White: Jackets Rain on Wahoos' Party
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The home fans at Scott Stadium saw nothing worth cheering in the second half Saturday until late in the third quarter, when the sun appeared during a stoppage in play.
That drew a roar from the soaked spectators, but the sun soon vanished behind the clouds, and more rain pelted the stadium.
On an afternoon when conditions were less than ideal, UVa was anything but perfect. And so the Cavaliers' three-game winning streak -- and brief stay atop the ACC's Coastal Division -- ended in emphatic fashion.
No. 11 Georgia Tech romped 34-9 before a crowd announced at 43,016, the smallest figure for a UVa home game since Scott Stadium's capacity was expanded to 61,500 for the 2000 season.
The victory was the Yellow Jackets' first in this town since Nov. 3, 1990. Before the game, second-year coach Paul Johnson told his team that it could be the one to break that streak, and his players responded by overwhelming the Wahoos.
Georgia Tech (5-1, 7-1) had the ball for 42 minutes and 43 seconds, its highest time of possession in at least 20 years. The Jackets' triple-option attack totaled 362 yards rushing, getting 125 and 103, respectively, from running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Anthony Allen. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt added 82 yards and, like Allen, rushed for two touchdowns.
Coming off a performance at Maryland that earned him ACC-defensive-lineman-of-the-week honors, Virginia senior Nate Collins turned in another tour de force.
Shifted during the week from end to nose tackle, his position for his first three years at UVa, Collins made a team-high 16 tackles, including two for loss.
His teammates didn't rise to the same level, though, and so Virginia lost in October for the first time in nearly two years.
"We knew that we had to enhance our performance [from] last week," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "We were playing the best team that we'd played, and we had to play the best that we had played. Unfortunately, we didn't do that today."
Missed opportunities will haunt the Wahoos (2-1, 3-4) when they review videotape of this one. In the first half, with the score 3-3, Virginia had first-and-goal at the 2 but came away with only a field goal.
"I definitely felt like if we could have punched it in, we'd have taken some air out of that defense," UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell said.
Then, midway through the second half, UVa had first-and-goal at the 6. This drive stalled, too, and the 'Hoos had to settle for a Robert Randolph field goal that made it 20-9.
"The biggest thing is, we just gotta finish drives," said senior wide receiver Vic Hall, who had five catches for 51 yards. "It's great to get points, but we'd rather get six or seven instead of three. Points are points, but it's kind of bittersweet."
Not since Nov. 22, 2008, when they lost 13-3 to Clemson, had the Cavaliers failed to score a touchdown. Randolph, a sophomore walk-on, matched his career high with three field goals Saturday, including a career-long 49-yarder that bounced off the crossbar and through. Overall, though, the 'Hoos produced few highlights on the rare occasions when they had possession.
"If we're going to go anywhere in the future, we have to score points," said Sewell, who completed 18 of 32 passes for 168 yards, with no interceptions.
UVa went into halftime trailing 13-6, a deficit that did not appear insurmountable. But the Jackets got the ball first in the third quarter, and they manufactured a magnificent drive that took 10:47 off the clock.
It started at their 18-yard line. It ended, 17 plays later, with the first of Allen's touchdown runs.
"For an offense to have the ball 10 minutes is amazing," said Hall, who plays safety when the opponent is in passing situations. "They just really, really executed on that particular drive."
Eleven points separated the teams early in the fourth quarter when UVa's Nate Collins stopped Dwyer for no gain on a third-and-7 from Tech's 37. Instead of having to punt, however, the Jackets were awarded a first down after Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling, well away from the play, was called for a late hit.
After the game, Groh, who'd shed his waterlogged shoes before meeting with the media, was still incensed about the call.
"Looking forward to reviewing that," he said. "I'd say you gotta have a real conscience to make that call.
"We just hope that in competitive athletics that it's the competition from snap to end of play that determines the outcome. I think that's what all competitors are hoping for."
The Jackets marched on, and when Allen ran 20 yards for a TD with 9:37 remaining, the outcome was sealed.
Georgia Tech finished with a staggering 71 carries. The Cavaliers had 12, their fewest since Oct. 18, 2003, when they ran the ball nine times against Florida State.
Fans hoping to see more of senior tailback Rashawn Jackson, who'd rushed for a career-high 90 yards in Virginia's 20-9 win at Maryland last weekend, were disappointed. Jackson carried once Saturday, for no gain.
Another UVa tailback, Mikell Simpson, playing for the first time since suffering a neck injury Oct. 10 against Indiana, carried six times versus Georgia Tech, for 4 yards.
Neither Jackson nor Simpson carried in the second half. Virginia's leading rusher against the Jackets was Sewell, who gained 26 yards on five carries.
"I thought we going to run the ball a little more, but that's a decision that was made [by the coaching staff]," Sewell said.
Groh noted that Virginia didn't have the ball much in the second half and trailed when it did. Moreover, he said, "unfortunately we didn't do enough with the running game in the first half, whether it was block it, run it or whatnot, to say that that was necessarily the aggressive way to go after the goal line."
Simpson said: "We got down, and [the Jackets] were taking 10-minute drives and eight-minute drives, so at that pace, we can't come out and run the ball, because then we're going to get into a time-of-possession thing, which they killed us on. So we just tried to come out and score quick, and moving the ball through the air was the best thing."
Dropped passes and poor throws limited the effectiveness of that strategy. In the final minute of the third quarter, sophomore wide receiver Kris Burd nearly came up with a low pass from Sewell in the end zone, but it was ruled an incompletion, and an official review upheld that call.
Later on that drive, on third-and-goal from Georgia Tech's 13, Sewell fired a hard pass to Burd, who failed to hold on after being hammered by a defender in the front of the end zone.
Sewell blamed himself for some of the incompletions.
"In those conditions, it's tough to catch the ball when it's behind [the receiver] or too high," he said. "You have to be perfect."
Poor execution hurt Virginia throughout. The 'Hoos were 2 for 11 on third-down conversions and 0 for 1 on fourth down.
The Jackets, by contrast, were 8 for 17 on third down and 1 for 2 on fourth.
"Clearly, we didn't make enough on third down today to do what's necessary and stay out on the field a substantial amount of time against that team," Groh said. "We allowed them too many conversions, frequently after we had had good plays preceding on first, second or third down."
MIXING AND MATCHING: In the Cavaliers' 3-4 defense, their starting linemen last weekend at Maryland were Collins at left end, sophomore Nick Jenkins at nose tackle and sophomore Matt Conrath at right end.
Conrath severely sprained his ankle in the second quarter, however, and sophomore Zane Parr, who usually plays on the left side, went the rest of the way at right end.
With Georgia Tech coming to town, Groh decided to shake up his lineup. Collins had started at nose tackle in the Cavaliers' win over the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta last year, and Groh wanted him back at that spot.
So when UVa came out for Georgia Tech's first possession Saturday, Parr was at left end, Collins was in the middle and junior John-Devin Dolce, who's listed on the roster as a nose tackle, was at right end.
Collins responded with a dominant performance.
"Nate Collins looked like he made about a hundred tackles this week," Groh said. "It just made sense to put him right back where he was [against Georgia Tech] last year, and clearly he confirmed that by his performance.
"Frankly, I would have been questioning myself if the game was over and we hadn't played him at nose tackle."
Collins made a career-best 16 tackles. Parr, in his first start, was credited with 12. It was also the first start for Dolce, who made seven stops.
Jenkins, whose play Groh has praised this season, rotated in periodically at nose tackle Saturday.
"Sometimes with the matchups, that's the way it goes," Groh said.
SLIPPING AND SLIDING: For the second straight Saturday, the Cavaliers played in miserable conditions. There were a few breaks in the rain at Scott Stadium, and it wasn't as cold as it had been in College Park, but the weather made passing difficult.
"It was hard to deal with," Simpson said, "but [the Jackets] played in the same weather as us, so we can't use that as an excuse."
Not since Nov. 16, 2002, when the Wahoos beat N.C. State, had significant rain fallen during a UVa game at Scott Stadium.
Groh walked into his press conference in stocking feet. After sitting down in front of the room, he looked at the bottle of Aquafina on the table.
"After standing out there in that all day, I'd think the last thing I wanted to see was a bottle of water," he quipped before taking a sip.
NO. 5 RETURNS: Virginia's Oct. 10 win over Indiana was marred by a third-quarter play on which Simpson, who'd rushed for four touchdowns in the game, hurt his neck.
Simpson was placed on a back board, carted off the field and taken to UVa Medical Center, from which he was released that night. He sat out the Maryland game but started against Georgia Tech. He rushed six times for 4 yards and caught four passes for 30 yards.
"It felt good to get back out there," Simpson said, "just to be out there with my guys and competing again, because that was kind of a scary situation. But that's behind me, so I'm moving on."
STREAK ENDS: UVa kicker Robert Randolph made his first 11 field-goal attempts this season, including his first two Saturday, before missing from 35 yards late in the second quarter.
"I bobbled [the snap] a little bit," said Hall, the holder, "and it sort of messed up the rhythm for Rob."
Randolph connected from 30 yards early in the fourth quarter. For his college career, the sophomore walk-on from Naples, Fla., is 15 for 17 on field goals.
GUEST OF HONOR: Before the game, Ray Roberts raised the Power of Orange flag at Scott Stadium.
At halftime, Roberts, who wore No. 72, became the 12th player in UVa to have his jersey retired, joining Anthony Poindexter (3), Ronde Barber (19), Tiki Barber (21), Terry Kirby (42), Ray Savage (56), Tom Scott (65), Mark Dixon (66), Chris Slade (85), Herman Moore (87), John Papit (87) and Chris Long (91). All of those numbers remain active.

Roberts starred at offensive tackle for George Welsh in the late '80s and early '90s and twice received the Jacobs Trophy as the ACC's top blocker. He spent nine seasons in the NFL.
Six former Virginia greats have had their numbers retired: Shawn Moore (12), Frank Quayle (24), Bill Dudley (35), Joe Palumbo (48), Jim Dombrowski (73) and Gene Edmonds (97).
NEXT WEEKEND: Virginia (2-1, 3-4) hosts Coastal Division rival Duke (2-1, 4-3) at 3:30 p.m. at Scott Stadium. Duke beat Maryland in Durham, N.C., on Saturday.
UVa had won eight straight in the series before losing at Duke last year. With that victory, the Blue Devils snapped a 25-game losing streak in ACC play.
"I think we know that we all want redemption on Duke after last year," Collins said.




 

No. 11 Georgia Tech Runs to Victory Over the Cavaliers
Courtesy: Associated Press Release: 10/24/2009
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -Georgia Tech ran around in the pouring rain. They also ran over, under and through the Virginia defense, breaking tackles and burning up the clock.
The No. 11 Yellow Jackets dispatched the last team with an unbeaten record in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday, rushing for 362 yards and taking charge of the Coastal Division with a 34-9 win over the Cavaliers.
Josh Nesbitt ran for 82 yards and threw for 85, but he attempted only two passes in Georgia Tech's four touchdown drives: a 10-play, 60-yard march in the second quarter; a game-draining 18-play, 82-yard marathon that took up the first 10:47 of the third quarter; an 11-play, 66-yard put-the-game away possession in the fourth; and a didn't-really-matter 10-play, 71-yard drive near the very end.
Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1) broke an eight-game Charlottesville losing streak, winning at Virginia for the first time since 1990, the year the Yellow Jackets claimed a share of the national title. The Cavaliers (3-4, 2-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped, a run that followed an 0-3 start that had fans calling for coach Al Groh's job.
The Yellow Jackets entered the game second in the nation with an average of 286.1 yards rushing, and the option churned out even more against the Cavaliers. Penalties and bobbled balls stymied the offense in the early going, but Nesbitt, Jonathan Dwyer (125 yards) and Anthony Allen (103) ultimately proved too quick and too strong for Virginia's defense.
Nesbitt and Allen each had a 1-yard touchdown run, Allen also scored on a 20-yard scamper and Nesbitt on a 2-yard run, and Scott Blair kicked two field goals for the Yellow Jackets.
Virginia's scoring came on three field goals from Robert Randolph. The Cavaliers failed to make the most of excellent field position in the first half, setting for three points instead of seven on back-to-back drives that began in Georgia Tech territory.
The wet day made for messy football. Georgia Tech had three penalties and had burned two timeouts before the game was seven minutes old. The Yellow Jackets also fumbled three times in the first quarter: a muffed punt they were lucky to recover, a dropped snap to the upback that doomed a fake punt attempt, and a no-one-touched-him bobble by Nesbitt that was recovered by the Cavaliers.
The failed fake punt and the Nesbitt fumble gave the Cavaliers the great field position on back-to-back drives, but they could only convert them into field goals.
A holding penalty killed the first drive, which ended in Randolph's career-long 49-yard field goal in a downpour - the ball hit the curved part of the goalpost support as it went through. The next drive stalled after the Cavaliers had first-and-goal at the 2, forcing them to settle for a 19-yarder from Randolph.
Georgia Tech capitalized on muffed punt for its first score, a 24-yard field goal by Blair, and an out-of-bounds kickoff gave the Yellow Jackets good field position to start the only touchdown drive of the first half. The used 10 plays - all runs - to go 60 yards, with Nesbitt's 1-yard run putting Georgia Tech ahead 10-6.
The Yellow Jackets dusted off the passing game with a 52-yard pass from Nesbitt to Demaryius Thomas to set up a 24-yard field goal on the final play of the half, giving Georgia Tech a 13-6 lead at the break.
 

