Will U.Va. roll lead to a bowl?
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 19, 2009

After a winless September, Virginia's football team is pulling off a perfect October, and it's time to ask a once-laughable question: Can these Cavs make a bowl game?

The magic number is six, and Virginia is 3-3 with all ACC games remaining. The Wahoos play host to Georgia Tech on Saturday at noon. The red-hot Yellow Jackets became the conference's first bowl-eligible team by defeating Virginia Tech Saturday.

Perhaps just as important, the winner will seize first place in the ACC Coastal division. Coach Al Groh said that he's expecting the Yellow Jackets' option offense to provide the toughest test yet.

"With the combination of how well they're playing and the uniqueness of what they're doing, it would be hard to argue with that," he said.

Virginia's road to six also includes road games at Miami and Clemson, and home games against Duke, Boston College and Virginia Tech. It's a tough schedule, but the ACC has nine bowl slots to fill and currently only six teams with more wins than the Cavs. NCAA rules require at least six victories for a team to make postseason play.

One thing that has helped the Hoos get on a roll has been improved ball security. When Jameel Sewell fumbled the ball Saturday, it was the first time U.Va. turned it over since the Southern Mississippi game. The fumble was the only giveaway on a day when the defense produced four takeaways.

The defense also delivered with a touchdown on a Nate Collins interception return. Groh said before the season he would emphasize defensive and special teams touchdowns. The special teams haven't produced, but Collins broke through for the defense.

"We've been practicing on scoring a lot," safety Brandon Woods said. "He was the one to make the play."

Aside from the defense, other areas of the game will draw scrutiny this week. Among the topics Groh discussed last night was a botched punt by Jimmy Howell.

The punter started off running but changed his mind and tried a last-second punt that got minimal yardage.

"Far be it from me to explain," the coach said. "It was our intention that he was going to punt the ball."

On offense, injuries will be the concern. Quarterback Jameel Sewell re-aggravated a right-ankle injury but maintained after the game that he was fine.

In one of the game's more bizarre plays, defensive lineman Matt Conrath injured his right ankle on a kneel-down play. Zane Parr will take over at that position, with true freshman Brent Urban shifting into the role of dime-package lineman.

Running back Mikell Simpson's status is also in question -- he didn't play Saturday.

"We'll go strictly with what the medical people say, but if we have a decision, we'll stay on the cautious side," Groh said. "Clearly there are more important things in life than just football, especially with a young guy like that."
 

Al Groh’s Sunday take - 10/18
Michael Phillips
Oct 18, 2009

U.Va. football coach Al Groh had nothing but praise for his defense tonight, saying they’d done a great job of executing on the field during the past few weeks.

With a looming game against Georgia Tech, the ACC’s hottest team right now, he also emphasized that his team still had progress to make to be able to contend.

Aside from the defense, other areas of the game will draw tight scrutiny this week. Among the topics Groh discussed was a botched punt by Jimmy Howell.

The punter started off running, but changed his mind and tried a last-second punt that got minimal yardage.

“Far be it from me to explain,” the coach said. “It was our intention that he was going to punt the ball.”

On offense, injuries will be the concern. Quarterback Jameel Sewell re-aggravated a right-ankle injury, but maintained after the game that he was fine.

In one of the game’s more bizarre plays, defensive lineman Matt Conrath injured his ankle on a kneel-down play. Zane Parr will take over at that position, with true freshman Brent Urban shifting into the role of dime-package lineman.

Running back Mikell Simpson’s status is also in question – he didn’t play yesterday.

“We’ll go strictly with what the medical people say, but if we have a decision, we’ll stay on the cautious side,” Groh said. “Clearly there are more important things in life than just football, especially with a young guy like that.”

Groh also addressed other lingering questions from the game, including his decision to switch hats at halftime.

He did that, he said, because his first one was “really wet.”
 

Resurgent Cavaliers splash by Terps into Coastal lead
Collins’ interception return for a touchdown marks go-ahead score as team spoils border rival’s homecoming with 20-9 win
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Featured / Football / Sports
October 19, 2009 0

Starting in place of injured running back Mikell Simpson, senior Rashawn Jackson ran for 90 yards and a touchdown in Virginia’s third straight victory. Photo courtesy Virginia Athletics.
College Park, Md. — As the rain poured down in Byrd Stadium Saturday evening, no pass made for an easy catch. But Virginia needed only one reception to capture its third straight win and second ACC road victory.

