Fatal fumble
Peerman's drop was final touch to Cavs' slow self-destruction
Sunday, Nov 02, 2008 - 12:07 AM

NEXT GAME

Saturday:U.Va. at Wake Forest, noon or 3 p.m.
 
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The game officially ended when, on the 339th carry of his college career, University of Virginia senior tailback Cedric Peerman lost a fumble for the first time.

The Miami Hurricanes recovered the football to seal their 24-17 overtime victory, and the U.Va. fans in the homecoming crowd of 53,308 at Scott Stadium fell silent.

In reality, though, the Cavaliers lost this ACC game in regulation. Virginia went ahead 17-10 with 5:04 left in the second quarter and had multiple opportunities to extend its lead and assure itself at least another week as the Coastal Division leader.

That the Cavaliers failed to do so left them stunned. They expect to win this type of game. Virginia rallied to beat then-No. 22 North Carolina in overtime Oct. 18, in fact, but two late touchdown passes by Hurricanes true freshman Jacory Harris were too much to overcome yesterday.

"We've been on the other end of that deal before," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "Now we're on the other side. It's heartbreaking to our team. I've seldom been in a locker room with the raw emotions of this one."

The Wahoos (3-2, 5-4) managed to parlay three Miami turnovers into a mere three points, one reason their four-game winning streak ended. But Virginia had other problems.

Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica, scrambling for a first down, fumbled the ball away at the Miami 32 with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter, costing the Wahoos a chance to win on a field goal. That said, Yannick Reyering would have been anything but a lock to make such a kick.

The former all-ACC soccer player was 1 for 3 on field goals against Miami (3-2, 6-3). He made a 23-yarder on the game's first series but missed from 38 in the third quarter and from 47 early in the fourth quarter.

It looked as if Reyering might get to attempt about a 44-yarder near the midpoint of the fourth quarter, with the score 17-10. On third and 2 from the Hurricanes' 27, however, Verica was sacked for a 12-yard loss.

In that situation, Verica knows, he cannot allow himself to get sacked, and Groh said he expects that play "to leave an indelible mark on Marc. It'll be a tough lesson to learn, but I'm sure that we've learned our lesson here now."

Given a reprieve, the 'Canes took over, after a Jimmy Howell punt, at their 5 with 8:01 left in the fourth. Two plays later, Miami faced third and 13 from its 2. To that point, the Hurricanes were 1 for 11 on third-down conversations, but Harris hooked up with wideout Sam Shields for a 13-yard completion, and the drive continued.

It ended on a play that the Cavaliers will long rue. Outside linebacker Clint Sintim, trying to record a sack for the sixth straight game, pressured Harris, who hurriedly lofted the ball toward the end zone.

Disaster ensued for U.Va. Senior safety Byron Glaspy fell down in the end zone, interfering with wide receiver Laron Byrd in the process. Somehow the Miami freshman stayed on his feet, and even additional interference -- this time by junior cornerback Vic Hall -- couldn't keep Byrd from making the touchdown catch with 55 seconds to play.

The Cavaliers' first turnover -- on Verica's fumble -- came on the next possession, and when Miami's Matt Bosher missed a 51-yard attempt with 4 seconds left, the teams went to overtime.

The Hurricanes got the ball first. Three carries moved them to the U.Va. 9, and on third and 5 Harris passed to freshman wideout Aldarius Johnson, who beat Hall and hauled in the TD in the left front corner of the end zone.

Needing a touchdown to force a second OT, the Cavaliers turned to Peerman, the player from whom they draw their inspiration. Peerman took a handoff from Verica and broke free for an apparent first down. But safety Lovon Ponder jarred the ball loose, and linebacker Romeo Davis pounced on the ball.

"He's had our back for many weeks, and we've got his back tonight," Groh said of Peerman, who was too distraught to talk to reporters.

Sintim echoed his coach.

"He's won more games for us than any other player I've been around, with the exception of maybe Chris [Long]," Sintim said. "It's unfortunate. The ball bounces that way sometimes, and it's just one of those things. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, I'm giving the ball to Cedric, and I'm going to let him make the play."

Peerman finished with 78 yards on 15 carries. Senior tight end John Phillips had a career-high seven receptions, redshirt freshman wideout Jared Green caught his first TD pass and Verica threw for 240 yards without in interception. But this was not a performance of which Virginia's offense will be proud.

"It's a terrible feeling," Verica said. "I'm going to work as hard as I can to not have this feeling again. It's disappointing, but that's what happens when you fail to take control of the game."

 

U.VA. Notes: Shoulder injury may shelve Simpson for year
Sunday, Nov 02, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Shoulder injury may shelve Simpson for year
Virginia lost more than a key ACC game yesterday. The Cavaliers' second-team tailback, Mikell Simpson, hurt his left shoulder on the final play of the third quarter, and the injury appeared serious.

"I would say that that'll be it for him for the year," U.Va. coach Al Groh said after his team's overtime loss to Miami.

Simpson came into the season touted as an all-ACC candidate, but the 6-1, 200-pound junior struggled to regain the form he showed last year after replacing Cedric Peerman as Virginia's featured tailback.

In nine games this season, Simpson has rushed 87 times for 262 yards and three touchdowns. He has 15 catches for 66 yards.

As a sophomore, Simpson rushed 113 times for 570 yards and eight TDs. He caught 43 passes for 402 yards and two more TDs.

Sophomore Raynard Horne, who's been used primarily on special teams this season, is likely to replace Simpson as Peerman's backup.

Ex-Huguenot star Epps makes key play in OT
He didn't catch a pass yesterday, but former Huguenot High star Dedrick Epps made a significant contribution in Miami's overtime win at Scott Stadium yesterday.

Epps, a junior, starts at tight end for the Hurricanes, who got the ball first in overtime. On first down, quarterback Jacory Harris threw a pass intended for Epps in the end zone. The ball was underthrown, and U.Va. safety Byron Glaspy was in position for the interception, but Epps managed to break the play up.

Had Glaspy come up with the ball, Virginia would have needed only a field goal to win its second straight overtime game. Because of Epps, the 'Canes' drive continued, and it ended with Harris' 9-yard touchdown pass to Aldarius Johnson.

Uncharacteristic errors torment QB Verica
Verica won't be happy when he watches the tape of yesterday's game, and he knows it. In his seventh start at quarterback, the redshirt sophomore posted decent statistics -- 27 for 41 passing for 240 yards and one TD, with no interceptions -- but Verica missed on several throws he typically completes.

Moreover, he lost a fumble at Miami's 32 in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Earlier in that period, Verica was sacked for a 12-yard loss on third and 2 from the Miami 27, forcing U.Va. to punt.

The call was "a quick play-action pass where the ball can go into the flat or into a curl. They brought some pressure. I should have got rid of it quicker. I didn't, and so I got sacked and took us out of field-goal range," Verica said.

"To have all those drives, to have that good field position and not come away with any points or anything, it's really frustrating. And we can't do that in the future if we want to win."

Green, Ogletree, Field shine in losing effort
The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green continues to impress in his first season for the Cavaliers.

Jared Green, a redshirt freshman wide receiver, caught three passes for 25 yards yesterday. In the third quarter, Green caught his first touchdown pass, a 2-yarder from quarterback Marc Verica.

Also, senior defensive end Alex Field had a career-high two sacks, and junior Kevin Ogletree became the first U.Va. wideout to run for a touchdown since former Henrico High star Billy McMullen scored from 1 yard out against Clemson in 2002. Ogletree, on a reverse, scored on a 16-yard run in the first quarter.

Injuries force Cavaliers to shuffle several spots
For the second straight game, Virginia played without nose tackle Nick Jenkins, a redshirt freshman who's recovering from an ankle injury. Also out was outside linebacker Cam Johnson, a true freshman who rushes in passing situations. Johnson also has a bad ankle.

Junior Nate Collins again replaced Jenkins and made five tackles, including one for loss. Junior Denzel Burrell, who starts at outside linebacker, filled Johnson's role in the nickel and dime defenses.

Junior Darren Childs made his second straight start at inside linebacker for Virginia, but senior Antonio Appleby replaced him in the first quarter and played the rest of the game. Appleby had missed most of the previous two games -- wins over North Carolina and Georgia Tech -- with an ankle injury.

-- Jeff White

 

Hurricanes' return could bring ill wind for the rest of ACC
Sunday, Nov 02, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By PAUL WOODY
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In the halcyon days of yesteryear, the Miami Hurricanes always were in the national-championship conversation.
They were fast, powerful, talented and played with a swagger few teams could match.

Then, the Hurricanes fell out of the conversation.

They lost games. They lost their tempers. In 2006, they took part in a helmet-swinging brawl during a game against Florida International that embarrassed the team and the university.

Last year, under new coach Randy Shannon, the Hurricanes finished 5-7, their first losing season since 1997 and only their second since 1979.

In their final three games in 2007, they were outscored 120-28.

The once-mighty Hurricanes were little more than a tropical storm. Everyone in the ACC breathed a sigh of relief.

No one will feel any relief now. The Hurricanes are back. That's good news for Miami and very bad news for the rest of the ACC.

Miami beat Virginia here yesterday. They Hurricanes pulled out an improbable, come-from-behind victory, in overtime.

It was not luck. The Hurricanes overcame three turnovers, 12 penalties and consistently terrible field position to win.

To get to overtime, Miami drove 95 yards -- 98 when you consider they were knocked back to their 2 on second down in that drive -- led by freshman quarterback Jacory Harris.

Harris threw the game-tying touchdown pass, a 26-yarder with a defender bearing down on him, to Laron Byrd, another freshman.

Harris threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Aldarius Johnson, another freshman as well as a former high school teammate.

Five players who are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen or sophomores start on the Hurricanes' offense.

Harris splits time at quarterback with Robert Marve, a redshirt freshman. Both were Mr. Florida in football in their senior years in high school.

"They won state championships," Shannon said. "They don't know anything but success. They know how to handle pressure."

