White: Boston College Extinguishes UVa's Hopes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Two games remain, so the season is not over for UVa's football team.
But the Cavaliers' slim hopes of becoming bowl-eligible -- a feat that would have required Al Groh's team to close the regular season with three consecutive victories -- were extinguished Saturday.
Boston College, in its first visit to Scott Stadium, held off Virginia 14-10 in an ACC game before a crowd of 44,324 on a splendid fall day.
"It could have gone either way, and it went BC's way today," UVa defensive end Nate Collins said.
And so the Wahoos (2-4, 3-7), who went 5-7 in 2006 and again in '08, are assured of finishing with a losing record for the third time in four seasons.
"That hurts, man," said senior quarterback Jameel Sewell. "It hurts a lot."
In the final minute, Virginia drove to the Eagles' 12-yard line. But on fourth-and-1, Sewell, after taking a shotgun snap, couldn't find an open receiver and chose to run.
BC defenders stopped him near the 11. The Eagles then received what appeared to be an favorable spot. The line judge placed the ball about six inches short of the first down, and a video review upheld that spot, the protests of Groh and the UVa fans notwithstanding.
The final drive, said BC's first-year coach, Frank Spaziani, a former UVa assistant, was "about who was going to get tired in a game of attrition. That was what was going through my mind - who was going to be the hero?"
The heroes wore white jerseys Saturday. The Eagles (4-2, 7-3) took over with 17 seconds left, and the 'Hoos watched helplessly as the clock ran out.
"I thought I had it," Sewell said of the first down. "Looks can be deceiving."
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers thought they had stopped BC on fourth-and-goal from the 1. An official, however, signaled that true freshman Dave Shinskie had scored on a quarterback sneak, and a video review upheld the call.
"Obviously they call it a game of inches," Groh said. "It was close enough to review the Boston College touchdown, and it was close enough to review the last play of the game there. For probably less than a total of six inches in the game, that was the difference in the two teams, but that turned out to be enough."
In 2007, Virginia won five games by two points or fewer, and Sewell frequently sparkled on dramatic fourth-quarter drives.
"It sucks being on the other side of it today," Collins said. "It's just one of those things where you're watching from the sideline and just hoping that we might get the right play call and have things happen our way, and they didn't at the end."
The drive started auspiciously for UVa, though, evoking memories of '07.
Sewell, a 6-3, 225-pound lefthander, mixed in a 12-yard scramble for a first down with completions to wideouts Dontrelle Inman, Vic Hall and Kris Burd and running back Rashawn Jackson.
"We were a little nervous," BC linebacker Miike Morrissey said. "They had gone all the way down the field, but we knew they needed a touchdown. Once we're backed up to the line, we're tough down there."
The fourth-down play was designed to be a pass, but Groh had no complaints with Sewell's decision to pull the ball down and run.
"I don't second-guess the player. He's one of our really, really intense competitors and gave it everything he had," Groh said. "I appreciate what he did just to get us down there in the first place."
The Cavaliers were penalized eight times for 97 yards. Thrice they were called for pass interference, and two of those calls extended drives that ended with BC touchdowns.
Most costly to UVa, however, was a block-in-the-back call against Mike Parker. That negated what would have been a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown by senior Vic Hall with 9:40 left in the third quarter.
The home fans cheered wildly as Hall raced toward the end zone, but UVa's special-teams coordinator, Ron Prince, was not so happy. He saw the yellow flag lying on the field. Prince walked out to meet Parker and made sure the junior cornerback saw it too.
"We made a lot of progress with our team today," Groh said. "We've been working for 10 months to get to this point, to have a performance as one like that. Unfortunately, we did do some things that made it more difficult on ourselves."
In their previous three games, all losses, the 'Hoos had been outscored 114-43, so clearly they were more competitive Saturday. Still, their offense failed to score a TD for the second time in the past four games.
Sewell threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted late in the first half, but he finished with a solid line: 21 for 41 for 221 yards. Given his health and general lack of preparation, it was an admirable performance.
"Thursday was the only day that Jameel has practiced the past two weeks," Groh said.
A shoulder injury kept Sewell out of Virginia's game at ACC rival Miami last weekend, and junior Marc Verica went the whole way in the 52-17 loss. Verica was expected to start against BC, too, but UVa's medical staff learned Wednesday night that he'd come out of the Miami game with a concussion.
Sewell was listed as questionable on the injury report UVa released Thursday night, but with Verica out, he stepped forward.
"Under the circumstances, I thought it was one of his most courageous and one of his best efforts here at Virginia. To be able to do that against a team that has tested a lot of quarterbacks, and to do it essentially without practice for two weeks says a lot about him."
UVa surrendered a second-quarter touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Shinskie to wideout Justin Jarvis, but overall Groh's defense played well.
The Cavaliers forced two turnovers. On the first, junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling ended the game's opening drive by picking off a Shinskie pass in the end zone. On the second, outside linebacker Cam Johnson hurried Shinskie into a pass that senior cornerback Chris Cook intercepted and returned 58 yards for a touchdown.
It was the third touchdown of Cook's college career and the second on an interception return.
Drew Jarrett's extra point made it 7-7 with 5:41 left in the third, and UVa took its first lead with a second left in the quarter on Robert Randolph's 38-yard field goal.
That lead lasted little more than seven minutes. And now the 'Hoos face the daunting task of pulling together for their final two games, next weekend at No. 24 Clemson (5-2, 7-3) and Nov. 28 against No. 20 Virginia Tech (4-2, 7-3) at Scott Stadium.
"It's going to be extremely difficult to do so," Sewell said. "Right now we just have to play with some pride, not give in. Our hopes were getting bowl-eligible, and they're gone. All we really have is these last two games."
Virginia will finish with losing records in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1981 and '82.
"A lot of people are going to try to say that we have nothing to play for, but we have everything to play for," Collins said. "We have to play for ourselves. For our seniors, this is the last two games. For some of us, it may be the last two games ever being on the field. You never know what's going to happen. Tomorrow isn't promised."
UP NEXT: Virginia (2-4, 3-7) visits Atlantic Division leader Clemson (5-2, 7-3) next Saturday. The starting time will be announced Sunday. The Tigers have won five games in a row.
The Tigers lead their series with 'Hoos 36-8-1. A season ago at Scott Stadium, Clemson beat UVa 13-3.
ACT OF CONTRITION: Sewell was the last UVa player to enter the interview room Saturday night. Before he took questions from media members, Sewell addressed his behavior in the game's final seconds.
After seeing the spot he received on his fourth-down carry, Sewell had made his displeasure known to the officials.
"I want to apologize to the officiating staff," he said. "I lost it a little bit, and I want to apologize. You guys were doing your job. I just lost my cool. Much respect to you guys. You were doing your job. I should have just done my job a little better."
POOR DECISION: With about 1:45 left in the second quarter and UVa trailing 7-0, Sewell dropped back to pass on second-and-10 from the BC 32.
He had room to run but, mindful of his injured shoulder, opted to pass. Sewell's target, Joe Torchia, was open around the 5, but the pass sailed over the junior tight end's head and was picked off.
"I definitely have to be careful with the shoulder, the running, but it was just a missed throw," Sewell said. "I overthrew a wide-open guy. I should have done the smart thing and run the ball and got what I got."
MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: Redshirt freshman Billy Schautz, who was sidelined early in the season by a knee injury suffered during training camp, returned a blocked punt for a touchdown at Miami last weekend.
Against BC, the 6-4, 240-pound outside linebacker got his first career sack.
"Slowly, my leg's been getting better and better, and these past two or three weeks it's been almost 100 percent," Schautz said. "I finally got my shot, and I'm trying to take advantage of it."



