they still won the
ACC championship and the automatic bid to the Sugar Bowl.
After this season, there will be as many Gator Bowls in FSU's future as Sugar
Bowls. A BCS bowl is no longer a given. Yes, there will be more money in FSU's
coffers, but there also will be more competition.
And more fun. And more excitement. Who knows, FSU's players might actually keep
their ACC championship rings instead of selling them on eBay.
How many times have we heard in recent years that the rest of the ACC is
oh-so-close to closing the gap on the Seminoles? Eight years ago, I sat in this
same press box at Scott Field and watched Virginia hand FSU its first ACC loss.
The goalposts came down. And hope sprung up.
FSU has since beaten down that hope. Again and again and again. Here we are with
the season barely half over and the Seminoles have all but clinched yet another
conference crown.
In every other conference, teams are jockeying for championship position. In the
ACC, teams are jockeying for their normal spot at the foot of FSU's throne.
Relish this ACC title, Florida State.
The 'Canes are coming.
FSU solidifies top spot in ACC
By Josh Robbins | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 19, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Florida State solidified its place atop the Atlantic
Coast Conference standings Saturday night, defeating Virginia 19-14 in front of
a Scott Stadium record crowd of 62,875. The victory gave Coach Bobby Bowden his
338th career win, moving him into a tie with Penn State Coach Joe Paterno atop
the all-time Division I-A victories list.
FSU story line The Seminoles (6-1, 5-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) took an
early lead and held on, thanks to four field goals by Xavier Beitia and a
defense that bent regularly but didn't break often.
Virginia story line
The Cavaliers (4-3, 3-2) expect QB Matt Schaub to play well, and that's exactly
what the senior did, throwing for 326 yards on 39 of 53 passing. But Schaub also
got loads of help from TB Alvin Pearman, who caught 16 passes for 134 yards and
scored Virginia's first touchdown.
Turning point
Trailing 13-0 with 3:10 remaining in the first half, the Cavaliers looked like
they were in big trouble. But Schaub led the team on a 12-play, 92-yard scoring
drive that cut FSU's lead to 13-7.
Second-guess
Facing first-and-10 on Virginia's 38 early in the second quarter, the Seminoles
called four consecutive running plays, even though a holding penalty pushed them
back 10 yards. The Seminoles had to punt the ball away.
Saturday's surprises
Saturday was supposed to be the day when true freshman John Frady took over at
center for David Castillo, who has a nagging right-foot injury. Though Frady did
start, Castillo played almost all of the first half.
Virginia's normally sure-handed tight ends, Heath Miller and Patrick Estes, each
dropped passes in the early going that helped stall drives. Then, on FSU's
fourth possession, Seminoles TE Matt Henshaw dropped a pass that would've given
FSU a first down.
Injuries of note
Seminoles CB Stanford Samuels injured his neck on Virginia's first offensive
play of the game. Though X-rays showed no fracture, a school spokesperson said,
Samuels did not return to the game.
Postgame chat
"I knew it was going to be a field goal type of night, and I am glad I was able
to come through for the offense."
-- Beitia
"The past couple of games we haven't had the running game. When we needed that
last drive, we were able to get it done."
-- FSU TB Leon Washington
Florida 19, Virginia 14
By Steve Ellis
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Coach Bobby Bowden has never liked ties, but on Saturday
he earned one of historical significance.
Bowden, 25 victories behind coach Joe Paterno when FSU and Penn State met in the
1990 Blockbuster Bowl, erased the gap in Scott Stadium. With his 338th career
victory, Bowden tied Paterno as the all-time winningest Division I-A coach with
a 19-14 victory over unranked Virginia.
"The only thing I'm excited about is we won," Bowden said. "I don't care how
pretty it is, whose fault it is, and I don't care whose son's the offensive
coordinator, we won the stinkin' ballgame."
Bowden may not be fired up, but his players couldn't have been more pleased for
their veteran coach.
"This one was for Coach, first and foremost," said quarterback Chris Rix, who
completed 12 of 25 passes for 189 yards and had no turnovers after committing
four against Miami. "This was great to get this win for us."