Marve ran for a touchdown yesterday. Harris threw two touchdown passes. The Hurricanes don't just have depth. They have roster filled with talented, unflappable, young players.

Harris was in the game at the end, facing down a Virginia team that was on a four-game winning streak and a defense that had contained Miami all afternoon. There were 53,000 fans screaming in support of their Cavaliers.

The first thing Harris did when he stepped into the huddle, 95 yards from the game-tying touchdown, was make sure his teammates knew he was in control.

"They're looking straight in your face to see how you are reacting," he said. "I can't get nervous. If I get nervous and lose my composure, our offensive line, receivers, running backs see that.

"If they look in your eyes and see you're scared, they're going to be scared themselves. If you're nervous, just act like you're not nervous."

With Harris, it's not an act. He has the mental characteristic that successful athletes must have: Failure does not enter his mind.

As big as his touchdown passes were, the pressure was even greater when he came to the line on a third-and-13 from the Miami 2yard line, with time running out in the fourth quarter.

If the Hurricanes had failed and punted, Virginia had a good chance to run out the clock. Harris dropped into the end zone and threw to Sam Shields, who was 13 yards down the field, near the sideline.

"If it was third and 13 in the middle of the field, the end zone wouldn't be a factor," Harris said. "Why should it be a factor then?

"I didn't even know it was third and 13. That's my problem. I don't look at the down markers. I just know that we want to score on every play. If we run 78 plays in a game, we're trying to score on all 78 of them."

Yesterday's outcome was more than a loss for just Virginia. The Hurricanes served notice that they can beat anyone, anywhere in the ACC.

They needed a signature victory to prove that to themselves, and they got it. Their locker room celebration featured singing and cheering of seismic proportions.

The Hurricanes understood what their victory means. Their swagger is returning. Soon, they will be back in that nationalchampionship conversation.

 

Grading the three keys for U.Va.
Sunday, Nov 02, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Grading the three keys for U.Va.
B- Keep the running game going. In U.Va.'s four-game winning streak, senior tailback Cedric Peerman scored six touchdowns. He had 66 yards rushing at halftime yesterday, but added only 12 more the rest of the game and failed to score in Virginia's overtime loss to Miami. U.Va., however, got a 16-yard touchdown run from wideout Kevin Ogletree on a reverse.

C- Limit Miami's big plays. Touted return specialist Travis Benjamin didn't hurt U.Va., but seven Hurricanes had receptions of 10 yards or longer -- led by Thearon Collier's 46-yard catch -- and tailbacks Graig Cooper and Javarris James combined for 186 yards on 33 carries. Miami tied the game in the final minute of the fourth quarter on a 26-yard touchdown pass.

D Avoid turnovers. Virginia played a clean game until the final minute of regulation, when sophomore quarterback Marc Verica lost a fumble at the Miami 32. That prevented U.Va. from attempting a last-second field goal that might have won the game. Overtime ended when Peerman lost the first fumble of his college career.


 

Quick Kicks: Miami vs. Virginia
Sunday, Nov 02, 2008 - 12:07 AM
 
Final score: Miami 24, Virginia 17 (OT) For starters: After opening the game with a three-and-out series, U.Va. got a break when Miami's Travis Benjamin let the punt bounce off his leg. The Cavaliers recovered at the Hurricanes' 31, and later had first and goal from the 9. But quarterback Marc Verica overthrew tight end John Phillips, who had slipped behind a defender in the end zone, on third down, and Virginia had to settle for Yannick Reyering's 23-yard field goal. Turning point: Trailing 17-10 with 7:35 left in the fourth quarter, the'Canes faced third and 13 from their 2-yard line. Miami had failed to convert on its previous nine third-down plays, but quarterback Jacory Harris found wide receiver Sam Shields open near the left sideline for a 13-yard gain. Had the Cavaliers forced a punt there, they probably would have taken over near midfield. At the very least, the Wahoos would have run some time off the clock, and they might have scored. Instead, the Hurricanes' drive continued, and it ended with a touchdown. Star of the game: Jacory Harris. He didn't start for the'Canes -- that distinction went to redshirt freshman Robert Marve -- but the 6-4, 185-pound true freshman completed 12 of 21 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which turned out to be the game-winner. The big picture: With a victory, Virginia would have retained sole possession of first in the ACC's Coastal Division and become bowl-eligible. The Cavaliers also would have owned the tiebreaker against Coastal rivals Miami, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Quotable: "As I've said on other occasions, we've just been trying to find our next win. That'll be our mentality next week: Where are we going to find the next win? We had a chance to find it today, and it was kind of like sand in our hand. We had it, but couldn't wrap our hands around it." -- Virginia coach Al Groh Go figure: 2-5 -- Virginia's all-time record in overtime games. After losing in OT to Duke in 1999, to BYU in 2000, to Clemson in'03 and to Fresno State in'04, U.Va. beat Wyoming in'06 and then North Carolina last month. Next: Virginia (3-2, 5-4) heads to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest. The teams will meet Saturday at noon or 3 p.m. The starting time will be announced by noon today. The Cavaliers haven't played at Wake since 2002, their second season under Groh. Deacons coach Jim Grobe is, like Groh, a U.Va. alumnus. -- Jeff White

 

Stripped away
Hurricanes rally in last minute, then sink Cavaliers in overtime
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As exhilarating as Virginia might have found a 48-point victory over Miami in 2007, an overtime loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday was just as agonizing.

The Cavaliers squandered countless opportunities to deliver a knockout punch and paid a steep price, a 24-17 setback that ended UVa's four-game winning streak.

A Scott Stadium crowd of 53,308 was left to exit in stunned silence after running back Cedric Peerman fumbled on the Cavaliers' first play of overtime, with Miami's Romeo Davis coming up with the recovery.

After tying the game with 55 seconds remaining in regulation, Miami (6-3 overall, 3-2 ACC) had taken the lead on a 9-yard pass from Jacory Harris to Aldarius Johnson on the first series in overtime.

Peerman, a fifth-year senior, had not lost a fumble in his previous 338 career rushing attempts (or 443 touches, counting receptions and returns).

"Cedric has had our backs for many weeks and we have his back tonight," said UVa coach Al Groh, whose Cavaliers (5-4, 3-2) went into overtime for the second straight home game.

Virginia, which defeated North Carolina 16-13 in overtime on Oct. 18, had numerous chances to stifle the Hurricanes before Saturday's game ever reached an overtime period.

When UVa nose tackle Nate Collins stopped Graig Cooper for a 3-yard loss with under 8 minutes remaining, Miami faced a third-and-13 from its 2-yard line.

"We were out there whoopin' and hollering and telling each one other, 'One more stop, one more stop,'" Collins said.

They never got it.

Miami, which had failed to convert nine straight third-down chances and was 1-for-11 on third-down conversions for the game, got exactly 13 yards on a sideline completion to Sam Shields.

The Hurricanes overcame three false-start penalties on a 95-yard drive that culminated in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Laron Byrd.

That pass, which enabled the Hurricanes to tie the score following a Matt Bosher extra-point, came on a third-and-15 play when UVa's Clint Sintim appeared to hit Harris as he released the ball.

The ball was in the air for an eternity, wobbling end over end. Safety Byron Glaspy was in the area but tripped over his feet while attempting to backpedal. A late-arriving Vic Hall drew a flag for interference, but it didn't matter. Byrd cradled the ball before it hit the ground.

Clearly, the Hurricanes had the momentum at that point, but Virginia returned the ensuing kickoff to its 34, then got the ball to the Miami 42 seconds later with a 22-yard reception by Cary Koch.

Plenty of time remained for Virginia to get into field-goal position, especially when quarterback Marc Verica took off on a 10-yard run. The Cavaliers, with three timeouts in their pockets, were looking at a first down with just under 30 seconds left.

No measurement was necessary, however.

Miami linebacker Shawn Spence knocked the ball out of Verica's hands and Hurricane Bruce Johnson recovered.

"Great play by [Spence] and poor security by me," said Verica, who completed 27 of 41 passes for 240 yards, his fifth straight game with 200 yards or more. "We really only needed 15 to 25 more yards [from the 42] to get in a comfortable area for our kicker.

"Had I not fumbled, I think we would have been in that area. Obviously, [it was] a very costly mistake."

Virginia had fewer turnovers (two) than the Hurricanes, who lost two fumbles and yielded a pass interception, but the Cavaliers didn't make Miami pay for its mistakes. UVa was in Miami territory on all seven of its second-half possessions but didn't score.

"It's like Texas Tech last year," said Virginia tight end John Phillips, referring to a 31-28 loss to the Red Raiders in last January's Gator Bowl. "We've been fortunate enough to win our share of these games, but when you lose like this, it's hard to swallow."

If any one of about six plays had turned out differently, Virginia might have beaten Miami. Not all close losses are like that, Groh said, but Saturday's was.

Miami outgained the Cavaliers 448-318, but the Hurricanes had a total of 40 yards on their first five second-half possessions. They had 135 yards on the final possession of regulation and overtime.

Virginia twice had the opportunity to go ahead by two scores, but place-kicker Yannick Reyering was wide on second-half attempts of 38 and 47 yards.

It was the fourth straight victory for Miami, which won on the road for the third time this season. The Hurricanes were 48-0 losers to Virginia last year in Miami's final home game at the Orange Bowl.

"It's a tremendous lift to this football team," second-year head coach Randy Shannon said. "You can look at this football team and see where we're going."

Virginia wasn't as disturbed by the ramifications of the loss as it was the mistakes down the stretch.

"It's just a terrible feeling," Verica said. "I'm going to work as hard as I can not to have this feeling again."
 

Sack of Verica proves costly
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- There was no shortage of what-ifs for Virginia following its 24-17 overtime loss to visiting Miami, including a critical third-and-2 call with just over eight minutes remaining.

The Cavaliers, leading 17-10 at the time, had driven to the Miami 27-yard line and seemingly were within the range of erratic place-kicker Yannick Reyering.

