Virginia smashes Indiana
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 11, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A season that started in neutral has been sent into overdrive.

On display at Scott Stadium yesterday was Jameel Sewell making split-second decisions on throws, Mikell Simpson kicking into another gear while finding big holes, and the defense blitzing the quarterback, bringing him down seemingly as soon as he caught the snap.

The result was a 47-7 blowout against Indiana -- the Cavaliers' first home victory of the season.

Virginia's defense pitched a shutout until the game's final minutes, harassing Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell and forcing the Hoosiers to run the football, one of the team's weaknesses.

On offense, it appears the pieces of the puzzle are finally in place, with Sewell throwing for 308 yards, Simpson rushing for 83 yards and four touchdowns before leaving with an injury, and Vic Hall leading the receiving corps.

By the time the Wahoos had put up their 30th point going into halftime, it became clear that the Indiana defense was not ready for the quick-throw attack that Sewell and his receivers unleashed. Perhaps just as important, the offense has gone two weeks without a turnover.

"Our players have become very aware of the impact that has on games," coach Al Groh said. "It certainly had an impact on some of our early games in the wrong direction -- and it's been beneficial here."

Creating the first takeaway was cornerback Ras-I Dowling. The sophomore struggled at times early in the season, but returned to all-ACC form by shutting down Indiana's potent passing game.

The Hoosiers appeared to be headed to an easy first touchdown when Dowling wrestled the ball from receiver Mitchell Evans after a completion. Rodney McLeod picked up the fumble and carried it back into Hoosier territory.

"We were already hyped coming out of the locker room," McLeod said. "We had the mentality that we were going to come out and strike first."

McLeod's injured knee flared up on the play, but he was able to get the injury under control and finish the game.

When the second quarter opened, Dowling struck again with an interception, this one caused when Zane Parr, the team's fourth defensive lineman and one who sees occasional action, hurried the quarterback.

For Parr, the challenge is to stay ready on the sideline for the occasional third-down play where he'll have to come in at full speed.

"It's the guys around me," he said. "Everybody is hyped up and ready to make a physical play, so they get me hyped up."

Along with Parr, another sophomore had a breakout game on defense. Linebacker Cam Johnson was in on several blitzes and also tipped a pass by Chappell early in the game.

Complementing the Cavaliers' shutdown defense was a highlight-reel offense.

Indiana's quick defensive ends were contained, with Landon Bradley rebounding from allowing three sacks last week to help create holes for Simpson. He credited the receivers for pitching in to help out on downfield blocks.

"Everybody was blocking," he said. "Even Jameel threw a few blocks down there."

Aggressive football was the name of the game. When Simpson wasn't running, Sewell was making quick throws to avoid sacks, instead of the scrambling he did early in the season.

On defense, the Cavaliers' third-down blitz was a tactic the Hoosiers couldn't answer.

"We've got a lot of confidence right now," Hall said. "It feels great, but we've got to keep pushing."



 

White: Notebook from UVa-Indiana Game
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- They turned out in force for Anthony Poindexter on Saturday, former UVa football players who wanted to pay tribute to a man who means so much to the program.
Among those who gathered near the south end zone at Scott Stadium about 30 minutes before kickoff Saturday afternoon were Aaron Brooks, Wali Rainer, Shannon Taylor, Adrian Burnim, Billy Baber, Fontel Mines, Angelo Crowell, Marquis Weeks, Art Thomas, Deyon Williams and Maurice Covington.
George Welsh was there, too, as well as former UVa assistant coaches Danny Wilmer and Art Markos.
Poindexter, now the Cavaliers' secondary coach, was a two-time All-America at safety for UVa in the '90s, and his alma mater retired his jersey Saturday. What followed the ceremony -- Virginia's 47-7 rout of Indiana -- made the day that much more special to Poindexter.
He wasn't available for comment after the game, but his boss, Al Groh, talked about Poindexter.
"We're very happy for Anthony," Groh said. "One of the great players in Virginia history. [Poindexter's wife, Kim] and I were talking about it on the way in here. It's such a great thing for him.
"Over a period of time, had [the game] not turned out positively for us, I'm sure it would have been a memorable day for Anthony and his family. But Anthony is so about the team that it would have been hard to get him to feel positive about it today.
"He's about the future, and he's about the team, and he appreciates deeply the recognition."
Vic Hall, whose latest position is wide receiver, still plays defensive back in passing situations. Hall was part of a secondary that played superbly against Indiana.
"Dex is one of the greatest players in Virginia football history," Hall said, "and to come back and coach his alma mater, coach the position that he played and to be able to come out here on the day that he was enshrined into the legends' walk and be able to have a win like this, it's not only great for the team and the fans, but I know personally he took that as something that he can really appreciate, and I'm just glad for him that it happened that way."
SPECIAL GUESTS: UVa men's basketball players raised the Power of Orange flag before the game. They were clad, not surprisingly, in orange sweatshirts.
Tony Bennett's team begins practice this week.
HISTORY REPEATING: In 2006 and again in '07, quarterback Jameel Sewell played better late in the season than he had early. In 2008, he was out of school serving an academic suspension, so his struggles in UVa's first two games this year were perhaps to be expected.
"But he's had three positive outings here now, and he seems to be finding that rhythm that he found when we went on that winning streak in '07," Groh said Saturday night. "With three of them now, we can begin to think that maybe we're going in that direction."
Sewell completed 20 of 30 passes for 308 yards and one touchdown against Indiana. He wasn't intercepted.
"We wanted to be very aggressive with the ball," Groh said. "What we could see is that if we just turned it into a trench fight, they had some pretty tough, rugged kids that were hard to knock out of there, and we were going to have to be pretty open and diversified in what we were going from the outset. We stuck to that, and clearly when the guys were open, Jameel hit them. All those things, they don't look as spiffy if you overthrow them or underthrow them."
ALUMNI UPDATES: Saturday went well for two former Groh assistants who are now head coaches.
Mike London's Richmond Spiders, the defending champions in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, held off James Madison University in Harrisonburg to move to 3-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association and 5-0 overall.
In Philadelphia, Al Golden's Temple Owls beat Ball State to improve to 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference and 3-2 overall.
Another former Groh assistant, Danny Rocco, is head coach at Liberty. The Flames (3-2 overall) were off Saturday.
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE: Rodney McLeod is one of the team's faster players, so UVa fans understandably thought a touchdown might be coming when the sophomore safety recovered a fumble forced by cornerback Ras-I Dowling on the game's first series.
Alas, McLeod was clearly laboring as he ran along the Indiana sideline, and he was dragged down after a 32-yard return.
"It's my knee," McLeod said. "I hurt it a couple weeks ago. It's not 100 percent yet."
The injury kept McLeod out of Virginia's game at North Carolina last weekend, but he played Saturday and made three tackles.
JACK OF ALL TRADES: Senior running back Rashawn Jackson is an excellent blocker, but that's not his only talent. Jackson rushed eight times for 73 yards and caught three passes for 45 yards Saturday.
"He's one of our real-good all-purpose players," Groh said.
Asked about Virginia's 40-point margin of victory, Jackson said, "You never really envision blowouts. For me, at least, and the Cavalier team, we just envision the next play and perfecting the next play to the best of our ability.
"Things are just paying off. We've been practicing really hard, and it's obviously coming to life out there on the field, and I'm very grateful to be in this position."
THE LIST GROWS: Linebacker Tucker Windle and offensive tackle Oday Aboushi played against Indiana, bringing to 12 the number of true freshmen Groh has used this season.
One of those first-year players, tailback Dominique Wallace, suffered a season-ending football injury in UVa's third game. He's expected to receive a medical harship waiver and thus would get this year of eligibility back.
UP NEXT: Virginia (1-0, 2-3) plays Maryland (1-1, 2-4) next weekend in College Park. ESPNU will televise the 4 p.m. game Saturday.
Maryland lost at Wake Forest on Saturday night.
The Cavaliers have won two straight over the Terrapins, who lead the series 41-30-2.

 

Virginia pounds IU on the ground
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 11, 2009

There’s absolutely no truth to the rumor that Craig Littlepage filed an application for Virginia to become members of the Big Ten late Saturday night.

