Off to the races

By Jay Jenkins

Published: October 11, 2008

By Jay Jenkins

| 978-7250

With the game hanging in the balance, Virginia captain Clint Sintim screamed at the top of his lungs at his defensive counterparts.

The linebacker’s message came across loud and clear as the Cavaliers forced a game-saving fumble, scored a touchdown five plays later on a fake field goal and cruised to a 35-20 win over East Carolina at Scott Stadium.

“I was just trying to ignite my guys and let them know that it was time to go,” Sintim said. “What [East Carolina] did was irrelevant. That’s in the past, we have to play for now and let’s make plays — let’s be the ball-hawking defense we have got to be.

“It doesn’t always work on the first play, but it showed up and worked. We got the W.”

The late events helped improve Virginia to 3-3 overall and gave the program its first winning streak since 2007.

It was not near as easy as the final 15-point margin would indicate.

After racing out to a 28-6 halftime advantage, the Pirates (3-3) mounted a second-half charge, scoring touchdowns on two of their first three possessions.

The tide turned, however, on East Carolina’s fourth series of the final half.

After Sintim’s spirited plea, defensive end Matt Conrath collected the ankles of East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Alex Field at the ECU 24-yard line.

Virginia’s offensive drive stalled and the Cavaliers set up for a redshirt-burning field-goal attempt with rookie placekicker Robert Randolph. As the ball was about to be snapped, Virginia holder Scott Deke noticed tight end John Phillips, who was flanked out left, was wide open and fired a 12-yard touchdown pass.

It marked the first touchdown pass of Deke’s career.

“It feels unbelievable and well worth the wait,” Deke said. “To get the chance to come back [as a fifth-year senior] and help the team out, I think that is what means the most. I feel like I helped the team, and we all did a good job.”

The play almost never happened.

“I almost took a timeout,” said ECU coach Skip Holtz. “I probably should’ve because they rushed it.

“They were running guys in, running guys out and it was real rush rush and I should’ve smelled a rat and called a timeout. I should’ve called a timeout. That’s not on the players.”

Virginia, which finished with 430 yards of total offense, set the stage with an impressive performance defensively in the first quarter and offensively in the second quarter.

Despite a pair of interceptions thrown by quarterback Marc Verica on two of the Cavaliers’ first three possessions, they limited the Pirates early to a pair of field goals by Ben Hartman.

That bought time for Virginia’s offense, notably running back Cedric Peerman.

On the final play of the first quarter, Peerman broke free for a 79-yard touchdown run, the seventh-longest rush in program history.

With 10:04 left in the first half, Peerman turned the corner and scooted 60 yards for another touchdown run, giving Virginia a 14-6 lead.

“It was just a great job by the guys up front and the wide receivers were blocking great downfield,” said Peerman, who finished with 173 rushing yards on just 16 carries. “All I had to do was run.”

Virginia added to its lead with 5:57 left in the second quarter when Mikell Simpson scored on a 5-yard run to cap a six-play, 61-yard drive that only 137 seconds.

After forcing one of East Carolina’s seven punts, Virginia scored again. This time, however, the offense went to the air as Verica connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass with wideout Kevin Ogletree.

“He beat his guy off the line and he was just wide open from there on,” said Verica, who completed 25 of 32 passes for 216 yards. “The offensive line did a great job protecting for me and all I had to do was not throw it behind him.

“I just put it up there and gave him a chance to make the play and he did.”

Virginia missed an opportunity to add to its halftime lead when Yannick Reyering missed a 38-yard field goal two seconds prior to the end of the half.

ECU attempted to regroup at halftime, having been outgained offensively in yardage 328-138 by Virginia.

“We wanted to score,” Holtz said. “We got to get the ball in the end zone. We’re not going to get this thing done by kicking field goals. We’ve got to exhaust everything we’ve got. Let’s throw everything at them, let’s not hold anything back and let’s not say, ‘Well, what if we would’ve done this, that or the other?’

“Let’s turn and exhaust every resource.”

The Pirates, who have lost three straight games, accomplished their goal as Jon Williams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 9:16 left in the third quarter and Brandon Simmons caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Pinkney.

“I was really, really pleased with the way they continued to hang in there, the way they continued to fight,” Holtz said. “They didn’t hang their heads.”

It was not enough after Virginia solved East Carolina’s defense and enjoyed Deke’s heroics.

“The players have a lot of unity and a lot of commitment to each other and that continues to develop right now,” Groh said. “I think we took another step forward to forge our personality today.”

Virginia returns to action Saturday against North Carolina (5-1, 1-1 ACC). The contest will be televised by ABC.