Virginia will never know whether the third time would have been the charm for Reyering, who had missed two earlier second-half efforts, because quarterback Marc Verica was sacked for a 13-yard loss.

Presumably, the Cavaliers were in four-down category, having attempted and converted a fourth-and-4 from the Miami 32 only one possession earlier.

However, the sack caused UVa to punt and enabled Miami to take possession at its 5-yard line with 8:01 left.

Considering the Hurricanes needed more than seven minutes to complete their game-tying 95-yard touchdown drive, just a pair of unsuccessful running plays from the 27 would have taken some precious time off the clock, field goal or no field goal.

Virginia brought in fullback Rashawn Jackson, seemingly as a blocker for Cedric Peerman, but the Cavaliers faked the run.

"It was a quick play-action pass, where the ball can go in the flat or to a curl," Verica said. "They brought some pressure and I should have gotten rid of it quicker."

Allen Bailey took advantage for the Hurricanes' only sack of the day.

"You can't take the sack in that circumstance," Groh said, "but we're sure that the circumstances in which it happened will leave an indelible mark on Marc. I'm sure we've learned our lesson here now."

Foreshadowing

Groh feared that Virginia would miss 2007 place-kicker Chris Gould more than some observers had reckoned, and Saturday's affair offered validation.

Reyering, a former All-ACC soccer player, missed on second-half field-goal attempts of 38 and 47 yards, and he is now 3-for-8 from beyond 30 yards for the season (but 3-for-3 inside the 30).

"The whole operation could have been better," said Groh, referring to the kicker, snapper and holder.

Reyering missed one full game and was replaced for the second half of another game after experiencing knee problems, but he said that he was not injured Saturday.

"I'm fully healthy," he said. "We had tons of opportunities to keep the game from going into overtime and part of that was two missed field goals. I take it personally because I have high expectations. Right now, it hurts."

By the numbers

Verica has passed for 200 yards or more in five consecutive games, one shy of the school record held by Matt Schaub. Scott Secules is the only other ex-Virginia quarterback with as many as five. ... Kevin Ogletree, who scored the first rushing touchdown of his UVa career on a 16-yard reverse in the second quarter, became the 14th Virginia player to notch 100 or more receptions in his career. ... Tight end John Phillips from Bath County had a career-high seven receptions. ... Redshirt freshman Jared Green, son of NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green, had the first touchdown reception of his career.

Odds 'n' ends

The 1968 Virginia football team was recognized during halftime ceremonies, at which the jerseys of former stars Johnny Papit and Tom Scott were retired. Papit was the NCAA's all-time leading rusher when he completed his career in 1950 and Scott was captain of the 1952 team that went 8-2. The 1968 team finished 7-3 and was the only UVa team between 1952 and 1979 to post a winning record. ... Former UVa baseball All-American Ryan Zimmerman, now with the Washington Nationals, raised UVa's "Power of Orange" flag before the game.

Next weekend

The Cavaliers (5-4, 3-2 ACC) visit Wake Forest (5-3, 3-2) for a game that will kick off Saturday at either noon or 3:30 p.m., a decision that will be made today after television networks have their say.
 

Scott Stadium's silence anything but golden
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The people filed out of Scott Stadium quietly Saturday, leaving just the clanking of workers trudging up the metal bleachers to pick up trash.

"Well, that was a buzzkill," one fan said as he departed.

This place had been rocking not long before -- so vibrant, so alive, so hopeful -- that you got the sense the fans would be sticking around and celebrating a long time on this gorgeous fall afternoon.

Instead the stadium was quickly empty, and maybe that's fitting. Empty was the theme of the day here. Hollow. Cold. Unfulfilled.

You could see it in the postgame interview room in all the dropped chins and glazed eyes aimed at the floor. You could hear it in the way the players tried to talk bravely about coming back next week and putting this all behind them.

Virginia's 24-17 OT loss to Miami was like six losses to these guys. Or at least it felt that way.

"This is probably the hardest loss I've ever taken my entire life, to be honest," UVa nose guard Nate Collins said softly. "From high school to now, this goes up there, definitely."

Everybody was eager to take a huge chunk of the blame. Coach Al Groh, quarterback Marc Verica, kicker Yannick Reyering, the defenders who allowed that last drive of regulation. Nobody pointed fingers at the others.

And that's probably fitting, too. Because at least if you have blame, you have something. After Miami drove 95 yards in the final minutes of regulation to tie it, then won it so quickly in the extra period, the Cavaliers had so little left to cling to.

"We're just going to try our best not to feel this way again," UVa defensive end Alex Field said. "You've got to have a short term memory and focus on "

He paused and sighed.

"Focus on the next game."

You can understand his bitter disappointment. After all, the Hurricanes were going down, weren't they? All day, it looked like Virginia's roll would continue. Five straight wins, control of the ACC's Coastal Division, headlines across the state lauding guts and big plays and joyous revivals -- all of it gone, lost in a pigpile of missed opportunities and uncharacteristic mistakes.

"We've been on the other end of that type of deal before," Groh said. "It's heartbreaking to our team. There are real raw emotions in the locker room. They are in a real emotional state right now."

The missed field goals were big. Two of them in the second half, both less than 50 yards. The German-born Reyering didn't try to boot the accountability.

"That was clearly a big factor in why the game went to overtime and why we lost," he said. "Obviously, when you miss two field goals, I wish I could go out there a second later and hit another one. Unfortunately, that's not the case with football."

Actually, he would have gotten the chance had Verica not fumbled on UVa's final drive of regulation. Miami defender Sean Spence dislodged the football at UM's 32-yard-line with 31 seconds remaining.

"A great play by him," Verica called it, "and poor ball security by me."

Bottom line? Blame had to go in all directions. Early on, when the UVa defense was dominant, the offense that couldn't create an insurmountable margin.

Three Miami turnovers led to just three Virginia points. Not nearly good enough. And later, the defense allowed Miami to pick up a third-and-13 from their own 2 that started the game-tying drive. On the play that tied it -- a desperation heave by Jacory Harris to Laron Byrd -- one defensive back fell down and the other couldn't prevent the catch despite the lengthy, looping flight of the ball.

"It's kind of like time stops for a second," Field said of the pass. "It takes forever. And then when he caught it in the end zone, that was pretty gut-wrenching."

But not as much as the ending.

This one ended with the team's best player sprawled face-first on the turf. Cedric Peerman, after fumbling the ball away on UVa's first play of OT, desperately reached his hand to the side.

The hero of Virginia's four-game winning streak made one last effort to grab something that wasn't his anymore, one last attempt to take something positive from this day.

Empty hand.

Empty stomach.

Empty Saturday afternoon.
 

Biggest Oscar Smith prize will have to wait a year
Taylor shadow no longer an issue
By Doug Doughty

When Virginia took a football commitment this week from a second Oscar Smith High School player, the Cavaliers were hoping it wasn't the last.

Oscar Smith coach Rich Morgan said he expects his junior quarterback, Phillip Sims, to look at UVa as a possible destination.

At the same time, Morgan said he would encourage Sims to look for "the best fit."

Morgan, in his seventh season at Oscar Smith, had not sent a player to Virginia before linebacker Perry Jones committed to UVa during the summer. Oscar Smith wide receiver Tim Smith committed to the Cavaliers this week.

Morgan referred to Smith as "the best wide receiver in the state," even though another Tidewater wide receiver, Logan Heastie from Western Branch, was ahead of Smith on every preseason list.

Heastie was rated third on the roanoke.com preseason list and Smith was 19th.

Smith had 16 receptions as a junior, when Oscar Smith had three Division I-A receiver signees. Through nine games this year, he has more than 40 receptions for close to 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns (three on returns).

Morgan, whose team is undefeated and ranked No. 13 in the country, said he has watched Heastie and said that "his best receiver" statement was not made lightly.

SIMS WOULDN'T BE the first All-America quarterback Morgan has had. In 2005, then-Oscar Smith senior Greg Boone was rated the No. 15 quarterback in the country before signing with Virginia Tech.

Boone subsequently was moved to tight end by the Hokies and while that probably wouldn't preclude the Hokies from getting involved with Sims, it probably would have to be a good "fit."

Tech's chances with Sims no doubt would be influenced by what happens this year with the state's top two prospects, quarterbacks Tahj Boyd from Hampton Phoebus and Kevin Newsome from Hargrave Military Academy.

Boyd and Newsome have backed out of commitments they made last spring to West Virginia and Michigan, respectively, and it's no secret that Newsome is interested in the Hokies.

Tech also is serious in its pursuit of Boyd, although Boyd said after an official visit to Tennessee last weekend that the Volunteers were his favorite. Given that Tennessee had just lost to visiting Alabama 29-9 and dropped to 3-5, the Volunteers must be super recruiters.

Boyd told the Tennessee rivals.com site, volquest.com, that the coaches had not been given any indication that their jobs were in any jeopardy. That makes sense. Coaches often are the last to know.

If Tech doesn't get Boyd or Newsome, who likes Penn State, the Hokies probably could become a player for Sims. Current sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor no longer is considered an impedement for younger quarterbacks, particularly those in the class of 2010 and beyond.

The trend in college football has been toward dual-threat quarterbacks who can run or throw out of the spread offense, but Virginia always has been partial to drop-back quarterbacks in the Matt Schaub mold. Bo Revell, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior from Battlefield High School in Haymarket, fits that description and has been a recent visitor at UVa games.

Revell entered this week's play with approximately 1,000 passing yards and 14 touchdowns (10 passing, four rushing).

SPEAKING OF quarterbacks, Georgia Tech's 24-17 loss to Virginia had the media asking about Yellow Jackets' sophomore Josh Nesbitt, who had two costly fumbles against the 'Hoos.

Nesbitt's understudy is Jaybo Shaw, a 6-foot true freshman who ran a triple-option offense in high school in Flowery Banch, Ga. Shaw started against Duke when Nesbitt was hurt and passed for 230 yards but has not played in three subsequent games.

