Sewell takes command at UVa.?
I was almost ready to declare Virginia's season-long search for a starting quarterback over and done with - but then Jameel Sewell had to go and muddy things up toward the end of the Cavs' 24-7 loss at Georgia Tech last night.
Sewell had seemed to make great strides in the second half of the one-sided defeat - completing five straight passes on one extended third-quarter drive, then connecting with wideout Kevin Ogletree on a 16-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to make things at least somewhat interesting.
But then Sewell, a redshirt freshman making his first career start, ended the night with a botched handoff that led to a fumble in Georgia Tech territory and a pair of interceptions that essentially iced the game for the Yellow Jackets.
Even so, you have to be even slightly impressed with what Sewell was able to do against Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta's always-blitzing defense - he completed 15 of his 31 pass attempts for 115 yards and ran eight times for 30 yards.
"Part of being a quarterback is working yourself through some difficult situations, and he seemed to do that," coach Al Groh said after the game. "He was unflustered by his lack of success. A quarterback's got to have a short memory, and he came back and played his best as the game evolved."
"I was not too nervous," Sewell said after the game. "I had no fear, but I guess it was kind of a mental thing. But my teammates showed faith in me and boosted me up."
Sewell seemed to recognize that things didn't conclude the way he or the team would have liked them to.
"It's not a good one," Sewell said. "But it's underneath there. Take it and go."
- Chris Graham