Penn State had the day off, and - so it seemed - did FSU's defense and offense
against Virginia (4-3, 3-2). But Virginia coach Al Groh was impressed with FSU,
which is out to its best start in three seasons with Wake Forest at home next.
"That's one of the best teams we've played since we've been here," said Groh, in
his third year at Virginia.
The only Seminole to consistently shine Saturday night was kicker Xavier Beitia,
whose four field goals kept FSU (6-1, 5-0 ACC) at the top of the conference
standings. Beitia proved fallible, however, with FSU ahead 19-14 with 8:39
remaining when he missed a 48-yarder.
"If we're going to be successful the rest of the year and go where we want to
go, we need more than three points," Rix said. "Fortunately it worked in our
favor tonight, and Xavier did a great job in getting us points because it proved
to be the difference tonight."
For a second consecutive week, No.6 FSU struggled to cover the tight end.
Virginia's Heath Miller kept it close with his 13th career touchdown catch, an
ACC record for tight ends, when he was left alone near the goal line midway
through the third quarter. That cut FSU's lead to 16-14 with 7:50 remaining in
the third quarter before Beitia countered with his fourth field goal. Neither
team scored in the fourth quarter.
Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub stung FSU with mostly short stuff to an array
of targets. Schaub completed 39 of 54 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns,
though he didn't have a completion of more than 25 yards.
With Virginia's leading rusher Wali Lundy out with a sprained ankle, the
Cavaliers turned to Alvin Pearman, who finished with 16 catches for 134 yards.
He kept Virginia in the game, taking a screen pass 21 yards for a touchdown with
13 seconds remaining in the first half to cut FSU's lead to 13-7.
"It was a confusing scheme," FSU cornerback Bryant McFadden said. "They did a
good job of using the tight ends and backs."
Mickey Andrews' defense forced two turnovers in the first half that led to two
FSU scores. The defense also held Virginia to two touchdowns, enough for an FSU
offense that didn't have a single play in the red zone through three quarters.
FSU reached the red zone on its final drive.
FSU was determined to run the ball once Virginia dropped its safeties, and
understandably so, considering Greg Jones' recent efforts against the Cavaliers.
Jones finished with a season-high 96 yards rushing behind an offensive line that
was anchored by David Castillo, who played despite a painful foot injury. Jones
and Leon Washington had enough big runs to make the strategy work. The two
combined on FSU's final drive to eat up the clock and secure the hard-fought
victory.
"They were not going to let us get anything long (in the air)," Bowden said.
But when Virginia stuffed the run early, Rix occasionally made it happen in the
air. He found Craphonso Thorpe for a 79-yard touchdown play that was FSU's
longest of the season.
"We've had come-from-behind wins, and we've had last-second wins, and we've had
bigger wins," Bowden said, "but I think this was one of the guttiest wins we've
ever had."
Jones gets more carries vs. Virginia
By Steve Ellis
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Greg Jones went into Saturday's game with just 288
rushing yards and no 100-yard rushing efforts in six games. But just the fact
that FSU was playing Virginia had to make Jones optimistic about having a good
night.
Jones ran for 96 yards on Saturday, close to his average of 97.3 yards against
the Cavaliers in the previous three games. Virginia ranks seventh in the ACC in
rushing defense, allowing 155 yards per game before Saturday.
Jones rushed for 50 yards by halftime. That equals the yardage he had combined
against Miami, Colorado and Georgia Tech.
Before Saturday, Jones' best effort of the season was 88 yards against Maryland.
Still waiting
Both Bowdens - Bobby and Jeff - vowed to get Willie Reid more playing time at
wide receiver against Virginia. But Reid didn't have a pass thrown to him in the
first half. His first reception came at 4:40 in the third quarter for 13 yards,
setting up a field goal.
Reid didn't get into the game last week against Miami until around the
five-minute mark in the third quarter. He quickly scored on an 18-yard touchdown
catch. Reid, despite limited action this season, has made several big plays,
including a 43-yard reception and two runs of 29 or more yards.
