Cavaliers run over Duke
Virginia rolls to 348 yards rushing in victory
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. – This game had all the ingredients for a recipe of disaster.

Duke scored first, Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans started out shaky and the Cavalier defense was on the ropes early in the afternoon. Mix in the memories of a loss at Florida State and there was reason for concern. But like it has so many times, the Cavalier running game came charging to the rescue.

With a season-high 348 yards on the ground, thanks in part to 223 yards from tailback Alvin Pearman, Virginia outlasted a pesky Duke squad, 37-16, at Wallace Wade Stadium in front of 24,157.

“This was a good gritty win for our team,” said Virginia coach Al Groh, whose team improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the ACC. “We got challenged in a number of ways right from the start. A number of times, the team was challenged either by the scoreboard or the game situation … so I think it’s a game that the team can really be pleased with.”

Duke did not go down without a fight.

Trailing 23-7 midway through the third quarter, Duke reeled off nine unanswered points with a 3-yard passing touchdown from Mike Schneider to Calen Powell and a 27-yard field goal by Matt Brooks.

It got Virginia’s attention on both sides of the ball.

The Cavaliers answered the scoring spree with a seven-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by 3-yard touchdown run by Pearman with 11:49 remaining.

Duke (1-6, 0-4) appeared ready to counter. Schneider connected on three consecutive passes for a total of 32 yards, marching the Blue Devils into Virginia territory.

Schneider then carried the ball nine yards on a quarterback keeper, which was followed by a 14-yard rush to the UVa 21 by tailback Cedric Dargan.

Schneider was called for intentional grounding, penalizing Duke six yards, and then threw an incompletion to set up a pivotal third down.

Knowing his team was in four-down territory, Duke coach Ted Roof elected to run the ball with Dargan. The junior tailback, who had 108 yards rushing for the game, sprinted upfield for a

10-yard gain, bringing up fourth down.

Schneider tried to get the first down and a touchdown but with Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton covering Deonto McCormick closely, the pass missed the mark.

Virginia sealed the Blue Devils’ fate with an 83-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone from Hagans to Deyon Williams.

Pearman, who finished one-yard shy of the school’s single-game rushing record, keyed the drive with 36 yards of total offense – 28 on the ground and eight yards receiving.

“Alvin was terrific and obviously those guys that got him there were terrific,” Groh said. “When that happens, one guy really has carried the flag, but a lot of guys got their name on it. All those offensive linemen, tight ends and wide receivers who had to change their game today, they all share a part of it.”

Duke took a 7-0 lead on its second offensive possession of the game.

The drive started in good field position thanks to a fumble by Hagans, who was sacked at the Duke 34. The fumble was forced and later recovered by safety Alex Green at the Duke 47.

Eight plays after the fumble, Schneider connected on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Corey Thompson, after he beat UVa cornerback Marcus Hamilton.

Like he did all afternoon, Groh turned to his offensive line and Pearman for an answer.

Pearman carried the ball on 10 straight plays for 70 yards moving the ball to the Duke 1.

Wali Lundy entered the game to give Pearman a breather and promptly scored on the next play with a little help from right guard Elton Brown. After Lundy danced to the right and approached the goal line, Brown pushed the junior tailback into the end zone for Lundy’s 11th touchdown of the season.

Virginia placekicker Connor Hughes added three field goals, from 27, 32 and 27 yards out, respectively, in the second quarter to give the Cavs a 16-7 halftime advantage. The last kick came with four seconds left in the half after Virginia marched 90 yards in 13 plays in just over three minutes.

Virginia padded its lead on the second offensive possession of the first half as Lundy scooted into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.

Lundy, whose starting position at tailback was turned over to Pearman when the game started, finished with 11 carries for 82 yards.

Hagans, who opened the game 1 for 4 passing, finished 11 for 20 for 163 yards and one touchdown. After the win, Hagans said his performance was not attributed to a bruised hip that kept him out of practice for the majority of the week.

Despite allowing Virginia to gain 511 yards of total offense and convert 29 first downs, Roof remained positive.

“I think [Virginia has] a very physical offensive line, they’re well-coached and they obviously have excellent backs,” Roof said, whose team entered the game with 16 takeaways but managed just one on the afternoon. “What they do complements everything very well.”

Offensively, Duke gained 21 first downs, five of which were due to penalties committed by Virginia, and mustered 337 yards of total offense.

Schneider paced the attack with 191 yards passing and two touchdowns.

“[Virginia is a] good defense, but I thought we executed well for the most part,” Roof said. “Our protection was better. The decision-making process by the quarterback was better and the catching. And we made some plays after we caught the ball this week. That was a big goal of ours for our tight ends and receivers – making something after they made the catch and they did.”

Cavs' defense just enough to preserve victory
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
October 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. - In the realm of football analysis, judging an offense’s performance is relatively easy. It’s how many points did it score and then, perhaps, how many yards did it compile?

Defense isn’t that simple. Its judging is more subjective.

On Saturday in Virginia’s 37-16 win over Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium, the UVa defense could have been critiqued in a myriad of ways.

The Blue Devils completed some long passes against the Cavaliers. Virginia committed numerous penalties, including several of the pass interference variety and yielded 337 total yards to a team in the bottom half of the ACC standings.

The simplest criteria, however, prevails: The defense allowed 16 points, 21 fewer than the UVa offense scored.

The UVa defense did have at least two key stands within the red zone and also totaled seven sacks on the day.

“It was a 21-point win. … We were good and physical defensively today. We were physical against the run. We made a couple big stops on third and fourth down plays inside the 10-yard line,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “We were physical on the pass rush and I think the pass rush helped us out. The pass rushers stepped up and did a real good job. That was satisfying.”

Dominating might not be the word for the Virginia defense Saturday but not too many negative descriptions apply, either. Again, 16 points is 16 points and on this afternoon that total was sufficient when the offense scored 37.

“We won the game and that’s the number one priority. We are a physical defense and we wanted to come out and set the tempo for the game,” senior linebacker Dennis Haley said. “They hit some big plays but we’re not a defense that gets rattled. We came back the next play and played.”

Virginia’s defense probably looked its worst in allowing several long pass plays on third down situations. There were also those three pass interference penalties that spurred or continued Duke drives.

