Cavaliers Welcome Boston College at 3:30 p.m. Today
Story Links
Game Details
Playing Surface: Grass
Series vs. BC: BC leads, 3-0
at Charlottesville: First meeting
Webcast: ESPN360.com
P-b-P: Ryan Rose
Analyst: John Gregory
Radio: Virginia Sports Network (affiliates)
P-b-P: Dave Koehn
Analyst: Frank Quayle
Sidelines: Chris Slade
Satellite Radio: XM Radio 190, Sirius 211
Live Stats: Click here for the link to the Live Stats.
Rosters: Virginia BC
Game Notes: Virginia BC
Statistics: Virginia BC
Five Things You Need to Know
• Steve Greer, with 70 tackles, has the most tackles by a UVa freshman since Darryl Blackstock recorded 108 in 2002.
• UVa’s strength of schedule is ranked ninth nationally this week by the NCAA, based on cumulative opponent records.
• Virginia has played 14 true freshmen (25 freshmen total) this season.
• Virginia is tied for fourth nationally in red-zone efficiency, converting on 23 of its 24 opportunities (96 percent).
• Virginia has held eight of its nine opponents below their season passing yardage average.
Noting The Brief UVa-BC Series
• This is just the fourth meeting between Boston College and Virginia and the second in ACC play.
• This will be Boston College’s first-ever trip to Charlottesville.
• BC won the first ACC contest between the teams, 28-17, in 2005 in Chestnut Hill.
• The Eagles own a 3-0 edge in the series.
• UVa is slated to travel to Chestnut Hill next season, then is not scheduled to see BC again until 2014 in Charlottesville.
All-Time Series Results
1963 @ BC 30, UVa 21
1994 BC 31, UVa 13 (Carquest Bowl)
2005 @ BC 28, UVa 17
Clark, Cook Lone Cavaliers to Face BC
• LB Aaron Clark and CB Chris Cook are the only Cavaliers to previously have played against Boston College.
• Both played as true freshmen in 2005.
• Cook broke his leg while playing in that game.
Shields with Mass. Connection
• C Jack Shields is the lone native of Massachusetts on the Virginia roster.
• He is from Duxbury, Mass., and attended Boston College HS.
• His father, Jack, also has connections to a another BC rivalry – he was a middle linebacker at Notre Dame from 1979-82.
BC-UVa Connections
• BC head coach Frank Spaziani served for nine years as a Virginia assistant coach (1982-90); he was the defensive backs coach during that time and also was defensive coordinator from 1985-90.
• BC offensive coodinator Gary Tranquill was UVa’s offensive coordinator under George Welsh in 1999 and 2000.
Randolph Named Lou Groza Award Semifinalist
• Virginia placekicker Robert Randolph has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl.
• Randolph is one of 20 semifinalists.
• Three finalists will be selected and the winner will then be announced Dec. 10.
• Randolph is 14-for-15 in field goals this season with a long of 49 yards.
Schedule Ranks Among Best
• Virginia is facing one of the nation’s toughest schedules again this season.
• The 2009 schedule currently is ranked ninth nationally by the NCAA, based on cumulative opponent records.
• UVa has played three ranked teams (TCU, Georgia Tech, Miami) and has two more remaining (Clemson, Virginia Tech).
• UVa plays nine games against 2008 bowl teams, tied for second most nationally this year. Only Florida State (11) plays more.
Cavaliers Typically Start Games Strong
• Virginia has gotten off to strong starts this year.
• UVa is outscoring its opponents 50-33 in the first quarter.
• Prior to giving up two touchdowns (and 17 points) in the first quarter at Miami, UVa had not allowed an opponent to score a touchdown in the first quarter since William & Mary reached the end zone in the season opener.
Twenty-Nine Cavaliers Earn First Playing Time
• Twenty-nine Cavaliers have made their college debuts this season, including 14 true freshmen.
• Eleven redshirt freshmen have seen their first action.
• Overall, 29 UVa players have earned their first career playing time this year.
• 39 percent of the Cavalier players to see playing time this season have been first-timers (29 of 75).
• True freshmen (14): Oday Aboushi, LoVante Battle, Paul Freedman, Will Hill, Quintin Hunter, Drew Jarrett, Perry Jones, Corey Lillard, Connor McCartin, LaRoy Reynolds, Tim Smith, Javanti Sparraw, Dominique Wallace, Tucker Windle.
• Redshirt freshmen (11): Javaris Brown, Steve Greer, Torrey Mack, Kyle McCartin, Matt Mihalik, Mike Price, Aaron Van Kuiken, Colter Phillips, Bill Schautz, Ausar Walcott, Devin Wallace.
• Others (4): sophomores Max Milien and Matt Snyder, juniors Patch Duda and Daniel Childress.
True Freshmen Get Chance to Shine
• Al Groh is not afraid to use true freshman, as evidenced by the 14 he already has played this year.
• Tulane (18) has played the most true freshmen among FBS programs.
• Since Groh started as UVa’s head coach in 2001, 67 true freshmen have seen playing time for the Cavaliers.
Jackson Thrives in Run Game
• Rashawn Jackson has been UVa’s most consistent running option this year, with at least 70 yards rushing in four of the last five games.
• He rushed for 73 yards against Indiana, a career-best 90 at Maryland, 83 vs. Duke and 77 last week at Miami.
• He had a 34-yard TD run last week for his second career TD; he had one vs. Maryland as well.
• Jackson now leads the team with 359 yards rushing this year – 5.6 yards/rush.
