Before the game’s kickoff, both Virginia and Clemson knew how their regular season would end. After a loss to Boston College last week, Virginia (3-8, 2-5) secured its second straight bowless season. After Boston College’s loss earlier Saturday, Clemson (8-3, 6-2) clinched the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

The Cavalier/Tiger matchup featured the Atlantic Division’s top team against the Coastal Division’s worst one. For the game’s first thirty minutes, however, Virginia held its own despite a critical early blunder.

Virginia fumbled on the game’s first snap, a mistake that likely surprised no one. The Cavalier’s offense came to Death Valley ranking 118^th of 120 FBS teams.

Virginia’s more competent defense forced a turnover on downs when Clemson failed to convert a 4^th & 2 at their goal line. That stop seemed to just delay the inevitable when Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker later connected with Dwayne Allen for a 16 yard touchdown pass. However, less than three minutes later, Cavalier quarterback Jameel Sewell trotted into the Cavalier’s end zone.

To start the second quarter, Clemson’s Heisman hopeful C.J. Spiller rushed for a 4-yard touchdown. The senior tailback has returned this season to put up one of the greatest all-purpose campaigns in conference history. However, this was Spiller’s only visit to the end zone during the game, and the Cavalier’s held him to a relatively miniscule 58 rushing yards.

Cavalier Coach Al Groh’s offense has been frustratingly stagnant all season. However, on Virginia’s ensuing drive Groh acted as if he was calling from an Arena Football playbook. Groh played upon wide receiver’s Vic Hall’s versatility, letting him throw a 30 yard pass to Sewell after receiving a lateral from the quarterback. Hall followed that play by turning a reverse flip into a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joe Torchia.

Clemson tacked on a 21-yard field goal, and lightening-fast wide receiver Jacoby Ford added a 24-yard touchdown reception with 1:52 left in the quarter. Groh was content to run down the clock with a 10-point deficit. However, Mickell Simpson forced a more aggressive strategy when he broke for a 22-yard rush into Clemson territory. With 8 seconds left in the half, Simpson came down with a 23-yard miracle catch in the end zone.

Virginia went into halftime high on momentum and hope. After a highlight reel first half, however, the Cavalier offense limped around the field for the game’s final thirty minutes. The team could not find any more points, or even author a serious scoring threat.

Clemson’s Andre Ellington extended the Tiger’s lead back to 10 points with a five-yard rushing touchdown. Clemson ended the third quarter with a 24-yard field goal, and then coasted to finish the game 34-21.

Clemson’s sixth-straight win was mere icing on a division championship cake. Virginia’s fifth-straight loss leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. Next week, Clemson will take on in-state rivals South Carolina, before battling Georgia Tech for the ACC Championship. Virginia will take on in-state rivals Virginia Tech, before studying for final exams.

The Tigers have visions of ending their year with a BCS bowl win. Virginia will likely end their year by firing their head coach.

The Tony Bennett era begins this Friday, as Virginia opens its season against the Longwood Lancers.

The former Washington State coach brings a slow-down defense to a conference filled with high-flying offenses. He is counting on this style to make his first season in Virginia more enjoyable than his predecessor’s last one. The Cavaliers managed a mere 10 wins last year and promptly booted then head coach Dave Leitao. In replacing Leitao, Bennett offers a strong pedigree that includes an AP College Basketball Coach of the Year Award in 2006-07. He knows his job is to guide Virginia basketball back to ACC respectability.

A successful turnaround starts with Sylven Landesberg, the sophomore guard/forward who garnered ACC Rookie of the Year honors last season. If Landesberg can build on his 16.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, he could be one of the premier players in a talented conference.

Senior Calvin Baker and Sophomore Sammy Zeglinski will compliment Landesberg in the backcourt. Baker, who put up 8.4 points per game last year, is coming off knee surgery and will miss the season opener. Zeglinski showed promise as a freshman, averaging 7.8 points per game, but had a disturbing propensity for turnovers.

