Verica salts Terrapins’ wounds
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 4, 2008

Virginia brought back more than just signs to Scott Stadium.

The Cavaliers actually showcased a real offense.

In a shocking reversal of fortune, Virginia blanked Maryland, 31-0, in front of an announced crowd of 50,727, snapping a two-game losing streak that included a disappointing 28-point loss at Duke.

Virginia (2-3, 1-1 ACC) managed a season-best 427 yards of total offense, dominated time of possession and double Maryland’s output of first downs.

“Well, we took a little step forward here tonight,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “All four phases had a good evening — offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff.

“We have a ways to go yet. There are a lot of things to improve upon.”

Virginia’s resurgence was fueled by quarterback Marc Verica. The sophomore was nearly flawless in his third career start, passing for 226 yards as he completed 25 of his 34 attempts. He avoided throwing an interception just a week after four second-half miscues.

Verica, who also ran for a second-quarter score, connected on the Cavaliers’ first two passing touchdowns of the season, finding wide receiver Kevin Ogletree for both point-producing plays.

“He had a very, very good game tonight, obviously,” Groh said. “He was on target from the start. This was a challenging week. Some people said, ‘Why did we leave him in the [Duke] game.’

“Because we said, ‘Quarterbacks can’t run for the hills when things aren’t good. They are going to have to walk around all week with it.’ We could see it was wearing on him and it wasn’t an easy win for him. What he was able to do and come out and play with that kind of confidence and energize his team, we hope, is a positive sign for what might follow.”

Maryland (4-2, 1-1) managed 13 first downs and struggled converting on third downs. In the first half alone, the Terps moved the chains on just one of their seven third-down plays.

Ironically, Virginia’s victory coincided with the return of running back Cedric Peerman. After missing the Duke game last week with a knee injury, Peerman rushed 17 times for 110 yards.

“I have never played with a player that has as much heart as him,” said Virginia offensive lineman Eugene Monroe. “He was tremendous.”

Peerman also reached the end zone, scoring the contests final touchdown with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter.

“It felt great to get into the end zone,” Peerman said. “The blocking was awesome on that play.”

Peerman’s touchdown was merely icing on the cake after Virginia’s impressive start.

The Cavaliers opened the game’s scoring with 2:41 left in the first quarter as Verica connected with Ogletree on a 51-yard pass.

“It was very important for us to be able to open things up a little bit,” Verica said. “Kevin did a great job to get downfield and haul in the ball. His second effort was crucial as the team really fed off getting in the end zone early.”

It marked the first passing touchdown of the season for the Cavaliers, who were the last NCAA Division I-A team to do so.

Verica padded Virginia’s cushion in the second quarter, using his feet and his arm.

On the designed run, the sophomore quarterback faked out Maryland defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi and beat linebacker Alex Wujciak to the corner of the end zone. The 5-yard touchdown run, which came with 10:14 left in the first half, capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive.

The Cavaliers’ final first half score came as Verica marched the offense 88 yards just before halftime. On the touchdown play with 11 seconds left, he connected with Ogletree again on a 15-yard strike.

“When teams are point-producers, it is usually because they turn in some big plays,” Groh said. “We certainly got some big plays tonight.”

The drive was highlighted, however, by Groh’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the UVa 49. The Cavaliers kept the drive alive as fullback Rashawn Jackson dove over the defensive line for a 2-yard run.

“I am glad they called the play that they called,” Peerman said. “Rashawn has been a workhorse for us and that just the type of guy that he is. He is going to do whatever it takes to get that yard when his number is called.”

Groh added: “The thought was, ‘Don’t over-coach this. Just give the game to the players and let the players execute it and take ownership of the victory and they did that on two occasions.’”

Virginia, which entered the contest ranked last in the nation in scoring offense, torched the Terps’ defense in the opening half for 241 yards.

UVa will entertain East Carolina (3-2) on Saturday at noon. The Pirates are coming in off a bye week.

“Our challenge is to try to keep moving forward next week,” Groh said.

The contest will be televised by Raycom.

 

Verica, Ogletree ignite Cavs
By Bart Isley
Published: October 5, 2008

Marc Verica didn’t even look like the same guy who started against Duke, and that probably came as a big relief to the redshirt sophomore signal-caller.
Verica and wideout Kevin Ogletree sparked Virginia with a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter that opened up a 31-0 Virginia victory. It also helped kickstart a massive rebound effort by the Virginia passing game which hadn’t produced a touchdown this season until Verica hooked up with Ogletree on the play action backside post with 2:41 to play in the first frame.
Verica threw for 226 yards and completed 73.5 percent of his passes without throwing a single interception after throwing five picks against Duke and Connecticut. He also rushed for another touchdown, capitalizing on a zone read play that took advantage of Maryland’s pursuit. Verica even tossed a little bit of a stiff-arm, eluding Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak on the 5-yard jaunt to the front corner of the endzone.
“I know he’s been waiting for a long time to play like that,” said Virginia running back Cedric Peerman.
Indeed Verica has. The sophomore struggled against Duke and Connecticut in his first two collegiate starts, and it was clear that Saturday’s two-touchdown performance took a weight off Verica’s shoulders — even head coach Al Groh noted it.
“You could see [the loss to Duke] was wearing on him, it wasn’t an easy week for him,” Groh said. “He was on target from the start [against Maryland].”
Verica went 17-for-20 in the first half, throwing for nearly two thirds of his yards before the break as the Cavs turned to the run in the second half to put away the Terrapins.
Ogletree finished the contest with an even 100 yards on five catches, and Verica tried to find the junior wideout several other times, but Maryland’s coverage was tighter in the second half.
Still, Ogletree’s first touchdown seemed to ignite the Cavaliers.
“It was very important for us to be able to open things up a little bit,” Verica said. “[Ogletree] did a great job to get downfield and haul in the ball. His second effort was crucial as the team really fed off getting in the end zone early.”
Perhaps Verica fed off that energy the most.


 

Cavaliers’ offense gets a tuneup
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 4, 2008

It was no coincidence that the revival of Virginia’s offense on Saturday night coincided with a resurgence of the Cavaliers’ running game in a stunning 31-0 pummeling of Maryland.

For weeks now, UVa’s offense has coughed and sputtered like an old clunker ready for the junkyard. What trotted onto the field at Scott Stadium on this October evening didn’t even resemble that old heap.

Instead, this was a smooth-running, shiny sports car chomping at the bit to hit the highway.

