– News: UVa. releases ’09 football schedule, Thursday, 4:15 p.m.
– News: Five Cavs invited to NFL combine, Thursday, 4:15 p.m.
– News: VCU pulls out nailbiter over JMU, Thursday, 9:15 a.m.
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News: UVa. releases ’09 football schedule, Thursday, 4:15 p.m.
The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2009 football schedules for the league¹s 12 schools today. Virginia’s slate features 12 regular season games, including seven home contests. Starting times for all games will be announced at a later date.
The Cavaliers face three teams that finished in the final Associated Press and USA Today football polls last season, a total of nine squads that played in postseason bowl games in 2008 and two first-time opponents.
Virginia kicks off its campaign at home for the second consecutive season when it plays host to William & Mary on Sept. 5. The game will mark the 33rd meeting between the Tribe and Cavaliers. Virginia has won the last six meetings in the series that dates back to 1908. The Cavaliers defeated William & Mary 40-16 in the last meeting that took place in 1995 at Scott Stadium. The Tribe returns 15 starters from a 7-4 team that finished 20th in the final Football Championship Subdivision poll in 2008.
TCU visits Charlottesville for the first time Sept. 12. The Horned Frogs finished seventh in both the AP and USA Today polls in 2008. They led the nation in total defense last year, allowing just 217.77 yards per game. TCU went 11-2 in 2008, defeating Boise State 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl. It marked the third time in four seasons the Horned Frogs won 11 games. The only previous game between the teams was the 1994 Independence Bowl; Virginia won 20-10.
Virginia hits the road Sept. 19 for the program¹s first-ever game at Conference USA opponent Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles finished last season with five straight wins, including a victory against Troy in the New Orleans Bowl, to post a 7-6 record.
Indiana and Virginia will meet for the first time on Oct. 10 when the Hoosiers come to Scott Stadium. The two-game series will include a return game in Bloomington during the 2011 season. Indiana is the first Big Ten opponent on a UVa schedule since the Cavaliers defeated Minnesota 34-31 in the 2005 Music City Bowl.
Georgia Tech, coming off a 9-4 record that saw the Yellow Jackets make an appearance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, will face UVa in Charlottesville on Oct. 24. Georgia Tech was 22nd in the final AP standings and ranked fourth nationally in rushing at 273.23 yards per game.
Duke, coming off a 4-8 finish in 2008, plays at Virginia Oct. 31.
Virginia¹s home ACC schedule features the first appearance by Boston College at Scott Stadium on Nov. 14. It is just the second match-up between the Cavaliers and Eagles since BC joined the ACC in 2005. Virginia will be looking for its first win against Boston College, having dropped three previous decisions, including the 1994 Carquest Bowl (31-13). The Eagles finished 9-5 last year, winning the ACC¹s Atlantic Division before losing to Vanderbilt in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.
The Cavaliers wrap-up the 2009 regular season at home Nov. 28 when they host Virginia Tech in the annual Commonweath Cup contest. The Hokies went 10-4 in 2008, played in the FedEx Orange Bowl and finished 15th in the final AP rankings.
The Cavaliers¹ ACC road schedule includes dates at North Carolina (Oct. 3), Maryland (Oct. 17), Miami (Nov. 7) and Clemson (Nov. 21). All four of those opponents appeared in bowl games last season. Maryland went 8-5 including a victory against Nevada in the Roady¹s Humanitarian Bowl. The Tar Heels finished the year 8-5 after falling to West Virginia at the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Miami was 7-6 including a loss to California in the Emerald Bowl. Clemson went 7-6, falling to Nebraska in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.
The Cavaliers do not face ACC opponents Wake Forest, Florida State or N.C. State in 2009.
2009 Virginia Football Schedule
Sept. 5 William & Mary
Sept. 12 TCU
Sept. 19 at Southern Mississippi
Oct. 3 at North Carolina
Oct. 10 Indiana
Oct. 17 at Maryland
Oct. 24 Georgia Tech
Oct. 31 Duke
Nov. 7 at Miami
Nov. 14 Boston College
Nov. 21 at Clemson
Nov. 28 Virginia Tech
News: Five Cavs invited to NFL combine, Thursday, 4:15 p.m.