Game Notes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

Game Notes • Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Oct 24, 2009 • Scott Stadium
Virginia Notes
• Georgia Tech wins in Scott Stadium for the first time since Nov. 3, 1990, when the No. 16 Yellow jackets topped No. 1 UVa 41-38.
• The loss ends a seven-game winning streak by UVa in the month of October, dating to 2006.
• Virginia has now won 12 of its last 14 in the month of October, dating to 2006.
• UVa is now 0-2 this season against teams ranked in the Top 25.
• Georgia Tech rushed for 362 team yards, becoming the first opponent to gain over 300 yards on the ground since Connecticut (382) did so in 2008.
• Today serves as the first game this season UVa has failed to score a touchdown.
• UVa yielded over 400 yards of total offense (447) for the first time since Miami tallied 448 total yards last season.
• UVa's 12 rushing attempts are the fewest since the Cavaliers attempted nine rushes in a home game against Florida State on Oct. 18, 2003.
• UVa entered the game as the nation's 10th-best defense (29.3) in third down situations and held the nation's most efficient offense (52.6) in third down situations below their season average (47.1)
• Jameel Sewell connected for 168 yards on the afternoon, moving his career total to 4,779 where he still stands in sixth place in the Virginia annals, needing 99 yards to pass Marques Hagans (4,877) for fifth all-time.
• Sewell was not intercepted today. He now has thrown 141 consecutive passes without an interception.
• UVa was even in turnover margin (one takeaways, one giveaway) today and is now +9 in its last five games.
• Today's game marks the first rain during a home game since hosting No. 22 N.C. State in Scott Stadium on Nov. 16, 2002.
• John-Kevin Dolce and Zane Parr each made their first career starts on defense.
• Defensive end Nate Collins made his first start of the season at nose tackle.
• Scott Blair's 24-yard field goal at 8:14 in first quarter is the first opponent points UVa has allowed in the opening period since the season opener against William & Mary, spanning a streak of five games.
• Blair's field goal also snapped a four game streak in which UVa scored first.
• Robert Randolph's 49-yard field goal is the longest attempt and make of his career, besting his 43-yarder at North Carolina earlier this season.
• Randolph's 49-yard field goal is the longest by UVa since Chris Gould hit a 51-yarder at North Carolina on Sept. 15, 2007.
• UVa has outscored its opponents 40-10 in first quarter scoring this season.
• Georgia Tech's second quarter touchdown is the first UVa has allowed an opponent in the first half since the season opener against William & Mary.
• Robert Randolph's failed 35-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter was his first miss of the season after connecting on his first 11 attempts.
• Randolph's failed 35-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter was the first time UVa has failed to score in the red zone all season after being successful on 18 straight trips.
• Georgia Tech's third quarter touchdown ate up 10:47 of game clock, the longest such scoring drive against UVa this season.
• Redshirt freshman Colter Phillips collected his first career reception in the third quarter on a 13-yard gain.
• Robert Randolph ties a career high with three field goals (49, 19, 30), matching his output earlier this season at North Carolina.
• Al Groh coached his 173rd career game at an ACC school (Wake, Virginia) today. That moves him from a fifth place tie all-time with former Clemson coach Frank Howard into a fourth place tie all-time with former N.C. State coach Earle Edwards.
• At halftime UVa honored former offensive lineman Ray Roberts by retiring his No. 72 jersey.
Georgia Tech Notes
Georgia Tech's Win Today Gives The Yellow Jackets...
... a record of 7-1 overall - Tech's best record through eight games since starting 7-0-1 in the national championship season of 1990; prior to 1990, ....Tech was last 7-1 or better in 1966
... a five-game winning streak - their longest streak since 2006
... a 5-1 record in the ACC and sole possession of first place in the ACC's Coastal Division
... four straight ACC victories
... the distinction of being the only ACC team with seven overall wins and/or five conference victories
... the possibility of being ranked in the top 10 for the first time since Sept. 24, 2001
... at least seven wins in a season for the 13th consecutive year
... a 15-16-1 all-time record against Virginia, including a 3-9-1 record in Charlottesville
... their first win over Virginia since 2006
... their first win in Charlottesville since 1990, ending an eight-game skid against the Cavaliers
... a 33-21-1 record against Virginia schools
... a 209-134-8 all-time record against ACC teams
... a 7-8-1 all-time record when playing on October 24th
... a 5-0 record this season against unranked teams
... a 21-9 record in ACC play over the last four seasons, tying Virginia Tech for the most league wins in that span
... a 3-1 record vs. Coastal Division opponents, and a 16-8 record vs. Coastal Division opponents since divisional play began in 2005
... a 1-1 record on the road against Coastal opponents this season, 7-6 since divisional play began in 2005
... a 6-0 record when playing on Saturdays and 3-0 record in day games
... an all-time record of 669-447-43 in 117 seasons of football

Georgia Tech's Win Today Gives Head Coach Paul Johnson...
... a record of 16-5 in two seasons at Georgia Tech
... the most wins through 21 games than any Georgia Tech coach, with the exception of William Alexander (19-2)
... a 123-44 record overall in 13 seasons as a head coach, tying Joe Paterno and Phillip Fulmer for the third-most victories in the first 13 seasons as a head coach
... a 1-1 all-time record vs. Virginia
... a 7-1 record in October (at Georgia Tech)
... a 13-1 record at Tech after leading at halftime

Georgia Tech's Scoring Drive (18 plays, 82 yards, 10:47) in the third quarter was...
... Tech's longest, in terms of time, in at least 21 years (records for this category are complete through the 1989 season)
... the longest, in terms of number of plays, since Nov. 11, 2006, when the Jackets had a 20-play scoring drive at North Carolina (that drive took 10:30)

Team Notes
... Tech's time of possession today was the highest in at least 20 years; the next closest in the last 20 years was 42:10 vs. Wake Forest on Sept. 14, 1996 and 42:06 vs. North Carolina earlier this season
... Tech had two 100-yard rushers in a game for the second time this season
... Tech had over 400 yards total offense for the sixth time this season
... Tech rushed for more than 300 yards for the sixth time this season
... Georgia Tech has outscored opponents 79-31 in the first quarter this season
... When Tech's fake punt in the first quarter failed, it ended a streak of six consecutive fourth-down conversions; it was the Jackets' first failed fourth-down attempt since Sept. 17 (vs. Clemson)
... Georgia Tech attempted its first field goal since Sept. 26 (vs. North Carolina)
... 139 consecutive games without returning a kickoff for a touchdown ... 27 consecutive starts by senior guard Cord Howard ... back-up DT Jason Peters (r-So.) did not travel to Virginia (sick)

Josh Nesbitt, Jr., QB
... his second quarter touchdown run was...
... his seventh touchdown over the last three games
... his 10th rushing touchdown of the season, which ties for the 11th-most single-season rushing TDs in Tech history
... his 17th career rushing touchdown, the third-most by a quarterback in Tech history; a tie for the 15th-most by a
Tech player, regardless of position
... his 25th yard rushing was his 650th of the season, passing Wake Forest's Larry Russell for the eighth-most single-season rushing yards by an ACC quarterback
... his 33rd yard rushing was the 1,690th of his career, which moved him past Bill Teas into 15th place on Tech's all-time career rushing chart
... his 43rd yard rushing was the 1,700th of his career
... his 69th yard rushing gave him 694 for the season, which passes himself (693 yards in 2008) for the second-most single-season rushing yards by a Tech quarterback
... his 75th yard rushing gave him 700 for the season - only the second time in Tech history a quarterback has rushed for 700 yards
... his 81st yard rushing gave him 1,738 for his career, moving him past Clemson's Steve Fuller for the fifth-most career yards by a quarterback in ACC history

Jonathan Dwyer, Jr., RB
... made his 21st consecutive start
... moved past A.J. Suggs into 19th place on Tech's all-time career total offense list (entered today with 2,424 yards of total offense)
... his 76th yard rushing gave him 2,500 for his career
... his 12th rushing attempt was the 393rd of his career, moving him past Shawn Jones for 12th place on Tech's all-time attempts list
... his 19th rushing attempt was the 400th of his career - one of only 12 players in Tech history with 400 rushing attempts
... rushed for 100 yards in a game for the third time this season and the 13th time in his career (6th-most in Tech history)

Morgan Burnett, Jr., S
... made his 21st consecutive start

Malcolm Munroe, r-Fr., LB
... recorded his first career forced fumble

Anthony Barnes, Jr., LB
... had his first career rushing attempt (3 yards on failed fake punt)

Demaryius Thomas, Jr., WR
... extended his streak of catching at least one pass to 24 consecutive games (does not include last year's Virginia Tech game, which he did not dress for) -tying for the 6th-longest streak in Georgia Tech history
... his 52-yard reception in the second quarter was his 13th reception of 20 yards or more, ninth of 30-plus yards and sixth of 50-plus yards
... his 44th receiving yard gave him 1,900 for his career (sixth-most in Tech history)

Scott Blair, Jr., K
... had his (and Tech's) first field goal attempt since Sept. 26 (vs. North Carolina)
... his second field goal of the game (at the end of the first half) made him 8-of-12 this season, 20-of-31 for his career, including 12-of-13 from inside the 30
... his second field goal also gave him 109 career points, which ranks 11th in Tech history

Jerrard Tarrant, So., CB
... recorded his second fumble recovery of the season

Chandler Anderson, So., P
... his 55-yard punt in the second quarter was his fourth punt of 50 yards or longer this season

Anthony Allen, Jr., RB
... scored his sixth touchdown of the season (five by rushing)
... has scored a touchdown in five different games this season
... rushed for over 100 yards for the second time this season (127 vs. Clemson)

Cord Howard, Sr., G
... made his 27th consecutive start tonight

Derrick Morgan, Jr., DE
... made his 21st consecutive start

Mario Butler, Jr., CB
... made his 21st consecutive start

Sedric Griffin, Sr., LB
... played in his 45th career game

Jamal Paige, r-Fr., RB
... recorded his first career fumble recovery

Tyler Melton, So., WR
... made his first reception of the season; his first-quarter reception was his sixth career reception
 

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Oct. 24, 2009
Virginia Coach Quotes

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh
On the loss:
“Very disappointed in the result, obviously. The players put a lot into the week. We knew we had to enhance the performance we turned in last week because we were playing the best team we’ve played. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that today.

On third down conversions:
“The game was a case of third downs. Clearly we did not make enough third downs today to do what’s necessary to stay out on the field. We allowed them too many conversions after we had experienced good plays on first and second downs. That was really a key thing.”

On Nate Collins playing nose tackle today:
“He was the ACC Player of the Week last year in this game, so it made good sense to put him back where he played last year in this game and clearly he confirmed that in his performance.”

On Georgia Tech’s offensive backfield:
“Dwyer, Nesbit and Thomas are clearly the engine that drives that train, and they are a powerful engine. They do a great job. We knew throughout the organization that it would be critical to not let those guys have the best of days.”

On the Cavaliers’ performance in the red zone:
“It was a performance issue. We had two instances where we just didn’t finish off the play. Had the plays been executed more cleanly, then there are two red zone conversions. We have to do a better job of converting.”

On missed opportunities:
“We had our chances. We got out-executed at the point of attack a couple of times and had a decent play on a third down that was well defended.”

On Virginia’s overall performance:
“As the old axiom goes, to win any game, two out of your three units (offense, defense and special teams) have to win the day. Against a team like this, probably all three units have to win the day. “

On Georgia Tech’s advantage in time of possession:
“That’s been the story of every team that’s played them. Last week, their opponent had the ball for just 22 minutes. It’s those three players – Thomas, Dwyer and Nesbit – who have done a remarkable job of making that the case.”




 

Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Oct. 24, 2009
Georgia Tech Coach Quotes

Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson
On the win:
"That was a good win. We didn't play very well in the first half and you have to give Virginia some credit. They showed up and played hard. I thought we played much better in the second half. We controlled the game on offense, and once we got in the red zone on defense, not to give up a touchdown was big. As long as you do that, you're going to win a lot of football games."

On Georgia Tech's defense:
"We didn't give up any big plays and that was key. If you don't give up a big play, you have the chance to snap it again and make another play on defense. When you hold them to nine points, that's pretty good."

On Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt:
"He's way better now than he was a year ago. The more you do things, the better you're going to get at them. I think the game has slowed down for him. Last year, the game was so fast for him. He has a better feel for what is going on."

On the Georgia Tech team:
"They believe in themselves and what we are doing here. They've worked hard. When they come to play, they feel like they are going to win. Everyone keeps doubting them, and they keep coming back and trying to answer the call."

On winning at Virginia for the first time since 1990:
"I talked to them about it before the game. I told them that Georgia Tech hadn't won here since 1990, and that they could be the team to break that streak."
 

Virginia Player Quotes

Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Oct. 24, 2009
UVa Player Quotes

Senior Defensive End Nate Collins
On preparation this past week:
"Our scout team did a great job this week in giving us a lot of looks. They had an extra practice this week, and they were able to help us prepare for a very unconventional offense. Unfortunately we had a few cases where we weren't able to stick to our assignments, and that's what showed up on the scoreboard at the end of the game."

On switching today from end to tackle:
"It's something we did last year against Georgia Tech, and coach [Groh] thought it would give us some favorable looks. The point is to get me matched up with their center. It was successful at points, but not enough to get the win."

On moving forward:
"We have no choice but to put this behind us and move forward. We have another tough conference game next week we have to prepare for. We will digest the film of this one tomorrow, and then starting Tuesday we have to shift focus to working on a tough Duke team."

Senior Quarterback Jameel Sewell
On offensive bright spots:
"Play action was able to open some things up for us. We had some success early on in the rain, but in the end, we didn't make enough plays to win the game."

On Robert Randolph's 49 yard field goal:
"Randolph does a lot for the confidence of the offense. We have had some trouble in the red zone, but with him hitting from 49, it gives us confidence that we are going to get points out of a drive no matter what."

On running game:
"We weren't able to run the ball today very well today because they weren't respecting our passing game. I have to do a better job making good throws and completing passes."

On moving forward:
"This is a team that never quits. We have to watch film tomorrow, and then put this one behind us and start preparation for a big home game next week."

Sophomore kicker Robert Randolph
On career long 49-yard field goal:
"Everything went well on the play. The snap was good, the hold was good, and I was able to hit it pretty well. We weren't able to get the win today, so we are all disappointed."

On the decision to kick from 49 in pouring rain:
"It surely helps my confidence, but it also reassures the coaches that I will be able to make kicks from that distance if we need to."

On team's psyche:
"Coach [Groh] has stressed it all year. After a disappointing loss, it's very important to put it behind you because the season keeps moving. This week in practice, we have to play harder, execute better, and hopefully right the ship next week."

Senior Linebacker Denzel Burrell
On the effect of the weather on the game
"The weather did not really have an effect on us as a defense. We played in it last week at Maryland. We were just hoping that if it did rain, that it would work to our advantage. A wet ball can be slippery, and they like to run the ball a lot. We did not see it as a big factor, so we just kept playing, and unfortunately, we were unable to come out with a win today."

On Georgia Tech's long drives and the effect on defensive moral
"It's tough to see an opponent marching down the field, and time of possession is critical, especially in the second half. That made it tough for the offense to put drives together and get down the field to score. It also taxes the defense both mentally and physically, so it made things tough and we just couldn't piece 60 full minutes together."

On moving on to Duke next weekend
"We just have to keep going and take one day at a time. This is just one game so after this one we have to forget about it and move on to Duke."

"We face a tough opponent in Duke, so we need to have a great week of preparation to get ready for them."

Senior Wide Receiver Vic Hall
On the effect of weather on the game
"I didn't feel like weather was an issue. I just think we didn't execute as well as we wanted to. That was the biggest reason for the loss."

On missed opportunities
"We did not execute as well as we wanted to, but that is a part of the game. We just have to come back next week and get better. That way we can capitalize on those opportunities the next time they present themselves."