After a strong sophomore season in which he scored 10.2 points per game, junior forward Mike Scott will be Virginia’s second scoring option. Sophomore Center Assane Sene will likely round out the starting five, but will miss the Longwood matchup while serving a three game suspension.

The Cavalier team is relatively high on talent, but low on expectations. The ACC Preseason Poll projected Virginia to finish 11^th in the conference.

The team, however, does have arguably the easiest schedule in the ACC, with more than their fair share of the proverbial “cupcake” teams on tap.

Virginia takes on Cupcake #1 this Friday, in the form of Independent league Longwood University. However, the team knows not all desserts are as tasty as they appear, and the game may not be a cakewalk. As the Virginia football team demonstrated, season opening matchups should not be taken lightly.

Longwood finished a respectable 17-14 last season and return four starters this year. Senior guard and team captain Dana Smith will lead Longwood, having averaged 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during his 2008 campaign. Smith is also tough on the defensive end, boasting 60 career blocks.

Joining Smith in the backcourt is Senior Kevin Swecker. The guard posted 10.9 points a game last year, while showing a keen nose for the ball. His 72 steals last season ranked 24^th among Division I players.

Senior forward Billy Robinson and junior guard Durann Neil will also return as starters. Sophomore center Antwan Carter is the most promising candidate to fill out the starting five.

Although the Lancers are no pushovers, Bennett undoubtedly scheduled them as an early season confidence booster. This Friday, Virginia will look to capitalize on that matchup, and take its first step towards improvement. After suffering its worst season since the 1970’s, the team has plenty of room on the upside.

A heartbreaking Halloween loss to Duke has Virginia coach Al Groh feeling haunted.

“It hurts losing,” says Groh, “We put a lot into this. We put everything we got into this, and when you get nothing back in return, it’s a haunting feeling.”

Virginia (3-5, 2-2 ACC) fell 28-17 to the Blue Devils (5-3, 3-1 ACC) in a battle that was closer than the score indicates.

The Cavaliers came out of the gates like ketchup out of a bottle, managing one total offensive yard in the first quarter and Duke held the ball for more than 13 of the game’s first 15 minutes.

Given such a lopsided clock advantage and Duke’s highly touted passing offense, the first quarter might have been a blowout. The Virginia defense held tough, however, limiting the Blue Devils to just three early field goals.

“If a team can gain yards against you and get in the red zone, then you just have to buckle down and do the best you can to stop them,” says Junior tackle John-Kevin Dolce. “We were able to hold them to three instead of seven early on, and we look at that like a four-point play.”

The Virginia offense finally showed signs of life in the second quarter, tallying a field goal to finish the half only 6 points down. The Cavaliers then scored on their opening drive of the second half to take a 10-9 lead.

Virginia held that lead through 45 minutes of mutual insomniac offenses, until suddenly, both teams awakened in a scoring frenzy.

To start the fourth quarter, Duke’s freshman kicker Will Snyderwine drilled his fourth field goal of the day. However, senior quarterback Jameel Sewell responded with his own scoring march. The drive culminated in tight-end Joe Torchia’s first career touchdown and a 17-12 Virginia lead.

Duke rallied with a red zone drive, but sophomore cornerback Chase Minnifield forced an end zone interception that had Scott Stadium smelling victory.

“After the interception, we felt pretty confident,” said Minnifield, “But we knew we had to go back on the field and make a stop. We knew there was still a lot of time on the clock.”

Virginia could not find that critical stop. Duke scored 16 points in the game’s final 5 minutes to leave Cavalier players stunned.

“I’m really not sure what happened in the last 5 minutes of the game,” admitted Minnifield.

What happened was Thaddeus Lewis. The Duke quarterback came into today’s matchup with a nation-leading 144.47 passer rating. During the game’s final moments, he showed why Duke has the best aerial attack in the ACC.

Lewis authored a 67-yard drive, including 42-yard touchdown pass that gave the Devils a lead they would not relinquish.

