“It’s a pretty easy game to describe, right?” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “I’m sure that you won’t have to scratch your heads to write the story about this one.”
In Virginia’s 13-3 loss to Clemson senior day Saturday at Scott Stadium, the statistics show in no subtle way how the 111th ranked scoring offense in the country sank to 115. With four turnovers — including three interceptions from sophomore quarterback Marc Verica — and zero fourth-down conversions on two attempts, the Cavalier offense blew any chance the team had of being ACC Championship-bound.
“The game, as you all could see, was a pretty even match other than about seven plays,” Groh said. “A touchdown that we didn’t get, [four] turnovers, and two failed fourth downs, which essentially are the same thing as a turnover.”
There was little positive to speak of for Virginia on the offensive side of the ball. Senior running back Cedric Peerman, the spark for Virginia throughout its four-game midseason win streak, finished with just 45 yards rushing on 19 carries, as he was granted few holes from a futile offensive line.
“With some [Clemson] guys, we had a little difficulty moving [Saturday] obviously,” Groh said. “We need a lot more in that area; there’s no doubt about it.”
When asked if offensive coordinator and son Mike Groh would be back next year, Al Groh dodged the question.
“I love these divisive questions,” he said. When asked if that answer meant his offensive coordinator would be back next season, Groh responded, “That means I blew the question off.”
The best offensive play of the day for Virginia was called back by an official. As the Cavaliers took control of the ball and the momentum after recovering a bad snap by the Tigers and drove into the red zone, Verica launched a deep pass targeting junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on first down. With the Clemson cornerback and Ogletree fighting for position all the way, Ogletree stuck his hand out to gain separation, hauled in the catch beyond and marched into the end zone for an apparent 53-yard score. The flag, however, came out without hesitation, as Ogletree was called for offensive pass interference, negating the touchdown and moving Virginia backward 15 yards to a chorus of boos from the Wahoo faithful.
“There appeared to be contact involved with both players,” Groh said. “It’s one of those calls that, when you make it, you better be right. Because if you were wrong, you had a profound influence on the game in an incorrect way if you’re the person who called it.”
Ogletree was also careful with his words about the penalty, though he too noted that there was contact both ways.
“You can’t get a penalty in that situation,” Ogletree said. “It’s unfortunate that the flag was on the other side, because there definitely was some pushing and shoving going on.”
The called-back touchdown was one of many blown opportunities that Virginia had to put points on the board. On the opening drive, senior wide receiver Cary Koch had a Verica pass bounce off his hands — after he lost the ball in the sun, Groh said — that would have put Virginia in field goal range; the Cavs ended up punting. On the first play of Clemson’s final drive of the half deep in Tiger territory, sophomore corner Ras-I Dowling got a perfect read on a pass by Clemson senior quarterback Cullen Harper but, like Koch before him, had the pass bounce off his hands, ruining a possible pick-six opportunity.
In addition, both of Virginia’s muffed fourth-and-1 attempts came as Virginia knocked on the door of field goal range. The first failed after Verica’s pass intended for Koch out of the shotgun — a play that had been successful “close to 90 percent all year long,” Groh said — was batted down by Clemson sophomore linebacker DeAndre McDaniel. On the second occasion, Virginia elected to hand to Peerman, but he was wrapped up in the backfield as he attempted to get outside by the blitzing Clemson sophomore cornerback Byron Maxwell.
“There [are] turnovers, and then there [are] giveaways,” senior outside linebacker Clint Sintim said. “Overall, today we had a lot of giveaways — a lot of giveaways on offense, a lot of giveaways on defense.”
With few exceptions, however, the Virginia defense was commended for an outstanding day against one of the most talented, albeit underachieving, offenses in the country. Virginia held Clemson to just 192 yards of total offense — 2 yards more than the 190 the Cavaliers accumulated — and gave up just one touchdown on a trick play, a 15-yard halfback pass from junior running back C.J. Spiller to senior wide receiver Tyler Grisham for Clemson’s opening score.
Clemson’s lineup “is like reading out an all-star team,” Groh said. “For the only touchdown to come on a well-executed play, but a play of that nature, that we wished we would have covered a little bit better, that part of it worked out pretty well.”
For the seniors, it was certainly not the ending that they envisioned on senior day. With ACC Championship hopes down the tubes and bowl eligibility teetering on the edge of failure, however, the seniors were not the only ones with their heads down.
“I’m sure that we all feel badly,” Groh said.
Read More
Omaha and Ohana — it’s all about family for Virginia baseball
By Xander Tilock | 6 minutes agoWith a multitude of meaningful connections, Virginia is aiming to rebound from Friday's loss and return home with a National Championship.
Cavaliers collapse, lose 3-2 in walkoff to North Carolina
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayVirginia will head to the loser's bracket Sunday after a disappointing loss to North Carolina.
Gertrude out for season after scooter accident
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayThe hype around his second season will have to wait.
