White: Wahoos in Their Element in College Park
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 10/17/2009
By Jeff White

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The rain and cold and gloom kept thousands of Maryland fans away on homecoming Saturday, and thousands more, resigned to another loss to an opponent they dislike, left Byrd Stadium early.

By the end of this ACC football game, almost all of the noise in the stands was coming from a hardy group of orange-clad fans who chanted, "UVa! UVa!"

On the field, Cavaliers cornerback Ras-I Dowling danced along with the chants, and who could blame him? Virginia, which trailed 9-3 late in the third quarter, rallied to win 20-9, extending its recent mastery of Maryland.

"That's one of the great wins you'll ever be a part of," Al Groh told his jubilant players after the Wahoos' third straight victory in this series.

The night got better for UVa (2-0, 3-3). A couple of hours later in Atlanta, Virginia Tech lost to Georgia Tech, and suddenly a Virginia team that had opened the season with three consecutive losses found itself alone atop the Coastal Division.

"I have nothing but the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight and how they've stuck together and been unified and kept believing and working," Groh said. "And as a result, we got a little something going now."

As expected, Virginia played without its top tailback, Mikell Simpson, who hurt his neck in last weekend's 47-7 rout of Indiana. But by the end of the third quarter, the 'Hoos also were without two other starters -- quarterback Jameel Sewell and defensive Matt Conrath, each of whom hurt an ankle.

Junior Marc Verica replaced Sewell, and sophomore Zane Parr took over for Conrath, and Virginia didn't falter.

And then there was Rashawn Jackson. The fifth-year senior from Jersey City, N.J., knew going in that his role would grow in Simpson's absence, and Jackson capitalized on the opportunity.

More of a bruiser than Simpson, who has game-breaking speed, the 6-1, 245-pound Jackson rushed 19 times for 90 yards, both career highs. He also got his first rushing touchdown as a Cavalier, a 2-yard plunge with 1:43 left that effectively sealed the victory.

"This is my kind of weather," Jackson said. "I'm a big back. I kind of look forward to these days."

With conditions deteriorating and UVa's offensive line struggling to protect Sewell, Groh decided at halftime to commit to a power-running game. Jackson, who'd been ill during the week, was getting an IV at the break and was unaware of the strategy shift, but that didn't matter.

Jackson punished the Terrapins (1-2, 2-5) in the half, rushing for 73 yards.

"Rashawn was magnificent," Groh said.

And Nate Collins?

"Nate was pretty good himself," Groh conceded with a smile, "but that whole defensive team, they did it collectively. Even on that play, Darren Childs came through on the scheme that we had devised for the situation, tipped the ball, and as a result of that, Nate was there."

Groh was referring to the third-quarter sequence that swung the game in Virginia's direction.

With 3:16 left in the quarter, Sewell had been helped off the field after spraining his right ankle on a 2-yard run that gave UVa a first down at the Maryland 19.

The drive didn't produce the TD that Virginia wanted, but sophomore Robert Randolph's 31-yard field goal made it 9-6. Moments later, in the stadium where Chris Long had boosted with All-America credentials with a dominating performance in 2007, another UVa defensive end had a SportsCenter moment.

On second-and-10, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner dropped back to pass. As Turner threw, Childs, one of Virginia's inside linebackers, leaped and deflected the ball to Collins.

The 6-2, 290-pound senior did the rest, sprinting 32 yards to the end zone to put the 'Hoos ahead for good. Terrapins wide receiver Ronnie Tyler caught Collins inside the 5 but didn't come close to bringing him down.

"Nate played a little quarterback and tailback and whatnot in high school, and seemed to feel his oats after he got started," Groh said.

Collins also had a team-high nine tackles, including UVa's only sack, but his first college touchdown overshadowed his other contributions.

"It just fell in my lap. I saw green and just took off running, and thank God it wasn't more yards than it was, because I probably would have got caught," Collins said with a laugh. "I actually heard [safety] Rodney McLeod screaming, 'Watch out! Watch out!' and I figured somebody was going to catch up to me."

Maryland answered by driving to the UVa 20, but Nick Ferrara, who had made a career-high three field goals, missed from 37 yards.

The next Maryland possession ended in similar fashion. The Terps had a first down on the Virginia 18, but a bad snap got past Turner, who had to fall on the ball for a 9-yard loss. He threw an incompletion on second down, and then wideout Kerry Boykins, a high school teammate of UVa true freshmen Tim Smith and Perry Jones, dropped an on-target pass from Turner.

On came Ferrara again, and this time he left a 44-yard attempt short.

With 5:52 remaining and the ball on its 27-yard line, Virginia turned to Jackson. He carried on six consecutive plays, gaining 37 yards and gobbling up valuable seconds. The Terps used two of their three second-half timeouts on that series.

"We knew we had to run the ball, and they knew we had to run the ball," Verica said, "so it was really just a matter of the offensive line enforcing their will upon the defense.

"Everybody knew we were going to run it, and the offensive line did a tremendous job, and Rashawn played really tough down the stretch. I'm really proud of that. It was really special."

The drive eventually stalled, and Jimmy Howell came on to punt. But Collins sacked Turner for a 7-yard loss on the next series, which ended with an incompletion on fourth-and-17 from the Maryland 2.

On the ensuing play, Verica took a shotgun snap and handed the ball to Jackson, who did the rest.

"That'll give him something to remember," Groh said of Jackson's first rushing TD.

For all the Cavaliers, this was a game they won't soon forget.

"Coach Groh always talks about being a 60-minute road team," Collins said, and the Wahoos were just that Saturday at Byrd Stadium.

"That was a magnificent effort by our players, to deal with everything that we encountered today," Groh said. "Whether it was guys having to step up in the next-man principle, or circumstances within the ball game, they refused to be distracted by any issues.

"We had a target for what the mission was today, and they took dead aim on the target. They weren't going to be distracted by anything."

A season ago, after a 1-3 start, Virginia rallied to win its next four games. Asked about the perseverance his team showed against Maryland, Groh said, 'That's one of our cultural values. You don't develop that during the course of the game like, 'Fellas, you need to persevere.'

"You do that as you build the philosophy and the culture into which players come. Amongst the things that these players and their predecessors have proven is that they've got a tough shell. They're pretty hard to crack."

A MONTH TO REMEMBER: UVa has won the past seven games it's played in October, and 12 of the past 13.

"As I said earlier this week, I'm German, and it's Octoberfest," Groh quipped afterward.

RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME: Collins' interception return wasn't the only big play that involved a deflection.

Late in the third quarter, on third-and-eight from Virginia's 31, Sewell heaved a pass toward wide receiver Kris Burd along the left sideline. The ball bounced off a Maryland defender and into the hands of Burd, who was on his back, barely inbounds.

After a video review, the 28-yard completion was upheld, and the drive continued. It ended with the Randolph field goal that pulled UVa to 9-6.

"Sometimes there is a little bit of good fortune there," Groh said, but those things happen to you when you lose games, too, so we're not about to send it back."

BIG D: In its past three games -- all victories -- UVa has allowed four field goals and one touchdown. The TD, by Indiana, came after the Cavaliers built a 47-point lead and had most of their starters out of the game.

"This is a group that really understands the scheme as we're trying to present it to them," said Groh, who's also Virginia's defensive coordinator.

"They operate very well collectively. We have some players of note that have gotten a little bit of a name, [cornerbacks Chris Cook and Dowling] in particular, but those guys are out on the edge, and there's a lot of plays that they're not involved in. So this is very much, as much as any defensive team that we've had, this is really about the sum of the parts.

"Perhaps the player who was having the best year on our defensive team this year was Matt Conrath, and that was an awesome job for Zane Parr to go in, not only to go in for Matt, but to go in on the side opposite from which he usually plays, and to be able to hold up over there."

On a wet, raw day, Virginia forced four turnovers at Byrd Stadium.

"We did emphasize that perhaps the elements might increase our opportunities to do so," Groh said. "The guys were on it. They get all the credit for doing it. Coaches can talk about it, but coaches don't strip the ball. The players do it solely on their own, so they deserve all the credit for making that happen."

ON SECOND THOUGHT: After Turner's fourth-down incompletion with 1:47 to play, Virginia took over at the Terps' 2-yard line. Maryland had only one timeout left.

On first down, Jackson ran 2 yards for a touchdown. Drew Jarrett's extra point made it 20-9, but that allowed Maryland to get the ball back with 96 seconds left.

"Probably if I was doing it again, we would have knelt twice and then run the ball," Groh said. "I was a little premature there, but I thought that the points would pretty much guarantee it. Now a case could be made to take a knee three times there and run the clock out, certainly a case could be made for that, maybe a better case, but I just thought there's nothing like points to put you in a good shape. But I probably should have knelt once, caused Maryland to take a timeout, knelt again and maybe [have Jackton try to] run it in on the next play."

INJURY UPDATE: Conrath's ankle injury might be more serious than that of Sewell, who told reporters afterward, "I'm fine."

The Terps were familiar with Sewell's backup, junior Marc Verica. A year ago at Scott Stadium, Verica completed 25 of 34 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown in UVa's 31-0 rout of Maryland.

At Byrd Stadium, Verica's role was difference.

"I didn't have to make any really hard throws or anything like that," said Verica, who was 1 for 3 passing, for 1 yard. "I really just had to manage the game, take care of the ball and things like that.

"My job was pretty simple. The guys who really did the dirty work and who really deserve all the credit are the line and the running backs, particularly Rashawn. I was just trying to take care of the ball and manage the game, and those guys did the rest."

Groh, however, praised Verica's contribution.

"Marc's been out there before," Groh said. "He was our man for October last year, so he's been in a number of these games and conducted himself like a veteran. Did a very nice job and brought his team home a winner."

WORK IN PROGRESS: Virginia's offensive line, so effective against Indiana, allowed five sacks at Byrd Stadium. That was a season high for the Terps, who got No. 5 early in the third quarter.

"We didn't handle it real well, and they did a real nice job with it," Groh said. "But the good thing about it is, as a team and offensively, that's like taking a lot of body punches there in the first half. We don't crack."

DROUGHT ENDS: At King & Low-Heywood Thomas School in Connecticut, Collins played a variety of positions on offense, including tight end, wideout, tailback, fullback and quarterback, and it wasn't uncommon for him to score.

His interception return Saturday, however, was his first touchdown since the final game of the 12th-grade season, when he played quarterback.

Sewell was in the training room, having his ankle checked, when Collins scored.

"They told me he ran one back, which was crazy," Sewell said. "All I could think about was Jeffrey Fitzgerald, how he used to always get a pick and take it to the crib."

Fitzgerald, who played with Sewell at Hermitage High, was a two-year starter at defensive end for UVa. (He's now at Kansas State). Collins' interception for a TD was the first by a Virginia defensive lineman since Fitzgerald's 25-yard return against Georgia Tech in September 2007.

UP NEXT: UVa (2-0, 3-3) returns home to play Coastal Division rival Georgia Tech (4-1, 6-1) in what is suddenly a huge game.

The teams meet at noon Saturday, and Raycom will televise the game.

Virginia has won two straight over Georgia Tech and five of their past six meetings. The Yellow Jackets haven't won at Scott Stadium since 1990.

