Minnifield and Mosley Share ACC Honor

Official Release, Virginia Athletics Media Relations

The ACC announced Monday junior cornerback Chase Minnifield and junior safety Corey Mosley have been named the league's Co-Defensive Backs of the Week following Virginia's upset of No. 22 Miami, 24-19, at Scott Stadium on Saturday. Both Minnifield and Mosley had two interceptions and four tackles in UVa's win. They helped the Cavaliers tie the school record with five interceptions during the game and became the first UVa duo to each snare two interceptions in the same game since 1994's contest against Virginia Tech. Percy Ellsworth and Joe Crocker both had two interceptions in a 42-23 victory against the Hokies, also marking the last time UVa intercepted an opponent five times.

Minnifield's first interception came in the second quarter and set up UVa's first touchdown of the game. His second came in the third quarter when UVa led 17-0, but Miami had driven to the Cavaliers' 17-yard line. It was an acrobatic pick where he leaped above the Miami receiver and managed to get one foot down in the back of the end zone before toppling out of bounds. His efforts were commemorated on ESPN as the day's No. 3 play in Top Plays. Minnifield now has six interceptions this season, which ties for the NCAA FBS lead.

Mosley's first pick also ended a Hurricane scoring threat. With Virginia up 7-0 and the Hurricanes at the UVa 15-yard line, he intercepted the ball on the eight and returned it 44 yards setting up the Cavaliers' second touchdown. His second pick came in the fourth quarter at the Miami 30, which he returned to the Canes' 5-yard line. UVa scored one play later to go up 24-0.

The duo joins a list of three previous Cavaliers to earn weekly honors by the ACC. Terence Fells-Danzer was the Specialist of the Week on Oct. 25. Joe Torchia was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following the USC game and Oday Aboushi was named Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 7.

The last ACC Defensive Back of the Week to bestowed on a Cavalier was Ras-I Dowling on Oct. 12, 2009.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Virginia couldn't have picked a better time to play its best game of the season to date. This past weekend served as the biggest football recruiting weekend of the season in terms of the 2011 class, which was represented by four prospects making official visits.

Irving (TX) defensive end Horace Arkadie, Newton (Covington, GA) linebacker D.J. Hill, Kempsville (Virginia Beach, VA) linebacker Travis Hughes and Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) cornerback Demetrious Nicholson were in Charlottesville on official visits. As reported on the EDGE subscriber message board on Sunday, North Cobb (Kennesaw, GA) linebacker Troy Gray did not make a previously scheduled official visit.

Attempts to reach the official visitors were unsuccessful, but as soon as I receive any updates, I'll be sure to post them on the EDGE board. On Sunday, in addition to the update on Gray, EDGE subscribers read comments from 2011 commits Caleb Taylor (Phoebus LB) and Anthony Harris (L.C. Bird DB). I'll have full reports on these two players and more this week in an EDGE article.

In addition to Harris and Taylor, Hampton QB David Watford and Cox (Va Beach) OL Ross Burbank were among the other commits confirmed to have been in attendance. Menchville (Newport News, VA) RB/ATH Clifton Richardson was unable to attend, but he did watch the game and had some comments of his own.

Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) RB J.C. Coleman was one of the 2012 class standouts in attendance on Saturday.

The focus this week will be following up from this past weekend's recruiting action, so stay tuned to the EDGE for reports throughout the week.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

VHS Star Frye Will Walk On At UVa
This summer, Virginia High School (Bristol, VA) place-kicker Ian Frye received and accepted a recruited walk-on spot in the University of Virginia's 2011 class. The 6-6, 190-pound senior, who had the same offer from Virginia Tech and serious interest from Maryland, decided four years ago to play football. Certainly, he is pleased with that decision.

2012 Forward Nolte Visits UVa
Milton (Alpharetta, GA) forward Evan Nolte was in Charlottesville on Saturday, visiting the University of Virginia for the first time since June. Part of the reason for the visit was for the 6-8, 200-pound junior to get a better feel for the coaching staff, especially head coach Tony Bennett. He called the overall experience a "great time."

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• An Important FB Recruiting Weekend
• Texas DE Set For UVa Official Visit
• Knowles To Make Visit This Weekend

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Blog Banter: Minnifield's Impressive Interception

Chase Minnifield's interception in the end zone in the final minute of the third quarter was incredibly impressive. He had to outjump above the receiver, control the ball, keep his momentum from carrying backward, and get his foot down. Think about how many times you've seen receivers on any level (high school, college, or the pros) unable to make that play when they need to climb the ladder on a high throw and then get a foot inbounds.

Honestly, watching live from the pressbox, I thought there was no way he got a foot down. It just looked like too difficult of a catch to make. Watching the replay? Wow.

So had Minnifield ever made a catch like that as an offensive player in high school?

"Nah, I mean, I don't think so," Minnifield said with a wide grin. "The toe tap I wasn't even thinking about it honestly. I was just going to catch the ball and by the grace of God, my foot was down."

That pick moved Minnifield into 14th place all-time on UVa’s career INT list with 10. He has had two interceptions in a game twice this season (VMI and Miami) and he now has six picks on the year.