Lewis “made the difference for his team,” says Groh. “He came up with throws that had to be made and that’s why his team is in the position it is right now.”

Lewis finished the game with 343 yards and handed the Cavalier’s a loss that stings. Virginia suffered its twelfth defeat in the last two years, and now faces a steeply uphill battle for a bowl bid.

As senior fullback Rashawn Jackson says, that “is definitely hard to swallow.”

Perhaps more disappointing than the conference loss, however, was the game’s attendance. Virginia continued to set record low turnouts, with only 41,713 fans coming out to Scott Stadium. The Cavalier players aren’t shocked, however.

“I mean this is UVA,” says Jackson. “This isn’t Michigan or LSU or Tennessee or Virginia Tech. Fans here, aren’t, they’re not that patient. I guess its natural sometimes, it’s human nature, when things aren’t going good, to…just turn your back.

The fans that do stay, however, make the losses that much harder.

“And the fans…screaming on the sidelines, those are the guys who made this loss feel even worse,” admits Jackson. “They were really hanging in there for us, and they were really giving us their all, and I appreciate that effort.”

For those fans, Jackson promises that the team will improve their own effort, starting next weekend at Miami.

“Hopefully these next four games go the way we want,” he says, “But hope isn’t gonna get us there. Practice tomorrow will and execution will. I hope too many guys aren’t discouraged, I hope more guys are motivated. Because I’m ready to go tomorrow and I’m ready to play Miami. I’m hoping everything turns out well.”

Entering Saturday’s matchup, Georgia Tech ranks 12^th in the country. Virginia hasn’t been nationally ranked since its 2007 season. The Yellow Jackets hope to crack the BCS top 10 for the first time in 8 years. Virginia is far from receiving top 25 votes.

Georgia Tech ranks ahead of Virginia on virtually every list but one: the ACC Coastal Division.

Georgia Tech (6-1, 4-1 ACC) is the game’s 5.5 point favorite, but they must look up to find Virginia in the conference standings.

After an abysmal start to the season, Virginia (3-3, 2-0 ACC) has rallied to win its last three games. The team’s .500 record may not scream conference champions, but the Cavaliers have found a way to win when it matters most.

On Saturday, Virginia will put its undefeated ACC record to its toughest test yet. Looking to stay atop the Coastal Division, the Cavs will again lean heavily on their defense.

That defense has been stellar the past three games, and not coincidentally, so has the team’s record. The squad has allowed just 19 points during the winning streak, while forcing 9 total turnovers.

In conference matchups this year, the Cavaliers have surrendered a minuscule 223 yards per game. This week, however, they will clash with a Yellow Jacket offense that puts up a per game average of 417 yards.

Just as Virginia’s defense is the clear key to its recent turnaround, Georgia Tech’s running game is the equally obvious secret to the Jacket’s success.

Georgia Tech boasts the nation’s best running game, putting up 281 rushing yards per game. During the Jacket’s four game win streak, the team has logged an eye-popping 1240 yards.

Tech’s Junior quarterback Josh Nesbitt leads the team’s potent rushing attack. Nesbitt’s 894 passing yards this year is not Heisman Watch material, but his 625 rushing yards rank second among all quarterbacks. Virginia’s defense may be able to exploit Nesbitt’s passing inaccuracy as the quarterback completed just one pass last week.

However, they must constantly be wary of Nesbitt’s presence on the run.

Virginia’s own running game averages about a third of Georgia Tech’s, with 111 yards per game. The team’s starting tailback, Mickell Simpson, looked to be coming alive before suffering a neck injury against Indiana. Simpson missed the team’s last game and is questionable for Saturday. If he cannot go, Senior Rashawn Jackson will serve again as the starter.

Virginia’s passing game may also be missing its point man. Senior quarterback Jameel Sewell left last week’s game on crutches with an ankle injury. After a rocky start to the season, Sewell has been more effective in recent games, and Virginia hopes he sees action this Saturday. If not, the QB duties will fall on Junior Marc Verica.

