No.11 Virginia Rolls Over Duke

Virginia's defense forced eight turnovers and Aaron Brooks atoned for a poor passing day with a 57-yard scoring run late in the third quarter as the 11th-ranked Cavaliers beat Duke 24-0 Saturday.

Virginia

It was the first time since 1943 that the Cavaliers posted a pair of road shutouts in the same season. The other came at Auburn in the season opener.

"Wow, I didn't quite think about that," Virginia coach George Welsh said. "We're not a completely dominating defensive team, but we've learned to hang in there and we've got guys who can make plays for us."

Safety Anthony Poindexter was the defensive hero for the Cavaliers, intercepting two passes, recovering two fumbles and causing a fumble as Virginia won for the ninth time in the last 10 games of the series.

"I didn't feel like I was around the ball all day," Poindexter said. "They spread us out pretty well, throwing screens here, screens there. I was lucky to get a couple of plays."

The Cavaliers have shut out Duke three times in the 1990s, including the Blue Devils' last home whitewashing -- 59-0 in 1990.

Virginia was clinging to a 3-0 lead with Duke driving deep into Cavaliers territory when backup quarterback Bobby Campbell was called for intentional grounding. On the next play, a third-and-long option play, Campbell's fumble was recovered at the 43 by Poindexter and the game's complexion changed.

"Usually the way we've played the last couple of weeks you lose onof those," said Welsh. "We're managing to win and I think the opposition is helping us.

"We have to be sharper on offense. We have to take a close look at what we're doing, maybe we're doing too much. I've done that before."

After an incomplete pass, Brooks avoided the Duke rush, stepped into the pocket and took off. The senior quarterback spun freshman defensive back Ronnie Hamilton around with a nifty cut 15 yards downfield and then rumbled into the end zone.

"Aaron has a knack of taking the game into his own hands when he sees the opportunity, and that's what he did," said offensive guard Noel LaMontagne. "You have to hand it to him. He had a rough time out there all day passing, they were trying to confuse him and they might have gotten in his head a little bit, but once he had that opportunity to bust it open on them he went with it."

Prior to his TD run, Brooks was a miserable 12-for-32 passing as Virginia's protection repeatedly broke down under a barrage of Duke blitzes.

After holding Duke on downs, a 32-yard punt return by Terrence Wilkins set up a 12-yard scoring run by Thomas Jones and a 17-0 lead Virginia lead. The score gave the Cavalier 14 points in a span of 1:10, after scoring only three in the previous 43 minutes.

Antwoine Womack capped the Virginia scoring with a 47-yard run with 4:46 left.

Virginia penetrated Duke territory seven times in the first half but managed only a 46-yard field goal by Todd Braverman in the second quarter.

Brooks, the ACC's top-rated quarterback, had a difficult opening 30 minutes, throwing his first interception of the season on Virginia's second series. It was his first in 166 attempts.

Brooks was stopped on a fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak at the Duke 17 and had two potential TD passes dropped in the end zone by Wilkins.

However, Virginia's defense stymied Duke most of the first half. The Blue Devils did not getting past midfield until 1:42 before intermission, and on that play, Letavious Wilks fumbled the ball to Virginia.

Jones fumbled it back on the next play, but Sims Lenhardt's 49-yard field goal attempt 46 seconds before halftime fell just short.

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