“I thought the defense really showed up in the red zone. We gave up a few too many big plays but other than that, I thought we played well defensively,” cornerback Philip Brown said. “We get a lot of criticism as a pass defense and people say we are the weakest link but I feel we’re getting better each week.”

Groh, of course, will be the final judge. He did express some dismay at some of those larger Duke pass plays Saturday.

“We had a couple plays in which we weren’t too pleased with the coverage. … I’m sure I will do some [complaining] and moaning this week about that,” Groh said.

Missed chances prove costly for Blue Devils
By Jim Furlong / Special to The Daily Progress
October 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. - The Duke Blue Devils will recall several missed opportunities Saturday during their 37-16 loss against Virginia.

Sophomore quarterback Mike Schneider will likely spend extra time rethinking one specific play late in the second quarter, when Duke failed to get a go-ahead touchdown, and erase a 13-7 Virginia lead.

With the home team facing a fourth and goal at the Cavalier one-yard line - after 76-yard drive - Schneider rolled to his right and lofted a pass toward the team’s leading receiver, Ronnie Elliott, who was wide open near the right corner of the end zone.

The pass fell short with 3:25 left in the second quarter, and the Cavaliers responded with a 90-yard drive, setting up Connor Hughes’ third field goal, which gave 14th-ranked UVa a 16-7 advantage at halftime.

“I knew it [was short],” Schneider said. “Those are the plays you wish you had back ... if I had that play 10 times, I would probably make it nine out of 10. It is an easy pass. I just tried to aim it too much. I really wish I had it back.”

Elliott, who made catches of 33 and 31 yards during the drive, also recalled the Blue Devils had five plays from the UVa five-yard line, but could not score.

“Going into the half with a lead would have been huge for us,” Elliott said. “That would have been a big momentum boost.”

Duke coach Ted Roof, who looked weary during his post-game news conference, has been hoping to see a more productive offensive, but his team (1-6 and last in the ACC at 0-4) has scored only 12 offensive touchdowns in seven games this fall.

“We have to be able to pitch and catch in that [goal line] situation,” Roof said. “We would have like to get in on third down. ... We came to play to win, not to be conservative. We just have to execute.”

Roof said he chose not to try a field goal when his team had the ball at the UVa 1-yard line.

“We are going to make aggressive decisions,” Roof said. “I am not going to second guess ourselves.”

Prior to Schneider’s incompletion, the Virginia defenders held Duke junior tailback Cedric Dargan (who rushed for 108 yards on 21 carries) to one net yard on two thrusts at the goal line.

Nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, defensive end Brennan Schmidt and linebacker Ahmad Brooks made the hits to stop Dargan.

“I thought that was a big momentum swing,” Roof said. “Instead of being a tie game, we are down nine [points].”

Schneider, who was sacked six times for a loss of 49 yards, did direct Duke on four drives of 53 yards or more, and he threw two TD passes.

He repeated that he believed the Blue Devils, who rank last in ACC scoring offense, had a chance for the upset, but needed to produce more points against the ACC’s highest-scoring team.

“It is very frustrating,” Schneider said. “I will take responsibility for that. We, definitely, should have more points than that. You have to look at your quarterback when you don’t get points in the red zone.

“I thought [Virginia’s defense] was as good as everyone said they were going to be. We stepped up to the challenge for the most part, but they have a great linebacker corps and the nose tackle is a great player.”

While Virginia was perfect (7 of 7) on red zone scoring chances, Duke was 3 of 5.

Duke, which is averaging about 19,000 spectators for three home games this season, lost for the 34th time in its last 36 ACC games. The Blue Devils are 7-45 overall the last five seasons, which is only one more win than Al Groh’s team has the last two months.

Roof, who has been the head coach now for a little more than a year, owns a 3-9 record.

With the setback against the Cavaliers, the Blue Devils are assured their 14th losing record in the last 15 seasons.

“We did make progress [Saturday],” Roof said. “We got after it. I am proud of the effort and the way we competed, but I am not happy or satisfied with the final result. ... We did make some plays. We kept going, kept fighting.”

Duke sophomore tight end Ben Patrick caught a career-high four passes for a career-high 97 yards.

“UVa’s defense is obviously tough,” Patrick said. “At times we were able to be successful and move the ball. But at times, they stoned us with a couple of blitzes and a couple of tough stops.”
 

RB Pearman comes close to UVa history
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C.- Legendary football coach and game analyst John Madden once said that if you see a defensive line with a lot of dirt on their backs, you know they’ve had a bad day.
Duke’s entire defense had that kind of day on Saturday when Virginia returned to its ground attack and drove railroad stakes down the Blue Devils’ collective throats. The Cavaliers stampeded through ancient Wallace Wade Stadium for 348 rushing yards on 61 attempts as senior tailback Alvin Pearman fell a yard short of tying UVa’s all-time, single-game rushing record with 223 yards on 38 carries.
The result was a 37-16 win for the 14th-ranked Cavaliers, who improved to 6-1.

Relying on the run
While Virginia has enjoyed rushing success most of the season, the Cavaliers realized on the opening series of the game that they would have to rely heavily on the run against Duke. Quarterback Marques Hagans, who was still feeling the effects of a hip injury suffered last week at Florida State, was clearly off his mark.
Hagans missed two wide-open receivers on that series and coach Al Groh decided then and there to stick to the ground.
“We didn’t plan to run it this much, but Pearman was hot,” Groh said. “He had a lot of heart today and he spread his heart to the team. While there were plenty of holes, sometimes he lowered his pads and made his own holes.”
Duke, which hasn’t been the easiest team in the ACC to run against this season, was flabbergasted.
“We tried everything,” said Devils coach Ted Roof, a defensive-minded guy. “We used man-zone, we set the edges with secondary guys and linebackers and defensive ends.”
No one, however, expected the main man to be Pearman, who had only 50 carries in the first six games. The move certainly took the Blue Devils’ defense by surprise.
“We thought it would be Lundy all the way,” Duke linebacker Brendan Dewan said. “Lundy’s a little bigger, but I don’t think he’s quite as fast as Pearman. Pearman’s got a little bit more speed and he’s a little bit more elusive. He’s a really strong back. You can’t just cut him ... you’ve got to wrap him up and take him down.”
That was just wishful thinking for Duke on this day as Pearman had his way with the Blue Devils’ defense. His rushing performance was the second best in more than a century of Virginia football, only three feet away from John Papit’s 224 total set back in 1948 against Washington & Lee.

