Cavs’ offense fails its defense
By Paul Woody
Published: November 23, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE Give the University of Virginia players credit for this: They stick together.

On a day when the defense could have pointed all its collective fingers at the Cavalier offense for lack of support, not a single defender cracked.

"We've got each others backs," said Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling. "Sometimes we don't play as well as we can, and the offense gets our back."

The Cavaliers defense played very well yesterday, giving up just 192 net yards and 13 points to the Clemson Tigers.

The Virginia offense contributed 190 yards, three points and four turnovers. Clemson scored all its points off Cavalier turnovers.

Clemson didn't win the game so much as the Cavaliers offense lost it.

"You can clearly see why they were the preseason favorite," Virginia coach Al Groh said of Clemson.

Groh is correct. Clemson was the preseason favorite to win the ACC title.

This isn't the preseason. Yesterday was the 11th game of the regular season, and the Tigers have not lived up to their preseason billing. They are an average team in a below-average conference.

The Tigers were beatable yesterday.

Virginia's offense has taken some blows on offense this season the expected No.1 and No.2 quarterbacks are not on the team but 11 games into the season, the offense should at least have some continuity. And any major-college offense should be able to gain a yard when it is needed.

Twice in the second half yesterday the Virginia offense failed on fourth-and-one plays.

"It was what it was," Groh said. "We speak in terms of 'we', 'us' and 'ours.' Collectively, we had to do a little bit more.

"It was a pretty even match except for seven plays, a touchdown we didn't get, four turnovers and two failed fourth downs, which are the same as turnovers. You won't have to scratch your heads to write your stories."

No. But plenty of head-scratching can be done about the Virginia offense.

Mike Groh is the Cavaliers offensive coordinator. He is a former Virginia quarterback and son of Al Groh.

Fans have been screaming for Mike Groh to be fired all season.

The problems go deeper than the playcalling. The offensive line is inconsistent, providing quality pass protection and running lanes on some occasions and completely breaking down on others.

Marc Verica is the Cavaliers starting quarterback, and he was No.4 on the depth chart when the 2007 season ended. Then, Jamel Sewell, last year's starter, became an academic casualty and did not return to school this fall. Peter Lalich, who started the first two games this year, was dismissed from the team.

Verica is a smart, tough, poised player. He was at the helm when Virginia scored 31 points to defeat Maryland, drove 82 yards to tie the game and then win in overtime against North Carolina and came back to beat Georgia Tech 24-17, in Atlanta.

Verica also is relatively immobile and doesn't throw laser-like passes. His second interception yesterday hung in the air so long that Clemson cornerback Crezdon Butler was able to recover from a two-step deficit, cut in front of Jared Green and grab the ball.

Verica is far more effective when the running game is going well. Virginia had 59 yards rushing yesterday.

While Al Groh was determined to stick with his "we", "us", "ours" mantra, he didn't give Verica a ringing endorsement when he was asked if the redshirt sophomore would start against Virginia Tech.

"I think that's probably the case," Groh said. "It's not as if we have a lot of options. In the present time frame, it is what it is.

"Unless Matt Schaub is available, we'll go with things the way they are."

Schaub, a former Virginia quarterback, now plays for the Houston Texans in the NFL.

Groh was not as jocular when asked if another former Virginia quarterback, Mike Groh, would be back next year as offensive coordinator.

"I love these divisive questions," Groh said, his tone making it clear he was not radiating any love.

When asked if that meant "Yes", Groh said, "That means I blew the question off."

The problem is not the questions. The problem is finding the answers on offense, and the Cavaliers are far from discovering any of those.

 

No go in Cavs’ ‘O’
By Jeff White
Published: November 23, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- On an afternoon when temperatures didn't get out of the 30s at Scott Stadium, the University of Virginia football team couldn't get into the teens on the scoreboard.

And after losing 13-3 to ACC rival Clemson yesterday, U.Va. is down to its final chance to become bowl-eligible. To do so, the Cavaliers must beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, where they haven't won since 1998. The regular-season finale is Saturday at Lane Stadum.

"If we don't win, our season's over," U.Va. receiver Maurice Covington said.

With an average performance on offense yesterday, the Wahoos (3-4, 5-6) might have beaten Clemson (4-4, 6-5) and ended their two-game losing streak. But even by its standards, U.Va.'s attack was unusually inept.

Virginia came in ranked No. 111 in scoring offense -- 17.6 points per game -- among the 119 teams in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision. The Cavaliers finished with 190 yards of offense yesterday, their second-lowest total of the season, and turned over the ball four times.

Moreover, coordinator Mike Groh's offense twice was stopped on fourth and 1 in the second half -- the second time at the Clemson 27, with the score 10-3.

"It's very frustrating," said sophomore quarterback Marc Verica, who threw three interceptions for the second straight game.

"Our defense, they did a tremendous job. They fought really hard, and they prepared hard, and it showed in their play today."

U.Va.'s defense was magnificent against a Clemson offense that features four of the ACC's premier playmakers: tailbacks James Davis and C. J. Spiller and wide receivers Aaron Kelly and Jacoby Ford.

None of the four overwhelmed Virginia's defense. The Tigers mustered only one touchdown and two field goals, and each score was set up by a U.Va. turnover. Clemson totaled 192 yards, the fewest Virginia has allowed this season.

"They stepped up and did what had to be done," U.Va. coach Al Groh said of his defenders.

Such praise was little consolation to senior linebacker Clint Sintim, one of the Cavaliers who played for the final time at Scott Stadium.

"This is a team game, and we didn't win," Sintim said. "We held them to 200 yards. That's great. It looks good on paper . . . but all that really matters at the end of the day is whether you win or lose, and we lost the game."

The game's only touchdown came on an option pass from Spiller to wide receiver Tyler Grisham late in the first quarter. That came one play after Verica's first interception gave Clemson the ball at the U.Va. 20.

It was 10-3 at halftime, and the score hadn't changed when Clemson committed its only turnover of the game. An errant shotgun snap got past quarterback Cullen Harper, and cornerback Vic Hall recovered for the Cavaliers near midfield with 2:24 left in the third quarter.

One play later, Verica threw deep to junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, who made the catch along the left sideline and raced to the end zone for an apparent 53-yard touchdown.

But jubilation quickly turned to despair in the crowd of 51,979. A flag was thrown on the play, and Ogletree was penalized for having used his arm to create separation from safety Sadat Chambers.

"I was a little upset, obviously," Ogletree said when asked about the call. "It was a touchdown. That would have tied the game. It would have got us some momentum."

That drive ended with a punt, but a three-and-out series by Clemson followed, and Virginia got the ball back in good field position. Its next possession ended in disaster. On fourth and 1 from the Clemson 27, senior tailback Cedric Peerman was tackled for a 5-yard loss. Peerman, with little room to run, finished with 45 yards on nine carries yesterday.