"I think Jaybo is going to be a good player but to this point he hasn't been the best quarterback in practice," coach Paul Johnson said. "I watch practice every day and I play the guy that looks to be the best in practice.

"I've coached for 29 years and the most popular guy on every football team is the back-up quarterback. This is no different. Even if you are winning, that guy is the most popular quarterback."

JOHNSON, IN HIS first year at Georgia Tech, is making a reputation for speaking his mind.

He thought his defensive lineman were being held by Virginia and didn't mince words after the game.

"It will be interesting to watch the tape," he said. "It looked like some people were in headlocks half the time."

 

The road just got harder as Cavs sputter and stall out
Posted to: Bob Molinaro Sports
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 2, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

We're beyond the point in this football season where Virginia should be graded on a curve.

After a fairly stunning 4-0 October, since all that's happened to turn around their season, the Cavaliers deserve no attaboys for effort, enthusiasm or keeping the game close.

They don't expect any, either.

Al Groh's team proved it's better than it looked in the 24-17 loss to Miami on Saturday, a game that was close only because the Cavaliers wouldn't put it away.

"It was kind of like sand in our hands," said Groh. "We had it, but we couldn't wrap our hands around it.

Anything can happen in overtime, but the game needed extra plays because U.Va.'s offense didn't do enough with its chances in regulation, especially in the third quarter, when two Miami turnovers in Hurricane territory yielded zero points for U.Va.

"We would move the ball," said tight end John Phillips, "but we stalled out."

Marc Verica, who rebounded from a calamitous introduction to the ACC at Duke to become U.Va.'s guiding hand, suffered through an unsatisfying game, overthrowing too many receivers as the Cavaliers failed on 11 of 14 third-down conversions.

Verica almost redeemed himself when he scrambled within range of a long field goal in the final minute of a tie game, only to have a Miami defender strip him of the ball at the 32.

"Unacceptable," he said of his fumble. "Whoever carries the ball is carrying it for all the players and coaches."

The same sentiment applies to blocking, but the offensive line couldn't move Miami's defense in the second half, allowing it to gum up the Cavaliers' running game.

The defense has been a rock in recent weeks, and was against Miami for most of the game, but when freshman quarterback Jacory Harris needed to move the Hurricanes 95 yards in the fourth quarter, U.Va. couldn't reach him with its rush or knock down enough of his passes.

Place-kicker Yannick Reyering got in on the act, too, missing from 38 yards in the third quarter, and again from 47 in the fourth when a botched snap threw off his timing.

Recent form also deserted U.Va. in overtime when Cedric Peerman broke through the line for a 10-yard run, only to cough up the ball to Miami after a hard hit.

"You can count on two fingers," said Groh, "the fumbles Cedric's had."

The result of this game, Groh said, is "heartbreaking to our team. There are real raw emotions in the locker room."

The emotions are justified because the Cavaliers didn't play themselves into a conference contender by losing fourth quarters. U.Va. can still win the Coastal Division, but with two of its last three regular-season games away from Scott Stadium, the road just got harder.

How this game played out took U.Va. by surprise. The Cavaliers expect to be on the winning side of tension-filled adventures. Last season was full of narrow escapes, while in back-to-back victories over North Carolina and Georgia Tech this year, U.Va. rose to the occasion down the stretch.

Verica was clutch in both games, but Saturday he sat in the interview room with downcast eyes, blaming himself for not doing more.

"When you don't take control of the game, that's what happens - the other team does," he said.

It won't be easy, but U.Va. still can, at least control, what lies ahead - a trip next Saturday to Wake Forest, followed by a home game against Clemson and a visit to Virginia Tech.

Against Miami, U.Va. failed to wrap its hands around victory. It's too soon to presume, though, that a team that was 4-0 in October will allow the rest of the season to slip through its fingers.

 

Cavs fumble away chance in overtime
Miami rallies late in the fourth quarter to force OT and wins by recovering a Cedric Peerman fumble.
By NORM WOOD | 247-4642
November 2, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Moments after Cedric Peerman fumbled the ball away for the first time in his career Saturday on the last play of Miami's 24-17 overtime win against Virginia, coaches and players from both teams moved to console him.

U.Va. left tackle Eugene Monroe put his arm around Peerman's shoulder. Miami linebacker Sean Spence patted the back of Peerman's helmet and offered a few words. U.Va. running-backs coach Anthony Poindexter hugged him. It was as if they all realized the rarity of what they'd just witnessed — a Peerman fumble.

"You can count on two fingers the number of turnovers (Peerman has) had," said U.Va. coach Al Groh, whose team watched a four-game winning streak vanish. "Cedric has had our backs for many weeks, and we have his back tonight."

Miami (6-3 overall, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) scored on a floating 26-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jacory Harris to fullback Laron Byrd to tie the game with 55 seconds left in regulation. After Harris found wide receiver Aldarius Johnson on a 9-yard touchdown pass to put Miami ahead 24-17 in overtime, U.Va.'s hopes ended when Peerman was stripped at Miami's 18 by safety Lovon Ponder and linebacker Romeo Davis recovered the ball on the Cavaliers' first play of overtime.

It was the first lost fumble in 444 career touches for Peerman, who didn't speak with media after the game. He had only fumbled twice before Saturday's game, but hadn't lost either of them. He had gained 100 rushing yards or more in three of U.Va.'s last four games entering Saturday, but he finished with 15 carries for 78 yards against Miami.

With the loss, U.Va. (5-4, 3-2) fell out of first place in the ACC's Coastal Division. The Cavaliers are in a tie in the division loss column with four other teams that also have two conference losses.

U.Va., which had 318 yards and scored all 17 of its points in the first half, drove into Miami territory with less than 10 minutes left in the game while holding a 17-10 lead. On third-and-2 from Miami's 27-yard line, quarterback Marc Verica dropped back on a quick play-action play. Instead of throwing the ball away when he was pressured by defensive end Allen Bailey, Verica took a sack and a 12-yard loss that knocked U.Va. out of field-goal range.

"It's a terrible feeling," said Verica, who was 27-for-41 passing for 240 yards and a touchdown. "I'm going to work as hard as I can to not have this feeling again. It's disappointing, but that's what happens when you fail to take control of the game."

After Jimmy Howell punted to Miami's 5, the Hurricanes took over with 8:01 left. Harris hit receiver Sam Shields for a 13-yard gain on third-and-13 from Miami's 2 to get the Hurricanes in gear.

The Hurricanes were only 4 of 14 on third down conversions, but three of the conversions came in the final seven minutes and overtime. Miami finished the game with 448 yards, including running back Graig Cooper's 131 yards on 24 carries.

Harris, who replaced starting quarterback Robert Marve for the rest of the game midway through the third quarter, proceeded to complete 7 of 10 passes for 88 yards on its final scoring drive in regulation. On third-and-15 from U.Va.'s 26, Harris avoided pressure from linebacker Clint Sintim long enough to loft a high-arching pass to the end zone.

Byrd shook free from safety Byron Glaspy and cornerback Vic Hall and somehow made the catch for a touchdown to tie the game 17-17. A defensive pass-interference penalty on the play was declined.

"I can't get nervous because if I get nervous it's like a compulsion," said Harris, who finished 12 of 21 passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns. "Our offensive line, receivers and running backs; they see that (nervousness). If they look into your eyes and see that you're scared, then they're going to be scared themselves."

U.Va. had just 78 yards rushing in the game, including minus-3 in the second half. Peerman had just five carries for 12 yards in the second half behind an offensive line that struggled to open running room. Despite U.Va.'s troubles with the ground game, Verica's mobility almost put the Cavaliers in a position to win in regulation.

Verica scrambled for a 10-yard gain to get U.Va. down to Miami's 32 with 31 seconds left, but Spence stripped the ball loose from behind Verica and cornerback Bruce Johnson recovered it.

It took Miami five plays to get into the end zone in overtime. Johnson broke loose from Hall's coverage and caught the game-winning touchdown on third-and-5 in the left front corner of the end zone. The loss broke U.Va.'s two-game winning streak in overtime games.

"We've been on the other end of that type of deal before," Groh said. "It's heartbreaking to our team. There (were) real raw emotions in the locker room. (The players were) in a real emotional state."

 

Simpson out for the season
By DAVID TEEL AND NORM WOOD | 247-4636 | 247-4642
November 2, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia lost reserve tailback Mikell Simpson for the season when he sustained a left shoulder injury on the final play of the third quarter in Saturday's 24-17 loss to Miami.

U.Va. faced second-and-10 from Miami's 27 when Simpson took a handoff and was crushed by 322-pound defensive lineman Antonio Dixon for a 4-yard loss. He staggered off the field in obvious distress, and trainers immediately placed his left arm in a sling.

Simpson, a junior, walked to the locker room for X-rays and returned to the field before the game ended. Coach Al Groh said the injury is season-ending.

After starter Cedric Peerman sustained a foot injury last season, Simpson burst onto the scene with 119 rushing yards and 152 receiving in a victory at Maryland. He also had 170 yards, including a touchdown for 96, against Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl.

Simpson had not been as effective this season. He had 85 carries for 262 yards and three touchdowns this season, plus 15 catches for 66 yards.

HANG TIME
U.Va. entered the game ninth among ACC teams in net punting at 34.3 yards per kick. That standing will improve this week.

Five of freshman Jimmy Howell's seven punts pinned Miami inside its 20. He averaged 42.7 yards per kick, and the average net was 41.1. Among his punts was a career-best 58-yard effort. His previous long was 54 yards against Duke.

"During the week, we spend entire punt-team practices trying to do 'pooch' punts inside the 10-yard line," Howell said. "You see all that from practice coming out onto the field in games. There's always five guys around the ball trying to make sure we get it down and making sure it goes the max amount of yards."

TOUGH DAY
U.Va. kicker Yannick Reyering missed two of three field-goal attempts, including a 38-yarder in the third quarter and a 47-yarder early in the fourth quarter. He connected on a 23-yard attempt in the first quarter.

