2008 Virginia
Cavaliers
Nov. 28
Virginia Tech 17 …
Virginia 14
Dustin Keys hit a 28-yard field goal to give Virginia Tech the lead, and Dorian
Porch sealed the win with an interception in the final two minutes. Getting the
nod at quarterback instead of at his normal defensive back slot, Vic Hall tore
off touchdown runs from 40 and 16 yards for the Cavaliers, but the second half
belonged to the Hokies with a four-yard Greg Boone scoring run along with the
Keys field goal. On the day, Virginia Tech outgained a struggling UVA attack 392
yards to 249.
Player of the game:
Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed 12-of-18
passes for 137 yards and a touchdown, and ran 16 times for 137 yards
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica, 8-14, 77 yds,
1 INT
Rushing: Vic Hall, 16-109, 2 TD. Receiving: Rashawn Jackson, 2-18
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 12-18, 137 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 16-137. Receiving: Jarrett Boykin, 6-65, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where was this Vic Hall
idea throughout the season? While the top defensive back wasn’t able to throw
the ball more than once when he lined up at quarterback against Virginia Tech,
he was unstoppable running the ball, crossing up the Hokies throughout the first
half. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough of a passing game in the fourth quarter
to get the big drive needed to push the game into overtime, and now the
once-promising season has finished with a thud. The four game losing streak to
close couldn’t have been more painful with close loss after close loss.
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2008 Virginia
Preview
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2007 Virginia Season
2008
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 7-5
2008 Record: 5-7
Aug. 30
USC L 52-7
Sept. 6 Richmond W 16-0
Sept. 13 at Connecticut L 45-10
Sept. 20 OPEN DATE
Sept. 27 at Duke L 31-3
Oct. 4 Maryland W 31-0
Oct. 11 East Carolina W
35-20
Oct. 18 No Carolina W
16-13 OT
Oct. 25 at Georgia Tech W 24-17
Nov. 1 Miami L 24-17 OT
Nov. 8 at Wake Forest L 28-17
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 22 Clemson L 13-3
Nov. 29 at Virginia Tech L 17-14 |
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2007
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 5-6
2007 Record:
9-4
Sept. 1
at Wyoming
L 23-3
Sept. 8
Duke
W 24-13
Sept. 15
at No Carolina
W 22-20
Sept. 22
Georgia Tech W 28-23
Sept. 29 Pitt W 44-14
Oct.
6
at Middle Tenn
W 23-21
Oct.
13
Connecticut
W 17-16
Oct.
20 at
Maryland W 18-17
Oct.
27 at
NC State L 29-24
Nov.
3
Wake Forest
W 17-16
Nov.
10 at
Miami W 48-0
Nov.
24
Virginia Tech L 33-21
Gator Bowl
Jan. 1 Texas Tech L 31-28 |
Nov. 28
Virginia
Tech 17 … Virginia 14
Dustin Keys hit a 28-yard field goal to give Virginia Tech the lead,
and Dorian Porch sealed the win with an interception in the final
two minutes. Getting the nod at quarterback instead of at his normal
defensive back slot, Vic Hall tore off touchdown runs from 40 and 16
yards for the Cavaliers, but the second half belonged to the Hokies
with a four-yard Greg Boone scoring run along with the Keys field
goal. On the day, Virginia Tech outgained a struggling UVA attack
392 yards to 249.
Player of the game:
Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor completed
12-of-18 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown, and ran 16 times for
137 yards
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica,
8-14, 77 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Vic Hall, 16-109, 2 TD. Receiving: Rashawn
Jackson, 2-18
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 12-18,
137 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 16-137. Receiving: Jarrett
Boykin, 6-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where was this
Vic Hall idea throughout the season? While the top defensive back
wasn’t able to throw the ball more than once when he lined up at
quarterback against Virginia Tech, he was unstoppable running the
ball, crossing up the Hokies throughout the first half.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough of a passing game in the fourth
quarter to get the big drive needed to push the game into overtime,
and now the once-promising season has finished with a thud. The four
game losing streak to close couldn’t have been more painful with
close loss after close loss.