Follow the Hoos every day on The Good Ol Blog!

Heineking Wins ACC, Women Finish Second

Official Release, Virginia Athletics Media Relations

Senior All-American Emil Heineking earned his second-straight ACC individual cross country title at Boston College's Franklin Park Saturday morning, while the No. 24-ranked women's squad upset No. 12 Duke and No. 17 North Carolina to earn a runner-up finish to No. 3 Florida State. The second-place finish marks the best finish for the Cavalier women since they earned runner-up honors in 1993.

"It was a terrific day for our teams," head coach Jason Vigilante said. "Each week we are getting better and better, and today our women were just phenomenal. I am so proud of them.

"Our men went 1-2 again and we are on the move. We are certain that our best running of the season lies ahead."

Five Cavaliers earned All-ACC honors on the day. Heineking, the 2007 ACC Freshman of the Year, joins Andy Biladeau (2005-08) and Ryan Foster (2004-05, 07-08) as the only three Cavalier men to earn all-conference honors in all four years of competition, while redshirt junior Ryan Collins finished runner-up for the second year in a row to earn his third-straight All-ACC accolade.

"It feels great to win again," Heineking said. "Coming into this race, I felt like this guy with the target on his back and kind of ran that way the first 5k. I think I led almost the whole race, but between 5k and 7k a group moved in front of me and I was able to move up during Bear Cage Hill and run down hard through the finish. It is very special to repeat. I don't think too many guys have done that before."

Heineking became the ninth conference student-athlete to earn back-to-back titles in the 57-year history of the championships, and the first since Florida State's Andrew Lemoncello won the 2004 and 2005 titles. This also marks the fifth time in ACC history that a performer from the same school has earned the individual title at least three years in a row - as former Cavalier Ryan Foster became Virginia's first individual champion in 2008. Clemson was the last team to win a string of individual titles, as a Tiger won five-straight from 1980-84.

On the women's side, a trio of Cavaliers, Strehler, Garcia and Gay, led the way with top-10 finishes and all-conference accolades. Strehler and Garcia crossed the line together, with Strehler taking eighth in 20:33.1 for her first All-ACC honor, while Garcia finished ninth in 20:33.2 for her second all-conference performance. Gay rounded out the top-10, taking 10th in 20:36.7 to earn her second-consecutive All-ACC honor.

Virginia hosts the annual Cavalier Open on Friday, Nov. 5. Races are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Cavaliers Earn Historic Win, Sweep Florida Teams: The Virginia volleyball team earned its second-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 25 Florida State, 3-2. The win marks head coach Lee Maes' first over a nationally ranked opponent, while it's the first time Virginia has downed a top-25 foe since defeating No. 22 Georgia Tech in four sets at home on Oct. 5, 1996. The Cavaliers also added a 3-1 win over Miami earlier in the weekend.
• Cavaliers Down Clemson 6-0 in Regular Season Finale: The No. 7 Virginia women's soccer team concluded its regular season with a 6-0 win at Clemson Sunday at Historic Riggs Field. With the win, the Cavaliers (13-3-2, 7-2-1 ACC) post seven conference wins and 13 regular season wins for the first time since 2005. The ACC Tournament is up next as the third-seeded Cavaliers meet sixth-seeded Boston College in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
• No. 5 Virginia Falls To No. 3 Maryland, 2-0: The fifth-ranked Virginia men's soccer team fell to No. 3 Maryland 2-0, Friday night at Klöckner Stadium. The Terrapins scored their first goal a minute-and-a-half into the match and added an early second-half goal to seal the victory.
• Hoos Take Down Duke: The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (15-2, 3-2 ACC) downed No. 18 Duke 2-1 on Saturday in the regular season finale Saturday. Freshman Elly Buckley scored the game-winning goal in the final minutes while junior Paige Selenski also notched a goal for the Cavaliers.
• Women’s Basketball Announces Captains for 2010-11 Season: Virginia's head women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan has announced that seniors Paulisha Kellum and Jayna Hartig, along with junior Chelsea Shine, will serve as tri-captains for the 2010-11 season.
• Zee French Named Associate Athletics Director Of Strategic Ticketing At UVa: Zee French, the senior director of ticket services with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association, has been named to the new position of associate athletics director of strategic ticketing at Virginia.
• Virginia Men Return to Pool; Defeat Navy 156-136: The Virginia men's swimming team returned to the pool Friday with a 156-136 victory over Navy Friday at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Scot Robison, Matt Murray and Taylor Grey each were double-event individual winners. Prior to the meet, Navy presented Virginia with a plaque in memory of former Cavalier Fran Crippen. A moment of silence was held in memory of the Virginia All-American, who passed away Oct. 23. The final event of the afternoon was the 400 freestyle relay. The last leg of UVa's relay was left empty, as was once swum by Crippen.
• Virginia Has Three Top-Five Finishers at the Princeton Chase: The Virginia rowing team competed at the Princeton Chase on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J., on Sunday. The Cavaliers had five crews compete in the Varsity Eight event and finished second, fourth, fifth, 16th and 27th. Additionally, UVa's Novice Eight won its race at the regatta.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 336 - April 7, 2008

Peerman Happy To Be Back

When Virginia running back Cedric Peerman was injured at Middle Tennessee State last season, it didn't look that bad. After all, football pile-ups happen all the time and to the viewer, it looked like a typical play. Even Peerman, who had 566 yards rushing in five games, assumed it wasn't that bad, noting that he walked off the field after the play.