 

Virginia-BC Game Notes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009

Virginia Game Notes
• Steve Greer tallied double-digit tackles (10) for the second straight week, bringing his team-leading mark to 80 for the season.
• Greer's 80 season tackles are the most by a UVa freshman since Darryl Blackstock recorded 108 in 2002.
• With Boston College's 147 yards passing fell 46.1 yards under their season average per game, making the Eagles the ninth of 10 UVa opponents to fall below their season passing yardage average.
• Virginia junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling recorded his third interception of the season and eighth of his career in the first quarter.
• Freshman tailback Perry Jones recorded his first career rush in the first quarter
• Redshirt freshman linebacker Billy Schautz recorded his first career sack in the third quarter.
• With 5:41 to play in the third quarter, senior cornerback Chris Cook had his second career interception return for a touchdown (58 yards), and longest of his career.
• Cook's interception return of 58 yards is the seventh longest return for a touchdown in UVa history.
• Cook's touchdown was the second of his career and first since returning a fumble 44 yards in the final game at the Orange Bowl on Nov. 10, 2007.
• With 1:19 to play in the third quarter, sophomore tight end Joe Torchia made his fourth reception of the game, setting a career high.
• With 221 passing yards today, Jameel Sewell (5,086) became the fifth quarterback in UVa history to throw for over 5,000 career yards, passing No. 5 Marques Hagans (4,877) for fifth position in the Virginia annals.
• As part of the University's Student Council and The ‘Hoo Crew spirit group "Hoos for Herzlich 94" fundraising campaign, the student-athletes on the UVa football team donated their per diem for the day of today's game against Boston College. The fundraiser is to support research for Ewing's Sarcoma, in honor of Boston College LB Mark Herzlich, who was presented with a check of $8,194.94 during the coin toss prior to the game.
• The loss to Boston College secures UVa's second losing season in a row, snapping a string of 26 consecutive seasons without back-to-back losing campaigns, which was the 16th-best mark entering the 2009 season.
• Al Groh coached his 176th career game at an ACC school (Wake, Virginia) today, holding down fourth place all-time in the league annals

Boston College Game Notes

Team Notes
• Virginia's "Hoos For Herzlich" campaign raised $8,194.94. Senior LB Mark Herzlich was presented with the check, made out to Uplifting Athletes, prior to the coin toss.
• BC's touchdown in the second quarter was the first time in an ACC road game this season that the Eagles have scored in the first three quarters.
•The Eagles' points (7), first downs (9), rushing yards (85), passing yards (95) and total yards (180) were all first half season highs for BC in an ACC road game this year.

Individual Notes
• Senior WR Rich Gunnell surpassed Brian Brennan and now ranks third on the career receiving yards ledger at Boston College.
• True freshman LB Luke Kuechly recorded seven tackles in the first half to break the true freshman tackles record in a season at Boston College. He ended the half with 101 tackles which surpassed Stephen Boyd's 100 tackles in 1991.
• Kuechly had two tackles for a loss in the first quarter. His previous career high for a game was 1.5 TFLs.
• Kuechly also recorded his first collegiate sack in the third quarter.
• Sophomore RB Montel Harris gained 85 yards in the first half to give him 1,015 yards this season. He is the first BC rusher to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in a season since Derrick Knight rushed for 1,721 yards in 2003.
• Harris also recorded his fifth 100-yard game this season and now has 10 in his career. His 10 100-yard performances are tied for seventh in a career at BC.
• Junior FB James McCluskey recorded the first reception of the season, a six-yard gain on third down for a first down.
• Senior CB Roderick Rollins picked off his second pass of the year late in the second quarter at the four yard line. It was his fourth career interception.

Attendance: 44,324
Weather: Clear, 66 degrees, wind out of the ENE 3 MPH, 62 percent humidity.
Coin Toss: Virginia won the toss and deferred to the second half.





 

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009
Virginia vs. Boston College
Head Coach Al Groh Quotes
November 14, 2009

On Virginia's performance:
"We made a lot of progress with our team today. I'm proud of the effort the players put into it and the fight they showed. We've been working for 10 months to have a performance like that. Unfortunately, though, we did some things that made it difficult on ourselves."

On special teams play:
"We left 10 special teams points out there today that we could have had. Clearly that would have been the difference in the game. Those kind of points get forgotten but they are the kind of points that change scoreboards. Leaving those points out there had more effect on the game than the final few plays did. "

On the close game:
"The closeness of the game is reflected in the fact that there's a five-yard differential between the two teams and a two-inch differential at the end of the game. It was an evenly played game. The scoreboard reflects that and the final drive reflects that and it's important for me, despite the bitterness of the loss, to keep in perspective that very little separated the two teams."

On QB Jameel Sewell:
"A tremendous effort on his part. Thursday was the only day that Jameel has practiced in the last two weeks. That was brought about by the fact that on Wednesday night, (Backup QB) Mark Verica was ruled out of the game (due to an injury). Under the circumstances, I thought it was one of Jameel's most courageous and best efforts here at Virginia."

On close plays:
"They call it a 'game of inches.' The Boston College touchdown was close enough to review and so was our last offensive play of the game. So, for probably a total of less than six inches in the entire game, that was the difference in the two teams."

On the interception and touchdown return by Chris Cook:
"It was a terrific play. It was something we had worked on during the course of the week - that type of situation. He had a really good idea where the ball was going to go and he made an aggressive break on the ball and showed a great deal of skill getting the ball into the end zone."

 

Virginia Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009
UVa vs. Boston College
Nov. 14, 2009
UVa Player Quotes

Freshman Running Back Perry Jones
On getting his first career carries
"Coach told us that whoever had the best week of practice would play, so I came in with my mind set to playing hard to try and help the team. I practiced hard this week, and coach gave me the opportunity."

On adjusting to the speed of the college game
"Everyone says that game speed is the toughest thing to adjust to in college, so getting experience with special teams before rushing definitely helped a lot. I felt more prepared than if I had been on the sidelines all season."

On Jameel Sewell playing after limited practice during the week
"I talk to Jameel a lot, and I look up to him. He always tells me to just keep playing and to keep working hard. He is a remarkable person, and I look up to him a lot."

Junior Tight End Joe Torchia
On progressing as a team
"Coach Groh always talks about coming together as a team, and I think he did a really good job preparing us this week. We have a strong feeling of unity on the team despite the loss, and we just have to grow from here."

On moving on from the loss
"We can only move forward. We will learn from the mistakes we made, and improve on what we did well."

On changes in the offense
"There were no real changes, we just have this team-wide feeling of being fed up with losing. We came together today, and still have this feeling of team unity."

Senior Tackle Nate Collins
On the loss
"It was a close game, and it felt good to have the fans behind our back. Unfortunately it just did not go our way today. We tried our hardest today, but unfortunately it just was not enough."

On no longer being bowl-eligible
"We just have to pick everyone up and play for pride for the rest of the season. A lot of people will say we have nothing left to play for, but we feel like we have everything to play for. We will go into practice this week and let everyone know that we have to get ready for these games."

On the difficulty of motivating the team
"It is not hard. The guys on the team that the coaches chose as captains know our jobs, and we will continue to pick guys up. It is not a hard thing to do, and it is exciting to know that guys are feeding off of your energy."

Freshman Linebacker Billy Shautz
On first career sack:
"We had a great play dialed up and were able to execute well. I was fortunate to be in a position to make a big play."

On locker room moral:
"We are pretty down right now, but even though we've lost a few in a row, we feel like we've gotten closer and closer. We have to stay together as a team."

On making strides:
"We weren't able to get the win, but there were some things we did well today. We knew coming in that they were a good team, and today they were able to make more plays than we did."

Sophomore Wide Receiver Dontrelle Inman
On making progress as a team:
"The main thing is doing everything as a group. Every player played like it was their last game, mostly for the guys who will graduate. We have to stick together as a unit."

On offensive progress:
"There were a few plays that we were able to execute well and we moved the ball a little. We didn't have the success we'd like, and we'll have to work on consistency."

On last two games:
"At this point, we're playing for pride, and we're playing for each other."

Sophomore Kicker Robert Randolph
On second miss of the season:
"It's tough. We weren't able to execute today, and that kick was an example of that."

On play of the defense:
"They were able to, like they have all season, step up and make some big plays. The interception return for a touchdown was a great play, and unfortunately we weren't able to turn it into a win."

On last two games:
"We are going to have to rally here for the last two games, but we can count on the fact that everyone in that locker room desperately wants to win. We still have pride to play for, but more than that, it's about playing for your teammates."
 

