Cavaliers still playing for pride

Their appearance required a double take.

Representatives from the Champs Sports Bowl sat in motionless fashion to listen on as Virginia coach Al Groh met with reporters following the Cavaliers’ 14-10 loss to Boston College.

Perhaps the reps were there to try the pre-game chili.

It could have been the Rice Krispy treats served at halftime that warranted a visit.

Better yet, stimulating the economy in the Commonwealth could have been a priority.

Regardless, it was an odd, ill-timed scenario as Virginia dropped to 3-7 overall and into last place in the ACC’s Coastal Division at 2-4.

The Cavaliers are left to play for pride with the third losing season in four years already secured, and a young roster of players will miss another chance to have additional practice sessions leading up to a postseason affair.

How will Virginia, a program expected to be looking for a coach in a matter of weeks,

rally with meaningless games coming at Clemson and at home against rival Virginia Tech?

“It’s going to be extremely difficult to do,” said Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell. “Right now, we just have to play with some pride, and not give in.

“Our hopes for getting bowl-eligible, they’re gone.”

It was not the storybook finish Sewell wanted after sitting out the hapless 2008 campaign due to a school-issued suspension.

While Virginia played better than it had in recent weeks offensively, the Cavaliers have not managed to gain 300 yards of total offense in a league game this year.

They were close against the Eagles, previously winless in road games, as the Wahoos managed 298 yards. But once again they were kept out of the end zone on offense.

Virginia coach Al Groh still clung to the positives, which included a defensive touchdown on an interception return.

“We made a lot of progress with our team,” the coach said. “I’m proud of the effort the players put into it and the fight they showed.

“We’ve been working for 10 weeks to have a performance like that.”

Yet it comes as Virginia’s losing season secures another month of vacation for its ticket office employees.

“Really, my thoughts [on a losing season] aren’t all that important,” Groh said. “What’s

important is what happened during the course of game.”

The players that long to play in bowl games might disagree.

“We’re going out there for pride right now,” Virginia linebacker Bill Schautz said. “ We will play as hard as we can, finish 5-7 and give the fans something to cheer about.”