A night of firsts
According to Bobby Bowden, John Frady became the first true-freshman center to
start for him at FSU. Frady's appearance was brief . David Castillo, hampered by
a painful foot injury, took over center duties on FSU's second series.
Ron Lunford made his first start at tight guard, where Bobby Meeks and Eric Broe
are both injured. And Brodrick Bunkley made his first start at nose guard. Jeff
Womble was out with an injured triceps.
Samuels leaves game
Cornerback Stanford Samuels left the game after Virginia's first offensive play.
He complained of tingling in his fingers. The cause was not immediately
determined. He was held out for the remainder of the game for precautionary
reasons.
Walker waits
FSU coaches stuck by their starting quarterback, Chris Rix. While there were
murmurs that Fabian Walker might see significant playing time against Virginia,
it didn't happen. He watched the first half from the bench - a familiar perch
for the junior quarterback.
Before Saturday night, the most plays Walker had seen this season were the 16 he
took against Duke. He didn't take any snaps against Miami and Georgia Tech and
was involved in just 39 plays prior to the Virginia game. He completed 16 of 23
for 150 yards and one touchdown.
Noteworthy
The FSU Marching Chiefs didn't make the trip to Virginia, but FSU fans weren't
without a band. A group of FSU alumni and the 257th Army Band (the D.C. Army
National Guard) did the honors with former FSU Marching Chiefs member David
Tarquine leading the way. ... FSU honored the 1993 national-champion football
team last month. And, on Saturday night, Virginia honored its own national champ
- the 2003 NCAA champion lacrosse team.
Seminoles hang tough for win against Cavs
By Randy Beard
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Bobby Bowden entered Saturday night's game against
Virginia looking for a show of character from his seventh-ranked Seminoles.
He likely was content to settle for what he got, which was a 19-14 victory over
Virginia that was as imperfect as it was stressful.
Fortunately for Bowden, the Seminoles (6-1, 5-0 ACC) saved their best for last.
Although they didn't score any points in the fourth quarter, they did something
just as valuable. They played keep away from the Cavaliers, controlling the
football for 11:41 of the period.
That kept the ball away from Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub long enough to
salvage what may prove to be the character-building victory Bowden was seeking.
Schaub spent most of the third quarter getting the football in the hands of
backup tailback Alvin Pearman, who finished with an ACC-record of 14 receptions
by a tailback. His 14 catches - for 134 yards - also doubled as a record by an
FSU opponent.
That Schaub-to-Pearman combination did the only real damage on the night against
FSU's defense.
Virginia's first six possessions of the game certainly didn't end in positive
fashion for the Cavaliers. Four punts and two turnovers. But on the final
possession of the first half, Schaub made sure the Cavaliers (4-3, 3-2) made a
statement about their own character, The circumstances weren't ideal. A block in
the back penalty on a kick return gave the Cavs a starting point at their own 8,
and there was only 3:10 left in the second quarter.
With no more room for error, Schaub responded with nine completions to five
different receivers. The dagger was the bubble screen to Pearman, who scampered
the 21 yards to the right pylon to finally get Virginia on the scoreboard.
Suddenly, FSU had to feel fortunate it was ahead 13-7.
The record crowd of 62,875 at Scott Stadium pumped even more life into the
Cavaliers in the second half.
If Bowden was looking for a test of character, he suddenly had more than he had
been seeking.
While conducting that search in the second half, he might also have been looking
for an offense that resumed its habit of disappearing in the red zone.
The Seminoles had to lean on placekicker Xavier Beitia for four field goals in
order to survive the challenge.
A week ago the Seminoles came undone in the rain, losing 22-14 to second-ranked
Miami. Saturday the weather was fine, but the FSU offense still became bogged
down once it reached the red zone.
Virginia's defense made certain that the Seminoles knew that they going to have
to fight for control of the ACC.
That's what the Seminoles walked away with, putting aside the one team that
remained on the schedule capable of causing problems.
In terms of Bowden's career, the win was a huge one, too. It was his 338th,
tying Penn State's Joe Paterno atop the all-time victory list for Division I-A
college football coaches.
But what Bowden had to be happiest about is what the win did for his FSU team.