Reyering has made six of 10 field-goal attempts this season. He's only 3-for-8 from beyond 29 yards.

"I actually felt good in the warm-ups (Saturday)," said Reyering, who missed the North Carolina game two weeks ago with a knee injury. "It's just that one moment when you're out on the field. There's nothing in the warmups that can prepare you for that… I have no explanation for the missed field goals right now."

QUICK KICKS
This marks the first season in which the Cavaliers have played two overtime games. They defeated the Tar Heels last month 16-13 in overtime. … U.Va. was penalized once for 5 yards, Miami 12 times for 81. Seven of those flags were for false starts. … The Hurricanes played most of the game without their best offensive lineman. Left tackle Jason Fox went to the sideline with a leg injury late in the first quarter and did not return. … U.Va. linebacker Clint Sintim's streak of five games with at least one sack ended. End Alex Field had both of the Cavaliers' sacks. … U.Va. tight end John Phillips caught a career-high seven passes, but they netted only 36 yards. …Wide receiver Jared Green scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard pass from Marc Verica that put U.Va. ahead 17-10 with 5:04 left in the second quarter. Green is the son of Darrell Green, a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and former Washington Redskins standout.




 

CAVS GIVE IT AWAY
November 2, 2008 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

When Virginia senior running back Cedric Peerman broke free for a 7-yard run in overtime of the Cavaliers' homecoming contest against Miami yesterday, his teammates and coaches had to feel pretty good.

The ball is usually secure in Peerman's hands. He hadn't lost a fumble in his career--until yesterday.

Peerman was stripped of the ball by Miami safety Lovon Ponder on Virginia's first possession of overtime, and it was recovered by linebacker Romeo Davis as the Cavaliers dropped a 24-17 Atlantic Coast Conference contest to the Hurricanes (6-3, 3-2 ACC) in front of 53,308 in Scott Stadium.

"I was standing right by [Peerman]," Virginia senior wide receiver Maurice Covington said. "And my heart just dropped."

The same could be said for the rest of the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-2).

They were shocked by Peerman's fumble. He'd put the ball on the ground just three times in his career, but all were recovered by Virginia.

His gritty, punishing running style was the catalyst for the Cavaliers' resurgence from a 1-3 start to first place in the Coastal Division. That lofty status was lost yesterday, but the Cavaliers aren't blaming Peerman for their four-game winning streak coming to an end.

"Cedric has had our back for many weeks," Virginia head coach Al Groh said. "We've got his back tonight."

Peerman didn't talk to reporters after the game. Groh said Peerman and a few of his teammates were too emotional after a "heartbreaking" loss.

That's because Virginia had its share of opportunities to put the game away when it was ahead 17-10.

But kicker Yannick Reyering missed two field goals. Quarterback Marc Verica was sacked for a 13-yard loss on a key third-and-2 play from the Miami 27 in the fourth quarter, forcing a punt.

And the Cavaliers failed to capitalize on two Miami turnovers in the third quarter. Groh said the game slipped away "like sand in our hand."

"We couldn't wrap our hands around it," the coach said.

The Cavaliers took a 17-10 lead on Verica's 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jared Green with 4:19 left in the second quarter.

Their lead stayed that way until Miami freshman quarterback Jacory Harris heaved a 26-yard pass to the back of the end zone that wide receiver Laron Byrd managed to haul in with 55 seconds left in regulation.

The game-tying touchdown culminated a 15-play, 95-yard drive that Miami kept alive with a crucial third-and-13 conversion from its own 2-yard line.

"That was pretty deflating," Virginia senior linebacker Clint Sintim said of the third-down pass from Harris to wide receiver Sam Shields. "But at the same time, they still had a long field to go. We just couldn't stop them."

The Cavaliers appeared poised to respond after Verica (27-of-41, 240 yards, one touchdown) hit wide receiver Cary Koch for a 22-yard completion on the left sideline with 40 seconds remaining.

But two plays later, Verica fumbled on a scramble and it was recovered by Miami cornerback Bruce Johnson at the Hurricanes' 31-yard line.

Miami drove to Virginia's 34, but kicker Matt Bosher missed a 51-yard field goal attempt to force overtime.

The Cavaliers won the coin toss in the extra period and chose to play defense. But on third-and-5 from Virginia's 9-yard line, Harris (160 passing yards, two touchdowns) found wide receiver Aldarius Johnson for a touchdown pass, setting the stage for Peerman's untimely miscue.

"This might've been the most exciting game of my career," Miami junior defensive back Ryan Hill said. "This is crazy because we keep changing our position every week. The last couple of weeks we were in the position to come back. It's been said a lot that we play better when we come back."

That was once said of the Cavaliers, too.

But yesterday they found themselves on the opposite end of a comeback, much like their 31-28 Gator Bowl loss to Texas Tech in January when they blew a 14-point lead with 3:34 left in the game.

Verica said it's "a terrible feeling."

"It's very hard to swallow," senior tight end John Phillips said. "We weren't so good late in the game, but sometimes that happens."

The Cavaliers will try to rebound next Saturday when they visit Wake Forest.

NOTES

Virginia junior running back Mikell Simpson suffered a left shoulder injury yesterday. Groh said the injury is season-ending.

The Cavaliers are now 1-1 in overtime games this year. They beat North Carolina 16-13 in overtime on Oct. 18.

 

A grain of truth: Playing as favorite not Cavs' forte
November 2, 2008 12:36 am
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

A month ago, the Virginia Cavaliers were a punch line, a 1-3 football team with a presumed lame-duck coach, a squad that might have been an underdog against a quality Division III opponent. They entered yesterday's home game with Miami on the threshold of the Top 25 and bowl eligibility, with a clear path to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

That stunning metamorphosis made the collapse that led to the Hurricanes' 24-17 overtime victory all the more devastating.

"That's probably the hardest loss I've ever taken, from high school to now," nose tackle Nate Collins said, and no one dared contradict him.

Miami deserves endless credit for driving 95 yards for the tying touchdown (with a freshman quarterback) in a hostile environment, then forcing two Virginia turnovers--one late in regulation, the second in overtime.

The Hurricanes stole a game that the Cavaliers didn't necessarily deserve to win, but should have--and will regret later. They learned how to win as underdogs; the front-runner's role was something new.

"It was kind of like we had sand in our hands," coach Al Groh said. "We had it, but we couldn't wrap our hands around it."

The easy conclusion would be that the Cavaliers lost the game in the final eight minutes. It also would be the wrong one.

Leading 17-10 to start the third quarter, Virginia started drives on the Miami 44 (after a Chase Minnifield interception) and the Hurricanes' 33 (after a John-Kevin Dolce fumble recovery). They got no points on either possession, largely because quarterback Marc Verica missed a couple of open receivers on third down.

Early in the fourth quarter, still up 17-10, the Cavaliers drove to the Miami 27. Had they gone up by two scores, the young Hurricanes would probably have been done.

But Verica, whose remarkable development has mirrored his team's, took a critical 12-yard sack that push Virginia out of field goal range. The Cavaliers punted, setting the stage for Miami's explosive offense finally to break through.

"We didn't come to the bench [after a missed opportunity] and say, 'Oh no, we might lose,'" Verica said. "We don't think like that."

But the Cavaliers kept the door open for a Miami team that is also learning how to win.

Said Verica, speaking for the offense: "This is on us. We failed to capitalize on our chances. We should have built a good lead. We kept coming back to the bench and saying, 'Let's stop shooting ourselves in the foot.'"

It started at the top. Offensive coordinator Mike Groh virtually ignored his workhorse, Cedric Peerman, giving him just three carries in the third and fourth quarters. Virginia's defense, which played well most of the day, failed to exploit an injury to Miami's starting left tackle, Jason Fox, early in the day.

Then Verica fumbled on a potential game-winning drive late in regulation. And Peerman, who fumbles about as often as Karl Rove votes Democratic, lost the ball in overtime after Miami scored.

The depth of frustration in the Virginia locker room speaks volumes about the Cavaliers' rapid progress. After being blown out by perennial doormat Duke, they likely would have been happy to take Miami to overtime.

Instead, the pain was palpable. Peerman, described by several teammates as "the heart of this team," was so devastated that he declined to talk to reporters.

"This is really unexpected," freshman cornerback Minnifield said. "We expect to win now."

But they didn't. After winning a couple of close decisions over ranked teams, maybe the Cavaliers were due for some bad karma,

And like yesterday's mid-game misfires, the loss could come back to haunt them. Instead of controlling their fate in the ACC's Coastal Division, the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-2) need to win their last three games and hope Miami (6-3, 3-2) loses again.

The scars won't heal quickly--and they shouldn't. They should be a reminder of how thin Virginia's margin of error is.

"This is not a game that you forget," senior linebacker Clint Sintim said. " But at the same time, it's not something you dwell on."

The Cavaliers shook off their horrific start. Letting go of yesterday's disappointment is a different kind of challenge.

 

Miami stuns Virginia in OT after last-minute TD
Freshman Jacory Harris' heroics in the fourth quarter and overtime rallied the Hurricanes, who became bowl eligible with the victory.
By SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- So much for 48-0.

The Miami Hurricanes and their skinny true freshman quarterback exorcised that lingering demon and qualified for a bowl game in the process Saturday with a 24-17 overtime victory against Virginia.

The Hurricanes, who were crushed by Virginia in the Orange Bowl finale last year, won their first overtime game in three years when quarterback Jacory Harris lofted a 9-yard touchdown pass to former high school teammate Aldarius Johnson, just behind the left orange pylon in the end zone. The game-winner came minutes after Harris connected with freshman LaRon Byrd for a 26-yard touchdown with 55 seconds left in regulation that tied the score at 17.

LAST-DITCH DRIVE

UM's final drive in regulation went 95 yards and took 7:06 off the clock. It included a 13-yard reception by Sam Shields on third-and-13 from UM's 2, after tailback Graig Cooper (131 yards on 24 carries) lost 3 yards rushing.