The Cavaliers’ athletic director might have been tempted after watching UVa do easily what Big Ten powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan couldn’t — blow out Indiana.

Behind its most explosive offensive attack in five years, Virginia pounded the visiting Hoosiers, 47-7 before the smallest crowd at Scott Stadium in a decade, 45,371. After a rocky 0-3 start, coach Al Groh’s Cavs won their second straight, while Indiana dropped its third straight to stand at 3-3.

Meet might with might

Groh anticipated his team’s most physical test thus far from Indiana, but it was the Cavaliers who did all the pounding, piling up 536 yards of total offense, the most by a UVa team since 2004 (549 vs. UNC). Not too shabby considering that ninth-ranked Ohio State only managed 378 yards, while then-top 25 Michigan had 372.

Meanwhile, the defense produced its second consecutive stout performance, shutting out the Hoosiers until the final eight minutes of the game. Up until that point, Indiana had only two drives beyond UVa’s 30-yard line, with neither producing any points.

Word on the street was that the visitors might be vulnerable to the pass and fifth-year senior quarterback Jameel Sewell found his rhythm, completing 20 of 30 passes to eight different receivers for 308 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Senior running back Mikell Simpson took care of the other TDs, becoming the first ACC back to rush for four scores in a game this season before being carted off the field with a neck injury late in the third quarter.

“We wanted to be very aggressive with the ball early,” Groh said. “What we could see that if you turned it into a trench fight, they had some pretty tough kids that were hard to knock out of there and that we were going to have to be pretty open and diversified from the outset.”

Speed kills

While Indiana wasn’t quite the stereotypical plodding Big Ten team — three yards and a cloud of dust — it was evident that the Hoosiers struggled against a speedier group of Cavaliers.

Sewell and Simpson found the same form as the best year of their career, 2007, when they led Virginia to a rare nine-win season and Gator Bowl appearance. Sewell was near flawless and his receiving corps, led by Mr. Everything Vic Hall, stepped up to provide big plays all afternoon long.

The offense that struggled to avoid shooting itself in the foot the first few weeks of the season was loaded with magic on Saturday.

Virginia recorded eight plays of at least 20 yards in the game, a rare sight in recent years around Wahoo football.

For the second straight week, the Cavaliers reaped the benefits of playing no-turnover football and instead capitalized on opponents’ mistakes. Two of UVa’s first three scores were set up by a strip sack by corner Ras-I Dowling and fumble return by Rodney McLeod, and later an interception by Dowling as Virginia stunned Indiana with a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Groh didn’t like his team’s toughness after the 0-3 start and began to strongly emphasize how it needed to improve in that phase of the game. The Cavaliers responded with a physical win at North Carolina last week, beating the Tar Heels 16-3 after entering that game a two-touchdown underdog.

A one-touchdown favorite on Saturday, Virginia dominated Indiana from wire to wire.

On a day when Anthony Poindexter, one of the greatest defensive players in Wahoo history, had his jersey retired, the Cavaliers played his brand of physical football, limiting the Hoosiers to 82 yards on the ground and only 272 yards of total offense.

Meanwhile, UVa’s much-maligned offensive line got its act together and opened gaping holes in the Hoosiers’ defense as Simpson gained 83 yards and Rashawn Jackson another 73 on the ground.

One of the big raps against the Cavaliers recently was that they couldn’t run the football. During the 0-3 start, they mustered a meager 266 yards on the ground.

Against the Hoosiers, they accumulated 231 yards rushing, the most by a UVa team since putting up 249 against Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl, capping off the 2007 season.

“We’re continuing to find things that could fit out players,” Groh said of his

O-line. “We had some success today with a play that has been quite good for us over the years that accounted for an appreciable amount of yardage and some touchdowns. As we always say, those holes look pretty good when the guys are moving them out of the way and the line did a really good job.”

Indiana coach Bill Lynch made no excuses for his team being manhandled and overwhelmed by the Cavaliers.

“UVa is a very good football team and much better than people think,” the Hoosiers coach said. “Their win in Chapel Hill last weekend started it, and I thought they played great today. They blocked us all day today and we had trouble staying on the field.”

Indiana converted 6 of 16 third downs against UVa, the nation’s eighth-best team in third down efficiency defense.

“They have a lot of weapons on offense and they are a very good defensive football team,” Lynch said. “They physically got after us and beat us on both sides of the ball.”

Until Indiana scored midway through the final quarter, the Cavaliers had held their opponents out of the end zone for the previous 119 minutes, 43 seconds, since a 57-yard scoring run by Southern Miss back Tory Harrison in the fourth quarter of that game.

“Our team has clearly taken another step down the road of progress,” said Groh. “There’s a long way to go yet. We haven’t gotten to the halfway mark of the season, so the challenge is to keep the progress moving forward.”

It was a good day for the embattled UVa coach. His team won its second in a row and he celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary with wife, Anne, whom he met while coaching at the U.S. Military Academy with Bill Parcells.

Could it be that we’re witnessing another run that Groh has managed to put together when things appeared to be at their worst?

“We know the challenge next week is always one of our biggest challenges each year,” Groh said of next Saturday’s trip to Maryland.

One step at a time.
 

‘Dex’ gets his due from UVa
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 11, 2009

Anthony Poindexter cracked earlier in the week that he was more concerned with keeping his players focused on beating Indiana than on having his jersey retired in Saturday’s pregame ceremonies.

“It’s still a working day for me,” said Poindexter, perhaps the greatest defensive back in UVa history.

Now the Cavaliers’ secondary coach, Poindexter was surrounded by former teammates and coaches, related family and members of the UVa football family as his No. 3 jersey was retired.

After a brief ceremony, Poindexter trotted back into the Cavaliers’ locker room and obviously managed to keep his defense focused as they nearly pitched a shutout in a lopsided 47-7 rout of visiting Indiana.

“We’re very happy for Anthony, one of the great players in Virginia history,” said coach Al Groh after the win. “Had it not turned out positively for us today, I’m sure it would have been a memorable day for Anthony and his family. But Anthony is so about the team, that it would have been hard for him to have felt positive about it. He appreciates deeply the recognition.”

One of only two Cavaliers to have been named two-time All-Americans (1997-98), Poindexter said this week that he’s recognized more in the community because of his wife (Kimberly) and three children (Morocca, Anthony Jr., and Chloe), and that he wasn’t even sure that his players even knew his jersey was being retired because he hadn’t told them.

“He is a really good coach and a great guy,” said fifth-year senior Rashawn Jackson, who worked closely with Poindexter when he coached UVa’s running backs. “He was a great player here and everyone knows what he did on the field. We aspire to play as physical as he played and as smart and fast as he played. I tip my hat to him and everything he has done for Virginia and I am thankful for the role he has had in my career.”

Poindexter said during the week that he was humbled by the honor and wasn’t concerned that it took the school so long to make the recognition.

“This place opened doors in my life that probably wouldn’t have opened otherwise,” Poindexter said. “This place is home for me, home for my wife and kids. It’s a lot of things to me, not just coaching. That’s why I want to give a lot to it. I try to do my best for this place every day.”
 

Dowling makes his presence felt
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 11, 2009

Coming into this season, Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling had been touted as a guy with NFL potential. But through the first few weeks, that potential was barely visible — especially after subpar outings in home losses to William & Mary and TCU.

However, Dowling’s play has been steadily improving, and on Saturday afternoon at Scott Stadium, the junior from Chesapeake put on a show for the home fans.

Dowling had an interception, a sack and a forced fumble in Virginia’s 47-7 thrashing of Indiana.

“I feel like I wasn’t playing as well in the beginning of the season,” Dowling said. “There was no reason. Some players have their ups and downs.

“I still have things to work on, so we’ll look at the film and see what we can make better.”

Against Indiana, Dowling immediately helped set the defensive tone. On Indiana’s first possession of the game, Dowling ripped the ball away from Hoosiers receiver Terrance Turner after a short completion. Virginia safety Rodney McLeod picked it up and raced 32 yards to the Indiana 32-yard line.

“Coach [Al] Groh preached ball disruption all week,” Dowling said, “so I had an opportunity and took advantage of it.”

“It did two things,” added Groh, referring to Dowling’s takeaway. ““It established, for the defensive players, that this was going to be another good physical game for us.