Nov. 22
Clemson 13 …
Virginia 3
Four turnovers proved costly with Clemson converting points on three
of them. RB C.J. Spiller threw his first career touchdown pass
hitting Tyler Grisham for a 15-yard score in the first quarter, and
that was the only time either team saw the end zone. Mark Buchholz
hit field goals from 32 and 23 yards out for Clemson, and Virginia
only managed a 34-yard Robert Randolph field goal in the second
quarter. Virginia appeared to be on the verge of a comeback as it
moved the ball in the second half, but nothing came of it. The teal
teams combined for a mere 362 yards.
Player of the game:
Clemson S Michael Hamlin made eight
tackles and an interception
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica,
24-39, 160 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 19-45. Receiving: Kevin
Ogletree, 6-73
Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 18-28, 121
yds
Rushing: James Davis, 18-65. Receiving: Jacoby Ford,
6-42
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now on
a three-game losing streak, all the magic of the Virginia season is
gone with a trip to Virginia Tech needed just to become bowl
eligible. The rushing attack has gone completely into the tank while
the passing game isn’t good enough to pick up the slack. When the
team is struggling this much to score, turnovers are death. Against
Virginia, the four giveaways killed Virginia’s ability to take any
control of the game, and while the defense did a phenomenal job, it
didn’t get any help. That’s been the case over the last few weeks,
and things aren’t going to get any better against the Hokies.
Nov. 8
Wake
Forest 28 … Virginia 17
Wake Forest jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead on Riley Skinner
touchdown passes from two yards out to Ben Wooster and 58 yards away
to Devon Brown, and was up 28-3 at halftime helped by a one-yard
Brandon Pendergrass run and a 53-yard interception return for a
score form Kevin Patterson. And that was about it for the Wake
Forest offense as it failed to score in the second half while
Virginia took off in the fourth quarter. Marc Verica tried to rally
the Cavaliers with a 21-yard touchdown pass to John Phillips and a
five-yarder to Kevin Ogletree, but that was as close as they got.
Virginia was held to just 28 yards rushing.
Player of the game:
Wake Forest RB Brandon Pendergrass ran 27
times for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica,
23-45, 279 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 12-43. Receiving: Kevin
Ogletree, 6-98, 1 TD
Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 14-30,
130 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Brandon Pendergrass, 27-110, 1 TD. Receiving:
D.J. Boldin, 8-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Marc
Verica is great in the fourth quarter and late in games, but the
Virginia offense has to do more from the opening snap. Wake Forest
was coldly efficient on offense and the Cavs didn’t do enough to
change things up. It’s almost like the team has been relying on late
game heroics, and this week it proved to be costly. After losing two
straight, the team needs to quickly regroup with Clemson and
Virginia Tech to finish up. At 5-5, there still needs to be one more
win to become bowl eligible.
Nov. 1
Miami 24 …
Virginia 17 OT
Jacory Harris led Miami on a 16-play, 95-yard drive in the final
moments with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Laron Byrd to force
overtime. In the OT, Aldarius Johnson caught a jump ball for a
nine-yard touchdown and a Hurricane lead. Virginia’s Cedric Peerman
lost a fumble, and Miami pulled off the comeback. Robert Marve ran
for a six-yard touchdown for the Canes in the first quarter, and
Jared Green caught a two-yard scoring pass in the second to help
Virginia take a 17-10 lead. Neither team scored in the second half
until the final Miami drive in regulation.
Player of the game:
Miami QB Jacory Harris completed 12-of-21
passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica,
27-41, 240 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 14-71. Receiving: John
Phillips, 7-36
Miami - Passing: Jacory Harris, 12-21, 160 yds,
2 TD
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 24-131. Receiving: Thearon
Collier, 3-64
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After
losing in rip-your-heart-out fashion against Miami, the shoe is on
the other foot for Virginia team that has made its living coming up
with clutch wins. There just wasn’t enough consistent offense to put
the game away, and the inability to stop the run didn’t help. This
is a dangerous time for the Cavs. The team worked so hard to get to
this point, but at 5-4, getting a win at Wake Forest next week is a
must to get bowl eligible with Clemson and Virginia Tech to finish
up.