Was a bit reminiscent of Al Pacino’s character, the blinded Col. Frank Slade, in “The Scent of a Woman,” after he had taken a test drive of such a sports car for a harrowing ride through the city streets. When he was pulled over by an officer, Pacino’s line was priceless.

“Doesn’t she purrrrrr,” Pacino said.

An offensive breakout

Al Groh must have felt that way after his Cavaliers broke a two-game losing streak with a runaway upset over Ralph Friedgen’s 4-2 Terrapins. After all, Maryland was about a two-touchdown favorite and was coming off two wins in the previous three weeks over then-No. 23 Cal, and then-No. 20 Clemson.

Meanwhile, Virginia had stumbled all over the place. In fact, the Cavaliers’ 31 points nearly matched their season total of 36 points in the first four games.

Struggling with a new quarterback, Marc Verica, who was thrown into the starting lineup with little notice, the Cavs were trying to feel their way in the early games. Verica was breaking in, the offensive line was having a difficult time grasping the concept of run blocking, and UVa’s best running back, Cedric Peerman, wasn’t 100 percent healthy until Saturday night.

When all those factors came together, Virginia looked like an offensive juggernaut.

Ground gains

Against the Terps, who had given up an average of 134 yards rushing per game in its first five contests, Virginia chewed up real estate at an amazing rate.

Paced by Peerman, who was eventually relieved by Mikell Simpson, the Cavaliers piled up 201 rushing yards on 41 carries.

What that did was open up the passing game for Verica, preventing Maryland from crowding the box. When Verica came alive with a solid performance (226 yards passing, two touchdowns, 25 of 34) that, in turn, opened up the ground game.

But the offensive line was the biggest story. Considered a weakness heading into the season, at least in terms of being able to punch holes for its running backs, Virginia’s wide bodies dominated the line of scrimmage all night. That’s what good offenses do.

“The offensive line made good progress tonight,” Groh said. “It should be a nice first at-bat for Austin Pasztor, who started against some real good players and did a real good job over there.”

Pasztor, an amazing story, is a 17-year-old freshman, who earned his first start of the season at left guard. Clearly, the Canadian, who played at Fork Union Military Academy, added some punch to the offensive line.

Certainly it had to be a reassuring feeling with Peerman back in the huddle.

The fifth-year senior had but 20 carries coming into the game and finished with 17 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also caught seven passes for 23 yards.

More importantly, he added inspiration and leadership for a team in desperate need of both.

“To have Cedric back for essentially, all intents and purposes, the first time this season, made a great difference,” Groh said. “He’s got a rare heart for competition and a rare heart for this team. It’s been painful for him not to be a part of it. His performance and production is a significant part of what we are doing.”

His performance represented the first 100-yard game for a Wahoo back this season.

Peerman’s most spectacular run of the evening was a 36-yarder on UVa’s first possession of the second half, racing to the Maryland 11, where the Cavs kicked a field goal for a 24-0 lead.

One of his most powerful runs came on the next possession, an 11-play, 61-yard march that essentially iced the game. From the Terps’ nine-yard line, Peerman took the ball around the left corner, following big, ol’ pulling right guard B.J. Cabell, who blew up the Maryland defenders as the UVa tailback bolted to paydirt for a mindboggling 31-0 lead.

“I told Ced before the play, ‘Just stay in my hip pocket and we’ll be getting in there,’” Cabbell said about the play.

Peerman remembered it just that way.

“Before the play, B.J. said, ‘You can run behind me,’” Peerman said. “So I said, ‘OK I’m going to run behind you.’ He came around the edge and blew that guy up.”

And thusly, Virginia blew up the Terps.

We couldn’t help but remember earlier in the week Groh stating that “When Cedric is Cedric again, we’ll all know it.”

The real Cedric is back.

 

Virginia defense excels in front of former star
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 4, 2008

Forget about the “Power of Orange.” On Saturday night at Scott Stadium, it was the reincarnation of the “Power of Long.”

Former Virginia defensive end Chris Long, whose St. Louis Rams are on an NFL bye week, was on hand — wearing a Clint Sintim jersey — to help raise the “Power of Orange” flag prior to kickoff.

Clearly, the good karma rubbed off on UVa’s defense.

After an embarrassing performance in the second half of last week’s loss to Duke, Virginia’s unit came up huge in the team’s 31-0 lambasting of Maryland.

“It was exceptional,” said Sintim, the Virginia linebacker, when asked to assess the defense’s play. “A lot of guys came out with the right mindset. We came to play and it showed out there on the field. I’m really proud of all the guys on our team.”

Sintim said the defense had a chip on its shoulder after the way it played in consecutive lopsided losses to Connecticut and Duke.

“I don’t think there were too many people in this world who thought we were going to win this game,” Sintim said, “but that was fine with us. We knew as a team that we weren’t nearly as bad as everyone said we were.

“Everyone made it seem like we were the worst team in America, but that’s fine. We just continue to grind and get better. We’re obviously getting better.”

The stats certainly support Sintim’s assertion. Virginia gave up a paltry 79 yards on the ground. The Cavaliers surrendered 223 yards through the air, though much of that came in garbage time after the outcome had already been decided.

Maryland was shut out for just the third time in the Ralph Friedgen era — a span of 93 games dating back to 2001.

Virginia wide receiver Kevin Ogletree said it was great to see both sides of the ball come together at the same time.

“They had a shutout, so what more can you ask for than that?” he said. “[The offense] staying on the field a long time and them playing lock-down defense is a good combination.”

Scott Stadium was at its loudest after Sintim sacked Maryland quarterback Chris Turner toward the end of the third quarter, then paid homage to Long with an “L” salute. Sintim said he had a conversation with his former teammate just before the big play.

“I told him if I had a chance to get a sack, I was going to throw up his ‘L’ for him,” Sintim explained, “because I had heard that he wore my jersey to bring the flag down.”

Virginia coach Al Groh was glad to see Sintim’s salute.

“The ‘L’ was here tonight,” said Groh, smiling. “Whether he’s in uniform or not, there always seems to be a special magic that comes along with Chris Long. We’re glad he was here.”

 

Shell-shock
Sunday, Oct 05, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
For one night, all was right at Scott Stadium.

The University of Virginia football team silenced its many critics with a spectacular performance that was as improbable as the one tailback Mikell Simpson turned in last year at Maryland's Byrd Stadium.

