The average Virginia football fan watched most of the first two games of this season with chagrin as the Cavaliers lost control of the football again and again. Muffed punts, dropped passes, botched options and general bad handling of the ball sent the Cavaliers to two consecutive losses, the first of which was easily avoidable. Most fans were thinking to themselves, "When will this team catch a break?" as they entered Scott Stadium for last night's game with South Carolina.
Last night, the Cavaliers finally caught their break. Actually, seven breaks. The Cavaliers finally got on the good side of the turnover ratio with one interception and an amazing six fumble recoveries.
"How many turnovers did we have?" South Carolina coach Lou Holtz asked after the game. "Seven? It seemed like more."
The Cavalier defense "was very aggressive," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We played against a very aggressive team last week that knocked a lot of balls loose. You can see how teams that play at that level create those types of things."
No turnover was bigger than the fumble that came from South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins in the third quarter, with the Cavaliers nursing a 26-21 lead. Jenkins dropped back to pass, felt pressure and dropped the ball. He picked it back up for a moment, then lost it again at the Gamecock 20-yard line, where Virginia linebacker Angelo Crowell fell on it. On the next play, the Cavaliers used a tricky pass between two tight ends, Heath Miller and Patrick Estes, to increase their lead to the final margin of 34-21.
"Every time there's a tackle, there's somebody trying to get the ball out," freshman linebacker Darryl Blackstock said. "It's automatic."
The Cavaliers' aggressive defensive play was a welcome departure for a unit that was manhandled by the Florida State offensive line the week before. The team that took the field against South Carolina looked like a different squad. Although the Cavaliers gave up yardage to the dangerous Jenkins, the defense stiffened when it counted, forcing a fumble from the South Carolina quarterback inside the Virginia 10-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks never threatened again.
"Before the game even started, we already had the mindset of getting the ball out," senior safety Jerton Evans said. "Our biggest thing is takeaways, and if they don't have the ball, they can't move the ball, and therefore our offense is on the field."
Whether the Virginia defense was keeping the offense on the field or creating points themselves, as it did on Jermaine Hardy's second-quarter fumble return for a touchdown, the unit set the tone for the rest of the game. The Cavaliers came into the game with their backs against the wall, and they came out fighting, taking their cues with stifling defense and hard hitting.
The turnovers "made us keep believing," Blackstock said. "It kept us in the game. Even when we didn't get turnovers, we knew we had to step it up."
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