Deacs end 17-year losing streak against UVa.
By Mike Scott
Assistant Sports Editor

Like a comet passing overhead, a college student getting a good night’s sleep, or a sportswriter going out on a date, a Demon Deacon win over Virginia in football is a rare, rare thing.

One of these things happened on Nov. 3, as the Deacs ended the Cavaliers’ 17-game winning streak in the series, posting a 34-30 win in Charlottesville, Va. Fittingly, the Deacons won thanks to plays that were by no means everyday occurences.

After three recent ballgames in which the Deacons came up one big play short, they finally found that magical touch, scoring three astounding fourth-quarter touchdowns to steal the game from the Cavaliers. Head Coach Jim Grobe enjoyed finally having his team make the big play, finally having a break go the Deacons’ way.

“It was great,” Grobe said. “And especially the way it happened, that we really didn’t have to hold on, we had to make something happen. In a couple of our games this year we’ve had a little bit of a lead at the end and had to hold on. This was a situation where we were behind and had to really make plays down the stretch to win.

“It really did a lot for them because we’ve pushed them really hard, we’ve asked them to work their rear ends off and it’s nice to see it pay off once in a while.”

The game started out normally enough, as sophomore tailback Fred Staton began the scoring by capping off the Deacons’ opening drive with a four-yard touchdown run, giving the Deacons a 7-0 advantage early. Staton had an enormous day for the Deacs, as he ended the afternoon with 151 yards rushing on 28 carries.

But the Cavaliers answered a mere five minutes later with a 21-yard touchdown pass to knot the score at seven apiece. A Virginia field goal at the end of the first quarter, and a field goal from each team in the second quarter left the score at the break 13-10 in favor of the ’Hoos, but things could have been better for the Deacons, as junior quarterback James MacPherson had two passes picked off.

The first was, according to Grobe, not MacPherson’s fault, as the ball went through the hands of junior wideout Fabian Davis and into the arms of a Cavalier player.

The second interception, however, was a mistake similar to the one MacPherson has made previously this year, as he threw to Davis in the endzone, despite the fact that Davis had two defenders on him. When the UVa. defensive back was able to get the ball, it was MacPherson’s seventh pick of the season, and his third in the end zone, the other two coming on final posessions against Maryland and Clemson. It is these turnovers that Grobe sees as the most glaring concern for his team.

“We can’t turn the ball over like that and expect to win,” Grobe said. “I think we can win. We proved that Saturday, I think we turned it over three times and still won the football game. So it’s still possible to do that, but, all in all, you’re lucky if you win turning the ball over like we did. We’ve got to get James to throw to open receivers and learn to eat the ball or throw it away if they’re not open.

“I think (avoiding unnecessary turnovers) is the biggest focus for us. It has been all year. We’ve just got to do a better job of taking care of the football.”

But, despite the turnovers, the Deacons were still right in the ball game at the half. All either team could muster in the third quarter was a field goal apiece, and the game entered the final period with the Cavaliers still leading, 16-13.

However, Virginia was able to break through right at the start of the fourth, notching a seven-yard TD pass to extend their lead to 23-13. It was at this point that the Deacs starting making more plays than Shakespeare at a writers’ retreat.

On the ensuing drive, the coaches pulled one out of their bag of tricks, as Davis received the ball on a double reverse, and then pulled up and found redshirt freshman receiver Jason Anderson for a 45-yard gain, setting things up for sophomore Nick Burney’s 15-yard touchdown run, which pulled the Deacons within three at 23-20.

After the Deacon defense held the Cavaliers, Davis fielded a punt at the Deacon 38-yard line and again showed his flair for the dramatic, as he made his way through the Cavalier punt coverage for a 62-yard touchdown, regaining the lead for the Deacons at 27-23.

But the Cavaliers were not done. After several scoreless series, one in which senior linebacker Ed Kargbookorogie intercepted Cavalier quarterback Bryson Spinner inside the Deacon 10-yard-line, the Wahoos struck again, flying down the field to score on an eight-yard touchdown pass to take back the lead at 30-27 with only three minutes remaining.

The Deacons then got the ball back. A good kickoff return by senior receiver John Stone set the Deacs up with good field position, and after a pair of running plays, Anderson found a seam in the Cavalier defense and hauled in a pass from MacPherson just past midfield next to the Virginia sideline and then outraced the Cavalier D for a 64-yard game winner. Anderson finished the day with five catches for 150 yards.

While he was not able to be in attendance, another Deacon player also had a large effect on the game. Senior offensive lineman Michael Moosbrugger was at his home in Buckingham, Pa., after having tragically lost both his parents and his older brother earlier in the week. All the players wore stickers with the word “Moos,” Moosbrugger’s nickname, on the back of their helmets.

After the emotional victory, the Deacons turn their attention to the North Carolina Tar Heels, who they will face Nov. 10 in Chapel Hill.