Hagans ready to compete
UVa utility man vies for Cavaliers' quarterback job
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
March 26, 2004

Marques Hagans says he was fine with being a jack of all trades for the Virginia football team. Now, however, he wants to be a master of one: quarterback.

“I can’t wait,” said the sophomore QB/receiver/punt returner, who will be relieved of the latter two roles when UVa’s spring practice period begins today.

Hagans has anticipated these three weeks of football since the Cavaliers beat Pittsburgh in the Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 27. As he knows, this is his chance to establish himself as the successor to Matt Schaub, who started 30 games at Virginia and finished as the program’s career passing leader.

Hagans is one of four candidates for the starting quarterback job along with sophomore Chris Olsen, redshirt freshman Anthony Martinez and true freshman Kevin McCabe. He has the most experience of the bunch and hopes to be the clearcut No. 1 choice by the time spring practices end April 17.

“I think when competing, you’ve got to put yourself at the top,” Hagans said. “I feel like my chances are as good as anybody’s.”

Hagans has thrown just 51 passes in two seasons, but he has made an impact at several positions. He caught 28 passes as a receiver last season, second among UVa wideouts. He also has averaged 9.3 yards on 57 punt returns.

“He’s demonstrated to everyone else that he’s a playmaker,” said UVa coach Al Groh.

But can he be an effective full-time quarterback? That question remains to be answered.

Hagans has shown promise at the position. In his first game as a redshirt freshman, he relieved Schaub and nearly rallied the Cavaliers past Colorado State. Last September, with Schaub sidelined by a shoulder injury, he threw three touchdown passes in a rout of Western Michigan.

However, Hagans has been considerably less effective on other occasions. The week after his Colorado State performance, he started against Florida State and completed just one of seven passes before Groh pulled him. His height, charitably listed at 5-foot-10, has been a hindrance at times when he has lined up behind center.

Since he hasn’t gotten taller since last year, he has tried to become stronger and smarter. He has been an avid weightlifter in the offseason, adding five pounds of muscle to get to 212, and he says he has studied film and talked to coaches for at least an hour every day at the McCue Center.

“I think the main thing is you’ve got to learn to be a student of the game,” Hagans said. “That’s the process I’m trying to go through now. Watching more film, learning what the defense is trying to do, learning what you’ve got to take, stuff like that.

“It’s more of a classroom quarterback part of the year right now. That’s where I’m at right now, learning more about the game. Not just throwing the ball, learning to be a quarterback.”

Hagans was a standout quarterback at Hampton High and Fork Union Military Academy. But at those places, he said, “I think I was allowed to be an athlete. Here I’m supposed to be a quarterback.”

At this time last year, he wasn’t sure he would get that opportunity again. Groh moved Hagans to receiver after the 2002 season in an effort to get him on the field. The coach hoped that Martinez would be a capable backup to Schaub and that Hagans would be of more help to the team in a different role.

“I really accepted that. I really thought it was going to be final,” Hagans said. “But everything happens for a reason and I’m glad it played out how it did.”

After Schaub separated his throwing shoulder in the 2003 opener, Martinez struggled in his first start against South Carolina. Hagans moved back to quarterback and started the next week against Western Michigan. Even after Schaub returned, Hagans remained as the backup QB in addition to his duties as a receiver and punt returner.

Playing all of those roles may have impeded his progress as a quarterback, but Hagans believes otherwise.

“I think it helped my development,” he said. “I think it gave me a chance to get on the field and get the opportunity to make plays. So I think it moved me along a lot quicker being on the field the same time Matt was.”

If Hagans is going to be the starting quarterback, he must practice there all the time. That means no more catching passes or returning punts. Hagans says he will miss doing those things, but he is eager to line up where he feels most comfortable - behind center.

“I came here to be a quarterback,” he said. “So I’m very excited.”

Notes. A number of Cavaliers will not participate this spring because of injuries. That includes safeties Jermaine Hardy and Willie Davis, and linebackers Kai Parham, Rich Bedesem and Marvin Richardson. … Marquis Weeks has switched from tailback to safety to shore things up at that position. … Four practices will be open to the public on the fields behind the McCue Center: March 29 (4 p.m.), March 31 (4 p.m.), April 4 (TBA) and April 9 (4 p.m.).
 