“And it obviously created the type of momentum play and field position that let us get on top.”

Dowling’s interception, which came in the second quarter, paved the way for a 21-0 Virginia lead. The pick was Dowling’s first of the season and sixth of his career.

Later in the second quarter, on a 3rd-and-3, Dowling zoomed around the left side of the Hoosiers line on a blitz and crushed quarterback Ben Chappell with a vicious blind-side hit.

“This kid has really prepared diligently, literally since the last day of the season last year,” Groh said. “He probably didn’t get [the season] off with as big a bang as he would have hoped for, or perhaps as his preparation would lead us to expect, but he really has [come on].’ He was mentally strong enough to say, ‘I’m going to do better,’ and he really has.”

Mr. Versatility

Senior Vic Hall’s first-quarter touchdown reception was the first of his career. Hall has now scored touchdowns three different ways in his career via interception, reception and rushing. Hall finished the game with a team-high six catches for 85 yards.

“Clearly, he’s a really significant athlete,” Groh said. “What hasn’t Vic done?”

High marks

In a timeout near the end of the first half, Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage accepted a trophy during an on-field presentation in recognition of UVa finishing eighth in the 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup competition.

It tied the school’s best-ever finish. Virginia, which was also eighth in 1999, finished 17th last year. It was the school’s 16th consecutive top-30 finish in the competition, which ranks the best overall athletic programs.

Stanford was No. 1 in this year’s standings, followed by North Carolina, Florida, Southern Cal, Michigan, Texas, California and UVa.

Extra points

Junior Dontrelle Inman mades his first start at wide receiver since the 2008 season opener against USC. Inman had one catch for 21 yards. ... Wide receiver Kris Burd’s 31-yard reception in the first quarter bested his career-high reception of 29 yards at Southern Miss on Sept. 19. ... Virginia scored touchdowns on its opening two drives for the first time since defeating Pittsburgh, 44-14, in Scott Stadium on Sept. 29, 2007. ... UVa led Indiana 14-0 after the first quarter, marking the first time they have accomplished the feat against an opponent since leading 14-0 at Miami on Nov. 10, 2007. ... The Cavaliers shut out an opponent in the opening half for the first time since Nov. 10, 2007 at Miami.
 

Simpson, Cavs slam Hoosiers
The Daily Progress/Andrew Shurtleff
Virginia running back Mikell Simpson (5) tries to break the tackle of Indiana linebacker Will Patterson during the Cavaliers’ win.
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 10, 2009

For the first time in a year, the fans that spilled out early from Scott Stadium did so with a smile.

In one of its most dominant performances in the past decade, Virginia dismantled Indiana, 47-7, winning its first home game since last October.

It started on defense. It carried over to offense. Even the team’s once-shaky special teams unit chipped in.

“We were getting tired of losing,” Virginia running back Rashawn Jackson said. “We were 0-3 and it was pretty tough. We could either tuck our tails or we could bark and bite back.

“Obviously, we have guys that are willing to bark and bite back. It is going be a hell of a a ride this season.”

With the lopsided victory, Virginia improved to 2-3 and has its first winning streak since the 2008 campaign. Indiana, which opened the season with three wins, fell to 3-3.

Despite the impressive showing, one that included 29 first downs and 536 yards of total offense, the mood was toned down for Virginia following the game.

With 6:38 left in the third quarter, Virginia running back Mikell Simpson was tackled by Indiana linebacker Will Patterson. He rolled over onto his back following the play.

He stayed motionless for minutes, eventually being placed on a spine board and into a motorized cart to be removed from the stadium. As he left, Simpson lifted his thumb into the air, drawing cheers of the crowd of 45,731.

Simpson was responsive while he was on the ground, teammates said.

“I was talking to him the whole time so I wasn’t too worried about it,” Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell said. “Once they brought the cart out I kinda got worried and I walked back over there to keep talking to him.

“He was talking to me and everybody else and I think he will be fine. I just can’t wait to get him back.”

A Virginia spokesperson said after the game that Simpson was treated for a neck injury at the University of Virginia Medical Center and was released. He will be re-evaluated by a UVa team physician later this week.

Simpson had spearheaded Virginia’s offensive attack, rushing 15 times for 83 yards. He also reached the end zone four times, becoming the first Cavalier to register four rushing touchdowns since Wali Lundy accomplished the feat in 2005 against Temple.

The scoring spree started early for the Cavaliers, who scored on their first two possessions with relative ease.

Simpson darted into the end zone from five yards out with 12:06 left in the opening quarter, capping a four-play, 38-yard drive.

The drive started in Indiana territory after Virginia safety Rodney McLeod scooped up a fumble at the Cavalier 30 and returned it 32 yards.

“I think that definitely set the tone as well just coming out and getting after them,” McLeod said. “That was definitely a tone-setter for the team.”

The second score, which gave UVa a 14-0 lead, came through the air - Sewell connected with wideout Vic Hall for a 21-yard touchdown. It was the first receiving score of Hall’s career.

“It was good to see him get in that end zone. I know he wanted it,” said Sewell, who totaled 308 yards on 20-of-30 passing. “We got the same look like we got in practice — we knew that the corner was going to crash that post and Vic was just wide open, and I just tried to get it out to him quick and he just ran with it.

“Once he caught it, he worked his magic and got in that end zone.”

Hall, who finished with six receptions for a team-best 85 yards, said it was special to score on a pass from his close friend.

“It was big for me. I felt my first career touchdown catch … who else would I want it to be from than him?” Hall said. “It was just great. I had confidence I was going to get in there one way or another.”

The Cavaliers scored three more times in the opening half and pushed the lead to 30-0 at the intermission.

The final score came on a 37-yard field goal from Robert Randolph with just 4 seconds left after near-perfect clock management.

“That was really significant,” Groh said. “We were pretty much going away at that particular point — 21-0 is a nice lead at the half, but we have overcome those ourselves.”

Despite the huge lead, Virginia’s players and coaches stressed continued execution in the third quarter. The Cavaliers amassed 129 yards of total offense and nine more first downs and scored a pair of touchdowns in the period.

“The players, they took it on themselves to do this. They felt very challenged to come out in the third quarter and play real good football,” Groh said. “We clearly did that. That was one of the more positive things of the day.”

Virginia added a 31-yard field goal from Randolph from 31 yards out with 9:20 left to push the lead to 47-0 as reserve players littered the field for the Cavaliers.

Indiana, which managed just 272 yards of total offense, finally scored as Bryan Payton took a 12-yard carry into the end zone.

“I wanted the shutout bad,” Virginia linebacker Steve Greer said. “It was a little frustrating.”

Having completed non-league play at 1-3, Virginia will face ACC foes the remainder of the season. The Cavaliers travel to Maryland at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 

Senior workhorse injured after 4-touchdown afternoon
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 10, 2009

Just about the only negative from Virginia’s impressive win over Indiana on Saturday was the injury to running back Mikell Simpson, which harkened back memories of the one to former Cavalier safety Nate Lyles in 2005.

Simpson, after a routine running play in the third quarter, needed to be carried off the field on a spine board.

“We are sombered somewhat by Mikell’s situation,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “We don’t have anything definitive on him, but we do feel positive…about his long-term situation.”

Groh would only say that Simpson’s injury was “from the shoulders up.” Simpson’s teammates seemed optimistic that he, like Lyles, would be OK.

According to a UVa release, Simpson was treated for a neck injury at University of Virginia Medical Center and was released.

Before leaving the game, Simpson was electric. The senior from Harrisburg, Pa., tore up the Hoosiers’ defense to the tune of 149 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.

It was Simpson’s first multi-rushing touchdown game since notching two scores against Virginia Tech in 2007. Simpson’s three rushing scores were the most by a UVa player in a game since Wali Lundy had four versus Temple in 2005.

“Mikell had a hell of a game,” said Virginia right tackle Will Barker. “Unfortunately, he went down, but it sounds like everything’s going to be OK with him.”

Simpson finished the game with a team-high 83 yards rushing on 15 carries, and four catches or 66 yards.

Simpson’s first score came on Virginia’s first possession, following an Indiana turnover. Simpson scampered into paydirt to give Virginia the early lead.