 

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

Opening statement:
"That was a magnificent effort by our players. They dealt with everything that we encountered today, whether it was guys having to step up, circumstances within the ballgame, they refused to be distracted by any issues. We had a target for what the mission was today. They took that aim on the target, they weren't going to be distracted by anything. As a result, they did something they can be very proud of."
On the defensive effort:
"They really, really played. I have nothing but the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight and how they've stuck together and kept believing and been unified. As a result, we've got a little something going now"
On Marc Verica stepping in late:
"He did a very nice job with it. Marc's been out there before, he was our man for October last year, and so he's been in a number of these games. He conducted himself like a veteran, and did a real good job and brought his team home a winner."
On forcing turnovers:
"We thought there were some opportunities in the turnover area tonight, and they were certainly as big a factor as anything. They stopped some drives, and they gave us some field position. We've been pretty good in that ratio in the last three weeks, and it would certainly be incumbent upon us to do so.
On trying to force fumbles in the rain:
"We went into the game with a big emphasis on that even if the sun had been shining, but we did emphasize that the elements might increase our opportunities to do so. The guys were on it, and they get all the credit for doing it."
 

Virginia Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

Senior Linebacker Darren Childs
On Nate Collins Touchdown:
"He did it. He got in. He's faster than I thought he was."
On the defensive touchdown:
"We've been emphasizing that a lot in practice. We were trying to just execute it and today it kind of showed up. I think the weather made a lot of us play a lot better. I know we have to suck it up."
Senior Cornerback Chris Cook
On the defense scoring:
"We always want to score on defense. I don't know about the defensive line. I know they love to score, but in the secondary we always have a contest about who's going to get the most picks and who is going to score on defense."
On Nate's touchdown:
"I have no idea. My back was to the play because I was in man-to-man coverage. I just turned around when I heard the crowd cheering and I saw Nate running into the end zone. That was a big play. Maybe without that play, we wouldn't be sitting here with a win right now."
Senior Fullback Rashawn Jackson
On his performance:
"I'm just going out there to play football. I'm a football player. Whether it's running the ball or blocking, doing whatever I need to do, that's what I did. So I'm happy that we were able to hang in there despite the weather, despite some of the calls and come out with a win."
On their winning streak:
"The team doesn't believe in streaks; it's only one game at a time. Now we've got to get ready for tomorrow so we can focus on the next week. The next opponent doesn't care about today. You have to take it one game at a time and prepare like it's your last so we can actually go out there and get these wins."
 

Maryland Head Coach Ralph Friedgen Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

On the game:
"I thought we played very hard. Offensively we did some things that were good but they were negated by our turnovers. It's the same story over and over again. Until that gets fixed it's going to be hard to win football games. The [wet] ball was tough tonight, but Virginia did a better job of managing it."
On running game progress:
"We kind of narrowed our game plan down and tried to be good at something. If we didn't have those fumbles, I think our offense would have done more. It'll kill you field position wise; the number of plays you get to run and destroy the momentum that you have. We were lucky our defense played so well, otherwise we would have been in trouble a lot earlier."
On Bruce Campbell:
"I was surprised Bruce Campbell went the whole game. He must have done something in warm-ups because when I saw him Friday, I didn't think he would play. I think he played okay. "
On Chris Turner:
"There were tough conditions tonight. Chris' passing percentage wasn't very good and a lot of balls were dropped too. You have to make those catches or you don't win the game. "

On what he told the guys after the game:
"I told our guys we missed an unbelievable opportunity as far as the division race is concerned, but everybody has two losses right now. I told them until we stop turning the ball over we can work 24 hours a day and they can work as hard as they want to work, we are just giving games away. I don't think the teams we are playing are better than us but we just keep shooting ourselves in the foot. Until that gets corrected, it's not going to happen."
On frustrations:
"I'm frustrated, I know the fans are and I know our players are but the only solution I know is to keep working. We have to stay together as a team and not point fingers. I think everyone has to be accountable and see what we can do individually to improve. I thought we were on the right path and the elements had something to do with it, but that's a fact of life."
On concerns about team losing faith:
"I have been on other teams where the season has gone a lot better and we had to push them to get the effort up. This team hasn't been that way. It's still fun to be out on the field with them and I don't question their effort one bit. I'm going to keep working and I hope they will keep working."
 

UVa Game Notes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

• Virginia has won consecutive games in College Park for the first time since taking four straight in the 1990s ('93, '95, '97, ‘99).
• Virginia has won seven straight games and 12 of its last 13 in the month of October, dating to 2006.
• UVa had not rushed for fewer than 100 yards and won against Maryland since 1957 - the Cavaliers had lost 15 straight games against Maryland when rushing for 100 yards or fewer.
• Rashawn Jackson rushed 19 times for 90 yards - both career highs. His previous highs were 14 carries, set against Texas Tech in the 2008 Gator Bowl, and 73 yards, set last Saturday against Indiana.
• Jackson's fourth-quarter rushing touchdown was his first career rushing TD. He had one previous TD - a 5-yard TD reception vs. Pittsburgh in 2007.
• Lineman Nate Collins registered his first career interception in the third quarter, returning it 32 yards for the touchdown.
• Collins' interception is the first by a UVa lineman since Nick Jenkins did so against North Carolina in 2008.
• Collins' interception for a touchdown is the first by a UVa defender since Vic Hall did so against Richmond in 2008.
• Collins' interception for a touchdown is the first by a UVa lineman since Jeffrey Fitzgerald's 25-yard return against Georgia Tech on Sept. 22, 2007.
• Matt Conrath's fumble recovery in the first quarter gave the UVa defense its fourth straight game forcing its opponent to turn the ball over at least once.
• UVa was +3 in turnover margin (four takeaways, one giveaway) today and is now +9 in its last four games.
• Jameel Sewell's fumble in the second quarter was UVa's first turnover since the second quarter at Southern Miss, a streak spanning 37 possessions without a turnover.
• Sewell was not intercepted today. He now has thrown 109 consecutive passes without an interception.
• Sewell connected for 137 yards on the afternoon, moving his career total to 4,611 where he still stands in sixth place in the Virginia annals.
• Robert Randolph's 32-yard field goal gave UVa its fourth straight game of scoring first.
• Randolph's second field goal of the game was his ninth of the year, matching the squad's 2008 total (9-of-15). Randolph is 9-for-9 in field goals this year.
• UVa's first score of the game took 6:24 off the game clock, marking the Cavaliers' longest scoring drive of the season.
• Against Maryland, UVa has held its opponent scoreless in the opening period for the fifth consecutive time.
• UVa has now outscored its opponents by a tally of 37-7 in first quarter scoring this season.
• Chase Minnifield's 49-yard kick return in the second quarter is the longest return of the season for UVa, topping Perry Jones' 34-yarder at Southern Miss.
• UVa trailed at halftime for the first time since chasing No. 16 TCU at the intermission, 14-0.
• UVa has not allowed a first-half touchdown since the Southern Miss contest.
• UVa allowed five sacks of Jameel Sewell, the most since giving up eight against No. 16 TCU.
• UVa has forced at least three turnovers now in four straight games.
• Dom Joseph recorded his first career interception.
• Al Groh coached his 172nd career game at an ACC school (Wake, Virginia) today. That ties him for fifth all-time in ACC history with former Clemson coach Frank Howard.
 

U.Va.‘s defense saves the day
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 18, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The field was a mess, waterlogged to the point where every step created a small puddle. But defensive line coach Chad Wilt didn't have to worry about that -- he got a celebratory lift to the locker room courtesy of Nate Collins.

The two had plenty to cheer about, as Collins returned an interception for the winning score in a 20-9 Virginia victory, then sacked Maryland quarterback Chris Turner late to seal the Hoos' third consecutive victory.

The decisive interception return was made possible by a Darren Childs tip, with the play call designed to create exactly that. What happened next was spontaneous, though, as Collins grabbed the ball and ran harder than he'd ever run 31 yards before.

He tried to glance at the video board to see where the defenders were, but quickly turned his focus back to the pylon -- and to protecting the ball after Rodney McLeod yelled at him. Collins held off a strip attempt, and tried to find enough gas in the tank to celebrate.

"I've probably never been so tired in my life," he said. "I was like, 'I just gotta get in there.'"

It was a defensive effort that won the game, bailing out a Virginia offensive line that allowed Jameel Sewell to get sacked five times and failed to score a touchdown after having first and goal from the 1-yard line.

Sewell's day ended in the third quarter when he reaggravated an ankle injury, and Marc Verica took over admirably for the remainder of the day. Defensive lineman Matt Conrath left with an ankle injury on a kneel-down play. His replacement, Zane Parr, also stepped up. Virginia's third injury fear was allayed by Rashawn Jackson's 90-yard performance filling in for Mikell Simpson.

"We may have to patch ourselves up, but we won't have to fix our heart," coach Al Groh said.

Sewell left using a crutch for his right foot, though maintained that he was fine and would be back to work today. He displayed his best stuff early, marching the team to the red zone with pinpoint accuracy on his passes. The Hermitage High grad started the day 5 for 7, with a dropped ball and a foot out of bounds keeping him from perfection.

"We saw a lot of the things we were looking for in practice," he said. "They did what we thought they were going to do in that first drive."

The drive stalled near the goal line, and Groh opted to go for it on fourth and 1 from the 2-yard line. Sewell jumped over his linemen and got the yard for the first down, though not the second one for the touchdown.

From there, a false-start call against Landon Bradley pushed the team back, Sewell was sacked, and Virginia had to settle for a Robert Randolph field goal for the opening score.

Maryland had the only other scores in the first half, field goals of 48 and 30 yards from Nick Ferrara. The Hoos had a fourth-and-5 from the Maryland 35 with the first half running down, but opted to play it conservatively and punted the ball.

From the time Collins made his game-changing play, the focus shifted squarely to Jackson, who had a career-high 19 carries and turned his uniform into a shade of muddy gray.

"Rashawn was magnificent," Groh said. "We decided a few weeks ago he was going to be a big part of our offense this year."

That was worth celebrating on the sidelines as the final seconds ticked off. But as some of the players wondered what do to next, captain Denzel Burrell gave a yell and pointed at the locker room. Sure, winning in the rain was fun, but it was time for the Cavs to dry off -- now with a record of 2-0 in conference play, there are bigger challenges ahead.
 

U.Va. notes: Verica plays hardball
By Staff Reports
Published: October 18, 2009

Verica plays hardball
Jameel Sewell's injury allowed Marc Verica to play the final quarter of Virginia's 20-9 victory yesterday.

Coming in to protect the lead, coach Al Groh called for the "hardball" series of plays, a group of mostly runs that help run down the clock. It's the opposite of the team's "fastball" approach, which is used when the Cavs are trailing late.

"My job was pretty simple," Verica said. "It was just to manage the ball and keep my eye on the clock."

He did that with drives of 2:08 and 3:00 in the fourth quarter, followed by a Rashawn Jackson touchdown run to seal the victory with less than two minutes remaining. Verica said his biggest challenge was simply being able to grip the ball.

"When a quarterback comes in midgame, you say he's going in cold," the junior said. "Well, I was literally going in cold."

Conrath injured on kneel-down
The first half had a bizarre ending when U.Va. defensive lineman Matt Conrath was injured on a Maryland kneel-down play.

While Conrath was tangling with a Terps offensive lineman, he appeared to twist his ankle. He did not return in the second half, and was replaced by Zane Parr, who has been used on the line this year in third-and-long situations.

Replays favor Maryland
Two years ago, a pair of replay reviews helped the Hoos to an upset victory. This year, it was the Terps benefiting from the eyes in the sky.

With the game tied 3-3 late in the second quarter and the ball on Virginia's 40, Maryland's Kerry Boykins caught a pass, was hit by Jared Detrick, and fumbled. U.Va.'s Chris Cook jumped on the fumble. But a video replay overturned the call, with the ruling being that Boykins never had possession of the ball.

Later in the drive, a third-and-8 pass completion was upheld after a diving catch was sent upstairs for review.

Virginia didn't do itself any favors on the drive, as a Cook pass interference call kept the chains moving inside the red zone.