The Cavaliers destroyed the Terrapins 31-0, a margin of victory that even the most optimistic U.Va. fan would not have predicted. The Wahoos (1-1, 2-3) entered this ACC game with the least potent offense in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, but they stunned Maryland (1-1, 4-2) with a first-half barrage and never let up.

They led 21-0 at halftime and 31-0 after three quarters -- dominance of a team that had beaten two ranked opponents last month and was favored by nearly two touchdowns last night.

"Honestly, I don't think there was too many people in this world who thought we were going to win this game," Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said, "but that was fine with us. We knew as a team that we weren't nearly as bad as everybody said we were. We weren't depleted in all areas of the game. I mean, everybody made it seem like we were the worst team in America."

Before a crowd of 50,727 -- about 11,000 less than capacity -- the Cavaliers collected their first victory over an FBS opponent since they hammered the Miami Hurricanes 48-0 last November.

The win was U.Va.'s most decisive in this series since a 48-13 romp in 2002, and it could not have come at a better time for beleaguered coach Al Groh. On a night when many expected to hear him booed, Groh basked in cheers and spent much of the game pumping his fists in the air and congratulating his players for their work.

"We took a little step forward tonight," Groh said. "All four phases had a good evening: offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff."

Indeed, the Cavaliers' list of heroes was a long one. Start with sophomore quarterback Marc Verica, who was brilliant in his third start. A week after throwing four interceptions in a 31-3 loss to Duke, Verica completed completed 25 of 34 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, and he wasn't picked off.

"We're seeing him mature a little bit," said junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, who caught both TD passes and finished with 100 yards on five receptions.

Virginia entered the game as the only FBS team that had not thrown a touchdown pass this season. But Verica and Ogletree teamed on scoring plays of 51 and 15 yards in the first half, and Verica ran 5 yards for another TD to send U.Va. into intermission with a 21-0 lead.

That Cedric Peerman was back in good health helped the Cavaliers immensely. So did the stout play of U.Va.'s maligned offensive line. Peerman, a senior tailback who missed the Duke game with a knee injury, rushed 17 times for 110 yards and one TD before giving way to Simpson, who added 77 yards on 14 carries.

"Ced wears the defense down, and then I come in with a different style of running," said Simpson, who'd totaled 271 all-purpose yards in Virginia's 18-17 win over Maryland in College Park last year.

Maryland's offense features two of the ACC's most explosive players -- tailback Da'Rel Scott and wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey -- and U.Va. shut down both. Scott gained 36 yards on 11 carries. Heyward-Bey didn't have a catch.

In all, the Cavaliers forced two turnovers and held the Terps to 79 yards rushing and 223 passing.

"I can live with that," said Sintim, who recorded his fifth sack of the season.

Two years ago, Maryland trailed 20-0 at halftime and rallied beat U.Va. at Scott Stadium. There was no such drama last night last night. The Terps opened the third quarter with perhaps the worst onside-kick attempt in the history of college football. Obi Egekeze's kick traveled only 4 yards, and Virginia capitalized on its great field position with a drive that ended with Yannick Reyering's 32-yard field goal.

"To be in a situation like this and play a quality team like Maryland, when nobody thought we were going to win, it means a lot," Sintim said.



 

U.VA. NOTES
Sunday, Oct 05, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Cavs rediscover the aerial game
It took the Virginia Cavaliers more than four games, but they finally threw a touchdown pass.

The breakthrough came last night against Maryland, which surrendered a 51-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback Marc Verica to junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree late in the first quarter.

Verica and Ogletree hooked up again on a 15-yard TD pass with 11 seconds left in the second quarter.

Of the 119 teams in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, U.Va. was the last to throw a TD pass this season. The Cavaliers entered last night's game ranked 119th nationally in scoring offense, but they led Maryland 21-0 at halftime.

Verica, in his third start, was nearly flawless in the first half, completing 17 of 20 passes for 178 and two TDs, with no interceptions.

Orange you glad students are loyal?
Early in his tenure as football coach at his alma mater, Al Groh asked Virginia fans to form a "sea of orange" by wearing clothes of that color to games.

For the most part, U.Va. fans have complied. But there was talk this week that many students would wear blue to last night's game against Maryland at Scott Stadium to protest the university's "Power of Orange" campaign, as well as the ban on signs, which U.Va. repealed Thursday.

The protest didn't seem to take off. There was a smattering of blue in the student section, and more than a few students wore ties. Overall, however, orange dominated, as usual.

Two former stars help wave the flag
Two of the greatest athletes in U.Va. history - Chris Long and Somdev Devarrman - raised the "Power of Orange" flag before last night's game. Long, of course, was an All-American defensive end for Virginia last year. Devarrman was a two-time NCAA singles champion in men's tennis who graduated this year from U.Va.

Nobody is happier than Maryland quarterback Chris Turner that Long is now in the NFL. In College Park last year, Long hammered Turner on a safety late in the third quarter, and the Cavaliers went on to win 18-17.

"I don't know if Turner wants to see Chris anymore," Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said with a smile Tuesday.

Monroe, Sintim get high pre-draft marks
Two U.Va. seniors are highly rated by ESPN's NFL draft analyst, Mel Kiper Jr. Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe is No. 1 on Kiper's 2009 draft list. Sintim, a four-year starter at outside linebacker in U.Va.'s 3-4 scheme, is No. 20.

Sintim came into this weekend leading the nation's linebackers in sacks with four. Groh, who spent more than a decade on NFL coaching staffs, said Sintim would not only be a natural 3-4 linebacker in the pros, but there are also "certain 4-3's in which his overall skills would [fit well]."

Last year's star was forced to wait
Junior tailback Mikell Simpson, the star of U.Va.'s win over Maryland last year, didn't get into the game last night until the 8:02 mark of the second quarter.

Senior Cedric Peerman, who missed last weekend's Duke game with a knee injury, started at tailback last night and played superbly. By halftime, Peerman had 57 yards on 12 carries and 23 yards on seven receptions.

Age notwithstanding, Pasztor earns a start
The youngest player on the U.Va. roster, offensive guard Austin Pasztor, made his first start last night.

Pasztor, a 6-6, 310-pound true freshman from Canada, won't turn 18 until Nov. 26. He spent his 12th-grade year at Fork Union Military Academy, where he played for the postgraduate team.

"There's some aspects of him that are very much 17 years old," Groh said last weekend. "But his commitment and purposefulness and his work ethic are mature beyond 17 years old."

Pasztor, whose hometown is Langton, Ontario, moved up from the second team at U.Va. after fifth-year Zak Stair, who started the first four games at left guard, hurt his knee against Duke last weekend.