Midway through the second quarter, Simpson hooked up with quarterback Jameel Sewell through the air, taking a short pass from Sewell and rumbling 37 yards — the longest reception of his career — down to the Indiana 5-yard-line.

On the next play, Simpson had another 5-yard touchdown run to put Virginia up 20-0. Later, Simpson scored on a 3-yard run to propel UVa to a 27-0 lead.

Simpson’s final tally came on Virginia’s first possession of the second half when he scored from 1 yard out, just after he had hammered the ball six yards down to the Hoosiers’ goal line.

“He had a great game,” Barker said. “We know every time he goes out there, he’s going to try his [butt] off. He really came to compete today.”
 

CAVS GET 'SCENT,' PLOW HOOSIERS
October 11, 2009 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--After Virginia junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling intercepted a pass from Indiana's Ben Chappell in the second quarter yesterday, Cavaliers safety Brandon Woods encouraged the Scott Stadium crowd of 45,371 to make some noise.

It grudgingly obliged.

But after the Cavaliers' dominant 47-7 nonconference home victory over the Hoosiers, the Virginia faithful may have no other choice than to embrace the 2009 team and embattled head coach Al Groh.

Senior running back Mikell Simpson scored four touchdowns before leaving with a neck injury, and the Cavaliers (2-3) racked up 536 total yards to win their second straight game after a 0-3 start, their worst since 1982.

"Once you get that first win, you want to keep getting them," Virginia senior wide receiver Vic Hall said. "It felt great to win last week. This week, we had the scent. We just wanted it bad."

The Cavaliers held Indiana (3-3) scoreless until running back Bryan Payton scored on a 12-yard run against backup defenders with 8:18 left in the game.

Simpson's injury was the only thing that curtailed Virginia's homecoming celebration.

He amassed 149 total yards (83 rushing, 66 receiving) before he was carted off the field with 6:38 left in the third quarter and the Cavaliers leading 37-0.

He was treated and released from the University of Virginia Medical Center after the game and will be evaluated by a team physician this week.

"We do feel positive about his long-term situation," Groh said.

The Cavaliers' long-term prognosis is certainly much better than it was three weeks ago.

The crowd yesterday was the smallest since 1999, but the absentee fans missed a performance for the ages.

The Cavaliers picked up 29 first downs, and their yardage total was the most since they gained 549 in a win over North Carolina in 2004.

Senior quarterback Jameel Sewell completed 20-of-30 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a score.

"We're playing good ball now. We're playing our ball," Sewell said. "We're not doing any finesse things. We're pounding the ball. We're going right at these guys and doing what our O-line likes to do, and that's play physical, allow them to pull, get up-field and knock people off the ball."

And when the Cavaliers weren't pounding the ball yesterday, Sewell carved up the Hoosiers' secondary.

For the second straight week, he connected with eight different receivers.

Hall, who started the season playing quarterback, finished with six catches for 85 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown reception that gave Virginia a 14-0 lead with 9:21 left in the first quarter.

"Somehow, some way, we're just trying to get [No.] 4 the ball," Sewell said. "He's an explosive player when he gets his hand on the ball. He's a big threat. If we can get him the ball in space, we should have positive plays come out of that."

The Cavaliers took a 21-0 lead on Simpson's 5-yard touchdown run that was set up by his 37-yard reception. Simpson added a 3-yard touchdown run and sophomore kicker Robert Randolph booted a 37-yard field goal with four seconds left before halftime to give the Cavaliers a 30-0 advantage at intermission.

Still, Virginia wasn't satisfied.

It opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 64-yard drive that was capped by Simpson's fourth touchdown run, a 1-yard plunge.

"Some of the players were talking about that at halftime--remember this game, remember that game--whether it was games we came from behind or other teams did," Groh said. "We felt very challenged to come out in the third quarter and play real good football. We clearly did that. That was one of the more positive things on the day."

Virginia hopes to continue its momentum when it returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play with a visit to Maryland on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Sewell said it's starting to feel like the 2007 season, when Virginia reeled off seven straight wins.

"We're all locked in and knowing what we're looking for. It's just great to see," he said. "If we can keep it up doing this, we should have a great season."

NOTE

Indiana senior linebacker Justin Carrington, a Liberty High grad, registered five tackles yesterday, including two for loss.

 

Cavs' Simpson hurt on career TD day
By Chris Lancia
Correspondent
October 11, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Mikell Simpson's career-high fourth rushing touchdown was the most by a Virginia player since Wali Lundy had four versus Temple in 2005. The single-game record is five, set by Gene Mayer against Richmond in 1915.

Simpson's four touchdowns are the most by any ACC player this season and most since Hakeem Nicks scored four against Boston College in 2008.

Simpson left the field on a backboard after being injured in the third quarter Saturday, was treated for a neck injury at the University Medical Center and released. He'll follow up with a team physician for further evaluation later in the week.

Retired jersey
Former safety Anthony Poindexter had his No. 3 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony. A two-time All-American and the 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Poindexter is the Cavaliers' defensive backs coach.

He had to be pleased with a defensive backfield that produced two turnovers and helped hold Indiana to just seven points.

"He has to be proud of what he saw today, and I'm glad we were able to play like this for him," said senior Vic Hall. "He was a great player and is a great coach, and it's nice to have this day turn out like this."

Dowling grabs first INT
Ras-I Dowling had the game coaches had been waiting for against Indiana. He grabbed his first interception of the season, forced a fumble and sacked Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell.

Sewell spreads wealth
Quarterback Jameel Sewell connected with eight receivers for the second week in a row. He also registered his second career 300-yard passing game, finishing with 308 yards, and put up the best offensive numbers of his career with 337 yards (he added 29 rushing yards).
 

Hall catches on to position shift
By Chris Lancia
Correspondent
October 11, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Jameel Sewell's performance over the last three games has firmly set his name at the top of the depth chart at quarterback for Virginia.

That leaves the Cavaliers with a problem: where can they get Vic Hall in the game?

It appears they've solved that problem, as Hall played receiver against Indiana on Saturday, pulling down six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Hall had just one career reception coming into the game.

"It's great having him out there, because he's played quarterback and knows the routes, and it seems like he's found his place in the offense," Sewell said.

Hall's touchdown marked another feat for the senior, as he has now scored three ways for the Cavaliers.

In addition to his scoring reception Saturday, he returned an interception for a touchdown against Richmond in 2008 and has run for scores twice (against Virginia Tech in 2008 and William and Mary this season).

"Clearly he is a significant athlete. Whether it's returning punts, playing corner, playing the slot, playing quarterback, when hasn't Vic looked athletic?" said Virginia coach Al Groh. "He's a great competitor who loves the game of football, loves playing for his teammates, and he did a real good job out there as a receiver."

In addition to lining up at receiver, Hall continued to play defense, making one tackle, and lined up in punt-return formations.

"During the week, we practice these situations so that, no matter where I line up, I'm ready," said Hall. "I think today we made great strides in defining what I can do on offense."

Cavs dominant in win, 47-7
Jameel Sewell has a productive day and UVa ends its home losing streak.
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Turns out, U2 was a warm-up act.

On the same field where singer Bono and Co. had wowed their fans nine days earlier, Virginia's football team put on a virtuoso performance of its own Saturday afternoon.

The Cavaliers ended a four-game home losing streak dating back to last season, ringing up 536 yards in total offense and breezing to a 47-7 homecoming triumph over Indiana.

Virginia (2-3) had averaged 272.2 yards in its first four games and was ranked 116th out of 120 Division I-A teams in that category.

The Cavaliers, who now have won 11 of their last 12 games in October, were coming off a 16-3 victory at North Carolina and had gone seven quarters without giving up a touchdown before Indiana (3-2) scored against the UVa reserves with 8:18 remaining.

"UVa is a very good football team and much better than people think," said Indiana coach Bill Lynch, whose Hoosiers fell to 3-3 after a 3-0 start.

"Their win in Chapel Hill last week started it and I thought they played great tonight."

Virginia's offense did not have a turnover for the second game in a row and the Cavaliers' defense forced a pair, none bigger than a 32-yard fumble return on the first two series of the game.

Indiana elected to receive after winning the coin toss and immediately got a break when UVa's Chris Hinkebein kicked the ball out of bounds, the first of two errant kickoffs by Hinkebein, who eventually was replaced in that role.

