Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia football coach Al Groh has met the enemy and it's wearing orange and blue.

Or, rather, blue and white, the colors donned by a UVa team that was intercepted three times and lost a fumble Saturday in a 13-3 loss to visiting Clemson.

The Cavaliers had hoped to become bowl eligible and keep alive their hopes of an ACC championship but a determined Virginia defense once more was undermined by a mistake-prone offense.

UVa has more turnovers after 11 games, 29, than it has had in a single season since 1996. The high during Groh's first seven seasons was 24 in 2001.

All three of Clemson's scores -- a touchdown pass and two field goals -- followed Virginia turnovers.

"This is one that doesn't take a big, thick microscope to dissect," Groh said.

UVa quarterback Marc Verica completed 24 of 39 passes for 160 yards but was intercepted three times for the second game in a row. A fourth Clemson interception was nullified by penalty and Tiger defenders dropped at least two other balls.

"We can come up with all sorts of reasons," Groh said, "but, it was what it was. Until we learn to take better care of the ball, unfortunately, that subtracts substantially from the result we're trying to get."

Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC) has lost three games in a row since a 24-17 victory at Georgia Tech left the Cavaliers atop the Coastal Division standings.

UVa lost Saturday despite allowing 192 yards, its lowest defensive yield of the season, and held the Tigers to 57 yards in the second half. Clemson's longest gain of the day came on a 17-yard pass reception, and the Tigers did not have a rushing attempt of more than 8 yards.

"All that really matters at the end of the day is whether you win or lose," said UVa outside linebacker and co-captain Clint Sintim, "and we lost the game. Whether they had 200 [yards] or 600, it doesn't matter. They won and we lost."

It was the final home game for 15 UVa players.

"It sucks, excuse my language," Sintim said. "It's really terrible, just because you expect more. I've played here for four years and been here for five and not to go out on top is very frustrating."

Clearly, the turnovers were pivotal, but UVa didn't exactly move the ball up and down the field. The Cavaliers had 190 yards in total offense, their low since a 187-yard effort against Southern California in the first game.

Virginia, which ranked 111th in Division I-A in scoring offense before Saturday's game, has scored 17 points or fewer in eight games.

Groh bristled at a question concerning UVa offensive coordinator, son Mike Groh, and whether he will be back in 2009.

"I love these divisive questions," he said.

When pressed further, Al Groh added, "That means I blew the question off."

An inability to convert short-yardage opportunities was an Achilles' heel during Virginia's 1-3 start and came back to haunt the Cavaliers on Saturday.

In the span of three offensive series in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers twice went for a first down on fourth-and-1 and failed to convert.

On the first, from the Clemson 46-yard line, a Verica pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage. On the second, from the Clemson 27, tailback Cedric Peerman ran wide to the left side and was pulled down from behind for a 5-yard loss.

In between the two failed fourth-and-1 plays, Verica found wide receiver Kevin Ogletree streaking down the Clemson sideline for what would have been a 47-yard, game-tying touchdown reception if not for a yellow flag fluttering behind the play.

Officials ruled that Ogletree had pushed off on Clemson safety Sadat Chambers, sending the Cavaliers back to their 32 for a first-and-25.

"I really felt strong about the play [and] didn't feel I had done anything wrong," said Ogletree, who had six receptions for 73 yards. "I never extended my hand. Usually, if you try and gain separation with your hands, that's a clear penalty. I feel like the D-back mistimed the ball, so I didn't feel like my hand being out affected the catch."

Clemson improved its record to 6-5 and 4-4 in the Coastal Division, but two of the Tigers' victories have come over Division I-AA opposition, and they can only count one toward bowl eligibility. They end the regular season next week when they host in-state rival South Carolina.

Virginia needs to beat Virginia Tech next week in Blacksburg, where UVa hasn't won since 1998, or else its season will end. Groh said it is unlikely that he will change quarterbacks "unless [former UVa star] Matt Schaub is available."

Verica has been intercepted 15 times, the high for a UVa quarterback since 1976. Only Scott Gardner, in 1973 and 1975, has been intercepted more than 15 times in a season.

"This game was really kind of a continuation of what's been plaguing us these past couple losses," Verica said. "Until we learn to finish drives and take better care of the ball, we're going to get similar results."