Elite company
Up until Saturday only Wahoo legends like Frank Quayle, who watched the game from the press box as analyst on Virginia’s football radio network, and Thomas Jones, who plays for the Chicago Bears, had threatened Papit’s mark.
Quayle had 221 on 25 rushes against Maryland in 1966, while Jones came close twice in 1999 with 221 against N.C. State (38 carries) and Buffalo (32 attempts). And Papit? Well, he did it on 16 carries against W&L’s Generals, who didn’t have enough lead in their muskets that day.
Pearman, making his first start at tailback this season, took advantage of the opportunity. On the second series, offensive coordinator Ron Price called Pearman’s number 10 straight times on a methodical, 11-play, 71-yard march to tie the game at 7-all.
They call it “34 Base,” the running play that sprung Pearman to near eternal glory. Pearman ran it over and over and over behind big Elton Brown and Brad Butler. Duke’s defenders will be seeing that play in their sleep.
“I wanted it to be called that much,” said right guard Brown, who didn’t practice much this week with a bum knee. “As a lineman, that’s what you want. Duke wasn’t saying too much to us ... they were tired, man.”
It was the kind of performance that makes Groh sing. He loves team players and Pearman is the epitome of that. Whatever the team needs, Pearman is first in line to volunteer. Need a guy to give up his tailback position for a week and jump to starting wide receiver? Just ask Alvin.
That’s what he did a few weeks ago when wideout Deyon Williams was injured in a Thursday practice and Pearman took over, started the game and made two catches. Need a punt returner, kick returner, kick coverage guy?
“He’s a gutty guy,” Brown said. “He has been carrying this football team since he was a freshman. We got him back down here in at home in North Carolina where all of his family and friends could see him play and he showed off a little bit.”
Not really. That’s not Pearman’s style. He’s a classy kid, much in the mold of the former bearer of his jersey 21, Tiki Barber. He is the kind of kid who tore up his knee against Penn State in November of 2002 and rehabbed like a madman until it was stronger than ever.
He’s perhaps the most versatile player in the ACC, with a punt return for a TD, a kickoff return that was stopped a yard shy of a score. He catches the ball. He does it all.
Most impressive is that he did it on Saturday when everybody in the joint, well, all 24,157 of them in a high school-like atmosphere. Among those in the crowd was Pearman’s family and his high school coaches from Charlotte, N.C.
“The amazing thing on Alvin’s part and on the part of our blockers part was that whether or not Duke understood the way we were playing, it was going to continue,” Groh said. “Alvin did a real good job and he ran with a good tempo of the play, understanding when to slow down and when to speed up, which is very important.”
Pearman, an articulate player, didn’t realize he was a yard short until it was too late. His final carry came on a four-yard rush to the Duke 4-yardline with less than three minutes to play. In fact, he missed the record by the thickness of linebacker Malcolm Ruff’s hands and an unknowing pass play call on the next down.
Virginia called for a play-action fake to Pearman and a pass to wide-open Deyon Williams in the end zone.
Groh and his staff weren’t aware of the record until after the score. That’s when Pearman found out as well, standing on the sidelines.
“They told me at the end of the game I was one yard short,” Pearman said afterward. “But I’m surrounded by such a great group of guys that I think the line wanted the record as much as I did. They were standing on the sideline urging the defense to stop [Duke] so we could get the ball back for a try.
“When the offensive linemen are petitioning to do that, well, that means more than anything to have guys like that who care about you,” Pearman said.
So, Papit’s record, one of the oldest on Virginia’s books, escaped another threat and lived on as a carrot to be dangled out front of the Cavaliers.
But as any team player will tell you, the mission here Saturday was accomplished. Do what you have to do to win and move on. That’s all that really mattered.

Hagans perseveres to help Cavs
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
October 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. - Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans probably won’t remember this as his best performance or his best week. Ultimately, however, the only thing he’ll remember for sure is that Virginia notched a 37-16 victory on Saturday.

Hagans, far from 100 percent after suffering a hip injury against Florida State last week, returned to practice on Wednesday.

Whether because of his injury or just being a little “off”, Hagans struggled through Virginia’s opening possessions Saturday. He was unable to connect on passes that by his own admission he would normally complete nine out of 10 times.

“Right from the start it was obvious that our quarterback didn’t have his fastball today. He was significantly hindered by his injury from last week but he did what good quarterbacks have to do. He brought his team home a winner,” Virginia coach Al Groh said.

While Groh characterized the victory as a whole as “gritty”, there was no better example of that than Hagans.

Hagans completed 11 of 20 passes for 163 yards and capped the day with a four-yard scoring pass to Deyon Williams late in the fourth quarter to make it 37-16.

“My injury didn’t really bother me. It was just an off game for me. I don’t think I was myself but I don’t make excuses,” Hagans said.

If Hagans was not himself, there was never a moment when Groh came close to replacing the junior quarterback.

“He’s the quarterback of the team and the leader of this team. They have a lot of trust and confidence in him. He’s our guy,” Groh said.

That trust and confidence never wavered Saturday according to Virginia center Zac Yarbrough.

“He’s a tough guy and he’s always going to go out there and play. Even though he wasn’t 100 percent today, he gave it his all,” Yarbrough said. “He’s just a special player and it’s fun to have him back there.”

Virginia now has an off week before playing Maryland at Scott Stadium on Nov. 7. No one seemed to be looking forward to the bye more than Hagans.

“I’m definitely glad to have the off week now,” Hagans said with an exhaustive expression.

Cavalier Notebook: Ground game improves
October 24, 2004

IMPROVING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. What a difference a week can make. After rushing for just 20 yards at Florida State on Oct. 16, Virginia bounced back with 348 yards on the ground.
It marked the biggest turnaround in school history from one game to the next. The previous record for rushing yards was 283 yards of improvement in the 1968 season.