It did not come from emerging sophomore receiver Kris Burd or from versatile senior quarterback Vic Hall. Neither senior quarterback Jameel Sewell nor junior Marc Verica was at the helm for the Cavaliers on their most pivotal play of the game. With less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Maryland senior quarterback Chris Turner fired a pass into the Virginia front-seven, and senior defensive end Nate Collins came up with the interception at the Terrapin 32-yard line. He didn’t look back.

“When I caught it, I didn’t see anyone in front of me,” Collins said. “I was just like, I gotta get in there — I wasn’t trying to look behind me — nothin’. I was just lookin’ forward — I tried to glance up at the scoreboard to see if there was anyone behind me, but I was like, ‘I’m just gonna run it right now,’ — just looked at the pylon, and just ran for the pylon.”

Collins’ interception return for a touchdown was Virginia’s longest “reception” of the day and gave the Cavaliers a 13-9 lead from which they, too, never looked back. Prior to the score, Virginia (3-3, 2-0 ACC) had mustered only 139 yards of total offense and just six points. In fact, even though the Cavaliers eventually outscored the Terrapins (2-5, 1-2 ACC) 20-9, they gained only 201 total yards to Maryland’s 284, highlighting the importance of the defensive touchdown.

“We went into the game with a big emphasis on [turnovers], had the sun been shining,” coach Al Groh said. “But we did emphasize that perhaps the elements might increase our opportunities to do so, and the guys were on it.”

Senior Nate Collins sacked Terp senior quarterback Chris Turner late in the fourth quarter. The tackle also returned an interception for a touchdown in the win. Photo courtesy Virginia Athletics.
In a game in which the playing conditions had such a significant effect on the bounce of the ball, it seems fitting that Collins hauled in the tipped pass by chance.

“I actually don’t think I was in the right spot, to be honest,” Collins said. “Once it was in the air, I looked up and the ball just fell in my hands and I just took up and ran.”

With a slew of Maryland players trailing him — speedy wide receivers included — the 290-pound Collins burst down the left sideline and was able to outrun his lightweight adversaries, probably because of his sizeable head-start.

“I figured someone was gonna catch up to me — I mean I’m not that fast,” Collins said. “Once I got to the 10-yard line, I could hear [sophomore safety] Rodney McLeod screamin’, ‘Watch out, watch out!’”

Collins’ interception, however, was not Virginia’s only fortunate play of the victory that put the Cavaliers in first place in the ACC Coastal Division. On third-and-three during the Cavaliers’ previous possession, Sewell, trying to avoid Maryland’s fifth potential sack, quickly launched an up-for-grabs pass down the left sideline that found its way through two defensive backs and into the hands of sophomore receiver Burd for a 28-yard gain. Safely in Maryland territory, Virginia eventually advanced the ball to the 14-yard line, well in-range for another field goal by sophomore Robert Randolph to close Maryland’s lead to three.

“Sometimes there is a little bit of good fortune, but those things happen to you when you lose games, too,” Groh said. “We’re not about to send it back.”

Following Collins’ interception, Maryland freshman kicker Nick Ferrara missed a 37-yard field goal wide-right and came up short on a 44-yarder on the team’s next two possessions. Although the field conditions may have influenced the latter, Ferrara had already converted three field goals on the day, including a 48-yard attempt. Whether it was the pressure of a close-game situation or the wet field that affected the inexperienced freshman, the two misses gave Virginia the luck it needed.

Although Virginia benefited from these “fortunate” plays, it had its fair share of unlucky ones as well — the long-term implications of which may outweigh any so-called lucky play that aided the victory. With 28 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Turner took a knee to wind down the clock. Somehow, sophomore defensive end Matt Conrath injured his right ankle on the play and did not return. Then, late in the third quarter as Virginia drove deep into Maryland territory, Sewell kept the ball on second down and lunged forward to the Maryland 19-yard line to secure a first down, sacrificing his right ankle on the play. Although he laid on the field for several minutes and needed considerable assistance to walk off to the sideline, after the game the senior said he was “fine.” Sewell was later diagnosed with a sprained ankle Saturday.

“Well, they both limped off — they couldn’t finish,” Groh said. “That probably means that they’re not gonna be too sprightly tomorrow.”