Boston College Coach Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009

Boston College Head Coach Frank Spaziani
Opening Statement:
"That was a hard-fought game to say the least. You have to give Virginia a lot of credit. They played very hard. They gave us a lot of problems. I think our guys played extremely hard but made a lot of mistakes that hurt ourselves, but once again, that's a credit to UVa for making us make those mistakes. The kids hung in there and to not play as well as we did and not execute and still come away with a victory is really gratifying."
On the flow of the game:
"There were a lot of ebbs and flows in the game. There were some calls that were made, weren't made, penalties that made action. That's good for the fans."
On the decision to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal:
"On third down I thought about [going for the field goal] but once we got within sneaking distance, I figured we'd go [for the touchdown]."
On quarterback Dave Shinskie's performance:
"Dave would probably like to have one of those passes back but he's just a true freshman. Those things are going to happen. Once again though, he got the job done. Dave is making strides in leadership and a lot of other areas but he has a long way to go. He got rattled, but he came back so that was good to see. Having Montel Harris rushing the ball didn't hurt."
On Shinksie's growth as a player:
"I'm sure his athletic experience has helped but once again, it's a different rattling - people flying at you, hitting you. It's different than the ball going over the center field fence or pitching. He's making strides though."
On getting win No. 7:
"Seven is better than six. It just opens the door to a chance for number eight."
On Virginia's final drive:
"I was thinking about keeping them in bounds, making the clock run, trying to make some plays. It was about who was going to get tired first in a game of attrition. That was what was going through my mind - who was going to be the hero?"
On the team's first road win:
"We were going to get one; it was just a matter of when. Anytime you do something for the first time it's good. As a team, going back to August when we had to grow, this was part of our maturation and development. It can only help us. Now we know we can do it."
 

Boston College Player Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009

Freshman Quarterback Dave Shinskie
On his scoring play:
"We didn't have a quarterback sneak on our wristbands, so we had Montel (Harris) go over and get it really quickly. We didn't have a lot of time so we had to hurry up and get the play off, and I just went straight ahead and then rolled to the side and got hit a little bit, but it's a great feeling - that first touchdown."
On making mistakes and coming back from them:
"I think that's what good quarterbacks do. If you make a mistake, you've got to put it behind you and just play the next down. I'm really proud of my guys because they hung in there, and I put it on the line the last two drives and told them, ‘We have to get it going. We have to get Montel going. We have to lean on these guys and pound them,' and that's what they did."
On holding the offense together:
"For a couple of series, we got a little lost there, so I just tried to get in the huddle and say, ‘This is our drive. This is what we're going to do.' We got backed up, but we made some good plays and ended up chipping our way toward a first down. Then we got down into the red zone."
On his throw to teammate Rich Lapham:
"I didn‘t have room for any error to throw that ball and I knew I had to throw it to either him or [Justin] Jarvis going deep. I figured he was the best target and I just put it over the guy's shoulder and Rich made an awesome catch."
Freshman Linebacker Luke Kuechly
On the team's play today:
"It was a good team win. The defense played really well today. We did what we really wanted to do and shut down their running game. We kind of double-teamed [Jameel] Sewell and as far as running goes, we did a really good job with that."
On the last fourth down stop:
"Mike [Morrissey] was the one who got him. He came from the side and grabbed his legs, kind of tripped him up a little bit. I just kind of jumped over the top."
Junior Linebacker Mike Morrissey
On stopping UVa's final drive:
"We knew they were trying to pass. We were a little nervous. They had gone all the way down the field, but we knew they needed a touchdown. Once we're backed up to the line we're tough down there. We saw them scramble out and I knew where the line was, so in my mind, I was just trying to keep them short of it."
On the defense overall:
"We have a lot of pride in our defense and I think we played great today. They're a very good team and we can't really take that away from them, but we came out determined to keep them out of the endzone. We made plays when we needed to."
Sophomore Running Back Montel Harris
On his 150 running yards:
"It was pretty rough out there. As soon as you got past the line of scrimmage, there was a defender there, so I had to grind it out."
On hitting the 1,000-yard mark:
"That was my goal for this season, and I accomplished it. Thanks to the offensive line, they have been blocking hard all year."
 

BC edges U.Va. in game of inches
By Michael Phillips
Published: November 15, 2009

A team that started the season with too many quarterbacks found itself with none Wednesday.

Only a gutsy effort by Jameel Sewell, who wasn't supposed to play, kept Virginia in yesterday's game. Ultimately, he fell 2 inches short on a fourth-down play, Boston College's Dave Shinskie picked up those inches on his fourth-down run, and the Eagles prevailed 14-10.

"I feel bad for the players," coach Al Groh said. "A total of 6 inches, that was the difference between the two teams."

Sewell, a Hermitage graduate, hadn't practiced in nearly two weeks when Marc Verica came in Wednesday night with a concussion. Sewell took as much practice as he could Thursday and steeled himself to play.

The team's only other options were freshman Riko Smalls, who isn't yet ready, and Vic Hall, who has since been moved to wide receiver.

"I knew I had to play," Sewell said. "If they needed me last weekend, I was going to go -- if something was to happen to Marc."

Verica was listed as "questionable" on the team's injury report but had been ruled out by the medical staff. If Verica hadn't injured himself Wednesday, Sewell would have sat out the game.

From the beginning, the game was one of close calls. Kicker Robert Randolph missed a 47-yard field goal attempt wide right. He came back out at halftime to nail the same kick in a practice situation.

Hall ran a punt back for a touchdown -- only to see it negated by a block in the back away from the play.

And perhaps most agonizingly, Sewell didn't get the spot he was looking for during the two-minute drill.

With the Wahoos down 14-10, he led the team down the field, ultimately facing a fourth and 1 from the Eagles' 12-yard line. The play call was a pass, but Sewell's receiver was covered, and he took off running. The first line judge came in and spotted the ball, then another came in and moved it back just a couple of inches -- which proved to be enough to end the game.

"That's pretty much why I was upset," Sewell said.

After the game, he apologized for yelling at the officials, though they didn't call a penalty on his heat-of-the-moment passion.

Like Randolph's kick, the two-minute drill could have ended differently. In practice on Friday, the same play series netted a touchdown against the Virginia defense.

Boston College picked up its last touchdown on a matter of inches as well. Twice on the Eagles' drive, they opted to go for it on a fourth-and-inches situation. The second time was on the goal line, and Shinskie barely snapped the ball before the play clock expired, then fell in for the score.

"We didn't have a quarterback sneak on our wristbands," Shinskie said of the delay in calling the play. "So we had to hurry up and get the play off, and I just went straight ahead then rolled to the side."

That touchdown was the difference-maker, and just like that, two seemingly even teams moved to opposite records -- BC at 7-3, Virginia at 3-7. The Cavs will not make a bowl game this season.

"To lose like that is heartbreaking," linebacker Billy Schautz said. "But we're going to try to get these last two games."

Virginia's defense seems to have found its groove, as emphasized by a Chris Cook interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter, which included a long, winding runback. Except for a lack of quarterback pressure, the unit did enough to keep the team competitive down the stretch.

Groh kept his usually calm demeanor after the game with the team. He emphasized the positives and how much the team had grown.

Despite the lack of scoring from the offense, he said the game had played out in a way that gave the Cavs an opportunity to win, and he vowed not to let the emotion of a close loss get in the way of his positive thoughts for the players.

"In the long run," Groh acknowledged, "our life is based on what the scoreboard said."

U.Va. notes: Jackson gets carries

Jackson gets carries

Rashawn Jackson stepped back into the spotlight as the feature running back and showed why he's been moving up NFL draft boards, averaging 4.1 yards a carry.

The bigger surprise was the complete lack of playing time for Mikell Simpson, who was not injured. Coach Al Groh, asked why Simpson didn't play, said it was "because we played Jackson."

Four carries also went to freshman Perry Jones, who gained 4 yards on his first career rushes.

"Coach told us that whoever had the best week of practice would play," Jones said. "So I came in with my mind set to playing hard and trying to help the team."

The lineup was also mixed up at wide receiver, with Dontrelle Inman getting the start and Jared Green and Tim Smith rotating in throughout the game.

Vic Hall left briefly after being pummeled illegally on a punt return but came back and was the team leader among wide receivers.
Replays a big factor

One of the big disparities in college football comes in the replay booth.

A national TV production brings several cameras to the site, including movable ones that can head where the action will be on fourth-and-1 situations. Yesterday's game was broadcast by ESPN360, which brought a bare-bones crew.

As a result, several plays went to replay, but only one was overturned -- a pass that Inman tried to catch, but the ball grazed the ground first. Dave Shinskie's fourth-down touchdown sneak and Jameel Sewell's fourth-down sneak were reviewed in the booth, but neither had sufficient evidence to be overturned.
Chain gang's long day

The first half was extended by several minutes because of broken first-down chains.

First, Sewell made a run toward the sideline and shook up one of the chain-gang operators, as well as breaking the chains.

An alternate set was brought in from the equipment room under the stadium, but that set broke, too. It was repaired during a delay in play, and a call was made for a third set to arrive from an off-site location.
Randolph rising

Kicker Robert Randolph found out this week he was among the semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award for the nation's top kicker.