SEEING THE FIELD. Virginia coach Al Groh elected to play three true freshmen for the first time against Duke.
Cornerback Chris Gorham, fullback Kevin Bradley and wideout Bud Davis all made their collegiate debuts.
For the season, Virginia has played eight true freshmen.

SANTI STEPS UP. True freshman Tom Santi enjoyed the best game of his college career against the Blue Devils. Santi, who lined up at tight end and fullback, finished with two receptions for 62 yards, including a 46-yard catch in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win.
Santi entered the game with six catches for 61 yards.

QUOTABLE. “We got a ‘W.’ That is what it’s about, no matter how you do it. Run the ball, pass the ball, whatever, as long as you get a win,” Virginia offensive lineman Elton Brown said.

ON DECK. Virginia returns to action on Nov. 6 at home against Maryland. The Terrapins (3-4,
1-3) lost at Clemson, 10-7, on Saturday. The kickoff time has not yet been announced.

EXTRA POINTS. Virginia tailback Wali Lundy scored two touchdowns, giving him 12 on the season. … After missing a field goal last week at Florida State, UVa kicker Connor Hughes made three field goals against the Blue Devils. All three came in the second quarter. … Virginia safety Marquis Weeks paced the team with 13 tackles, eight of which were solo. Dennis Haley had a team-high and career-best two quarterback sacks and eight tackles. … The 61 carries on the ground were a season-high for the Cavaliers. … In Virginia’s last trip to Wallace Wade Stadium in 2002, the Cavaliers gained only two yards on the ground but they torched Duke through the air for 315 yards. Virginia won that contest 27-22. … UVa now holds a 29-27 advantage in the series and has won five in a row against the Blue Devils.
 

Cavaliers QB off his game
With a bruised hip and limited practice time, Marques Hagans takes three quarters to warm up.
By Mark Berman
981-3125
The Roanoke Times

DURHAM, N.C. - Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans didn't play well at the start of Saturday's game, but he was good at the finish.

Hagans, usually a very accurate passer, struggled with his precision a week after a player's knee hit his hip in the Florida State game. He completed only one of his first four passes in Saturday's 37-16 win at Duke, prompting coach Al Groh to put the aerial game on the back burner. "You're never going to go the whole season playing a perfect game. There's going to be ups and downs," Hagans said. "It's just a matter of how you play through it and if you can bring your team home a winner through your adversity. Today I was able to do it, but I had a lot of help."

After completing only five of 11 passes for 52 yards in the first half, Hagans was 6-of-9 for 111 yards in the second half. He completed his final five passes, the last one for a touchdown.

"It was just an off game," Hagans said. "I just kept fighting and fighting. I was fighting so hard, but it seemed like I wasn't getting any production. But towards the fourth quarter, I got a couple throws that were complete and the guys made plays after the catch."

Entering Saturday's game, Hagans was 88-of-127 (69.3 percent) for 1,209 yards. But he suffered a bruised hip in the third quarter at Florida State and missed the fourth quarter of that game. Because of the injury, Groh said Hagans did not practice until Thursday.

After Hagans was 1-of-4 on UVa's first series Saturday, Groh "chucked" his game plan and stuck to the ground. Groh said Hagans was "significantly hindered" by the injury and "wasn't himself."

"Our quarterback did not have his fastball," Groh said. "They were just bad throws, and we had to make a quick decision. It sure didn't look like he could get much on the ball. ... It was apparent after the first series that he really just didn't have it."

Hagans began the next series by fumbling the ball away on a sack. UVa did nothing but run the ball on its third series, an 11-play drive that ended with a touchdown. Alvin Pearman wound up rushing for 223 yards.

"The running game picked up the slack," Hagans said.

Hagans said his hip didn't bother him.

"My timing was a little bit off, but it didn't have anything to do with the hip," he said. "The passes weren't there. The reads, I was missing. I was fighting myself harder than I thought I would - ever.

"Passes that I normally complete nine times out of 10 were just inaccurate, not even close. It made me question myself."

In the fourth quarter, Hagans threw a 26-yard pass to Heath Miller and a 16-yard pass to Todd Santi during a touchdown drive that extended the lead to 30-16. During the following series, Hagans threw a 46-yard pass to Santi, an 8-yard pass to Pearman and a 4-yard TD pass to Deyon Williams.

"It looked like he could really run better than he could throw today, so after awhile we decided we'd just get him out on the edge and maybe he'd be more comfortable throwing the ball on the run than he was in the pocket," Groh said.

Hagans said he wished he had played better.

"I was able to ride my teammates all the way through to the fourth quarter and I was able to make a couple throws," Hagans said. "People like 'Big Money' [Miller] and Santi made some big plays after the catch. ... I'm grateful for those guys for carrying me through the whole game and making plays."

CAVS REVERSE FIELD
Virginia grinds out 348 yards rushing, a 328-yard improvement over last week against Florida State.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

DURHAM, N.C. - Even as Virginia started to pull away from Duke in a game that was close for more than three quarters, there was no let-up in the suspense Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium, especially for media types with access to statistics.

With the Cavaliers facing a second-and-goal from the Blue Devils' 4-yard line, senior running back Alvin Pearman stood 1 yard shy of tying a single-game school record that had stood for 55 years. A fake to Pearman had the desired effect as quarterback Marques Hagans found an open Deyon Williams in the back of the end zone for UVa's final touchdown in a 37-16 victory.

It wasn't until the UVa players returned to the sideline that head coach Al Groh and offensive coordinator Ron Prince learned that Pearman had rushed for 223 yards. There was 2:46 on the clock when Williams scored, the Blue Devils picked up a third-and-five on their next series and the UVa offense never returned to the field.

"When the offensive linemen found out about the record, they petitioned the coaches to send us back out there as a unit," Pearman said. "To me, that meant as much as anything."

John Papit set the record in 1948, when he carried 16 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-6 victory over Washington and Lee.

Pearman, starting at tailback for the first time this season, was an unlikely challenger of the mark. Although he leads the ACC in all-purpose yardage and has more than 100 career receptions, Pearman had carried the ball more than 20 times only once previously before Saturday.

His 38 rushing attempts Saturday were one short of the school record held by Thomas Jones.