''The ball felt like it was frozen in the air forever,'' said Byrd, a 6-4, 211-pound receiver who was held on the game-tying reception. Harris threw the ball in desperation as defenders closed on him.

'I was like, `Please God, let me come down with this ball and make this play,' '' Byrd said.

In Virginia's overtime possession, star running back Cedric Peerman rushed for 7 yards to UM's 18 before safety Lovon Ponder stripped the ball. Linebacker Romeo Davis recovered the fumble to secure the victory as UM fans, who were situated near the action, filled Scott Stadium with roars of celebration.

Most of the Virginia homecoming crowd of 53,308 fell silent.

Harris, who replaced starter Robert Marve with 4:47 left in the third quarter, completed 12 of 21 passes for 160 yards and the two touchdowns. Marve was 6 of 12 for 91 yards and an interception.

It was the Hurricanes' fourth consecutive victory and put them in the hunt to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division in the Dec. 6 league title game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

The Cavaliers (5-4, 3-2) were leading the Coastal Division until Saturday's loss. Now they are tied with the Hurricanes (6-3, 3-2) for second place. The Hurricanes must win out and hope that North Carolina (6-2, 2-2), which defeated UM in late September, loses one of its remaining four games. The Tar Heels were idle Saturday.

''It's good to be bowl eligible,'' tailback Javarris James said. ``But we're not settling for that. Now we've got our eyes on the ACC championship.''

LOSS AVENGED

The Canes had lectured to one another -- especially to the freshman playmakers -- about how the 48-0 loss last year in the Orange Bowl finale was especially painful. So after the game, with frenzied fans screaming, ''It's great . . . to be. . . . a Miami Hurricane,'' the players reveled in the celebration. They grabbed hands, threw game gloves into the celebration, hugged each other and bounced in excitement.

Then they brought the party into the locker room, roaring and screaming and being so loud that the noise came through the concrete walls of the room in which reporters waited to do interviews.

''That party,'' guard A.J. Trump said, ``is exactly why you come to the University of Miami. When you're giving maximum effort to try to win a game and you're thin [depth-wise], it's tough. We were dead at the end, but there's nothing like coming off the field dead tired with a win.''

THERE WERE MISTAKES

Not that it was a flawless victory. Not even close. The Hurricanes were trailing 17-10 at halftime and after three quarters. They had 12 penalties for 81 yards -- seven for false starts. Cooper fumbled twice, Travis Benjamin fumbled once on a botched punt return and Marve had his interception, but Virginia could get just three points off the turnovers.

''We had multiple opportunities to make plays,'' Virginia coach Al Groh said, ``but didn't come up with many of them.''

UM coach Randy Shannon said his team would work on its shortcomings. But more than anything, he was ecstatic about its overall direction.

''It's a tremendous lift to this football team,'' Shannon said of the victory. ``We haven't won four games in a row in a while. ``These guys came out and they never quit. They kept fighting, they kept trying to press on, and every time we put ourselves in a bad situation with penalties, they found a way to get it done.''


 

Virginia's players taught hard lesson in loss to Miami
Virginia's players were crushed by the loss to Miami, and coach Al Groh said the team learned 'we have to play the whole deal' in order to win.
BY JOEL JENKINS
Special to The Miami Herald

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The tears were plentiful and outweighed only by the looks of sheer disbelief.

Having all but dominated Miami defensively for 52 minutes, Virginia collapsed in monumental fashion, allowing the Hurricanes to steal a 24-17 overtime victory at Scott Stadium on Saturday.

The Hurricanes (6-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) taught the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-2) a hard lesson during the final eight minutes of regulation and in overtime.

Given how the contest unfolded, many of Virginia's players believed they all but gift wrapped the victory for Miami.

''It hurts,'' Virginia nose tackle Nate Collins said. ``You never want to lose a game like that under those circumstances. You want to feel like you got beat fair and square, but we let that game go ourselves.''

That was not to take anything from Miami, which has won four consecutive games and made the necessary plays to ensure the victory in the fourth quarter and overtime.

''You have to tip your hat to the Hurricanes,'' Virginia safety Rodney McLeod said. ``It was two good teams playing, we came to the middle of the ring, it was blow for blow and they end up getting the victory.''

Said Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim: ``We knew that [the Hurricanes] were going to be a very capable team of beating us. It doesn't surprise me the way that they came out and played.''

The Cavaliers liked their chances when the Hurricanes took over at their 5-yard line with 8:01 remaining in the game.

''I think anybody would,'' Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling said.

But after stopping Miami on 10 of its first 11 third-down situations, the Cavaliers' defense soured, allowing backup quarterback Jacory Harris to convert on third-and-13 from the Hurricanes' 2 with a 13-yard pass to Sam Shields.

''That play really hurt us,'' Sintim said. ``We had them where we wanted them.''

Twelve plays later, Miami tied the score at 17, and finished the contest in textbook fashion in overtime, getting a touchdown and forcing the first lost fumble of running back Cedric Peerman's four-year career.

''We have to play the whole deal, and we know that better than anybody,'' Virginia coach Al Groh said. ``Right now, we're looking for something to make us feel good and say we played well [defensively] for a long time, but we didn't do it long enough.''

It was only natural, Groh said, that Virginia's veterans took the loss hard. Peerman was so distraught that he did not meet with members of the media.

''We've been on the other end of that type of deal before,'' Groh said. ``It's heartbreaking to our team. There are real raw emotions in the locker room. They are in a real emotional state right now.''

With the victory, Miami helped jumble the ACC Coastal Division standings. Virginia entered the game in first place. Now, Miami and Virginia trail Georgia Tech by a half game.

''We had an opportunity to really pull away,'' Sintim said, ``but Miami played a great football game, and we are left going back to the drawing board.''


 

Miami Hurricanes' Jacory Harris works his magic again
Miami stuns Virginia in OT after last-minute TD
By LINDA ROBERTSON

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- For Jacory Harris, it was a case of deja voodoo.

Hadn't he been in this kind of crisis before -- his team trailing, time running down, fans screaming, and nearly the entire expanse of the football field stretching out before him?

Yes, he remembered. So did his Miami Northwestern High teammates. So did anyone who has been keeping an eye on this remarkable young quarterback.

Harris has a way of casting a spell over a close game. You could sense it as soon as he began the University of Miami's last-chance drive. You could sense that Virginia was doomed.

A FLASHBACK

Switch the costumes and the setting, and Miami's 24-17 comeback over Virginia bore an uncanny resemblance to Northwestern's 19-14 comeback over Deerfield Beach a year ago.

Last year, Harris channeled Tom Brady as he led his Bulls 99 yards. On Saturday, he channeled himself as he led his Canes 95 yards.

After tying the score with a third-down, 26-yard touchdown pass to a tumbling LaRon Byrd, Harris came right back to secure the winning points in overtime with a 9-yard touchdown pass on third down to a leaping Aldarius Johnson.

Harris, an 18-year-old freshman, doesn't crack under pressure. He creates.

Scared? The only thing Harris is scared of is haunted houses on Halloween. When teammate Marcus Forston took him into one, Harris wouldn't let go of his arm, and when the masked monsters lunged at Harris, he bolted for the exit.

Forston also gave the quarterback his nickname -- ''Heart Attack'' Harris because when Harris was 14 he sincerely believed he was having a heart attack when he was just feeling sharp pain from a chest muscle strained during a laughing fit.

Since then, he has been giving opponents palpitations, as he did Saturday. Virginia failed to put the game away when it had chances, and Cavaliers fans began to murmur, then panic as Harris painted the crucial drive, mixing big passes to Johnson and Sam Shields with handoffs to Graig Cooper.

'I actually talked to Aldarius right before that drive and said, `Man, we got 95 yards. Just like Deerfield,' '' Harris said.

With three false start penalties, to boot. Similar to penalties that pushed him backward against Deerfield.

''I blame that on me,'' Harris said. ``I'm not loud enough. I don't have a deep voice. Maybe I need to go to vocal class.''

BIG THROW

On third-and-15 with 1:04 left Harris flung a wobbling Hail Mary toward Byrd, who almost tripped over one defender and was collared by another as he scooped the ball into his hands.

''I tried to set up in the pocket and it started collapsing,'' Harris said. 'The defensive end was in my face. I threw it straight up in the air. I was thinking, `I got to give him a chance.' I trust my receivers so much. If I throw it high enough, I know they can jump and catch it.''

It was a gorgeous autumn afternoon -- bright blue sky the backdrop to red maple leaves and orange Wahoo outfits. Many freshmen -- many seniors, even -- would turn squishy under the weight of the ticking clock, the noise of the band, the glares of the linebackers. But Harris turned the stadium into a stage for another suave performance.

''I can't get nervous,'' Harris said. ``If your teammates look into your eyes and see you're scared, they'll be scared, too. I don't feel nervous in my body, like butterflies. I'm not the type to show emotion. I can't cry. I never have cried. I don't know why. I wanted to today because I was so happy, but there were no tears.''

Harris is built like the cornstalks lining the fields of rural Virginia. But he's deceivingly sturdy and swift. As coach Randy Shannon says, Harris has a knack for ''moving out of danger,'' sliding here, sidestepping there.

In overtime, he hooked up with fellow Northwestern alum Johnson, ''my homeboy and my roommate.'' They are Bulls: Wherever they roam, they call it home.

So they turned Charlottesville into Liberty City, and reconstructed the plays they used to practice into the night, throwing and catching on a feel for each other's touch and speed.

Johnson had four big catches in the drive against Deerfield Beach, including the fourth-and-1 catch that set up the winning touchdown run and sent the Bulls on to the championship.

Against Virginia, Harris calmly told Johnson to head to the front corner of the end zone, near the pylon, and the ball would arrive.

''Jacory said it was coming to me, so turn around and get square so I can block the cornerback also,'' Johnson said. ``In high school, he always knew where to throw the ball: Put it on my back shoulder and put it high.''