Coming into the game, this Virginia team had turned over the ball the most of any in Al Groh's eight seasons as coach at his alma mater. The total is now up to 29, with eight coming in the past two games. The Cavaliers' third blunder yesterday came midway through the final quarter, with the score still 10-3. Verica underthrew wide receiver Jared Green, who was running a deep route, and cornerback Crezon Butler intercepted for Clemson, which then drove for a victory-sealing field goal.

 

U.VA. NOTES: Groh ignores questions about son’s job security
By Staff Reports
Published: November 23, 2008

Groh ignores questions about son's job security
Virginia Tech isn't the only school whose fans are unhappy with the football team's offensive coordinator.

This is Mike Groh's third season overseeing the offense in Charlottesville, and many U.Va. fans would like it to be his last in that role.

The numbers are sobering:

In 2006, the Cavaliers ranked 110th nationally in scoring offense and 113th in total offense.

In 2007, they were 81st in scoring offense and 101st in total offense.

The Wahoos gained only 190 yards in their 13-3 loss to Clemson yesterday. Coming into the game, Virginia ranked 111th in scoring offense and 98th in total offense.

At the postgame news conference, U.Va. coach Al Groh was asked if his son would return as offensive coordinator in 2009. The question didn't go over well with the elder Groh.

"I love these divisive questions," he said. "I love these divisive questions."

Asked if that meant Mike Groh would be back, Al Groh said, "That means I blew the question off."

Manchester grad sparks Clemson's pass rush
Back in his home state, former Manchester High star Kavell Conner was among the leaders of a Clemson defense that shut down the Cavaliers.

Conner, a 6-1, 225-pound redshirt junior, was credited with five tackles and had one of the Tigers' two sacks of U.Va. quarterback Marc Verica.

For the season, Conner leads Clemson in tackles.

Cavaliers have few options at quarterback
Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica has thrown six interceptions in his past two games. But unless the Cavaliers want to play true freshman Riko Smalls, who's redshirting, the only other scholarship QB in the program is graduate student Scott Deke, and Al Groh said he still considers Verica the best option.

"It's not as if we have a lot of options there," Groh said. "In the present time frame, it is what it is. Unless Matt Schaub's available, I think we'll go with things the way they are."

Verica has started nine consecutive games. For the season, he's completed 218 of 340 passes for 1,960 yards and eight touchdowns, but he's been intercepted 15 times.

"It's just something that obviously has to be eliminated," Verica said, "and I'm sure as my career progresses that they'll be minimized. I don't think you'll ever not throw an interception. They're going to happen, but obviously they've been coming out a high rate. But I can't get down. I've just got to keep pressing on and preparing hard, and maybe things will work out."

Bowl eligibility on the line at Va. Tech
To become bowl-eligible, the Cavaliers must win at Virginia Tech on Saturday. U.Va. hasn't won in Blacksburg since 1998, when its coach was George Welsh. In three games under Groh at Lane Stadium, the Wahoos have been outscored 62-19.

"That's always a big challenge going there anyway," Groh said, "but this team has had a strong will and a strong spirit about it, and it's our challenge to be consistent with ourselves in that respect."

U.Va. has dealt with adversity since the end of last season, Groh said, and "the players have always responded, and the coaches have always responded, and I'm very confident that that's consistent with our character, and we'll respond again."

Extra points
For the first time since the Aug. 30 opener against Southern California, Virginia did not record a sack. Senior linebacker Clint Sintim entered yesterday's game as the ACC leader in sacks. . . . The temperature at kickoff was 35 degrees. That's the coldest at the start of a U.Va. game at Scott Stadium since at least 1966. . . . Former U.Va. star Bill Dudley raised the "Power of Orange" flag before yesterday's game. -- Jeff White

 

Cavaliers’ slide continues
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 22, 2008

During the quest for an ACC championship berth in October, Virginia coach Al Groh joked that he was unaware where Tampa Bay was.

Scrap the geography lesson. Now, it doesn’t matter.

Clemson erased any chance Virginia had to play in the league’s title game on Saturday, taking a 13-3 victory away and four turnovers away from the Cavaliers at Scott Stadium.

The loss spoiled the Senior Day festivities for Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC) and forces the program to win its season finale at Virginia Tech on Saturday to become bowl eligible.

“It sucked. Excuse my language but there’s no other way I can do it to express it,” Virginia senior linebacker Clint Sintim said. “It sucked. We wanted to win the game, obviously.

“Football is a frustrating game sometimes and we ended up on the back end of this one.”

Clemson, once upon a time the favorite to win the ACC title, kept its bowl hopes alive and improved to 6-5 overall, finishing league play at 4-4.

Virginia, while toting the company line of unity, can blame a woeful offensive performance that fittingly matched the frigid temperatures that abused the 51,979 fans in attendance.

The Cavaliers, mired in the first three-game losing streak during a season since 2001, managed only a lone field goal, a 34-yard boot from Robert Randolph with 5:36 left in the second quarter. They finished with just 190 yards of total offense as sophomore quarterback Marc Verica tossed three interceptions.

“It was what it was,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “Until we learn to take better care of the ball, unfortunately, that subtracts substantially from the result that we are trying to get.

“It is a pretty easy game to describe, right? It was right out there to see.”

Verica’s first miscue, a short pass he tried to force to tight end John Phillips, set up the game’s lone touchdown.

Facing third-and-five at Virginia’s 21, Verica was intercepted one yard past the line of scrimmage by safety Michael Hamlin.

After an offsides penalty on the Cavaliers, Clemson tailback C.J. Spiller took a carry and scooted left into open space, buying time for wideout Tyler Grisham to run uncovered into the end zone. Spiller fired the first pass of his career with accuracy, giving the Tigers a 15-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 3:23 left in the opening quarter.

“That’s a play if you show it a lot, it doesn’t work. You show it once or twice a season,” Groh said. “We were one play late on this one today It wasn’t a complex play.

“The receiver weaves in, fakes a block, weaves back out. I saw it all develop. Where he weaved into the coverage, we didn’t quite recognize what he was doing and let him run back out. Unfortunately, it was an uncontested throw — one of the few uncontested throws of the game.”

Clemson added a 32-yard field goal by Mark Buchholz on its first drive of the second quarter, a score that was set up by a fumble from UVa fullback Rashawn Jackson.

In the second half, Virginia wasted a prime opportunity to trim into the seven-point deficit.

Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper, who passed for 121 yards, had a premature snap in shotgun formation glance off his helmet and rest eventually in the hands of a diving Vic Hall at the Cavaliers’ 47-yard line.