Oct. 25
Virginia
24 … Georgia Tech 17
Virginia broke a late tie with a big Cedric Peerman run leading to a
three-yard touchdown with just over three minutes to play, and
defense was able to hold on. The Yellow Jacket offense was held to
259 yards, but it managed to use three Virginia Tech turnovers to
get short touchdown runs from Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer to go
along with a 39-yard Scott Blair field goal to tie it in the fourth.
Marc Verica gave Virginia the lead with touchdown passes from 14
yards out to Kevin Ogletree and 34 yard out to Maurice Covington,
but the offense stalled until the late game-winning drive. Virginia
held on to the ball for 34:18.
Player of the game:
Virginia RB Cedric Peerman ran 25 times
for 118 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 31 yards
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech - Passing: Josh
Nesbitt, 7-15, 103 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Roddy Jones, 11-75. Receiving: Demaryius
Thomas, 5-88
Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica, 29-39, 270 yds,
2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 25-118, 1 TD. Receiving:
Maurice Covington, 5-76, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Virginia keeps on rolling with a great performance against Georgia
Tech to take the lead in the ACC race. The run defense did a nice
job keeping the Tech offense under wraps, while the offense overcame
three turnovers to keep things moving with the passing of Marc
Verica and running of Cedric Peerman to balance things out. The
offensive line deserves the credit for holding up against the NFL
caliber Tech defensive front. This is the ACC’s hot team, but it has
to prove it with a win over Miami next week to follow with a trip to
Wake Forest.
Oct. 18
Virginia
16 … North Carolina 13 OT
Down seven with just over two minutes to play and with 82 yards to
go, Virginia QB Marc Verica led the Cavaliers quickly and
efficiently down the field leading to a two-yard Cedric Peerman
touchdown run with 47 seconds to play to force overtime. In the OT,
North Carolina got a 28-yard Casey Barth field goal for the lead,
but Virginia answered with 19-yard pass to John Phillips to set up a
two-yard Cedric Peerman touchdown run for the win. The Tar Heels
scored first on a one-yard Ryan Houston touchdown run, and the
defense held tough allowing just a 37-yard field goal until the
final few minutes.
Player of the game:
Virginia QB Marc Verica completed 24-of-38
passes for 217 yards
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: Cam
Sexton, 16-25, 166 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 30-138. Receiving: Hakeem
Nicks, 6-90
Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica, 24-38, 217 yds
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 17-44, 2 TD. Receiving: Kevin
Ogletree, 6-72
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Virginia isn’t always going to be pretty, but currently on a
three-game winning streak, the team is playing with confidence and
toughness. Who comes back in the final few minutes to beat North
Carolina when nothing has been working? On a three-game winning
streak with a trip to Georgia Tech up next, the Cavaliers can make
an even bigger statement in the Coastal Division race. It would be
nice if the offense was a bit more consistent, but the defense is
picking up the slack lately.
Oct. 11
Virginia 35
… East Carolina 20
Virginia overcame two early interceptions and a 6-0 deficit to score
28 straight points on Cedric Peerman touchdown runs from 79 and 60
yards, a five-yard Mikell Simpson scoring run, and a 30-yard Kevin
Ogletree touchdown catch. East Carolina managed to come back in the
second half to pull within eight, but John Phillips caught a 12-yard
touchdown pass to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Virginia
came up with six sacks to East Carolina’s one..
Player of the game:
Virginia RB Cedric Peerman ran 16 times
for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and he led the team with eight
catches for 26 yards
Stat Leaders: East Carolina - Passing: Pat
Pinkney, 12-28, 196 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jon Williams, 19-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Dwayne
Harris, 6-128
Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica, 25-32, 216 yds,
1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 16-173, 2 TD. Receiving:
Cedric Peerman, 8-26
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Virginia has turned its season around on the lines. The pass rush
was tremendous against East Carolina, rushing Patrick Pinkney all
game long, while the offensive line paved the way for a big rushing
day. The offense did a great job of holding on to the ball in the
fourth quarter, keeping it for 10:18, just when ECU was getting hot.