On the long pass play from Sewell
"We always talk about 'doing your job,' and I was just doing my job on that play just like Jameel did his job."

On the rest of the season
"You win games and you lose games. We would rather win, but sometimes you lose and have to pick it up from there and get better."
 

Georgia Tech Player Quotes
Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Oct. 24, 2009
Georgia Tech Player Quotes

Junior Running Back Anthony Allen
On winning in Charlottesville for the first time since 1990:
"Coach gives us all the motivation - we had a lot of firsts this year and this has to be one of the biggest ones."

On wearing down the Virginia defense:
"When we had that 11 minute drive - as A-backs, we are rolling in and out. We are staying fresh as we're coming in looking at the lineman across from us. That dog tired. We knew we had them right then."

On the difference makers between this season and last season:
"We are just playing as a team. We are trying to finish. We are practicing hard, getting ready for our games better - we are just playing as a team a lot better this year."

On the effectiveness of the triple option:
"I was just going to my assignments, but with the triple option they have to stop three valuable assets to the game - they have to stop the dive, they have to stop the quarterback, and they have to stop the pitch. Sometimes you can tell that they get weary going to stop one part while they are trying to get to another part."

On the success of the pitch:
"With the 3-4 defense that they run, they have the second man on line which is usually the guy we pitch off of and he was coming up and trying to play the pitch and the quarterback, but he had to determine which one he wanted. He was taking the quarterback and then sometimes he couldn't get out."

On the significance of the win:
"We came into the locker room at halftime and we knew we were playing for the championship. We were playing to go into first place. We had to come out in the second half and take it home. We had to play smash-mouth football and that's what we did."

Junior Running Back Jonathan Dwyer
On field conditions and effects:
"I wouldn't say it was difficult to cut. It was difficult to burst - felt like you had 20-pound weights on your feet. That was kind of unusual. I wasn't used to that since high school."

On intensity:
"I guess a lot of guys on the team were challenging me to go full speed and go all out throughout this whole game and take every opportunity that's given to me. I was trying to make a play to get the team fired up."

On breaking tackles:
"My position coach [Brian] Bohannon keep telling me on the head set, 'Keep plugging, keep plugging. You're going to break one sooner or later. So just keep playing.' That was my mindset throughout the whole game.
 

Georgia Tech whips U.Va.
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It didn't take Jameel Sewell long to pick up on what was going on -- Georgia Tech was disrespecting the Virginia passing game.

The Yellow Jackets manned the trenches to shut down the run, then watched a combination of missed throws and dropped footballs doom Virginia in a 34-9 loss yesterday.

This one could have been close, though -- Virginia found its way into the red zone three times but mustered just six points from those possessions.

"We weren't able to finish off the plays," coach Al Groh said. "Had we handled the ball cleanly, there would have been two red-zone conversions."

With the emphasis on stopping the run, the play-calling balance shifted to the pass. The Wahoos finished with 30 yards of rushing, and Sewell's scrambling accounted for 24. There wasn't a called run in the second half. The strategy was sound, the execution less so.

"We knew that scoring nine points wasn't going to cut it," running back Mikell Simpson said. "When we got scoring chances, we hurt ourselves. They got touchdowns, and we settled for three points."

It did little to boost the confidence of a defense that was able to shut down Georgia Tech's triple-option offense early.

The Hoos might have had the best success of any team so far against the scheme. With an NFL-style defense and personnel changes to bring more speed into the lineup, they were ready for the first punches.

But the Ramblin Wreck adjusted, and little-used third option Anthony Allen came up big with 103 yards, mostly off a counter-option play that sent him to the weak side of the field. That resulted in a 10-minute, 47-second drive to open the second half.

"It took a lot out of us," defensive end Zane Parr said. "There were a couple times where there could have been stops and we could have got them off the field, but we didn't do that."

Third-down conversions came back to bite the Cavs in both directions. On defense, they allowed 8 of 17 conversion attempts, and on offense, they were successful only twice on 11 attempts.

"We had a lot of good plays, but we didn't have them on the right downs," Groh said.

Most crucially, with Georgia Tech stopped on third down and the lead just 11 points, Ras-I Dowling was flagged for a personal foul that extended the drive and led to another touchdown for the Yellow Jackets. None of their four touchdown drives were less than five minutes.

Linebacker Denzel Burrell said that the instructions to his unit were to "play like a pack of crazed dogs," but once they got there, the team had trouble finishing plays. He said that falling behind put a further burden on the defense, as it tried to create fumbles and turnovers.

After the game, Sewell said he took the blame for a failure to move the offense through passing, but a lack of receiver support came into play as well. Sewell finished 18 of 32 for 168 yards.

A young receiving corps that made big plays the past few weeks seemed to take a step backward in a big-game situation.

The good news for Virginia is that Georgia Tech has been nearly unstoppable this year and seems to be on a march to the ACC championship. Its triple-option was as good as advertised, and the Cavs are only the latest team to be victimized.

"It's hard to play against them," defensive lineman John-Kevin Dolce said. "They have all those opportunities to go from one player to the next."

A multi-dimensional offense is something that the Cavs are going to have to develop. Yesterday, in rainy conditions, it didn't happen -- they dropped the ball, and the game.


 

Georgia Tech deserves higher ranking
By Paul Woody
Published: October 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE Not even the brief appearance of a rainbow could brighten the day for the Virginia Cavaliers.

Sometimes the other team is just better. Yesterday, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were better in every regard than the Cavaliers.

And just as with the TCU game six weeks ago, the Virginia program was exposed for how wide the chasm is between it and the top 15 teams in the country.

The question isn't why Georgia Tech is so much better than Virginia. The question is why are the Yellow Jackets, with just one loss, only rated as the 12th-best team in the country, according to the first BCS standings.

That could change with today's BCS standings. But the fact remains that the Yellow Jackets, a potent offensive team, are too far back in the rankings to have any chance of competing for a national championship.

That hardly seems fair.

Some blame rests with the preseason rankings that had Georgia Tech 15th.

When Georgia Tech lost at Miami on Sept 17, the Yellow Jackets dropped out of the top 25.

"I think it's because we played so poorly," Johnson @said. "And it was on national TV. It was our third game in 12 days, and we looked really slow and not like a very good team."

When Virginia Tech lost to Alabama in the season-opening game, at a neutral site, the Hokies dropped from seventh to 14th and eventually climbed back to No. 4.

It took a second loss, to Georgia Tech last week, to take the Hokies out of the top 10 and eliminate them from the national-championship conversation.

But neither that victory nor yesterday's triumph will catapult Georgia Tech into position to play for the national championship.

"If you're not up there high enough, it's hard to ever climb into it," Johnson said. "That's why I think the preseason rankings are ridiculous. I wouldn't do them until after the first three or four weeks of the season."

Anyone who saw Georgia Tech yesterday will endorse the idea the Yellow Jackets are an elite team. They run an unusual offense, the triple option, and teams have an unusually difficult time stopping it.

Cavaliers coach Al Groh tried almost everything. He shifted defensive end Nate Collins back to nose tackle. Collins had played well at nose tackle last year against Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech still ran for 362 yards and controlled the clock for 42:43 of the 60 minutes of game time.

"We knew we weren't going to hold them down," said Cavaliers linebacker Nate Burrell. "We had to hold them to much less than they were used to."

Didn't work.

When the Cavaliers won the toss, Groh elected to receive rather than defer until the second half and take the ball then.

"A very, very high percentage of their points come in the first quarter," Groh said. "We wanted to try to minimize their opportunity for that."

The Cavaliers ran three plays, were penalized for a false start and punted.

That also gave Georgia Tech the ball to start the second half. And the Yellow Jackets not only knew what they wanted to do, they did what they wanted to do.

They opened the second half with an 18-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that consumed 10:47. They put the game away with an 11-play, 66-yard drive that consumed 5:14. That also sent most of the 43,016 fans heading for the exits.

Yesterday was a strange day all around for the Cavaliers. Rain came down in sheets at times. Then, the sun broke through the clouds. Then, the day became overcast and the rain would start again.

Finally, the rainbow broke through the clouds.

But it there was no pot of gold for the Cavaliers. Instead, they dropped touchdown passes on offense and gave up big plays on third down after playing well on first and second down on defense..

The Cavaliers (3-4) were tantalizing close to climbing to respectability in the ACC. They were on a three-game winning streak and seemed to have momentum.

Instead, their chances to win six games and become bowl-eligible took a significant hit yesterday.

Anything is possible, though, in the ACC. Well, anything, it would seem, except containing Georgia Tech.

U.Va. notes: Defensive-line switch
By Staff Reports
Published: October 25, 2009

Defensive-line switch

This week's depth chart released by Virginia went 0 for 3 in projecting defensive-line starters.

The one sure thing was that Nate Collins would start, but instead of his usual role as a defensive end, he was moved to nose tackle. That's where he was last year against Georgia Tech when he had a standout performance.

"Frankly, I would have been questioning myself if the game was over and he wasn't at nose tackle," coach Al Groh said. "He probably made more plays than he did last year."

Collins led all players with 16 tackles.

Next to him was John-Kevin Dolce, making his first start of the year. Dolce is listed as the backup nose tackle but got the starting nod at end. His speed and strength made him an appealing choice to try to bring down Georgia Tech's big rushers.

"They're not necessarily a power offense," he said. "They run their schemes and pick their spots to attack."

On the other end was Zane Parr. He was the presumed starter by reporters entering the week, but the depth chart said the nod would go to true freshman Will Hill. By not playing, Hill retains his redshirt ability.
LB Clark injured

It was a scary moment for the defense as linebacker Aaron Clark was attended to on the field after injuring his right knee in the fourth quarter. Clark, a fifth-year senior, missed almost all of last season after injuring himself in the first game, though that injury was on the left side of his leg.

"He was definitely in high spirits," teammate Denzel Burrell said.

Clark stayed on the sideline until the end of the game, relying on two staffers to help him to the locker room.

The early word was that he will miss at least a couple weeks of action -- he had been subbing in for Burrell to keep him fresh during games. Clark also had a fumble recovery yesterday.
Key call against Cavs

The Cavaliers appeared to have the Yellow Jackets stopped early in the fourth quarter when running back Jonathan Dwyer was stopped for no gain on a third-and-7 play at the Georgia Tech 37.

Virginia was trailing 20-9 and, with a good offensive series, had a chance to reduce that deficit.

But the Cavaliers were called for a dead-ball personal foul on the Dwyer play. That gave the Yellow Jackets 15 yards and a first down. The Yellow Jackets used that break to finish the drive, deflate the Cavaliers and send the fans to the exits.

"A key third down in the game, clearly," Groh said of the penalty. "I'm looking forward to reviewing that. I'd say you've got to have a real conscience to make that call."

Groh said he received no explanation for the penalty.

"As competitors, you hope it's the competition from snap to the end of the play that determines the outcome," Groh said. "I think that's what all competitors hope for."

Defensive lineman Nate Collins said he thought cornerback Ras-I Dowling was flagged for taunting.
Enjoyable mudslide

Yesterday was the first time it's been raining at kickoff at Scott Stadium since 2002, and late in the game, some students put the thunderstorm to good use as they slid down a mud-soaked hill to the applause of the 43,016 in attendance.

On the field, the players tried to adjust on a day when the weather alternated between sun and pouring rain.

Burrell said that once the rain started falling, the team tried to go for the football.

"We tried to take advantage of the downpours and make a turnover," he said.

For the first time since the TCU game, Virginia did not win the turnover battle -- both teams created one. The Cavs coughed up the ball on a Chase Minnifield punt return, and Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt fumbled without being hit in his own territory.
Extra points:

* Two streaks ended yesterday. U.Va. previously had converted on every red-zone attempt, and Robert Randolph was 10 for 10 before missing from 35 yards in the second quarter.

* After winning the coin toss, the Cavs elected to receive -- trying to blunt the first-quarter momentum that Georgia Tech has had this year.Ray Roberts' jersey was retired in a halftime ceremony, and he raised the Power of Orange flag before the game.

It was Georgia Tech's first win in Charlottesville since 1990. -- Michael Phillips
 

Grading the three keys
By Staff Reports
Published: October 25, 2009

Grading the three keys

(B+) Stay upright. Virginia's defensive line, for the most part, survived its test against the Yellow Jackets' cut blocks. But as coach Al Groh predicted, Georgia Tech was ready with adjustments and ran a counter-option play that sent the ball to the weak side of the field and helped eat up clock in the third quarter. Nate Collins anchored the defensive line, but Zane Parr and John-Kevin Dolce, neither of whom are listed as first-teamers, provided solid support in their starting roles.

(D) Field position. Virginia's kick-return game continued to struggle, but so did Georgia Tech's. The result was a game where the Jackets started in Virginia territory just once, and the Cavs started in Georgia Tech territory only twice. All three of those possessions ended with field goals. Chase Minnifield's fumbled punt return demonstrated once again that he's hesitant to call for the fair catch.

(C) Stick to the plan. Georgia Tech's triple-option offense often was taken to the third option, running back Anthony Allen. But it was an effective third option, and the Cavs weren't able to adjust to his cross-field running. Virginia also was hurt by third-down conversions, as they allowed Georgia Tech to convert on 8 of 17, as well as a successful fourth-down conversion. If it weren't for the lopsided time of possession, things might have looked more respectable here.
 

Cavaliers' run washes away
Georgia Tech's drought at Scott ends on wet day
By Doug Doughty doug.doughty@roanoke.com 981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With 10 minutes remaining Saturday, football fans were notified of a severe-weather alert and given the option of evacuating Scott Stadium and returning at their leisure.

Maybe some Georgia Tech supporters accepted the offer.

By that point, the UVa faithful had seen enough of a Virginia offense that could manage only three field goals in a 34-9 loss to the 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets.

It was the first victory at Scott Stadium for Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1 ACC) since the Yellow Jackets' epic showdown with then-No. 1 Virginia in 1990.

"I talked to them about it before the game," said second-year Tech coach Paul Johnson, who revealed that he had never been to Scott Stadium. "I told them that they could be the team to break that streak."

Virginia (3-4, 2-1) was looking for its fourth straight victory after an 0-3 start but simply couldn't keep Georgia Tech's offense off the field.

The Yellow Jackets' time of possession was 42:43, compared to 17:17 for the Cavaliers. That translated into 75 offensive plays for Georgia Tech and 44 for the Cavaliers.

"It didn't even seem like that much," said UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell, who either ran or passed the ball on 37 of those 44 snaps. "We were on the sidelines all day, it seemed, but that was our fault.

"We just didn't get it done."

Virginia, ranked 107th out of 120 Division I-A teams in total offense, could muster only 198 yards against a Georgia Tech team that had given up 1,026 yards in its previous two road games (at Mississippi State and Florida State).