Former Virginia football players Eugene Monroe, Kevin Ogletree, Cedric Peerman, John Phillips and Clint Sintim have been invited to attend the NFL Scouting Combine next week in Indianapolis.
The Combine will be held Feb. 18-24 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. Players are put through a series of drills, tests, physical evaluations and interviews with NFL coaches, general managers and scouts who evaluate the players for the NFL draft. Players must be invited by the NFL to attend.
One of the nation’s top offensive linemen, Monroe received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy this past season as the best blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a vote of the league’s head coaches. He was named second-team All-American and had the team’s highest grade among offensive linemen in seven of 12 games.
Ogletree led the team in receiving this past season with 58 catches for 723 yards and five touchdowns, the second 50-catch season of his career. He finished fifth in the ACC in receptions (4.8/g), and third in receiving yards (60.2/g) and touchdowns (five) and was an honorable mention All-ACC selection. He is an early entrant in April’s NFL draft.
Peerman led Virginia in rushing with a career-high 774 yards and ranked fourth in the ACC. He also led the team in all-purpose yards (1075) and was third with 44 receptions. He had three 100-yard rushing games, including a season-best 173 yards against East Carolina.
Phillips continued UVa’s tradition of excellent tight ends, earning first-team All-ACC honors for the first time in his career. He was the team’s second-leading receiver with 48 receptions for 385 yards, figures that were the most by a tight end in the ACC.
Sintim was a second-team All-ACC choice in 2008. He was the most dominating rush linebacker in the country, leading the nation in sacks by a linebacker for the second year in a row. He was the team’s third-leading tackler with 70 stops and led the team with 24 quarterback pressures.
All five players have received their undergraduate degrees from Virginia.
News: VCU pulls out nailbiter over JMU, Thursday, 9:15 a.m.
On Eric Maynor’s list of unforgettable performances, this one will rank right up there with the best.
Maynor scored 13 of his 22 points in the final three minutes of regulation and overtime, and freshman Bradford Burgess (Midlothian, Va.) buried a game-clinching 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to lift Virginia Commonwealth University past James Madison, 76-71, Wednesday at the Siegel Center.
With the victory, the Rams pulled even with Northeastern, which fell to Drexel Wednesday, in the Colonial Athletic Association standings. Both teams are 11-3 in the league, although the Huskies own the tiebreaker, based on their head-to-head victory over VCU Jan. 27. The Rams are 18-7 overall. The Dukes slip to 16-10 on the year, as well as 8-6 in conference play.
Maynor scored or assisted on all 14 VCU points in the overtime period.
Clinging to a 72-71 lead with the shot clock winding down, Maynor drove the lane before zipping a pass to Burgess on the left wing for a 3-pointer that gave the Rams a 75-71 edge. James Madison would not recover.
In a game that featured 14 ties and 18 lead changes, Maynor, was able to send the contest to overtime with two free throws with 6.7 seconds remaining.
Early in the extra period, the 6-3 guard from Raeford, N.C. knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Rams a 67-64 lead. After the Dukes rallied to knot the score at 67-67, Maynor found sophomore Joey Rodriguez (Oviedo, Fla.) for a trey to give VCU a 70-67 edge with 2:10 left.
James Madison drew near again following a Ben Louis drive and lay-up, but Maynor added a pull-up jumper in the lane with 1:16 showing to keep the Dukes at bay.
Maynor’s eight magnificent minutes down the stretch bore stark contrast to the early stages of the game, when he missed his first six 3-pointers.
In addition to his 22 points, Maynor handed out nine assists and grabbed four rebounds. Sophomore Brandon Rozzell (Richmond, Va.) added 13 points, buoying VCU during a difficult offensive slump in the second half. Rodriguez finished with 12 points, while sophomore Larry Sanders (Fort Pierce, Fla.) collected eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Julius Wells played all 45 minutes and scored 20 points with 11 rebounds for the Dukes. Devon Moore chipped in with 13 points and Dazzmond Thornton added 12 points and seven rebounds.
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