Peerman sits in UVa loss

By Jay Jenkins

Published: September 27, 2008

DURHAM, N.C. — Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman darted left and right before the game during team drills.

The senior appeared primed for his final game against Duke, a team he rushed for 137 yards against last year.

It was not to be.

Virginia coach Al Groh said he did not want to risk playing Peerman, who was listed with a leg injury on the team’s injury report on Thursday.

“We could see by the latter part of the week that there just hadn’t been much progress there,” Groh said. “We took a little look early in the warmups to see.”

Groh leaned on a past experience to help with his decision.

“It reminded us a little bit of the circumstance with [former tailback] Wali Lundy,” he said. “Going into his senior year he got hurt in the first quarter. They are really the same. Every week it was a situation where the player looked good enough to never declare him out, but really not good enough to be himself.

“Really, we learned from that circumstance.”

Earlier this week, Groh said, somebody pointed out that Virginia had lost its top returning rusher at some point early in five of eight seasons.

Virginia did rush for a season-best 110 yards as Rashawn Jackson (43 yards), Keith Payne (36) and Mikell Simpson (31) split the load.

“Those three in there showed a little something and maybe that is going in a good direction,” Groh said.

McLeod makes debut

Rodney McLeod, a true freshman from Oxon Hill, Md., made his first appearance as a Cavalier on the game’s opening kickoff.

The rookie also saw action from scrimmage in Virginia’s secondary and made a tackle for a 3-yard loss.

“He is going to be a great player for us and playing in this game he got a lot of experience for us,” Virginia cornerback Vic Hall said. “He is only going to get better from here.”

Fellow corner Ras-I Dowling added: “He has a lot of fight in him. He is a real good player.”

McLeod joins punter Jimmy Howell, left guard Austin Pasztor and linebacker Cam Johnson as true freshmen who have played this season.

Sack attack

Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim, despite over a quarter of the game, finished with three sacks.

The senior tied his previous career-best mark — he had three sacks against Virginia Tech last season.

Sintim now has 20 career sacks, trailing only Darryl Blackstock in program history for sacks by a linebacker. Blackstock recorded 27.

Extra points

Tight end John Phillips matched his career-best performance with five receptions. The senior also had his second fumble of the season during the fourth quarter. … Howell registered the longest punt of his career, a 54-yarder. … Dowling became the first Cavalier to intercept a pair of passes in a game since Marcus Hamilton, now with the Chicago Bears, accomplished the feat in 2006. … Jackson’s 22-yard run in the second quarter was the team’s longest run from scrimmage this year. … Duke’s win was its first at home against Virginia since 1994.