"And, he could have carried it some more, too," Groh said.

Pearman also had a team-high three receptions for 44 yards, but, when Hagans badly missed receivers on three of his first four passes, the Cavaliers went away from their usual run-pass balance attack.

That may have seemed risky, given their 20 yards of rushing offense in a 36-3 loss at Florida State last Saturday, but the Cavaliers rushed for 348 yards against the Blue Devils. The 328-yard improvement was the greatest from one game to the next in UVa history.

During one stretch, Virginia ran the ball 17 straight plays, including nine straight by Pearman on the series that lifted the Cavaliers into a 7-7 tie to end the first quarter. Moreover, almost all of the plays were behind preseason all-America left guard Elton Brown.

"The way we like it, they might as well know what the play is," said Pearman, who, as recently as Sept.25 started at wide receiver and did not have a rushing attempt against Syracuse. "Our thinking is, 'We're going to execute. We're going to execute better than you.'"

Duke (1-6, 0-4 ACC) remains winless against Division I-A opposition and was ranked 103rd among 117 Division I-A teams in rushing defense, but the Blue Devils had a chance to go into halftime with a lead, driving to the Virginia 1 late in the first half.

Duke, trailing 13-7 at the time, decided during a timeout not to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal. However, Mike Schneider's swing pass eluded the reach of an open Ronnie Elliott.

Virginia marched from its 1 to the Duke 9 before Connor Hughes' third field goal made it 16-7 with four seconds left.

"Instead of having a tie ballgame [or even being ahead], we were down nine and it's back to being a two-possession game," Duke coach Ted Roof said. "We came to win, we didn't come to be conservative. Looking back, I wish we had gotten three points, but I'm not going to second guess."

In the third quarter, the Cavaliers increased their lead to 23-7 on a touchdown set up when walk-on Jon Thompson blocked a punt, but Duke responded with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Schneider to Caleb Powell.

That made it 23-13 and things were looking dicey for Virginia, a 24-point favorite, when Duke picked up a first down at the Cavaliers' 12 to start the fourth quarter.

The Blue Devils settled for a 28-yard Matt Brooks field goal but could not stop 14th-ranked Virginia thereafter. The Cavaliers (6-1, 3-1) outgained Duke 511-337 in posting their fourth 500-yard game of the season.

Duke, which had ranked last in Division I-A in total offense, moved the ball with some success against the Cavaliers, but Schneider was sacked six times, including twice by Dennis Haley.

Virginia was penalized eight times for 80 yards, including three pass-interference penalties and two personal fouls, but Groh didn't want to hear about it.

"You may want to rain on our parade," he told one reporter, "but I won't."
 

Injured knee doesn't hamper Brown
Game notes
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

DURHAM, N.C. - In all the postgame discussion of an injury to Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, another injury was virtually overlooked Saturday.

While Hagans' passing problems caused UVa to alter its game plan, it was business as usual for senior offensive guard Elton Brown in Virginia's 37-16 victory over Duke. Neither Brown nor Hagans played in the fourth quarter one week earlier at Florida State, Hagans as the result of a sore hip and Brown with a sprained left knee.

"When I left the field last Saturday night, I knew that I would play today," said Brown, often the lead blocker for a UVa offense that put up 511 yards against Duke, including 348 on the ground.

Brown was never more in evidence than on a 3-yard touchdown run by Alvin Pearman, when Brown pulled on the play and pulverized Duke linebacker DeAndre White.

"Most beautiful block I've ever seen," Pearman said.

White attempted to stand up, sunk to one knee, again tried to rise and once more took a knee, this time holding his head.

"It was kind of a typical Elton play," Groh said. "Actually Marques practiced more than Elton did this week."

Olsen loosens up

When Hagans completed three of his first nine passes, sophomore Christian Olsen started throwing behind the UVa bench, the first time Olsen has started to loosen his arm in a non-mop-up situation.

"We talked about it a few times," Groh said. "Obviously, there were some balls that we had difficulty throwing, but the running game prevented us from being in many long-yardage situations.

"Marques is the leader of the offense and that's a significant thing when you make that change and we weren't going to make it haphazardly."

Milestones

Dennis Haley's first two sacks of the season came in rapid-fire succession in the third quarter, redeeming him for an earlier play on which Haley appeared to have Duke quarterback Mike Schneider cornered in the backfield.

"First sack since Western Michigan last year and the first two-sack game in ... I've never had two sacks before," said Haley, a redshirt senior from Salem High School.

It was also the first trip to Duke for Haley, who was ineligible in 2002, the last time the Cavaliers had been to Durham before Saturday. He finished with eight tackles, second on the team behind safety Marquis Weeks, who had 13.

Duke had 337 yards in total offense against the Cavaliers, more than 90 yards over the Blue Devils' season average, but Haley had an explanation.

"What did they get on those two reverse passes?" asked Haley, referring to a pair of completions by wide receiver Deon Adams that went for 51 yards. "You've seen Duke before. Every time we play them, they show us something we haven't seen before and it takes a while before we figure out what they're running."

Newcomers

Three true freshmen made their first appearances of the season -- cornerback Chris Gorham, fullback Kevin Bradley and wide receiver Bud Davis. Bradley's only appearance came on special teams and the starting fullback was Tom Santi, another freshman. Santi , normally a tight end, had two receptions for 62 yards and showed good speed on a 46-yard catch and run that was UVa's longest play of the game.

Up next

The Cavaliers (6-1, 3-1 ACC) will have an open date next Saturday before entertaining Maryland on Nov.6. The Terrapins (3-4, 1-3) were ranked 22nd in the preseason and remained in the Top 25 for another five weeks but have lost three games in a row, including a 10-7 setback Saturday at Clemson. Maryland, which has scored a total of two touchdowns in its last three games, will play host to Florida State next week.

Only 1 change on defense, but plenty of subbing
Published October 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. -- The defensive mantra this week after a 36-3 loss at Florida State was that every job was open on a week-to-week basis. Nobody was so good that he was guaranteed a starting job the remainder of the season.