QB race is on as spring practice begins
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 26, 2004

As far back as last July, Virginia football coach Al Groh was determined that the quarterback position would not hold back the 2004 Cavaliers. Knowing that he would have to break in a new QB, Groh made sure he stocked the spot with enough talent so that somebody would step into the spotlight.
The question as the Cavaliers open spring practice today, is Who? Or, in this case, Hoo? There are almost as many candidates for the job as there were Democratic presidential hopefuls a few weeks ago.
When Groh and son, Mike, the quarterback coach, and offensive coordinator Ron Prince gaze around the practice field today, they’ll see four players with their eyes on the prize. Starting in such a wide-open, pro-style, fun-and-gun offense, is something they will all take very seriously.

Hagans the frontrunner?
The smart money is on rising junior Marques Hagans. Described by Hampton High School coach Mike Smith as the best athlete, pound-for-pound, he had ever coached, Hagans has not disappointed in his two seasons at UVa. He has taken over the quarterback duties without much preparation time on two occasions for Schaub and bedazzled the competition.
Meanwhile, he has been a game-breaker, a difference-maker as a wide receiver and return man.

The others
The rest of the candidates are as follows: rising sophomore Anthony Martinez, who also played in two games last season after Schaub’s injury; sophomore Chris Olson, who transferred from Notre Dame after winning the backup job there last preseason; and redshirt freshman Kevin McCabe, a high school All-American who chose UVa over Notre Dame.
Surely someone out of such an impressive quartet will step to the front and give Groh a quarterback he can be confident will win games. The coach said Thursday that his goal is to make significant progress toward settling the depth chart at quarterback coming out of spring.

Performance matters
A lot of that will have to do with how the players perform in the 15 allotted practices between now and the spring festival on April 17.
“We’ll put each player in the same type of circumstances and let the players grade themselves,” Groh said.
In other words, their perfomances could settle the issue.
“How they perform will decide whether it’s an easy process or not,” said Groh. “If they all perform the same, it will be difficult. If one player or more steps it up and performs better, or if one or more doesn’t keep pace, that makes the task a little easier.”
Hagans has one advantage, though, and it is a huge one. He’s been there. We’re talking about a guy who has passed for 361 yards (60.8 percent) and four touchdowns. He has rushed for 186 yards and four TDs. He has caught 26 passes for 236 yards and has 523 yards in punt returns and a TD.
When Groh call’s him a playmaker, he isn’t exaggerating. We’re talking about an offensive machine, who basically averages 8.2 yards every time he touches the ball.
“Marques is the only one
who has extensive playing time,” Groh said. “He’s had two positive games as a quarterback. He’s made plays in games as a receiver and punt returner. He has that type of confidence. He knows what it’s like to go to the stadium and step up. He has demonstrated he has a playmaker’s
mentality.”
As a true freshman, in the season opener against Colorado State, Hagans came in for Schaub and scared the Rams to death. His natural running ability kept the visitors on their heels as he came within a hair of beating them before fumbling at the goal line in a desperation attempt to score late in the game.
Last season, with a week’s practice under his belt at quarterback, he started at Western Michigan and made play after play. Hagans completed 12 of 20 passes for 162 yards and three TDs. What really blew us away was his ability to scramble for a career-high 68 yards, making chicken salad out of chicken feathers every time a play broke down.
Hagans put fun back into Groh’s fun-and-gun.
Now that’s not to say that any of the other three candidates can’t get the job done. All these guys have strong credentials.
“Chris has a good background and understands the offense well not only from being here last fall, but there were similarities to what he was exposed to before [at Notre Dame],” Groh said of Olsen. “He is a good student of the game and has a good confidence about himself.”
But that’s not all.
“Anthony has a very strong arm and has been in a couple of games,” Groh said. “Hopefully those will serve as two good break-in games.”
Then there’s McCabe, the least experienced of the lot.
“He’s in the same stage as all those other guys were once before,” the coach said. “He’s going into his first spring practice out of the daze phase. I’m sure last fall came so fast at him that it was kind of a daze for him.”
Some of the guys are comfortable as the pro-style, classic dropback into the pocket passers, while others are just as or more comfortable on the run. Some can do both.
Certainly, some passing options in the offense will have to be altered because none of the candidates possess either the height or experience as did Schaub. In fact, Hagans is the smallest at 5-foot-10, about the same size as former Georgia Tech standout Joe Hamilton. The others are around 6-3.
“Marques’ height, well that’s a reality,” Groh said. “It’s all based on what you can see. There were certain things Matt could see because of his height. There’s not that many 6-6 quarterbacks. Some of those things will be more difficult for all four quarterbacks to see.”
Hagans didn’t seem to have a great deal of trouble seeing receivers against Western Michigan. Florida State and Miami, among others, might present a larger problem.
So, the battle is on. It should be fun to watch, especially for Groh, who is certain that at least one of these guys will emerge as THE MAN, or at least as a quarterback who won’t beat his own team.
 