Kickoff woes continue
Ron Prince seems to deal with a new problem each week on special teams, and the spotlight will be on the kickers this week after a series of lackluster kickoffs.

Robert Randolph started the game, failing to kick the ball past the 20 on two attempts, and was replaced by Chris Hinkebein. The sophomore did no better, offering a couple of squibs that were returned to near the 40-yard line, meaning that U.Va. would have been just as effective kicking the ball out of bounds each time.

The short kicks may have been a reaction to Maryland's kick returner, Torrey Smith, who has been hot in recent weeks.

Having fun in the rain
So, is it at all a little bit fun to play in the rain?

"Oh, definitely fun," safety Brandon Woods said. "We decided we weren't going to let the weather affect us."

The only change Woods made was going to a long-sleeve uniform. He left the game with a shoulder injury in the first quarter, returning shortly afterward.

Cook said that the rain's power was all mental.

"Especially when the weather is cold and the rain makes it colder, you've just got to go out there with the mentality that you're going to have fun," he said.

Extra points
Virginia is the only undefeated team in ACC play. . . . It was once again all about turnovers -- Virginia forced four, while Maryland created just one. . . . Sewell ran several plays from under center, as opposed to his usual shotgun formation. . . . Maryland elected to go into the wind in the fourth quarter, which cost the team when Nick Ferrarra missed a 44-yard field goal. . . . The 3 hour, 18 minute game didn't sit well with fans, who booed during TV timeouts in the fourth quarter. There were 44,864 tickets sold, but only a fraction of that number showed -- mostly the Maryland student body. . . . Groh said that if he had it to do over again, he would have knelt on the ball to end the game instead of handing it off to Jackson -- there was confusion as to whether the clock would have run out on three kneel-downs. -- Michael Phillips
 

Grading the three keys
By Staff Reports
Published: October 18, 2009

Grading the three keys

C - Quick start. Neither team was able to seize momentum in the first half. Virginia had a chance after going for it on fourth and 1 from the 2-yard line and converting, but they finished the drive with a field goal. Likewise, Maryland squandered its chances, and the 6-3 halftime score reflected a game that neither team was able to take control of.

D - Running back consistency. Mikell Simpson was on the sideline calling in plays, putting the pressure on Rashawn Jackson and Torrey Mack, who hadn't seen this much action in a game so far this season. Mack demonstrated some slick moves, but his pass-blocking struggles kept him off the field for long stretches. Jackson was solid, but didn't provide the spark that Simpson seemed to give the offense.

C+ - Kickoff concerns. Virginia's kickoff woes continued, though this time voluntarily. Afraid of the ACC's top kick returner, Torrey Smith, the kickers were instructed to squib the ball or kick it short -- whatever it took to keep it out of Smith's hand. Half the kicks were handled by Robert Randolph, half by Chris Hinkebein, and Maryland averaged possession on about the 40-yard line, the equivalent of an out-of-bounds kick.
 

Cavs lucky and good against Terps
By Paul Woody
Published: October 18, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good.

Sometimes, a team is so good it can overcome bad luck.

The best combination is to be lucky at the right times and good at the right times.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the resurgent Virginia Cavaliers.

Yesterday at Maryland, on a raw, rainy day, the Cavaliers had luck on their side.

For example, wide receiver Kris Burd caught a pass while on his back, barely in bounds. It appeared there would be an interception on the play. Instead, the Cavaliers gained 28 yards and the catch set up a field goal.

Was the play luck or a matter of being in the right place at the right time?

"I couldn't tell you," Burd said. "It was one of those plays. It happened so fast, in a blink of the eye it was right there in my lap."

The Cavaliers were lucky the play wasn't overturned when it was reviewed. The replay official easily could have said Burd's foot went out of bounds before he caught the ball or that his back was touching the sideline when he did catch the ball.

Instead, the referee said the play stood as called on the field.

"Sometimes there is a little bit of good fortune there," said Virginia coach Al Groh. "But those things happen to you when you lose games, too. We're not about to send it back."

Yesterday, the Cavaliers were good.

The defense executed a pass-rush scheme perfectly, which enabled linebacker Darren Childs to tip the pass, which led to defensive end Nate Collins catching the deflection and speeding -- well, he outran all the Terps in pursuit -- 32 yards to give the Cavaliers a 13-9 lead on their way to a 20-9 victory.

"It was something we knew all week was going to happen," Collins said. "We knew which way they were going to slide. It was great timing. We executed.

"I actually don't think I was in the right spot. There was so much going on. Once the ball was in the air, I just looked up, it fell in my hands, and I took off."

Often at the end of such plays, someone will come in late and punch the ball from the hands of the unsuspecting defensive lineman. Collins said he was lucky that didn't happen, but luck had little to do with it. He was aware that it could happen and made sure it did not.

The Cavaliers were good enough and lucky enough to overcome five sacks of quarterback Jameel Sewell. They persevered when an ankle injury forced Sewell from the game about four minutes left in the third quarter. And they got by without running back Mikell Simpson, who was out with a neck injury.

Maryland helped equalize things by losing two fumbles, missing two field goals and botching a snap in a shotgun formation that cost them 9 yards and momentum when they had moved to the Virginia 18 halfway through the fourth quarter.

"Had the sun been shining, we would have emphasized [forcing fumbles]," Groh said. "But we did emphasize that perhaps the elements might increase our opportunities to do so."

Ah, yes, perhaps so.

Perhaps the Cavaliers now are a team to watch. They have rallied from a nearly debilitating 0-3 start to even their record at 3-3. They are 2-0 in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the only undefeated team in conference play.

Who would have thought that possible a month ago?

For this to continue, they need Sewell to get well quickly and Simpson back in the lineup.

But opponents need to be wary of the Cavaliers. They have a knack for finding ways to win games. Such teams are dangerous.

"I have nothing but the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight, for how they've stuck together, how they've unified and worked," Groh said.

"They've got a tough shell. They're pretty hard to crack."
 

Sewell, Conrath injured
By Doug Doughty

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Held out of action for mostly precautionary reasons, Virginia running back Mikell Simpson skipped to the locker room Saturday following a 20-9 victory at Maryland.

Two of his prominent teammates weren't as agile.

Quarterback Jameel Sewell and defensive end Matt Conrath were both on crutches after injuries to their right ankles.

Sewell looked as if he could have walked unaided and later seemed confident that the ankle injury would not keep him out of action.

Sewell noted that he had injured his right ankle in an earlier game and merely aggravated that injury Saturday.

Unlike Sewell, Conrath appeared to be experiencing some discomfort, and his ankle was wrapped.

A sophomore, Conrath was helped from the field on the final play of the first half.

"Perhaps the player who's having the best year on our defensive team is Matt Conrath," Virginia coach Al Groh said, "and that was an awesome job by Zane Parr, not only to go in for Matt, but to go in on the side opposite where he usually plays.

"We never wavered for a minute on Zane and the players didn't either."

Still perfect

Virginia sophomore Rob Randolph has attempted only one field goal of more than 40 yards all season, but he now stands 9-for-9 for the season after makes from 32 and 31 yards in the first half Saturday. Maryland's Nick Ferrara was successful on his first three attempts, one a 44-yarder, but was wide on one fourth-quarter attempt and short on another.

"The rain makes the ball a little heavier in the air," Randolph said. "I was kicking in that direction when we came out after halftime and it was tough kicking into that closed end [as Ferrara did in the fourth quarter]. The wind was with you when you were kicking into the open end."

Randolph took over kickoff duties late in Virginia's 47-7 win over Indiana and that aspect of the game continues to be a work in progress. UVa attempted to "pooch" its kickoffs and keep the ball away from ACC all-purpose leader Torrey Smith, but that backfired when Maryland started four drives between its 30- and 40-yard lines.

"Our game plan was just not to kick the ball to No. 82 [Smith] and we were willing to give up some field position" Randolph said. That wasn't exactly what we were looking for. We'd squib it along the ground, but the field wouldn't let it go."

By the numbers

Randolph is 12-of-13 on field goals over two seasons and his nine 3-pointers this year matches UVa's total for the entire 2008 season. ... Converted quarterback Vic Hall led the Cavaliers in receptions (five) for the second game in a row and also broke up a pass at safety. ... Virginia is 7-5 in its last 12 road games and 6-6 in its last 12 home games. ... UVa is plus-9 in turnover margin during the past four games. ... The Cavaliers trailed at the half for only the second time all season despite holding their opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the fifth time in six games.

Open season

Virginia came into Saturday's game ranked 117th out of 120 Division I-A teams in sack avoidance, and don't look for the Cavaliers to rise in those standings.

Sewell was sacked five times Saturday and didn't play over the final 18:16.

All 24 sacks by UVa opponents have come with Sewell at quarterback.

Sewell said Maryland showed UVa some new looks with its pass rush, "and a little bit of it was still me," he added. "I got back to holding the ball a little bit too long. I put my linemen in a bad situation. They can't block forever. I've just got to work on getting that ball out."

Quote-unquote

"Nate's a fast guy; don't let the weight fool you." -- UVa running back Rashawn Jackson on a 32-yard interception return by 6-foot-2, 290-pound teammate Nate Collins.

Virginia next week

The Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 ACC) will entertain Georgia Tech (6-1, 4-1) at noon Saturday. The Yellow Jackets, coming off a 28-23 victory Saturday over No. 4 Virginia Tech, will be bidding for their first victory in Charlottesville since 1990, when UVa was ranked No. 1.
 

Defense comes through, Virginia leads ACC division
By Bo Smolka
Correspondent
October 18, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - With its injured quarterback joining its injured starting tailback on the sideline and its offense going nowhere fast, Virginia desperately needed a spark. They founded it from an unlikely source: defensive end Nate Collins.

The senior intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 32 yards for the game's first touchdown late in the third quarter, leading the Cavaliers past Maryland 20-9 before an announced 44,864 at soggy Byrd Stadium on Saturday.

The Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) earned their third consecutive win by leaning heavily on their defense, which has not allowed a touchdown in its first two ACC games.

Virginia was already without starting tailback Mikell Simpson, who did not play after sustaining a neck injury last week, and lost quarterback Jameel Sewell to an ankle injury in the third quarter.

"That was a magnificent effort by our players," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We had a target for what the mission was today, they took dead aim on the target, they weren't going to be distracted by anything. As a result, they did something they can be very proud of."

Virginia held Maryland to three field goals and caused four turnovers, none bigger than a tipped pass late in the third quarter.

After Robert Randolph's second field goal of the game, from 31 yards, cut Maryland's lead to 9-6 with 2:02 left in the third quarter, the Terps (2-5, 1-2) took over at their 38-yard line. On second down, quarterback Chris Turner's pass into the right flat was tipped at the line by linebacker Darren Childs and into the hands of Collins.

"When I caught it, I didn't see anyone in front of me," Collins said, "and I was like, 'I just gotta get in there.'"

It was a familiar tale for the error-prone Terps (2-5, 1-2), who have lost four of their past five. The Terps entered the game with 16 turnovers — tied for the most in the ACC — and lost two fumbles in Virginia territory.

"We thought there were some opportunities in the turnover area tonight, and they were certainly as big a factor as anything," Groh said.

Even before Sewell's injury, the Cavaliers had sustained virtually nothing offensively. They had 27 carries for 22 yards through three quarters. Twice, Sewell was stuffed on keepers on third-and-1, a major reason Virginia failed to gain a first down on six consecutive possessions in the second and third quarters.

"I just couldn't get the short yardage that we needed to get to keep the chains moving," Sewell said. "I just got to work on that, making sure I see my blocks better."

Sewell left the stadium using a crutch but said, "I'm fine."

The passing game was stalled by the weather — steady rain fell throughout — and an aggressive Maryland blitzing scheme that generated five sacks, including three in a span of five passing plays in the second quarter.