Going for broke, Verica lofted a bomb down the left sidelines on the ensuing play for wide receiver Kevin Ogletree. After noticeable contact was made between both players, Ogletree broke free, collected the pass and raced into the end zone untouched.

The play, however, was negated by an offensive pass interference call against Ogletree.

“The corner blitzed, which left me on the safety, which is usually a favorable match-up for me and our team,” said Ogletree, who finished with six receptions for 73 yards. “Marc put a great ball up and there and I tried to everything I could to gain separation and the judgment was left in the ref’s hands, and he made a call.

“I didn’t necessarily agree with it, but that was his call. We can’t go back on one play and say it decided the game. It was big — I wish it didn’t go that way, but it is something that was unfortunate.”

Groh added: “It looked like there appeared to be contact involved with both players. It is one of those calls when you make it that you better be right … because if you were wrong you had a profound influence on the game in an incorrect way if you called it.”

Doug Rhoads, the ACC’s supervisor of officials, was in attendance, and said in the press box that the correct call was made, as Ogletree used his right hand to gain separation.

After exchanging punts, Virginia moved into Clemson territory again. Facing a fourth-and-one at the Tigers’ 27, Groh gambled for the second time in the game by going for a first down.

As was the case on the attempt in the fourth quarter, which was a pass attempt that was blocked to the ground, Clemson held strong.

Virginia running back Cedric Peerman tried to rush for the first down on the latter play, but was hit as he took the ball by reserve cornerback Byron Maxwell for a five-yard loss.

“Clearly, we didn’t block that well enough to get it executed,” Groh said. “Both [fourth-down] plays had been productive for us during the course of the year.

“That’s a series of plays there that’s been productive for us on a very high basis for us during the course of the year.”

Virginia’s defense forced yet another punt, but Verica threw his second interception of the game as left a deep ball short of wide receiver Jared Green, who used an inside move and temporarily streaked by cornerback Crezdon Butler and down the middle of the field into open space.

Butler made the necessary adjustment on the floater and returned it 31 yards to the Clemson 33 to set up a game-sealing field goal by Buchholz with 2:37 left.

“It was all just kind of a blur,” Green said. “I can’t really talk about the play because I don’t know what happened. It is just unfortunate what happened, but I felt like we had something going.”

Clemson finished off the contest in style, intercepting Verica again — linebacker DeAndre McDaniel picked off the quarterback at the Virginia 33 with 1:58 left.

Virginia’s seniors were left to ponder what might have been in a season that included a rocky start and forgettable November thus far.

“It definitely hurts. I am surprised that I am not sitting here bawling right now,” Virginia senior wideout Maurice Covington said. “You kind of wanted to win this game because not only is it your last game here, but we had a chance to go to the ACC championship and that is blown off now. It is hard.”

The underclassmen took it just as hard.

“I can only imagine how they feel,” said Hall. “I know they feel bad that they lost, but this is the last home game that they will ever play in Scott Stadium.

“They can never get this game back or another game like it. I can only imagine how they feel.”

Virginia closes out the regular season on Saturday against rival Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. A start time for the game will be announced today.

 

Offensive woes sink Virginia
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 23, 2008

If the age-old axiom is true that fans remember what teams do in November, then Virginia hasn’t given its followers much to reminisce about.

Oh-for-November won’t conjure up many warm and fuzzy memories when those who festoon themselves in orange and blue throw another log on the fire over the winter. Instead, what they may remember is how their team was in grand position to play its way into the ACC championship game early in the month, and proceeded to cough and sputter in a memorable collapse.

On the coldest Saturday (35 degrees at kickoff) in Scott Stadium since 1966, Virginia’s offense couldn’t find any firepower as the Cavaliers lost their third straight game, a 13-3 setback to Clemson. A win would have kept the Cavs alive for a chance to play its way to Tampa as Coastal Division champions.

Backs to the wall

Now, with only next weekend’s annual meeting with in-state rival Virginia Tech remaining, Virginia must win just to become bowl eligible and avoid a second losing season in three years. If you think the picture looks dismal, you would be correct.

If you’re wondering what’s most responsible for the stumble, you don’t have to look very long and hard. Coaches don’t play the blame game. That’s not a kosher thing to do. So, don’t expect too much when a head coach is defensive when sportswriters attempt to pin down the problem.

Certainly no one can point toward Virginia’s defense. The Cavaliers’ ‘D’ is not a flashy bunch. The closest thing to a star it can boast about is senior linebacker Clint Sintim.

Defense does its job

Still, UVa’s defense has played a hair-chested stretch for the past eight weeks. Saturday was just another example. Led by a trio of senior linebackers in Sintim, Jon Copper, and Antonio Appleby — all playing their final home game — the Cavaliers defense did everything it was asked to do. It held intact perhaps the most explosive group of skilled players in the ACC in running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller, along with receivers Jacoby Ford and Aaron Kelly.

Clemson’s offense was limited to 192 total yards and one touchdown, that coming off a trick play, a halfback option pass from Spiller, who threw his first career pass to Tyler Grisham, who made his first TD catch of the year.

Spiller, who led the ACC in all-purpose yards with an average of 148 per game, was held to 57, his second-lowest figure this season. The 192 yards were Clemson’s second-lowest all season and marked the first time since 2006 (vs. Western Michigan) that UVa lost when surrendering fewer than 200 yards.

Normally 13 points gives a team like Virginia a chance to win — especially at home.

One doesn’t need to place a call to Dick Tracy to figure out the problem here. Just what has happened to Virginia’s offense during the November Not To Remember?

The coaching staff and UVa’s players aren’t pointing fingers. That’s a decisive thing that breeds an unhealthy environment for a team that is trying to get off the schneid.

When the Cavaliers were the hottest team in the ACC during a four-game winning streak in October, capturing four straight upset wins and two of those over ranked teams, Virginia’s offense was a highly efficient machine.

During this three-game slide, the Cavaliers have scored a total of 37 points, including a mere field goal against the Tigers. Each week during the collapse, the total offense numbers have declined from 448 against Miami, a game the Cavaliers should have won, to 307 at Wake, to only 190 against Clemson. The past two weeks, Virginia’s running game hasn’t materialized as the offensive line simply hasn’t gotten the job done, resulting in a collective 58 yards on the ground against Wake and Clemson.

Coach Al Groh said that it was pretty easy to pinpoint how Virginia lost on this chilly Saturday: turnovers.

During UVa’s four-game winning streak, the Cavs owned a plus-5 turnover margin. In the current three-game losing streak (Virginia’s first in-season three-game losing streak since 2001), they have committed 10 turnovers, three fumbles and six Marc Verica interceptions, including three against the Tigers.