The wheel of fortune aside, Virginia played an inspired defensive game, creating four turnovers and limiting Maryland’s threats. As he did against North Carolina with two tackles for a loss on the opening drive, redshirt freshman Steve Greer set the tone for the contest with a forced fumble on Maryland’s first possession. His energy was contagious.

“That whole defensive team — they did it collectively,” Groh said. “How they’ve stuck together and been unified and kept believing and worked. As a result, we got a little something going now.”

McLeod added to the fervor by plowing his helmet through redshirt freshman running back Gary Douglas in a head-on collision in the second quarter that forced a fumble. The safety was strong in pursuit as well. During the first possession of the fourth quarter with Virginia leading 13-9, the Terrapins entered the red zone, threatening to retake the lead. On second down out of the shotgun, Turner fired a screen pass to sophomore wide receiver Torrey Smith, who was split out right with plenty of room to run. The nation’s leader in all-purpose yards could not escape McLeod, however, who caught Smith by the tail of his jersey, preventing a first down at the very least — and perhaps a touchdown.

The defense as a whole contained Smith to 34 total yards — all receiving — 202.7 fewer than his season average. The combination of tight one-on-one coverage by junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling, assisted by McLeod, and using squib kicks to keep the ball away from Smith on returns rendered Maryland’s best player a virtual non-factor.

“He’s one of those kind of players who can take the game over,” Groh said. “We saw him as that type of special player. The players really immersed themselves in what it would take to get ready to deal with a great player like Torrey.”

But the game would not conclude without again feeling the presence of Collins. With Maryland pinned on its own 9-yard line by sophomore Jimmy Howell’s 37-yard punt, Collins broke past the defensive line and smothered Turner at the 2-yard line for a sack to add to his interception and nine tackles, including two for a loss.

The play set up fourth-and-17 for the Terrapins, who turned the ball over on downs, leading to senior fullback Rashawn Jackson’s first rushing touchdown to cap off a career high 90 yards rushing performance.

“That was a magnificent effort by our players,” Groh said. “We had a target for what the mission was today, they took dead-aim on the target, they weren’t gonna be distracted by anything — as a result they did something they can be very proud of.”
 

Next man up
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Columnist
Sports
October 19, 2009 0

Fullback Rashawn Jackson (31) ran for a two-yard touchdown with 1:43 remaining in Saturday’s game at Maryland to give Virginia a 20-9 victory. The senior touched the ball on every Cavalier offensive play of the fourth quarter. Photo by Jim Daves.
When Virginia traveled to College Park Oct. 20 two years ago, the team was riding a six-game win streak that featured three 130-yard rushing performances by then-junior running back Cedric Peerman. Jameel Sewell threw seven touchdown passes to only three interceptions during that span.

Senior defensive end Chris Long built his résumé as a top draft pick, compiling sack after sack in almost every contest.

When Peerman went down, then-sophomore tailback Mikell Simpson was asked to step up against Maryland. And in one of the most incredible individual performances in recent Virginia football history, Simpson accumulated 271 total offensive yards and two touchdowns. On Virginia’s final drive with the Terrapins leading 17-12, Simpson touched the ball on 14 of the 15 total plays the Cavaliers ran. He amassed 90 yards on the drive and sealed his fate as an iconic figure in the Virginia-Maryland rivalry with a one-yard plunge into the end zone to take the lead for the Cavaliers and secure the team’s seventh straight victory.

But with the spotlight cast directly on Simpson, Rashawn Jackson was nowhere to be found.

“I didn’t even go on the trip because I hurt my hamstring the week before,” Jackson said earlier week, reminiscing about the Cardiac Cavaliers’ dramatic finish against the Terrapins. “Watching it on TV — it was really painful because those were my guys out there and I couldn’t be there, and it was pretty upsetting for me.”

Turn the page to 2009. As the team’s starting fullback, Jackson sees more offensive touches in his senior season, averaging just more than six per contest heading into Virginia’s homecoming game against Indiana. Still, he primarily serves as a blocker for Simpson, who helped give life to a previously winless Virginia team with a 145-yard, one touchdown performance in a 16-3 victory against North Carolina.