Of Maryland's pressure, Groh said, "We didn't handle it real well, and they did a real nice job with it."

"That's like taking a lot of body punches in the first half," he added, "but we just don't crack."

The Cavaliers had one sustained offensive drive in the first half but had to settle for a field goal despite having first down at the Terps' 1-yard line. A false start pushed the ball back to the 6, and on the next play, Sewell was sacked at the 14. Two plays later, Randolph's first field goal, from 32 yards, gave Virginia a 3-0 lead.

Maryland tied the game at 3 on a 48-yard field goal by Nick Ferrara with 13:14 left in the second quarter, four plays after Sewell fumbled when he was sacked at the Cavaliers' 33-yard line.

The Terps took a 6-3 lead when Ferrara made a 30-yard kick with 1:09 left in the half.

Once Virginia had the lead, though, its rushing game surfaced. With backup quarterback Marc Verica leading the offense, the Cavaliers fed Maryland a steady diet of fullback Rashawn Jackson, who finished with 19 carries for 90 yards, 44 of those in the fourth quarter. Jackson scored on a 2-yard run with 1:43 left after Virginia took over on downs at the Terps' 2-yard line.
 

Resilient Cavs again win hard way
Dave Fairbank
October 18, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md.

If Al Groh ever needs proof of the value of perseverance, all he need do is cue the DVD of Virginia-Maryland 2009.

If Ralph Friedgen ever suffers with back pain or maybe a throbbing knee, all he need do is cue the same DVD. Guaranteed the discomfort he feels from watching that will take his mind off of any other ache.

Groh's Cavaliers continued their October Lazarus act with Saturday's 20-9 win over Maryland and did so in conditions that only ducks and Scottish golfers could love.

They produced minimal offense. They did without their most productive running back. They watched their starting quarterback carted away from the field and saw him return to the sideline on crutches.

They saw Friedgen's Terrapins repeatedly get to their front porch, but once again the couch and the cabinets they piled against the door held.

And suddenly, the team that lost to William and Mary to begin the season has won three straight and leads the ACC's Coastal Division. Who'da thunk it?

"That's one of our cultural values," Groh said. "You don't develop that during the course of a game — 'All right, fellas, you need to persevere.' You do that as you build the philosophy and the culture into which players come.

"One thing that these players and their predecessors have proven is that they have a tough shell. They're pretty hard to crack."

What was tough to crack, again, was Virginia's goal line. For the third consecutive game, the Cavaliers' front-line defenders didn't allow a touchdown.

In the past three games, the Cavs have permitted a total of 19 points and a paltry 237 yards per game — defensive numbers that are, dare we say it, very much like those often associated with the commonwealth's other major-college football factory.

"They've been playing lights out. Really, they've been playing well the whole season," said Virginia quarterback and relief pitcher Marc Verica, who played the last quarter-plus when starter Jameel Sewell injured his right ankle.

"Initially, in our first few games on offense," Verica said, "we really put them in a couple tough spots. But they've been playing well the whole season. Now that the offense is starting to catch up, we're really seeing how good of a unit they really are."

The defense had to be good Saturday. To say that Virginia's offense caught up is being generous, since the Cavs generated just 108 yards in the final three quarters.

Take away a gift 28-yard, flat-on-his-back reception by Rashawn Jackson midway through the third quarter, a play that eventually led to a Robert Randolph field goal, and the productivity was even more anemic.

In fact, the Virginia defense produced the game's only two touchdowns. Defensive end Nate Collins did his runaway dump-truck imitation, with a 32-yard interception return off of a tipped pass that gave the Cavs the lead for good.

The Cavs' defense, combined with desperation time for Maryland, produced the exceedingly rare 2-yard touchdown drive in the waning minutes. Jackson was the recipient of that good fortune and amassed half of his 90 yards in the fourth quarter, assuming the role of sidelined Terp nuisance Mikell Simpson.

Terp types will lament four turnovers and two missed field goals that could have changed the complexion of the game, and certainly the play-calling late. But it's tough to fault Maryland kicker Nick Ferrara, whose misses were at least partially the result of bad footing and slick footballs.

As for the turnovers, that seems to be who the Terps are. They entered the game minus-10 in turnover margin, and Saturday's conditions didn't contribute to sure hands.

"I told them," Friedgen said, "until we stop turning the ball over, we can work 24 hours a day and they can work as hard as they want to work, we are just giving games away. I don't think the teams we're playing are better than us, but we just keep shooting ourselves in the foot. Until that gets corrected, it's not going to happen."

While Maryland looks for solutions, Virginia continues a trend. The Cavs have won 10 of their last 11 October games dating back to 2007 and, for the second consecutive season, overcame a poor start with a simple formula.

"Getting better," Groh said. "Just staying with it. Coming out every day. Not listening to anybody who speaks in another direction toward them. Just believing in themselves, believing what they're taught, believing in the plan. Continue to work at it.

"We've had some precedent to that around here. So when we say that you just keep grinding that way and keep fighting, it's not something that hasn't happened here. There's a little history here with it, so they believe it."

 

Jackson's first TD a matter of blocking
By Dave Fairbank
| 247-4637
October 18, 2009

Virginia's Rashawn Jackson scored his first career rushing touchdown with 1:43 remaining, a relatively easy 2-yard run for the clinching points in the Cavaliers' 20-9 win against Maryland. He thought he had his first score a little earlier, when he scooted 46 yards on a third-down play that was called back by a holding penalty on Colter Phillips.

"I honestly feel like that was just a great block," Jackson said. "Maybe (the officials) don't see that too much. That was really just a great block."

Next man up
Jackson, quarterback Marc Verica and reserve defensive end Zane Parr embodied Virginia's philosophy of reserve players being ready to produce. Jackson (90 yards) assumed the bulk of rushing duties with Mikell Simpson sidelined by a neck injury last week. Verica played the last quarter-and-a-half after Jameel Sewell tweaked his ankle. Parr took over for starter Matt Conrath, who injured a knee on the last play of the first half. Parr finished with two tackles and a pass breakup.

Ball protection
Virginia had just one turnover, a fumble by Sewell early in the second quarter when Maryland linebacker Adrian Moten blasted him on a blitz. It was the Cavs' first turnover since the second quarter of the Southern Miss game, a span of 37 possessions. Sewell didn't throw an interception and now has gone 109 consecutive passes without a pick.

Kicking game
Kicker Robert Randolph made both of his field-goal attempts and is 9-for-9 this season.
 

Terps stumble against Virginia
Two fumbles, two interceptions doom Maryland in homecoming loss
By Jeff Barker | jeff.barker@baltsun.com
October 18, 2009

COLLEGE PARK - - The Maryland Terrapins saw a potential victory washed away Saturday amid cold rain, mist and their usual abundance of perplexing turnovers.

Virginia, which managed just nine first downs, claimed a 20-9 victory and was the beneficiary of two Maryland fumbles and two interceptions, including one returned for a pivotal, third-quarter touchdown.

The loss dropped the Terps (2-5) to 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and diminished their fading hopes of qualifying for a bowl game this season. The miscues and the steady rain made for an unpleasant homecoming game for the fans in Byrd Stadium's half-filled stands.

"It's the same story over and over again," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "Until that [the turnovers] gets fixed, it's going to be hard to win football games."

Friedgen has battled turnovers all season, even resorting to asking now-injured tailback Da'Rel Scott to carry a football around campus as a lesson in hanging on to the ball. Saturday's fumblers were running backs Davin Meggett and Gary Douglas. Quarterback Chris Turner was intercepted twice.

With the Terps ahead 9-6, Turner's second-down pass was tipped into the hands of defensive end Nate Collins, who returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to put the Cavaliers up 13-9 with 1:43 left in the third quarter.

Turner said wide receiver Ronnie Tyler was open against man-to-man coverage but that the ball was "tipped up right into the guy's arms."

Rashawn Jackson's 2-yard touchdown run increased Virginia's lead to 20-9 in the game's final minutes.

Turner said the sloppy conditions "had to be a factor" in Maryland's fumbles. He conceded that Douglas's second-quarter fumble - the score was tied 3-3 - came when the running back "just took a hit right in the shoulder."

Friedgen said Douglas, who had six carries for 49 yards, suffered an injury to his AC joint - at the top of his shoulder - and could be out a few weeks.

Maryland entered the game with 16 turnovers in six games.

"We thought there were some opportunities in the turnover area tonight, and they were certainly as big a factor as anything," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "They stopped some drives, and they gave us some field position."

Turner had said before the season that the Terps could win 10 games. "It's very tough," the quarterback said. "It's not the way I wanted my senior season to go. There's nothing I can do about it. I go out and play my heart out."

The Terps would need to win four of their next five games to reach the six victories necessary to be bowl eligible.

Trailing 13-9, the Terps threatened to take the lead in the fourth quarter. A 17-yard pass from Turner to Torrey Smith took the ball to the Virginia 18.

But Maryland lost 9 yards on a bad snap, and wide receiver Kerry Boykins dropped a pass that could have resulted in a first down. Freshman Nick Ferrara, who had made three of four earlier field-goal attempts, missed a 44-yard try with 5:52 left in the game.

Maryland's miscues negated its best defensive effort of the season.

The Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 ACC) finished with 201 yards. It was the lowest total offense by a Maryland opponent since Florida International got 163 yards in 2007.

Maryland's gambling defense, which had been burned a week ago by Wake Forest, frequently pressured Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell.

Sewell was injured during a third-quarter drive on a running play and was helped off the field. Junior Marc Verica replaced him and was 1-for-3 for 1 yard.

The Terps had a season-high five sacks.

But Friedgen said the Terps were victimized by bad luck.

He cited a third-quarter play in which speedy Maryland running back Caleb Porzel seemed to break into the clear at midfield with the Terps trailing 13-9. But the freshman stumbled and fell.

"It's one of these things where nothing is going right," Friedgen said.

Frustrated Friedgen: 'We're just giving games away'
Kevin Cowherd
October 18, 2009
COLLEGE PARK —

Ugly weather, ugly game, ugly result for the Maryland Terrapins.

Barring a miracle finish, they can wave bye-bye to any bowl plans they had, too.

Yep, that's how bad things went for the Terps in a disheartening 20-9 homecoming loss to Virginia at Byrd Stadium on Saturday, a loss that left Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen as frustrated as he has ever been in his nine years here.

Isn't homecoming supposed to fire up a football team?

The coach gives you his best red-meat, Vince Lombardi pep talk. The captains work you into a lather by telling you how big the game is, how it'll feel to lose this one in front of your moms and dads and sisters and brothers, not to mention the returning alumni.

Then you tear the locker room door off its hinges and go out and put it to the other team.

So what happened to Maryland?

It's no secret. We'll get to that in a moment.

But let's get this out of the way first: The weather for this game was absolutely miserable.

A driving rain, temperature in the low 40s, a thick mist hovering everywhere - this was like football on the Scottish moors.

And the fans stayed away in droves - the stadium, which seats a little more than 51,000, was barely half full at kickoff.

By the time Virginia's Nate Collins intercepted Chris Turner's pass and rumbled 32 yards for a touchdown and a 13-9 Virginia lead at the end of the third quarter, the place was so empty you could have held a monster truck rally.

But the weather alone didn't kill the Terps. Virginia played in the same slop and boarded the buses back to Charlottesville after the game with their third straight win over the Terps.

No, what killed Maryland was its usual problem: turnovers.

The Terps fumbled twice, both times in the first quarter, one by Davin Meggett and the other by Gary Douglas, to kill potential scoring drives.

And Turner, the senior quarterback who has started for most of three seasons, was intercepted twice, including the one by Collins that put them behind for good.

So there you have it: Four turnovers in all for the Terps.