Cavs are clocked out
Florida State runs off the final 6:19 to thwart Virginia's upset hopes
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 19, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia passed and passed and passed last night - and then
passed some more. The Cavaliers succeeded in scaring ACC leader Florida State
with their aerial attack, but they couldn't beat the nation's seventh-ranked
team.
U.Va.'s defense played well for much of the game, but it didn't force any
turnovers. And when the defense absolutely needed to get the ball back for
senior quarterback Matt Schaub, it failed to do so. The Seminoles ran off the
final 6 minutes and 19 seconds to secure a 19-14 victory before an ESPN audience
and a Scott Stadium-record crowd of 62,875.
"That's one of the best teams we've seen this we've been here," said Al Groh,
U.Va.'s third-year coach. "It kind of shows where we are, but we've got a ways
to go."
FSU's Xavier Beitia made his first four field goal attempts, connecting from 34,
38, 47 and 39 yards. But Beitia was wide left on his fifth kick, from 38 yards,
and Virginia took over at its 21 with 8:39 remaining in a five-point game. This
was the opportunity for which Schaub and Co. had been waiting, but the Wahoos'
drive ended in disaster.
On third and 3 from U.Va.'s 42, a shotgun snap from center Kevin Bailey sailed
by Schaub, who wasn't expecting it. Schaub had to fall on the football for a
17-yard loss.
"It was a misunderstanding on the part of the center as to what the snap count
was," Groh said. "It was an unfortunate play. We never really had another shot
at winning the game after that."
Sophomore Tom Hagan could muster only a 31-yard punt. A penalty pushed FSU (5-0,
6-1) back to its 35, but hard-running tailbacks Greg Jones and Leon Washington
churned out first down after first down to let Bobby Bowden's club run out the
clock. Jones finished with 96 yards on 20 carries, and Washington rushed 13
times for 69 yards.
On the game's final play, quarterback Chris Rix took the snap and took a knee at
the Cavaliers' 8. With no timeouts left, Virginia (3-2, 4-3) could only watch
the final seconds tick away.
"We've had come-from-behind wins, and we've had last-second wins, and we've had
bigger wins," Bowden said, "but I think was one of the guttiest wins we've ever
had."
With the victory, Bowden moved into a tie with Penn State's Joe Paterno for the
most career wins by a major-college coach. Each has 338.
Officially, U.Va. was credited with nine rushes last night. One was on Bailey's
snap, however, and another came when Schaub was sacked. The Cavaliers called
only seven running plays, and junior tailback Alvin Pearman carried on each one,
totaling 24 yards.
Schaub, the reigning ACC player of the year, completed 39 of 53 passes for 326
yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
Pearman started for the injured Wali Lundy, the ACC's leading rusher, and played
brilliantly. Pearman caught a school-record 16 passes - tying the ACC
single-game mark - for a career-high 134 yards and one touchdown. No player had
ever caught that many passes in a game against the Seminoles.
Virginia tight end Heath Miller, a sophomore, snared an 8-yard touchdown pass
from Schaub with 7:50 left in the third quarter, and Connor Hughes' extra point
made it 16-14. The TD reception was the 13th of Miller's career, an ACC record
for a tight end.
After turning the ball over twice in the first half against the nation's No. 1
scoring defense, U.Va. went into the break on a high note. On their final drive,
the Cavaliers marched 92 yards in 12 plays, the last one a screen pass from
Schaub to Pearman, who raced untouched to the end zone to complete a 21-yard
touchdown play.
The Cavaliers' defense played admirably in the first half, save one costly
breakdown. On FSU's second series, on second and 9 from its 21, Chris Rix tossed
a gorgeous pass to wideout Craphonso Thorpe, who had eluded cornerback Almondo
Curry along the right sideline.
Thorpe hauled in the pass, but safety Jay Dorsey appeared to be in good position
to force him out of bounds or make the tackle. Dorsey, though, never touched
Thorpe, and the reigning ACC 100- and 200-meter dash champion sprinted down the
sideline for a 79-yard touchdown that silenced the sellout crowd.