"I didn't even know until somebody told me a day later," he said. "It shows that all the hard work is starting to pay off."

He added kickoffs to his repertoire yesterday and booted three of them an average of 60 yards, which drew a compliment from Groh.

Chris Hinkebein, who has a stronger leg, had handled kickoffs, but he proved to be too inaccurate, so the role went to Randolph.
Extra points

Ras-I Dowling left the game briefly after being in a collision, and was replaced by Mike Parker for the rest of the series before Dowling returned to the game. . . . Tight end Joe Torchia caught a career-high four passes, including a pair that extended a third-quarter drive that ended with a field goal. . . . The last time Virginia had back-to-back losing seasons was 1980-82. . . . Virginia will play at Boston College next season. . . . Sewell reached 5,000 career yards in the loss. . . . Before the game, Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich was present as $8,194.94 was donated to Ewing's Sarcoma research. -- Michael Phillips
 

Grading U.Va.‘s three keys

Grading the three keys
(D) Neutralize the Eagles' offensive line. Virginia logged just one sack, an indication that the team was unsuccessful at pressuring BC quarterback Dave Shinskie. Aside from a few key plays, Shinskie had enormous amounts of time to make his throws, and only a strong performance from the U.Va. secondary and poor decision-making by Shinskie were able to hold the Eagles' passing game in check.

(B+) Better field position. Putting in Vic Hall as punt returner was a smart move that seemed to pay immediate dividends, until a block in the back away from the action negated his first touchdown runback. On kickoff returns, Chase Minnifield was able to break a 27-yard return, and had one of his stronger performances. Coming the other way, punter Jimmy Howell averaged 41.3 yards with a good amount of accuracy, and Robert Randolph handled kickoffs well, though he admits his leg isn't as strong as the team might like.

(B+) Time of possession. Virginia made huge leaps in the time of possession game, staying even with Boston College through three quarters. That's a credit to an offense that was able to sustain drives, though ultimately they did not end in touchdowns. Total yardage was 303 for the Eagles, 298 for the Hoos, a sign that the offensive production was nearly identical. The defense can thank the offense for that, though, ultimately, a lack of scoring did in the Cavs.
 

Eagles add to Virginia's troubles
The Cavaliers are assured of a losing season as BC wins on the road for the first time this year.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Of all the elements that could contribute to Al Groh's Virginia coaching demise, his inability to win at home could rank near the top of the list.

The Cavaliers saw their slim chances for a winning season vanish for good Saturday, when Boston College -- 0-3 on the road coming into the game -- held on for a 14-10 win before a Scott Stadium crowd of 44,324.

It was the seventh loss in the last eight home games for the Cavaliers, who haven't won a home ACC game in more than a year.

"It hurts," said Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell, who took the Cavaliers from their 21-yard line to the Boston College 12 in the final seconds. "It hurts a lot."

Sewell completed five of nine passes for 55 yards. He also had a 12-yard run on the final drive, but then was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 from the BC 12 with 17 seconds remaining.

Groh challenged the spot, but an official's review upheld the call. There earlier had been a review after BC had scored the eventual winning touchdown on quarterback David Shinskie's 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 7:53 left.

Groh, his staff and even UVa's players had been booed at the end of previous games, but fans reserved all of their venom Saturday for referee Jeff Flanagan and his crew.

UVa was penalized eight times for 97 yards, including a block in the back that nullified a 62-yard kickoff return for a TD by Vic Hall.

The Eagles (7-2, 4-2 ACC) were penalized 10 times for 85 yards, but BC outgained the Cavs 303-298.

"They had 5 more yards than we did," said Groh as he reviewed the final statistics. "It was an evenly played game. It's important for me to keep the perspective, despite the bitterness of the loss, that that's all that separated the team."

It was the fourth straight loss for the Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4) and they are assured of their third losing season in four years. There is much speculation that Groh will not return for the 2010 season.

"Really, my thoughts aren't all that important," said Groh when asked for his reaction to a losing season. "What's important is what happened during the course of game.

"We made a lot of progress with our team today. I'm proud of the effort the players put into it and the fight they showed. We've been working for 10 weeks to have a performance like that."

Here's the numbers that pleased Groh:

* The Cavaliers' only touchdown came on a 58-yard interception return by senior cornerback Chris Cook.

* They have yet to gain at least 300 yards in a 2009 ACC game.

UVa has scored six offensive touchdowns in six ACC games, one of them a 2-yard drive against Maryland.

The Cavaliers' best drive against BC was the last one. Although the Cavaliers were out of timeouts, a first down on Sewell's last run would have stopped the clock and given Virginia as many as four chances to throw the ball into the end zone, by Groh's count.

Groh said the play called from the bench was designed for a pass. Sewell said he saw a defender "sitting" on the pass and elected to take off.

"When you run the ball in that circumstance, you've got one option," Groh said, "When the game's on the line like that, the odds say to run something that gives you as many options as you can have. I don't second-guess the player. He's one of our really, really intense competitors."

Sewell did not play a week earlier -- a 52-17 loss at Miami -- and had practiced just once in two weeks because of ankle and shoulder injuries. Marc Verica, the starter at Miami, would have gotten the nod if he hadn't displayed symptoms of a concussion in a Wednesday check-up.

Sewell seemed to gain confidence as the game went along, but Virginia's best scoring chance of the first half was wasted when he overthrew an open Joe Torchia and was intercepted in the end zone by the Eagles' Roderick Rollins.

"I should have run the ball," said Sewell, who had eluded the Eagles' rush and had open receivers all over the field.

BC had the twin threats of sophomore running back Montel Harris, who carried 38 times for 151 yards, and Shinskie, a 25-year-old freshman who gave up a professional baseball career this summer. Shinskie was intercepted twice, including an end-zone pick by UVa's Ras-I Dowling on the Eagles' first drive, but had some critical third-down completions.

The Eagles stayed even with Atlantic Division frontrunner Clemson in the loss column.

"We were going to get [a road win]; it was just a matter of time," said first-year head coach Frank Spaziani, returning to Scott Stadium for the first time since he served as UVa's defensive coordinator in 1990. "Anytime you do something for the first time, it's good."

The Eagles had become bowl-eligible one week earlier with a 31-10 victory over Central Michigan. Groh said he never mentioned the possibility of a bowl -- or even a winning season -- to his team.

There was no need.

"It's on everybody's mind," said redshirt freshman Billy Schautz, who notched the Cavaliers' lone sack.

"We're going out there for pride right now. Play as hard as we can, finish 5-7 and give the fans something to cheer about."

Sewell rants, apologizes
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell has always been accountable for his performances and Saturday he was accountable for his behavior.

Sewell went ballistic after his fourth-and-1 run on UVa's final offensive play was found to be short of the first-down marker at Boston College's 11-yard line.

It appeared that the ball had been spotted in one location before a linesman raced toward the middle of the field and changed the spot.

"That's what it looked like," Sewell told reporters after a 14-10 loss to Boston College. "That's pretty much why I was so upset, but there's nothing I can do about it. I thought I got [the first down] but looks can be deceiving.

"I want to apologize to that officiating staff. I kind of lost it a little bit. You guys [on the officiating crew] are just doing your job. I should have just did my job a little better."

Sewell, returning to the lineup after fighting ankle and shoulder injuries for two weeks, may not have delivered a victory but completed 21 of 41 passes for 221 yards.

UVa receivers dropped four passes on the Cavaliers' last two drives, or else there might have been a different outcome.

The fourth-down call from the bench was designed for a pass.

"I was just looking at my movement key," Sewell said. "He was kind of squatting on what I wanted to throw. I figured, 'I can just run for 2 yards,' with him sinking back to take away a lot of the things they were trying to take away."

Sewell had been listed as questionable (50-50) in an injury report submitted to the ACC on Thursday. He and back-up Marc Verica both had been listed as questionable, although Verica developed symptoms of a concussion and did not dress.

"It was a tremendous effort on [Sewell's] part," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "Thursday was only day that Jameel has practiced in the past two weeks."

Verica had taken all the snaps in practice Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Under the circumstances, I think it was one of [Sewell's] most courageous and best performances against a defense that has tested a lot of quarterbacks."

Sewell went over the 5,000-yard passing mark (5,086) for his college career and passed Marques Hagans for fifth place on the Cavaliers' all-time list. He is on a pace to pass No. 4 Aaron Brooks (5,118) and No. 3 Scott Gardner (5,218).

"I was familiar with the game plan," Sewell said. "I was familiar with all the looks. I was staying locked in in case I had to play. It's different, not getting those reps in practice, but I've been here before."

The Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4 ACC) no longer have a shot at a winning record or a potential bowl bid that might accompany it. Virginia's last two games are against top-25 opponents Clemson at Clemson and Virginia Tech in Charlottesville.

"It's going to be extremely difficult," he said of the assignment.

Odds 'n' ends

Former Virginia Tech and Patrick Henry High School long snapper Steve Hale was pressed into service Saturday as the "red hat" for the Virginia-Boston College game, serving as the coordinator for television timeouts.

Hale said he was stopped by a UVa cheerleader inquiring about the Virginia Tech sticker on his car but planned on extending his stay in Charlottesville with a steak dinner at the Aberdeen Barn.

He's normally the red hat at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, but the Hokies were at Maryland on Saturday.

* Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, sitting out the 2009 season while battling a form of bone cancer, was presented with a check for $8,194.94 in pregame ceremonies. That included approximately $1,500 from the UVa players, who gave up their Saturday per diem. All the money goes to research for Ewing's Sarcoma.

Next week

The game time will be announced today for next Saturday's match-up between Virginia and Clemson at Death Valley.

The Tigers (7-3, 5-2) have a one-half game lead over Boston College in the Atlantic Division after winning at North Carolina State 43-23. Clemson won in Charlottesville last year 15-3.

Virginia comes up short, loses to Boston College 14-10
By Norm Wood 247-4642
November 15, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When the final words are written in the Al Groh chapter of Virginia football, there will be no mention of a few inches being the difference Saturday in U.Va.'s 14-10 loss to Boston College. Yet, that's what it came down to in the fourth quarter — about the length of a football.

Of course, the down side of Groh's nine-year coaching career at U.Va. has been a product of more than just a couple inches here or there. It has been about yards, and the lack thereof from his offense in the last few seasons. It's a problem that likely will bring an end to his coaching days in Charlottesville, considering U.Va. (3-7 overall, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is guaranteed to be left out of the bowl picture and will have its first back-to-back losing seasons since 1982.

Still, as glaring as U.Va.'s deficiencies may be, this loss was just plain painful.

"The closeness of the game is reflected in the fact that there's a five-yard differential between the two teams and a two-inch differential at the end of the game," said Groh, whose team was outgained in yardage 303-298. "It was an evenly played game. The scoreboard reflects that and (U.Va.'s) final drive reflects that and it's important for me, despite the bitterness of the loss, to keep in perspective that very little separated the two teams."

With BC (7-3, 4-2) clinging to its 14-10 lead, U.Va. forced a punt and took over at its own 21-yard line with 2:12 left in the game. To that point, U.Va. had managed to pick up just 231 yards, but quarterback Jameel Sewell orchestrated a two-minute drive that got the Cavaliers within striking distance.

He completed 6 of 10 passes for 55 yards and ran for 12 yards on the drive. With 26 seconds left, U.Va. faced fourth-and-1 from BC's 12. Two of Sewell's incompletions on the drive were drops by wide receiver Jared Green and fullback Rashawn Jackson, but Jackson also had three catches for 30 yards during the frantic final push.

Sewell, who completed 21 of 41 passes for 221 yards and an interception, lined up in the shotgun on the fourth-down play. He couldn't spot an open receiver and decided to run, but he was stopped for no gain in the middle of the field with 17 seconds left by defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey. After a review by the officials, the ruling on the spot of the ball was upheld. BC took over and ran out the clock.

"I thought I had (the first down)," said Sewell, who played despite practicing one day in the last two weeks because of shoulder and ankle injuries. "I guess looks can be deceiving."

U.Va.'s last possession represented the final insult after the Cavaliers were unable to get the Eagles off the field on their final scoring drive. Trailing 10-7 early in the fourth quarter, BC was looking at first-and-25 from its own 49 after illegal block and false-start penalties.

Quarterback Dave Shinskie helped BC regain 23 of those yards on completions of 11 and 12 yards to wide receiver Colin Larmond and tight end Chris Pantale, respectively. U.Va. defensive end Zane Parr stopped running back Montel Harris, who finished with 38 carries for 151 yards, on third-and-2 for no gain. On fourth down, Harris squeezed through the line for three yards to preserve BC's drive.

A pass-interference penalty — U.Va.'s third of the game — on second-and-8 by cornerback Chris Cook on wide receiver Rich Gunnell took BC down to U.Va.'s 7. U.Va. again forced a fourth-down play, but Shinskie was able to sneak in from the 1 with 7:53 left to put BC ahead 14-10. Shinskie's sneak was reviewed, and the touchdown was upheld.

Though U.Va. drove into BC territory seven times, the Cavaliers came away with only three points. In the last 21 quarters, U.Va.'s offense has produced four touchdowns. U.Va.'s only touchdown Saturday came by way of a 58-yard interception return by Cook with 5:41 left in the third quarter that tied the game 7-7.

U.Va., which entered the game 119th in the nation out of 120 teams in total offense (263 yards per game), had offensive opportunities in the first half. Robert Randolph made a 38-yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter to give U.Va. a 10-7 lead, but he missed a 47-yarder in the second quarter.

Late in the second quarter, Sewell led U.Va. on a drive from its own 13 to BC's 32. The drive ended with 1:36 left when he overthrew tight end Joe Torchia and cornerback Roderick Rollins intercepted the pass at the goal line.

A huge special-teams letdown in the third quarter kept U.Va. out of the end zone. Vic Hall appeared to return a punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 9:40 left, but the play was negated due to a block-in-the-back penalty on Mike Parker.

"A couple years back, we won (an NCAA-record) five games by two points or less," U.Va. defensive end Nate Collins said. "It's just one of those things where you're watching the game and watching film and one play could've turned it over with us losing by two points (that year). It sucks being on the other side of (a close loss)."

Groh defends key fourth-down call
By Norm Wood 247-4642
November 15, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As quarterback Jameel Sewell pleaded with officials to reconsider the spot on his failed fourth-down scramble in the closing seconds of Virginia's 14-10 loss to Boston College, the second-guessing already was in full effect.

On fourth-and-1 from BC's 12 with 26 seconds left, U.Va. (3-7 overall, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) elected to line up in a shotgun formation and look for an open receiver. Nobody was open, so Sewell tried to make something happen with his feet. He came up short of the 11 with 17 seconds remaining when he was tackled by defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey.

Game over.

Though U.Va. didn't have any timeouts left, and had carried the ball 28 times for just 77 yards, there was another option that could've been explored on fourth down. What if U.Va. had called a sneak or a running play? If it could've gotten the first down, the clock would've stopped to move the chains and Sewell could've spiked the ball.

"If you run the ball in that circumstance, you've got one option," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "You run a pass pattern, you've got multiple options. When the game is on the line like that, the odds say run something where you've got as many options as you can have."

Groh said he and his coaching staff already planned to use the shotgun formation before the fourth-down situation arose. It was what they wanted to run on the play — no second thoughts. Running it never was a consideration, until Sewell decided after the snap all of the best laid plans of the shotgun formation weren't going to work.

"I figured I could just run for two yards with (BC) sinking back (on defense) and taking away a lot of the things they were trying to take away," Sewell said. "I couldn't get it though."
 

Oscar Smith's Jones gets his first carries
By Norm Wood 247-4642
November 15, 2009

After a strong week of practice, Virginia coach Al Groh said he wanted to reward freshman running Perry Jones. The payoff for Jones' hard work came in the form of some work in the backfield against BC.

Jones, a 5-foot-8, 185-pound graduate of Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake, had four rushes for two yards in the first carries of his career. While the production wasn't quite where he wanted it to be, Jones still was pleased with the opportunity.

"Coach told us that whoever had the best week of practice would play, so I came in with my mind set to playing hard to try and help the team," said Jones, who had 1,831 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns in his senior season at Oscar Smith. "I practiced hard this week, and coach gave me the opportunity."

With Jones serving as Rashawn Jackson's primary backup, senior Mikell Simpson was bumped down the depth chart for the game. Simpson didn't have a carry.

No bowl
U.Va. won't be able to reach the NCAA-required minimum of six victories for bowl-eligibility. What's the motivation heading in to the final games at Clemson and against Virginia Tech?

"We just have to pick everyone up and play for pride for the rest of the season," U.Va. defensive end Nate Collins said. "A lot of people will say we have nothing left to play for, but we feel like we have everything to play for."