Those picks — plus a controversial offensive pass interference call against Kevin Ogletree that negated a potential momentum-changing touchdown — were too much to overcome.

Clearly, Virginia’s offense is frustrated with its lack of production. Perhaps Ogletree said it best: “We have to develop some type of consistency and help keep our defense off the field. We’ve got to put some points on the board. You can’t win without them.”

Ah, there’s the rub.

Except for a few blips on the radar screen, Virginia’s offense has been woeful for the past three seasons, coinciding with the appointment of Mike Groh as the team’s offensive coordinator.

The Cavaliers were ranked 98th in the nation (out of 119 major college teams) in total offense and No. 111 in scoring offense heading into the Clemson game. Those rankings are likely to drop even lower.

Those numbers haven’t changed much since 2006. UVa was ranked No. 113 in total offense and No. 110 in scoring offense in ’06, and No. 101 in total offense, and No. 81 in scoring offense in ’07.

Which led one sportswriter to ask Al Groh during Saturday’s postgame press conference if Mike Groh would be back as the team’s offensive coordinator next season. Mike Groh has come under heavy criticism from UVa’s fans for the lack of production the past two seasons.

“I love these divisive questions,” Al Groh responded.

“Is that a yes?” the scribe asked.

“That means I blew the question off,” Groh said sharply.

It was a legitimate question, perhaps ill-timed, and one that Groh really couldn’t answer under the circumstances. After all, if Mike Groh were just another coach, would he not be on the hot seat?

It’s a tough spot for the head coach to be in. He loves his son and believes in him. Mike Groh wants to do everything in his power to help his father, his head coach and his alma mater.

Both men bleed orange and blue and want nothing but to put Virginia in the winner’s circle.

Still, something is going to have to improve on the offensive end if Virginia is ever going to get there.

Perhaps rediscovering an offensive rhythm in Blacksburg might help.

 

Clemson defense shuts down UVa
By Bart Isley
Published: November 23, 2008

It didn’t lock Virginia down immediately, but Clemson’s defense certainly turned the tide after a rocky first quarter during the Tigers’ 13-3 win in a defensive struggle Sunday.

Virginia controlled nearly everything but the score in the opening frame, holding onto the ball for 10 minutes and 26 seconds of the quarter. Virginia gained 53 yards to Clemson’s 38 and got exactly what it wanted when it took the ball to start the contest, pinning the Tigers on their own eight yardline.

Clemson was nothing short of dominant defensively for the majority of the game after the first drive, forcing four turnovers starting with the interception that led to C.J. Spiller’s halfback pass for a touchdown.

“To give up just three points is a great accomplishment against an offense like they’ve got,” said Clemson’s Michael Hamlin, who had one of three Clemson interceptions and led the Tigers in tackles. “To hold them under 200 yards was our goal.”

Mission accomplished. Virginia finished with 190 yards in the contest, struggling for the final three quarters as Clemson exerted a 27:26 to 17:34 advantage in time of possession over the final three frames.

Finally, an early stop

Virginia forced Clemson to punt from its own 29-yard line on the Tigers’ opening drive of the game. The stop by Virginia’s defense was a significant one — it was the first time the Cavaliers’ opponent didn’t score on its opening possession in six games. East Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest all scored on their first possession.

Ogletree’s strong half

Kevin Ogletree, who was honored with his classmates during the pregame senior ceremony despite having another year of eligibility left, had a nice day if indeed this was his final game at Scott Stadium. Ogletree hauled in 73 yards on six catches, including a couple of crucial catches for first downs during the Cavaliers’ first half scoring drive. He also drew a pass interference call during that drive that ended in a Robert Randolph field goal.

Ogletree also kept alive his 23-game multi-catch streak that dates back to the 2006 season.

He was called for an unfortunate offensive pass interference penalty on what initially appeared to be a 53-yard touchdown pass with about two minutes left in the third quarter. The call erased what would have been a game-tying score with the extra-point.

“I thought maybe we had a hold back there or something because I felt strong about the play, I didn’t think I did anything wrong,” Ogletree said. “The referee did his job, he threw the flag and he thought he saw a penalty.”

Extra points…
The temperature was 35 degrees at kickoff for the game. It was the coldest temperature for a kickoff at Scott Stadium since records were available starting in 1966. … Spiller’s passing touchdown was the first toss of his career and earned him an interesting spot in the Tigers’ record book. He’s one of just four players in Clemson history to score four different ways, joining Chansi Stuckey, Ray Matthews and Jackie Calvert. …Twenty-four players were recognized prior to the start of today’s game in a ceremony to mark Senior Day. Antonio Appleby, Will Barker, Denzel Burrell, Jon Copper, Maurice Covington, Kevin Crawford, Scott Deke, Andrew Dewey, Alex Field, Jason Fuller, Byron Glaspy, Eugene Monroe, Rashawn Jackson, Brandon Jarvis, Cary Koch, Kevin Ogletree, Cedric Peerman, John Phillips, Crutcher Reiss, Hall Simmons, Clint Sintim, Patrick Slebonick, Zak Stair and John Thornton were all recognized. … Former Virginia star Bill Dudley raised the Power of Orange flag during UVa’s pregame ceremonies.

 

Turnovers doom Cavaliers against Clemson
Marc Verica throws three picks and Virginia also loses a fumble on the way to a third-straight loss. | Clemson 13, Virginia 3
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia football coach Al Groh has met the enemy and it's wearing orange and blue.

Or, rather, blue and white, the colors donned by a UVa team that was intercepted three times and lost a fumble Saturday in a 13-3 loss to visiting Clemson.

The Cavaliers had hoped to become bowl eligible and keep alive their hopes of an ACC championship but a determined Virginia defense once more was undermined by a mistake-prone offense.

UVa has more turnovers after 11 games, 29, than it has had in a single season since 1996. The high during Groh's first seven seasons was 24 in 2001.

All three of Clemson's scores -- a touchdown pass and two field goals -- followed Virginia turnovers.

"This is one that doesn't take a big, thick microscope to dissect," Groh said.

UVa quarterback Marc Verica completed 24 of 39 passes for 160 yards but was intercepted three times for the second game in a row. A fourth Clemson interception was nullified by penalty and Tiger defenders dropped at least two other balls.

"We can come up with all sorts of reasons," Groh said, "but, it was what it was. Until we learn to take better care of the ball, unfortunately, that subtracts substantially from the result we're trying to get."

Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC) has lost three games in a row since a 24-17 victory at Georgia Tech left the Cavaliers atop the Coastal Division standings.

UVa lost Saturday despite allowing 192 yards, its lowest defensive yield of the season, and held the Tigers to 57 yards in the second half. Clemson's longest gain of the day came on a 17-yard pass reception, and the Tigers did not have a rushing attempt of more than 8 yards.