"That was an unfortunate start," Groh said, "but the players did a good job
[battling back]. They didn't blink."
On a night when field position was crucial, Hagan did little to help the
Cavaliers. He averaged 28.5 yards on his eight punts, considerably shorter than
the 35.8 yards he'd averaged in the first six games.
"Obviously, we have to look at something there," Groh said. "It's pretty
apparent that's not working the way it should."
While U.Va. opts to pass, 'Noles pass test with rush
JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Oct 19, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE In football as in life, balance usually is a good thing.
You can stay out of Overdraft Protection mode if you bal ance your checkbook.
You can stay out of Elephant Man trousers if you balance your diet.
Last night, however, the University of Virginia took the field against
seventh-ranked Florida State without the slightest pretense of offensive balance
and darn near stole an upset, which could have carried with it an eventual share
of the ACC title.
It didn't quite happen, primarily because 73-year-old FSU head coach Bobby
Bowden, who made his name by being willing to chuck it deep almost anywhere and
at almost any time, was willing to go unbalanced.
"When we punt that last time," said Cavaliers quarterback Matt Schaub, "we were
down by five, and there was more than six minutes left. I figured our defense
would stop'em again, and we'd get it back."
Schaub's still waiting. Even with Virginia calling all three of its timeouts,
Florida State killed the final 6:19 to win. Only the first play of the
Seminoles' 13-play series was a pass. Everything else stayed on the ground.
The game ended with the'Noles taking a knee at the Virginia 6-yard line.
"We've had come-from-behind wins," Bowden said, "and we've had last-second wins
and we've had bigger wins, but I think this is the guttiest win we've ever had."
"There's a time," admitted U.Va. senior cornerback Muffin Curry, "that you need
to grind out a win running the ball. Good teams do that."
The Cavs didn't bother.
Virginia's unusual game plan might have been tipped off by head coach Al Groh as
early as last week. That's when Groh went to what was virtually an all-pass
offense in the second half when tailback Wali Lundy was injured in the third
quarter of what would be an overtime loss at Clemson.
"Our quarterback, everyone says, is perhaps our best players," Groh said. "What
we decided to do was put the game in the hands of our best player."
Last night at Scott Stadium, there was no Lundy and no change in the game plan.
The Cavs had Schaub throw 53 times and ran only seven times. The NCAA counts
quarterback sacks as rushes, and FSU's one sack of Schaub and a mistimed snap
from center were the only reasons Virginia didn't wind up tying its all-time low
in rushing attempts - 7 vs. North Carolina in 1943.
Films of that encounter weren't available last night, but the Cavaliers lost it,
54-7. It's not likely they junked the single wing for a one-week experiment with
the run-and-shoot.
Other than the fact that Schaub is a young master of the quick read and the
short passing game, this year's Cavs might have been just as unlikely to go
airborne.
Wide receiver, frankly, isn't a position where Virginia holds a surplus of high
cards. The large majority of last night's passes were handled by tailback Alvin
Pearman (16) and tight end Heath Miller (9).
"Schaub was so good at finding the open guy," Bowden said, "that I was hoping
they'd run more."
Without having to worry about a running threat, you'd imagine that Darnell
Dockett and the rest of the FSU defensive line would have partied on top of
Schaub's prone form all night.
Instead, a U.Va. offensive line that did not acquit itself particularly well at
Clemson threw up a barbed-wire fence, limiting the Seminoles to one sack by Eric
Moore. Schaub took some high-volume hits on other occasions, but he knew that
would be part of the package.
"The line was great, Alvin was great," Schaub said. "While the game was going
on, I never really got a sense of how unbalanced we were. It seemed pretty
normal."
What was different was that Virginia was actually trading punches on even terms
with Florida State. Since dealing the Seminoles their initial ACC loss in 1995,
U.Va. was 0-7 against the perennial conference favorites. The past six losses
were all by three touchdowns or more.
"They were limiting opponents to 2.7 yards per [rushing] attempt," Groh said,
"and they've played opponents who rely on running the ball. We tried to go a
different way."
It almost worked, the key word being "almost."