Sewell's 3 TDs Help Virginia Beat Pitt 44-14
posted 11:32 am Sun September 30, 2007 - CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.
Sewell completed his first nine passes and threw three first-quarter touchdown passes, putting an end - at least for one night - to coach Al Groh's two-quarterback rotation.
After a bad outing in a season-opening loss to Wyoming, Sewell has remained the starter but has shared time with Peter Lalich. The freshman never got into the game against Pitt, even after Sewell cooled off in the second half.
"He was pretty sharp out there with some of those throws in the beginning - real sharp, as sharp as he needed to be to get our team off to a fast start," Groh said. Not only were his passes on target, he was also making good decisions at the line of scrimmage, Groh said.
"He was getting us into the right play, and that's as big a part of that position as the throwing part," Groh said.
It helped, too, that Pitt got off to a disastrous start. The Panthers illegally touched an onside kick to open the game, giving Virginia (4-1) possession at the Pitt 39, and they later fumbled a kickoff return to set the Cavaliers up at the 26. Virginia scored both times.
"Those are things you obviously can't build into a game plan, but we know they're so critical in terms of the final outcome," Groh said.
The loss left Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt searching for answers.
"We're doing everything in practice that championship teams do," Wannstedt said. "Our kids are working as hard as any team that I've been on. When we get into games, especially early on, we haven't been able to keep it together. I wish I could give you a reason why."
With Sewell playing flawlessly, the Cavaliers bolted to a 27-0 first-quarter lead. It was the most points in a quarter by the Cavaliers since they scored 30 during the third period of a 47-26 victory over North Carolina State in 1999.
Sewell's scoring passes covered 2 yards to Jonathan Stupar, 18 yards to Tom Santi and 5 yards to Rashawn Jackson.
Tailback Cedric Peerman, who entered the game as the Atlantic Coast Conference's rushing leader at 120 yards per game, scored on a 2-yard run and Chris Gould added a 23-yard field goal as the Cavaliers took a 30-7 lead at halftime.
Sewell finished 16-of-31 for 169 yards, while Peerman was held to 87 yards on 24 carries.
Pitt's first-half touchdown came on a 1-yard run by LeSean McCoy after Vic Hall muffed a punt and the Panthers' Tyler Tkach recovered at the Virginia 22. A 19-yard pass from Pat Bostick to Oderick Turner set up McCoy's TD.
Bostick also hooked up with Turner on a 2-yard scoring strike on the first play of the fourth quarter. The score was set up by a 42-yard Bostick-to-Turner pass on fourth and 2.
While Virginia continued its week-to-week improvement, Pitt's offensive struggles continued. The Panthers, who failed to convert 22 consecutive third-down chances during one stretch this season, failed on their first seven third-down opportunities against the Cavaliers.
It was a nightmarish game for Pitt (2-3) from the start. It took Virginia only four plays to score after the botched onside kick, with Sewell connecting with Stupar in the back of the end zone.
Tight ends have now caught four of Virginia's six touchdown passes - three by Santi and one by Stupar.
"Any time our tight ends have a one-on-one match-up with anyone, I feel like we have an advantage and I'm going to try and get them the ball," Sewell said.
He did it again on Virginia's next possession. From the Pitt 18, Sewell threw to Santi, who outjumped Pitt's Eric Thatcher for the ball at the 2 and stepped into the corner of the end zone.
The fumbled kickoff return followed, with Virginia's Denzell Burrell recovering at the Panthers 26. Jackson scored on a swing pass five plays later.
Pitt's special teams miseries continued when Hall's 45-yard punt return led to Peerman's 2-yard touchdown run.
While the Cavaliers were piling up the points, Pitt seemed intent on playing it safe with Bostick, a true freshman making his first start. Bostick tried only three passes, completing all of them, in the first half as the Panthers tried to spring McCoy and the shifty LaRod Stephens-Howling free on the ground.
Forced to try to play catch-up in the second half, Bostick was sacked three times and threw an interception to Jamaal Jackson. But he finished with solid numbers: 18-of-31 for 181 yards.
"He showed a lot of poise for a young player," Groh said. "He's got a great future ahead of him."
Virginia's offense got bogged down in the third quarter, failing to pick up a first down in three series, but the Cavaliers put together fourth-period touchdown drives of 69 and 63 yards. Peerman capped the first with a 13-yard run, and Hall ended the second with a 4-yard run on a fake field goal.
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