CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Matt Schaub capped his career as Virginia's most prolific quarterback by taking a knee on his second straight Continental Tire Bowl victory.
Larry Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline, hands on his hips in yet another disappointing loss in what might have been the final game for one of the greatest players in Pittsburgh history.
Virginia made it 2-for-2 in the 2-year-old bowl by using solid defense to snap Fitzgerald's record touchdown streak at 18 games in a 23-16 victory on Saturday.
"We have worked very hard to become a significant defensive team and we knew stopping Larry Fitzgerald was going to be important," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "He can do in one or two plays what a 12-play drive usually does, so we put an emphasis on him."
The Cavaliers (8-5) did it by limiting the looks in Fitzgerald's direction with a steady pass rush that led to five sacks and only six throws to the sophomore receiver.
The Heisman Trophy runner-up, who could petition the NFL for early entry into the draft, was held to five catches for 77 yards and failed to score a touchdown for Pittsburgh (8-5) for the first time since Oct 12, 2002, against Notre Dame. His 18 consecutive games with a TD is an NCAA record.
"I don't play for records," Fitzgerald said. "The record was fun and I thank my teammates for helping me get it. Records are meant to be broken."
Then he said he still wasn't sure what his future holds, just that he plans to be enrolled in classes at Pitt next month.
So what could have been Fitzgerald's swan song instead became Schaub's big day. He threw for 244 yards and a touchdown - the 56th of his career, a Virginia record - to earn the MVP award.
Schaub, whose touchdown was a 52-yard strike to Heath Miller, wasted little time on sentimentality: "It's over and done with, I sort of established that earlier this month. It is a rite of passage seniors go through. So I knew it would come and it is just a great way to go out - with a win."
Brandon Miree ran for 110 yards for Pitt and added four catches for 43 yards, including a 17-yard score. The touchdown from quarterback Rod Rutherford was his 37th of the season, tying Dan Marino's school record.
Holtz hire returns to Vandy
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina coach Lou Holtz's offseason took another unexpected twist when recently hired assistant Robbie Caldwell changed his mind. Holtz said Caldwell accepted USC's offer to coach the offensive line. "But he has now informed me that he has decided to remain at Vanderbilt University," he said. Caldwell and his family were in the Carolinas on Christmas Eve. And Holtz announced the hiring just hours before the holiday. Caldwell, a native of Pageland, S.C., called the chance to return "a dream come true." But Holtz and Caldwell spoke several times Saturday about his second thoughts. Caldwell said he couldn't give up on the Commodores and coach Bobby Johnson. "I could not renege on that commitment," he said in a statement.