Twenty turnovers on the season.

Look no further for the reason Maryland falls to 2-5, 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"I told our guys we missed an unbelievable opportunity as far as the division race is concerned," Friedgen said after the game, shaking his head. "But everybody has two losses right now. But I told them until we stop turning the ball over, we can work 24 hours a day, they can work as hard as they want to work, we're just giving games away.

"I don't think these teams are any better than us. But we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. And until that gets corrected, [winning] is not going to happen."

If you're still a dreamer, still thinking about a bowl bid for this Maryland team, here's how the math breaks down:

The Terps have five games left on their schedule. They would need to win four because a team needs six to be bowl-eligible.

Now here's what the Terps' schedule looks like: away against Duke and N.C. State, home against Virginia Tech, away against Florida State and then the season finale against Boston College.

Anyone realistically see them beating Virginia Tech?

Or getting past high-scoring Florida State in what might be Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden's last season?

Sorry, I'm not with you on those two.

Not the way the Terps are playing right now.

Not with the way turnovers have killed this team so far.

"I'm frustrated," Friedgen said. "I know the fans are. I know the players are. But I told them the only solution I know is to keep working.

"We've got to stay together as a team. We can't be pointing fingers. We're going to rely on their character for that."

In the quiet of the Maryland locker room Saturday night, veteran players were already at work trying to lift this team's spirits.

"Yeah, we had a couple guys talking about not being down," Turner said. "We understand that we're hurting ourselves, and at the end of the day, if we stop hurting ourselves, we might be able to win more games."

Four turnovers against Virginia.

Twenty for the season.

If you're the Terps, you can't hurt yourself any more than that.

 

It Isn't Pretty for Terps vs. Cavs
Virginia 20, Maryland 9
By Steve Yanda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 18, 2009

The affair that took place Saturday at Byrd Stadium could be described only in variations of ugly. The weather, the field, the atmosphere and certainly the play on the field -- it was all unsightly. Or dreadful. Or hideous.

There were plenty of adjectives that applied to what took place between one floundering squad and another not too far removed from such a state. But there was only one tone that fit, even for the victor. Virginia defeated Maryland, 20-9, continuing a recent trend in which the Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 ACC) have thrived and the Terrapins (2-5, 1-2) have stumbled.

The defenses took advantage of a steady rain that saturated the field, faded the end zone paint and limited each offense's effectiveness. Maryland and Virginia combined for five fumbles, three of which were lost. The struggle was not so much to move the ball down the field as it was to come away with anything to show for the effort.

"Offensively, we did some things that were good, but they were negated because of our fumbles," Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen said. "It's the same story, over and over again. Until that gets fixed, it's going to be hard to win football games."

After turning over the ball four times against Virginia, Maryland has given up 20 on the season and forced seven, a minus-13 margin that is among the worst in the nation. Still, the Terrapins displayed visible improvement. Maryland's defense tallied a season-high five sacks and was as stingy as it's been under first-year coordinator Don Brown.

Brown's unit wasn't on the field when Virginia scored the game-deciding touchdown. Maryland quarterback Chris Turner dropped back to pass with just less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. His throw was batted by Virginia linebacker Darren Childs and intercepted by defensive end Nate Collins, who rumbled 32 yards into the end zone.

"Nine times out of 10 that won't happen," said Turner, who completed 16 of 38 passes for 158 yards and two interceptions. "But it did today."

On its next possession, Maryland advanced into Virginia territory, but the Terrapins had to settle for a field goal attempt. Freshman place kicker Nick Ferrara, perhaps the team's most reliable source of production all season, sent his 37-yard attempt wide right with just less than 12 minutes remaining. He later came up short on a 44-yard attempt and was 3 for 5 on the day.

A win on Saturday would have kept Maryland close to the top of the ACC's Atlantic Division. Instead, Maryland will enter a game at Duke next weekend having lost two of its first three conference games. Friedgen said he told his players afterward that they had "missed an unbelievable opportunity as far as the division race is concerned."

Maryland's maligned offensive line received a boost Saturday as Bruce Campbell returned at left tackle after sitting out the previous week at Wake Forest with an injured knee. He started, and the Terrapins' offense moved efficiently on its first drive. Running back Davin Meggett frequently rushed to the left -- behind the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Campbell -- and Maryland quickly moved into Virginia territory.

On a first and 10 from the Virginia 35-yard line, Meggett picked up 10 yards and then fumbled. Virginia recovered, and the battle of attrition began trudging in the opposite direction.

The Maryland defense, which was thrashed for 35 first-half points a week earlier against Wake Forest, kept Virginia in check at the outset, yielding yardage slowly but not allowing the big plays that previously had been its undoing. Quarterback Jameel Sewell led the Cavaliers down to within an inch of the Maryland goal line late in the first quarter, but could not advance any further.

Sewell gained nothing on first down. Alex Wujciak sacked him on second down after Virginia had been penalized five yards for a false start. He was tackled for a loss of one on a rush attempt on third down. Robert Randolph kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Cavaliers an early lead, though Maryland's defense gained a measure of confidence in the process.

"The only plays they had was they got us with a few screen plays and that was it," Wujciak said. "That was all they had versus us. They couldn't run the ball and they couldn't throw the ball against us. They got one lucky pass down the field and a few screen passes. They literally couldn't do anything. We were just stopping them cold all the time."

On the other hand, the Terrapins' offense was stopping itself. Redshirt freshman Gary Douglas, who split time with Meggett at tailback, fumbled after a 12-yard gain in the second quarter and left the field with an AC joint injury to his left shoulder. Friedgen said Douglas could miss a couple of weeks.

"They kill you field position-wise, they kill your number of plays that you get to run, and they destroy the momentum that you have," Friedgen said of the fumbles. "We were lucky that our defense played so well, or we would have been in trouble a lot earlier."


 

Virginia's Defense Comes Up Big
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 18, 2009

His hands were wet and the night was unseasonably cold, so all Virginia defensive end Nate Collins could think when the ball floated in the air was to make sure he had a firm grip. He had nothing but empty bleachers in front of him and the opportunity to give the Cavaliers the lead in Saturday's game over Maryland, so long as he caught the ball out of the rainy sky over Byrd Stadium.

"I just wasn't giving that up," Collins said after Virginia's 20-9 victory. "That's a D-lineman's dream. With the way it happened to me -- just to fall into my lap like that -- there's no way I could live with myself if I fumbled that, if I let go of the ball."

It was the play Virginia waited for all season, if only because it was not supplied by the offense. Throughout a tumultuous offseason, Coach Al Groh insisted the team needed more game-changing plays -- specifically, more touchdowns by groups other than the offense.

Five games had elapsed, and Virginia had not recorded a non-offensive touchdown. But late in the third quarter in the season's sixth game, when the offense appeared unable to reach the end zone on its own, the defense finally answered Groh's call.

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner dropped back on second and 10 at the Terrapins 38-yard line, but linebacker Darren Childs deflected his pass. The ball fell into the hands of Collins, who returned it 32 yards to the end zone and gave Virginia the lead in its third consecutive win -- and a spot atop the ACC Coastal Division.

It was the first touchdown during an evening when both offenses struggled. Virginia recorded two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Cavaliers forced two other fumbles. They have now forced 14 turnovers in six games, and it was a matter of time that one finished with a touchdown.

"From Day One at training camp, Coach Groh really emphasized that to be a better team, we got to score non-offensive touchdowns," linebacker Steve Greer said. "So it's really big for Nate to make a play like that."

Childs came through on a blitz as part of a scheme devised for that particular situation. Childs was able to deflect the pass, and Collins -- a former high school tailback and quarterback -- showed previously unseen speed getting to the end zone.


"That was player execution. We ran the scheme as it was designed, Darren tipped the ball, Nate was where he's supposed to be," Groh said. "Sure, there is some good fortune involved in those. But we thought there were some opportunities in the turnover area tonight, and they were certainly as big a factor as anything. They stopped some drives, they gave us some field position. Those were pretty big factors in the game."

Collins said the defensive linemen occasionally take part in catching drills. Defensive line coach Chad Wilt tells his players to hold the ball high and tight when they do gain possession, and Collins actually worried about what Wilt will say because he admitted he did not hold the ball like he was taught.

Wilt will likely forgive him, considering the result. The other defensive players took notice, too, laughing at the thought of the 290-pound bowling ball dashing for the score.

"He's faster than I thought he was," Childs said.

The defensive score was especially important on Saturday, because the offense struggled through most of the game. The weather prompted Groh to focus on power running and field position. Starting running back Mikell Simpson sat out with a neck injury, so the Cavaliers turned to fullback Rashawn Jackson, who rushed for 90 yards on 19 carries and ran in the game's final touchdown. It was the fifth-year senior's first career rushing touchdown.

Virginia totaled only 201 offensive yards and was forced to punt nine times. The Cavaliers needed to play the fourth quarter without quarterback Jameel Sewell, who suffered a sprained right ankle.

But Virginia's defense did not need a big lead. It has allowed only one touchdown in three games, and that score came when Virginia had already inserted many of its second-team players in a blowout against Indiana.

Although the defense lacks some of the big names it featured in past seasons, Groh said the group has bought into the schemes. He mentioned that the team's most publicized players are cornerbacks Ras-I Dowling and Chris Cook, but the defensive backs are not in every play like the front seven, which has emerged despite their inexperience.

Those defensive backs often would argue about who would score first. They could not have expected a defensive linemen would claim bragging rights.

"For now," Cook responded, his way of predicting continued success for the Cavaliers' defense.


 

Pathetic Terps give Groh
By Dick Heller

Virginia football coach Al Groh was rehashing the Cavaliers' shaky victory over Maryland on Saturday when the voice of Terrapins boss Ralph Friedgen came sneaking into the visitors' press tent via the Byrd Stadium PA.

It didn't matter, because Groh had the last word on a day when the interstate rivals staged a largely sleep-inducing, sloppy game whose outcome depended on which of them best survived offensive ineptitude.

Turned out it was Virginia, thanks mainly to senior defensive end Nate Collins' 32-yard interception return for a third-quarter touchdown that put the Cavaliers ahead to stay. The victory wasn't pretty, but Groh couldn't have cared less.

The ninth-year boss has endured a lot of fuss and feathers (but so far no tar) around Charlottesville following 5-7 seasons in 2006 and 2008. And when the Cavaliers lost their first three this season, you would have thought Groh tried to burn down Monticello.

Events since emphasize the danger of premature judgments. Saturday's 20-9 triumph at chilly, soggy Byrd was Virginia's third straight - and winning coaches tend to ignore the unpleasant details, at least temporarily.

"That was a magnificent effort by our players," Groh said. "I have the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight and how they've stuck together and been unified. As a result they did something they can be very proud of. ... They have a hard shell. They're pretty hard to crack."

And what about the big turnaround, unexpected or otherwise?

"We're just getting better, staying with it, keep fighting," he said.

Whoever thought success could be that simple? Of course, it helps if you're playing a poor opponent that apparently doesn't have a clue.

Probably we should say a word about the Terps here, and that word is pathetic. The punchless Terps are 2-5 at this miserable moment, with a bowl bid as unlikely as the Fridge taking up ballet in the offseason.

Back to Groh, though. The Cavaliers' attack, if that's the word, accumulated just 201 yards after rolling up 536 a week earlier in an unlikely 47-7 demolition of Indiana. But there were mitigating circumstances, such as injuries to running back Mikell Simpson and quarterback Jameel Sewell, plus the wet conditions. Simpson missed all of Saturday's proceedings, and Sewell departed late in the third quarter.

Yet the Virginia defense rose up mightily, especially on the big play by Collins moments after Robert Randolph's field goal cut Maryland's lead to 9-6 with 2:02 left in the third period.

