Cavaliers get out the vote

It was very early in the morning — at least by Clint Sintim’s standards — to wake from a slumber and depart his apartment.

Yet, trying to beat the masses, Sintim left in darkness to beat the traffic in an attempt to vote with ease in this year’s election.

Much to the surprise of the nation’s top linebacker — at least in terms of sacks — Virginia’s fifth-year senior found himself in a lengthy line.

“I had this brilliant theory that if I got there earlier than everybody else that I could get it done and come back and lay down, but there were about 30 people that beat me to the poll. But it was cool,” Sintim said Tuesday afternoon. “It was worth the wait. I got a chance to go in there and experience my first time voting and let my voice be heard, so to speak. If I could do it all over again I would wait for 100 people.

“I am just glad I got it done.”

Cedric Peerman and Jon Copper were not quite as fortunate.

Peerman was told when he reached what he believed to be his polling station that he needed to vote in Lynchburg. He promptly hopped in the car and drove just over an hour.

Copper, who resides with his wife near University Hall, attempted to vote in that venue. That was not, however, where he needed to be.

“I went to the wrong place,” Copper joked. “I have to get to the bottom of that. I figured I live right across the street so I figured I would vote at U-Hall, but apparently I don’t.

“I need to find that out shortly.”

Not every member of the team voted for the first time in their young adult lives.

Virginia wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, who is from Queens, N.Y., admitted that he did not vote in person or via absentee ballot in New York, as nose tackle Nate Collins did.

“I am not an in-state guy. When guys always talk about politics, I don’t really try to get into it,” Ogletree said. “It’s kind of a mushy subject.”

Ogletree admitted that his vote in his native state was likely not needed.

“I think [Barack] Obama has got New York,” he said.

Virginia coach Al Groh, preparing for Saturday’s game at Wake Forest, adjusted his schedule to study film at home instead of his office and voted early Tuesday morning.

Groh admitted that he was proud that his players showed so much interest in the election, which has not always been the case with student-athletes.

“It certainly wasn’t when I was in school,” Groh said. “I don’t think we gave much thought to it, but of course it wasn’t publicized like the way it is now either.”

Sintim said after constant buzz in the locker room and around school that he felt obligated to vote.

“It is almost like you can’t help but hear it everywhere you go — you have to vote,” he said with a smile. “I am just a product of everybody else telling me, ‘I have to vote.’

“Vote or die, I guess.”

Help on the way

Having lost running back Mikell Simpson for the season to a broken collar bone, Virginia (5-4, 3-2 ACC) was expected to receive a boost in its backfield with the return of sophomore Keith Payne at Tuesday’s practice.

Payne, who has been sidelined since breaking a bone in his hand on Sept. 27 at Duke, could join a three-way battle with sophomore Raynard Horne and junior Rashawn Jackson to serve as the team’s backup to Peerman.

Payne has rushed five times this season for 36 yards.

Horne has not carried the ball in a game in his career, but has seen extra repetitions in practice as the coaching staff attempted to limit Peerman’s mid-week work.

“Because of the nature of the game [Peerman] plays, as rugged and physical as it is, the most important thing is to have him well prepared from a sight standpoint — he’s seen the looks that he needs to see — but physically ready to go on Saturday,” Groh said. “We moderate his plays during the course of the week, so that has resulted in the other potential runners getting their looks, some more on some days.

“For example on Sundays, we purposely hold Cedric back so Horne gets more turns then than he does on Tuesday.”

Jackson, Groh said, could even see action at tailback with a fullback in the backfield. That would require the usage of redshirt freshman Curt Orshoski at fullback, Jackson’s natural position.

Orshoski, a Culpeper native, could emerge as Jackson’s heir apparent.

“He’s given good promise of that,” Groh said. 

More helping hands

From all accounts, Virginia should get redshirt freshman Nick Jenkins back for this week’s game.

Being able to spell defensive ends Matt Conrath and Alex Field and Collins, a fellow nose tackle, could help late in the contest against the Demon Deacons. In the Cavaliers’ most recent loss to Miami, the Hurricanes gained 120 yards on their final 20 plays and scored a pair of touchdowns.

“I think it will be great [to get Jenkins back] and at the same time, I think it is going to be great for our team up front, because it just opens up everything for the d-line because last game I think for regular stack defense none of the D-lineman came out of the game,” Collins said.

In a pinch, Collins can slide to either defensive end spot.

Since Field never redshirted and will be out of eligibility at season’s end, Collins would welcome being an option at defensive end next year. The coaching staff has moved John-Kevin Dolce from linebacker to nose tackle in practice sets and true freshman Buddy Ruff has

returned to practice after mouth surgery, Collins said. Both players could provide positional depth in 2009.

“If the coaches want to do that,” Collins said of playing defensive end. “Wherever they want to put me, it’s not a problem for me. It wouldn’t at all be a dramatic move.”

After further review

Groh sent a pair of plays to the conference office for further review, a rarity when Virginia loses.

One of those plays involved an obvious catch for a first down by Ogletree on a pass from quarterback Marc Verica with 1:28 left in the first half. The Cavaliers would have had the ball just yards shy of the 50-yard line with time to drive for points in their hurry-up offense.

The play, however, was ruled incomplete on the field and by official replay.

“Everybody who has looked at it — everybody — men, women, children, coaches, ACC representatives, everybody says it was a good catch,” Groh said. “There was only one person on the planet who didn’t see it that way. I am not criticizing him; I am just saying that’s the facts.

“We saw it one way, he saw it the other way [and] he had the vote.” 

Groh also sent a play during one of Miami’s scoring drives where it was apparent that the play clock reached :00 and remained that way for a considerable amount of time before the snap.