"All that really matters at the end of the day is whether you win or lose," said UVa outside linebacker and co-captain Clint Sintim, "and we lost the game. Whether they had 200 [yards] or 600, it doesn't matter. They won and we lost."

It was the final home game for 15 UVa players.

"It sucks, excuse my language," Sintim said. "It's really terrible, just because you expect more. I've played here for four years and been here for five and not to go out on top is very frustrating."

Clearly, the turnovers were pivotal, but UVa didn't exactly move the ball up and down the field. The Cavaliers had 190 yards in total offense, their low since a 187-yard effort against Southern California in the first game.

Virginia, which ranked 111th in Division I-A in scoring offense before Saturday's game, has scored 17 points or fewer in eight games.

Groh bristled at a question concerning UVa offensive coordinator, son Mike Groh, and whether he will be back in 2009.

"I love these divisive questions," he said.

When pressed further, Al Groh added, "That means I blew the question off."

An inability to convert short-yardage opportunities was an Achilles' heel during Virginia's 1-3 start and came back to haunt the Cavaliers on Saturday.

In the span of three offensive series in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers twice went for a first down on fourth-and-1 and failed to convert.

On the first, from the Clemson 46-yard line, a Verica pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage. On the second, from the Clemson 27, tailback Cedric Peerman ran wide to the left side and was pulled down from behind for a 5-yard loss.

In between the two failed fourth-and-1 plays, Verica found wide receiver Kevin Ogletree streaking down the Clemson sideline for what would have been a 47-yard, game-tying touchdown reception if not for a yellow flag fluttering behind the play.

Officials ruled that Ogletree had pushed off on Clemson safety Sadat Chambers, sending the Cavaliers back to their 32 for a first-and-25.

"I really felt strong about the play [and] didn't feel I had done anything wrong," said Ogletree, who had six receptions for 73 yards. "I never extended my hand. Usually, if you try and gain separation with your hands, that's a clear penalty. I feel like the D-back mistimed the ball, so I didn't feel like my hand being out affected the catch."

Clemson improved its record to 6-5 and 4-4 in the Coastal Division, but two of the Tigers' victories have come over Division I-AA opposition, and they can only count one toward bowl eligibility. They end the regular season next week when they host in-state rival South Carolina.

Virginia needs to beat Virginia Tech next week in Blacksburg, where UVa hasn't won since 1998, or else its season will end. Groh said it is unlikely that he will change quarterbacks "unless [former UVa star] Matt Schaub is available."

Verica has been intercepted 15 times, the high for a UVa quarterback since 1976. Only Scott Gardner, in 1973 and 1975, has been intercepted more than 15 times in a season.

"This game was really kind of a continuation of what's been plaguing us these past couple losses," Verica said. "Until we learn to finish drives and take better care of the ball, we're going to get similar results."
 

Big play missing all day for Virginia against Clemson
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- All day long, Virginia was looking for a spark Saturday and, as soon as the Cavaliers got one, it quickly flickered out.

The closest UVa came to a touchdown in its 13-3 loss to Clemson was a would-be 53-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree that was nullified by offensive pass interference.

It was determined that Ogletree had used an arm to create separation from Clemson safety Sadat Chambers. Ogletree's contention was that Chambers had misjudged the ball and already had lost his balance.

All eyes turned to the Scott Stadium Jumbotron as the officials prepared to mark off the penalty.

"I took a look at it," UVa coach Al Groh said. "There appeared to be contact involved with both players. It's one of those calls that when you make it, you better be right."

So what? Right or wrong, the call was going to stand.

"If you're wrong, you've had a profound influence on the game in an incorrect way if you were the person who called it," Groh said. "I don't make those decisions. It's up to the supervisor to determine."

ACC supervisor of football officials Doug Rhoads was in the press box and watched a replay. He did not have any misgivings with the call.

"It was big," Ogletree said. "Wish it didn't go that way, but one play didn't determine the game."

A touchdown at that point would have forced a 10-10 tie with 2:16 remaining in the third quarter, provided the Cavaliers had converted an extra point.

"That was the spark," said Ogletree, whose six receptions gave him 56 for the season. "That was a touchdown. That was points that we needed. It would have been a brand-new ballgame from there on.

"I'm pretty sure the guys would have got up and rallied behind that, but there were a lot more plays in the game that could have been made."

Ogletree said it wasn't too soon for the Cavaliers (5-6 overall, 3-4 ACC) to start thinking about their regular-season finale at Virginia Tech.

"We've got to go get a win, we want to go to a bowl, we want to keep playing, so that's a playoff game for us," Ogletree said.

Trickery

The only touchdown in Saturday's game came on a 15-yard pass from Clemson tailback C.J. Spiller to wideout Tyler Grisham on the Tigers' first possession. It was the first pass Spiller had attempted in his three-year college career and the first TD reception of the season for Grisham.

By the numbers

Virginia quarterback Marc Verica had passed for more than 200 yards in six consecutive games, tying a school record held by Matt Schaub, before he was stopped Saturday at 160. ... Tight end John Phillips, who entered the game with 46 receptions, got his first catch Saturday with under eight minutes remaining.
 

Fourth-down flops hurt UVa against Clemson
By Mark Berman
981-3125

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia's offense flopped on fourth down Saturday.

"Two failed fourth downs," as coach Al Groh labeled them, played a part in a 13-3 loss to Clemson at Scott Stadium.

Twice in the second half, Virginia went for it on fourth-and-1 in Clemson territory.

Both times, the Cavaliers were denied.

"Until we're able to finish those drives and take advantage of those short-yardage situations, then we're not going to be very successful," quarterback Marc Verica said.

The defeat knocked UVa (5-6, 3-4) out of the race for the Coastal Division's berth in the ACC title game.

"Fourth-and-1, you have to be able to get a yard," tailback Cedric Peerman said. "We weren't able to execute."

With UVa down 10-3, the Cavaliers went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Clemson 46. Verica threw a pass intended for Cary Koch on a slant route, but linebacker DeAndre McDaniel batted it down at the line of scrimmage with 6:38 left in the third quarter.

"Cary just had to beat his man inside and the throw was there," Verica said. "He did, but the outside linebacker that blitzed just got his hands up in the passing lane."

Why pass the ball instead of run it?

"We felt like they were going to really load the box up and blitz to stop one of our runs," Verica said.

Groh said it was the type of pass that has worked for UVa at other times during the season.

On its next possession, UVa faced a fourth-and-2 at the Clemson 45.

The players wanted to go for it, said Verica. But Groh said "different field position" was the reason UVa opted to punt that time.

The following series, Virginia did go for it.