Last week, Georgia Tech did Virginia a favor by beating in-state rival and conference favorite Virginia Tech. Now Virginia must help themselves.

Very few take Virginia seriously as conference leaders, and the Cavaliers are underdogs for well-founded reasons.

But until Georgia Tech proves differently, Virginia is the team atop the ACC.

With 2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Cavaliers trailed Maryland 9-3 and were in danger of taking a giant step back towards irrelevancy.

Nineteen seconds and 10 points later, Virginia grabbed a lead they would not relinquish, and the team now sits 2-0 in conference play.

The Cavaliers (3-3, 2-0 ACC) beat Maryland (2-5, 1-2 ACC) to move to .500 for the first time since November 15^th of last year.

While extending its winning streak to three, Virginia again relied on a devastating defense. The Cavaliers had four takeaways, including a 31-yard pick six by nose tackle Nate Collins.

With only 200 total yards, the Virginia offense was far from potent, but played steadily enough to hold off the Terrapins. Cavalier quarterback Jameel Sewell threw for only 137 yards, but avoided an interception for the third straight game. Senior fullback Rashawn Jackson proved a reliable replacement for starting tailback Mickell Simpson, who missed the game with a neck injury.

The Cavaliers and Maryland traded field goals in the first half and remained tied until the final minutes of the second quarter. Then, the Cavaliers’ botched rugby punt netted a three-yard loss and set up a 30-yard Maryland field goal.

With six minutes left in the third quarter, Maryland tacked on another field goal to go up 9-3, and Virginia fans collectively groaned. Given the Cavaliers’ struggles to move the ball, Maryland appeared to have the game under control. However, the Cavaliers fought back.

On the ensuing drive, Virginia’s emerging wide receiver Kris Burd came down with a circus catch that led to a 31-yard field goal. Two plays into Maryland’s next position, Nathan Collins intercepted Maryland quarterback Chris Turner and returned the ball 32 yards for a touchdown.

With 1:47 left, Rashawn Jackson iced the game with a 2 yard running touchdown, and Virginia left Byrd Stadium with a 20-9 victory.

After its win at College Park, the team that was once the laughingstock of the ACC now leads its Coastal division.

The Cavaliers’ early season struggles may rightfully cast doubts about their validity as conference contenders. Virginia’s Al Groh is not on anyone’s short list for Coach of the Year and the Cavaliers would be grateful for a Meineke Car Care Bowl bid this season.

However, when Georgia Tech comes into Scott Stadium next week, it will be a matchup between the first and second place teams in the conference. And it’ll be the home team trying to stay on top of the ACC.

Virginia came into Chapel Hill as a punch line among BCS teams, led by a coach whose head was on the proverbial chopping block. They left with a 1-0 record in the ACC.

With a 16-3 upset of North Carolina (3-2, 0-2 ACC), the Cavaliers (1-3, 1-0 ACC) are finally in the win column. Coming off a bye week, Virginia found the defensive dominance and offensive consistency that they’ve been missing all year.

Cavalier kicker Robert Randolph carried the scoring load for the first three quarters, drilling his 36, 38, and 43-yard field goal attempts.

Virginia tailback Mikell Simpson finally broke out for 100 yards rushing and added an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that effectively iced the game. Although quarterback Jameel Sewell’s 157 yards passing won’t turn heads, he avoided turnovers and further solidified his hold on the starting quarterback job.

The win, however, belongs to the Virginia defense. The determined squad played like they had a point to prove, limiting North Carolina’s well-regarded offense to just 3 points on 174 total yards. The Cavaliers forced three turnovers, including two interceptions off Carolina’s veteran quarterback TJ Yates. Virginia’s defense also stuffed the Tar Heel rushing game, allowing a negligible 39 rushing yards.