The Cavaliers have had one offensive touchdown in their last two games, and that came on a 2-yard drive late in a 20-9 victory over Maryland.

Virginia couldn't even score from the 2-yard line Saturday. The Cavaliers had a first-and-goal at the 2 following a 23-yard pass from Sewell to Vic Hall late in the first quarter, but they had to settle for a 19-yard Robert Randolph field goal with 14:51 left before halftime.

That gave Virginia a short-lived 6-3 lead, and while the Cavaliers would be outscored 31-3 the rest of the way, the game remained competitive into the fourth quarter.

In fact, on the final play of the third period, officials reviewed a pass from Sewell to Kris Burd that had been ruled incomplete in the end zone. A reversal would have resulted in a one-score game.

The replay official upheld the call, then, after the teams switched ends of the field, Sewell threw one of his best passes of the day, a bullet to Burd on third-and-goal from the 13. The ball hit Burd in the numbers, but he did not have possession before being rocked from behind by a Georgia Tech defender.

"They cooperated a little bit," said Johnson of UVa's offensive performance. "They dropped a lot of balls."

Randolph's third field goal of the day made it 20-9 with 14:51 left, and the Cavaliers had one more defensive stand in them. On third-and-7 from the Georgia Tech 37, Yellow Jackets running back Jonathan Dwyer was stopped for no gain.

But a yellow flag flew into the air after Nate Collins' stop and another UVa player was penalized for a late hit. Virginia coach Al Groh said the offender was not identified to him. The ACC's officiating operations center confirmed that the call was on UVa cornerback Ras-I Dowling.

"I'd say you've got to have a real conscience to make that call," Groh said. "I look forward to reviewing it."

The Yellow Jackets went on to score two touchdowns and amass 143 yards after that. They methodically wore down a Virginia defense that was on the field for nearly 23 minutes in the second half.

"That's been the story of every game they've played," Groh said. "We had a lot of good plays on defense, not enough, but there were a lot of 1- and 2-yard plays in there."

Virginia outside linebacker Denzel Burrell said one of the challenges of facing Georgia Tech is that they're a four-down team.

"They're going to go for it [on fourth down] almost anywhere on the field," he said.

The Yellow Jackets did attempt two punts but a fourth-and-2 conversion was critical on an 18-play, 82-yard drive that consumed nearly the first 11 minutes of the third quarter and resulted in the touchdown that put the Yellow Jackets ahead 20-6.

Georgia Tech was 8-of-17 on third-down conversions against a UVa team whose first six opponents had converted first downs at a 29.3-percent rate.

Virginia, on the flip side, was 2-for-11 on third-down conversions. And, because Virginia was having so little success running the ball, all of the failed drives were short ones.

Tailbacks Mikell Simpson and Rashawn Jackson had a combined seven carries, none in the second half, for 4 total yards.

Georgia Tech, which ranked second in Division I-A in rushing offense, finished with 362 yards on the ground. Two running backs, Dwyer and Louisville transfer Anthony Allen, had more than 100 yards apiece. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt added 82.

"Dwyer, Nesbitt and [wide receiver Demaryius] Thomas are clearly the engine that drives that train," Groh said, "and they are a powerful engine."

No. 11 Georgia Tech 34, Virginia 9: Notes from the game

SATURDAY'S STAR

Anthony Allen

Georgia Tech slotback

The junior rushed for 103 yards and two TDs on 11 carries. Allen averaged 9.4 yards per carry. He had a 21-yard run that featured four missed or broken tackles.

IT WAS OVER WHEN

UVa stopped Georgia Tech for no gain on third-and-7 from the GT 37, but a personal-foul penalty gave the Jackets 15 yards and a first down. Seven plays later, Allen scored on a 20-yard run to extend the lead to 27-9 with 9:39 to go.

GOOD CALL?

On fourth-and-7 from the GT 41, Georgia Tech's Anthony Barnes ran on a fake punt in the first quarter but came up short. UVa got a field goal five plays later. Coach Paul Johnson said the designed play would have "gone for 800 miles" if Barnes hadn't dropped the snap, giving UVa time to react.

THEY SAID IT

"That's just the key to our offense, especially if we get the ball first [after halftime], just to take time off the clock and get the defense some rest and pretty much just take over the whole third quarter."

-- Jonathan Dwyer on the Jackets' long drive to start the second half

CRITICAL NUMBERS

10:47 The time of GT's drive at the start of the third quarter, the team's longest in more than 20 years.

42:43 Time of possession for Georgia Tech, the team's best in more than 20 years.

0-2 UVa's record vs. ranked foes this year.

12 Carries by UVa, its fewest in six years.

-- Mark Berman

No more doubting Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets win their fifth in a row, including their first win at UVa since 1990.
By Mark Berman
981-3125

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The triple-option offense keeps working. And Georgia Tech keeps winning.

The 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets rushed for 362 yards and kept the ball for more than 42 minutes in a 34-9 win at Virginia on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

"They believe in what we're doing. I think they believe in themselves," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, whose team improved to 7-1, 5-1 in the ACC. "Everybody keeps doubting them, and every time they doubt them, they come back and try to answer the call."

Wait, does he really think people are still doubting Georgia Tech?

"Oh, I think so. Right, Heather?" Johnson said with a smile, looking at ESPN.com reporter Heather Dinich, who picked the Yellow Jackets to lose to Virginia Tech and Virginia the past two weeks.

Georgia Tech has won five straight games, a stretch that includes the team's first-ever win at Florida State; their first home victory over a top-5 team (Virginia Tech) since 1962; and their first win at UVa since 1990.

"We've had a lot of firsts this year, and this had to be one of the biggest ones," slotback Anthony Allen said of winning in Charlottesville.

Once again, the Georgia Tech offense dominated in the second half. UVa had the ball for just 7:12 after halftime.

"We controlled the game on offense," Johnson said.

Georgia Tech opened the second half with an 18-play, 82-yard drive that was capped with a 1-yard TD run by Allen on third-and-goal. The series took 10:47 and extended the Yellow Jackets' lead to 20-9.

"It was huge," Johnson said of the drive. "I looked up and there was, what, 4 minutes left in the third quarter? That's a pretty good way to do it."

Only three plays on that drive went for more than 6 yards -- two runs and the lone pass of the series.

The Yellow Jackets kept the drive alive by picking up first downs on third-and-6, fourth-and-2, third-and-2 and third-and-8.

The slotbacks on that drive "were rolling in and out. ... We're coming in, looking at the guy lining [up] across from us and they're dog tired. We just know we have them right there," Allen said.

"We had to come out in the second half and take it to them. We had to play smashmouth football, and that's what we did."

All afternoon, UVa had trouble stopping Allen when he was pitched the ball. The Louisville transfer ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

"The [defensive] guy we pitch off of, he was coming up, he was trying to play the pitch and the quarterback, but he had to determine which one he wanted," Allen said. "He'll take the quarterback sometimes and the pitch'll get out."

Jonathan Dwyer kept plugging along on the fullback dive play, eventually breaking off runs of 20 and 32 yards in the second half. He finished with 125 yards on 25 carries.

Quarterback Josh Nesbitt rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 85 yards. He teamed with Demaryius Thomas on a 52-yard pass that set up a first-half field goal.

"We have big-time players on this team," Nesbitt said. "If we go out and just give it our all, ... we can put up points."

It truly was a great day for the Jackets. Miami's loss later in the day means that if the Jackets win their final two ACC games, they win the Coastal Division.

Jackets' offense stumps Virginia
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Al Groh stood in the driving rain, his arms outstretched and his palms to the sky -- the waterlogged pose of a desperate man.

The Virginia coach was seeking an explanation for a critical personal foul call against his team, but he just as easily could have been asking the question so many before him have pondered:

How, exactly, do you get this Georgia Tech offense off the field?

The Cavaliers had no answer Saturday. Neither did Virginia Tech last week. But somebody's got to solve it because the Yellow Jackets are becoming more destructive by the day.

Their October sweep of the state's two Division I-A programs -- punctuated by a 34-9 trouncing of UVa at Scott Stadium -- confirmed what Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson already knew: This offense is not a gimmick. It's not a freak show. It's a legitimate, effective beast that gobbles up first downs, swallows the game clock and then belches all over a tired defense.

And the worst part for Georgia Tech's ACC rivals? The offense is evolving.

Not long ago, the Jackets would beat you by fooling you early with scheme. By the time you adjusted, you were too far behind. Panicked. Mistake prone.

But look at what has happened the past two weeks: The Jackets have started slowly on offense, then unloaded in the second half. The Hokies and Cavaliers each showed up with solid defensive game plans and kept the first half close. Then both held the ball under eight minutes after halftime. That's nearly a 3-to-1 disparity -- a brutal disadvantage to try to overcome.

"Just too many explosive plays," UVa defensive lineman Zane Parr said. "A lot of cut blocks getting guys on the ground. It was hard for us to get to the ball. Too many guys were on the ground. People were missing tackles. They ran real hard. Their line did what they needed to do."

Read that last quote again. See the way Parr structured his sentences? Short and to the point. One sentence about what went wrong. Then another. Then another.

That's how Georgia Tech's offense does it. Five yards. Then 6. Then 3. Yes, the Jackets have the athletes to break a big one, but what they do better than anyone is grind you. They'll gain 4 yards on their first two snaps of a series, dangling a carrot in front of the hopeful crowd, allowing the defense to dream of a stop.

Then they'll break off a 7-yard run. Nothing spectacular, but the chains move again.

Johnson's instant success last year raised a valid question: Would ACC defenses catch up to the offense in 2009, diminishing its effectiveness? Or would the opposite happen? Would the Jackets gain more confidence in the system, making it more lethal?

That's been answered. The faith Georgia Tech's players have in the spread option now matches the certainty Johnson had in it all along. As Groh would say, "confidence is a result of demonstrated performance." And said performance has been demonstrated in Atlanta.

According to Georgia Tech running back Anthony Allen, this is what Johnson tells the team before every game, including this one: "We're going to run our base play, and they're going to have to stop it." That's basically it. And once again, the other team couldn't.

Now, we can't give all the credit to scheme. Anybody who saw the 6-foot, 231-pound Allen collide head-on with UVa cornerback Ras-I Dowling at the line of scrimmage, reverse field without a trace of lost balance and pick up 6 yards knows that's talent.

Anybody who saw Jackets receiver Demaryius Thomas reach up and pluck a 42-yard pass away from safety Corey Mosely -- mere moments after Mosely had broken up a similar play -- knows that's a tough matchup for any defensive back.

Allen is a junior. So is Thomas. So are Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer, the other two guys who make this offense go.

And Johnson? He's going to be around for a while.

Somebody had better figure him out, though, or there's going to be a lot of ACC coaches feeling like Groh did Saturday -- frustrated, answerless, and all wet.

First Hokies, now Cavs, as Jackets cruise toward ACC title
Posted to: Bob Molinaro College Football Sports
Bob Molinaro
© October 26, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

November came early for Virginia football.

The Cavaliers' Octoberfest of victories, a seven-game streak that went back to last season, was cruelly interrupted Saturday by the same relentless Georgia Tech ground game that dashed Virginia Tech's national championship hopes seven days before.

The twin-killing of commonwealth teams was committed in methodical fashion by a triple-option offense that isn't widely imitated and often isn't especially entertaining - but one which may dictate the ACC's balance of power.

This week, Georgia Tech has a stranglehold on the Coastal Division race. After giving Virginia Tech its only conference loss so far last Saturday, and with its only remaining ACC games against Wake Forest and Duke, Paul Johnson's team - now 5-1 in league play - is expected to cruise into the conference title game.

It's funny now to think that when Johnson left Navy for Atlanta two years ago, people wondered if his option offense could be effective in a BCS conference.

We've got our answer. With the 34-9 victory over U.Va., Johnson's record at Tech is 16-5.

Even Saturday's conditions favored the visitors' style of play. With rain coming down in sheets at Scott Stadium, the option proved more impervious to the soggy conditions than U.Va.'s conventional offense.

Not that the problem with U.Va.'s offense is its conformity. Or any one thing. The Cavaliers have had trouble all year capitalizing on red-zone opportunities. This time, they settled for field goal attempts after reaching the Tech 2, 18 and 13.

This allowed Georgia Tech to stick to what it does best and systematically churn up water-logged real estate to the tune of 362 rushing yards.

"We came out and knew we were basically playing for the championship" of the Coastal Division, said running back Anthony Allen, one of two Tech backs to rush for more than 100 yards. "We had to take it to them."

Nobody in the ACC takes it to an opponent quite like Georgia Tech does. Probably no team in the country is as good at eating up clock, and throwing second-half panic into opponents who wonder if they'll get possession of the ball often enough to score.

Tech ran 35 more plays than U.Va., and had possession of the ball for 42:43 compared with the Cavaliers' paltry 17:17.

While the stats and score support a one-sided affair, U.Va. held its own in the first half.

"I think we had a lot of good plays on defense," Al Groh said. "There were a lot of 1- and 2-yard plays."

Virginia seemed to have the dives and option pitches figured out, but the day was still young. It was only a matter of time before the pounding and constant pressure to plug the gaps took their toll.

"Coach said we were going to run our base plays," Allen said. "We were going to make them stop us."

The game turned at the start of the third quarter on a Tech touchdown drive that took a remarkable 10:47 off the clock. Johnson's offense covered 82 yards on 18 plays, all but one a run.

Virginia wasn't the same after that.

"It definitely took a lot out of us," said defensive end Zane Parr. "They kept running the ball."

That's what Georgia Tech does as well as anybody. And the bad news for the rest of the ACC is that Johnson is just getting started.

With quarterback Josh Nesbitt and the rest of the starting backfield returning next year, the future for defenses forced to contend with Georgia Tech's unorthodox offense should resemble Saturday's weather and U.Va.'s mood - gloomy.

Shot of reality
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
October 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As Georgia Tech's Anthony Allen tromped through Virginia's defense for a 12-yard gain on a third-and-5 play late in the fourth quarter, U.Va. coach Al Groh threw a clenched fist at thin air on the sideline.

No other reaction would've been more appropriate given the circumstances.

Groh's frustration mirrored the ineffectiveness of his defense in stopping No. 11 Georgia's Tech's relentless option Saturday in a 34-9 victory against U.Va. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for Georgia Tech in Charlottesville that dated back to 1990.

By the time Georgia Tech finished bludgeoning U.Va. (3-4 overall, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) in the rain and slop at Scott Stadium, all the good will the Cavaliers had built with their three-game winning streak to climb to the top of the Coastal Division had vanished.

Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1) gained 362 yards on 71 carries, including 316 yards in the last three quarters, and dominated time of possession by more than 25 minutes. Running back Jonathan Dwyer led the attack with 25 carries for 125 yards. Running back Anthony Allen added 11 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Josh Nesbitt had 21 rushes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had three catches for 76 yards.

"I thought we had a lot of good plays on defense," Groh said. "There were a lot of one or two-yard plays in there, but (time of possession) has been the story of every team that's played them. … That's been the story of the season. It's those three players — Thomas, Dwyer and Nesbitt — who have done a remarkable job of powering that to be the case."

U.Va. managed to gain just 198 yards, including 30 yards rushing. The Cavaliers ran 19 plays for 71 yards in the second half, abandoning the running game in the process. They had just three second-half plays that were credited as runs — one on a 5-yard scramble by quarterback Jameel Sewell, and two sacks of Sewell, who was 18 of 32 passing for 168 yards.

"We weren't able to run the ball very well today because they weren't respecting our passing game," Sewell said. "I have to do a better job making good throws and completing passes."

After holding Georgia Tech to 46 rushing yards in the first quarter, and building a 6-3 lead with the help of a career-long 49-yard field goal from Robert Randolph, U.Va. was unable to sustain its defensive effort.

The Yellow Jackets converted two third-down plays on their first drive of the second quarter, including a third-and-7 on a 21-yard run by Allen, and finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Nesbitt to go up 10-6 with 9:34 left in the half. Georgia Tech had 60 yards rushing on the drive.

"It was a hard task for us," said U.Va. nose tackle Nate Collins, who had 16 tackles, regarding trying to stop the option.

"There were just a couple times where, as a whole, we just weren't filling up the gaps like we needed to and that's when they made big plays."

Just when U.Va. looked like it might go to halftime down by only four, Nesbitt found Thomas on a 52-yard yard pass play with about two minutes left to move Georgia Tech to U.Va.'s 15-yard line. Thomas beat safety Corey Mosley on the play, which was a repeat of the previous play (broken up by Mosley). Georgia Tech's Scott Blair hit a 23-yard field goal as time expired to extend the lead to 13-6.

Though Georgia Tech's last drive of the half dealt a blow to the confidence of U.Va.'s defense, it wasn't nearly as demoralizing as Georgia Tech's opening drive of the second half.

The Yellow Jackets chewed up 10 minutes and 47 seconds on 18 plays (17 running) to start the third quarter, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Allen to push the lead to 20-6. Georgia Tech converted three third downs and a fourth down play on the drive.

Georgia Tech had ample success on third-down plays in the second half, converting on six of nine (eight of 17 for the game), but U.Va. was unable to sustain its own drives throughout the game. U.Va. was two of 11 on third-down conversions, and failed to gain positive yardage on eight plays inside Georgia Tech's 20-yard line.

U.Va.'s most damaging third-down defensive failure came early in the fourth quarter while trailing 20-9. After Dwyer was stopped for no gain on third-and-7 from Georgia Tech's 37, U.Va. was penalized 15 yards for a personal foul away from the ball.

Georgia Tech took advantage and added another touchdown on a 20-yard run by Allen with 9:37 remaining. U.Va. gained 20 yards the rest of the game and couldn't penetrate inside Georgia Tech's 41 on its last two drives.

"It's tough to see an opponent marching down the field, and time of possession is critical, especially in the second half," U.Va. linebacker Denzel Burrell said. "That made it tough for the offense to put drives together and get down the field to score. It also taxes the defense both mentally and physically…We just couldn't piece 60 full minutes together."

Explosive Jackets pour it on Cavs
Dave Fairbank
October 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE

The forecast at Scott Stadium called for heavy Nesbitt, along with increasing Dwyer, followed by occasional Thomas and intermittent Allen.

After three weeks of feasting on impotent offenses, Virginia was soaked by a Georgia Tech attack every bit as relentless as Saturday's rains.

The Yellow Jackets' ground-chewing, clock-eating option drenched Virginia with big plays and seeped into every crack the Cavaliers provided.

Georgia Tech's 34-9 victory seemed appropriate, given its statistical dominance and the Cavs' inconsistency on both sides of the ball.

The primary numbers: 42 minutes, 43 seconds of possession time; 362 yards rushing; 79 plays to Virginia's 44.

Shoot, given those numbers, it's a wonder the Cavaliers were in the game at all — which they very much were until early in the fourth quarter.

"Too many explosive plays," Virginia defensive end Zane Parr said. "It was a lot of cut blocks, getting the (defensive) guys on the ground. It was hard for us to get to the ball when too many guys were on the ground. It was people missing tackles. They ran real hard, and their line did what they needed to do, and we didn't make enough plays out there."

Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt and running back Jonathan Dwyer did their usual damage for the nation's No. 2 rushing offense, and monster wide receiver Demaryius Thomas provided a glimpse of his high-wire act on one scoring drive.

"Dwyer and Nesbitt and Thomas are clearly the engine that drives that train," Virginia head coach Al Groh said, "and they're a powerful engine. They do a great job. We understood, throughout the organization, that it would be critical to not let those guys have the best of days."

Saturday's wild card was underrated running back Anthony Allen, who rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns. It says something about Allen, and about the Yellow Jackets' offense, that he's usually Plan C, yet he's still in the ACC's top 10 in rushing and averages better than 10 yards per carry.

"He made himself hard to tackle today," Groh said. "We've seen in his limited opportunities that he's a big player. He's out there on those smaller defensive backs at 230 pounds, and we didn't do a good enough job on him, obviously."

One peculiar benefit to Georgia Tech's offense is that it stresses opposing offenses, as well as defenses.

During their five-game winning streak, the Yellow Jackets have held the ball for an average of 38 minutes per game. Twice this season, they have had the ball for more than 42 minutes. Fewer possessions translate to greater pressure to produce.

"There have been some teams that have had fairly productive offensive games, relative to the time of possession that they had," Groh said. "They just didn't have it long enough to score enough points. We were hopeful to avoid that circumstance today, but did not accomplish it."

Indeed, last season when the Cavaliers upset Georgia Tech 24-17 in Atlanta, they had an 81/2-minute advantage in time of possession and slowed the Yellow Jackets' option just enough in their first year under coach Paul Johnson.

One-plus year into the system, the improvement shows, particularly in Nesbitt. He rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, and made good decisions after an uneven first quarter.

The Yellow Jackets' opening drive of the second half embodied their keep-away mentality: an 82-yard touchdown drive that took up 10:47 and expanded the lead to 20-6. They would hold the ball for almost 23 minutes of the second half.

"I don't really think it affected us at all," Virginia nose tackle Nate Collins said of the disparity in possession time. "It's assignment football, and when we weren't in the right spots, that's when they made big plays, and that's what their team's good at."

And where Georgia Tech converted red-zone opportunities into touchdowns, Virginia settled for field goals. A first-and-goal at the Jackets' 2-yard line in the first half and first-and-goal at the 6 in the second half resulted in a pair of Robert Randolph field goals.

The Cavaliers pointed to those missed opportunities, as well as to a 15-yard personal foul after they had stopped the Jackets early in the fourth quarter and were within 20-9. Tech went on to score touchdowns on its next two possessions.

"Everyone was real intense," Virginia linebacker Denzel Burrell said.

"Everybody kept telling everybody else, 'Play like a pack of crazed dogs. Keep running to the ball, keep doing something and something good'll happen.' Unfortunately, not enough good things happened today."

Georgia Tech made certain of that.

U.Va.'s Burd can't catch a break
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
October 25, 2009

U.Va. wide receiver Kris Burd had a tough day, where he was targeted twice in the end zone by quarterback Jameel Sewell, and wound up with nothing to show for it.

With U.Va. trailing 20-6 late in the third quarter, Sewell spotted Burd open in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 6-yard line. Burd appeared to scoop the pass from Sewell before it hit the ground, but the pass was ruled incomplete. A review of the play was upheld.

Then, early in the fourth quarter with U.Va. still trailing 20-6, Sewell rifled a pass to the end zone on third-and-goal from the 13 that hit Burd in the chest at about the same moment free safety Dominique Reese hit Burd from behind to dislodge the ball. Burd had two catches for 16 yards, but was also credited with two drops.

Red-zone blues
U.Va. entered the game as the nation's most efficient team in the red zone, scoring on all 17 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line (including seven field goals).

On Saturday, U.Va. ventured inside Georgia Tech's 20 three times, but had to settle for two field goals.

U.Va.'s first unsuccessful opportunity inside the 20 this season came in the second quarter, when Robert Randolph missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt after a bad snap. It was also Randolph's first missed field goal of the season. He's 12 of 13 this season.

Deceiving stats
Though Georgia Tech ran 71 times for 362 yards (its second-highest rushing total of the season), U.Va. held the Yellow Jackets to three yards or fewer on 39 runs, not including the final three clock-killing runs of two yards or fewer on the last drive of the game. Of the remaining 29 runs, Georgia Tech had 11 that went for 10 yards or more, including eight such runs in the second half.

Timing all wrong for Cavs
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
October 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - In his quick postgame analysis of Georgia Tech's monster 18-play, 10-plus minute drive to start the third quarter Saturday in its 34-9 victory against Virginia, U.Va. coach Al Groh was able to diagnosis the issues without any hesitation.

U.Va. (3-4 overall, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) couldn't get Georgia Tech off the field when it counted — a problem that plagued the Cavaliers throughout the game. Still, the first drive of the third quarter represented a true clinic on triple option that ended with running back Anthony Allen scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:13 left to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 20-6.

It was Georgia Tech's longest drive in terms of time of possession — 10 minutes, 47 seconds — in at least the past 21 years. It was also Georgia Tech's third scoring drive of longer than eight minutes this season.

"We probably had a lot more good plays in the drive than otherwise, but we didn't have them on the right downs," said Groh of the drive, which started at Georgia Tech's 18-yard line and included 17 running plays. "The plays that hurt us were the conversion plays that kept them out there."

Groh's assessment was spot on. On 12 first and second down plays, U.Va. held Georgia Tech (7-1, 6-1) to 37 yards (3.1 yards per play) — a huge triumph considering the Yellow Jackets averaged 5.7 yards on its 79 plays in the game.

U.Va. wasn't nearly as proficient at stopping the option on third and fourth down during the drive, as Georgia Tech rolled up 45 yards on six such plays. The Yellow Jackets converted on three third downs and a fourth down. Allen's touchdown run came on a third-and-goal play. Running back Jonathan Dwyer had six carries for 35 yards to lead the drive.

"It took a lot out of us," said U.Va. defensive end Zane Parr, who had 12 tackles in his first career start. "There were a couple of times we could've made a stop and could've got us off the field, but we didn't do that. Hopefully, that doesn't happen in the next game (next Saturday against Duke). We're going to work towards not letting it happen again."

Georgia Tech defeats Virginia; takes control of ACC Coastal
By Doug Roberson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Another streak broken, and now a bigger, more important goal is within grasp.

Thanks to a bone-grinding 10-minute, 47-second drive to open the second half, Paul Johnson ended another one of the hexes that has hung over Georgia Tech's head by leading his team to a 34-9 win against Virginia on Saturday at Scott Stadium. Coupled with Miami's loss to Clemson on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets now need to only win their two remaining ACC games to secure a spot in the conference's championship game on Dec. 5 in Tampa.

But No. 12 Tech (7-1, 5-1) wouldn't be in this position if it hadn't won its first game in Charlottesville since 1990, snapping an eight-game losing streak there.

"I didn't break it, the players broke it," Johnson said.

Now, that losing streak goes in the dustbin, along with two others the Jackets have snapped this season: the first win in Tallahassee (49-44 against Florida State), and the first win against a top-five team (28-23 against Virginia Tech) at home since 1962. Oh, and there's that one against Georgia last season.

"Coach gives us all the motivation," said Anthony Allen, who rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. "We've had a lot of firsts this year. This happens to be the biggest one."

With the Hurricanes' 40-37 loss to Clemson, Tech is in the driver's seat in the Coastal. The Jackets are tied with Virginia Tech, Virginia and Duke atop the division. Tech already has beaten Virginia Tech and Virginia and plays at Duke on Nov. 14. If Tech wins its remaining ACC games (their other league game is at home against Wake Forest on Nov. 7), it will win the Coastal title in Johnson's second season.

"Well, it's the same as it's always been," Johnson said after learning of Miami's loss. "Winning today just made the game next Saturday that much bigger. We still have four games remaining [on the regular-season schedule]."

Winning in Charlottesville was a small part of the motivation for Tech's players on Saturday. They accomplished it with another first: their longest drive in terms of time of possession in at least 21 years.

The sequence started at the beginning of the third quarter. On the eighteenth play, Allen finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal off a pitch from Josh Nesbitt.

The score gave the Jackets a 20-6 lead, and Virginia, which mustered 127 yards in the first half, was seemingly done.

"It really sets the tone for the second half when we come out and score on those," center Sean Bedford said. "It's a double-whammy. Not only are we scoring, but we're cutting the time that the other time can score. It's really something that we take pride in. We don't mind being grinders. We're going to put it in the end zone."

That drive helped Tech have a whopping edge of 42:43-17:17 in time of possession, similar to last week's 17-minute difference against Virginia Tech. During its five-game win streak, the Jackets have held the ball an average of 38:15, almost 17 minutes more than its opponents have.

"Time of possession has been the story of every team that's played them," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We were hopeful to avoid that circumstance today, but did not accomplish that."

The difference in time also resulted in helping keep Tech's defense rested and effective. Since simplifying its coverage schemes during the Virginia Tech week, the Jackets have allowed 334 yards to the Hokies and 198 to the Cavaliers, a marked difference considering Florida State and Mississippi State totaled more than 1,000 yards before the changes were made.

"We just got it all the way turned up," middle linebacker Brad Jefferson said, repeating the title of a rap song that Tech's players have adopted as their theme.

Now, the Jackets will turn their attention to their Halloween night game against Vanderbilt in Nashville, in what Johnson called, before Miami's game against Clemson had even kicked off, "the biggest game of the year."

As if he needs anything else to motivate the players.

"They believe in themselves and what we are doing here," Johnson said. "They've worked hard. When they come to play, they feel like they are going to win. Everyone keeps doubting them, and they keep coming back and trying to answer the call."
 

Jackets continue to own the clock
By Jim McConnell

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia coach Al Groh went against his usual strategy when the Cavaliers won the coin flip before Saturday’s ACC Coastal Division game against No. 12 Georgia Tech, choosing to receive the opening kickoff instead of deferring until the second half.

Groh’s decision backfired when the Yellow Jackets got the ball first in the third quarter and put together an 18-play, 82-yard scoring march. The methodical drive, which featured only three plays longer than six yards, consumed 10:47 and set the tone for another dominant second-half performance before ending with Anthony Allen’s 1-yard touchdown run.