On fourth-and-1 from the Clemson 27, Peerman was brought down from behind by cornerback Byron Maxwell in the backfield for a 5-yard loss with 11:59 to go.

"I was ... not really feeling anything behind me or anything from the side," Peerman said. "I was just headed for the edge. ... The defensive guy made a great play."

"That's a play that's also been good for us," Groh said. "Clearly we didn't block that well enough."

UVa mustered just 190 yards of total offense; only Southern Cal has held UVa to a lower total (187) this year. The Cavaliers also were held to three points for the second time this year; Duke held them to a field goal in September.

Virginia had entered the game ranked 98th in Division I-A in total offense and 111th in scoring offense.

"We knew they were going to challenge us to man up," Clemson safety Michael Hamlin said of the fourth-down stops.

"You just do what you've got to do and accept the challenge."
 

This Virginia team wasn't deserving of a title anyway
Posted to: Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson
Virginian-Pilot columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 23, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Not to be cruel, but Virginia's dismal 13-3 loss to Clemson on Saturday was fitting. Coach Al Groh's football team had no business, here in late November, nursing a crazy dream of playing for the ACC championship.

Enough of that now, as it should be. Yes, the dud at Scott Stadium robs next weekend's contest in Blacksburg of some intrastate buzz. It casts Virginia, which will be playing for bowl eligibility, in the role of spoiler rather than title contender.

But that was a straw house anyway, the thought of these flawed Cavaliers (5-6 overall and 3-4 in the ACC) playing Virginia Tech for a shot to win the Coastal Division of a dysfunctional league.

Not that the Hokies are anybody's shining ideal of a champion. Virginia is just less of one which, again, isn't to disparage the four-game winning streak - including three ACC games - that produced the false hope in the first place.

The Hoos have had their moments, to be sure. They roasted Maryland 31-0 in early October, producing, on a national level, one of the season's most unexpected results. Two weeks later, they played dead for practically an entire game, and still ripped the heart out of North Carolina with an impressive rally and overtime win.

Groh shooed the posse off his doorstep after three humbling blowouts started the Division I-A portion of U.Va.'s schedule. His team showed the resilience, if not the consistency, coaches crave and love.

But it will step aside now and let someone else go to Tampa for the title game in a couple weeks, as the posse likely reconvenes.

This is a gut instinct based largely on the number and volume of boos that rumbled from the seats, on what U.Va. officials said was the coldest kickoff - 35 degrees - in 42 years of record keeping at Scott Stadium.

Discontent is not a warm and fuzzy thing.

It's no fun to watch your line clear space enough to net just 30 rushing yards and your offense fail on two fourth-and-1 tries on enemy turf.

There's a helplessness to watching your green quarterback, sophomore Marc Verica, throw three more interceptions - 15 now in 10 games - and to know a fourth was nullified by a penalty, and a fifth was dropped by Clemson in the end zone.

"It's something that I have to learn not to do - trust the system and take what they give me, not force," said Verica, whose unit has coughed up at least three turnovers in each of the past four games.

"Until we learn to take better care of the ball, we're going to get similar results."

It hurts to see three of those giveaways, two picks and a fumble by Rashawn Jackson, precede all of Clemson's points.

And disheartening when a strong defensive effort, which U.Va. produced in limiting the Tigers (6-5, 4-4) to 192 total yards, is pierced by a gadget play and a blown interception that had six points tattooed on it.

The former: Clemson scored the game's only touchdown on a 15-yard halfback pass in the first quarter, C.J. Spiller to a very lonely wide receiver, Tyler Grisham.

The latter: Chesapeake's Ras-I Dowling, a sophomore cornerback, defensed a second-quarter sideline pattern perfectly, only to drop the ball with 30 yards of free turf between him and the goal line.

"It was right there," Dowling said. "Things happen for a reason."

Then, too, it's a cold and angry wind that blows when you follow your one big break - a recovered fumble late in the third quarter - with an apparent 53-yard TD bomb to Kevin Ogletree that gets erased on a sketchy offensive-interference call.

"I didn't really feel that I did anything wrong," Ogletree said. "Obviously, it was a touchdown that would have tied the game, would have got us some momentum. It would have helped our defense out a little bit; they played their hearts. So all those things would have happened."

Instead, reality hit a specious dream hard as Virginia fell to its level. And as Groh noted about his limited quarterback options, though it applied to his squad in general, "you can't hide from reality."
 

Sounds of optimism return to locker room
Bowl hopes and Swinney's prospects get a boost as Tigers' revival gains energy
BY PAUL STRELOW

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. —Raucous laughter and voices seeped through the walls of Clemson’s locker room on Saturday — postgame sounds seldom heard from players and coaches in recent months.

When interim coach Dabo Swinney mentioned church in his closing comments, the team’s chaplain howled, prompting a hearty laugh from others.

The aftermath of the Tigers’ 13-3 victory at Virginia had the feel of a revival meeting.

However, the Tigers must overcome one remaining obstacle before they can call their finish a revival: Clemson needs to beat rival USC to become bowl eligible.

“The coaches have talked to us a lot recently about having resiliency, and that’s what this game was about,” senior quarterback Cullen Harper said. “We had to just keep on keeping on.”

The Tigers (6-5, 4-4 ACC) gave themselves reason to keep on going, whether their motivation is a possible bowl bid for the team or the possible permanent hire of coach Dabo Swinney.

“(A bowl) would be a big accomplishment because that’s the last goal out there for them,” Swinney said. “And it’s an opportunity for the seniors to go out with a winning season and be rewarded for how they’ve held this thing together.”

The Tigers held it together on the road against a team that had good reason to play its best. The Cavaliers (5-6, 3-4), losers of three in a row, need one win to become bowl-eligible. They finish the season at Virginia Tech.

Running back C.J. Spiller’s 15-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter staked Clemson to a lead, and the defense took care of the rest in the team’s second consecutive victory.

Despite game-ending injuries to end Ricky Sapp and safety Chris Clemons, the Tigers limited Virginia to a season-low 190 yards on offense and came up with a key fourth-and-1 stop early in the fourth quarter to protect a 10-3 lead.

The Tigers matched a season high with four takeaways, including three interceptions. All 13 of Clemson’s points came off turnovers.

Clemson held Virginia’s running game to 30 yards on 24 carries.

“There’s a reason this team was the preseason pick,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “Those teams usually play pretty good defense. They had some guys we had difficulty moving today.”

The same could have been said for Clemson’s offense, which mustered 196 yards, its worst output in a victory since 1994.

Yet despite sputtering for most of the contest, the Tigers moved the ball when needed.

They protected the fourth-quarter lead by running behind their maligned offensive line. On a late fourth-quarter drive, senior running back James Davis produced runs of 8 and 7 yards to convert third-and-6 and third-and-3, respectively. Those third-down conversions set the stage for Mark Buchholz to kick a 23-yard field goal with 2:37 remaining.