In the end, Virginia coach Al Groh made only one change in the lineup: Senior Rich Bedesem replaced sophomore Kai Parham at one of the inside linebacker spots. But Groh did mix in more reserves than usual, even taking the redshirt off true freshman cornerback Chris Gorham. At least 10 second-team defensive players saw some time from scrimmage.

"Whatever we can do to add another rock on the pile," Groh said. "It helps our resources, and it helps in competition in practice. We used a lot of different personnel in keeping with the theme of the week. Every position is a tryout every week."

There were some positive and negative results. Shortly after he made his debut, Gorham was burned on back-to-back plays for a combined 64 yards. The defense, in fact, gave up 337 yards to a team that was averaging a nation-worst 245. Mike Schneider, the lowest-rated quarterback in the conference, completed 18-of-30 passes for 191 yards.

But Virginia's defense did come up with two key red zone stops. On the first, the Cavs stopped Duke on third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks made a Lawrence Taylor-type play by meeting Duke back Cedric Dargan head on for no gain. Later, with Virginia ahead by 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils failed on fourth down from the U.Va. 17-yard line.

ONE MORE

On first-and-goal from the 4-yard line with nearly two minutes remaining, Alvin Pearman lined up in the one-back set behind quarterback Marques Hagans. His totals for the day: 223 yards on 38 carries. With one more rushing attempt, and one more yard, he'd have tied school records in each category.

Instead, Hagans threw a touchdown pass to Deyon Williams. So the school records - John Papit had 224 yards vs. Washington & Lee in 1948; Thomas Jones had 39 carries vs. Georgia Tech in '99 - still stand. Not that Pearman really cares.

"I'm surrounded by such a great group of guys," he said. "I mean, I think the line really wanted that record more than I did. They were on the sideline yelling at the defense to stop them so we could get back on the field. And that's special. That means more than anything, when you can have guys on your team who care so much."

Groh said he didn't know that Pearman was that close to the record. And it wouldn't have mattered had he known.

"We're here to win," he said.

SHORTS

Pearman's 267 all-purpose yards ranks sixth on Virginia's single-game list. He became the first U.Va. player to run for more than 200 yards since Jones had 221 against Buffalo in 1999. ... By rushing for 348 yards Saturday, Virginia improved its output from the previous week by a school-record 328 yards. ... Three true freshmen played for the first time this season: Kevin Bradley, Bud Davis and Gorham. Eight true freshmen have played this season.

Cavs too much for Blue Devils
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Oct 24, 2004 : 12:51 am ET

DURHAM -- Duke and Virginia entered Saturday's game at Wallace Wade Stadium at opposite ends of the statistical spectrum, but the Blue Devils found a way to stay in the running.

In response, the Cavaliers stayed with their own running.

The Blue Devils, ranked last among 117 Division I-A teams in total offense, pulled out all the stops to produce their most productive offensive effort against a Division I-A opponent to date.

But the Blue Devils couldn't stop Virginia's relentless rushing attack, which entered the day ranked 13th nationally and nearly entered the school record book Saturday. The Cavaliers controlled the line of scrimmage to the tune of 348 yards on the ground, including a near-record 223 yards for backup Alvin Pearman, to take a 37-16 victory.

"They're excellent backs, and that offensive line is an excellent offensive line," Duke coach Ted Roof said. "They're mature, strong and big.

"We tried everything."

The Blue Devils tried everything on offense as well, getting two long-pass completions from wide receiver Deon Adams to fellow receiver Ronnie Elliott and succeeding on a fake punt before it was wiped out by a penalty.

But thanks to a failed fourth-down play from the 1-yard line that would have given Duke the lead late in the first half pending the extra point, the Blue Devils' 337 yards didn't add up to enough points.

Trailing 13-7 late in the first half, Duke quarterback Mike Schneider missed a wide-open Elliott on fourth and goal. Virginia took over and marched nearly the length of the field before settling for a field goal to make it 16-7 at the break. Then the running game grounded out another touchdown drive early in the second half to give the Cavaliers some breathing room.

"Maybe he was too open," said Schneider, who completed 18 of 30 passes for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns. "I knew it as soon as it left my hand. I said, 'It's short.' I knew it.

"You'd like to have those back, but you can't. You've just got to move on. But I'll be kicking myself in the butt all night, I know that."

Duke grabbed a 7-0 lead after an early exchange of turnovers. Schneider set an aggressive tone on Duke's first snap, lobbing a pass deep for Elliott, but he missed the mark and Marcus Hamilton came up with an interception. But on the next play, Duke safety Alex Green got to quarterback Marques Hagens and forced a fumble that Green fell on near midfield.

On the ensuing drive, Adams -- who played quarterback at Greensboro Smith High School -- caught a lateral from Schneider and threw back across the field for a wide-open Elliott, who gained 20 yards, moving the ball to the Virginia 12-yard line. He would have scored had the pass not lead him out of bounds.

Three plays later, freshman receiver Corey Thompson made a diving catch in the end zone for a 3-yard score.

"We've got to be creative and use every weapon we have to try to be effective," Roof said. "We came to win. We didn't come to play conservative."

The Cavaliers, however, were conservative on their ensuing drive -- but there was nothing conservative about the distance their run plays covered. Virginia tied the score by handing the ball off to Pearman, a Charlotte Country Day product, on 10 straight plays. After Pearman picked up 69 yards, starter Wali Lundy finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the score.

It was only the beginning for Pearman, who had 51 carries for 256 yards entering the game. His 223 yards on 38 carries Saturday fell one yard short of the school record set by John Papit against Washington & Lee in 1948.

"Alvin was terrific, and obviously those guys that got him there were terrific," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "When that happens, one guy really carried the flag, but a lot of guys got their name on it.

"All of those offensive linemen, tight ends and wide receivers share a part of this."

Pearman carried the load on Virginia's next two drives as well, drives that Duke's defense stopped short of the end zone. A pair of short Connor Hughes field goals gave the Cavaliers a 13-7 lead, and then the goal-line stand and another field goal made it 16-7 at halftime.

After Lundy -- who added 82 rushing yards -- scored for the second time on a powerful 15-yard run midway through the third quarter to make it 23-7, Duke threatened to get back in it. Tight end Ben Patrick, who finished with a career-high five catches for 97 yards, got Duke going with catches that covered 45 and 22 yards on long third downs to set up tight end Calen Powell's 3-yard TD catch.