Eight U.Va. players have ties to Maryland
Virginia has eight players from the state of Maryland: tailback Raynard Horne (Baltimore), nose tackle Nick Jenkins (Westminster), outside linebacker Cameron Johnson (Greenbelt), quarterback Brendan Lane (Annapolis), safety Matt Leemhuis (Bethesda), cornerback Rodney McLeod (Oxon Hill), tight end Colter Phillips (Darnestown) and safety Devin Wallace (Fort Washington).

On Maryland's roster are 14 Virginians, including Justin Gilbert, an offensive lineman from Monacan High in Chesterfield County. Gilbert, a 6-6, 283-pound freshman, is redshirting this season.

Johnson's future is uncommonly bright
Johnson, a 6-4, 252-pound true freshman, has yet to start for the Cavaliers, but the consensus among players and coaches on the team is that he's destined for greatness.

"He's a very good athlete, a very natural and smooth athletic kid," Sintim said Tuesday. "He's very big, as we all know, and he's very smooth for somebody his size.

"He has the ability to come out and play as a true freshman and make an impact . . . He's a young player - he's still learning the system - but he's obviously developing from week to week."

Johnson had a tackle for loss against Duke last weekend, and he recorded another in the first quarter last night.

Devlin collects a keepsake catch
U.Va. tight end Andrew Devlin, a redshirt freshman, caught a 6-yard pass in the first quarter last night. It was the first career reception for Devlin, a redshirt freshman whose role has increased with the loss of Joe Torchia, who hurt his shoulder against Duke. - Jeff White

 

UVa reverses fortune, trounces Terrapins
QB Marc Verica and WR Kevin Ogletree lead the way as the Cavaliers snap a two-game slide.QB Marc Verica and WR Kevin Ogletree lead the way as the Cavaliers snap a two-game slide.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As some might have predicted, fans started to head for the exits in the third quarter Saturday night at Scott Stadium.

They had witnessed an anticipated blowout, but the story did not follow the script.

Taking care of some unfinished business from 2006, 14-point underdog Virginia rolled over Maryland 31-0 before a crowd announced of 50,727.

The Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC) came to Scott Stadium on a three-game winning streak, including triumphs over a pair of Top 25 opponents, California and Clemson.

Virginia (2-3, 1-1) had lost five straight games to Division I-A opposition dating back to the 2007 season and was rated 119th among 119 I-A teams in total offense.

UVa had been outscored 128-20 by its three I-A foes this year.

"Honestly. I don't think there were too many people in this world who thought we were going to win this game," UVa linebacker Clint Sintim said. "We knew we weren't as bad as some people said we were. Everybody made it seem like we were the worst team in America."

The Cavaliers, who were the last team in Division I-A to throw a touchdown pass this season, saw sophomore quarterback Marc Verica account for three first-half touchdowns -- two passing and one rushing -- as the Cavaliers took a 21-0 lead.

Virginia then took a cue from its marching band, which ended a halftime tribute to Journey with "Don't Stop Believing," and never let up.

Maryland had come from a 20-0 halftime deficit to win 28-26 on the same field but UVa scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter Saturday.

"A couple of the players who had been in that situation talked about it," Sintim said. "We said, 'We've been here before. Let's make sure we put the nail in the coffin.'"

Cedric Peerman's 9-yard touchdown run with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter put the Cavaliers ahead 31-0. It was UVa's second fourth-down conversion of the game and second of the season.

It was the last carry of the night for Peerman, who had been bothered by a knee injury for nearly a month and did not play Sept. 27 in a 31-3 loss to Duke. He finished with 17 carries for 110 yards and also caught seven passes.

"Once that adrenaline starts pumping, a lot of stuff that normally bothers you is forgotten," Peerman said.

UVa rushed for 200 yards as a team and outgained the Terps 427-302, but nobody upstaged Verica, who finished 25-for-34 for 226 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Kevin Ogletree. On an 88-yard UVa touchdown drive before the half, Verica was 8-for-8.

The tone was set on Virginia's first offensive series, when Verica connected with Ogletree on a 51-yard touchdown pass. The Cavaliers' longest pass in their first four games had gone for 25 yards.

"That was awesome," said Verica, who was making his third career start. "Kevin made a tremendous play and the offensive line gave me a ton of time."

Verica was intercepted four times at Duke, which was one reason the Cavaliers allowed 31 points -- despite giving up fewer yards (258) than they did in Saturday's shutout.

UVa was ranked 113th in turnover margin after four games, but did not have an interception or fumble Saturday. The Cavaliers forced two turnovers, one coming on a fumble recovery by freshman safety Corey Mosley and the other on a late interception by sophomore cornerback Ras-I Dowling, his third in two games.

Dowling was responsible for dangerous Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was averaging more than 20 yards per reception and more than 30 yards on six rushing attempts. Heyward-Bey did not catch a pass and his only 17 yards of offense were on a lateral.

Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott, leading the ACC in rushing with 111.5 yards per game, was limited to 36 yards on 15 carries.

"It's frustrating," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "It really is. You guys must think I'm out here trying to throw these games, but I¹m trying my hardest to prepare them, to motivate them. I'm sure that losing to Duke motivated them very much and the fact that we were coming out here really motivated them."

It was first Virginia's home game in 28 days and nobody knew what kind of reception the Cavaliers would receive. UVa's athletic department repealed its ban on signs following a threatened student protest and there were no limitations on content.

That turned out to be much ado about nothing because there were fewer than a half-dozen signs. One of the best said, "I'm [Thomas] Jefferson and I approve this message."

UVa's slow start had generated much speculation about the future of eighth-year head coach Al Groh, but the thoroughness of Saturday night's thrashing was hard to dismiss.

"We took a little step forward here tonight," Groh said. "We've got a ways to go yet."
 

Peerman answers question

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Cedric Peerman had been incapacitated for so long that most Virginia fans had forgotten what a difference-maker he could be.

Peerman, a fifth-year senior tailback, had 19 "touches" in the first half Saturday as the Cavaliers raced to a three-touchdown lead over 14-point favorite Maryland.

Peerman had dressed one week earlier but did not see action in a 31-3 Virginia loss at Duke, where he appeared despondent on his way to the locker room.

Peerman had a brace on his right knee at the time and all that head coach Al Groh would say about the injury was that it was not related to a dislocated foot that required season-ending surgery in 2007.