Unfortunately, for UVa and Peerman, the injury was much worse than feared. He missed the rest of the season and required offseason surgery to repair his foot, which had a partial ligament tear and a slight dislocation. Peerman said the road to recovery from a serious injury is always challenging for athletes because you're not used to being hobbled so severly.

"You have your good days and your bad days whenever you're dealing with a long-term injury. How you come out of those things is how you press through the bad days I think because it's easy to go through the good days," Peerman said. "I think how you're able to come out of it positively is to go through the negative days and get through those days."

Rest assured, Peerman, his teammates, coaches, and fans are delighted the good days won out in the end. The William Campbell High product is back in action this spring and he has looked very strong and explosive in limited turns at open practices.

Check Out SabreMail #336.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site soon:

• Miami + Duke: The Sabre's postgame coverage for Miami continues with Greg's Game Report and JHoo's 10 Things. The Sabre also will get you ready for the Duke contest this weekend.
• More Hoops: The men's basketball team has an exhibition game this Saturday and The Sabre will crank up its basketball coverage in November.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

The Sunday Sampler - Miami
The last time Virginia faced a fast and ferocious defense from the state of Florida, things didn't go so well in Scott Stadium. On Saturday against Miami, however, the offensive line registered arguably its best game of the season as the Cavaliers dispatched the Hurricanes, 24-19. Considering just how tenacious Miami's defense had been coming into the game, the line's performance proved to be outstanding by any measurement.

Hoos No Treat For Hurricanes
There is one word that can describe Virginia's play on Saturday against Miami: Clutch. The light came on all across the board for the Cavaliers as they ground out a hard-fought win over the Canes. The first ACC win for first-year head coach Mike London was an emotional one for players, coaches and fans. This was the first upset of a ranked team since a 2008 victory over North Carolina at home. The Cavaliers never stopped believing, and their faith and hard work finally showed some dividends.

Missing The Process
Virginia fans, some of you have been waiting. Waiting for a reason. Waiting for a reason to jump on board with this team, this program, this coach. Waiting for something to latch on to - signs of improvement maybe or a little hope. Or maybe just a big win. Maybe like the 24-19 victory Saturday against Miami. All the while, you're missing it.

Photo Gallery: Eastern Michigan
The Virginia football team picked up a big 48-21 win against Eastern Michigan last weekend. Several players had career days as Raynard Horne rushed for the most yards in his career and Trey Womack, Terence Fells-Danzer, and Paul Freedman all scored their first career touchdowns. Take a look back at the victory as the Hoos prepare for the Hurricanes!

Evans Hopes Hard Work Pays Off
Jontel Evans is just a sophomore. In fact, he's the only sophomore on the Virginia basketball team. Of course, on a team with six scholarship freshmen and a walk-on youngster to boot, he's one of the old veterans by comparison. With a chance to provide point guard minutes ahead of him, The Sabre caught up with Evans to talk about his summer and the upcoming season in this Q&A.

Game Preview 2010: Miami
Over the past few seasons Miami and Virginia have been stellar at dealing each other big defeats. In 2007, the Hoos embarrassed the Hurricanes in their final game at the Orange Bowl, but Miami got revenge last season with a demoralizing 52-17 win over Virginia. In between, the Canes squeaked by with an overtime victory at Scott Stadium in 2008. Is it time for another close match-up?

10 Things I Learned 2010 ... EMU
48-21 ... we had them the whole time, right? This game was one that admittedly looks better if you just see the final score, but with a nice little boost from special teams, the Hoos pulled away to a comfortable lead in the second half and ultimately to a win. Let me say that again ... a win. This year, you have to take those whenever they come, however they come, and learn from what happened.

Greg's Game Report: EMU
I've noted before that one of the key factors in progress for a rebuilding team is the ability to win the games it is supposed to win. To Mike London's credit, his team is winning the games where the Cavaliers are clearly the superior outfit and that is an important element in this club's progress. With two of the three operations grading out over 82%, Virginia produced, as expected, its best game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent this season.

Press Conference Notes 2010: Miami
The pressroom at the John Paul Jones Arena had a lighter tone this week after Virginia's convincing 48-21 win over Eastern Michigan. However, head coach Mike London came prepared to answer the tough questions about his team's performance, and also chimed in on issues affecting the football world at large. Tackling has become a nationwide issue, not just one confined to Charlottesville.

A Spirited Return To The Student Section
If you've spent the past day or so wondering why Kris wrote the game story for Eastern Michigan (as I'm sure you have), it's because I had a weekend off to enjoy being a student. This was my first game in the Mike London era during which I was able to participate as a UVa student and fan. Consider this game recap from a student perspective, and an insider's look at what it's like to be a bright-eyed, optimistic Wahoo fan on game day.

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