UVa Travels to Blacksburg Friday for Commonwealth Clash With Hokies

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Nov. 24, 2014

Commonwealth Cup Up For Grabs Friday in Blacksburg
• Virginia and Virginia Tech will play a nationally-televised game on Friday night on ESPN. Kickoff is
scheduled for 8 p.m. at Lane Stadium.
• The winner of this game claims the Commonwealth Cup for the next year and secures bowl eligibilty. A win would make Virginia bowl eligible for the first time since 2011.
• After holding the trophy following wins in 1997 and 1998, the Cavaliers have taken it just once since then (2003) with the Hokies winning 14 of the last 15 meetings.
• The award was started for the 1996 game between the two state foes, with the Hokies receiving the trophy for the first time with a 26-9 win.
• The Cup is made of marble and cherry wood, stands four feet high and weighs more than 100 pounds.
• The scores of all 95 games in the rivalry are engraved on the sides of the trophy.

One Point Up for Grabs in the New Commonwealth Clash Rivalry
• The longstanding rivalry between Virginia and Virginia Tech got a new name this fall — the Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529. Building on a tradition started when the two schools first competed against each other in a football game in 1895, the Commonwealth Clash is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams of the Hoos and Hokies.
• The competition will include the 21 sports in which the two schools compete against each other, plus one fan-decided point. At the end of each school year, the institution with the most points will be crowned the champion of the Commonwealth Clash.
• There is one point at stake Friday in the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash.
• Virginia leads the Commonwealth Clash, 4.5-0.5.
• Learn more about Virginia529 and this new competition at thecommonwealthclash.com.

Virginia – Virginia Tech Rivalry
• Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 53-37-5 and has won 14 of the last 15 meetings, including 10 straight. Tech has also taken 17 of the teams’ last 21 meetings.
• The series began in 1895 with UVa gaining a 38-0 win in Charlottesville.
• UVa’s most recent victory in the series was a 35-21 win at home in 2003.
• The Hokies (95 games) are UVa’s second-most frequent opponent – UVa has played North Carolina 119 times in the South’s Oldest Rivalry.

Coaches Familiar With Rivalry
• Five UVa coaches are veterans of the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry.
• UVa defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta and wide receiver coach Marques Hagans are Virginia alums.
• Tenuta was part of three Commonwealth Cup games (1978-80). UVa won the 1978 (17-7) and the 1979 (20-18) meetings at Scott Stadium, but lost the 1980 (30-0) meeting in Blacksburg. Tenuta had three tackles and broke up two passes in the 1980 game.
• In UVa’s last win in the series (2003), Hagans caught five passes for 43 yards and made one rush for 17 yards.
• Graduate assistants Sean Cascarano, Jacob Hodges and Clint Sintim are also Virginia alums and played in the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry.
• Sintim made eight tackles in the 2008 game at Lane Stadium and had 10 tackles, including 3.0 sacks in the 2007 game .
• Head coach Mike London was a UVa assistant coach during the 2001-04 and 2006-07 seasons, with the Cavaliers going 1-5 during that span, including a victory in 2003. He is 0-4 as a head coach against Virginia Tech.
• Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer was a varsity defensive back for the Hokies from1966-68. He made his first start in Tech’s 1966 game against Virginia, a 24-7 Hokies’ victory.

32 is Virginia’s Magic Number
• Scoring plenty of points against the Hokies means good things for the Cavaliers.
• Virginia has scored at least 32 points in each of its last seven series wins dating back to 1989.

Virginia In Season-Enders
• This game is the Cavaliers’ final regular-season contest of the 2014 season.
• UVa is 44-76-4 all-time in regular-season finales and has lost its last nine.
• This is the ninth straight year and the 20th time in the last 24 seasons Virginia has closed the regular season against the Hokies.

Last Blacksburg Meeting: 2013 (VT 16 – @UVa 6)
• All the scoring came in the first half on a frigid day at Scott Stadium.
• Trey Edmunds took a short pass 26 yards for a first-half touchdown and Eric Kristensen kicked three field goals to lead Virginia Tech.
• Alec Vozenilek kicked two field goals for Virginia.
• Kevin Parks rushed for 105 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
• SS Anthony Harris missed the first half due to being ejected the week prior because of a targeting penalty at Miami.

UVa Defense Shutting Down ACC’s Elite Rushers
• Virginia has limited the top two ACC rushers to their lowest outputs on the season.
• James Connor of Pitt leads the ACC with 1,600 rushing yards and is No. 3 in the nation with an average of 135.8 rushing yards per game. Connor was limited to a season-low 83 yards against UVa. In Pitt’s other 10 games Connor is averaging 151.7 yards per game.
• Duke Johnson of Miami is No. 2 in the ACC with 1,431 rushing yards. Johnson was limited to a season-low 88 yards against UVa. In Miami’s other 10 games Johnson is averaging 134.3 yards per game.

Canady Sets UVa record for Blocked Field Goal Return
• Maurice Canady set a UVa record with his 65-yard return on Daquan Romero’s blocked field goal attempt against Miami.

Virginia Scores 17 points in the Second Half against Miami
• After scoring only 13 points in second halves over a five-game span that saw UVa go 1-4, the Cavaliers
tallied 17 points against Miami in the second half.

Virginia Had Red-Zone Success against Miami
• UVa was 5-of-5 in the red-zone against Miami, its best output since going 5-of-5 at BYU.
• Miami was 0-of-2 in the red-zone, the first time all season a UVa opponent was shutout in the red-zone.
Rushing and getting Into the End Zone
• During Virginia’s 4-2 start the Cavaliers rushed for 10 touchdowns.
• During UVa’s recent four-game losing streak, the Cavaliers rushed for only one touchdown.
• Another rushing comparison is UVa rushed for 1,062 yards during the 4-2 start, an average of 177 rushing yards per game.
• During the losing streak UVa rushed for only 358 yards, an average of 89.5 yards per game.
• UVa snapped its losing streak with a 30-13 win over Miami. In the win UVa rushed for two touchdowns and 195 yards.