At the time of his 2007 injury, Peerman was the ACC's leading rusher and had rushed for 100 yards or more in three of four games.

Peerman was replaced by Mikell Simpson, whose timely contributions enabled the Cavaliers to finish off a 9-4 season.

Simpson's breakout game during the 2007 season came in an 18-17 victory at Maryland, where he had 271 yards in all-purpose yardage -- 152 receiving and 119 rushing.

Simpson entered play Saturday with 48 carries for 108 yards (a 2.2-yard average) in UVa's first four games. He made his first appearance Saturday on the Cavaliers' fourth series and carried once for 1 yard.

Peerman returned for the next series and finished out the half with 12 carries for 57 yards and seven receptions for 23 yards.

He then barrelled 35 yards on a first-and-20 to start the second half to take the Cavaliers to the Maryland 11-yard line. It was UVa's longest running play of the season.

Peerman, listed as "questionable" in UVa's injury report Thursday, was responsible for two of Virginia's six third-down conversions in the first half.

The Cavaliers also notched their first fourth-down conversion as fullback Rashawn Jackson went airborne.

Oops

A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Virginia at the end of the first half enabled Maryland to kick off from its 45-yard line to start the third quarter. It was a prime spot for an onside kick, but the Terps' Obi Egekeze essentially whiffed. The ball went 4 yards before he touched it at the Maryland 49.

Celebrities

The "Power of Orange" flag was raised by 2007 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Chris Long and 2008 NCAA men's tennis champion Somdev Devvarman. Long, chosen by St. Louis with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, enjoyed a Rams open date this weekend.

Orange Bowl representatives at the game included John Crotty, a former UVa basketball star. Crotty spent 11 seasons in the NBA and is the analyst on the Miami Heat's radio network.

Next week

The Cavaliers (2-3, 1-1 ACC) entertain East Carolina (3-2) at noon in the second game of a three-game homestand. The Pirates, who were idle Saturday, won their first three games before losing at N.C. State 30-24 in overtime and to Houston 41-24 in Greenville, N.C.
 

On this night, Cavs put it all together
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- They didn't carry signs Saturday. They carried quarterbacks. Marc Verica got hauled to the jubilant sideline by a teammate after running in Virginia's second touchdown, and it didn't seem the least bit obnoxious.

It seemed, well, right.

The fans didn't leave early because they were disgusted. They left because there was nothing more to see. The beating was so severe, so thorough, that people could have comfortably headed to the exits midway through the third quarter had they so chosen.

Most waited until the fourth. After all, Virginia's 31-0 shocker over Maryland was a party worth sticking around for.

"We took a little step forward here tonight," UVa coach Al Groh said.

Ya think?

Who were these guys? Gashing holes at the line of scrimmage? Dislodging footballs with savage hits? Cruising down the field with ease?

There's a lesson here for all of us: Never bury a team in week 4. Just don't. This sport is simply too screwy for that. When the last batch of dirt is shoveled, that's when a hand pops up and grabs your leg.

Better to wait till December, then deliver a few pokes to determine if there's movement. Then, and only then, can you dig with confidence.

Granted, the temptation to give up is always powerful after a 1-3 start that includes a blowout loss to Duke. Ten thousand empty seats shimmering in the Charlottesville twilight attested to that. But the 50,000-plus who did arrive got an inspired, joy-filled performance from the home team, encapsulated by Verica's brief ride in Rashawn Jackson's arms early in the second quarter.

"I don't know what that was about," Verica said with a smile. "Rashawn's crazy."

Jackson had a rational explanation.

"I thought it was a hell of a play, and I wanted to show him how happy I was for him," Jackson explained. "So I decided to, you know, go out there, grab him and carry him off the field."

Why not? For the first time all season, UVa appeared to be having fun.

"That's the key to football," Jackson said. "Yes, you have to execute your plays. And yes, you have to have high intensity. But as soon as you forget the fun of the game, then you're just out there running plays.

"If you're not having fun, it kind of becomes miserable."

No misery here. Not when Verica looked like Brett Favre in his prime. He ran the short passing game with such precision -- including completing 8-of-8 on UVa's final touchdown drive of the first half -- that nobody longed for Peter Lalich for a second.

Cedric Peerman, the hobbled tailback limited to two carries over the past two weeks, looked like the fastest player on the field. He got to the edge with regularity, with no wide run more stirring than the 9-yarder on fourth-and-1 that ended with him somersaulting into the end zone.

"He's got a rare heart for competition," Groh said. "He's got a rare heart for this team."

The Cavs' defense made the ACC rushing leader look like a fifth-stringer. Maryland's Da'Rel Scott had nowhere to go from the first play from scrimmage and averaged just 3.3 yards on 11 carries. The Cavs clamped down on the passing game, too, holding star receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to zero catches.

And that's what's so encouraging for UVa. This wasn't one guy having a big night, or a string of fortuitous breaks producing an easy win. This was a complete performance.

They don't let you play the Duke game over. This didn't erase the embarrassment of USC or remove the sting of Storrs, Conn.

But what Saturday night did was restore hope to a place where there was none.

At halftime, the UVa marching band played a tribute to the rock group Journey. They banged out a lot of the old favorites, including the festive "Anyway You Want It."

The final song they played? "Don't Stop Believing." Sounds about right.
 

Cavs Hand Terps a 2nd Tumble
Virginia 31, Maryland 0
By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 5, 2008; D01

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 4 -- When the final seconds ticked off the clock Saturday night, Maryland's players performed a familiar routine, slowly trudging from a football field as delirious fans danced and embraced in the stands following an outcome as unexpected as any in the ACC all season.

For the second time in a month, Maryland was responsible for helping a struggling college football team stage an unexpected party in a partially empty stadium. Only this result -- a 31-0 loss to Virginia that was as inexplicable as it was complete -- will prove far more damaging to the Terrapins than their loss at Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 6.

Just when Maryland was beginning to resemble a legitimate ACC title contender, the Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC) delivered a performance as ghastly as any by a Maryland team in recent memory. They squandered a prime opportunity to enter the bye week with two conference road victories. And they managed to make one of the nation's most hapless and dysfunctional offenses look potent.

The loss left Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen without answers. He accepted ultimate responsibility for the loss, questioned his team's focus, cited mental mistakes and passive play, and said he is not reaching players.

"You guys must think I am trying to throw these games," said Friedgen, who later in his news conference began softly mumbling: "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I think, 'What more could I have done?' It's a question of whether they hear you or whether they want to hear you."

