Cavs get another ACC road win

Virginia was down 9-3 late in the third quarter, and was down a starting quarterback. But Al Groh had his suddenly stout D, and it brought the Cavs home with a W.

“They really, really played,” Groh said of his defense, which forced four turnovers, one of which defensive tackle Nate Collins returned 32 yards for the go-ahead score, as UVa. vanquished Maryland 20-9 in College Park on Saturday.

“I have nothing but the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight and how they’ve stuck together and kept believing and been unified. As a result, we’ve got a little something going now,” said Groh, whose ‘Hoos head into Saturday night in first place in the ACC Coastal in the wake of Georgia Tech’s 28-23 win over #4 Virginia Tech in Atlanta.

It wasn’t pretty, to say the least. Quarterback Jameel Sewell went down with what looked to be a wrenching knee injury after picking up a first down on a third-quarter drive that ended with a 31-yard Robert Randolph field goal that cut the Terps’ lead to 9-6.

On next possession for Maryland (2-5, 1-2 ACC), Collins snared a batted Chris Turner pass out of the air and rumbled down the left sideline untouched to give the Cavs a 13-9 lead.

The fourth quarter played like a war of attrition, with Virginia (3-3, 2-0 ACC) getting the final points on a 2-yard run by Rashawn Jackson with 1:47 left after Maryland had been forced to go for a fourth-and-17.

There was no word immediately after the game on the status of Sewell, who walked off the field using a single crutch. The senior completed 13 of his 23 pass attempts for 137 yards and was sacked five times.

Jackson, getting the start for injured tailback Mikell Simpson, ran for 90 yards on 19 carries.

Collins was the player of the game for Virginia, getting the touchdown on the picksix and also recording UVa.’s lone sack of the game on the play that set up the fourth-and-17 at the 2 for Maryland late. Collins led Cavs’ defenders with nine tackles.

Virginia returns to Charlottesville next week to host Georgia Tech in a game that will be for first place in the ACC Coastal.