Simpson continues his spectacular play with four touchdowns and 149 total yards. With less than just seven minutes to play in the third quarter, however, the Cavaliers’ workhorse suffers an above-the-shoulders injury. Jackson, along with redshirt freshman Torrey Mack, carries the load the rest of the way to complete Virginia’s 47-7 blowout victory.

Once again, the Cavaliers travel to College Park — this time riding a more modest two-game win streak. And with Simpson wearing a headset on the sideline, Jackson is asked to do the heavy lifting on a day during which most people preferred to stay indoors. His recollection of Simpson’s 2007 performance is still well ingrained in his memory.

“I remember that touchdown — it was so, so — the energy in the stadium deflated for them, but our plans pretty much erupted,” Jackson said. “It was a pretty good play. Mikell hit the hole, had nowhere to go, jumps over the pile. I was a little bit scared of the way he was falling, but nonetheless we got the touchdown and won the game.”

The enthusiasm with which Jackson searched for words to describe the touchdown gave me the sense that the senior was well aware of the magnitude of a road game at College Park and mindful of the task that lay before him.

Through three quarters of play, Jackson carried the ball 10 times for an efficient 47 yards. But it was the fourth quarter that truly distinguished the senior.

“Rashawn was magnificent,” coach Al Groh said. “We made a decision some weeks ago that he was gonna be one of our key guys. When it came down there at the end, we had no plan other than to keep givin’ it to the guy who had proven that he was up to it tonight, and he did a terrific job for us.”

Indeed, Jackson totaled 44 rushing yards in the fourth quarter — nearly half of his production through the first three quarters — and did so even after Virginia’s other premier rushing threat, senior quarterback Jameel Sewell, suffered a right ankle injury late in the third quarter. In a sense, Jackson had to fill in for both Simpson and Sewell, as everyone along the Atlantic Seaboard knew backup senior quarterback Marc Verica wasn’t going to throw the ball — at least not successfully.

“We went to a more power-run-oriented game,” Groh said. “We got a power-runner back there.”

As Virginia clung to its four-point lead, Jackson was the only option. He was involved in every offensive play in the fourth quarter for the Cavaliers — rushing or receiving — and punched in the final score of the game from the Maryland 2-yard line for his first career rushing touchdown.

The fullback had a chance to break the 100-yard rushing mark with 3:07 remaining in the game, when he found a hole to the left and burst down the sideline for what would have been a 54-yard touchdown — but it was called back for a holding penalty.

“I honestly feel like that was just a great block,” Jackson said. The officials “maybe don’t see that too much around here.”

The 90 yards he gained still set a career high for Jackson, who — in the spirit of Simpson — played his best when the game was on the line. Knowing his teammate would most likely be sidelined for the contest, Jackson prepared accordingly.

“I prepared this week knowing that I had to be the next man up.”

It’s a mentality that permeates the entire football team, as Saturday’s game clearly demonstrated. When sophomore defensive end Matt Conrath — perhaps the anchor of the defensive line — went down with an injury to his right ankle at the end of the first half, sophomore Zane Parr stepped in to take Conrath’s place, playing on the opposite side of the line he usually does. Parr’s effort, coupled with the relentless play of Collins and senior linebacker Darren Childs, effectively made up for Conrath’s production.

But the main figure in this “next man up” mentality is Jackson. Two years ago, he saw Simpson tear apart the Terrapin defense. And while he didn’t gain 270 total yards, Jackson played the game of his life — I hope you TiVo’d it, Rashawn.
 

Tech turns attention to VirginiaBy Doug Roberson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

.The Yellow Jackets haven’t won in Charlottesville since 1990. Tech needs to defeat the Cavaliers, who are atop the ACC’s Coastal Division with a 2-0 record, to keep alive its hopes of playing for the ACC championship. Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia Tech and Duke are tied for second with one loss each.

Johnson said there were no worries about keeping his players grounded after such a big win when there’s such a high hurdle ahead.

“Georgia Tech hasn’t won up there since Methuselah was a boy,” he said.

After beating the Hokies to snap a 0-17-1 streak at home against top-five teams, Johnson said afterward that he told his players during the week that it didn’t matter because history doesn’t provide points and it doesn’t block and tackle.

The difference between that and the streak against Virginia is that the Jackets are playing the Cavaliers this week.

“Anything we can use to motivate the players,” Johnson said. “You throw enough against the wall to see what sticks. It may work for some guys.”