“We didn’t put our defense in a bad position and didn’t turn the ball over,” Davis said. “And that right there will put you in position to win games.”

Minutes after the game, senior defensive lineman Rashaad Jackson led six players into the Clemson fan sections to thank those in attendance for their support.

The Tigers likely will never forget how this once-promising season started. But they are one win away from giving it an unforgettable finish, too.

“We know we don’t want to be home for Christmas,” senior safety Michael Hamlin said. “This is going to determine our season.”

 

Begging pays off for Spiller
Back becomes first non-quarterback with a TD pass for Clemson since 1999
By PAUL STRELOW

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — It took the better part of two years, but all of the begging finally paid off for one of Clemson’s running backs.

That is how long junior C.J. Spiller and senior James Davis have been prodding the Tigers’ coaches to let them throw a pass.

Their chance actually came last week against Duke, but Spiller tucked the ball and ran when receiver Tyler Grisham was covered in the end zone.

Story: Sounds of optimism return to locker room
A Virginia safety must not have reviewed the film too closely, because Spiller and Grisham executed the play for a 15-yard score with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter of Clemson’s 13-3 victory.

From the left slot, Spiller took the handoff on a sweep but never turned upfield, waiting for Grisham to break into the clear in the back of right side of the end zone for the game’s lone touchdown.

“I finally got my early Christmas gift.” Spiller said. “James has been asking for it for a while, but I’ve got a little quarterback history in my book.”

He played quarterback in eighth grade.

It was the first completion by a Clemson player other than a quarterback since cornerback Justin Miller connected on a 2-yarder against North Carolina State in 2004.

The last time someone other than a quarterback threw a touchdown pass was kicker Tony Lazzara on a fake field goal against Virginia Tech in 1999.

Sapp done? Junior defensive end Ricky Sapp’s availability for this week’s USC finale — and perhaps any potential bowl game — is in jeopardy.

Sapp told teammates he believed he tore cartilage in his right knee. Sapp had to be helped to the locker room in the second quarter and did not return.

Sophomore Kourtnei Brown and redshirt freshman Andre Branch, a Richmond, Va., native, split time as Sapp’s replacement.

Drawing the line. Offensive line coach Brad Scott sported a wide grin as he congratulated interim coach Dabo Swinney_— for good reason.

The Tigers’ often-criticized line played a major role.

Virginia outside linebacker Clint Sintim came in to the game ranked third nationally in sacks (13), yet Cullen Harper was not sacked.

On the final drive, the Tigers converted a pair of third downs by running behind the left-side tandem of sophomore tackle Chris Hairston and junior guard Thomas Austin. The drive culminated with a Clemson field goal

“There have been several times this year where we’ve gotten the ball in the fourth quarter and not been able to put the nail in the coffin,” Austin said.

“To have a chance to win next week to play in a bowl game and go 8-5, you look back a month ago and no one would have ever thought that would be possible for us.”

Extra points. It was the fewest points Clemson has scored in a win since topping USC 13-9 to end the 2005 regular season. ... Senior safety Michael Hamlin moved into a tie for third in school history with his 13th career interception. His 17 career takeaways are two behind record-holder Terry Kinard. ... Grisham notched his first touchdown in 34 catches this season.
 

Cavs' play cold as day
November 23, 2008 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

It's a good thing 24 Virginia fourth- and fifth-year football players had their parents on hand for Senior Day yesterday in bitterly cold Scott Stadium.

Because after the players and their loved ones were introduced, the Cavaliers went out and played a game that perhaps only a mother could be enthused about.

Virginia committed four turnovers and amassed just 190 yards of total offense in one of its most dismal efforts of a lackluster season: a 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference loss to Clemson (6-5, 4-4 ACC) in front of 51,979.

The teams played evenly mediocre football, but Cavaliers head coach Al Groh said a small group of critical plays were the difference in the game that ended any hopes Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC) had of reaching the ACC championship game and forced it to need a win next week over Virginia Tech to become bowl-eligible.

It was the Cavaliers' third straight setback after a four-game winning streak.

"The game was a pretty even match other than about seven plays--a touchdown that we didn't get, four or five turnovers and two failed fourth downs which essentially are the same thing as a turnover," Groh said. "But in any case, those seven plays did separate the two teams, so we're disappointed."

The missed touchdown Groh was referring to was a 53-yard bomb from quarterback Marc Verica to junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree. The play was called back for offensive pass interference.

Officials ruled Ogletree extended his arm and pushed off Clemson defensive back Chris Chancellor before making the catch that, if it had stood, would have tied the game at 10 late in the third quarter.

Ogletree said he voiced his displeasure with the referee using unprintable words. He said he was upset because the play would have tied the game and helped Virginia defenders who were "playing their hearts out."

Groh said the referee "better be right" about the call, because it may have changed the outcome of the game.

"I feel like the D-back mistimed the ball, so my hand being out didn't really affect the catch," Ogletree said. "But like I said, when those plays are close, it's left in the hands of the referee."

Things didn't go much better for Virginia when the game was in its hands. All of Clemson's points came off Cavaliers turnovers.

Fullback Rashawn Jackson lost a fumble that led to a Tigers field goal, and Verica threw three interceptions, bringing his season total to 15 in nine starts.

"I think we can dissect and come up with all sorts of reasons, but it was what it was," Groh said of Verica's turnover-filled performance. "And until we learn to take better care of the ball, unfortunately, it subtracts substantially from the result we're trying to get."

Verica finished the game 24-of-39 for 160 yards. The Cavaliers were held to just 30 yards rushing on 24 carries, in addition to their miscues.

"Winning the turnover battle was key for us--being the more physical team," Clemson interim head coach Dabo Sweeney said. "Our defense absolutely set the tempo early and never let up."

Virginia's defense wasn't too shabby, either.

It limited the Tigers to 192 yards of total offense, but senior linebacker Clint Sintim said the unit didn't do enough.

It allowed Clemson running back C.J. Spiller to throw a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Grisham on a trick play with 3:23 left in the first quarter to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

They led 10-3 at halftime before adding a 23-yard field goal from Mark Buchholz to seal the win with 2:37 remaining in the game.

"I've said it a million times: This game is a team game," Sintim said. "So although we may have played good defensively, we didn't play good enough, because we needed to help our offense out a lot more."

 

Cavs have lofty goals at NCAA meet
By Bart Isley
Published: November 23, 2008

When Ryan Foster toes the line for Virginia’s men’s cross country team in the early afternoon on Monday, he’ll do so for the final time. After six years as a member of the Virginia track and field program, the ACC’s individual champion will wrap up his career in the NCAA Championships — a long way from where Virginia started when Foster joined the program.

