Graig Cooper rushed for a career-best 152 yards and a touchdown, Damien Berry ran for a pair of second-half scores and No. 16 Miami eased past struggling Virginia 52-17 on Saturday.

Virginia’s football practices this week were conducted in sweats, not because the temperature was low in Charlottesville, but rather to try to imitate the heat the Wahoos will face today in Miami. “It’s hard to simulate, but we’re trying to get as close to it as we can here,“ receiver Vic Hall said. That said, it would be hard to find a player who gripes about a November trip to South Florida. The Cavs got their fun in the sun yesterday, now this afternoon it’s down to business against a Miami team that dodged a bullet—in the form of a 60-yard field goal—last week against Wake Forest.

When: Noon
  On the air: TV—Fox; radio—WRVA (1140), 11:30 a.m.
  Records: Virginia 2-2 ACC, 3-5; Miami 3-2, 6-2
  Players to watch: Virginia—FB Rashawn Jackson, 56 carries, 289 yards, 1 TD; QB Jameel Sewell, 1,347 yards, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 53.3 completion percentage; PR Chase Minnifield, 20 returns, 88 yards, 0 TDs. Miami—QB Jacory Harris, 2,104 yards, 16 TDs, 11 INTs, 61.2 completion percentage; DL Allen Bailey, 22 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks; WR Travis Benjamin 412 yards, 22 receptions, 4 TDs.

2 Finish strong . The fourth quarter is the only time this year where U.Va. is being outscored—by a 69-41 margin. The Cavs have to find a way to preserve leads in the game’s final 15 minutes, which is going to involve keeping the offense on the field more in the first 45 minutes. If the defense is consistently asked to play more, lack of depth on the unit will mean fatigue late in games.

The grind of the football season is beginning to wear on two of U.Va.‘s top offensive players. Quarterback Jameel Sewell (Hermitage) has battled an ankle injury for the past few weeks and also injured his shoulder at some point in the past week. He is listed as “doubtful” for tomorrow’s game, with Marc Verica the backup-in-waiting. “He’s a very physical player for a quarterback,“ coach Al Groh said. “He takes a pretty good licking but keeps coming back.“

The Roanoke Times is reporting that Khalek Shepherd, son of former Washington Redskins wide receiver Leslie Shepherd, has given his verbal commitment to the University of Virginia.

Virginia’s Monica Wright was named to The Associated Press’ preseason All-American team yesterday. She became the first Virginia player to earn preseason honors since Wendy Palmer in 1995-96. Palmer is now an assistant coach with the Cavaliers. Wright was surprised to learn she had now joined her coach. “Wow. That is quite an honor,“ Wright said. “To be in the same category as Wendy is truly special.“

CHARLOTTESVILLE It’s an exaggeration to say that Virginia is the worst team in a BCS conference when it comes to scoring points. But it’s not too far off. Only three schools -UCLA, Illinois and Washington State - are scoring less often than the Wahoos, who are averaging about 21 points per game this season. At the heart of the issue is an offense that hasn’t yet decided what it wants to be. U.Va. started the season in the spread offense but two games later reversed back to the more traditional system that was used in 2008.

CHARLOTTESVILLE The odds that Al Groh will be coaching U.Va. football in four years are slim. But his decisions this year will still influence the program in 2013. Groh has played 14 true freshmen this year, matching the 2002 season for the most he’s used as a head coach. The number was increased by two Saturday when tight end Paul Freedman caught a 6-yard pass, and linebacker Connor McCartin joined the kickoff team.

Only 41,713 fans were on hand at Scott Stadium on Saturday to watch the Cavs lose to Duke, the lowest number since the stadium was expanded in 2000.

Grading the three keys D-Match Duke’s scoring. Didn’t happen. Duke had three strong drives early, and Virginia failed to answer. The Cavs’ offense could have provided the defense with some momentum after holding the Blue Devils to three field goals, but failed to. With just 1 yard in the first quarter, the offense failed to get off the ground. Running backs Mikell Simpson and Torrey Mack were held in check until Rashawn Jackson started taking over. Late in the game, Virginia could not answer three Duke scores. B-Return game. Chase Minnifield took some vicious hits on punt returns, but the Duke special teams, which specialize in forcing fumbles, were unable to. The yardage wasn’t there, but credit goes to Minnifield for hanging onto the ball. On kick returns, he had mixed results, but was more impressive than he has been in recent weeks. DAvoid pressure/quick release. Jameel Sewell was sacked only twice, but repeatedly was harassed by the Blue Devils’ defensive line. Oday Aboushi was briefly inserted at left tackle, and after a false start penalty, was able to hold his own, but Landon Bradley returned to the game. The problems are on the offensive line and with Sewell. He seems to take his sacks at the most inopportune moments, leading fans to believe he’s under duress more often than he actually is.

The Wahoos led 17-12 with 12 minutes remaining but succumbed 28-17 in a loss that will make it even more difficult for Virginia to achieve bowl eligibility.

Taking aim at a Duke offense that was pass-heavy, Virginia played most of the game in a nickel formation, the first time that defensive package had been used all year. “We were definitely working to get a lot of pressure on the QB,“ defensive lineman Zane Parr said. “The offensive line was coming off the ball hard, and we just had to come off harder and really push their tackles and guard back.“

Score: Duke 28, Virginia 17 For starters: Duke dominated early, and the Cavs had only 1 yard of offense in the first quarter. But the Blue Devils couldn’t convert for touchdowns inside the red zone. Turning point: When Jameel Sewell fumbled the ball on his 7-yard line, and it was returned for a Duke touchdown, it became clear that even in an eight-point game, Virginia was not going to make a comeback. Star of the game: The defensive line, but specifically Nate Collins, played a strong game, shutting down Duke’s attempts at running the ball and constantly applying pressure to Thaddeus Lewis. U.Va.‘s Zane Parr remarked afterward that it seemed that Lewis was holding the ball too long, which led to the six times he was sacked. John-Kevin Dolce also excelled in the pass-rush role. Big picture: As Al Groh continues to draw the ire of fans, it’s going to take a remarkable turnaround for him to stay in place through the 2010 season. Go figure: 0—rushing attempts for Jameel Sewell, a quarterback known for his footwork and scrambling ability. Next: Virginia plays at Miami next week. The game time will be announced by the ACC this afternoon.

W hen: 3:30 p.m.  O the air: Online—ESPN360.com; radio—WRVA (1140), 2:30 p.m.
  Tickets: $42 all seats
  Records: Virginia 2-1 ACC, 3-4 overall; Duke 2-1, 4-3
  Players to watch: U.Va.—DE Zane Parr, 12 tackles last week in first career start; QB Jameel Sewell, has not been intercepted in his past 141 attempts; WR Vic Hall, 16 catches, 189 yards, 1 TD in three games at the position. Duke—QB Thaddeus Lewis, 2 TD passes from moving into fifth all-time in the ACC; WR Austin Kelly, 5.57 catches per game; WR Donovan Varner, 5 TD catches this season.