Virginia handed a once promising Tar Heels team their second straight loss. North Carolina was ranked 22^nd in the nation before stumbling last week against Georgia Tech. Now Carolina is winless in conference play and coach Butch Davis finds himself in a position that Virginia’s coach Al Groh knows all too well: searching for answers.

Although Saturday’s win may not save Groh’s job, it will at least lessen locker room tension. Virginia’s first three games consisted of a humiliating loss to William & Mary, a 30-14 thrashing by TCU, and a lose-from-ahead heartbreaker on the road to Southern Miss. However, a win against the respectable Tar Heels and an overpowering defensive performance may inspire faith in the team.

After all, the Cavaliers are undefeated in ACC play.

The Cavaliers head to Hattiesburg with history stacked against them. Under head coach Al Groh, the team is 2-6 in road openers and has lost 5 of their last 6 games away from Scott Stadium.

Virginia does, however, retain the advantage of knowing (or at least hoping) that they cannot play any worse.

In its first ever trip to Southern Mississippi, Virginia (0-2) will try to end a six game losing streak that dates back to last season. They’ll play a team also riding a streak– consisting of seven straight wins.

As is becoming a common refrain this season, the Cavaliers come into Saturday’s matchup as double-digit underdogs (14.5 points to be exact). The Golden Eagles ended the 2008 season on a tear and have carried that momentum into 2009 with a 52-0 defeat of Alcorn State and strong win over conference rival UCF. If winning breeds confidence and confidence breeds winning, then advantage Southern Miss.

Led by All-Conference senior tailback Damion Fletcher, the Golden Eagle offense has averaged 39 points per game this season. Fletcher has overcome preseason legal trouble with two straight 100-yard games. He will present a tough test for a Cavalier defense that was scorched for 30 points and 203 rushing yards last week.

The Eagles will also launch an up-tempo aerial attack guided by sophomore quarterback Austin Davis. Davis walked on to the Southern Mississippi team last year and promptly threw for a school record 3,134 yards. He has only improved this season, and comes to the Virginia game boasting a 169.0 pass efficiency rating.

In contrast to the Golden Eagle’s solid passing game, Virginia’s quarterback situation remains in limbo. Senior QB Jameel Sewell still has temporary reigns as the starter, but the bullpen is active with Junior Marc Verica waiting for the call.

After faring poorly against what is arguably the nation’s best defense in TCU last week, Virginia will again face a stingy squad. The Eagles have surrendered a miniscule 11 points per game during their seven game win streak.

Resolving a quarterback controversy against such a staunch defense is undoubtedly difficult, but the time has come to do so. “Groh must Go” chants have plagued the Virginia coach all season, and his job security now rivals that of a Washington Nationals manager.

A win against Southern Mississippi will not completely silence critics, but Groh will need to start somewhere. A win will not rectify Virginia’s season, but they too need a starting point.

Hattiesburg would be a good place to start.

If last week’s matchup against William & Mary set up on paper as a sure-win, Saturday’s game against TCU has all the signs of a sure-loss.

TCU may lack the name recognition of other top-tier football teams, but this is not a squad to be taken lightly. The latest AP poll ranks the Horned Frogs 16^th in the nation. Virginia’s name can’t be found among the AP ranks, but College Football News lists them at 78.

Last season, TCU boasted what was arguably the country’s best defense. They lead the nation in both total and rushing defense, while limiting opponents to a paltry 11 points per game.

The Horned Frogs return starting quarterback Andy Dalton and tailback Joseph Turner. Dalton could pose a serious aerial threat, having demonstrated impressive accuracy last season by completing almost 60% of his passes and throwing only five interceptions. Turner provides the Frogs with a formidable running game that ranked 12th in the nation last year.

The morale scale also tips in TCU’s favor. Although TCU will be playing their season opener on Saturday and perhaps scraping off some rust, they closed the 2008-09 campaign by upsetting #9 Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. UVA’s last outing was one to forget.