His victim was Maryland quarterback Chris Turner, who didn't complete a pass for positive yardage for the first 20:53 and wound up hitting on just 16 of 38 for a miserly 158 yards. This time Turner's short toss was tipped by linebacker Darren Childs into the hands of the 290-pound Collins, who took off for the end zone like a flying rodent out of Hades.

"Collins deserves a lot of credit, but Childs also came through on a scheme we had devised," Groh explained. "It was a collective effort by our defense."

The Cavaliers have won their last nine October games - "I'm German, it's Oktoberfest," Groh explained - and must continue to improve with games ahead against toughies like Georgia Tech, Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech. But recently unhappy fans of the Wahoos will have to keep their tater traps shut about Al for a while at least.

No such luck for Friedgen, who became a huge hero in College Park when his first three teams went 31-8 with appearances in the Orange and Gator bowls.

But sports are a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately racket, and the Fridge hasn't done much to delight folks who bleed black and red every autumn. Since 2004, the Terps are just 35-32 overall and 19-26 in the ACC - numbers that recall unhappily the torturous tenures of unlamented predecessors like Joe Krivak, Mark Duffner and Ron Vanderlinden.

Over the past year or so, the once-imposing Friedgen has lost more than 100 pounds. Could it be too much of that came off the top?

During his postgame session, Groh insisted, "We came in here anticipating the toughest of games."

That's standard coach-speak, of course, but you have to wonder why.
 

Loss to Cavs drops Terrapins to 'bad place'Rate this story
By Patrick Stevens

The crowd was long gone even before Maryland returned to the locker room Saturday night. Any warm feelings associated with the annual frivolity of homecoming dissipated even earlier. And the Terrapins' chances of salvaging their season were whittled yet again at soggy Byrd Stadium.

Ultimately, all Maryland took away from a dank, dreary day featuring a 20-9 loss to Virginia was a reminder that, no matter how many times it might try, it won't succeed with an excess of turnovers.

Yes, it's a broken record repeated ad nauseam. It also has left the Terps with virtually no margin for error.

"We have to win every game," quarterback Chris Turner said. "That's where it puts our season. It's really not that complicated. We just have to win. ... Yeah, we're in a bad place right now - that's for sure. A bad place."

It's one of the Terps' own doing. Four turnovers, three field goals to show for the day's offense, two unsightly halves and one wretched afternoon-turned-evening later, Maryland (2-5, 1-2 ACC) stared further up at the deepening crevice it had created for itself.

The Terps' season turnover margin is minus-13, a chasm wide enough to allow a medley of misery to permeate a season that somehow grows worse every week. The latest foible was Turner's tipped pass landing in the hands of Virginia defensive end Nate Collins, who rumbled 32 yards for the only touchdown of the game's first 58 minutes.

"Until we stop turning the ball over, we can work 24 hours a day, they can work as hard as they want to work," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We're just giving games away. I don't think these teams are really better than us. We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot. Until that gets corrected, it's not going to happen."

It was a satisfying result for the Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0), who ended the weekend as the lone team unbeaten in conference play. They wound up in such an enviable spot even though tailback Mikell Simpson (neck) did not play and quarterback Jameel Sewell left late in the third quarter with a right ankle injury.

No matter. Fullback Rashawn Jackson accounted for 119 of Virginia's 201 yards, including an insurance score to prompt emphatic chants of "U-V-A" from the tiny Cavaliers contingent.

There was no reply from Maryland fans for two reasons. First, what could any Terps supporter say after yet another unsightly loss? Second, there was virtually no one left in the stadium wearing red besides those on the field and the sideline, awful weather mixing with apathy to sap an announced crowd of 44,864 that was never anywhere near that large.

Those who lingered witnessed the sort of sloppiness expected from outfits arriving with sub-.500 records. There were five fumbles (three lost) and six sacks, and Turner tossed two interceptions as well.

The fumbles short-circuited what started as a promising rushing effort for the Terps. Both Davin Meggett and Gary Douglas lost fumbles, and Douglas later suffered a sprained AC joint in a shoulder.

As the run faded, it amplified the need for Turner to come through on what was not one of his finer days. He completed just 16 of 38 passes for 158 yards and two interceptions, the first of which was especially costly.

Neither team possessed the capability of reaching the end zone without assistance, which was why Maryland's 9-3 lead in the third quarter seemed somewhat sturdy. But the Cavaliers concocted a field goal drive, and two plays later Collins collected his crucial pick to give Virginia a 13-9 edge.

"Turnovers, it's self-explanatory," receiver Adrian Cannon said. "We're giving the ball away. Anyone who knows football... they know you can't turn the ball over and expect to win. That's definitely one thing we have to stop."

Such miscues, of course, lead to vulnerability to more innocuous problems. Speedy tailback Caleb Porzel tripped on a 10-yard burst in the open field. Nick Ferrara, the reliable freshman who accounted for all of the Terps' points, slipped a 37-yard field goal just right early in the fourth quarter and plunked a waterlogged ball well short on a 44-yard try a few minutes later.

The rest of the night was merely a postscript. The Terps turned it over on downs near their goal line, leading to Jackson's 2-yard scoring plunge to clinch the victory. Turner tossed another interception in a futile final gasp.

And Maryland found itself deeper than ever in an increasingly troubling situation.

"What really troubles me is this team works very hard, and not to get more for how hard they play, I'm really trying to figure out a way for some of these kids to grow," Friedgen said. "I thought we were on the right path."

Without an instantaneous reversal, though, the Terps' turnover-addled journey will continue down a road to ruin.
 

Cavs make a statement
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 18, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The muddy conditions on a chilly night were suitable for soccer.
Initially, the contest appeared destined to be determined by kicks.
That all changed in the final 17 minutes as Virginia magically kept its winning streak alive, sloshing and splattering past Maryland, 20-9, at rain-drenched Byrd Stadium.
Coupled with Virginia Tech’s loss at Georgia Tech, the Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 ACC) jumped into sole possession of first place in the Coastal Division as they scored the contest’s final 17 points.
“That was a magnificent effort by our players,” said Virginia coach Al Groh, who has won three straight. “They dealt with everything that we encountered, whether it was guys having to step up, circumstances within the ballgame — they refused to be distracted by any issues.
“We had a target for what the mission was. They took that aim on the target, they weren’t going to be distracted by anything. As a result, they did something they can be very proud of.”
With Maryland leading 9-6 and under two minutes to play in the third quarter, the game turned 180 degrees.
After dropping back to pass, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner’s pass was tipped into the air by Virginia linebacker Darren Childs, who was blitzing, and landed in the over-sized hands of defensive end Nate Collins.
He sprinted towards the right corner of the end zone, attempting to beat any oncoming pursuit.
“Obviously, the [offensive] lineman didn’t know the ball was that close,” Collins chuckled. “When I caught, I don’t know if he knew that I had it or not, but I thought that he was going to grab me, but once I got away from him I just saw green. I ran for the pylon.”
Collins narrowly made it, scoring from 32 yards out to give Virginia a 13-9 advantage with 1:43 left in the third quarter.
“Darren Childs came through on a scheme that we had devised for that situation, tipped the ball and as a result of that, Nate was there,” Groh said. “Nate played a little quarterback and tailback and whatnot in high school and seemed to feel as though after he got started.”
Collins added: “That’s a d-lineman’s dream. I don’t how many times that happens and just the way that it happened, just to fall in my lap like that, there was no way I could live with myself if I fumbled that.”
Having regained the momentum and silenced a chilled crowd that was graciously listed at 44,864, Virginia leaned on its defense, a once-stagnant running attack and a pair of missed field goals by Maryland’s Nick Ferrara in the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers, after gaining just 22 yards on their first 27 rushing attempts, were anchored by senior tailback Rashawn Jackson.
A bruiser at heart, Jackson rushed for 44 of his game-high 90 yards in the final quarter.
One run put an exclamation point on the contest — after the Cavaliers defense held Maryland on downs at the Terrapins 2, Jackson plowed into the end zone with just 1:43 left in the game on the ensuing play.
Jackson managed 119 yards on 23 total touches.
“Rashawn was magnificent,” Groh said. “We made a decision some weeks ago that he was going to be one of our key guys. You have probably been able to see that develop here over the last three or four weeks.
“When it came down there at the end we had no plan other than to keep giving it to the guy that had proven that he was up to it tonight. He did a terrific job.”
Jackson was needed late after quarterback Jameel Sewell was carried off the field with an apparent knee injury and issued a pair of crutches.
Before leaving in the third quarter, Sewell was 13-of-23 passing for 137 yards, but was sacked five times, losing 36 yards.
Turner struggled to the same degree through the air, completing 16 of his 38 attempts for 158 yards. He was also picked off twice, but had help.
“There were tough conditions tonight,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. “Chris’ passing percentage wasn’t very good and a lot of balls were dropped too. You have to make those catches or you don’t win the game.”
Early in the game as both teams attempted to master a field getting worse by the minute, Virginia managed to open the game’s scoring with a 32-yard field goal from Robert Randolph with 1:47 left in the opening quarter.
Maryland, after mustering just 52 yards in the first quarter, eventually picked up some steam.
The Terrapins (2-5, 1-2) had the ball for 8:24 in the second quarter and scored on a pair of field goals from Ferrara, including a booming 48-yarder with 13:14 left in the first half.
Virginia had a chance to add points in the final minute of the first half after a 49-yard kickoff return by Chase Minnifield moved the ball to the Maryland 40, but after three players netted just five yards, Groh elected to punt.
“It is a low-scoring game, a field-position game at that particular time,” Groh explained. “It just made sense.”
Maryland, which must win six of seven to be eligible for the postseason, pushed ahead 9-3 on its second drive of the second half as Ferrara converted a 29-yard field goal.
The kick came with 6:08 left in the third, capping an 8-play, 53-yard drive that included 42 passing yards from Turner to three different targets.
Maryland’s fortunes changed in the second half as it endured two of its four turnovers.
“Offensively we did some things that were good but they were negated by our turnovers. It’s the same story over and over again. Until that gets fixed it’s going to be hard to win football games. The [wet] ball was tough tonight, but Virginia did a better job of managing it.”
I don’t think the teams we are playing are better than us but we just keep shooting ourselves in the foot. Until that gets corrected, it’s not going to happen.”
Virginia returns home Saturday to host Georgia Tech at noon. Maryland plays at Duke at 1:30 p.m.
 

Cavs' Collins and Jackson pick right day to make splash
October 18, 2009 12:36 am
COLLEGE PARK, Md.

--When times get tough, every team simplifies and identifies its go-to guys. Besides being a nice phrase for an amateur poet, it's also good advice for a program in crisis.

With myriad factors stacked against it yesterday, Virginia turned to a pair of grizzled but relatively anonymous senior leaders. And on a miserable day when the ball was often slippery, the Cavaliers were in good hands with Nate Collins and Rashawn Jackson.

Collins made the pivotal play in Virginia's 20-9 victory over Maryland, intercepting a tipped pass and lumbering 32 yards for the go-ahead third-quarter touchdown. After that, the Cavaliers stuck the ball in Jackson's gut almost exclusively, and he churned out 90 rugged yards and an insurance score.

"Rashawn was magnificent," coach Al Groh said. Asked subsequently about Collins, Groh grinned. "Nate was pretty good, too," he said.

Surprisingly, the same could be said for the Cavaliers. Essentially left for dead after a lifeless 0-3 start, they've reached .500 and are the only team that's unbeaten in Atlantic Coast Conference play at 2-0--albeit with most of their tougher games ahead.

"We've found ourselves," Collins said. "We've found our identity. We're not going to crack."