After getting possession at their 40, the Hoosiers picked up two first quick first downs and faced a second-and-12 from the UVa 32 when quarterback Ben Chappell tossed a flare to his favorite receiver, Brandon Doss.

Doss had possession for only an instant before UVa cornerback Ras-I Dowling stripped the ball from him. Rodney McLeod picked up the ball at the 30 and returned it 32 yards to the Hoosiers' 32.

UVa needed only four plays and 38 seconds to get on the scoreboard on the first of four rushing touchdowns by fifth-year tailback Mikell Simpson.

Virginia had four touchdown drives in the first half, the most time-consuming of which lasted two minutes and 29 seconds.

Two were set up by Dowling, the Cavaliers' lone preseason All-ACC selection. He intercepted a pass that led to a second-quarter UVa touchdown and also recorded a sack on a cornerback blitz.

"This kid has really prepared diligently, literally since the last day of the season last year," UVa coach Al Groh said. "He probably didn't get off with as big a bang as he had hoped for or, perhaps, that his preparation would lead us to expect. He was mentally strong enough to say, 'Hey, I'm going to do better.'"

A Cavalier defense that had ranked 31st in the country held the Hoosiers to 272 yards, but the day belonged to the offense and most notably fifth-year quarterback Jameel Sewell.

Sewell, whose 1-yard touchdown run gave UVa a 44-0 lead with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter, did not play in the final period but passed for 308 yards, completing 20 of his 30 pass attempts.

It was the second 300-yard passing day in three games for Sewell, whose high coming into the season was 288. He missed the 2008 season while on academic suspension.

"We've spoken about this before," Groh said. "In the previous two years, Jameel's seasons started a little slow [in 2006 and 2007] and it took a little while for him to get the rhythm of the game. With a year's absence on top of that this year, that was certainly the case."

Virginia dropped its opener to Division I-AA William and Mary, 26-14, on a night when Sewell was intercepted three times.

"It was definitely frustrating because I don't like the excuse of 'you've been gone from football for a year,' " Sewell said. "I just talked to coach Groh and he stayed with me. The rest of the guys knew I was capable of doing some things that could help."

Sewell's 337 yards in total offense, including 29 on the ground, was a career high.

His leading receiver Saturday was his roommate, Vic Hall, the Cavaliers' starting quarterback in the first game of the season. Hall finished with a team-high six receptions for 85 yards and the first receiving touchdown of his college career.

Simpson finished with 15 carries for 83 yards and was on his way toward a second straight 100-yard rushing day before taking a blow to the back of the head with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter.

He was placed on a body board but raised his right thumb to the crowd as he was wheeled from the stadium.

The announced attendance of 45,371 represented a dropoff from the 48,336 who had witnessed UVa previous home game, Sept. 12, against TCU. That was the smallest crowd at Scott Stadium in 10 years, but Saturday there was none of the acrimony that accompanied a 30-14 loss to the Horned Frogs.

The crowd may have been louder at the U2 concert, "but," said offensive tackle Will Barker, "I'd like to think we put on a pretty good show, too."
 

UVa football: Hall's repertoire is growing
Do-it-all Vic Hall catches his first career touchdown pass for the Cavaliers in Saturday's victory over Indiana.
By Katrina Waugh
981-3127

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As a senior, Vic Hall could be forgiven for finding himself fresh out of firsts.

But Saturday the Virginia safety-quarterback-holder caught his first career touchdown pass, a 21-yarder from Jameel Sewell, as the Cavaliers pounded Indiana 47-7 at Scott Stadium.

Hall has played just about everywhere on the field for the Cavaliers, but didn't line up as a receiver until last week against North Carolina.

Last week he caught his first pass. This week he led the Cavaliers with six catches for 85 yards.

He also had a tackle and held for all eight of Virginia's extra point kicks.

"He's really a significant athlete," said Cavaliers coach Al Groh. "Whether he's returning punts, playing corner, playing the slot, playing quarterback, what hasn't he done for us and he's always looked athletic.

"He's a great competitor who loves the game of football, loves playing for his teammates."

Even back in pee wee ball, Hall admitted, he was mainly a running back. He was a storied passer at Gretna High School.

At Virginia, he spent his first two seasons in the Cavaliers' defensive backfield at cornerback, before earning his way into the starting quarterback position in the final game of last season.

Hall earned the starting quarterback job over Sewell to open this season, though Groh kept Hall active on defense and special teams as well.

But Hall injured his hip in the opening game against William & Mary and Sewell took over at quarterback. Hall made a brief appearance as the holder for a single play in the second week of the season against TCU, then sat out against Southern Miss.

When he returned to action last week against North Carolina he played safety, holder and, for the first time, slotback -- lining up to catch passes rather than throw them.

"After I came back after missing two games it was evident that Jameel is our guy," Hall said. "He's our quarterback. Why fix it? There's no reason why we should change it."

Hall said he is "proud" of Sewell and the progress he has made at the helm of the Cavaliers, and said he can help Sewell recognize defensive coverages.

Hall wasn't exactly coming at receiver the position cold. Between setting all of those high school passing records at Gretna and covering all those receivers in the ACC, Hall said he knew the routes that he was supposed to run.

"It was just knowing how to run the routes," Hall said. "That was the challenge."

One thing that helped was Sewell. Hall and Sewell, though they battled for the quarterback spot, are both roommates and friends.

"Chemistry was not something we had to work on, it was there already," Hall said.
 

Cavaliers lower the boom on Hoosiers
By Chris Lancia
Correspondent
October 11, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia made sure Indiana's first trip to the Commonwealth of Virginia is one the Hoosiers will remember—for all the wrong reasons.

The Cavaliers forced two first-half turnovers and scored all five times they reached the red zone in the first half to take a 30-0 lead into the locker room, then coasted to a 47-7 win at Scott Stadium on Saturday.

The Cavaliers put up 536 yards of offense, the first time they've eclipsed 500 since doing so against Duke in 2004, when they put up 511.

They also avoided the turnover bug for the second straight week.

Jamel Sewell threw for 308 yards and a touchdown, and Mikell Simpson carried the ball 15 times for 83 yards and four touchdowns before leaving with an injury in the third quarter.

"We really paid attention to what we saw from Indiana, and our players took the challenge to prepare for this particular opponent," said Virginia head coach Al Groh. "Jameel played his third positive game, and when your quarterback plays like that and is able to hit the open receivers and get the game going as fast as it did, that's a positive for us."

While their offense was making things look easy, the Cavaliers defense was ensuring this didn't turn into a shootout by holding the Hoosiers to just 272 yards of offense, just 82 of that coming on the ground.

After Indiana picked up two first downs on its first three plays, Ras-I Dowling changed the tone with a jarring hit that knocked the ball out of Indiana receiver Terrance Turner's hands.

Virginia (2-3) scored on a five-yard run by Simpson just four plays later.

"We practice disrupting the football and trying to create turnovers," said Dowling, who also had nine tackles, a sack and an interception on the day. "Today I was able to make a play."

Sewell opened the game by going 9-for-11 for 124 yards a touchdown in the first quarter.

That touchdown came on a toss to Vic Hall, the first receiving touchdown of his career.

The cornerback went with the receiver on a decoy post pattern, Hall rolled out in the flat to the right and Sewell found him all alone.

Hall did the rest by turning on the jets and racing to the pylon for a 21-yard scoring play.

"We knew that play would work, and we practiced it a lot this week," said Hall, who finished with six receptions for 85 yards. "He made a great pass, and I knew I was going to get in the end zone one way or another. What better person to catch a TD pass from than the guy you compete with day-in and day-out."

Indiana punted on its next three possessions, then a Dowling interception gave the Cavaliers the ball on the Hoosier 42.

Simpson did the rest, catching a 37-yard pass from Sewell and then scoring on a five-yard run.

The rout was on, and Virginia added nine points in the final three minutes of the half to take a 30-0 lead at the half.

The Cavaliers scored on their first two drives of the second half, and Robert Randolph added three more with a 31-yard field goal in the fourth to push Virginia's lead to 47-0.

Indiana avoided a shutout with a 12-yard touchdown run by Bryan Payton with 8:18 remaining.