“That was huge,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said after his team took over first place in the Coastal Division with a 34-9 victory. “I looked up and there was four minutes left in the third quarter. That’s a pretty good way to do it.”

Georgia Tech (5-1 ACC, 7-1 overall), which led only 13-6 at halftime, put the game away with two more long scoring drives in the fourth quarter and held the ball for all but 6:12 in the second half.

“That’s been the story of every team that’s played them,” Groh said.

Georgia Tech has dominated time of possession after halftime in each of their past three victories. Against Florida State, the Yellow Jackets had a scoring drives of 9:07 and 4:32 in the second half. Last weekend against Virginia Tech, they had two second-half possessions that ate up 13:53.

Equally important, all but one of those drives ended in points.

“We keep running new backs in there, so we’re staying fresh,” added Allen, who averaged 9.4 yards on his 11 carries yesterday and scored twice. “We look at the linemen across from us and see them getting tired, and we know we have them.”

That was especially true yesterday, when the Yellow Jackets extended their longest possession in the past 21 years by converting 4 of 5 third-down plays and one fourth down.

Georgia Tech caught a break early in the drive when Josh Nesbitt’s pass on third-and-6 from the Jackets’ 36 was tipped by Virginia linebacker Cameron Johnson but still fluttered into the waiting hands of Demaryius Thomas for a 13-yard gain.

Dwyer converted another third down with a 20-yard run on a perfectly executed draw play. He finished off the run by steamrolling Virginia cornerback Chris Cook at the Cavaliers’ 9-yard line, and Allen scored three plays later.

“I think they got a little tired,” Georgia Tech center Sean Bedford said. “I don’t know if they let up, but it can wear on your will to win eventually.”

The Yellow Jackets’ ball-control offense made life easy for its defense, which played only 19 snaps after halftime.

“I was enjoying the show,” Georgia Tech linebacker Brad Jefferson added. “That’s what the defense did: we took a seat and enjoyed the show.”
 

Music brings Yellow Jackets' defense to life
By Jim McConnell

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- With a little help from friends in the band, Georgia Tech’s defense was at its dancing, strutting best when Virginia’s offense reached the red zone yesterday.

Fueled by the traveling band’s rendition of Travis Porter’s “All the Way Turned Up,” which has become a rallying cry of sorts during the Yellow Jackets’ bid for the ACC Coastal Division championship, Georgia Tech limited Virginia to field goals when the game still hung in the balance and kept matters under control until the offense exploded for 21 second-half points in a 34-9 victory.

Story continues below ↓

“They had a lot of chances to get the ball in the end zone, but we were turned up all the way,” linebacker Brad Jefferson said. “That song gets us hyped right there.”

Virginia’s offense ventured inside the Tech 20-yard line three times in the first half and reached the 21 on another drive, but came away with only nine of a possible 28 points on three Robert Randolph kicks.

The Jackets’ defense came up especially large in the face of adversity late in the first quarter, when Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt fumbled the ball away at his own 25 with the game deadlocked at 3.

Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell hooked up with Vic Hall for a 23-yard gain on first down, giving the Cavaliers four cracks at a momentum-changing touchdown from the Tech 2.

After the Jackets stuffed runs by tailbacks Mikell Simpson and Rashawn Jackson for no gain, they forced an incompletion by Sewell. Randolph gave Virginia a short-lived 6-3 lead with a 19-yard field goal, but Tech’s defense jogged off the field feeling victorious.

“That was big for our defense, even though we gave up three points and that’s not what we want to do,” defensive end Derrick Morgan said. “I think it kind of diffused Virginia’s momentum.”

For the game, Virginia ran eight plays inside Tech’s 20-yard line and produced a total of minus-7 yards. Sewell was sacked once by Morgan and failed to complete any of his five red-zone passes, including a 13-yard strike to Kris Burd that would have been a touchdown if not for a crunching hit by backup free safety Rashaad Reid.

“That’s all about attitude and want-to,” Morgan added. “We call ourselves a championship defense, so that was just one of the statements we needed to make.”
 

 ACC shudders as Jackets engine revs
October 25, 2009 12:37 am
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--Anthony Allen admits he was skeptical. When the junior running back transferred from Louisville to Georgia Tech after the 2007 football season, he wondered whether new coach Paul Johnson's "flexbone" triple-option attack could work in a BCS conference.

At Division I-AA Georgia State? OK. At Navy? Sure. At Johnson's previous two head-coaching stops, his gimmick offense had rolled up wins and rushing yards.

But those schools had recruiting limitations that required innovation. Could it work in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Hmm.

And Allen wasn't alone in his doubt.

"I felt a little iffy at first," he said. "But once coach Johnson sat me down and showed me tape from Navy and Georgia Tech, I thought it was great. I got really excited."

And the rest of the ACC is getting depressed. After plowing through Virginia Tech and Virginia on the past two Saturdays, the 12th-ranked Yellow Jackets (7-1, 5-1) look like the class of the conference. And Johnson looks like a genius.

"It's their second year in that type of offense," Virginia linebacker Denzel Burrell said after yesterday's 34-9 shellacking. "They're definitely going to get better at it."

If Georgia Tech improves any more, the ACC title may not be enough; the BCS national championship game isn't out of the question.

Yesterday, the Yellow Jackets took the second-half kickoff and crushed the Cavaliers' rain-soaked souls with an 18-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that consumed nearly 11 fateful minutes. They converted four of five third downs--and moved the chains on fourth down on the one time they failed.

A 13-6 halftime lead suddenly became 20-6--and could have been 100-6, so demoralized were the Cavaliers.

"The [running backs] were rolling in and out, and you could look at them, lining up across from us, and they were tired," Allen said after his 103-yard, two-touchdown performance. "We knew we had them."

In an era when the spread offense is all the rage (even at the high school level), the Jackets' throwback attack is unique. That complicates the challenge for teams that have just a week to prepare for it and little hope of simulating it in practice.

And when you have strong, fast athletes, pity the opposition. Dwyer weighs 235 pounds, Allen 231. Dwyer flattened 210-pound Virginia cornerback Chris Cook on a 20-yard third-quarter run.

Even quarterback Josh Nesbitt, at 214, dragged Virginia defenders for extra yardage. And the offense is growing more efficient as Nesbitt learns its nuances.

Last year, Virginia defended the Jackets about as well as anyone, holding them to 269 total yards in a 24-17 win. Yesterday, the Cavaliers kept looking for the license number of the truck that ran over them as they allowed 447 yards (362 on the ground).

Aside from one lost fumble in the rain, Nesbitt was nearly flawless with his reads yesterday. He ran for 82 yards and two scores and distributed the ball to Jonathan Dwyer (125 yards) and Allen (103). He also completed 4-of-8 passes for 85 yards as Georgia Tech rolled up 362 rushing yards and held the ball for nearly 43 minutes.

"He's way better than he was a year ago," Johnson said of Nesbitt. "The more you do things, the better you're going to get at them. I think the game has slowed down for him. Last year, the game was so fast for him. He has a better feel for what's going on."

And here's the really frightening thing for opponents: This isn't a passing fad.

Nesbitt, Dwyer and Allen, who have combined to rush for 1,898 yards this year, are all juniors. So is 6-foot-3, 229-pound receiver Demaryius Thomas, who has averaged 24.9 yards on his 30 receptions. Only two of Georgia Tech's starting linemen are seniors.

Dwyer, the reigning ACC player of the year, is a potential first-round draft choice if he turns pro. The rest of the skill-position players should be back in 2010 to wreak havoc on the rest of the conference--and perhaps the country.

The true test will come after the season, when curious coaches from around the country likely will descend on Atlanta to learn what they can about Johnson's brainchild. The "wildcat" may be a supplemental gadget offense, but the flexbone is winning games--and believers.

"We'll see in the spring," Johnson said. "We had a ton of visitors at Navy and Georgia Southern. This spring, we'll probably have a lot of people visit."

If they're smart, they'll bring plenty of notebooks.

 'FLEXBONE' BENDS CAVS BACKWARD
October 25, 2009 12:37 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--The Virginia Cavaliers were hoping not to fall into Georgia Tech's trap.

The Yellow Jackets were second in the nation in rushing yards per game and sixth in time of possession entering their contest at Scott Stadium yesterday.

Virginia head coach Al Groh was cognizant of that, and he made plans to avoid letting those stats doom the Cavaliers.

However, he had no such luck.

Georgia Tech's "flexbone" offense, also known as the triple option, rushed for 362 yards and held the ball for 42 minutes, 43 seconds as the No. 11 Yellow Jackets rolled to a 34-9 Atlantic Coast Conference victory, their first win in Charlottesville since 1990.

Groh said that not only did Georgia Tech's offense wear down his defense, it also put pressure on Virginia's offense to make plays in its limited time on the field.

"It has all those effects," Groh said. "It has had that effect in most of their previous games. There have been some teams that have had fairly productive offensive games relative to the time of possession they've had. They just didn't have it long enough to score enough points. We were hopeful to avoid that circumstance today, but did not accomplish that."

As a result, the Cavaliers (3-4, 2-1 ACC) suffered their first conference loss of the season and saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

The Yellow Jackets (7-1, 5-1) kept their hopes of a Coastal Division title and a trip to the ACC championship game alive with the victory.

Players said that was going through their minds when they came out of halftime and drove 82 yards in 18 plays for a touchdown that gave them a 20-6 lead. The drive lasted 10 minutes, 47 seconds.

"We came into the locker room at halftime and we knew we were playing for the [ACC] championship," Georgia Tech running back Anthony Allen said. "We had to come out in the second half and take it home. We had to play smash-mouth football, and that's what we did."

Allen (103 rushing yards and a touchdown) said the Cavaliers' defensive players were "dog tired" on the drive.

Before that, Virginia had its opportunities to remain competitive.

Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt (82 rushing yards, two touchdowns) fumbled at the Yellow Jackets' 25-yard line, and the ball was recovered by Virginia senior linebacker Aaron Clark.

On the next play, Cavaliers quarterback Jameel Sewell (168 passing yards) connected with wide receiver Vic Hall on a 23-yard pass play.

But the Cavaliers failed to score a touchdown on three plays from the Georgia Tech 2-yard line. They were forced to settle for a field goal and a 6-3 lead nine seconds into the second quarter.

"When we got in scoring territory, we hurt ourselves," Virginia senior running back Mikell Simpson said. "And if you look at red-zone performance versus them, they scored touchdowns when they got down there and we settled for three points. That was kind of the biggest difference."

That hurt the Cavaliers again early in the fourth quarter when they were trailing 20-6. They capped an 11-play, 56-yard drive with Robert Randolph's third field goal of the game to pull within 20-9.

"We knew in this game, getting three points every time down there was not going to add up," Simpson said. "Eventually their offense was going to score. When we get down there and score three after three, it gets confusing."

Prior to the field goal, sophomore wide receiver Kris Burd thought he had hauled in a 6-yard touchdown pass, but it was ruled incomplete and the ruling was confirmed on replay.

"[Officials] saw something I didn't see," Burd said. "I felt like I had it."

Burd went on to drop an apparent touchdown pass on third-and-goal from the 13-yard line two plays later.

"The [defender] just jarred it loose," Burd said. "It was a tough one to swallow."

What happened next was even tougher to swallow for Groh.

The Cavaliers thought they had stopped Georgia Tech on its ensuing possession. However, an unidentified player was called for a personal foul penalty after Virginia held Georgia Tech fullback Jonathan Dwyer (126 rushing yards) to no gain on a third-and-9 play from the Yellow Jackets' 37-yard line. Groh was peeved about the call.

"Looking forward to reviewing that," Groh said. "I'd say you've got to have a real conscience to make that call. I don't have an explanation as to what it was."

The Yellow Jackets went on to add touchdown runs by Allen and Nesbitt to seal the win.

The Cavaliers host Duke next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Notes

Virginia senior defensive end Nate Collins started at nose tackle for the first time this season. Collins finished with a career-high 16 tackles. Sophomore John-Kevin Dolce started in Collins' vacated defensive end spot.

Cavaliers senior linebacker Aaron Clark left the game with an apparent leg injury in the fourth quarter. He didn't return.

Virginia sophomore defensive end Matt Conrath (ankle) didn't play. He was replaced by sophomore Zane Parr (12 tackles).

Coastal lead slides away
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 25, 2009
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The rainbow that popped up over Scott Stadium in the second half on Saturday was short-lived and ill-timed.

Thanks to Georgia Tech’s time-consuming offensive prowess, however, the product of Mother Nature was the lone bright spot on a rain-soaked afternoon for Virginia.

The Cavaliers were stifled on offense, stuck on the field over 70 percent of the game on defense and manhandled 34-9 by the Yellow Jackets as 43,016 fans attempted to weather the storm.

With the loss, Virginia (3-4, 2-1 ACC) lost its perch atop the league’s Coastal Division standings, had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost to Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1) at home for the first time since 1990.

“Very disappointed in the result, obviously,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “We knew we had to enhance the performance we turned in last week because we were playing the best team we’ve played.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t do that today.”

Georgia Tech did, namely in the second half, as it ran for 225 of its game-high 362 rushing yards and converted 6 of 9 third-down opportunities.

The Yellow Jackets set the second half tone on its opening drive, using an 18-play, 82-yard possession to reach the end zone on a 1-yard plunge by A-back Anthony Allen.

In staggering fashion, the drive that pushed Georgia Tech’s lead to 20-6 lasted 10:47 and nearly killed the entire third quarter.

“It really didn’t [feel that long],” Virginia linebacker Denzel Burrell said. “Actually, I remember talking to [safety] Brandon Woods, in specific, once we got off the drive and I think I looked at the clock and it said three or two minutes on the game clock in the third and I said, ‘Wow, that drive was that long?’

“It was definitely moving fast and I didn’t think it was that long.”

The Cavaliers attempted to answer the score on their first possession of the second half and had the ball at the Georgia Tech 6 after a defensive pass interference penalty was called on free safety Dominique Reese.

On the following play Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell connected on what appeared to be a touchdown pass to the back of the end zone to wideout Kris Burd.

The play was quickly ruled incomplete, a ruling that was confirmed by instant replay.

“Had they not stopped it, I would have challenged it,” Groh said.

After Sewell was sacked and threw another incompletion in Burd’s direction, the Cavaliers were forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal from Robert Randolph with 14:51 left in the game.

It marked the third time that Virginia had reached the red zone and kept out of the end zone.

“It was a performance issue,” Groh said. “We had two instances where we just didn’t finish off the play. Had the plays been executed more cleanly, then there are two red-zone conversions.

“We have to do a better job of converting.”

Sewell added: “I definitely feel like if we punched it in it could have took some of the air out of their defense. They were feeding off their offense, just like how we play. We feed off our defense.”