Yellow flags
U.Va. was penalized eight times for a season-high 97 yards lost. BC (7-3, 4-2) had an even tougher day with the officials, drawing 10 penalties for 85 yards lost — both season-highs.

Big number
8,194.94 – Money presented before the game to BC linebacker Mark Herzlich, who is sitting out this season while dealing with a rare bone cancer known as Ewing's Sarcoma, for donations to go to the rare-disease-research-funding group Uplifting Athletes.

Virginia comes up just short
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 15, 2009

Never has an adage appeared truer.

In horrific fashion for Virginia, Saturday’s contest against Boston College was clearly a game of inches.

With just 17.4 seconds left, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell was wrestled to the ground at the Boston College 12-yard line after he scrambled on fourth down. Sewell needed to be at the 11.

A measurement proved it and an official review through a replay official confirmed it: Virginia’s postseason hopes were dashed by a spot that came just inches short as the Cavaliers fell to Boston College 14-10 as 44,324 sat stunned inside Scott Stadium.

“I thought I had it,” Sewell sadly recounted. “Looks may be deceiving.”

The loss dropped Virginia to 3-7 overall, 2-4 in the ACC and extended a woeful losing pattern that dates back to the final month of the 2008 season. It also means Virginia’s senior class will have missed the postseason three of their four seasons.

“We just have to pick everyone up and play for pride for the rest of the season,” said senior defensive end Nate Collins. “A lot of people will say we have nothing left to play for, but we feel like we have everything to play for.”

It appeared that the Cavaliers had a chance to reverse their dismal trend in the game’s final two minutes.

Trailing by four, Virginia took over its final drive at its own 21-yard line with 2:12 remaining.

Unfortunately, the Cavaliers had burned all three of their timeouts on Boston College’s previous possession on offense.

“That’s a tough drill there when there are no timeouts,” Virginia coach Al Groh said.

But UVa moved the ball to Eagles’ 21-yard line in just eight plays as Sewell completed five passes and gained 12 yards on the ground.

With the Cavaliers’ final first down stopping the clock with 53.8 seconds left, Sewell threw back-to-back incompletions as he targeted Dontrelle Inman and Kris Burd, respectively.

On third-and-10, Sewell threw a short pass to running back Rashawn Jackson, who scampered to the Boston College 12, a yard shy of the first down.

Thanks to an injured Boston College player, Virginia had extra time to decide whether to run or pass for the first down.

“We had the play called already,” Groh said. “We didn’t need [the extra time].”

After dropping back on fourth down, Sewell said he noticed a defender was “squatting” back in the area of his preferred target.

The southpaw elected to scramble forward, but was pulled to the ground by linebacker Mike Morrisey.

Sewell, who practiced just one day this week due to injuries, tried to stretch his arm out after the tackle, attempting to gain added yardage. A referee then moved the ball back almost a yard for its final spot.

Sewell noticed, setting off an on-field tirade from several Cavaliers, including the quarterback.

“That’s what it looked like,” he said. “That’s pretty much why I was upset. There was nothing that I could do about it.”

After the much-anticipated measurement showed Sewell was shy, numerous Cavaliers continued to scream at nearby officials.

That reaction continued, as well as jeers from the stands, in the direction of the officials after an instant replay confirmed the ruling on the field.

“The closeness of the game is reflected in the fact that there’s a five-yard differential between the two teams and a two-inch differential at the end of the game,” said Groh, who has lost 11 of his past 14 games. “It was an evenly played game. The scoreboard reflects that and the final drive reflects that and it’s important for me, despite the bitterness of the loss, to keep in perspective that very little separated the two teams.”

There is a considerable difference, however, in what the two teams have left to play for. Boston College (7-3, 4-2 ACC) can win the ACC’s Coastal Division if the Eagles win their final two games and Virginia upends Clemson on the road on Saturday.

That remained the case because of a gamble that Boston College took on offense in a fourth quarter that its offense dominated time of possession.

Facing a fourth-and-1 at the Virginia 1-yard line and trailing 10-7, the Eagles elected to go for a touchdown and play for the first road win of the year.

“On third down I thought about [kicking a field goal] but once we got within sneaking distance, I figured we’d go [for the touchdown],” BC coach Frank Spaziani said.

There was some confusion on the field, however, for the Eagles.

“We didn’t have a quarterback sneak on our wristbands, so we had [running back] Montel [Harris] go over and get it really quickly,” said BC quarterback Dave Shinskie. “We didn’t have a lot of time so we had to hurry up and get the play off.”

It worked, as Shinskie followed his center on a keeper and snuck just far enough into the end zone to convince the officials that he scored.

“I just went straight ahead and then rolled to the side and got hit a little bit,” Shinskie said, “but it’s a great feeling, that first touchdown.”

The play was reviewed, as well, but replays confirmed the ruling on the field.

“I was at the bottom of the pile, so I couldn’t really see,” Collins said. “I saw what everybody else in the stands saw on the replay. It’s hard to tell.”

Boston College opened the scoring in the contest in the second quarter as Shinskie connected with wideout Justin Jarvis for a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Shinskie was not as fortunate in the third quarter when he threw an interception that Virginia cornerback Chris Cook returned 58 yards for the equalizing score.

“It was a terrific play,” Groh said. “It was something we had worked on during the course of the week that type of situation. [Cook] had a really good idea where the ball was going to go and he made an aggressive break on the ball and showed a great deal of skill getting the ball into the end zone.”

Virginia took its first lead in the game as the third quarter expired.

Sophomore walk-on placekicker Robert Randolph popped a 38-yard field goal from the left hash mark just over the crossbar.

It was redemption for Randolph — he missed a 47-yard field goal with six seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Cavaliers also missed out on a scoring opportunity when junior Mike Parker was called for a block in the back on a would-be punt-return touchdown by Vic Hall that covered 62 yards.

“We left 10 special teams points out there today that we could have had,” Groh said. “Clearly, that would have been the difference in the game. Those kind of points get forgotten, but they are the kind of points that change scoreboards.

“Leaving those points out there had more effect on the game than the final few plays did.”

Harris paced Boston College’s offense with 151 yards rushing on 38 attempts.

Jackson led Virginia with 61 yards on the ground on 15 carries as former starter Mikell Simpson was benched.

The start time of Saturday’s game at Clemson will be announced today. BC will host North Carolina on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 

Cavaliers lose in a game of inches
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 15, 2009

A few inches less, and maybe Boston College quarterback Dave Shinskie doesn’t sneak into the end zone for the eventual winning touchdown.

A few inches more, and perhaps Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell keeps his team’s dramatic drive alive at game’s end and pulls out the kind of magical comeback that he was famous four two years ago.

Instead, Shinskie makes it on fourth-and-a-foot with 7:53 to give the Eagles a 14-10 lead and eventually their first road win of the season.

Sewell, who engineered some of the Cavaliers’ miraculous late-game wins during the 2007 season, when UVa set an NCAA record for the most victories by five or fewer points in major college history, believed he could do it again when he got the ball back 79 yards away from glory, 2:21 to play, and no timeouts.

A game effort

Realistically, it was too much to ask or at least to expect from a quarterback who practiced only half a practice over the past two weeks.

Sewell, who has nursed a series of injuries the second half of the season, was mostly bothered by a shoulder injury suffered against Duke, a problem that kept him sidelined for last week’s loss at Miami.

Marc Verica, who started the Miami game, was expected to be the starter against Boston College and took the majority of practice snaps Tuesday and Wednesday until symptoms of a concussion suffered at Miami ruled him out for BC. At that point, Sewell was thrust back into the picture as starter.

Even though he wasn’t expecting to start, or maybe even play, Sewell remained plugged-in during preparation for Boston College. He did what every quarterback is expected to do. He paid attention, studied the BC coverages, even before he learned that Verica would be unable to answer the bell.

This wasn’t the senior’s first rodeo.

Still, with 132 clicks of the Scott Stadium clock ticking away, Sewell found a way to lead the Cavaliers down the field at a frantic pace. He covered 67 yards on 12 plays, four first downs, until it came down to this.

Fourth-and-one at the BC 12 with 26 seconds on the scoreboard, lights burning bright into the night.

Taking it on his own

It was a pass play call, but Sewell noticed the Eagles sinking back in order to take away the middle, which he had used to move down the field, taking away the short routes that Sewell’s passes had gobbled up like Pac-Man.

He tucked and ran.

“I figured I could run for two yards,” Sewell said.

He figured wrong.

Boston College strong-side linebacker Mike Morrissey smelled out the run and snuffed out Virginia’s chances when he advanced on the play and caught Sewell’s leg, tripping him up. Sewell slammed to the turf, stretching the ball out, but he had already gone down.