The final score staggered observers at Scott Stadium. Two Orange Bowl officials lingered in the press box late in the game. One shook his head, saying, "Doesn't make any sense."

The Cavaliers (2-3, 1-1) scored four touchdowns, one more than they had scored in four previous games combined. They amassed more total yards in the first half Saturday than they had in the entire games against Southern California and Connecticut. And they diminished the heat, at least for one week, on beleaguered coach Al Groh.

"Playing Maryland brings out the best," Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said. "We weren't nearly as bad as everyone said we were. Everyone made it seem like we were the worst team in America."

Maryland was shut out for the first time since losing here to Virginia in 2004. Running back Da'Rel Scott rushed for just 36 yards, and the team's most explosive player, Darrius Heyward-Bey, didn't have a catch. Chris Turner threw to Heyward-Bey twice, and not once in the final 57 minutes.

"Got to get open," Friedgen said.

Maryland's defense, which has oscillated between inconsistent and poor all season, looked slow, uninspired and at times lifeless. Players missed tackles, took bad angles on other pursuits and left receivers open downfield.

The Cavaliers repeatedly attacked Maryland with quick strikes, deliberate drives and gutsy fourth-down plays. Marc Verica established career highs in passing yards (226), completions (25) and touchdown passes (two).

The game-breaking play occurred on fourth and one midway through the third quarter, when Virginia running back Cedric Peerman scored on a nine-yard run, flipping head-over-heels into the end zone to give Virginia an inexplicable 31-0 lead. Maryland cornerback Kevin Barnes said Virginia ran everything the Terrapins expected, and that execution was the difference.

"This wasn't about X's and O's," Friedgen said. "It was about who came to play and who didn't."

On Virginia's second possession, Verica unleashed a 51-yard strike down the middle of the field to wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, who made the catch and shook off cornerback Anthony Wiseman as he crossed the goal line. Virginia's first touchdown pass of the season was also the first Cavaliers play all season that gained more than 25 yards.

Early in the second quarter, Verica sprinted to his right on third down at the Maryland 5, outran defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi and linebacker Alex Wujciak and lunged into the end zone to give the Cavaliers a stunning two-touchdown advantage.

It got so bad for Maryland in the first half that Virginia, which struggled to generate any offense a week before, decided to go for it on a fourth-and-inches play at midfield with one minute left. With the crowd howling, fullback Rashawn Jackson barreled over the middle for a two-yard gain. Verica continued to pick apart Maryland's pass defense, completing a 15-yard touchdown pass to an open Ogletree, who had gotten away from free safety Terrell Skinner.

"It was deflating," Turner said.

With his team trailing 21-0 at halftime, Friedgen talked to his team about the matchup two years ago, when Maryland rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit. The response from players: "a distant stare," Friedgen said.

Friedgen attempted to shift momentum at the start of the third quarter with an onside kick, but Obi Egekeze's attempt traveled just a few yards. It was a metaphor for Maryland's overall performance in a game that will be long remembered in College Park and Charlottesville.

"This," Barnes said, "hurts more than Middle Tennessee State."

 

Virginia Fans See a Sign Of Progress

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 4 -- Rotating like a lighthouse, Ryan Vita extended his arms and displayed his message for all to see on Saturday. About an hour earlier, back when spirits surrounding the Virginia football program were at a season low, Vita had entered Scott Stadium proudly, a cardboard sign guarded safely underneath his arm.

He had no idea his Cavaliers were about to embarrass a Maryland squad that entered the contest a heavy favorite. He had no idea Virginia's offense -- anemic for much of this 2008 campaign -- would rack up 428 total yards and 26 first downs.

And he certainly had no idea his team's coach, Al Groh, would exit the field amid a wave of relief following a 31-0 victory. Just a week ago, Groh was forced to explain the lack of focus Virginia displayed in a loss to Duke, which previously had not won a conference game in 25 tries.

What Vita, a junior Spanish major, did know as he took his seat in the Virginia student section was that the message at Scott Stadium had changed. As he and the 50,726 other patrons in attendance soon found out, that sentiment applied both on and off the field.


"Well, we took a little step forward here tonight," Groh said. "We've got a ways to go yet. There's still a lot of things we can improve upon. . . . Our challenge now is to keep moving forward next week."

Virginia's win served as a simple gesture. For one night -- on the field and in the stands -- all was well in Charlottesville.

Virginia quarterback Marc Verica threw for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Prior to Verica's first-quarter touchdown strike to wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, the Cavaliers had not recorded a score through the air this season.

"Marc stepped up tonight great; you know, we were kind of shocked the way he played tonight," Virginia tailback Mikell Simpson said. "For him being in his third start and him picking up for the team, you know we've been struggling on offense, to put the game together completely, we've got a lot of confidence in him."

Simpson finished with 77 yards on 14 carries, but the production of another running back encouraged Groh. Cedric Peerman returned to the lineup after sitting out the loss at Duke while recovering from a lingering knee injury and picked up 110 yards on 17 carries.

Likewise, the university's prevailing judgment made an equal difference in the mood of its fan base. Scott Stadium officials used to check each homemade sign at the front gates to ensure its point was not critical of Groh or his beleaguered squad. Then the university banned signs at the stadium altogether.

On Thursday, the university relented. Signs would be allowed once again at Scott Stadium, no matter the tone they carried.

In black marker, Vita prepared his sign: "Thank goodness for the (Thomas Jefferson) Center for the Protection of Free Expression located in . . . Charlottesville."

Upon his arrival, Vita strolled into the stadium, past the same officials who previously would have inspected his crafted possession. The unfettered joy Vita felt at that moment foreshadowed the evening to come for the Cavaliers and their fans.

"I just walked in today," Vita said. "It was pretty cool."


 

Simply stunning
David Teel
October 5, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

One coach figured to be daring, the other gun-shy. Both went against type Saturday night, setting the stage for one of the most confounding college football results the commonwealth has ever witnessed.

Virginia 31, Maryland 0.

If you saw this coming, you probably expected Vanderbilt to be 5-0 and Tampa Bay to win the American League East.

Virginia lost at Duke last week, for heaven's sake. By 28!

The Cavaliers had been outscored 128-20 in three games against Division I-A opponents. They ranked last nationally in scoring.

In a word, they were awful.

"After we lost to Duke, everybody was down," tailback Mikell Simpson said. "But we came to practice Sunday and everybody put it behind them."

OK, score one for collective amnesia. But a stone-cold knockout of a squad that won at Clemson last week? Please.