Beating Maryland and East Carolina was nice, but if the Cavaliers
can beat North Carolina next week, it’ll be time to really start
getting excited.
Oct. 4
Virginia 31 … Maryland 0
Virginia stunned Maryland as Marc Verica hit Kevin Ogletree on a
51-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 15-yard touchdown
play in the second. He also ran for a five-yard score and Cedric
Peerman ran for a nine-yard touchdown as the Cavaliers stunned the
Terps on both sides of the ball. Maryland turned it over twice and
was held to 79 yards rushing, while Virginia’s ground game cranked
out 201 yards and had its best performance of the year.
Player of the game: Virginia QB Marc Verica completed
25-of-34 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a
score
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica,
25-34, 226 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 17-110, 1 TD. Receiving: Kevin
Ogletree, 5-100, 2 TD
Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 20-34, 223 yds,
1 INT
Rushing: Da’Rel Scott, 11-36. Receiving: Ronnie Tyler,
5-56
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Where did
that come from? Virginia was awful in losses to Connecticut and
Duke, and all of a sudden, it came up with a ground game in the
blowout win over Maryland and the defense started swarming again
like it did last year. This could be the type of win that turns the
whole season around, and while the next two games against East
Carolina and North Carolina aren’t going to be easy, they’re at
home. If QB Marc Verica keeps improving, wins are possible.
Sept. 27
Duke 31 … Virginia 3
Virginia scored first with a 33-yard Yannick Reyering field goal,
and then it was all Duke. Nick Maggio tied it with a 20-yard field
goal just before halftime, and then the Blue Devil defense forced
five turnovers in the second half leading to a flurry of points with
Thaddeus Lewis hitting Jay Hollingsworth for a ten-yard touchdown
and connecting with Eron Riley for a 30-yard score in the third
quarter. The defense got into the act with a 42-yard interception
return for a score form Jabari Marshall. In all, Virginia turned it
over six times, but outgained Duke 304 yards to 258.
Player of the game: Duke LB Michael Tauiliili had 16 tackles,
an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Stat Leaders: Virginia- Passing: Marc Verica,
19-42, 194 yds, 4 INTs
Rushing: Rashawn Jackson, 8-43. Receiving: John Phillips,
5-59
Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 18-32, 160 yds, 2
TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Jay Hollingsworth, 15-59. Receiving: Austin
Kelly, 4-34
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean,
Basil? ... So this is going to be a major work in
progress. Marc Verica is going to need a while to get the passing
game going, but he’s going to have to do a far better job of
limiting his mistakes and taking the safer throws. He struggles
against Duke, throwing four picks, but he didn’t get much help from
the running game. Duke teed off on the Cavalier running game, and
Verica couldn’t help the cause. The defense has been fine, the 31-3
final score is misleading. It’s not getting help from the offense.
Sept. 13
Connecticut 45 … Virginia 10
Connecticut ripped off the first 28 points of the game, all in the
first half, and got up 45-3 before Virginia finally got on the board
with a one-yard Cedric Peerman touchdown run early in the fourth
quarter. Donald Brown ran for touchdowns from three, eight, and 63
yards out, and Tyler Lorenzen connected with Anthony Davis for a
three-yard score. Connecticut outgained Virginia 506 yards to 219
and 382 yards to 31 on the ground.
Player of the game: Connecticut RB Donald Brown ran 20 times for
206 yards and a touchdown, and caught five passes or 32 yards
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Mark Verica,
22-30, 158 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Mikell Simpson, 6-23. Receiving: Kevin Ogletree, 7-58
Connecticut
-
Passing: Tyler Lorenzen, 13-15, 124 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 20-206 yds, 3 TD. Receiving:
Donald Brown, 5-32
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The horrendous
performance against Connecticut can’t be blamed on QB Peter Lalich
not being able to make the trip. The Huskies thoroughly and
completely dominated the Cavaliers in every way, with the biggest
problem coming on the defensive line. UConn ran for 382 yards and
had all day to throw. Now Virginia has to find something to hang its
hat on. It has to get something going offensively, while the
defense, after being shell-shocked by USC and Connecticut, needs a
confidence booster.