Still, it didn't look as if the Cavaliers were going to move much in the Byrd Stadium muck yesterday. In a cold, steady drizzle, both offenses spun their wheels, and the equally inept Terrapins were clinging to a 9-6 lead (all on field goals) late in the third period.

That's when Virginia linebacker Darren Childs blitzed through a gap in Maryland's protection and tipped Chris Turner's pass. The ball floated through the raindrops toward the 6-foot-2, 290-pound Collins, who played quarterback, tailback and receiver in high school in West Chester, N.Y.

On a day when Maryland fumbled four times, Collins' huge hands enveloped the ball and didn't relinquish it until he had outrun a host of Terps into the end zone.

"I just wasn't going to give it up," Collins said with a wry smile. "That's a D-lineman's dream, just to have it fall in my lap. There was no way I could live with myself if I let go or fumbled it."

Those heroics essentially sealed Virginia's victory, because the Terps (2-5) were not about to drive for a touchdown. But Collins wasn't finished. He sacked Turner on fourth down at the Maryland 2 in the final minutes, setting up Jackson's first career rushing TD.

That was Jackson's ninth carry on Virginia's first 10 fourth-quarter snaps. (He caught a short pass from Marc Verica on the other.) That was no coincidence. The conditions were tailor-made for the 6-foot-1, 245-pounder's power game--"The weather was fun for me; I'm from Jersey," he said.

Actually, though, Groh and his staff had decided much earlier that Jackson would carry the load. Fleet-footed Mikell Simpson, the star of Virginia's 18-17 win here two years ago, missed yesterday's game with a neck injury, joining a long list of limping Cavaliers that yesterday added quarterback Jameel Sewell (ankle) and defensive end Matt Conrath (knee).

"We made the decision several weeks ago that Rashawn was going to be one of our key guys," Groh said, "and you've seen that develop over the past 3-4 weeks. We had no other plans [in the fourth quarter] but to give him the ball."

Jackson's carries and yardage totals were career highs, and they might have been even more impressive if his 46-yard touchdown hadn't been negated by a holding call. Still, Jackson was more excited to talk about Collins' touchdown than his own.

"That was sweet," Jackson said. "His run was better than mine. Nate's a fast guy; don't let the weight fool you."

The Cavaliers have been shattering misperceptions for nearly a month now, making a case for preserving Groh's job and salvaging a season that seemed lost. They'll face a huge test Saturday when they host Georgia Tech, but they won't do it without momentum or confidence. Veterans like Collins and Jackson will make sure of that.

"They've stuck together and kept working," Groh said, "Now, we've got a little something going."

 

Virginia delivers Sewell early birthday present
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 18, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Kris Burd said it was rather simple.
After watching starting quarterback Jameel Sewell leave the field at Byrd Stadium with a right ankle sprain, Virginia was forced to pick up its emotional leader and deliver an early birthday present.
The Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 ACC) did just that, rallying to win
20-9 over Maryland (2-5, 1-2).
“That kind of was a little bit of motivation for the rest of the game for the team,” said Burd, who caught two passes for 35 yards. “Jameel is our vocal leader and he is our drive behind the offense. We just wanted to win the game for him.”
Sewell, who left in the third quarter after his ankle was rolled on a designed keeper, learned after he emerged from the locker room for treatment of the intended goal.
“That’s makes me feel great, man, to know that the fellas I play with have that much love for me, that much confidence to know that they are going to do it with or without me,” he said two days before turning 22. “That is a brotherhood that we have going on right now. Just hearing them say that and a couple other people say that means a lot.”
Sewell had tried to manage the contest effectively despite the rainy conditions and five vicious sacks, completing 13 of 23 passes for 137 yards.
One completion, however, stood out.
With Virginia reeling on offense in the third quarter, Sewell attempted a third-down pass into coverage in Burd’s direction.
Laying on the ground, Burd felt the ball hit his shin. He quickly corralled the ball and pulled it into his stomach.
It was ruled a catch. It was
reviewed. It was upheld, drawing boos from the poncho-wearing fans.
“It was crazy,” Burd said. “It did happen so quick. I didn’t know where I was on the field. I knew I was close to the sideline but I figured they would make the right call.”
Burd and Sewell have created a special bond over the past few weeks.
“Jameel and I have a connection,” Burd said.
“It was a time in the game where we had to make plays. “I was just out there trying to make a play and we had been struggling to move the ball, but we just kept grinding. We made plays at the right time and we came out with a win.”
As for Sewell and defensive end Matt Conrath, who also sprained his ankle, little was known following the game.
Both players were able to put limited pressure on their injured right ankles as they left the field.
Sewell even ditched the crutches to speak to members of the media.
“They both limped off, they couldn’t finish, so that probably means they are not going to be too sprightly [today],” Groh said. “Outside of that, other than my checking to see if each kid was okay, I haven’t taken the time to look that far into the future.”
 

Defense shines in win
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 18, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md.

With less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, and Maryland’s Byrd Stadium becoming more of a swamp as the rain poured down, and starting quarterback Jameel Sewell knocked out of the game with an ankle injury, Virginia needed a hero.
He came in a most unusual form.
An unlikely hero
Yup, big Nate Collins may have been the most unlikely Cavalier to turn a loose ball into Maryland’s worst nightmare Saturday night.
The 290-pound defensive end saw teammate Darren Childs bat Terrapin quarterback Chris Turner’s pass into the air, the wet pigskin landing right into Collins’ mitts. It was one of those “look what I found” plays that defensive linemen rarely experience and the hulking senior wasn’t about to blow it.
Collins, who played some quarterback and running back in high school, displayed excellent recall as he darted — well, maybe darted is a bit extreme — 32 yards to score the game’s first touchdown and gave Virginia a 13-9 lead that it never relinquished. The 20-9 win was the Cavaliers’ third in a row after an 0-3 start, and third straight over the Terps.
“That was a sweet run, better than mine,” said UVa tailback Rashawn Jackson, who gutted out 90 yards rushing and a 2-yard TD plunge with less than two minutes to play. “Nate’s a fast guy ... don’t let the weight fool you.”
Highlight reel
Collins’ interception return was easily the play of the game in a contest that had featured little offense and nothing but field goals to that point, with Maryland leading 9-6.
The play was exactly what Cavaliers coach Al Groh had been emphasizing since training camp, non-offensive touchdowns. This one, Virginia’s first of its kind this season, couldn’t have come at a better time.
While Virginia’s defense had turned in another stellar performance, the offense was bogged down in the quagmire. All the Cavaliers needed was a spark, one play to make the difference.
The big play came out of a defensive scheme called by Groh, who doubles as the defensive coordinator.
“Childs came through on a scheme we devised for that situation, tipped the ball and as a result, Nate was there,” Groh said. “He seemed to feel his oats once he got started.”
Collins said once he saw Childs, affectionally tagged “Cali” by his teammates, tip the ball, he looked up and saw the ball in the air.
“Once I caught the ball, I knew I just had to get it in the end zone,” Collins said later, basking in an unfamiliar limelight rare for players who wear No. 98. “I wasn’t trying to look behind me, nothing. I was looking forward. I tried to glace up at the scoreboard to see if there was anyone behind me, but I was like, ‘I’m just going to run for the pylon.’ I’ve probably never been so tired in my life as after that play.”
The big end expected someone to catch him from behind and about 10 yards from the end zone he heard teammate Rodney McLeod scream, “Watch out, watch out.” Horror flashed through Collins’ mind as he remembered seeing other defensive linemen getting stripped from behind on their way to score in TV highlights.
“I couldn’t let that happen,” Collins said with a grin.
It was another key play by an ever-improving Virginia defense that has played a stretch of
hair-chested football over the Cavaliers’ three-game winning streak. Having moved statistically to the No. 25 ranked defense in the country, Groh’s charges have surrendered only one touchdown in the last three outings, and even that one by Indiana in a 47-7 blowout, was rather insignifcant.
“They really, really played,” Groh said of his defense. “I have nothing but the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight and how they’ve stuck together and kept believing and been unified. As a result, we’ve got a little something going now.”
Virginia’s defense forced four fumbles (recovered two) and picked off two Turner passes to add to the Terps, now 2-5 overall, misery.
This was a statement game for Maryland. Coach Ralph Friedgen was pulling out all the stops to try to stay in the ACC’s Atlantic Division race and win a key homecoming game.
Instead, it was Groh’s Wahoos that made a resounding statement and now they awake this morning sitting in first place in the Coastal Division with a perfect 2-0 ACC mark with red-hot Georgia Tech coming to town this weekend.
The win also kept the Cavaliers almost unbeatable in the month of October over the past three seasons. Virginia has won 12 of its last 13 games during that stretch.
“I’m German ... it’s Octoberfest,” Groh grinned.
Just call him Mr. October.
Collins, who scored 18 touchdowns at King & Low-Heywood Thomas High School in Port Chester, N.Y., delivered a strong performance. He also had a key sack, nearly for a safety, in the final two minutes to dash the Terps’ last gasp, to go along with his game-high nine tackles.
“The sack was exciting,” Collins said. “Coach Groh called a great play for us upfront, stunting me and Zane Parr (who had replaced injured Matt Conrath). We knew all week this was going to happen, which way their line was going to slide and it just opened up for me and it came at a great time.”
All week long, Groh has emphasized getting turnovers, noting that Maryland was ranked No. 117 (out of 120 FBS teams) in turnover margin.
“We emphasized that even if the sun had been shining,” Groh said. “We did emphasize that the elements might increase our opportunities to do so. The guys deserve the credit. Coaches don’t strip the ball, players do.”
Left for dead three weeks ago after Virginia’s worst start since 1982, no one could blame the Cavaliers or their coach for beaming on miserable night across the Potomac.
The difference in the team from 0h-and-3 to 3-3?
“We’re getting better,” Groh said, making his answer as simple as cornbread.
The real answer is probably a little more sophisticated and complicated, but for now, it’ll do.
 

North Carolina slips past UVa
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 18, 2009

There are no two ways about it: The first 69 minutes of the Virginia field hockey team’s game against North Carolina on Saturday afternoon was downright boring. Both teams struggled to get any kind of scoring chances and seemed to play tentative.
But the last 14-plus minutes of the contest more than made up for anything the game may have previously lacked in aesthetic value.
In a back-and-forth tilt in which each team had a number of chances to win, No. 2 UNC held off Virginia at the University Hall Turf Field to remain undefeated. The Tar Heels, thanks to a goal by Danielle Forword with 2:27 left into overtime, escaped Charlottesville with a 2-1 victory over the third-ranked Cavaliers.
“Our kids stayed in it — I give them a lot of credit,” said Virginia coach Michele Madison. “North Carolina is a very good team.
“We hope to see them again in ACC’s…we know where we had our opportunities. Now we can look at tape and see what we can exploit and what we’ll need to do to win next time.”
Until the final minute of regulation, Virginia, trailing by a goal, seemed headed for defeat. But then UVa (14-2, 1-2) midfielder Inga Stockel wound up for a shot from just outside the circle. The ball whizzed through a crowd of players and somehow managed to find the back of the net.
Virginia wasn’t immediately credited with the score because referees weren’t sure if the ball had been tipped, as rules would require. However, after a lengthy conference, it was determined that the ball had in fact been touched by UVa sophomore Paige Selenski.
“[Stockel] just hit it into the circle and I was able to get my stick on it,” Selenski explained. “It went through two of their defenders and I was right there to get a stick on it.
“I think the ref had had a bad angle. He thought it hit my foot, but my stick was in front of my foot.”
Selenski said Virginia’s perseverance paid off.
“I just felt like a goal was coming,” she said, “because I felt just so much energy on the team.
“We felt like we could score and tie it up.”
In the overtime, with the game being played 7-on-7, the action really picked up. Each squad had a number of scoring opportunities as possession yo-yoed from one end of the field to the other.
On two occasions, it seemed as if UNC had won the game after balls found their way into the goal. However, the first goal was ruled a dangerous shot, while the second was nullified because it came from beyond the circle.
Four minutes into the extra session, Stockel had a point-blank chance from just in front of the net but was turned away by UNC goalie Jackie Kintzer.
The Tar Heels (14-0,
4-0) notched the game-winner with under three minutes left. The score came off a penalty corner. Forword took a pass directly from Elizabeth Drazdowski and beat Virginia goalie Kim Kastuk.
“It always to hurts to lose — especially a close game like that — but overall I’m very proud of the team and I think we’re proud of ourselves,” said Kastuk, who had five saves. “We showed a lot of heart.
“We never quit. How we scored in those final seconds was a testament to our character.”
Selenski said the solid performance was yet another affirmation that the team will be ready come postseason.
“Right now we know we can match up with any of the top teams in the country,” she said. “We feel like we’ll be ready for anything when it comes to [the ACC and NCAA tournaments].”
 