Sure enough, Harris to Johnson, smooth as cider.

After Lovon Ponder stripped the ball from Virginia tailback Romeo Davis and recovered the fumble, the game was over. UM (6-3, 3-2) was in the thick of the ACC race, and the agony of last season's 48-0 humiliation in the Orange Bowl finale was duller.

Virginia is Thomas Jefferson's university, and Mr. Jefferson would have marveled at the leadership of Harris, who is a statesman, too. Harris is the nonstarter in Shannon's unusual quarterback tandem, yet he wasn't dropping any hints. Robert Marve was the star last week, Harris did it this week.

''If that's what it takes -- taking turns being the hero -- we'll do it,'' Harris said. ``People say it's a competition. It's like a brotherhood to us. I love Robert just like I love every individual on the team.''

And they love him back. What's not to love? He's magic.


 

Missed opportunities
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 1, 2008

In a matter of minutes, Virginia fumbled away its lead in ACC’s Coastal Division and perhaps its chance to play in the league’s championship game.

With an announced crowd of 53,308 watching in disbelief inside Scott Stadium, Virginia running back Cedric Peerman fumbled on the first and final offensive play in overtime, sealing an improbable 24-17 come-from-behind victory for Miami.

Virginia (5-3, 3-2 ACC) dropped out of first place in the league’s Coastal Division with the loss and moves into a tie for second place with Miami (6-2, 3-2).

More importantly, the Cavaliers’ emotional stability may have taken a hit with the setback coming in such stunning fashion.

“We’ve been on the other end of that type of deal before. It’s heartbreaking to our team,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “There are real raw emotions in the locker room. They are in a real emotional state right now.”

There was obvious reason for that to be the case.

Trailing 17-10 with 8:01 left in the game, Miami took over at its own 5-yard line. Having limited Miami to 294 yards of total offense to that point, the Cavaliers had reason to like their chances.

“I think anybody would,” Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling said.

Miami, using a balanced attack to overcome three false start penalties, slowly picked Virginia’s defense apart, marching 95 yards in a time-consuming, 15-play drive that was capped with yet another quirky play.

Facing 3rd-and-15, Miami reserve quarterback Jacory Harris rolled to his left and threw across his body as he was hit by Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim. Magically, Harris was able to get just enough on a floating, desperation pass to have it reach wide receiver Laron Byrd, who beat cornerback Vic Hall and was wide open in the back of the end zone.

“I just signaled my hand like, ‘Throw it up,’ and I knew it was do-or-die time — I had to make the play,” Byrd said. “When I saw the ball coming it was bobbling … so I just held my hands like a breadbasket and let it drop in.

“It felt like about a minute that the ball froze in the air.”

It certainly seemed like an eternity for Sintim, who was held without a sack for the first time since Sept. 13.

“I might have got [Harris] right after he released it or as he was releasing it,” Sintim said. “It really didn’t matter because looked pretty good from how I saw it. The receiver went up and got it.

“I was on the ground just looking, hoping it would get broken up, but the receiver made a great play on it.”

Virginia appeared poised to mount yet another comeback as quarterback Marc Verica moved the ball to the Miami 42-yard line with a 22-yard completion to wideout Cary Koch with 44 seconds left.

After an incomplete pass, Verica elected to scramble up the left side and raced 10 yards before he was chased down from behind by linebacker Sean Spence. He forced a fumble that was recovered by Bruce Johnson.

“I was just trying to gain positive yardage and pick up the first down,” Verica said. “I should have done a better job securing the ball there. The guy obviously made a great play stripping me, but it is obviously unacceptable.

“It definitely contributed to the loss. It is disappointing.”

Miami quickly responded and had a chance of its own to win the game in regulation, but a 51-yard field attempt by Matt Bosher landed well short with 4 seconds left.

Miami, which took the ball first in the extra session, scored on its fifth play as Harris targeted Hall again. This time, however, Harris connected on a 9-yard touchdown pass with Aldarius Johnson, who has five inches on the 5-foot-9 Hall.

That set the stage for the first lost fumble of Peerman’s four-year career.

After racing to the right side for a 9-yard gain, Peerman was hit by Lovon Ponder, who reached in and stripped the football out. Bruce Johnson pounced on the loose ball again, starting a massive celebration by Miami’s players just inches from where Peerman was sprawled out on the ground.

“[Peerman] has won more games than any player I have been around with the exception of maybe Chris [Long],” Sintim said. “It is unfortunate — the ball bounces that way sometimes and it is just one of those things … and 99.9 percent of the time I am giving the ball to Cedric. I am going to let him make the play.

“That 0.1 percent of the time, something like this happens. We are going to rally around him. He is the heart and soul of this offense as well as this team and I don’t suspect anything like that will frequently be happening to guy of his caliber.”

Groh echoed those sentiments.

“Cedric has had our backs for many weeks and we have his back tonight,” Groh said.

Virginia should not have been in that position, but the Cavaliers squandered several scoring opportunities in regulation.

In the second half, placekicker Yannick Reyering missed a pair of field goals and Virginia converted just one of its seven chances on third down.

“You never want to lose a game like that under those circumstances,” Virginia nose tackle Nate Collins said. “You want to feel like you got beat fair and square, but we let that game go ourselves.”

Virginia took a 17-10 lead at halftime as it scored a pair of touchdown in each of the first two quarters. Wide receiver Kevin Ogletree scored on a 16-yard reverse and Verica connected on a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jared Green.

“I knew Marc was going to see me and we locked eyes and he just threw it my way,” said Green. “It was a great feeling and I will never forget that. The end zone was calling me today.”

Virginia returns to action on Saturday at Wake Forest (5-3, 3-2). Miami is off until hosting Virginia Tech on Nov. 13.

 

Cavaliers ignore Hurricane warnings
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 1, 2008

Never leave a wounded lion. That’s one of the laws of the jungle, an age-old tenet that Virginia’s football team forgot on Saturday and it cost the Cavaliers dearly.

Alone in first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division heading into Saturday’s home game against Miami, the Cavaliers had several opportunities to put away the Hurricanes and solidify their grip on the division lead.

But the Cavs were their own worst enemy, squandering scoring opportunities that could have made a Hurricanes comeback unlikely. Instead, the wounded lion became even more dangerous and came back for a kill of its own.

A game in hand

Leading 17-10 with eight minutes to play, Virginia had the Hurricanes right where it wanted them : 95 yards away.

However, just like several chances earlier in the game, the Cavs couldn’t seal the deal. Instead, they let Miami off the hook on a third-and-13 from the Canes’ 2-yard line.

It was the beginning of an amazing, 15-play, seven-minute drive that deadlocked the game at 17-all and sent it into an unlikely overtime.

Given Virginia’s penchant for cheating the reaper a couple of times in its recent four-game winning streak and all of last year when it won five games by two or fewer points, the crowd of 53,000 and change must have liked the odds.

This time, the reaper got revenge, and so did Miami, which was still smarting from last year’s 48-0 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers in a game that ruined the storied program’s illustrious history in the aging Orange Bowl. This time, Miami regained enough of its former swagger to squeeze out a 24-17 overtime victory in typical Hurricanes fashion.

Boosted by an infusion of talented freshmen, including quarterback Jacory Harris, the Canes scored on their OT opportunity on a Harris pass to freshman wide receiver Aldarius Johnson.

On Virginia’s first play of overtime, star running back Cedric Peerman bolted near a first down before he was rocked by two Miami seniors, linebacker Romeo Davis and defensive back Derron Thomas. The ball came out — an extremely rare fumble by Peerman — and Miami recovered to score the road upset and extend its own winning streak to four games.

The rules of victory

The Cavaliers violated several cardinal rules:

l They allowed Harris to get outside the pocket on several occasions, and he burned them over and over again.

l Virginia couldn’t muster a reliable running game because Miami’s defense controlled the line of scrimmage. Coach Al Groh said that’s the main reason why Peerman only had five carries the second half (and one play in overtime), because UVa’s offensive line wasn’t opening holes.

l The Cavs failed to take advantage of field position and back-to-back Miami turnovers early in the third quarter when UVa’s Chase Minniefield picked off a Robert Marve pass at Miami’s 44, followed by Daniel Childress’ recovery of a Graig Cooper fumble (off a Vic Hall strip) at the UVa 33.

l UVa missed two field goals, one on the Childress fumble recovery; and another early in the fourth quarter.

l The Cavs fumbled the ball away twice — one coming on Peerman’s drop, the other just after Miami tied the game at 17-17, when UVa quarterback Marc Verica scrambled to the Hurricanes’ 32 with 31 seconds to play.

Those last three items said it all. One field goal (kicker Yannick Reyering missed from 38 and 47) would have iced it in regulation. No upset, still in first place — alone.

“To have that good field position and come away with nothing was frustrating,” said Verica, who became only the third quarterback in UVa history to throw for 200 yards in five straight games. “We can’t do that in the future if we want to win.”

Verica was obviously carrying the weight of the loss on his shoulders as was several of his teammates, many of whom were so distraught they didn’t show up for post-game interviews with Groh’s blessing.

Groh said it had been a long time since he had been in such a heartbroken locker room, full of raw emotions.

“We had our opportunities to take the game and we didn’t do so in all three phases and the game got away from us,” Groh said. “It was kind of like sand in our hand. We had it but we couldn’t wrap our hands around it.”

There were painful lessons learned at Scott Stadium on Saturday, a place where the Cavaliers have been near-infallible in recent years. Had Verica chosen to slide, perhaps there wouldn’t have been a fumble, and UVa would have had another chance at a field goal. Whether or not the Cavs could have converted was another question.

For those who had jumped on the Wahoo bandwagon during the winning streak, they shouldn’t forget that Verica and the offensive line were bound to struggle again at some point as they did early in the season, but had been practically flawless over the past month.

It’s not the nature of the game for a young offensive line to be that good every week and for Verica to not experience a rollercoaster ride as a rookie quarterback. Several of his throws were off the mark even though he completed 27 of 41 (one TD) and no interceptions.

