TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-It was a situation you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. It was bad enough that the Virginia football team had to face No. 6 Florida State, the defending national champions, in its own house Saturday. On top of that, the Seminoles were still stung by their loss to Miami two weeks ago, and the Cavaliers had to fare without senior quarterback Dan Ellis, who was still recovering from a hamstring injury.
It sounded like a bad dream.
With freshman Bryson Spinner starting under center, Virginia (4-3, 3-2 ACC) found out the hard way what Florida State (7-1, 5-0) is capable of and lost handily, 37-3. When the Seminoles weren't making big plays, the Cavs were shooting themselves in the foot.
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The Cavs made their first mistake on the third play from scrimmage. Out of the shotgun, center Dustin Keith snapped the ball over Spinner's head. When the dust had cleared, Florida State's Tommy Polley had the ball and the Seminoles had possession at the Virginia 1-yard line.
William McCray scored on the next play, and the 'Noles never looked back. David Greene's 37-yard field goal in the third quarter was the Cavaliers' only score of the day and only reduced the Florida State lead to 27-3. The Seminoles outgained the Cavs 554 yards to 199 and showed how they have dominated the ACC since they joined in 1992.
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"I thought our game plan was pretty good," Spinner said. "We just needed to execute. That's why we came out of here with a loss, that and the penalties. You can't shoot yourself in the foot."
That's exactly what happened Saturday. The Cavs lost three fumbles, including one on the Seminole goal line, and threw two interceptions, one by Spinner and one by fellow freshman Matt Schaub.
The penalties were just as damaging as the turnovers. Virginia committed 10 for 85 yards. Even worse, holding penalties wiped out some of the Cavaliers' best plays and stifled several Virginia drives.
As a result of the penalties and the Seminoles' blazing speed on defense, the Cavs never got going offensively. Virginia finished with only 33 yards rushing.
"It was pretty frustrating," Keith said. "They played well, and we were just missing a couple of blocks here and there. They're a good defense."
"We have to be able to run the ball some against anybody to be successful," Cav coach George Welsh said.
The Cavaliers were able to move the ball through the air with some success even though tight end Billy Baber and wide receiver Kevin Coffey exited early with injuries. Tight end Chris Luzar played well in Baber's absence and finished with six catches for 74 yards, both career highs.
However, every time the Cavaliers gained some offensive momentum, something went wrong and stymied the drive.
"We shot ourselves in the foot," Welsh said. "We couldn't run the ball. I don't remember anybody ever stopping us cold like that. Ever."
While the offense had a forgettable day, the Virginia defense was somewhat successful in containing the high-powered Seminole offense. Previously, Florida State ran up 63 points against North Carolina and Duke and 59 points against Miami.
While senior quarterback Chris Weinke threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns to Snoop Minnis, Florida State's running game was less successful. The 'Noles ran for 128 yards, almost half of which came on a 67-yard run by tailback Travis Minor. However, running back William McCray scored on two short runs. Seminoles kicker Chance Gwaltney also kicked three field goals.
The Cavaliers now turn their attention to archrival North Carolina, who comes to Scott Stadium Saturday with quarterback Ronald Curry. Following the death of his grandmother, Curry has something extra to play for.
"North Carolina looms as one of our crucial late season games," Welsh said. "They're all crucial from here on out."
On a bright note for Virginia, Welsh announced this week that Ellis will play against North Carolina for the first time since he pulled his hamstring three weeks ago against Maryland.
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