If Virginia decided to pay homage to the 2007 season Saturday, it did a good job of doing so. The 2007 Cavaliers were known nationally for pulling out close games in dramatic fashion, and that’s exactly what happened at Scott Stadium as the Cavaliers knocked off No. 18 North Carolina 16-13 in overtime.
“That was an awesome win for our team,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “I’m tremendously proud of our players, and I’m happy for them that they got a chance to celebrate the way they did.”
There wouldn’t have been any celebrating for the Virginia players and fans, however, if the offense had not come up with an 82-yard touchdown drive with 2:18 left. Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica — who was ineffective at times before that drive — completed seven straight passes and drove the Cavaliers down to the 2-yard line. Though Verica threw an incomplete pass on second-and-goal, senior running back Cedric Peerman ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown, and after the extra point attempt was tipped but went through, Virginia had tied the game with 47 seconds left on the clock.
“Every quarterback — his dream is — your team is down, fourth quarter, there’s only two minutes or so left in the game, and you’ve got to drive 80 yards to win,” Verica said. “That was the challenge that faced us. We just seized the moment, and we didn’t buckle under the pressure.”
In overtime, after Virginia won the toss and elected to start on defense, the defense came through and held the Tar Heels to a field goal. Once Virginia got the ball, it just took four plays to score: a 2-yard rush by Peerman, a 19-yard reception by senior tight end John Phillips, another 2-yard rush by Peerman and, to cap it off, yet another 2-yard rush by Peerman. This rush came as the game-winning touchdown that caused Virginia students to rush the field.
“This win is definitely in the top three that I’ve been in,” Virginia senior linebacker Clint Sintim said. “I can’t remember a time where we’ve won a game in overtime against a quality opponent like this.”
The end of the game, however, was not the only time the Cavaliers demonstrated their true ability. In the first quarter, the defense allowed North Carolina to rush for 85 yards — of which sophomore running back Shaun Draughn had 80 — but held the team to 81 net rushing yards the rest of the game, forced two interceptions by junior quarterback Cameron Sexton and recovered a fumble.
“The first drive was horrific on my part, and I’m sure a lot of other guys didn’t play up to form either,” Sintim said. “But we were able to bounce back. The defense was stout throughout the game and made big stops when we needed to.”
Several Cavalier defenders had to step up in the absence of sophomore cornerback Ras-I Dowling and senior linebacker Antonio Appleby.
“We took two hits right in the first series with a couple of our best players going out,” Groh said. “For [junior] Darren Childs, [sophomore] Mike Parker and [redshirt freshman] Chase Minnifield to step up the way they did against a quality program was just awesome. We’re proud of those guys for being true to the character of the team.”
The team’s character was also apparent at the game’s conclusion, when team captain Peerman presented the game ball to Groh, who rallied the team after a 1-3 start and now has the Cavaliers 4-3 and in contention for the Coastal Division title.
Receiving the game ball will be “something I’ll cherish for a long time,” Groh said. “When somebody like Cedric Peerman wants to do that, not only him individually, but as a representative and captain of the character and heart of the team, it’s very meaningful and very appreciated.”
Read More
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | 9 hours agoJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | 14 hours agoThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
Men’s soccer, totally discombobulated, capitulates early to No. 5 Pittsburgh
By Michael Liebermann | 16 hours agoPittsburgh set a program record for the quickest cluster of three goals.