Success in Red Zone
• Virginia is tied for fourth nationally in red-zone efficiency, converting on 23 of its 24 opportunities (96 percent).
• That mark is best in the ACC.
• UVa has 12 touchdowns and 11 field goals this year when entering the red zone. Eleven of the TDs have come via the run.
Red Zone Efficiency (National Ranks)
1. San Jose State 100%
2. Arkansas/Louisiana Tech 97%
4. Virginia/Ole Miss 96%
Sewell Holds Steady on Passing Charts
• Jameel Sewell has 4,865 career passing yards – sixth most in the Virginia annals.
• He needs 12 yards to reach fifth place.
Career Passing Yards at Virginia
1. Matt Schaub (2000-03) 7,502
2. Shawn Moore (1987-90) 6,629
3. Scott Gardner (1972-75) 5,218
4. Aaron Brooks (1995-98) 5,118
5. Marques Hagans (2002-05) 4,877
6. Jameel Sewell (2006-07, ‘09) 4,865
Greer Racks Up Tackles
• Redshirt freshman ILB Steve Greer leads the Cavaliers with 70 tackles this year, including 5.0 for loss. He had a career-high 14 tackles last week at Miami.
• His 70 tackles are the most by a UVa freshman since Darryl Blackstock recorded 108 in 2002. It also ranks 10th all-time among UVa freshmen.
• He is on pace to become the first freshman to lead UVa in tackles since P.J. Killian in 1990.
• Greer is currently sixth in the ACC in tackles (7.8/game).
• He has at least six tackles in all but one game this year.
• He posted 10 tackles in his first playing time at Virginia against William & Mary.
• Greer is the first UVa freshman to record 10 tackles since Antonio Appleby did so in the 2005 Music City Bowl.
Career Tackle Days vs. Miami
• In addition to Greer, two other Cavaliers set career highs in tackles at Miami.
• LB Darren Childs posted a career-best 15, including 10 solo.
• S Rodney McLeod racked up 11 tackles, including eight solo.
Childs in Midst of Best Season
• Senior LB Darren Childs continued his best season as a Cavalier last week with a career-high 15 tackles at Miami.
• He ranks second on the team in tackles with 68; he had 22 total tackles in his first three seasons.
• Childs has racked up three straight games with at least 10 tackles.
• He has started all nine games this year after making just two starts in his first three seasons.
Conrath, Clark Return to Action
• DE Matt Conrath and LB Aaron Clark each returned to play Saturday at Miami after missing time with injuries.
• Conrath started at DE and recorded three tackles, including one for loss. He missed the last two games after suffering an ankle injury at Maryland
• Clark returned after missing the Duke game with a knee injury.
Collins Continues Strong Year
• DE Nate Collins ranks third on the team in tackles with 60.
• He could become the first defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles since Chris Slade in 1991.
• Collins had a streak of three straight games with at least nine tackles (including 16 against Georgia Tech) broken last week.
• He was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week following the Maryland and Georgia Tech games.
• Thirty-eight of his 60 tackles this year have come the last four weeks.
• Against Maryland, he had nine tackles, two sacks and an interception which he returned 32 yards for a touchdown.
Collins Also Leads Among ACC DE
• Nate Collins also holds the most tackles among ACC defensive linemen.
• Overall, Collins ranks 14th among all ACC players with 6.7 tackles per game. No other defensive lineman ranks among the ACC’s top 30 in tackles.
• In ACC games, Collins averages 8.2 tackles per game and has 5.0 tackles for loss.
Scoring Off Defense, Special Teams
• Virginia has two non-offensive TDs this year, with a blocked punt return last week from Bill Schautz and a 32-yard INT return by Nate Collins against Maryland.
• UVa had not scored a non-offensive TD since Vic Hall returned an interception 60 yards vs. Richmond on Sept. 6, 2008.
• Collins’ INT was the first by a UVa lineman since Nick Jenkins recorded one against North Carolina in 2008.
• Schautz’s TD return of Trey Womack’s blocked punt was UVa’s first since 2002.
300 Is Magic Number for Defense
• Virginia is 3-0 this season when it holds its opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense.
• The Cavaliers are 0-6 on the flip side, though.
• UVa is 27-5 under Al Groh when holding its opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense.
• UVa has held UNC (174), Indiana (272) and Maryland (284) to fewer than 300 yards this year.
Block Party
• Virginia blocked a pair of punts against Miami – the first time UVa has blocked two punts in one game since 1996 against NC State.
• Terence Fells-Danzer blocked the first punt for UVa since Josh Zidenberg did so against Miami on Nov. 10, 2007 in the final game in the Orange Bowl.
• Trey Womack blocked the other punt; Bill Schautz returned it for a TD, a first for UVa since Sept. 21, 2002 against Akron.
• In that game, Alex Seals blocked the punt and Darryl Blackstock returned it for the score.
Randolph on Target
• PK Robert Randolph hit his first 11 field-goal attempts this year before missing a 35-yarder against Georgia Tech.
• Overall he is 14-for-15 this year and ranks 14th nationally and second in the ACC in field goals per game (1.56).
• Randolph kicked a career-long 49-yard field goal against Georgia Tech.
• Virginia already has topped its field-goal total from 2008 – UVa ranked at the bottom of the ACC in field goals (9), attempts (15) and percentage last year (.600).
• He is now 17-for-19 career in field-goal attempts. He also has hit all six of his PAT attempts this year and is 12-for-12 in his career.
• Randolph spent the offseason working on his leg strength (much through underwater running) and also competed at an elite kicking camp.