The linesman re-spotted the ball and moved it back a bit, causing a stir from the Virginia players and sideline, figuring none of the calls went their way, yet again.

Game officials measured and the ball was inches short of a first down, inches of keeping the drive and Virginia’s dreams alive while simultaneously assuring the Cavaliers would have no hopes of a break-even season or a bowl trip.

Sewell lashed out, later regretting his actions.

“I want to apologize to that officiating staff,” he said later in the locker room, bummed out by the thoughts of suffering through the third losing season of his career. “I kind of lost it a little bit. [The officials] did their job. I should have just done my job a little better.”

Sewell said he became upset when he saw the official move the ball back from where he believed it should have been spotted, which was closer to a potential first down.

The play was reviewed by replay officials in the press box — as was Shinskie’s dive to paydirt — but to no avail for the Wahoos.

It was a valiant effort by the senior southpaw, who completed 21 of 41 passes for 221 yards to become the fifth quarterback in UVa history to throw for more than 5,000 career yards and moved past Marques Hagans on the Cavaliers’ all-time yards passing list.

None of that mattered to Sewell on this night. The only thing that mattered was that he was a few inches short, that none of those 41 pass attempts went for a touchdown.

He and his fellow seniors were slapped with the cold reality that they have two games to play with two of the better teams in the ACC to close out the season, knowing that even if they win, it’s the brutal end.

There will be no postseason and for many of them, it will be the last time they ever put on a football uniform again.

“It hurts man ... hurts a lot,” Sewell said, fighting back his emotions, brushing back the dreadlocks from his disappointed face. “It’s going to be extremely difficult to do so [get fired up]. We just have to play with some pride and not give in. Hopes of getting [bowl] eligible, they’re gone. All we really have is these last two games.”

Virginia coach Al Groh praised Sewell’s effort under extreme circumstances.

“It was a tremendous effort on his part,” Groh said. “Thursday was the only day that Jameel has practiced in the last two weeks. Under the circumstances, I thought it was one of Jameel’s most courageous and best efforts here at Virginia.”

Sewell admitted he was a little rusty after not taking hardly any snaps the past two weeks and had to be a little careful when running with the ball because of the shoulder injury, and knowing he had no backup. Still, he ran nine times for 28 yards (14 net due to one sack), and often had to scramble out of the pocket to find a receiver.

“I just knew I had to play. I was prepared to play. If they had needed me last week, I was going to go [at Miami], but after what happened to Marc, I was ready.”

Snaps or not, Sewell conjured up flashbacks of the ’07 season, when he led comebacks that led the Cavaliers to a nine-win season and a Gator Bowl appearance, running the two-minute offense to near perfection.

Some of those same plays were part of Saturday night’s dramatic final drive.

“Yeah, I thought we were going to be able to seal the deal with that last drive,” Sewell said. “Everything was shaping up the way we thought it would. It was crunch time and everybody was excited about winning the game in that fashion.”

Nobody thought about losing.
 

Cook’s TD return highlights strong defensive effort
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 15, 2009

When Virginia senior Chris Cook picked off Boston College quarterback Dave Shinskie’s pass in the third quarter and took it all the way back 58 yards for a touchdown, Scott Stadium was rocking.

Cook’s pick, his third of the season, tied the game at 7 and seemed to give Virginia and its victory-starved fans new life.

“That was a huge momentum swing,” said UVa linebacker Bill Schautz. “We were all very, very excited when that happened.

“As soon as he scored, I was out on the field jumping up and down. It was definitely a change in momentum. From that point on, we felt like we had the game — even at the very end.”

But it was not to be.

Virginia fought hard but still wound up on the short end, losing 14-10.

You could hardly blame the Virginia’s defense, though. The unit did a good job against both the run and the pass.

Eagles running back Montel Harris rushed for 158 yards, but had to do it on a whopping 38 carries.

“That’s a pretty good day for the defense,” commented Virginia coach Al Groh.

Meanwhile, Shinskie was just 12 of 26 through the air for 147 yards and two interceptions.

Shinskie’s first pick came on the team’s opening drive of the game. BC had moved all the way down to the UVa 5-yard-line when Ras-I Dowling picked off a Shinskie pass in the end zone.

“I just tried to read the quarterback’s eyes and make a play,” Dowling said.

Cook’s interception later in the game was the result of a lot of hard work in practice, according to Groh.

“It was a terrific play — something we had worked on during the week,” Groh said. “He made an aggressive play on the ball and showed a lot of skill in getting into the end zone.”

Schautz added that the team’s preparation made all the difference.

“Scheme-wise, we knew where [Shinskie] was going to go with the ball,” he said. “Chris made a great play on the ball.

“Every day we practice pursuit and when you get the interception, set up blocks — and the blocking was perfect and he took it to the house.”

Sounding off

Groh, not known to talk about things such as crowd noise and homefield advantage, went out of his way to praise Saturday’s crowd, the students in particular.

“You couldn’t help but miss the student body,” Groh said. “They caught my eye jumping around the way they did…we appreciate that.”

Randolph redemption

When Virginia kicker Robert Randolph missed a 47-yard field goal wide right at the end of the first quarter, he didn’t get down on himself.

“The guys were trying to get me up and saying, ‘You’ll get another chance.’ I figured I would,” Randolph said. “I just told myself to be ready for the next kick.”

Randolph’s 38-yarder at the end of the third quarter gave Virginia its only lead of the game at 10-7.

Helping Herzlich

BC senior linebacker Mark Herzlich, who has missed the entire 2009 season while undergoing treatment for cancer, was presented with a check for $8,194.94 from the Virginia football team prior to Saturday’s kickoff. The funds went to Uplifting Athletes, a national nonprofit organization.

Extra points

A week after passing for just 75 yards against Miami, Virginia quarterback Marc Verica (concussion) didn’t dress for the game. Groh said the symptons were noticed Wednesday night. ... Saturday’s attendance of 44,324 was the fourth-best figure of the season and the highest since Oct. 10.
 

Evans impresses with defense in UVa debut
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 15, 2009
 

When Virginia freshman Jontel Evans checked into Friday night’s game against Longwood at John Paul Jones Arena, there was a noticeable ovation from the crowd.

Evans, playing in his first college game, said he definitely noticed.

“They welcomed me with open arms,” said Evans, who, with his youngish looks, could still pass for a high school student. “I heard my name [announced] and they started clapping.

“At first, I thought nobody knew who I was, but they obviously do know who I am.”

It didn’t hurt that Evans had a nine-person contingent visiting from his hometown of Hampton. The group included his parents, his grandmother, two sisters, a cousin and a niece.

Evans didn’t disappoint his fan club. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder was impressive in his college debut, an 85-72 win over Longwood.

The Bethel High product finished with four points, two rebounds, an assist and three turnovers in 20 minutes of action. (Tristan Spurlock, Virginia’s other freshman, played just three minutes.)

Evans’ real contributions came on the defensive end.

“As soon as he came in the game, his on-the-ball defense really sparked [us],” said Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski.

“He made a lot of good decisions. He got the ball in the lane and hit the open man. It was definitely a good showing for him.”

Virginia coach Tony Bennett said he decided to give Evans some early playing time to help combat Longwood’s trapping and pressing. He also believed Evans could apply good defensive pressure of his own on the Lancers’ primary ball-handlers.

“I thought he helped us,” said Bennett, whose team plays at South Florida on Monday night. “I thought he gave us a nice lift in the first half. He got a couple of steals, and he’s very quick and got into the lane.

“You know, first game, under the lights…I thought he did a nice job.”

Evans, who was originally recruited by former Virginia coach Dave Leitao, said he was glad to be able to contribute.

“To go in there and do something, it felt great,” Evans said. “It was an amazing feeling. I mean words can’t describe how I felt after that first half — to get in there and do something good, do something positive.

“Coach said, ‘We need a spark,’ and that’s the type of player I am. I can come off the bench and spark something up with my defense, and I think that’s what I did.”
 