 

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

On preparing for the game:
"We all felt very challenged going into the week. The players really took that challenge to prepare for this particular opponent and they took the challenge to move our game forward."
On the progress of the team:
"Our team has clearly taken another step down the road of progress. There's a long way to go yet. We haven't gotten to the halfway mark so the challenge is to keep the progress moving forward. But good progress today. So many people stepped up."
On the play of QB Jameel Sewell:
"He continued with his third straight positive game and when your quarterback plays like that, and is able to hit the open receivers, and get the game going like he did, that's a big positive for us."
On the play of the offensive line:
"They really stepped up. Clearly we're beginning to become more physical on the offensive line and that leads to more balance for what we're trying to do, so a good positive move there."
On Vic Hall playing wide receiver:
"Clearly he is a very significant athlete. Whether it's returning punts, playing corner, playing the slot, playing quarterback, when hasn't Vic looked athletic? He's a great competitor who loves the game of football, loves playing for his teammates, and he did a real good job out there as a receiver."
On the play of the Virginia defense:
"Obviously, as indicated by the final score, the defense was very strong today. We saw a lot of good plays by the defensive players."
On RB Mikell Simpson:
"We are sombered somewhat by Mikell's situation. We don't have anything definitive on him, but first indications are that we do feel positive about his long term situation."
 

UVa Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

Sophomore defensive back Ras-I Dowling
On first quarter forced fumble:
"We practice disrupting the football and trying to create turnovers. It's something we
practice a lot, and today I was able to make a play."
On setting a tone early:
"We give it all we have every play. Our focus is always on the next play, and it's good when we can make big plays early in the game."
On two takeaways and sack:
"Our defense has a mentality that we play for each other. Every individual play is on behalf of the whole defense. There were some mistakes, but we will look at some film, and correct those things."
Senior wide receiver Vic Hall
On playing multiple positions:
"We are always focused on the play at hand. During the week, we practice these situations so that no matter where I line up, I'm ready."
On Touchdown catch:
"It was a play we had been working on a lot this week. We got the look we wanted from the defense, and it was a well designed play that was executed for a score."
On catching TD from Jameel Sewell:
"He's a guy I've been playing football with for the last five years. Every play we make is for the other guys on this team. What better person to catch a TD pass from than the guy you compete with day in and day out."
On the play of the defense:
"They played and prepared incredibly. Everyone put themselves in positions to make plays, and they did a great job containing the Indiana offense. Anytime you only give up seven points, it shows."
On defining his role in the offense:
"I think today we made great strides in defining what I can do on offense."
Senior Quarterback Jameel Sewell
On finding rhythm early:
"We prepared incredibly well. The looks we saw in practice this week were pretty much the same as the ones we saw during the game. We were able to make plays in practice, and today they translated to the game."
On high completion percentage:
"That's great of course, but the important thing is that we had zero turnovers. Turning the ball over is what can cost us games, and that was my biggest focus today."
On touchdown pass to Vic Hall:
"That was a great call in the situation. We ran a post over the middle, and the cornerback collapsed on the post. Vic used his speed and got to the sideline and all I had to do was give him a manageable ball."
On Vic's role in the offense:
"It seems that Vic has found his place in the offense. It's very important that we have multiple play makers on the field at a time. Guys like Kris Burd, Dontrelle Inman, Mikell Simpson, and now Vic too is a great addition."
On completing passes to eight receivers:
"My eyes were good today. The line did a great job of pass protecting and being physical up front and I was able to keep my head and my eyes downfield. On most plays I was able to go where I wanted with the football, but the amount of protection I had let me come off a primary receiver and hit the secondary receiver just as often."
On play of the defense:
"The defense allowed us to get great field position. It's a lot easier to drive the ball 40 or 50 yards rather than 80 or 90. They prepared and executed so well, and it gave us the chance to take some shots early. All the playmakers on the defensive side of the ball had great days today, and the seven points scored defines their success."
Senior Running Back Rashawn Jackson
On the victory
"It was a tremendous thing. It was great to see all the guys buy in to the program and get this win. This is a tough Big Ten team and we knew we had to show up and compete. We did, and I'm proud of this team."
On Mikell Simpson
"Mikell is a tremendous player and we come in every week knowing that we have to be leaders on this team."
"I'm proud of him, I'm sure that he will be fine, and until then I'll just keep running the ball the best I can."
On winning after Coach Poindexter's number was honored
"It's a good thing; he is a really good coach and a great guy. He was a great player here, and everyone knows what he did on the field. We aspire to play as physical as he played, and as smart and fast as he played."
"I tip my hat to him and everything he has done for Virginia, and I am thankful for the role he has had in my career."
Freshman Linebacker Steve Greer
On holding Indiana to seven points
"It feels good to have our defense working together and everyone seems to be making plays out there. It is fun when the defense can come together out there."
On winning after Coach Poindexter's number was honored
"It's big for Coach Dex, we are all really happy for him, and we are all excited that we could get the win for him today."
On limiting Indiana's rushing yards
"We want to go into every game and make sure people know that we have a tough defense. We wanted to be a physical team today, and I think that was a big part of stopping the run."

 

Indiana Coach Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

On UVa's performance:
"UVa is a very good football team and much better than people think. Their win in Chapel Hill last week started it, and I thought they played great tonight. They blocked us all day today, and we had trouble staying on the field. They have a lot of weapons on offense, and they are a very good defensive football team."
On the loss:
"We can't make any excuses at all. We got beat pretty soundly by a pretty good football team. They physically got after us and beat us on both sides of the ball."
On the UVa defense:
"They did what we prepared for. We didn't block well enough. They got in their third-and-long package, and they can put a lot of pressure on you. We didn't have time to wait for people to get open. They have good players, they are well-coached, and they run a good scheme."
On the game getting away:
"It was 14-0 and we had some pretty good stops at the end of the first quarter and early second quarter, but we didn't do anything offensively. Then late in the second quarter, they scored some more on us. Then they started the second half with a score. Give them a lot of credit. They were well prepared and did a great job."
On Indiana RB Darius Willis not playing:
"We made the decision not to play him this morning. He didn't take a lot reps in practice this week. It did hurt us [not having him play], but that was one of those kinds of games where they beat us on both sides of the ball. Any one guy would not have made that much of a difference."
 

Indiana Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

Junior Linebacker Tyler Replogle
On today's game:
"We have to give credit to Virginia. They came out and played better than us today. I think it's really that simple. We're going to watch film and regroup. We're going to be a different team next week."
On leaving Virginia's wide receivers open:
"It's all about the film. We're going to come in and find out what went wrong. We're going to fix it and do better."
On the mood in the locker room after the game:
"The guys are down because we lost the game. But I know the team-once we watch film, we'll get excited. There's six football games left. That's a lot of football and we're going to be a different football team."
Senior Left Tackle Rodger Saffold
On the team's age:
"We've got a lot of young guys and we're going to continue to work with them and they're going to get better."
On the team's attitude:
"You have to be all in. There's no in-between."
On the game overall:
"I don't give any excuses. The way we played was the way we played. I'm not going to say it was based on practice or anything like that. Of course, we need to go out and practice and work harder, but like I said, I don't believe in excuses. All I'm going to do is use this and take this experience and just continue to work the next day."
On the mood in the locker room following the game:
"You're always disappointed. It's disappointing. But I think one thing everyone understands is that we're a team. We have to come together and we have to do what we have to do in order to win games. We're not going to put our heads down, we're not going to point fingers at anybody. One thing that we're going to do though, is each of us is going to look in the mirror and say, "what did you do to get better?" And then we're going to rate ourselves."
Junior Quarterback Ben Chappell
On how the team played today:
"That wasn't our football team. We have to do something to find it, but that wasn't us."
On how the game met their expectations for today:
"I didn't see this one coming. Like I said, this just wasn't us. I have give Virginia credit though, they played well today. They're a good defense and they have a good team."
On Virginia's defense:
"They played cover two on first and second down and blitzed on third, like we knew they would. We just didn't execute there at the beginning."
On the first turnover:
"We had good field position on that first drive and we got a first down. It shouldn't have taken the wind out of us and we should have been confident that we could drive the ball, but after that we just didn't execute."
 