Sept. 6
Virginia 16
… Richmond 0
The
Virginia defense saved the say with an interception near the goal
line from Chase Minnifield late in the game and a Vic Hall 60-yard
interception return for a touchdown. The Cavalier offense came up
with 295 yards scoring on a one-yard Mikell Simpson touchdown run
and a 26-yard Yannick Reyering field goal, but the game was all
about the defense. Richmond managed just 194 yards of total offense
and converted one of 12 third down chances.
Player of the game:
Virginia LB Clint Sintim made seven
tackles with two sacks
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Peter Lalich,
21-39, 204 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 10-60 Receiving: Kevin
Ogletree, 8-103
Richmond - Passing: Eric Ward, 16-33, 175 yds,
2 INT
Rushing: Josh Vaughan, 13-52. Receiving: Kevin
Grayson, 8-111
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There’s
a lot of work to do. A lot. It’s one thing to struggle offensively
against USC, but the Cavaliers couldn’t get anything going against
Richmond with little rushing offense, just 81 yards, and not enough
consistent passing production. Two turnovers and nine penalties
didn’t help, but the defense was tremendous throughout. The D will
have to carry things for a while.
Aug. 30
USC 52 ... Virginia 7
USC QB Mark Sanchez was nearly flawless throwing for 338 yards and
three touchdowns, while the running game helped out with 218 yards
and four scores from four different players. Down 21-0, Virginia got
some help from a few Trojan penalties leading to a seven-yard Mikell
Simpson touchdown run late in the first quarter, but that would be
all the Cavalier offense could generate. USC finished with 558 yards
of offense and held on to the ball for 36:31.
Player of the game:
USC QB Mark Sanchez completed 26-of-35
passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Peter Lalich, 18-35, 155
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 8-32. Receiving: John Phillips, 5-33
USC - Passing: Mark Sanchez, 26-35, 338 yds, 3
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: C.J. Gable, 9-73, 1 TD. Receiving: Damian Williams, 7-91
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Yeah, the Cavs were destroyed by USC, but the expectations weren’t
exactly sky-high for this young and rebuilding program. Call it a
learning experience that should pay dividends at some point later in
the year. Peter Lalich was predictably inconsistent as the starting
quarterback, and the offensive line was routinely blown off the
ball. While it wasn’t evident versus the Trojans, Virginia has
upside, which should start creeping to the surface in upcoming games
with Richmond, Connecticut, and Duke.
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Torrey Mack
RB 6-0 190 Stratford, CT (Stratford)
Will line up at running back for UVa ... Explosive ballcarrier for
coach Duane Shirden at Stratford HS ... SuperPrep All-American...
Ranked the nation’s No. 8 running back by SuperPrep and No. 18 by
Scout... 4 stars according to Scout ... The East Region’s No. 26
player by Scout ... No. 1 player in New England by SuperPrep and
Scout ... Three-time all-state and all-conference selection ...
Connecticut Post All-Star selection twice ... Averaged more than 13
yards per carry as a senior, rushing for 1177 yards and 20
touchdowns on only 86 rushes ... Also had 40 tackles and three
interceptions as a defensive back ... 153 carries for 1689 yards and
19 touchdowns and 80 tackles on defense as a junior.
Potential Instant Impact Players
Cameron Johnson
LB/TE 6-4 200 Washington, DC (Gonzaga)
Joins the UVa roster as a linebacker/tight end ... Dynamic two-way
player for coach Joe Reyda at Gonzaga ... Starter at wide receiver
and defensive back since his sophomore year ... Rated the nation’s
No. 19 strongside linebacker by Scout... 3 stars by Scout ... No. 8
player in the Mid-Atlantic by Scout and No. 13 by SuperPrep ...