The offensive line couldn’t punch holes against an impressive Miami defense, ranked among the top 15 in the nation in total defense. That’s why even though Peerman rushed for 78 yards, Virginia had minus-3 yards on the ground for the second half.

That’s why Groh went to the air more in the second half.

Still, the missed field goals stuck out like a sore thumb, huge misses that could have kept the Cavs in first place with three games to play.

However, as wacky as the ACC has been this season, Virginia isn’t out of the race. With Georgia Tech’s last-minute upset win over Florida State, the Yellow Jackets leapfrogged UVa into first place in the Coastal with a 4-2 record.

Virginia and Miami are tied at 3-2, followed by North Carolina and Virginia Tech (both idle) at 2-2.

The Cavaliers play at Wake Forest next Saturday, while Georgia Tech is at UNC.

Groh decided not to remind his team that they’re still alive after Saturday’s emotional loss. He may go there today, he may not.

A record of 6-2 could easily end up in Tampa, site of this year’s conference championship game.

“I’m saying this facetiously, but as to how much conversation we’ve had (about the championship), you might have to tell us what state Tampa is in,” Groh said.

The Cavs can’t give up hope. In each of the three years of the ACC Championship game since expansion, one divisional champ has shown up with at least two losses.

Florida State was 5-3 in 2005, Wake Forest was 6-2 in 2006, and Boston College was 6-2 in 2007. Both FSU and Wake won the championship game.

“We’ve been down before,” said UVa tight end John Phillips, who caught a career-high seven passes against Miami on Saturday. “We have to stay united as a team. We still have a long way to go.”

Senior linebacker Clint Sintim wasn’t throwing in the towel.

“I think we’ll be able to get past this is everybody believes in what this team can do,” the co-captain Sintim said. “I’m not discouraged. It’s not like we lost to the worst team in the world.”

It just felt that way.

 

Green shines on disappointing day
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 1, 2008

Silver linings are hard to come by when you lose a game in as demoralizing a fashion as Virginia did on Saturday against Miami.

But if you had to point to one, it would undoubtedly be the play of freshman wide receiver Jared Green.

The son of NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green had three catches for 25 yards, including his first career touchdown.

“Jared stepped up and made some plays for us,” said Virginia wide receiver Maurice Covington, who had four catches of his own. “He’s a real athletic guy and he played well today. We’re all proud of him, but we wish we would have come out with a win.”

Green’s 2-yard touchdown reception put Virginia up 17-10 in the second quarter.

“He’s a young guy who’s coming along,” said UVa quarterback Marc Verica. “He’s getting better with every game. He comes to practice every day with the right mentality to get better, and it’s showing up in games.”

In the third quarter, Green hauled in an 18-yard toss from Verica that was the impetus for a Cavalier drive that ended on the Hurricanes’ 30-yard line with a missed field goal.

“Jared did a nice job for us,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “The catch that he made on the sideline was — in terms of having to really make a physical play — the more impressive play.”

Green said he was just trying to do his part.

“I just wanted to do anything I could to help us seal the deal,” he said. “I really felt like we had the game, but things really didn’t go our way — things we didn’t execute. But we lost this game as a team. It wasn’t any one person’s fault.

“We just have to continue to push and get ready for the next game.”

Green sounded pleased with the way he’s been progressing this season. The 6-foot-2, 178-pounder gave all the credit to a higher power.

“God has been able to show me things that I didn’t even think I could do,” Green said. “I impressed myself and I’m sure I impressed my parents and everyone who supports me every week, and that’s all because of God.”
 

Harris comes off bench to lead Miami
By Bart Isley
Published: November 1, 2008

Jacory Harris started the day on the sidelines for Miami behind starting quarterback Robert Marve, but he ended his trip to Charlottesville with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Aldarius Johnson in overtime that eventually led to the Hurricanes’ 24-17 victory over the Cavaliers.

But it was his 95-yard touchdown march late in the fourth quarter that got everyone’s attention. Miami ground out the clock in addition to tying the game with the drive, but that wasn’t really the plan after getting the ball with more than eight minutes left in the contest.

“At the beginning of the drive, we just knew that we had to come out and execute, not knowing that I was going to run that much time off the clock,” Harris said. “When we got down to the 30 or 40 yard line coach Nicks said to me that ‘We’ve got to speed it up,’ and I looked back and I saw there was a minute and 15 seconds left.”

Harris completed 7 of 11 passes on the critical drive for 88 yards. The drive started with a third down conversion when Harris connected with Sam Shields for 13 yards on third and 13 from the Hurricanes’ own 2-yardline. From there Harris and the Hurricanes rolled, eating up seven minutes and six seconds on the 15-play march. Harris capped it with the 26-yard pseudo-Hail Mary to fellow freshman Laron Byrd.

“As I was on the ground, I saw the ball was still in the air and I saw [Byrd] breaking through tackles when he didn’t have the ball, and he just came down with a spectacular catch,” Harris said.

Harris finished the day 12 for 21 for 160 yards, making clutch play after play during the later stages of the game. The poise exhibited by the true freshman was no accident according to Miami coach Randy Shannon.

“[These freshmen] come from winning programs,” Shannon said. “Jacory and Robert Marve, both of them won state championships. When you bring them to the University of Miami, they don’t know nothing else but winning because they’ve won state championships. They know how to handle pressure because they’ve been in tough situations all the time.”

Harris’ ability to move around in the pocket helped running back Graig Cooper and fullback Patrick Hill pick up Virginia’s almost constant pressure from the edge during the fourth quarter.

“It’s unbelievable what he does, he’s got a little knack for it,” Shannon said. “It’s not a design deal, it’s just they have a knack for sliding and knowing where the pressure is coming from.”

Apparently Harris has a knack for winning, too.

 

Reyering’s misses haunt Cavs
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 1, 2008

As a member of the Virginia soccer team for three years, Yannick Reyering never missed a penalty kick.

Unfortunately, Reyering hasn’t been as automatic when it comes to kicking field goals for the football team.

Reyering, who has only been playing football for a few months, missed two field goals in Virginia’s loss on Saturday.

After the game, Reyering didn’t have any answers for what went wrong.

“I don’t know,” said the clearly dejected German. “I have to watch the tape and see exactly what caused it. It was clearly a big factor why the game went into overtime and why we lost.”

Reyering’s first miss was a 38-yarder in the third quarter. His second was a 47-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Either kick would have put Virginia up by two scores.

“When you miss one or two, I wish I could go out there a second later and hit another one,” said Reyering, who is 6 of 11 on field goals this season. “But unfortunately that’s not the case in football.”

On the second miss, Reyering’s timing seemed out of sync after a bad snap. However, he refused to divert blame.

“It’s everyone working together,” Reyering said. “It’s not the snapper’s fault. It’s not the holder’s fault. I missed it and we have to see exactly what we need to work on to get it fixed the next time.”

Reyering, who connected on a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter to put Virginia up 3-0, said he’s not about to sulk or let his confidence be affected by one subpar performance.

“I’m not the type of person who will let it impact me in the future,” he said.

 

Foster, Cavs win at ACCs
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: November 1, 2008

In Chapel Hill, N.C., Ryan Foster finished third in 2007 at the ACC’s cross country championships.

Apparently that wasn’t enough for one of the Cavs’ anchor runners.

Foster helped spark the Cavaliers to a second straight team title with his individual championship in his final ACC meet.

“Foster has been an ACC champion before on the track and has also had many setbacks during his career,” said Virginia coach Jason Vigilante in a release. “I’m so proud that he was able to capitalize on this opportunity today.”

Ryan Collins paced the Cavaliers throughout the early portion of the race, leading the majority of the way before dropping back and being replaced up front by Foster. Foster’s finish of 24:27.7 led a pack of 16 runners across the line in a span of 30 seconds. Boston College’s Tim Ritchie finished in 24:30.0 battling Virginia Tech’s Devin Cornwall (24:30.8) and N.C. State’s Bobby Mack (24:30.9) for runner-up honors. State then crossed John Martinez to claim fifth before a slew of Cavaliers crossed.

Collins finished sixth in 24:36.1, winning a battle with Florida State’s Matt Leeder (24:36.5) and teammate Andy Biladeau, who crossed in 24:37.2 for eighth. Emil Heineking was Virginia’s fourth finisher, taking ninth in 24:38.2. Graham Tribble rounded out the scoring for the Cavaliers, finishing 16th in 24:55.8.

Virginia won the championship with 40 points and N.C. State trailed with 56. Virginia Tech claimed third with 75 points and Florida State was fourth with 80 points. Foster, Collins, Biladeau and Heineking all earned All-ACC honors.

In the women’s race, Stephanie Garcia and Lauretta Dezubay led the squad to a tie with No. 30 Duke for fourth place, en route to All-ACC honors. Led by individual champion Susan Kuijken, No. 3 Florida State dominated the women’s race, landing all five scoring runners in the top 10 to beat Boston College 27-106 for first-place. No. 24 Wake Forest finished third with 112 points, with Duke and Virginia earning 124 points.

Virginia Tech’s Tasmin Fanning, a Western Albemarle product, finished second with Brie Felnagle from North Carolina taking third.

“The only thing I can say about our women is wow,” Vigilante said. “I know leaving the course today we are all smiling and delighted that a year ago we were eighth and today we were fourth. Momentum is certainly going our way.

Garcia was the Cavaliers’ top finisher, placing eighth in 20:58.4. Dezubay crossed in10th in 21:03.9 and first-year Morgane Gay narrowly missed earning freshman of the year honors, as Wake Forest’s freshman Anna Nosenko crossed two-tenths of a second ahead of Gay for the distinction. Gay finished 17th in 21:24.4.

Third-year Samantha Stafford was fourth for Virginia, taking 43rd in 22:02.2 and second-year Lyndsay Harper rounded out the Cavalier scorers, finishing 47th in 22:07.9.