For starters, QB atop UVa's list Cavaliers seek answer at QB
Virginia, which has four scholarship QBs on campus, must choose a starter with Matt Schaub leaving.
By Doug Doughty
doug.doughty@roanoke.com
981-3129

Three years ago, Virginia's first spring football practice under Al Groh ended in a stalemate between quarterback hopefuls Matt Schaub and Bryson Spinner.

Schaub and Spinner shared time the entire next season, a situation that Groh probably does not want to duplicate.

Groh eventually became secure in the knowledge that he had a No.1 quarterback, Schaub, and he hasn't changed his thinking now that Schaub has completed his eligibility.

"I think it's very desirable," Groh said Thursday on the eve of UVa's first spring practice. "What we'd like to do is either see the final depth chart start to lay itself out or make significant progress toward that."

UVa has four scholarship quarterbacks on campus, two of whom started a game last year when Schaub was injured, rising junior Marques Hagans and sophomore Anthony Martinez.

They will be challenged by sophomore Chris Olsen, a transfer from Notre Dame and most valuable offensive player at the Irish's 2003 spring game, and redshirt freshman Kevin McCabe.

Hagans was the No.2 quarterback in 2002 and even took the job from Schaub for one week. He moved to wide receiver last spring, but started taking snaps at quarterback after Martinez was ineffective in a 31-7 UVa loss at South Carolina.

Hagans started the next week, at Western Michigan, where he threw three touchdown passes and accounted for 230 yards in total offense in a 59-16 UVa victory. He attempted only five passes in the Cavaliers' final 10 games, but did have 22 of his 25 receptions over that span.

"Marques is the only one who really has extensive playing time," Groh said. "He's had two positive games as a quarterback. He's made plays in games as a punt returner and receiver. So, he's got that kind of confidence. He knows what it's like to go to the stadium. He's demonstrated to everybody else that he's a playmaker."

Olsen actually has spent less time in UVa's system than the other candidates, but he has a good grasp of the offense "both from being with us this year [and] because there are similarities to what he was exposed to before," Groh said.

"He's a good student of the game and I think he's got a pretty good confidence about himself. Anthony's got a very strong arm. Kevin is in the same stage that all those guys were before. He's out of the daze phase, when all of it came so fast at the beginning."

Four of Virginia's spring practices will be open to the public, starting Monday at 4 p.m. Other open practices will be March31, April4 and April9, with UVa's spring game set for April17 at 11 a.m.

Groh said that safety Jermaine Hardy and linebackers Richie Bedesem will miss spring practice while rehabbing from surgery. Linebacker Kai Parham probably will not practice "because he has a little condition in his back," Groh said.

Groh said the condition is unrelated to the back problem that caused Parham to redshirt in 2002.

 

Season didn't play out in 'obvious' fashion
A new occupation: pillorying Pete
By Doug Doughty
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays

One of the greatest miscalculations I’ve made about the Virginia men’s coaching situation was when I predicted that a course of action would become obvious by the end of the season.

Of course, there are people -- pro and con -- who think the solution is obvious now. However, even Gillen's greatest detractors would admit that the team did improve over the second half of the season.

When the Cavaliers suffered the second of back-to-back home losses to Maryland and N.C. State, dropping them to 12-8 with a trip upcoming to Duke, I didn't think there was any way they could post even the .500 record required for an NIT.