Scout’s No. 77 player in the East Region ... Second-team
all-conference wide receiver his senior year after catching 22
passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns ... Also had four 2-point
conversions ... Grabbed 25 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns
as a junior ... Also intercepted four passes and made 85 tackles ...
A talented basketball player who had Division I offers ... Double
figure scorer ... Earned all-conference honors in both football and
basketball
Ausar Walcott
DB 6-4 200 Hackensack, NJ (Hackensack)
Will be a defensive back at Virginia ... Athletic player for coach
Gordon Whiting at Hackensack HS ... Played a multitude of positions
on both sides of the ball throughout his career, including wide
receiver, cornerback, safety and linebacker .. Rated the nation’s
No. 38 by Scout ... Ranked No. 88 in the East Region by Scout ...
3-star player by Scout ... Listed as the No. 10 player in New Jersey
by SuperPrep, No. 12 by Rivals and No. 18 by Scout ... Was in on 80
tackles as a senior ... Intercepted three passes ... Also rushed for
more than 1200 yards and 11 touchdowns in only six games ...
First-team all-county honors as a junior ... Is a sprinter and long
jumper on the track team, earning all-county and all-league honors
... Also plays basketball.
Rest of the Class
Tory Allen DL 6-6
220 Hampton, GA (Lovejoy)
Javaris Brown WR 5-11 180 Macon, GA
(Northeast)
Steve Greer LB 6-2 218 Solon, OH (Solon)
Jimmy Howell P 6-6 238 Florence, SC (West
Florence)
Rodney McLeod DB 5-10 180 Hyattsville, MD (DeMatha)
Matt Mihalik OL 6-7 275
Middlefield, OH (Gilmour Academy)
Austin Pasztor OL 6-6 310 Tillonsburg,
Ontario (Fork Union)
Colter Phillips TE 6-6 240 Darnestown, MD
(Georgetown Prep)
Mike Price DL/OL 6-5 265 Chesapeake, VA
(Great Bridge)
Klinton "Buddy" Ruff DL 6-4 290 Norfolk, VA
(Norview)
Bill Schautz TE 6-4 220 Oradell, NJ (Bergen
Catholic)
Riko Smalls QB 6-1 190 Plano, TX (Plano
East)
Aaron Van Kuiken OL 6-7 308 Cincinnati, OH
(Turpin)
Devin Wallace DB 5-11 200 Fort
Washington, MD (Friendly)
Rod Wheeler TE 6-3 240 Highland Springs, VA
(Highland Springs)
2007 Recap
Recap:
The Cardiac Cavs unexpectedly manufactured nine victories, winning
an NCAA-record five games by two points or fewer, and nearly copping
the ACC Coastal Division. With no stars beyond DE Chris Long and
limited resources on offense, Virginia persevered behind the play of
the defense and special teams, and that knack for pulling out close
games. Considering the Cavaliers began the season with a 23-3 loss
at Wyoming, head coach Al Groh and his staff did a remarkable job of
guiding this group to the Gator Bowl.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Mikell Simpson
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Chris Long
Biggest Surprise: Much of the season was a surprise, but none
more than on Nov. 10, when Virginia destroyed Miami, 48-0, the
‘Canes’ worst home loss since 1944. The fact that the city was
giving a celebratory farewell to the Orange Bowl made the final
score even more incredible.
Biggest Disappointment: The Cavaliers were on the brink of
capping their amazing 2007 campaign with a New Year’s Day bowl win
before the bottom fell out against Texas Tech. Presumably safe at
28-14 late in the fourth quarter, Virginia uncharacteristically
yielded 17 points in the final four minutes for a stunning 31-28
defeat.
Looking Ahead: Even without Long, the Cavaliers should again
be formidable on defense in 2008. The offense, however, is a
different story. While it’ll help to get RB Cedric Peerman and WR
Kevin Ogletree back from injuries, Virginia needs to determine if
Jameel Sewell is truly a quarterback it can build around the next
two seasons.
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