Status of U.Va's Simpson's uncertain after injury
Posted to: College Football Sports
The Roanoke Times
© October 11, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

If Mikell Simpson had been available in the late stages of the third quarter Saturday, he might have gotten a crack at Virginia's single-game touchdown record.

Simpson, a fifth-year senior, had scored four touchdowns when he suffered a neck injury in Virginia's 47-7 victory over Indiana.

The Cavaliers were leading 37-0 when Simpson rammed into the middle of the line with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter and did not get up.

Eventually, trainers alerted emergency-medical personnel that a cart was needed. Simpson was placed on a backboard that was lifted onto the cart and he was taken by ambulance to the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Shortly after 9 p.m., U.Va. sports information director Jim Daves reported that Simpson had been treated for a neck injury and had been released.

"He will follow up with the team physician later in the week for further evaluation," Daves said.

There were no indications about whether Simpson will be available for the Cavaliers' next game, Saturday at Maryland, "but we feel positive about his long-term situation," head coach Al Groh said.

Simpson lifted his right thumb to the crowd as he exited the stadium. Preliminary impressions were that he took a knee to the back of his helmet.

Simpson, coming off his first 100-yard rushing day in two seasons, already had carried 15 times for 83 yards. He also had four receptions for 66 yards, including a career-long 37 yarder.

U.Va. already has lost freshman tailback Dominique Wallace, who was on crutches Saturday as he awaits surgery on his right foot. However, Indiana had no answer for any of the Cavalier running backs on Saturday.

Fifth-year senior Rashawn Jackson, who plays tailback in one-back sets and is the fullback in two-back sets, carried eight times for a career-high 73 yards.

Redshirt freshman Torrey Mack had eight carries for 22 yards and even sophomore Max Milien got in the act with the first four carries of his career.

Jackson had a career-long 33-yard run and Mack and quarterback Jameel Sewell each reeled off 22-yarders.

Virginia, which had not rushed for more than 131 yards in any of its first four games, finished with 231 yards on the ground Saturday. U.Va. had 202 and 201 yards in its top two rushing games of the 2008 season.

"Clearly, we're beginning to become more physical on the offensive line and that leads to more balance for what we're trying to do," Groh said.
 

UVa-Indiana Game Notes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

Game Notes - Virginia vs. Indiana
Oct 10, 2009 - Scott Stadium
Virginia Notes
• Virginia's 536 yards of total offense serves as the best output since tallying 549 yards versus North Carolina on Sept. 11, 2004.
• Virginia amassed over 500 yards of total offense (536) for the first time since registering 511 yards in a 38-7 victory over Duke on Sept. 24, 2005.
• Mikell Simpson's career-high fourth rushing touchdown is the most by a UVa player in a game since Wali Lundy had four versus Temple on Nov. 5, 2005. Simpson becomes the eighth player to tie the modern record (post WW II). The UVa all-time single game record is five by Gene Mayer vs. Richmond in 1915.
• Mikell Simpson's four rushing touchdowns are tops for a game in the ACC this season and most in the league since North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks tallied four against Boston College on Oct. 25, 2008.
• UVa is now 43-40-2 all-time on Homecomings, winning 16 out the last 19.
• UVa is now 5-11 all-time against schools currently in the Big Ten, including winning three straight.
• UVa has held two straight opponents under the century mark in rushing for the first time since a three-game span in 2008 (vs. East Carolina 89 yards, vs. Maryland 79 yards and at Duke 84 yards).
• Until Indiana scored a touchdown with 8:18 left in the game, UVa had held its opponents out of the end zone for the previous 119:43 - since Tory Harrison scored on a 57-yard run for Southern Miss with 8:01 left in the Sept. 19 contest.
• Junior Dontrelle Inman makes his first start at wide receiver since the 2008 season opener against USC.
• Wide receiver Kris Burd's 31-yard reception in first quarter bested his career high reception of 29 yards at Southern Miss on Sept. 19.
• Senior Vic Hall's first quarter touchdown reception was the first of his career.
• Vic Hall has now scored touchdowns three different ways in his career via interception (2008 vs. Richmond), reception (today) and rushing (2008 vs. Va Tech/2009 vs. William & Mary).
• Vic Hall's six receptions mark a career high for the senior who entered today's game with one career catch.
• Virginia scored touchdowns on its opening two drives for the first time since defeating Pittsburgh, 44-14, in Scott Stadium on Sept. 29, 2007.
• Senior tailback Mikell Simpson recorded his first multi-rushing touchdown game since notching two scores against Virginia Tech on Nov. 24, 2007.
• Virginia's first four scoring were all less than 2:30 in duration.
• Ras-I Dowling intercepted his first pass of the season and sixth of his career in the second quarter, setting up UVa's second score of the game on a turnover.
• Ras-I Dowling recorded his first career sack at 5:09 in the second quarter.
• UVa shut out an opponent in the opening half for the first time since Nov. 10, 2007 at Miami (31-0), before winning 48-0.
• UVa shut out an opponent in the opening half at home for the first time since Nov. 18, 2006 versus Miami (14-0), before winning 17-7.
• Quarterback Jameel Sewell for the second week in a row has connected with eight different receivers.
• Quarterback Jameel Sewell registered his second career 300-yard passing career game, finishing with 308 yards on 20-of-30 passing and one touchdown.
• Quarterback jameel Sewell had the best total offense game of his career, totaling 337 yards (308 pass and 29 rushing).
• Sophomore tailback Max Milien tallied his first career rush, finishing with four carries for 14 yards.
• Today's attendance 45,371 is the lowest at a UVa home games since the 1999 season when 40,100 attended the game against Buffalo (Nov. 13).
• Former Virginia safety and current assistant football coach Anthony Poindexter had his No. 3 jersey retired Saturday in a special pregame ceremony.
Indiana Game Notes
• Tandon Doss had a career-high 9 receptions in the game, picking up 76 yards receiving. Doss has led the Hoosiers in receptions and receiving yards in each of Indiana's six games in 2009. He now has 41 receptions on the year, an average of 6.83 catches per game.
• Doss added 3 kickoff returns for 47 yards on the game and also carried the ball once to give him 121 all-purpose yards in the game. Doss now has 778 all-purpose yards on the year, an average of 129.67 per contest.
• Jammie Kirlew had one sack and two tackles for loss in the game for the Hoosiers. He now has 21.0 sacks and 48.5 tackles for loss in his career.
• Adam Replogle posted his first career sack in the second quarter. Replogle finished with 3 tackles, including 2 solos, in the game.
• Zach Davis-Walker made his season debut for the Hoosiers, picking up two yards on the first carry of an Indiana drive in the first quarter. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native finished with 6 carries for 17 yards in the game.
• Punter Chris Hagerup averaged 44.71 yards on his 7 kicks in the game, booting a long of 49 yards twice. He placed two punts inside the 20 on the contest.
• In the fourth quarter, Bryan Payton scored on a 12-yard touchdown run, his first score on the season and the seventh of his career. The drive marked the first time the Virginia defense had allowed an opposing offense to enter the red zone.
• Linebacker Tyler Replogle led the team in tackles with 10 in the game, including six solos and one for loss. He moves his season total to 40, for an average of 6.67 per game. It is his first double-digit tackle game of the season and the second of his career.
• For the first time this season, the Hoosiers did not score first after receiving the opening kickoff.
• Indiana won the toss for the fourth time this year and elected to receive. The Hoosiers have elected to receive three of the four times that they have won the toss and have received the opening kickoff five times in six games.
• Indiana's game captains were seniors Bryan Payton and Matt Mayberry and juniors Terrance Turner and Tyler Replogle.


 

Fab 15 hasn't been too Cavalier
Norm Wood's Inside Recruiting
October 11, 2009

We here at the state Fab 15 recruiting rankings research desk take great pride in the product we churn out every year. It's a pretty darn fine representation of the best talent in the state.

So, with that in mind, we're still trying to figure out what the University of Virginia has against us.

In the last two years, U.Va. has garnered one commitment or signee from the Fab 15. On the other hand, Virginia Tech has loaded up by claiming 13 of the recruits for its program. West Virginia has snatched up three of the recruits. Maryland, Florida State, North Carolina State and even Duke have swooped in to grab recruits for Atlantic Coast Conference locales, as well as Southeastern Conference representatives Louisiana State, Alabama and Mississippi.

