The Virginia football team lost 34-21 against No. 23 Clemson Saturday, extending its losing streak to five games.
Though the Cavaliers (3-8, 2-5 ACC) kept the game close early and trailed by only three points at halftime, the Tigers (8-3, 6-2 ACC) pulled away in the second half with two third-quarter scoring drives.
With 10:07left in the third quarter, redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Parker - who threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns on 19-for-26 passing on the day - completed a 28-yard pass to senior receiver Jacoby Ford. The Tigers methodically gained the remaining 38 yards for a touchdown, mixing another Parker pass with a few rushes by redshirt freshman running back Andre Ellington, who finished the quick drive with a five-yard run into the end zone. Clemson tacked on a field goal shortly thereafter, building a 13-point lead it would never relinquish.
Virginia, meanwhile, gained only 16 yards of total offense during the same period and 40 in the entire second half. Often forced to pass, senior quarterback Jameel Sewell was sacked seven times in the game and had difficulty creating any rhythm on offense. Sewell did enjoy success in the first half, however, completing an efficient six of seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps more detrimental to the Cavaliers' chances than their late offensive woes was the explosive Ford, who totalled 211 all-purpose yards. Midway through the first quarter, he hauled in sophomore Jimmy Howell's 48-yard punt at the Clemson 30-yard line and ran it 22 yards into Cavalier territory. Three quick Parker passes for 15 or more yards resulted in the first score of the game as Clemson seized a 7-0 lead.
Virginia responded immediately with a 45-yard touchdown drive of its own. Following sophomore Chase Minnifield's 34-yard kickoff return, which positioned Virginia in Clemson territory, senior tailback Mikell Simpson ran the ball five consecutive plays for 43 yards before Sewell finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown run.
After Clemson struck again with another quick scoring drive, coach Al Groh used a few trick plays to keep pace. Both Sewell and senior Vic Hall - who has played both quarterback and receiver - completed passes for 20 or more yards on the ensuing Virginia drive. The drive culminated in a five-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Joe Torchia off a reverse end-around by Hall, who completed the throw for his first-career passing touchdown.
Clemson quickly regained the lead with 10 straight points. It looked to head into halftime with the double-digit lead, but Virginia responded with a perfectly executed two-minute drill at the end of the half. The Cavaliers marched 80 yards down the field for the score, riding a 22-yard rush by Simpson and culminating in a 23-yard Sewell touchdown pass to the senior running back as time expired.
In an unfortunate turn of events for Simpson and the Cavaliers, though, he suffered a hamstring injury on the play. Without the hard-running, nimble force that racked up 127 all-purpose yards before heading to the sidelines, Virginia's offensive attack disappeared - as did its chances of beating the Tigers.
-compiled by Andrew Seidman
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