Third-Ranked Cavaliers Fall to No. 2 UNC in Overtime, 2-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (14-2, 1-2 ACC) was defeated in overtime by second-ranked North Carolina (14-0, 4-0 ACC) 2-1 Saturday at the University Hall Turf Field.
Sophomore Paige Selenski scored with 36 seconds left in regulation to tie the game 1-1 and send it into extra time.
North Carolina's Danielle Forword then converted on a penalty corner in the 83rd minute to give the Tar Heels the win and remain unbeaten. Teammate Elizabeth Drazdowski assisted on the goal.
"Our kids stayed in it and I give them a lot of credit," Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. "We were down a goal most of the game and our kids just kept plugging away until finally we had one drop in. North Carolina is a great team."
After trailing 1-0, Virginia was able to put on some offensive pressure in the second half, outshooting UNC 4-3 in the period.
Junior Inga Stöckel took possession of the ball just past midfield and blasted it into the circle, where several Cavaliers stood in position. Selenski was able to get her stick on the ball before it went into the cage, past North Carolina goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer. The goal in the 70th minute forced overtime.
For the game, the Tar Heels outshot Virginia 14-9 and had an 8-4 advantage on penalty corners.
"We were playing nice combination hockey but were too eager and trying to go forward too fast," Madison said. "We had opportunities to win it, in overtime too, and that is the key. Our defense in the second half was stellar. You just have to keep it simple."
Kintzer finished with five saves, as did UVa junior Kim Kastuk.
UNC got on the board in the ninth minute to take a 1-0 lead. Forword dribbled into the circle and dumped it off to Drazdowski, who was sitting on the right post and was able to put the ball in the back of the net.
The Cavaliers play at No. 5 Wake Forest in a conference game next Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

 

No. 11 Virginia Downs Virginia Tech, 3-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Will Bates (Chester, Va.) scored twice, including the game-winner in the 57th minute, to lead the No. 11-ranked Virginia men's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Virginia Tech Saturday night in Blacksburg.

“It’s never easy winning on the road but it’s really tough winning on the road in the ACC against your archrival,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “To come back from down a goal on the road shows a lot of character.”

Virginia Tech (3-8-2, 2-3 ACC) got on the board first in the 13th minute when Brendan Dunn scored his first goal of the year off of an assist by Charlie Campbell.

Virginia (8-3-1, 2-3 ACC) countered before the end of the half, as Neil Barlow (Herndon, Va.) scored his team-high fourth goal of the year in the 43rd minute. Barlow's goal was unassisted and the teams remained tied, 1-1, until the 57th minute.

It was then that Bates headed a loose ball into the top corner of the net to put the Cavaliers up, 2-1.

Bates made it 3-1 Virginia in the 82nd minute, gaining possession of a Virginia Tech turnover and converting a breakaway. For Bates, the two goals were a career-high and were his third and fourth goals of the season.

As a team, it was Virginia's highest goal output since winning 3-0 at Portland to open the season (Sept. 4).

In goal for UVa, Diego Restrepo finished with three saves. Hokie goalkeeper Stefan Caulfield finished with four saves.

Virginia out-shot Virginia Tech, 11-9, and held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Virginia hosts a non-conference match on Tuesday (Oct. 20) vs. Howard at Klöckner Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 

Late Penalty Kick Lifts No. 2 Tar Heels Over Virginia
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Virginia women’s soccer team suffered its fifth one-goal loss of the season, falling at No. 2 North Carolina 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Fetzer Field. An 89th minute penalty kick gave the Tar Heels the game-winning goal and sent Virginia to 6-5-3 overall (1-4-1 ACC).

“Obviously this is a tough way to lose a game,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “I thought we did what we needed to do to get a result. We gave up the fewest scoring chances against North Carolina that I can remember in all the times we have played them. Their goalie made a couple of big saves when the game was 1-1 in the second half to keep us from taking the lead.”

After a scoreless first half, the Tar Heels took a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute. Off of a corner kick, a loose ball deflected off the arm of Alyssa Rich inside the 6-yard box and into the net, but the goal stood to put Carolina in front. The Cavaliers drew even in the 62nd minute. Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.) intercepted a clearance at the top of the box and fired a low shot just inside the near post for her fifth goal of the year. The Tar Heels retook the lead in the 89th minute when a handball in the box gave UNC a penalty kick that Ali Hawkins converted for the game-winner.

Overall, North Carolina outshot Virginia 12-6 and had a 7-3 corner kick advantage. Chantel Jones (Midlothian, Va.) made seven saves for the Cavaliers, while Ashlyn Harris made one for the Tar Heels.

“I am proud of the team and how we continue to hang in there and fight,” said Swanson. “Every game we have to deal with something else, a new way to end up on the wrong side of the scoreline. We just need to start making the plays to change that. Of course we are feeling some urgency, but I am confident that we can get it turned around. These next four games are almost like the postseason for us, but I am happy with how we have been playing and it is just a matter of time before a ball or two bounces our way.”

The Cavaliers continue a four-match road trip on Oct. 22 as they visit Duke

NORTH CAROLINA 2, VIRGINIA 1

Virginia (6-5-3, 1-4-1) 0 1 - 1
#2 North Carolina (12-1-1, 5-1-0) 0 2 - 2

Scoring Summary
UNC. Alyssa Rich 5 (Ali Hawkins, Whutney Engen) 51’
UVa. Sinead Farrelly 5 (unassisted) 62’
UNC. Ali Hawkins 6 (penalty kick) 89’

Shots: UVa 6, UNC 12
Corners: UVa 3, UNC 7
Saves: UVa 7 (Jones 7), UNC 1 (Harris 1)
Fouls: UVa 8, UNC 4

Attendance: 2,207
 

Three Wins For UVa on Day One of Head of the Charles
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

BOSTON – Competing in three events on the first day of the Head of the Charles, Virginia rowers won all three events on the Charles River in Boston, Mass.

Virginia’s Club Eight won its race with a time of 17:03.73. Second place went to Yale (17:12.38) while third went to Alabama (17:41.19). There were 18 entries overall.

UVa’s Club Four was also victorious, defeating the second-place finisher by more than 30 seconds. Virginia’s time was 18:45.27, followed by Charles Campbell Rowing (19:14.01) and Guelph Rowing Club (19:15.47). There were 18 crews in the race.

Virginia’s Alumni Eight gave Virginia its third victory of the day, defeating alumni crews from Stanford, Dartmouth and Harvard with a winning time of 17:18.15.

Virginia continues competition at the Head of the Charles Sunday (Oct. 18).
 

Georgia Tech Tops Cavaliers in Four Sets
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia volleyball team dropped a hard fought match to Georgia Tech Saturday evening, 1-3 (17-25, 25-20, 15-25, 21-25), in Memorial Gymnasium.

Sophomore Simone Asque led the attack, matching a season-high 18 kills, while sophomore Tess Udall chipped in a career-high eight kills. Freshman Rachel Gray dished out 38 helpers and junior AJ Cushman tallied 12 digs. Freshman Jessica O’Shoney knocked down six blocks, while junior Sydney Hill had four.

For Georgia Tech (13-6, 7-2 ACC), Chrissy DeMichelis had 20 kills and Jordan McCullers paced the defense with 14 digs. Mary Ashley Tippens collected a double-double of 49 assists and 12 digs.

Virginia took a 3-1 advantage early in the first set, but Georgia Tech responded with a 4-0 run to take a lead that they held for the rest of the frame. The Yellow Jackets tallied three 3-0 runs in the set, allowing them to capture the victory, 25-17.

The Cavaliers started strong in the second set, taking the first three points of the frame, but the Yellow Jackets’ attack strung together a series of scores, taking the lead 12-10. Virginia countered with a 5-0 run, seizing a 15-12 advantage and went on to win the set, 25-20.

The two squads alternated points early in the third stanza before the Yellow Jackets took command of the frame with a 5-0 run. Georgia Tech held the lead for the remainder of the set, topping the Cavaliers, 25-15.

The Yellow Jackets led for much of the fourth frame. The Cavaliers strung together three points late in the set to pull within one, but it was not enough as Georgia Tech claimed the frame and the match, 25-21.

Virginia (7-13, 2-7 ACC) will return to action next weekend, heading north to face Maryland on Friday and Boston College on Saturday. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m.
 

UVa Golfers Move up to Third Entering Final Round at The Ridges
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/17/2009

Jonesboro, TN - The 26th-ranked Virginia men's golf team moved up to third place after 36 holes of play at the 15-team Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges. The Cavaliers saw all five golfers post under-par rounds Saturday as the team shot 6-under 282. Entering Sunday's final round, UVa stands at 4-under 572 and is five shots behind co-leaders Tennessee and Oregon State.
Amory Davis led Virginia during the second round with a 3-under 69. He is tied for fifth on the leaderboard with teammate Ben Kohles at 3-under 141. Kohles was one of four Cavaliers to shoot 1-under 71 Saturday.
Kyle Stough's 71 moved him up to 20th overall at even par 144. Bruce Woodall's 71 brought his two-day total to 146, which has him in 29th place. Will Collins moved up to 40th overall at 4-over 148.
Oregon State's Diego Velasquez owns a three-shot lead atop the standings at 8-under 136.
The final round is slated for Sunday morning. Live scoring is online at Golfstat.com.

Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges
Par-72, 7,147 yards
The Ridges Golf and Country Club
Jonesboro, TN

Second Round Results
1. Tennessee 287-280-567
1. Oregon State 286-281-567
3. Virginia 290-282-572
4. Missouri 287-289-576
5. Virginia Tech 290-287-577
6. Wake Forest 290-290-580
7. East Tennessee State 294-287-581
8. UNC Wilmington 290-293-583
9. Kent State 297-287-584
9. North Carolina 299-285-584
11. Duke 290-296-586
12. Coastal Carolina 295-295-590
13. Auburn 300-291-591
14. NC State 297-297-594
15. UAB 306-305-611

Individual Leaders
1. Diego Velasquez, Oregon State 66-70-136
2. Josh Brock, UNC Wilmington 69-70-139
2. David Holmes, Tennessee 71-68-139
4. Mike Barry, Oregon State 73-67-140
5. Jack Fields, North Carolina 71-70-141
5. Marshall Bailey, Virginia Tech 72-69-141
5. Amory Davis, Virginia 72-69-141
5. Ben Kohles, Virginia 70-71-141
5. Darren Renwick, Tennessee 74-67-141

Virginia Results
5. Ben Kohles 70-71-141
5. Amory Davis 72-69-141
20. Kyle Stough 73-71-144
29. Bruce Woodall 75-71-146
40. Will Collins 77-71-148