A losing record would have made it obvious that Gillen needed to go. A losing record would not have been an improvement over last year’s 16-16 record.

On the other hand, if Virginia had been able to hold onto an 11-point lead at Maryland in the final game of the ACC’s regular season, the Cavaliers might have gotten an NCAA bid (I should emphasize "might"). An NCAA bid would have made it obvious that Gillen should stay. If the Cavaliers (18-13) had won two more games than they did in the NIT, giving them 20 wins for the season, maybe that would have made it obvious.

But Virginia didn't beat Maryland and it didn't get past the second round of the NIT, so it wasn't obvious and I was wrong.

I FOUND IT INTERESTING on my drive to the office Thursday to hear Tony Kornheiser asking ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, "Why isn’t anybody criticizing Mike Montgomery?"

"Oh, he's getting some criticism,” Bilas said, “but he isn't being pilloried.”

Bilas apparently like the word so much that he used it again a minute later.

Pilloried? That’s one I hadn't heard lately. If Bilas were talking about UVa fans, would he say they’ve been "pillorying Pete?”

I've been asked about Montgomery, the Stanford coach, several times in the past week. Virginia interviewed Montgomery in 1990, when it was seeking a successor to Terry Holland. And, he probably would have come. But Montgomery withdrew his name from consideration after learning that the Cavaliers thought they had Rick Barnes.

Of course, Barnes had an 11th-hour change of heart and stayed at Providence, by which point Montgomery and then-Penn State coach Bruce Parkhill had removed their names from consideration. Gillen, who was at Xavier at the time, met with Copeland at the Pittsburgh airport but took himself out of the running two days later.

In 1990, you could have made the case that Virginia basketball was bigger than Stanford basketball, but not now. The Cardinals' invitation to the NCAA Tournament this year was its 10th in a row, but Stanford had been to the tournament only three times in its history before 1995.

When Stanford fell to eighth-seeded Alabama 70-67 in a second-round West Regional game, it marked the fifth time in six years that the Cardinal had failed to advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. I can see where Kornheiser, in his next-to-last radio show, was coming with his question.

I can also understand why, after 10 straight NCAA appearances, Montgomery wasn't being "pilloried." It's not the same as five straight postseason appearances, when four have been to the NIT.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE athletic director Jon Oliver was in Seattle last weekend for first- and second-round games and, yes, he may have been there to watch the Nevada team coached by Trent Johnson, but Oliver and Johnson are fellow former Boise State players and friends of 20 years.

Oliver's professed mission was to inspect Key Arena, the 17,000-seat, nine-year home of the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics, whose president is one-time Virginia star Wally Walker. Coaches that UVa fans mention frequently, Montgomery and Gonzaga’s Mark Few, were among the second-round losers in Seattle.

THERE WERE FEW major surprises Thursday when Virginia football coach Al Groh conducted his first spring teleconference with the media. One item worth mentioning is the metamorphasis undergone by fullback Jason Snelling, who was redshirted last fall to deal with medical issues.

Groh said that Snelling, last listed by the Cavaliers at 6-1 and 228 pounds, now weighs 245 pounds after going through Evan Marcus' winter conditioning program. Snelling is a candidate to regain the starting job he held as a true freshman in 2002, when he had 31 receptions.

Groh said he was surprised that he didn't get a question about the new snapper and holder that place-kicker Connor Hughes will require. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Emanuel Byers has joined the quarterbacks as candidates to succeed Matt Schaub as holder, and potential snappers are Tyrus Gardner, Jon Stupar, Zac Yarbrough and, yes, first-team All-ACC tight end Heath Miller.
 

Needful things: U.Va., Tech don't share same list
Quarterback position up for grabs; starters return in other spots
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 26, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Al Groh knew the question was coming, and Virginia's fourth-year football coach didn't have to wait long yesterday. Maybe a second into his first spring teleconference with reporters, Groh was asked about the Cavaliers' situation at quarterback.

After breaking virtually every passing record at U.Va., Matt Schaub is gone, and four players are battling to replace him as the starter. Marques Hagans begins spring practice No.1 on the depth chart, followed, in no par- ticular order, by Anthony Martinez, Chris Olsen and Kevin McCabe.