Given these disadvantages, the Cavaliers are decided underdogs (Vegas places TCU as 11 point favorites). As UVA so expertly demonstrated last week, however, upsets do happen.

To pull off the needed upset, Virginia must avoid turnovers. Although such a strategy seems simple, it bears repeating after UVA lost the ball on seven separate occasions in their season opener. Last year, TCU led the nation in time of possession. UVA cannot afford to sweeten their clock advantage by handing them the ball.

Although TCU’s defense was deadly in 2008, they return only four starters this year. Virginia running back Mikell Simpson and mobile quarterback Jameel Sewell will be attempting to navigate a rushing defense that yielded only 47 yards per game last season. However, TCU lost two of their most dominating linebackers in Matt Panfil and Cody Moore. Simpson and Sewell will look to take advantage of these holes.

Against such an imposing defense, Virginia Head Coach Al Groh will need to orchestrate a more cohesive offensive attack. Rotating three quarterbacks in last week’s game inflicted greater havoc on his offense than the opposing defense.

Groh must therefore elect between the experienced yet erratic Sewell and the solid if underwhelming Marc Verica for the quarterback position (Vic Hall is doubtful for Saturday’s game). The number he calls will have enormous consequences on Saturday’s game.

Though unlikely, an upset is possible for the Cavaliers. Virginia will need to take a cue from last week’s William & Mary example, and find a way to outscore a “better” team. Their season may depend on it.

Seven Turnovers Prove Deadly in Virginia’s Season Opener

Entering Saturday’s matchup, Virginia hoped to put 2008’s disappointing 5-7 season behind them and establish momentum against Football Championship Subdivision William & Mary. On the game’s third play, senior quarterback Vic Hall broke for a 34 yard rushing touchdown, igniting fans into a hopeful frenzy. Seven turnovers later, Cavalier fans were left to wonder how dismal their season might be.

Following UVA’s opening score, William & Mary quarterback Jeff Archer took the Tribe down the field and tied the game with a 5 yard touchdown pass to Rob Varno. The Cavaliers regained the lead after back-up QB Jameel Sewell authored a flawless 84 yd drive, capped by his 8 yd rushing TD. The rest of the game, however, was a series of mishaps and lost opportunities for the Cavs, as William & Mary shut out Virginia for the game’s final 37 minutes.

This was not the start that new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon envisioned when he brought his spread style offense to Virginia. Using a quarterback carousal that featured three separate passers, the Cavaliers were limited to 135 passing yards, no passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. William and Mary’s talented defensive back B.W. Webb came down with all three interceptions, including a 50-yard pick six that effectively sealed the game. Had Webb been wearing navy and orange, he would have been third on the team in receptions.

The football proved slippery for the Cavaliers, who fumbled the ball four times. Vic Hall lost the ball twice, including a third quarter muffed punt that placed William & Mary deep into Virginia territory. Such good field position was a common luxury for the Tribe. Although the defense limited William & Mary to one touchdown in four red zone possessions, the offense’s blunders were too much for Virginia to overcome.

The Cavalier’s displayed a quarterback-heavy attack, with passers providing the majority of the team’s rushing offense as well. Sewell and Hall combined for 155 yards and two rushing touchdowns, while Mikell Simpson, the team’s starting tailback, carried the ball only 5 times for 32 yards.

As for silver linings, the Virginia defense did contain last year’s CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year Jonathan Grimes to just 46 yards on 19 carries. The offensive line allowed just one sack despite losing talented tackle Eugene Monroe to the NFL.

This is little consolation, however, to Al Groh and his staff, who suffer a season opening embarrassment for the second straight year. Virginia never recovered from last season’s 52-7 drumming by the USC Trojans. Saturday’s game hardly inspires optimism that this season will be different.

With a 26-14 victory, William & Mary handed Virginia its first loss to a Subdivision team since 1986. In doing so, Tribe players silenced Cavalier fans that had taunted them as “UVA Rejects”–most of these fans had left by the time the so-called rejects ran off the field in victory.