Trailing 20-9 and needing to hold on defense, Virginia appeared to accomplish the feat on third-and-7 play at the Georgia Tech 37, but a confusing personal foul was called on a Virginia player just feet from the Yellow Jackets’ sidelines seconds after the play was over.

Given that referee Ron Cherry’s microphone was not working due to water damage, it turned into a phantom penalty.

“I am looking forward to reviewing that,” Groh said. “I’d say you gotta have a real conscience to make that call. We’ll look forward to taking a look at that particular one.

“I don’t have an explanation as to what it was.”

Players on the field were just as baffled by the call that came with 12:59 left.

“From the looks of everybody on our sidelines kinda seemed like it was definitely questionable,” Burrell said. “I don’t even know what the call was, helmet-to-helmet or whatever.”

Another player thought it was a taunting call on Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling, but no one spoke with certainty.

Regardless, it was costly — Georgia Tech scored seven plays later as Allen took an option pitch from quarterback Josh Nesbitt, sliced two defenders and sprinted 20 yards into the end zone, padding the cushion to 27-9.

The Yellow Jackets finished the game’s scoring a drive later, using a 10-play, 71-yard drive to punish a defense that was on the field for 79 plays and 42:43.

“That’s been the story of every team that’s played them,” Groh said. “Last week, [Virginia Tech] had the ball for just 22 minutes. It’s those three players — [Demaryius] Thomas, [Jonathan] Dwyer and Nesbitt — who have done a remarkable job of making that the case.”

In the first half, Georgia Tech opened the scoring with a 24-yard field goal from Scott Blair, but lost its lead on back-to-back field goals from Randolph. The latter of the kicks came from 49 yards out, Randolph’s career long, and bounced off the support beam that connects to the crossbar.

After being slowed early, Georgia Tech picked up steam in the second quarter and scored the session’s final 10 points on a 1-yard run from Nesbitt with 9:34 left and a 23-yard field goal from Blair as time expired.

“We didn’t play very well in the first half and you have to give Virginia some credit,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. “They showed up and played hard. I thought we played much better in the second half. We controlled the game on offense, and once we got in the red zone on defense, not to give up a touchdown was big.

“As long as you do that, you’re going to win a lot of football games.”

Despite the horrid weather, Virginia elected to abandon its running game in the second half and finished the contest with just 30 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Mikell Simpson, who made his return after missing the Maryland game, and Rashawn Jackson combined for just seven carries.

“I thought we were going to run the ball a little more, but that’s just the decision that was made,” said Sewell, who threw for 168 yards on 18-of-32 passing. “Whatever is called we have to make the best out of it and do it. We don’t have a problem with whatever it is.

“We just need to execute better on everything. Execution was a factor in the game and not putting the ball where it needed to be. In these conditions it is tough to catch the ball when it is behind or too high. It has to be perfect.”

Georgia Tech finished the contest with 362 yards rushing, 125 of which came from Dwyer on 25 attempts. Allen finished with 103 yards and two scores and Nesbitt added 82.

Virginia returns to action Saturday as it hosts Duke (4-3, 2-1) at 3:30 p.m. Georgia Tech travels to Vanderbilt on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
 

October magic can’t lift UVa
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 25, 2009
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Virginia’s October magic and its short-lived lead atop the ACC’s Coastal Division vanished in rain-soaked Scott Stadium on Saturday as Georgia Tech’s triple-option monster cut the Cavaliers to ribbons.

True to form, host UVa’s best chance to pull off an upset over the nation’s 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets — and continue their home mastery over an opponent that had not tasted victory in Charlottesville since 1990 — was to win with defense.

Virginia’s touted defense could only withstand the pressure placed upon it by Georgia Tech’s vaunted running attack but so long. Getting little assistance from a sporadic offense that still lacks consistent big-play potential, the Cavaliers unraveled in the second half and watched their three-game win streak halted in a 34-9 defeat.

Ground geniuses

Georgia Tech lived up to its billing as one of the nation’s most dominant offenses, piling up 447 yards, the most against Virginia since Miami posted 448 last season. Coach Paul Johnson’s option attack rushed for 362 yards, the most against UVa since UConn’s 382 last year.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers broke the cardinal rule when facing an option offense. They didn’t keep the ball away from the Yellow Jackets, whose ball control tactics consumed 42 minutes, 43 seconds of the clock.

That’s a major no-no.

Virginia’s offense, which has had its struggles most of the season, was surprisingly ineffective against a questionable Ramblin’ Wreck defense that was ranked No. 78 nationally.

The Cavaliers owned the football a meager 17 minutes, 17 seconds. They rushed the ball a mere 12 times (for 30 yards), the fewest rushes by a UVa team in six years.

The offense offends

Still, UVa’s offensive effort on this day was less than impressive. The Cavs converted only 2 of 11 third down situations and even when they made it to the red zone three times, they bogged down and settled for two field goals. The third boot came from 49 yards out — well maybe 48 1/2, because Robert Randolph’s kick hit the crossbar and skipped through.

Mostly passing their way to Tech’s 2-, 18-, and 13-yard lines, the Cavs couldn’t find their way to the end zone for the first time in a game this season.

“We weren’t able to run the ball very well today because they weren’t respecting our passing game,” said UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell, who was 18 of 32 for 168 yards. “I have to do a better job making good throws, completing passes and not holding onto the ball too long.”

Unfortunately, that has been the senior quarterback’s M.O. It’s no secret that while he ranks sixth on the school’s career passing list and should crack the top five against Duke next week, the southpaw has struggled in reading pass coverage, and that isn’t likely to change.

With rare exception — notably in the Matt Schaub era — when Virginia has failed to run the ball, it has come up empty.

Tailback Mikell Simpson, back from an injury suffered in the third quarter against Indiana two weeks ago, seemed to run tentatively against the Jackets. He rushed six times for a paltry four yards.

That ain’t going to get it done against the No. 11 team in the nation.

Nor will Virginia’s inability to get Georgia Tech’s offense off the field. But then again, only one team (Miami) has been able to shut down the Yellow Jackets’ three-pronged attack this season.

Coming into Saturday’s game, Virginia boasted the 10th-best defense in the country in third-down situations. The Cavaliers were allowing opponents to convert only 29.3 percent of those.

Not against Tech.

There was nothing to beat their chests about. Georgia Tech was good on a whopping 8 of 17 third downs and 1 of 2 fourth downs.

It was only a matter of time before UVa defense caved to the pressure and that came on a textbook triple option drive by Georgia Tech to open the second half. Holding a slim 13-6 lead over the stubborn Cavaliers, the Jackets executed their offense just like Johnson drew it up on their first drive of the third quarter.

Tech ran 18 plays, covering 82 yards, chewing up 10 minutes and 47 seconds. Only one was a pass play. The Jackets converted four, third-down situations and one, fourth-down into first downs to keep the drive alive, resulting in a back-breaking 20-6 lead.

Virginia’s last gasp came with 12:59 remaining in the game, trailing 20-9.

With Tech tailback Jonathan Dwyer stopped cold on a third-and-seven at the Jackets’ own 37, Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling was called for a personal foul without explanation, a call that Groh questioned.

Georgia Tech had its first down and scored seven plays later to ice it at 27-9.

“The game was a case of third downs,” Groh said afterward. “Clearly we did not make enough third downs today to do what’s necessary to stay out on the field. We allowed them too many conversions after we had experienced good plays on first and second downs. That was really a key thing.”

The Yellow Jackets bolted into the Coastal Division lead with a 5-1 ACC record with only Wake Forest and Duke remaining on the conference schedule.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers dropped to 2-1 in league play and 3-4 overall with Duke coming to town next weekend, perhaps just in time for Virginia to rediscover its October magic.

Georgia Tech gets 1st victory at Scott since 1990
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 25, 2009
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Midway through the third quarter, it was third-and-8 for Georgia Tech at the Virginia 24-yard line. The game was still hanging in the balance. UVa trailed by just a touchdown.

That’s when Yellow Jackets running back Jonathan Dwyer, in essence, said, “Enough is enough.”

The 6-foot, 235-pounder burst into the open field and introduced himself to Virginia cornerback Chris Cook.

“A lot of guys on the team were challenging me to go full speed and go all-out for the whole game and take every opportunity,” Dwyer said. “[Cook] was there and I was just trying to make a play to get the team fired up.”

Dwyer steamrolled Cook, scampering all the way down to the 4-yard line in the process. The 20-yard gain set up a Josh Nesbitt touchdown run three plays later that paved the way for a 34-9 Georgia Tech victory — one that snapped an eight-game losing streak to Virginia at Scott Stadium. (The Yellow Jackets’ last win in Charlottesville had been in 1990.)

“I didn’t break [the streak],” said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson afterward. “The players broke it. It wasn’t me.”

Johnson, though, did admit to using the streak to his team’s advantage.

“I talked to them about it because if it will motivate two or three of them, then I wanted them to know,” said Johnson, whose team snapped a similiar streak to Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., earlier this season. “We talked about how Georgia Tech had not won in Tallahassee and how we hadn’t won here since 1990, and that they could be the team that broke that. I don’t know how many of them cared. Most of them were, what, 2 or 3 years old in ’90? They could probably care less.”

But the smile on Georgia Tech running back Anthony Allen’s face said otherwise.

“We’ve had a lot of firsts this year,” Allen said, “and this had to be one of the biggest ones.”

When asked what the secret to his team’s success has been this season, Johnson — whose team plays at Vanderbilt next Saturday — said that everyone is “believing in themselves.”

“They’ve worked hard, and when they come to play, I think they feel like they’re going to win the game,” Johnson said. “Everyone keeps doubting them and then every time they doubt them, they come back and try and answer the call.”

Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1) didn’t get off to the start it had hoped to against Virginia. The Yellow Jackets trailed 6-3 early in the second quarter. But Johnson said his players never lost focus.

“You don’t panic,” he said, “and the defense held them to field goals, so you’re not losing anything.”

As the game wore on, Georgia Tech’s unique running attack imposed its will on Virginia, outrushing the Cavaliers by a staggering 332 yards. That was the plan all along, according to Allen.

“We knew we had to take it to them,” he said. “We knew what we had to do — play smash-mouth football, and that’s what we did.”

No doubt about that. Just ask Chris Cook.
 

Back at tackle, Collins shines
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 25, 2009
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Virginia coach Al Groh, who doubles as the team’s defensive coordinator, remembered the solid game that Nate Collins had as a nose tackle against Georgia Tech last year in Atlanta and decided, “Why not?”

Collins, who has started at defensive end all season long and captured ACC defensive lineman of the week honors at that position for his game-changing performance in the win over Maryland, was switched to nose tackle for Saturday’s Georgia Tech game.

“It’s something we did last year against Georgia Tech and Coach Groh thought it would give us some favorable looks,” Collins said. “The point is to get me matched up with their center. It was successful at points, but not enough to get the win.”

The strategy paid dividends in terms of production even though Virginia dropped a 34-9 decision to the visiting Yellow Jackets. Collins’ performance could result in a second consecutive conference recognition, but the only thing that mattered to the 290-pound defender after the game was that the Cavaliers lost a big game.

Asked why he made the switch, Groh referred back to last year’s game, which also garnered Collins the defensive player of the week honors.

“It made good sense to put him back where he played last year in this game and clearly he confirmed that in his performance,” Groh said. “It looked like he made about 100 tackles today. Frankly, I would have been questioning myself if the game was over and we hadn’t played him at nose tackle. We put him there to take advantage of what he did last year and he probably made more plays today than he did last year.”

In fact, Collins made a career-high 16 tackles against the Yellow Jackets, including 10 solo stops and two tackles for loss. That’s more than double his count against Georgia Tech last season when he made six tackles — all solos — which represented his career-high until he made nine stops in last Saturday’s win over Maryland.

Still, informed of his feat, Collins remained the only person unimpressed.

“That’s good,” the big lineman said without any enthusiasm. “We lost, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Collins, who broke open last week’s game at Maryland with a 32-yard interception return from his defensive end position and scored his first collegiate touchdown, said he was comfortable in going back to his old position.

While Virginia’s defense, ranked among the top 25 defenses in the country, contained Georgia Tech’s triple option attack for most of the first half, the Yellow Jackets rode roughshod over the Cavaliers in the second.

“You’ve got to stay in your gap,” Collins said of playing against Tech’s running game. “They’re a great group of guys. They’ve got hard runners and a quarterback who is one of the toughest guys we’ve played against this year, other than our quarterback. They run that offense well and that’s why they’re in the position they are right now.”
 

UVA NOTES: Randolph flaunts his field-goal range
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 24, 2009
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When Virginia kicker Robert Randolph made a career-long 49-yard field goal through heavy rain late in the first quarter to tie No. 11 Georgia Tech — the ball took a carom off the top of the crossbar — Scott Stadium erupted.

Ditto for the entire Virginia sideline, which was jumping up and down as Randolph triumphantly trotted off the field.

“I felt great,” Randolph said. “At the time of the game, it was a big kick that tied things up. Our team was excited and I was excited.

“It really helped our team get going I think.”

Randolph said he wasn’t surprised that he got the call to make the kick, even though the rain was coming down hard and he had never attempted a kick that long.

“On third down, Coach Prince asked Coach Groh if we should be ready, and he said, ‘Be ready,’” Randolph said, “so I was ready.”

Randolph’s kick was the longest by a Virginia player since Chris Gould’s 51-yarder against N.C. State in 2007.

A short time later, Randolph gave UVa a 6-3 lead with a 19-yard field goal. However, late in the first half he missed badly on a 35-yard attempt. Randolph, who had been a perfect 11 for 11 on the season, said the snap was off, then mishandled.

“I had my target messed up a little and just didn’t get a full foot on the ball,” he said. “I had to stop and hesitate and just try and kick it.”

Power of Orange

Former Virginia standout Ray Roberts was honored by the school at halftime. The former NFL Pro Bowl offensive lineman, who was given a framed copy of his old No. 72 jersey, also helped raise the Power of Orange flag just before kickoff.

Mudsliders

Some of the louder cheers during the second half from the home crowd came as a group of students slid down the grass hill in the end zone.

“I was wondering what the cheers were during the timeout,” said Virginia linebacker Denzel Burrell. “It was kind of interesting, but it kind of felt like we were sliding around in the mud ourselves.”

Stingy at the outsets

The field goal by Georgia Tech in the first quarter were the first opening-quarter points that Virginia has allowed an opponent since the season opener versus William & Mary, a streak of five games. UVa has outscored its opponents 40-10 in the first quarter this season.