Virginia rising
Though Virginia lost to Division I-AA team William and Mary to open the season, the Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0) have turned things around and are on a three-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s noon kickoff.

Johnson said the biggest difference is that the Cavs aren’t turning over the ball as frequently. Virginia has one turnover in its three-game winning streak, compared to 10 during its season-opening three-game losing streak.

Where’d it go?
After being torn down during the mayhem Saturday night, the goalpost was taken to Institute President Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson’s house, where it was cut into pieces by students using hacksaws. The bits were given away as souvenirs.

Several videos of the dismantling were posted on You Tube, as well as on AJC’s Georgia Tech fans page on Facebook .

Johnson said he didn’t get a piece of the posts.

Georgia Tech’s next home game will be against Wake Forest on Nov. 7

Injury update
Linebacker Julian Burnett (knee), who was hurt tackling Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor, will be evaluated this week. Johnson said defensive end Anthony Egbuniwe, who has missed the past two games with an undescribed ailment, and safety Cooper Taylor, who has missed the past four games because of a heart condition, will return this week.

Crowd factor
Though he said he often zones out and doesn’t hear a lot of things, Johnson said the players were talking about how much the 54,000-plus fans at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday kept them pumped up. It was the largest crowd of the season.

Bowling
This is the 13th consecutive year that Tech is bowl eligible. It’s also the 15th consecutive season that Tech is assured of finishing .500 or better. Florida is the only other team that has a longer streak (23 seasons).
 

Cavaliers surprising ACC foes
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 19, 2009
 
Maryland’s players shared a common sentiment Saturday.
Using a smoke-and-mirror approach, Virginia had stolen a victory in College Park, Md., the Terrapins believed.
It was Maryland’s season that likely went up in flames as the Cavaliers used 17 unanswered points over the final 17 minutes to win 20-9.
It dropped Maryland to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the ACC and gave Virginia its third straight win.
“I feel like we’re better than Rutgers, I feel like we’re better than Middle Tennessee, I definitely feel that we’re better than UVa,” Maryland wide receiver Torrey Smith told reporters.
The final scoreboard and the league standings tell a different story — regardless of the bounces that went Virginia’s way in a sloppy, rain-filled contest — the Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0) are in first place.
It started with ball protection. Maryland had four fumbles, losing two, and threw two interceptions.
“I don’t think these teams that are winning are better than us,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said, “but we just keep shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Meanwhile, Virginia was exposing a host of heroes.
* Defensive end Nate Collins had a tipped ball land in his hands and he rumbled into the end zone for a 32-yard interception return.
“Sometimes there is a little bit of good fortune there, but those things happen to you when you lose games, too,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “So we’re not about to send it back.”
Collins also added a team-high eight tackles.
* Running back Rashawn Jackson was asked to work overtime with fellow senior Mikell Simpson (neck) unable to play.
It took time for Jackson to pile up yardage, gaining almost half of his game-high 90 rushing yards in the fourth quarter, but his impact was noticeable.
“It was tough in the conditions to pull and to get your footing for blocks, but we knew that [Jackson] would wait for the holes,” Virginia guard B.J. Cabbell said. “He ran hard at the end of the game. It was amazing.”
* Placekicker Robert Randolph connected on a pair of field goals, managing the wet conditions.
Credit Mother Nature and the work the special teams units put in during the days leading up to the game.
“In practice it has been the same exact weather all week,” said Randolph, who is perfect on the season. “My toes felt the same about every day —they were really cold and I could barely feel them.
“I am just fortunate to have the weather back in Virginia the same as it was here so I could be acclimated to it.”
* Quarterback Marc Verica was summoned off the bench in the third quarter when Jameel Sewell was hurt.
Verica admitted that he was far from warm after standing in the chilly temperatures almost motionless, but he did not make a mistake.
“My job was pretty simple,” Verica said. “It was just to manage the ball and keep my eye on the clock.
“When a quarterback comes in midgame, you say he’s going in cold. Well, I was literally going in cold.”
Virginia will likely need stars to emerge Saturday to remain in first place.
Georgia Tech (6-1, 4-1 ACC) enters Scott Stadium ranked No. 11 in the country and on the heels of an upset victory over Virginia Tech.
“We know that it will be a challenge,” Collins said. “They have a great football team and they are playing great this season.”