The Duke defense then came up with its only three-and-out stop of the day, and the Blue Devils drove in position for a 27-yard field goal by Matt Brooks to pull within 23-16 early in the fourth quarter.

But the Cavaliers put it away on the ensuing drive, when tight ends Heath Miller and Tom Santi caught a pair of passes covering 42 yards, and Pearman took care of the rest -- as he had all day.

"He's a good, strong back. He's elusive and break tackles," Duke linebacker Brendan Dewan said. "They're probably one of the best O-lines in the nation. And complement that with their tight ends, and that makes them pretty good up front, pretty tough."

Taking the back road
With Hagans hampered, Pearman runs for 223 yards to power Cavs past Devils
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Oct 24, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. - On the first play from scrimmage, Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans missed a wide-open Deyon Williams on a crossing pattern. Moments later, Hagans failed to connect with Williams, again running free in the secondary, on a post pattern.

On a possession that ended with a punt, Hagans completed only 1 of 4 passes. This from a guy who'd entered yesterday's ACC game against Duke with an astounding 69.3 completion percentage.

"Obviously, our quarterback didn't have his fastball today," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "He was significantly hindered by his injury from last week."

Hagans hurt his hip in the third quarter of Virginia's 36-3 loss at Florida State, an injury that kept him from practicing until Thursday and bothered him yesterday. So 14th-ranked U.Va. modified its game plan after the first series.

Plan B worked magnificently. Led by senior tailback Alvin Pearman, Virginia totaled 348 yards rushing - its most in four seasons under Groh - and whipped Duke 37-16 before 24,157 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

A sizable contingent of orange-clad U.Va. fans saw Pearman produce a sterling performance. Playing his final regular-season game in his home state, the Charlotte resident ran 38 times for 223 yards and one touchdown.

He wasn't the only runner to pierce Duke's defense. Junior Wali Lundy carried 11 times for 82 yards and two TDs, and sophomore Michael Johnson added 47 yards on seven runs.

"We tried everything," Duke coach Ted Roof said. "We just have to execute better, and we have to tackle."

This was a seven-point game with 14:03 remaining, but U.Va. (3-1, 6-1) dominated the final quarter to capture its fifth straight victory over Duke. The Blue Devils (0-4, 1-6) are assured of finishing with a losing record for the 10th consecutive season.

Pearman started at tailback for the first time this year. The job may be his for a while. Had he carried the ball once more, Pearman would have tied the school record set by Thomas Jones against Georgia Tech in 1999. Had he rushed for 2 yards more, Pearman would have surpassed the U.Va. single-game record of 224 established by John Papit in 1948.

Not surprisingly, Pearman deflected praise in his blockers' direction. "I think they wanted the record more than I did," he said.

On Virginia's final play from scrimmage, Hagans faked a handoff to Pearman and fired a 4-yard touchdown pass to Williams with 2:46 remaining. Pearman's posse was hoping "we could get back on the field with about a minute left and get him the record," center Zac Yarbrough said, but the Blue Devils ran out the clock.

Pearman didn't seem to care. "We're still in the [ACC title] race," he said.

Hagans' accuracy improved as the game went on. He finished 11 of 20 passing for 163 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked twice but wasn't intercepted.

"He did what good quarterbacks have to do: He brought his team home, and he brought his team home a winner," Groh said.

Duke entered averaging 245.5 yards of offense, the fewest of any team in Division I-A. Against Virginia, however, the Devils totaled 337. U.Va. recorded a season-high six sacks, but Mike Schneider still managed to complete 18 of 30 attempts for 191 yards and two TDs. Duke tailback Cedric Dargan rushed 21 times for 108 yards.

Twice the Devils converted on trick plays, wideout Deon Adams completing a pass on each occasion. Thrice the Cavaliers were called for pass interference, and they were flagged for two personal fouls on defense.

"We didn't do a fantastic job," said U.Va. linebacker Ahmad Brooks, whose eight tackles included a sack.

Senior safety Marquis Weeks, a converted tailback, had a career-best 13 stops, one of them a sack. Senior outside linebacker Dennis Haley's eight tackles included a career-best two sacks.

"That was a priority we had coming into this game: to get more pressure on the quarterback and get some sacks," Haley said, "and I think we accomplished that. I don't think the quarterback was ever comfortable in the pocket."

Virginia led 16-7 at the break, thanks largely to Connor Hughes' three field goals. The score hadn't changed when, midway through the third quarter, U.Va. linebacker Jon Thompson blocked a Duke punt. The Cavaliers recovered on the Devils' 28. Five plays later, Lundy scored on a 15-yard run, dragging two defenders into the end zone with him.

"This was a good, gritty win for our team," Groh said.

Pearman gives Duke taste of ground grief
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW
Oct 24, 2004
Bob Lipper
Contact Bob Lipper at (804) 649-6555 or e-mail blipper @timesdispatch.com

DURHAM, N.C. Thirty-eight carries.

Two hundred and twenty-three yards.

Virginia didn't bring its "A" game to Wallace Wade Stadium yesterday.

It brought an A-list tailback.

Alvin Pearman goes 5-9 and 204 hoospounds. Compact body. Eye-popping production. His workload yesterday was one carry shy of the school record. The real estate he chewed up likewise was 1 yard short of archive material.

Thomas Jones (39 rushes against N.C. State in 1999) and John Papit (224 yards against Washington and Lee in 1948) are safe for now. Duke's Blue Devils were in trouble the moment Pearman got his mitts on the ball.

The Cavaliers pulled away in the fourth period against the ACC's worst team and prevailed 37-16. They would have won this game without Pearman's 223 yards. They just wouldn't have won it as easily. He rambled 11 yards on his first carry of the game. He went 3 yards behind a demolition-derby block from right guard Elton Brown for the touchdown that gave U.Va. a 30-16 cushion with 11:49 to go. He was good for eight more attempts on the next Cavs' possession - the one that ended with a party's-over TD. He might be churning still if the clock didn't show all zeroes.

"We knew we were going to run the ball," he said afterward. "I felt good. There were holes all over the place."