Here's how the decisive punch transpired:

The Cavaliers (2-3, 1-1 ACC) led 14-0 late in the second quarter when linebacker Clint Sintim deflected Chris Turner's third-down pass to put the Terps (4-2, 1-1) in fourth-and-3 at the Virginia 40. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen had every reason to be bold.

His Terps were riding a three-game winning streak, two over ranked teams. They needed a spark before intermission, and besides, if they turned the ball over on downs, surely the defense could stuff Virginia's lame offense.

But Friedgen opted to punt, and Vic Hall's fair catch gave the Cavaliers possession at their 12 with 4:12 remaining.

With 1:00 left, they faced fourth-and-inches at their 49.

Convention dictated a punt. Be happy with a two-score lead and head to the locker room.

But if ever a team needed to know its coach believed in them.

"The thought was, 'Don't overcoach this, just give the game to the players,' " Groh said.

In the huddle, left tackle Eugene Monroe jumped up-and-down and head-butted fullback Rashawn Jackson, whose subsequent 2-yard plunge sustained the drive.

"It was so emotional," Monroe said. "Any time you have fourth-and-short, as an offensive lineman you want to go for it and push the defenders out of the way."

Five plays later, all completed passes, Marc Verica — you sure that wasn't Matt Schaub? — lofted the ball to a silly open Kevin Ogletree in the left corner of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead.

About a half-hour later, in real time, Friedgen ordered an onside kick to begin the second half. Sorry, Ralph, too late to get cute.

Obi Egekeze darn near whiffed the kick, and Virginia took over at Maryland's 49. The Cavaliers converted with a 32-yard Yannick Reyering field goal.

Virginia led 24-nil. It was over.

Bolstered by the return of tailback Cedric Peerman from a knee injury, Virginia rushed for 201 yards, just 10 fewer than it totaled in the season's first four games combined. After turning the ball over 14 times in those four games, the Cavaliers committed none Saturday.

Reversals don't come any more complete.

"I don't think I've felt this good since (beating) Maryland last year," offensive tackle Will Barker said.

Revived as Virginia's offense was, the defense was just as good. Sintim and Antonio Appleby were stout against the run, and cornerback Ras-I Dowling showed the shut-down ability he flashed last season as a freshman.

Book it: Dowling's a future pro. He suffocated Maryland's best player, Darrius Heyward-Bey, who did not catch a pass, and late in the third quarter he separated Danny Oquendo from his senses with a hit that brought the crowd to its feet.

The announced attendance of 50,727 was nearly 11,000 shy of capacity and more than 14,000 less than the season opener against Southern California. So it goes when you've lost your last two games by a combined 76-13 and folks are wondering if the head coach will survive.

Now the conversation changes. Perhaps briefly. Perhaps permanently.

Given Saturday's result, why bother guessing which?

The nation's worst offense? Not anymore.

A five-game I-A losing streak that dated to November? Snapped.

The humiliation of Duke? Not forgotten but certainly soothed.

The needless dust-up over whether fans could bring signs into the game? Irrelevant on a night when no one could utter a disparaging word.

 

Vanquished in Va.
Cavaliers enjoy uncommon wealth of points in win over UM
By Jeff Barker
October 5, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Certainly, Ralph Friedgen had known this could happen, perhaps even dreaded it.

"I've got butterflies," the Maryland coach had said two days before last night's football game against Virginia, a two-touchdown underdog.

Three hours before the contest began, Friedgen's wife, Gloria, had stood nervously in the lobby of the team hotel talking about how she had pre-game jitters and needed an Advil.

She couldn't have known just how much.
The Terrapins all needed pain relievers after previously punchless Virginia stifled Maryland's offense and embarrassed its defense with long scoring drives in a 31-0 Cavaliers victory.

Angry and frustrated afterward, Friedgen said he had preached to the players all week that they could lose. "Some guys have got to drive it or park it," he said.

Friedgen said some players at halftime tried to rally the Terps but that others seemed unresponsive and "still had that distant stare." It was the most lopsided game in the rivalry since 2002 and the first time Maryland had been shut out since a 16-0 loss at Virginia in 2004.

Virginia's sophomore quarterback, Marc Verica, using shovel passes, screens and draws to neutralize Maryland's pressure, threw touchdown passes to junior Kevin Ogletree of 51 and 15 yards as the Cavaliers took a 21-0 halftime lead. They stretched it to 31-0 in the third quarter as Maryland's best scoring opportunity ended when tight end Dan Gronkowski fumbled after a 23-yard reception on the Virginia 39-yard line.

It's hard to overstate how gruesome the loss was for the Terps.

Maryland (4-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) entered on a three-game winning streak that allowed the Terps and their fans to imagine almost limitless possibilities and to attract scouts from prestigious bowl games.

Orange Bowl scouts were in the Scott Stadium press box last night, and they weren't there to watch Virginia, which entered the game 1-3.

But it was Virginia, not Maryland, that played last night as if it were playing for the postseason.

Senior defensive back Kevin Barnes dressed slowly after the game and said he was trying to determine why the Terps are so wildly inconsistent - beating nationally ranked opponents one week and losing to underdogs the next.

"I just can't put my finger on it. It's been like this since I've been here the past five years. I'm not sure what it is. It's something we definitely have to work out and fight through."

In four previous games, Virginia had no touchdown passes. The Cavaliers had been outscored 128-36 after losing, 31-3, last weekend at Duke. Virginia's play was so poor that the university's president had even been interviewed about it by the local media.

But Virginia held the ball for long stretches last night, keeping Maryland's offense off the field. Verica was 17-for-20 for 178 yards in the first half alone. He also ran for a touchdown, dodging an onrushing Dean Muhtadi and racing around right end for 5 yards to cap a 12-play, 75 yard second-quarter drive.

That play was emblematic of Maryland's defense, which missed numerous tackles near or behind the line.

When Maryland tried to come back in the third quarter, it could hold the ball for only five minutes - half as long as the Cavaliers.

By then, the only remaining mystery was whether the Terps would score. Many in the announced crowd of 50,727 began leaving the stadium with five minutes remaining.

The loss was all the more demoralizing for the Terps because Virginia is what passes for Maryland's "rivalry" game. The Terps have 11 players on their roster from Virginia and have successfully recruited in the Hampton Roads area. Virginia has eight Marylanders on its team.

As the game wore on, Friedgen and offensive coordinator James Franklin seemed determined to try to find a spark. They ran freshman running back Davin Meggett in the first half, and he gained 19yards on three carries.

