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Cavs take passing attack to new lows Date published: 11/2/2009
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE --Before the Virginia football team took the field against Duke, Cavaliers' coaches noticed quarterback Jameel Sewell seemed more confident than normal.Sewell bounced around in warm-ups, appearing like a player set to have a big day against a defense ranked 71st in the nation in points allowed. That energy wasn't a precursor to a big day, however. Sewell and backup quarterback Marc Verica combined to complete just 13-of-38 passes for 107 yards, an interception and a touchdown. The paltry passing effort is a major reason why the Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) went down in a 28-17 loss to Duke. Virginia head coach Al Groh said despite the futility under center, it's been much more than quarterback play that's doomed the passing game. "Protection certainly would have to be better. We can all see that. We dropped some balls when we were open. We can all see that. And we missed some receivers who were open. We can all see that," Groh said. "So in college in football these days, except for some unusual exceptions, a great deal of the scoring comes from the passing game. And when there are problems in three different areas of the passing game, it's difficult to produce the amount of points that are necessary." The Cavaliers now rank last in the 12-team ACC in total offense (277.5 yards per game) and scoring (21.4 points per game). They've managed just four offensive touchdowns in ACC play. That wasn't supposed to happen after Mike Groh was fired as the offensive coordinator last season. But first-year offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon hasn't provided a spark. Brandon installed the pass-heavy spread offense at the start of the season, but after it fizzled Groh scrapped it. Brandon's still calling plays, and Groh refused to critique him in the press conference following the Duke game. "Offensively, we have to pick it up," senior fullback Rashawn Jackson said. "Our defense is playing well. Offensively we're not taking advantage of the opportunities we have. I feel like once we tie those knots we'll be fine." One such opportunity came after Virginia sophomore cornerback Chase Minnifield intercepted a Duke pass in the end zone with Virginia leading 17-12 and 8:01 remaining in the game.
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