U.Va. gained 20 yards on the ground last week at Florida State. It was good for 348 yesterday. Not to diss the performances by Pearman and his pile-drivers, but Duke offers less resistance on any given Saturday than a black-market flu shot. It ranks 10th in the ACC in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring defense. Take yer choice. Virginia selected two Alvin Pearman legs from Column B.

The Cavs began this get-well outing with the idea QB Marques Hagans would create in the pocket and on the move. He couldn't. Restrained by a hip injury he sustained in Tallahassee, Hagans misfired badly three times on U.Va.'s opening series and fumbled the next time he took a snap. Duke moved in for a 7-0 lead. That's all Al Groh needed to see. It was Pearman time.

The play is called 34 Base. It's a simple handoff to the tailback, going right behind the 6-6, 338-pound Brown and 6-8, 296-pound tackle Brad Butler. U.Va. ran it nine straight times for Pearman to launch its third possession. It ended, finally, with a Wali Lundy run on the same call from the 1.

"That's the play we run in practice all the time," said Butler. "We take pride in it. You've got to give [Pearman] pretty much all the credit. He made a lot of guys miss once he got past the front line."

Or, as Groh observed, "There were some holes today, but they weren't all holes. He put his pads down and knocked people over."

Pearman is a senior from Charlotte, N.C. He had a platoon of rooters in the stands - relatives and high school coaches - and they probably didn't make the trip expecting to see their guy carry this kind of load. Pearman runs and catches (three yesterday for 44 more yards), returns punts and kickoffs in his spare time. He's probably too versatile for his own good. All of which helps explain why he had only 51 carries total through U.Va.'s first six games.

But he was da man on this occasion. The Cavs were uninspired, unimpressive and goof-prone for much of this afternoon. Pearman was merely terrific - even though he ducked away from trumpet flourishes. That's part of his makeup, too.

"We're all interchangeable in the backfield," he said. "Any of us could've gotten the job done today. I was the lucky one who did."

His linemen wanted one more possession at the end to get him the record ("That's special - that means more than anything," Pearman said), but Duke wouldn't cooperate. Not that 2 measly yards and one record missed could diminish this effort.

"We got him back at home in Carolina," said Brown. "Give him the ball. Let him put on a show for all his fans down here."

Let him carry his team into a bye week. Plenty of time to rest now. Alvin Pearman deserves it.

 

NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Oct 24, 2004

BACK IN THE MIX: He didn't have any passes thrown his way yesterday, but sophomore wideout Fontel Mines had no complaints after Virginia's 37-16 win over Duke. The Hermitage High graduate played for the first time since breaking his right collarbone in U.Va.'s Sept. 4 opener at Temple.

"It's been awhile," Mines said. "I think one time a kid hit me kind of late, and he was wondering why I was so happy. I was jumping up and down. It just felt so good to get hit again, to get that first hit out of the way."

The 6-4, 215-pound Mines is one of the Cavaliers' better blocking receivers. On a day when an injury limited Marques Hagans' ability to throw, Mines helped Virginia amass a season-high 348 yards on the ground.

"That's fine with us," he said. "If something's bothering [the quarterback], we'll run the ball all game. We can do it. We got the backs to do it, we got the line to do it, we got the receivers to do it."
Click Here.

In its 36-3 loss at Florida State last weekend, Virginia rushed for a mere 20 yards. Against Duke, the Cavaliers ran wild. Their 328-yard improvement is the greatest in school history from one game to the next in rushing.

The previous record was 283, set in 1968. That season, after rushing for 67 yards against South Carolina, U.Va. gained 350 against North Carolina.

OUCH: Offensive guard Elton Brown is billed as the ACC's top blocker, and Duke linebacker DeAndre White will vouch for the 6-6, 338-pound senior's power.

White had the misfortunate of getting in Brown's way on a fourth-quarter sweep near the goal line. Brown steamrolled the 210-pound White, and tailback Alvin Pearman strolled untouched into the end zone.

"It was the most beautiful block I've seen in my life as a running back," Pearman said, smiling in wonder.

GOING BOWLING: U.Va., 5-7 in its 2001, its first season under coach Al Groh, played in the Continental Tire Bowl in 2002 and again in '03. The Cavaliers' regular-season finale against Virginia Tech won't be their last game this year, either. Virginia (3-1, 6-1) became bowl-eligible with its win over Duke.

BLOCK PARTY: Fifth-year linebacker Jon Thompson, who came to U.Va. as a walk-on, contributed a play that helped turn the game in the Cavaliers' direction. Midway through the third quarter, on fourth and 7 from its 40, Duke went back to punt.

The Blue Devils already had faked one punt, and this time they sent thee receivers to each side. All that did was help Thompson find room to burst through the line and block Trey McDonald's punt.

"We kind of outnumbered them," Thompson said. "It seemed like an unsound look."

Five plays after Thompson's block, Virginia scored a touchdown that pushed its lead to 23-7.

SPECIAL TALENT: True freshman Tom Santi, ordinarily a tight end, started at fullback for Virginia yesterday. He blocked well and also contributed as a receiver, catching two passes for 62 yards.

Santi's second reception went for 46 yards. He caught a short pass and, with an exceptional burst, turned the corner along the U.Va. sideline.

"He was right in front of me," Groh said. "It was pretty impressive to me. He looked like a big-time player."

At Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tenn., where his football coach was former NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge, Santi ran the 100and 200-meter dashes in track. His best time for 100 meters, he said, was 11.1 seconds.

INTO THE FIRE: Three true freshmen made their debuts for U.Va. yesterday. Kevin Bradley played on the kickoff team, Chris Gorham at cornerback and Bud Davis at wideout.

"Our mentality with all these [first-year] guys is, When they're ready, we're ready," Groh said.

Virginia has used eight true freshmen this season. The others: Santi, safeties Nate Lyles and Jamaal Jackson, cornerback Philip Brown and defensive end Chris Long, who's out with mononucleosis.

DOWN TIME: The Cavaliers are idle next weekend. Then come four ACC games next month, the first two at home and the final two on the road. Virginia's stretch run begins Nov. 6 against Maryland, which lost yesterday at Clemson. The starting time for that game is expected to be announced tomorrow. - Jeff White