They tried running back Da'Rel Scott at receiver on a third-down play. They inserted Josh Portis for several plays at quarterback. They had Obi Egekeze try an onside kick to open the second half, but the attempt failed.

Friedgen said Egekeze "kicks that thing perfectly in practice." But he seemed to barely graze the ball this time.

"It didn't even go 5 yards," said Barnes, who described being knocked woozy by a helmet-to-helmet collision but said he couldn't leave the game because the secondary is already depleted by injuries.

The loss ensures the Terps will spend their bye week talking - again - about why they seem to let down when they are favored, particularly on the road.

The Terps lost at Middle Tennessee State 24-14, in Week2. They had seemed to expel those demons by winning the next three games, including an upset of Clemson last week.

"We're up some weeks and down some weeks," quarterback Chris Turner said. "We need to be more consistent."

 

CAVALIERS CAN DO
October 5, 2008 12:16 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

The crowd of 50,727 that showed up at Scott Stadium last night had to wonder where this University of Virginia football team had been all season.

The Cavaliers' defense was stifling. Their offense was explosive, and they stormed to a dominating 31-0 victory over Atlantic Coast Conference rival Maryland.

The ease of the victory was stunning considering that the Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC) entered the contest on a three-game winning streak, including triumphs over ranked foes California and Clemson, while Virginia supporters were wondering if this would be head coach Al Groh's final season.

But last night Groh's Cavaliers (2-3, 1-1) were efficient offensively after spending much of this season weighed down by woes on that side of the ball.

They entered the game last in the nation in points per game (9.0) and next-to-last in yards per contest (251.2).

They had lost five straight games to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents dating back to last season.

This year, they'd been outscored 128-20 by FBS foes, including a 31-3 loss to a Duke team that had dropped 25 straight ACC games.

But an entirely different team was on display last night.

Quarterback Marc Verica (25-of-34, 226 yards, two touchdowns) was crisp in the third start of his career, throwing two touchdown passes to junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree (five receptions, 100 yards) and running for another score in the first half alone.

Running back Cedric Peerman rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown after missing last week's contest against Duke. Peerman's rushing total was 14 more than he had in the three games he had participated in combined.

Virginia led 21-0 at halftime. It was reminiscent of the 20-0 halftime lead it surrendered against the Terrapins in a 28-26 loss in 2006.

But there would be no Maryland heroics this time around, thanks to a superb defensive effort from the Cavaliers. They held Terrapins star wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey without a catch in their second shutout of the season.

Virginia's offense wasn't outdone.

With 2:41 left in the first quarter, Verica found Ogletree in stride for a 51-yard touchdown pass--the first score through the air for the Cavaliers this season.

But there was more to come from Verica.

He added a 5-yard touchdown run on a third-and-2 play with 10:14 left in the second quarter. He outraced Maryland defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi to the right corner of the end zone on that play.

Then, with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter, he hooked up with Ogletree on a 15-yard touchdown pass that gave Virginia a 20-0 lead. Kicker Yannick Reyering added the extra point to provide the halftime advantage.

The 12-play, 88-yard march featured some boldness from Groh, who decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches from Virginia's 49-yard line.

Fullback Rashawn Jackson picked up two yards on the play, setting up Ogletree's second score.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Terrapins managed to get inside Virginia's 10-yard line after wide receiver Isaiah Williams hauled in a Chris Turner pass and flipped it to Heyward-Bey, who was finally brought down as time expired. The Cavaliers were called for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play, and the 15-yard penalty was enforced on the opening second-half kickoff.

The Terrapins attempted an onside kick to start the third quarter, but Obi Egekeze's attempt traveled only five of the required 10 yards. The Cavaliers took advantage of the excellent field position. Peerman picked up 35 yards on one running play, and four plays later Reyering connected on a 32-yard field goal to give Virginia a 24-0 lead.

Virginia increased its lead to 31-0 on a 9-yard touchdown run from Peerman in the third quarter.

 

Mosley snags fumble
By Bart Isley
Published: October 4, 2008

Virginia safety Corey Mosley, who has made a name for himself as a hard-hitter in Virginia’s practices, made a heady fumble recovery against Maryland in the third quarter.

The redshirt freshman from Henrico High in Richmond pounced on a loose ball that eventually led to a Cedric Peerman touchdown run that put Virginia up 31-0.

“That was my first one and I got excited,” Mosley said. “My teammates got on me though and told me I should’ve picked it up and ran. Next time I’m picking it up and hopefully I’m taking it to the endzone.”

Injury breakdown

Three Cavaliers were left on the sideline nursing injuries. Usual starting left guard Zach Stair, with a banged up right knee banged up, was moving slowly on the sidelines. Tight end Joe Torchia’s left arm was in sling and running back Keith Payne had a cast on his left hand and added a sling before kick-off.

Austin Pasztor, a 310-pound freshman out of Fork Union Military Academy, started for Virginia at left guard in place of Stair. The two were listed as either/or starters on a pregame two-deep depth chart.

Scholarship awarded

Between the first and second quarter, Bob Olderman’s family’s scholarship, sponsored by Olderman’s uncle Mike Walters — a retired Coca-Cola executive — was officially awarded to Virginia swimmer Mei Christensen, the first recipient of the award. Olderman, an Atlanta native, was a left guard and All-ACC honoree for the 1984 Peach Bowl-winning squad who died of Castleman’s disease, a rare form of lymphoma.

Host of Hoos honored

Virginia alumni Don Slesnick and John Crotty, members of Orange Bowl committee, were also recognized during a break in the first quarter. Crotty, who is now a color analyst for the Miami Heat’s broadcasting network after an 11-year NBA career, is still the Cavaliers all-time career assists leader, after playing from 1987-1991.

Slesnick is the mayor of Coral Gables, Fla. who graduated from Virginia in 1965. He practices law in Florida while serving as mayor and also maintains a farm here in Central Virginia.

The 2008 ACC champion women’s lacrosse team were also honored at halftime. The Cavaliers rallied to a win in the ACC semifinal and again in the final. Goalie Kendall McBrearty, Ashley McCulloch and ACC coach of the year Julie Myers led the Cavaliers’ championship squad.

Among those in attendance, former kicker and punter Chris Gould, Chris Long and Somdev Devvarman. Devvarman and Long hoisted the Power of Orange flag in the Cavaliers’ newest pregame tradition, started at this season’s opener against Southern Cal.