White: No Place Like Home for Field Hockey Team
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Field hockey teams representing Michigan State, Delaware, Richmond and UVa convened at University Hall Turf Field on Saturday.
Guess which one felt most at home?
"I just love our field," Virginia's Traci Ragukas said.
As a reward for a stellar regular season and a strong ACC tournament, the Cavaliers were seeded No. 2 and awarded a regional in the 16-team NCAA tourney.
The Wahoos, whose only seniors are Ragukas and Lauren Elstein, opened the NCAAs at the U-Hall Turf Field on Saturday, and they'll play there again Sunday.
"We love playing at home," fourth-year coach Michele Madison said after UVa's 3-0 win over UR.
"It's an advantage. I think at first it doesn't feel like it, but today when I was walking out the field, I thought, 'Wow, it must be nice for a team to play on their field.'
"It just gives you a little sense of, 'This is ours, this is our home, and no one's coming in there to take it away from us. We're going to go after it.'"
In beating the Spiders (14-9) for the second time this season, UVa (19-3) tied its school record for victories in a season. The 'Hoos can break that mark Sunday at 2 p.m., when they face Michigan State (18-3) in a second-round game.
The Cavaliers blanked the Spartans 3-0 on Sept. 20 at the Turf Field. Another win over MSU would send UVa to the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 1998.
"It'd be great," Ragukas said. "It's been our goal since Lauren and I got here, and every year it just seems like it's right there, and we just couldn't grab onto it. This year we're going to go out there and give it everything we have, no matter what."
UVa dominated the first half Saturday, outshooting UR 14-1, but neither team scored. Spiders goalkeeper Jackie Raithel had six saves in the first 35 minutes.
"I don't think there was too much of an air of frustration during halftime," Elstein said. "In one sense, it's like, 'Let's just put it in.' But we always realize that you just gotta keep shooting, and eventually it'll fall in the goal.
"So we just realized that we've got to keep doing what we were doing, but with a little more determination and a little more passing around the keeper. She's a good keeper."
Madison wasn't pleased that her team had nothing to show for its first-half supremacy, but "wow, how we were playing attack, and possessing the ball and moving the ball around, was just phenomenal," she said. "We just told [the players], 'If you keep doing that, we're going to get the shots. Throw some garbage in there, and try to get corners, because they were packing it in. Try to move around to the outsides of the circle.' So we were able to do that."
The breakthrough came about three minutes into the second half, when Ragukas passed to freshman Tara Puffenberger for the game's first goal.
Ragukas scored herself, off an assist from sophomore Inga Stöckel, about nine minutes later. Elstein capped the scoring with about 18 minutes left, redirecting a long pass from Stöckel past Raithel.
The goal was the first of the season for Elstein, who's playing back this year.
"I just kind of looked up and saw Inga, and whenever she's around the 25 and outside, she's looking to fire it in," Elstein said. "And so it was just one of those where you say, 'I need to be ready, I need to be ready, stick down, stick down,' and just try to be in the location that it looked like she was looking. It just happened to work out really well."
Madison coached for 13 seasons at Michigan State before leaving for UVa. There's no question where her allegiance lies now, however, and she's eager to make it back to the final four. She guided the Spartans to the NCAA semifinals in 2002 and '04.
"It's everything you work for," Madison said.
 

White Wins First-Ever Southeast Regional Championship
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior Catherine White won the individual title at the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Saturday to become the first-ever Cavalier to earn a regional title. White led the No. 19 women’s squad to a runner-up finish behind No. 15 Duke to claim an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. Virginia’s No. 19 men’s squad finished fifth and will await word on an at-large selection to nationals, which will be announced tomorrow at 7 p.m.

White completed the course in 20:03.90 to earn individual honors. She was trailed by sophomore Morgane Gay, junior Stephanie Garcia and senior Lauretta Dezubay, respectively, who each earned all-region honors. Gay crossed within a steady slew of competitors, completed the course in 20:39.44 for eighth place. Garcia took 18th in 21:05.32, while Dezubay was 25th with a time of 21:25.51. Sophomore Laurel MacMillan rounded out the scoring Cavaliers with a 62nd-place finish in 22:08.66.

On the men’s side, running their first 10k of the season, junior All-American Emil Heineking led the Cavaliers with a seventh-place finish in 30:16.55, while sophomore Ryan Collins finished 14th with a time of 30:38.75 and junior Graham Tribble took 21st in 30:55.59 to each earn all-region honors. Junior Trey Miller finished in 31:42.98 for 44th and freshman Sintayehu Taye finished 47th in 31:50.04.

Liberty’s Samuel Chelanga won the individual title in 29:31.25.

No. 15 Duke claimed the women’s team championship with 69 points, while the Cavaliers earned the second automatic bid to NCAAs with 113 points. NC State finished third with 135 points.

No. 8 William & Mary won the men’s race with 49 points. No. 16 NC State finished runner-up with 99 points and No. 24 Louisville rounded out the top-three with 121 points. No. 30 Duke finished fourth with a score of 131, barely edging the Cavaliers, who took fifth with 133 points.

The men’s team will need to wait until tomorrow to find out their fate for the NCAA Championships. Thirteen at-large teams will be selected by the NCAA committee to participate in the national championships and the top-four individuals not on a qualifying team will automatically advance to the finals, as well. Two additional at-large individuals will be selected by the committee to round out the field of competition. All individual qualifiers must have finished in the top-25 of their region to be eligible for selection.

The 2009 NCAA Championships will be held Monday, Nov. 23 at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind.
 

Cavaliers Drop Hard-Fought Match to Duke on Senior Night
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/14/2009

Charlottesville, Va. - The Virginia volleyball team dropped a hard-fought match to the Duke Blue Devils on Senior Day Saturday evening in Memorial Gymnasium. Despite winning a thrilling first set and dropping a close second set, the Cavaliers weren't able to hold on, as Duke escaped with a 3-1 (24-26, 27-25, 25-15, 25-22) victory.
"The match was very tightly fought," head coach Lee Maes said. "It was a very intense match with a lot of high quality volleyball. The difference that reflected the outcome was primarily based on serving and passing. Duke was more aggressive and efficient in their serving and passing than we were with ours. When both teams passed the ball well, both offenses were scoring a lot of points. We just didn't side out enough to be able to limit the scoring runs that Duke had."
Following a short ceremony to honor Virginia's three seniors, Lauren Dickson, Tara Hester and Brittani Rendina, the Cavaliers used their energy to battle the Blue Devils to the end of the opening set. The two squads exchanged the early points, working the score to an even 11-11 tie. The Cavaliers then went on a 4-0 run to break the stalemate and force Duke to call a timeout.
Out of the break, the Cavaliers' attack was able to top the Blue Devils, riding seven kills on seven swings from junior Kendahl Voelker, Virginia won the set, 26-24.
The second set picked up where the first let off. With 13 tie scores, neither team was willing to give in. Down one, freshman Jessica O'Shoney landed a service ace to knot the score at 23 all, before a block from junior Sydney Hill and Voelker brought the crowd to their feet and gave Virginia the first set point opportunity. The Blue Devils responded with a block to even the score at 24, before Voelker knocked down a kill to keep Virginia on top. It wouldn't be enough though, as the Blue Devils found a way to land three-straight kills and escape with a 27-25 victory.
Duke started strong in the third set, taking a four-point lead early in the frame, and it was over from there. The Cavaliers rallied to put together a 3-0 run, but were unable to take an advantage in the set as the Blue Devils cruised to a 25-15 victory.
Duke jumped out to an early advantage again in the fourth, leading by as many as seven in the frame. Virginia used a timely three-point run to pull within two points of the Blue Devils, at 22-24, but it was not enough as Duke called a timeout, and landed a kill out of the break, to take the 25-22 victory.
Sophomore Simone Asque once again led the Cavaliers' attack, knocking down 17 kills and collecting 16 digs for her sixth double-double this season. Voelker provided assistance on the attack, ending with 15 kills, while O'Shoney added 10.
Defensively, Hester and Rendina - playing in their final match at Memorial Gymnasium - and junior AJ Cushman each contributed 13 digs. Freshman Rachel Gray dished out 45 assists.
The match marked the final home game for Lauren Dickson, Hester and Rendina.
"I think our fourth years have done themselves proud," Maes said. "I think it was really evident tonight in how much they've given to this program with their leadership and the examples that they've displayed. Tonight, our team played with a level of intensity and energy to honor our seniors. It was our way to show our thank you to what they have given to this program. Our team really came together and it showed in how hard we competed tonight."
The loss drops the Cavaliers to 12-16 on the season and 7-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Duke - led by Rachael Moss's 17 kills and 21 digs - improves to 24-5 on the year and 14-3 in the league.
Virginia will close out this season with three road matches. The Cavaliers will head to Georgia Tech (Fri, 7 p.m.) and Clemson (Sat., 6 p.m.) this weekend, before facing to Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 25 for the regular-season finale at 6 p.m.