Extra points

Ends John-Kevin Dolce and Zane Parr each made their first career starts on defense. ... Erstwhile defensive end Nate Collins made his first start of the season at nose tackle. ... Outside linebacker Aaron Clark sustained a left knee sprain in the second half. … Randolph’s failed 35-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter was the first time UVa has failed to score in the red zone all season. ... Al Groh coached his 173rd career game at an ACC school (Wake Forest, Virginia). That moved him from a fifth-place tie all-time with former Clemson coach Frank Howard into a fourth-place tie all-time with former N.C. State coach Earle Edwards. ... Georgia Tech has outscored opponents 79-31 in the first quarter this season, but was tied at 3 after one quarter on Saturday.
 

Big weekend for UVa soccer squads
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 25, 2009
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It’s been a long time since the Virginia men’s and women’s soccer teams both had regular-season games in late October that meant so much. This afternoon, both squads will be playing matches with huge ACC tournament ramifications.

The 12th-ranked men will be hosting Boston College, while the women visit Wake Forest.

The men’s team (9-3-1, 2-3 ACC), which has won two straight, will be looking to separate itself from a logjam. They currently sit in a three-way tie for sixth place in the league, one game back of BC.

“It’s a must-win game,” said Virginia forward Will Bates, “because it’s an ACC match and our ACC record isn’t too great right now.

“We’ll just have to do like we do every other game — come out to win.”

Bates has come up big of late, scoring three goals in his last two games. Teammate Tony Tchani has also shown signs of breaking out of his sophomore slump. The Cameroonian, who had been benched in a recent game versus Liberty, scored his first goal in nearly a month in the win over Howard on Tuesday night.

But BC (9-6, 3-2) should be a stiffer challenge. The Eagles are riding a four-game winning streak, including a victory over then-No. 2 North Carolina.

“They’re a good team,” said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch. “They just beat Carolina at Carolina. I feel like one through seven in our conference could win the conference.

“I think it’s going to be who gets better as the season goes on. That’s what I told our guys. You have to get results along the way, but you have to get better, too. BC is a good side and it will be a good game.’

The same should hold true when the Wahoo women play at No. 5 Wake Forest. The Cavaliers (7-5-3, 2-4-1) — thanks to a Jess Rostedt goal — picked up a must-win at Duke on Thursday and will be looking to keep the momentum going.

A victim of some truly bad bounces this season, the women’s squad is in danger of missing the ACC tournament for the first time under coach Steve Swanson. They currently sit in an eighth-place tie with Miami, just a half-game ahead of N.C. State. Only the top eight squads make the tournament.
 

Cavaliers Deny Eagles Comeback Victory, Win in Five Sets
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

CHESNUT HILL, Mass. – The Virginia volleyball team followed up its first away win of the season last night against Maryland with a thrilling 3-2 (27-25, 25-20, 27-29, 25-27, 15-7) victory over Boston College Saturday evening in Power Gymnasium. Despite winning the first two sets and then dropping the next two, the Cavaliers rallied for a dominating fifth game win, to deny the Eagles a come-from-behind victory.

The Cavaliers won the close battle with defense, collecting a season-best 99 digs as a team, while the attack landed 77 kills compared to Boston College’s 62.

Sophomore Simone Asque followed up a career-night on Friday of 21 kills by knocking down a personal-best 27 tonight. She added a season-best 16 digs to register her eighth career double-double. Freshman Rachel Gray also tallied a double-double for the Cavaliers, her third for the year, dishing out a personal-best 67 assists and collecting a career-high 15 digs.

Junior Kendahl Voelker knocked down a career-best 19 kills to help the attack, while junior AJ Cushman led the backline with 24 digs and three service aces. Classmates Brittani Rendina and Tara Hester helped anchor the defense, collecting 18 and 14 digs, respectively.

For Boston College (11-11, 1-10 ACC), Melanie Cimino led the way with 21 kills, while Brennan Clark had a match-high 25 digs. Krystle Higgins had nine blocks.

The finale of the opening set was a neck-in-neck battle. Beginning with an even 20-20 score, the squads traded points to keep the score knotted, before Voelker lifted the Cavaliers to a 27-25 victory by knocking down back-to-back kills to close out the frame.

The beginning of the second stanza picked up where the first left off, with the two squads combining for eight tie scores. Following a Cavalier timeout with Virginia down three, 15-18, the Cavaliers worked to even the score at 20 and closed out the frame on a 7-0 run for a 25-20 win.

In another epic battle, Virginia strung together a 4-0 run midway through the third frame to tie the score at 17 all. The squads proceeded to trade serves and the game remained tied at every point up until Boston College escaped with a 29-27 victory, following a kill and then an attack error on UVa.

Virginia fell behind early in the fourth frame, with Boston College pulling ahead by as many as five, at 13-8. But the Cavaliers held on until they were able to capitalize on a 5-0 run that was capped by a block from sophomores Hillary Trebels and Tess Udall to tie the score at 19 all. Again, neither team could find the momentum to string together a run that would enable an easy victory. For the third time in four sets, the frame required extra points, but it was the Eagles who managed to escape with the 27-25 victory this time.
The Cavaliers started off on fire in the fifth set, jumping out to a 6-1 advantage, and never looked back, en route to a 15-7 match win.

Virginia (9-13, 4-7 ACC) will return home next weekend to host No. 17 Florida State and Miami. The Cavaliers will face the Seminoles on Friday at 7 p.m., before taking on the Hurricanes at noon on Sunday.
 

UVa Men’s Golfers in Third Place After 36 Holes in Greensboro
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

Greensboro, NC - The 26th-ranked Virginia men's golf team is in third place after two rounds of play Saturday at the UNCG Bridgestone Golf Collegiate taking place at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro. The Cavaliers posted rounds of 1-over 289 and 8-under 280 to finish the first day at 7-under 569. Michigan stands first overall at 16-under 560 followed by Georgia Tech at 564.
Amory Davis led the Cavaliers by shooting 70 and 68 to stand sixth overall at 6-under 138. Ben Kohles is in 18th place at 2-under 142. He carded rounds of 73 and 69. Bruce Woodall is 23rd after shooting 71 and 72. Will Collins is 40th after shooting 75 and 71 and Kyle Stough is 54th with rounds of 75 and 74.
North Carolina's Jack Fields and Michigan's Jack Schultz share the lead after 36 holes at 9-under 135.
The final round is slated for Sunday morning. Live scoring is online at Golfstat.com.

UNCG Bridgestone Golf Collegiate
Par-72, 7,217 yards
Forest Oaks Country Club
Greensboro, NC

Second Round Results
1. Michigan 283-277-560
2. Georgia Tech 283-281-564
3. Virginia 289-280-569
4. Augusta State 287-283-570
4. Tennessee 288-282-570
4. Michigan State 286-284-570
7. Duke 290-283-573
8. Purdue 289-287-576
9. North Carolina 293-284-577
10. VCU 288-291-579
11. UNC Greensboro 284-296-580
12. Virginia Tech 291-291-582
12. Toledo 291-291-582
14. Minnesota 293-291-584
15. Notre Dame 302-289-591

Individual Leaders
1. Jack Fields, North Carolina 72-63-135
1. Jack Schultz, Michigan 66-69-135
3. John Tyler Griffin, Georgia Tech 68-68-136
3. Jack Newman, Michigan State 67-69-136
5. Ben Pisani, Minnesota 68-69-137
6. Mitchell Krywulycz, Augusta State 69-69-138
6. Amory Davis, Virginia 70-68-138
8. Lion Kim, Michigan 70-69-139
8. Kyle Scott, Georgia Tech 71-68-139

Virginia Results
6. Amory Davis 70-68-138
18. Ben Kohles 73-69-142
23. Bruce Woodall 71-72-143
40. Will Collins 75-71-146
54. Kyle Stough 75-74-149

Women’s Tennis Continue Run at ITA Regional
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia women’s tennis team continued play Saturday at the ITA Atlantic Regional on the campus of Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers had three singles players and two doubles teams advance to the quarterfinals.

In singles, a trio of Cavaliers won both their matches Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals. No. 2 seed Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) topped Yasmin Hamza of Virginia Tech 6-2, 7-6 in the round of 32 before downing Ana Bara of VCU 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16. No. 4 seed Jennifer Stevens (Miami, Fla.) scored a pair of straight set wins, over Irina Dementyeva of Old Dominion, 6-2, 6-1 and Kristina Koprcina of Marshall, 6-4, 6-0. No. 6 seed Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) won a pair of three set matches, over Dominika Zaprazna of Marshall and Alex Bara of VCU. Two other Cavaliers, Emily Fraser (Rye, N.Y.) and Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton, Fla.) won their first match of the day, but later fell in the round of 16. Neela Vaez (Perrysburg, Ohio) suffered a loss in the round of 32.

In doubles, both Cavalier teams in the round of 16 advanced to the quarterfinals. Top-seeded Stevens and Tomljanovic scored an 8-4 win over the Richmond duo of Clark and Cunningham. Third-seeded Hardenbergh and Vierra won 8-1 over West Virginia’s Burton and Lafortune.

The tournament continues Sunday with the round of quarterfinals and semifinals of singles and the quarterfinals of doubles.
 

Men’s Tennis Dominates ITA Atlantic Regional
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Virginia men’s tennis team continued its dominating performance Saturday at the ITA Atlantic Regional. The Cavaliers have all four singles semifinalists and three of the four doubles semifinalists at the tournament.

In singles, the Cavaliers produced all four semifinalists after having six of the eight quarterfinalists. Top-seeded Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Eddie Bouchier of Penn State before rallying for a 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over teammate Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) in the quarterfinals. He will meet Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) in the semifinals. Singer, the No. 5 seed, topped Igor Ogrizek of Radford 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 and Thibaut Charron of VCU 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday.

No. 4 seed Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) advanced with a pair of straight set wins, defeating Jamie Whiteford of William & Mary 6-0, 6-2 and Corrado Tocci of Virginia Tech 7-6, 6-3. Barrick will play Jarmere Jenkins (College Park, Ga.) in the other semifinal. Jenkins, seeded No. 16, topped Luka Somen of Virginia Tech 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 before upsetting second-seeded teammate Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

In doubles, all four of the top seeds advanced to the semifinals, including the Virginia teams that are the top three seeds. Top-seeded Barrick and Singh topped Bouchier and Jason Lee of Penn State 8-4. They will play No. 4 seed Keziel Juneau and Sebastian Vidal of William & Mary in the semifinals. Second-seeded Shabaz and Jenkins topped Ryan Gormley and Warren Hardie of Penn State 8-3 and will play third-seeded Courtney and Singer in the other semifinal. Singer anc Courtney won 8-3 over Benjamin Chomette and Tobias Fanselow of Old Dominion.

The tournament concludes Sunday with the semifinals and finals of both singles and doubles.
 

Cavaliers Remain in Seventh Place at Fall Preview
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

Wilmington, NC - The No. 18 Virginia women's golf team improved its score by four strokes between the first and second rounds of play at The Fall Preview/Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C., but remains in seventh place entering Sunday's final round. The Cavaliers shot 8-over 296 Saturday for a two-day total of 20-over 596. UCLA jumped to the top of the 18-team field at 7-over 583. Wake Forest is in second place at 591.
The 18-team tournament features 16 teams currently ranked in the top-30 of the Golfstat rankings.
UVa freshman Brittany Altomare moved into the top-10 thanks to her second-round score of 1-under 71. She stands tied for ninth at 1-over 145. Calle Nielson is in 16th place at 147, including a 75 during the second round. Nicole Agnello is now 33rd following her 74 during the second 18 holes of play. Her two-day total is 5-over 149. Lauren Greenlief is in 62nd place at 157 and Whitney Neuhauser is 82nd at 164.
Wake Forest's Cheyenne Woods took over first place on the leaderboard after firing 3-under 69 Saturday. She leads the field at 5-under 139, one shot ahead of Auburn's Cydney Clanton.
The final round of the tournament is slated for Sunday. Live scoring is online at Golfstat.com.

Fall Preview/Landfall Tradition
Country Club of Landfall
Wilmington, N.C.
Par-72, 6,325 yards
Second Round Results

Team Results
1. UCLA 293-290-583
2. Wake Forest 304-287-591
3. Arizona State 293-299-592
4. Duke 296-297-593
4. Purdue 302-291-593
6. Auburn 299-295-594
7. Virginia 300-296-596
8. USC 288-309-597
9. Denver 301-297-598
10. LSU 307-298-605
11. Pepperdine 303-303-606
11. Michigan State 301-305-606
11. Georgia 305-301-606
11. Oklahoma State 305-301-606
15. Alabama 298-310-608
16. North Carolina 308-303-611
17. New Mexico 303-312-615
18. UNC Wilmington 317-303-620

Individual Leader
1. Cheyenne Woods, Wake Forest 70-69-139
2. Cydney Clanton, Auburn 70-70-140
3. Carlota Ciganda, Arizona State 68-74-142
4. Candace Schepperle, Auburn 75-68-143
5. Numa Gulyanamitta, Purdue 72-72-144
5. Jennifer Johnson, Arizona State 73-71-144
5. Stephanie Kono, UCLA 73-71-144
5. Stephanie Sherlock, Denver 73-71-144
9. Brittany Altomare, Virginia 74-71-145
9. Sofia Hagsund, UNC Wilmington 73-72-145

Virginia Results
9. Brittany Altomare 74-71-145
16. Calle Nielson 72-75-147
33. Nicole Agnello 75-74-149
62. Lauren Greenlief 81-76-157
82. Whitney Neuhauser 79-85-164

No. 3 Virginia Defeats No. 6 Wake Forest 2-0
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/24/2009

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (15-2, 2-2 ACC) defeated No. 6 Wake Forest (10-5, 1-3 ACC) 2-0 Saturday in Winston-Salem, Va. Sophomores Paige Selenski and Michelle Vittese each scored in the winning effort.
"We had a total team effort and I was really proud of the game the team brought to the field," Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. "Our defense was strong again today with the shut out of a great team like Wake Forest."
The Cavaliers outshot Wake Forest 7-6 for the game and had a 7-2 advantage on penalty corners.
Both Virginia scores came in the second half.
Selenski scored to put UVa up 1-0 in the 52nd minute, converting on a penalty corner. Charlotte van den Broek pushed the ball out to Selenski, who put it past Wake Forest keeper Kaitlyn Ruhf.
Virginia's second goal came 10 minutes later, in the 62nd minute, when Vittese scored on a breakaway to make it 2-0.
"We built up the attack well and used different varieties of attack team," Madison said. "We followed the game plan. In the first half we weren't getting goals but stuck with it. We said at halftime to challenge the goalie and shoot the ball."
Junior Kim Kastuk finished with four saves in the cage, while Ruhf also had four stops for the Demon Deacons.
Virginia will host Radford at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the final non-conference game of the season. Admission to the Turf Field is free.