U.Va.win over Clemson would be a boost

By Doug Doughty

At this point in the 2007 football season, the University of Virginia still had an Orange Bowl-stadium-closing 48-0 rout of Miami in its system.

U.Va. could use another Week 11 masterpiece today. Not only would a victory over Clemson make Virginia bowl-eligible, but it also could turn a Nov. 29 date with Virginia Tech into the ACC's Coastal Division championship game.

"The next two games will define our season," said outside linebacker Clint Sintim, the ACC's sack leader.

That's not to say the Cavaliers (5-5, 3-3 ACC) are dividing their attention between the Tigers (5-5, 3-4) and Hokies. After all, lose to Clemson, a preseason choice to win the ACC championship, and the title ramifications of the Virginia Tech game go out the window for the Cavaliers.

The Tigers, who opened the season ranked No. 9, were surprised in the opener 31-9 by an unheralded Alabama team that has since moved to No. 1 in the rankings, and consecutive ACC losses to Maryland and Wake Forest led to the Oct. 13 resignation of nine-year head coach Tommy Bowden.

Clemson is 2-2 under interim head coach Dabo Swinney and is coming off a 31-7 victory over Duke that Swinney described as the Tigers' most complete performance.

"I don't know what's been going on down there," U.Va. tight end and co-captain John Phillips said, "but they had to be No. 9 in the country for a reason."

The Tigers were considered the ACC's most talented team and had preseason all-conference players at three of the skilled positions: quarterback Cullen Harper, running back James Davis and wide receiver Aaron Kelly.

Another running back, C.J. Spiller, frequently gets mentioned in the same breath as Davis and is the ACC leader in all-purpose yardage. Harper leads the ACC in passing yardage and Kelly last week broke the ACC record for receptions in a career (217).

Clemson is one of the few ACC teams without a chance at a division title. Athletic director Terry Don Phillips has started to interview head-coaching candidates, including Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, but Swinney hasn't acted like a lame duck.

"I don't have to keep this seat warm," said Swinney, who turned 39 on Thursday. "It's always hot; this is one of the top jobs in the country. "

Swinney said he "absolutely" wants the job.

Clemson, which won the first 29 games in its series with Virginia, is a 2-1/2-point favorite. It marks the 11th time in Virginia's last 12 games against Division I-A opposition that the Cavaliers have been underdogs.

Virginia will be saying goodbye to 24 fourth- or fifth-year seniors, including Sintim, Phillips, tailback Cedric Peerman, offensive tackle Eugene Monroe and inside linebacker Jon Copper, who is closing in on 300 tackles for his career.

After a four-game winning streak lifted them to the top of the Coastal standings, the Cavaliers lost to Miami 24-17 in overtime and Wake Forest 28-17. U.Va. turnovers were critical in both losses, and the Cavaliers already have hit 12-year highs for turnovers (25) and interceptions (16).

The Cavaliers already have lost more games than they did during their 9-4 2007 season, but both Groh and Sintim say the next two games - not the first 10 - will define the Cavaliers' year. Groh has embraced a saying attributed to longtime Arkansas coach Frank Broyles:

" They'll always remember what you do in November. "

In Virginia's case this season, make that the last two games in November.