“When I was a first-year, we were pretty awful,” Foster said. “My class really made a point to not want to continue that tradition and build a new one. It was helpful that Jason Dunn [now Stanford’s cross country coach] had been here for a few years and had gotten the ball rolling and projected that mentality. We kind of answered that call.”

Virginia’s men’s and women’s cross country teams have certainly kicked off an ascent into the upper echelon of the sport. The women’s team won the NCAA Southeast Regional and the men finished second, just one point out of first place. William and Mary pulled off the upset victory, knocking off the favored Cavaliers.

The men, who won the ACC title, should be able to translate that bit of frustration into a strong performance at the NCAA championship race.

“We’ve got to have that point, that [the Southeast regional] should have been an exhibition for us,” Foster said. “I think everyone knows that if you don’t use it in a positive way then you’re missing out on an opportunity to gain something from it. If you miss by one slot and don’t learn anything from it then that’s not how you become a national-caliber team.”

Virginia head coach Jason Vigilante has made it clear that he isn’t satisfied with using the regional as a tuneup for the Championships. Winning there is all part of his mission to make Virginia one of the best middle distance programs in the nation.

“I hate to lose anything,” Vigilante said. “So I’m not going there just to let someone beat us so that we can go on to the National championships.”

Virginia’s teams will need to adopt that mentality to knock off the Oregons of the cross-country world. With Emil Heineking and Andy Biladeau, among a host of others, racing Monday for the Cavaliers, Virginia has a chance to make a mark now. They’ll need a better team race in the 10K than the Cavaliers had at the Regional, but that certainly seems within reach.

As for Foster, he’ll likely lead the way for the Cavaliers, with Heineking right with him. The sixth-year runner who earned a medical redshirt seems poised for a solid last outing as a Cavalier. And, typical of Foster, he hasn’t changed his approach despite this being his final race.

“He’s a rock steady type of guy,” Vigilante said. “This is what you would expect from a guy who is in his final opportunity to race collegiately — it’s consistent with who he is.”

The women are bringing a great deal of momentum into the NCAA race after winning the Southeast. Lauretta Dezubay, Morgane Gay and Stephanie Garcia placed in the top 10 to help spark the Cavaliers to win. It was a big stepping stone for the Cavaliers.

“It was an emotional, prideful moment,” Garcia said. “It was the first time in my time at Virginia that I felt like we were a real team. I think the culture of the team has kind of changed.”

The junior Broad Run High product, who is also an ACC steeplechase champion, also explained how instrumental Vigilante has been in the women’s team’s approach.

“He’s been the breath of fresh that we needed,” Garcia said. “It was a scary change at first but it was definitely a necessary one, and everyone has been really happy.”

If the women can build on the regional performance at the Championship race that should help even further bolster what appears to be a bright future for the Cavaliers. Gay is running in just her first cross country season and Garcia has two more years of cross country eligibility left.

“The team is really young and really middle distance-oriented — a lot of the girls are not really cross country focused,” Garcia said. “I think it says a lot about our talent and our passion for it if we can be this strong as a team. We’ll continue to grow and get better.”

 

Blue Devils bounce Cavs
By Bart Isley
Published: November 23, 2008

Much like its first meeting with Virginia, Duke didn’t take many shots Saturday night. But this time, the Blue Devils made those chances count.

Less than a month after playing Duke to a double overtime, scoreless tie in the regular season, Virginia fell 2-0, ending the Cavaliers’ season in the third round of the NCAA tournament.

“Our decisions weren’t really there tonight — we were taking shots that weren’t getting us in the place that we needed to be,” said Virginia’s Nikki Krzysik. “We were settling and we weren’t doing that little bit extra that we needed to do.”

Virginia couldn’t finish any of its 15 shots on the night, missing chance after chance against a solid Duke defense led by senior goalie Cassidy Powers’ four saves. Offensively, the Blue Devils’ first-team All-ACC performers led the way, with KayAnne Gummersall notching the first goal and junior Elisabeth Redmond knocking home the insurance goal.

Gummersall’s score came in the 16th minute when Duke midfielder Lorraine Quinn nabbed a ball from a Virginia defender on the right side just outside the box. She quickly crossed the ball to Gummersall, who chipped the ball past Virginia goalie Celeste Miles.

“I thought that first goal was against the run of play a little bit,” Swanson said. “You’ve got to be tough mentally to not let that affect you.”

In the 16 minutes leading up to Duke’s score, Virginia controlled much of the action, and had a pair of close calls with goals. On a blast from the Cavaliers’ left side, Duke defender Gretchen Miller kicked a ball out that slipped past Duke goalie Cassidy Powers from just outside the goal line with 31:10 left. The ball was inches away from being past the goal line. Two minutes before, another Virginia chance had come up short.

“I looked at the tape, and it was really hard to get a good gauge if it was over or not,” Swanson said. “That was a turning point there.”

The initial goal was a major momentum swing in the game, as Duke coach Robbie Church agreed that Virginia seemed to be in control of the match early on.

“That changed the complexion of the game, I think we were really chasing the game,” Church said. “I thought Virginia was really sharp early. That changed the whole momentum of the game.”

After Duke jumped up 1-0 on Gummersall’s goal, the Cavaliers’ next big chance came with 3:45 to play in the half, when a crossing shot by Kika Toulouse from the left side sailed wide right. It seemed to go that way all night, with Virginia being forced into less-than-desirable shots most of the match. Duke’s defense appeared to play even better than the scoreless tie on Oct. 30, relying less on Powers’ spectacular saves and more on trying to push the Cavaliers out and force bad shots.

“We went over our defensive shape in practice a lot this week and made some adjustments from the last game,” Redmond said. “I think they were much more dangerous in the first game.”

Duke’s defense has now held the Cavaliers scoreless for 180 minutes of gameplay. Virginia averages 2.32 goals per game. Down the stretch the Blue Devils have been particularly good, surrendering just three goals in their last seven games.

Even more impressive is that at the beginning of that stretch, Duke lost one of its top defenders, All-ACC freshman team honoree Ashley Rape, to a torn ACL during practice after the Florida State game on October 19. Church pointed to that as a turning point for the Blue Devils while calling the effort against Virginia the best played defensive effort of the season.

“Everybody knew losing Ashley that we all had to step up,” Church said. “We couldn’t replace her with just one person.”

Redmond’s goal in the 64th minute came on a blast from about 20 yards out after the junior swiped a ball near midfield and pushed it ahead. She then recovered a loose ball after a pass to Gummersall near the top of the box and let the shot rip.

Duke will face the UCLA-Southern California in the next round of the NCAA tournament.