If we were a sensitive bunch, we'd have a real complex about the Fab 15 list we cranked out in July. Of course, it's clear U.Va. coach Al Groh has had a different mind-set when it comes to "populating his roster," as he has termed the process. It has had very little to do with following the rankings of state talent compiled by various recruiting analysts.

Last year, U.Va. took 16 of its 25 signees from within the state, but only one of them (defensive lineman Klinton Ruff) made the Fab 15. In the last two years, U.Va. has added three players from Maryland and two each from Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina.

There still are three undecided recruits on the 2009 Fab 15 rankings. Yet, only one of the three appears to be considering U.Va. Here's an update on college ruminations of this year's Fab 15:

Defensive end J.R. Ferguson, a Hargrave Military Academy product who is the top-rated player on this year's list, is about to slice at least nine schools in the next few weeks from his list of prospective programs.

Right now, he's pondering a massive list that includes scholarship offers from LSU, Southern California, Notre Dame, California, Penn State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Miami, Florida State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina and South Florida.

The other undecided players are linebackers Travis Williams, the No. 8 player from Lake Taylor High in Norfolk, and Aramide Olaniyan, the No. 14 prospect from Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest.

Williams appears to have narrowed his list of schools to UNC, Miami and West Virginia. Olaniyan was once committed to Duke (which would've given Duke two Fab 15 commitments), but he has reopened his recruitment and he's looking at U.Va., Michigan, UCLA, UNC, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Clemson, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Miami, Notre Dame and Duke.

Quarterback Phillip Sims from Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake, the VHSL's all-time passing record-setter and the No. 2 player on the Fab 15, settled in April on a commitment to Alabama. Justin Hunter, a wide receiver from Ocean Lakes High in Virginia Beach, committed in May to LSU.

Tech's top commitment from the Fab 15 comes in at No. 4 with defensive end Zack McCray from Brookville High in Lynchburg. The Hokies also have defensive commitments from No. 5 Nick Acree, a tackle from Fork Union Military Academy who is sitting out this fall after suffering a knee injury during the summer, No. 10 Derrick Hopkins, a tackle from Highland Springs High near Richmond, and No. 11 Brian Laiti, a linebacker from Robinson in Fairfax.

On offense, Tech has picked up pledges from No. 7 Mark Shuman, a tackle from FUMA, and No. 13 Caleb Farris, a guard from Rockbridge County High in Lexington.

Defensive tackle Evan Hailes, who is No. 6 in the Fab 15 and who attends Oscar Smith High, considered Tech among his final two schools. He committed to Penn State.

West Virginia factors in heavily on this year's Fab 15 with two offensive line commitments. Guards Quinton Spain of Petersburg High, the No. 10 representative on the list, and No. 12 prospect Marquis Wallace from Varina High in Richmond are both bound for Morgantown, W.Va.

Rounding out the Fab 15 is defensive end Jamal Wallace from Green Run High in Virginia Beach. Despite having offers from U.Va., Louisville and East Carolina, he committed in July to Duke and appears to be sticking to his word.

 

UVa Golfers Enter Final Round at North Carolina in Fifth Place
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

Chapel Hill, NC - The No. 17 Virginia women's golf team enters the final round of North Carolina's Tar Heel Invitational in fifth place after shooting 4-over 292 for the second straight day. The Cavaliers are tied with Wake Forest after 36 holes of play at 8-over 584. Michigan State continues to lead the field at 568. The Spartans own an 11-shot advantage over second-place Alabama (579). Auburn and Vanderbilt are tied for third at 582.
Freshman Brittany Altomare led the Cavaliers in the second round with a 2-under 70. She is in 18th place at 2-over 146 through two rounds. Fellow first-year Nicole Agnello posted a 1-under 71 and moved up to 26th overall at 3-over 147.
Whitney Neuhauser and Lauren Greenlief are tied for 32nd place at 4-over 148. Neuhauser shot 75 Saturday while Greenlief posted a 76. Calle Nielson dropped to 63rd place after carding an 81. She opened play with a 71.
Michigan State's Sara-Maude Juneau tops the field after two rounds at 6-under 138 including a 68 Saturday.
The third round of the tournament is slated for a 9:15 a.m. shotgun start Sunday. Live scoring is online at Golfstat.com.

Tar Heel Invitational
UNC Finley Golf Course
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Par-72, 6,285 yards
Second Round Results

Team Results
1. Michigan State 285-283-568
2. Alabama 290-289-579
3. Auburn 296-286-582
3. Vanderbilt 298-284-582
5. Wake Forest 293-291-584
5. Virginia 292-292-584
7. Duke 299-289-588
7. Tennessee 291-297-588
9. Louisville 304-285-589
10. South Carolina 295-296-591
10. Florida State 294-297-591
10. Texas A&M 304-287-591
13. North Carolina 296-296-592
14. NC State 301-293-594
15. Kent State 306-293-599
16. UNC Wilmington 310-291-601
17. Denver 302-300-602
18. East Carolina 316-311-627

Individual Leaders
1. Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville 70-68-138
2. Marina Alex, Vanderbilt 71-68-139
3. Laura Kueny, Michigan State 69-72-141
4. Aimee Neff, Michigan State 73-69-142
4. Anna Leigh Keith, Vanderbilt 73-69-142
6. Cydney Clanton, Auburn 73-70-143
6. Candace Schepperle, Auburn 71-72-143
6. Diana Cantu, Tennessee 74-69-143
6. Camilla Lennarth, Alabama 72-71-143
6. Rhea Nair, Alabama 71-72-143
6. Courtney Ellenbogen, Duke 70-73-143

Virginia Results
18. Brittany Altomare 76-70-146
26. Nicole Agnello 76-71-147
32. Whitney Neuhauser 73-75-148
32. Lauren Greenlief 72-76-148
63. Calle Nielson 71-81-152

 

No. 3 UVa Defeats Cornell 3-0
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (12-1), coming off its first loss of the season last week, rebounded to defeat Cornell (8-2) by a score of 3-0 Saturday at the U-Hall Turf Field. Sophomore Paige Selenski scored twice for the Cavaliers while junior Kaitlyn Hiltz notched her first goal of the season.
"We were able to get a lot of people some playing time," Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. "We were able to see different people running the press and on the attack, so that was positive."
Virginia outshot the Big Red 24-4 in the contest. Selenski led the team with nine shots, including eight on goal. Inga Stöckel contributed four shots and Hiltz had three. The Cavaliers also recorded 10 penalty corners to one for Cornell.
All three of the Cavalier scores game in the first half.
Selenski scored her first goal of the game 10 minutes in, blasting a shot from the top of the circle past Cornell's Melanie Jue. Hiltz then made it 2-0 at 28:55, sitting of the left post to hit in a pass from teammate Traci Ragukas.
Selenski's second goal came after the Shavertown, Pa., native gathered the ball off the goalie's pads from a previous shot, set her feet and fired it in.
Virginia sophomore Adrienne Ostroff made the start for the Orange and Blue. She played the first half and finished with one save. Teammate Kim Kastuk played the second half and also made a stop.
Jue finished with nine saves in the first half for Cornell, while Alex Botte came on in relief for six saves in the second stanza.
The Cavaliers return to action at 2 p.m. Sunday against No. 4 Wake Forest. In the first of two games with the Demon Deacons this season, Sunday's contest will not count as a conference game. Admission to the Turf Field is free.
 

Women’s Tennis Continues Play at Kentucky Invitational
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/10/2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Virginia women’s tennis team continued play Saturday at the Kentucky Invitational. The Cavaliers will have players competing for both the Flight A singles and doubles championships on Sunday.

In Flight A of singles, Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) advanced to the final with a pair of wins on Saturday. She topped Cami Hubbs of Ohio State 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she upset No. 38 ranked Jackie Wu of Vanderbilt in three sets, 6-4, 6-7, 6-. In the final, she will play Sona Novakova of Armstrong Atlantic, who was the No. 1 ranked player in Division II last season.

In doubles Flight A, Hardenbergh and Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) won their semifinal to advance to the final. They topped Januskova and McCarthy of Penn State 8-1 and will play Preeg and Wu of Vanderbilt in the final.