Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Game Notes
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The victory improves Virginia’s record to 4-1 this season. The Cavaliers have now won four straight since their opening-season loss at Wyoming. The last time UVa won four straight in a single-season was 2004 when the Cavaliers opened 5-0.
Tonight’s win marked the first time in four regular-season meetings Virginia defeated Pittsburgh. Pitt continues to lead the series 3-2.
Virginia is now 12-3 at home in non-conference games under head coach Al Groh and 32-9 overall at Scott Stadium under Groh during his seven seasons at UVa. Groh’s record at UVa now stands at 46-34. He is third in school history in wins, one behind Art Guepe who compiled a 47-17-2 record at UVa from 1946-52. George Welsh is UVa’s all-time wins leader with 134.
Today’s game marked the fourth consecutive contest the Cavaliers have scored on their first two drives of the contest.
Virginia’s 44 points were the most scored against Pittsburgh this season. The Panthers entered Saturday’s game ranked 18th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 16.0 ppg.
Virginia was seven for seven in the red zone tonight, a much higher percentage than Pitt’s first four opponents. The Panthers came into the game leading the Big East Conference in red zone defense by allowing just 57.1 percent (8 of 14).
Virginia has thrown six TD passes this season. Four have been caught by tight ends (Tom Santi with 3, Jonathan Stupar with 1).
Tonight’s game marks the first time the Cavaliers passed for three TDs in one quarter (first) since they did it vs. Duke in 2005. That was also the last time UVa passed for more than two scores in a game.
Tonight’s game marked the first time senior Gordie Sammis has started (left guard) in his career.
Cedric Peerman rushed for two TDs in a game for the first time in his career. He has scored a single rushing TD in six other games prior to tonight.
Peerman led the team in rushing (87 yards) and receiving (4 catches, 44 yards).
Peerman also compiled 174 all-purpose yards, the fourth game in a row with at least 150.
Cary Koch had his first reception of the season in tonight’s game.
Senior safety Jamaal Jackson recorded his first career interception for UVa tonight. In doing so, he became the first UVa defensive back to pick off a pass this year. Virginia, Fresno State and Marshall all came into the today’s play with no interceptions from the secondary.
Tonight’s game marked the first time Branden Albert has started at left tackle for UVa; he started in place of an injured Eugene Monroe. It was his 29th career start. All of the previous starts have been at left guard.
Rashawn Jackson’s 5-yard TD catch in the first quarter was the first scoring play of his career. It was just the fifth catch in his career.
UVa’s 27 first-quarter points are the most by a Cavalier squad in a quarter since they scored 30 in the third quarter during a 47-26 victory against NC State in Raleigh on Oct. 16, 1999. The Cavaliers scored four TDs in that quarter vs. the Wolfpack and also converted a pair of two-point conversions.
Cavalier quarterback Jameel Sewell tossed three touchdown passes tonight after entering the game with just two this season. As a redshirt freshman in 2006, he threw for a total of five touchdowns. Prior to tonight, Sewell has passed for more than one TD in a game just once, when he had a pair of TD passes vs. Maryland last year.
Sewell rushed for 64 yards tonight, the second-highest total of his career. He had a career high of 92 yards against Maryland last season.
With his two receptions tonight, senior Tom Santi moved into a tie with Bob Bischoff for fourth place on UVa’s career tight end receiving list with 78 catches. Jonathan Stupar’s three catches tonight allowed him to jump to ninth on the list with 56 receptions.
UVa’s 44 points were the most by the Cavaliers since scoring 51 vs. Temple in 2005.
T Isaac Cain, QB Scott Deke, C Jack Shields and G Patrick Slebonick all saw the first playing time of their careers tonight on UVa’s final possession.
Pitt Game Notes
Captains for the Panthers are junior running back LaRod Stephens-Howling (offense), junior free safety Eric Thatcher (defense) and junior receiver Austin Ransom (special teams).
Sophomore nose tackle John Malecki earned his first career start.
Freshman quarterback Pat Bostick earned his first career start.
Senior defensive end Joe Clermond blocked a Virginia extra point in the first quarter. The last time a Pitt player blocked an extra point was J.J. Horne vs. Rutgers on Oct. 18, 2003.
Freshman DL Tyler Tkach recovered a Virginia fumble in the second quarter for the first fumble recovery of his career. The drive that followed ended in Pitt’s first score of the game.
Freshman RB LeSean McCoy’s second quarter TD was the sixth rushing TD of his career.
Junior PK Conor Lee hit his 58th and 59th consecutive extra point in the game, bringing him within one of tying the Pitt record of 60, by Carson Long in the 1974-75 season.