Managing only 110 total yards on the day, Virginia fell to Wyoming 23-3 in its season opener.
Sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell was 11 of 23 for 82 yards and was intercepted twice. Junior running back Cedric Peerman gained 18 yards on seven carries.
Virginia coach Al Groh said he thought Peerman did a decent job, but added that some blocking decisions made by the offensive line hurt Peerman in the long run.
The lone score came from 42 yards out on the foot of Chris Gould. The senior kicker put the ball through the uprights as time expired in the first half.
The only play in which the Cavaliers really shined was a 67-yard kick return by junior running back Andrew Pearman.
Wyoming sophomore quarterback Karsten Sween stole the show Saturday, going 25 of 34 for 253 yards. Sween threw one touchdown and one interception, a pass that was batted down then caught by sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.
The defense played well at times, picking up a fumble along with Fitzgerald's interception, but Groh said after racking up 90 plays (compared to the offense's 46) the defense was completely worn out. As the offense was unable to establish a rhythm, Wyoming held the ball more than twice as long as Virginia throughout the game.
True freshman quarterback Peter Lalich played the last drive of the game for the Cavaliers, going three for five for 16 yards. Despite Sewell's poor performance, Groh said he still has complete confidence in him and will start him Saturday in the home opener versus Duke.
Groh said the team needs to stay cohesive and unified as the Cavs continue the season. Losing the team mentality, Groh said, is the one thing that can hurt a football team the most.
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