Hagans is a rising junior, and Martinez and Olsen are rising sophomores. McCabe will be a redshirt freshman.

U.Va., coming off an 8-5 season, starts spring practice today. By the time drills conclude April 17, Groh said, he hopes to "see the final depth chart at [QB] start to lay itself out or at least make significant progress towards that."

Hagans started one game at quarterback last season, when Schaub was injured, and he sparkled in a rout of Western Michigan. The 5-10, 212-pound Hagans spent most of the season, however, returning punts (9.6-yard average) and playing wide receiver (28 catches for 262 yards). The experience Hagans gained, Groh said, should pay dividends this season.

"He knows what it's like to go to the stadium" and get ready to play, Groh said. "Plus, he's demonstrated to everybody else that he's a playmaker. He's got a confidence level, and you would expect that those around him have a confidence level in him."

In addition to quarterback, the Cavaliers have other concerns to address this spring, particularly in the secondary and at punter. Even so, U.Va. is likely to enter the 2004 season ranked in the Top 20, and it's easy to see why.

From the team that closed the 2003 season with three straight victories - the last coming against Pittsburgh in the Continental Tire Bowl - most of the top players return, among them All-America candidates Heath Miller (tight end), Elton Brown (offensive guard), Connor Hughes (kicker) and Chris Canty (defensive end).

On offense, eight starters are back, plus wideout Michael McGrew and fullback Jason Snelling, a graduate of L.C. Bird High. McGrew, a starter in 2001 and'02, missed last season with a leg injury. Snelling, who played a leading role in U.Va.'s offense as a true freshman in 2002, redshirted last season to deal with a medical condition.

Along with starting offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who's up to about 295 pounds, Snelling might have benefited most from strength coach Evan Marcus' winter conditioning program.

"In discussing results, it was determined that nobody had a more outstanding offseason than he did," Groh said. "His gains, both in terms of measurable strength level as well as . . . stamina and endurance, were all very significant. Plus, he brings real versatility to the position. He's a 245-pound fullback who's an exceptional catcher and a very strong and very productive runner in his own right."

Eight starters are back on Groh's defense, too, though safety Jermaine Hardy is recovering from knee surgery and could miss part or all of the season. Gone are outside linebacker Raymond Mann, cornerback Almondo Curry and safety Jamaine Winborne. The leading candidates to replace Mann and Curry are Dennis Haley and Marcus Hamilton, respectively. Among those fighting for Winborne's job is converted tailback Marquis Weeks.

Hardy isn't the only'Hoo who'll miss spring practice because of an injury. Reserve linebackers Rich Bedesem (knee) and Marvin Richardson (undisclosed) are recovering from offseason operations, and starting inside linebacker Kai Parham has a bad back. Parham's "condition," Groh said, is different from the back injury that forced the former Parade All-American to redshirt in 2002.

Several of U.Va.'s incoming recruits, including cornerback/punt-returner Philip Brown and safety Nate Lyles, are likely to play in 2004. Asked yesterday if this would be the deepest, most talented team he's had at Virginia, Groh said that when the freshmen arrive, "I think that might be the case."
 

Déja vu: In title game rematch, Cavs clash with No. 1 Hopkins
Two teams headed in different directions, struggling Virginia faces undefeated Blue Jays
Sara Muir
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Last year's epic national championship battle pitted Virginia against John's Hopkins. The stage was set in Baltimore for two storied teams of similar records and identical goals -- the crown. The No. 2 Virginia men's lacrosse team edged the No. 1 John's Hopkins squad, 9-7, to win its second national championship in only five years.

With each team returning many young stars, the hard-fought clash foretold of a lasting, fiery rivalry for the coming years. Yet the stage set for this Saturday's 7:30 p.m. rematch tells a different story.

The No. 14 Cavaliers (2-4) look to again upend the No.1 Blue Jays (5-0) at Klöckner Stadium, but the backdrop of their seasons thus far reveals that it will be a difficult task. Returning eight of their 10 top scorers from last season, Hopkins began its 2004 journey by demolishing No. 3 Princeton, 14-5, and No. 5 Syracuse, 17-5, among others.

While the Blue Jays have been cruising, the Cavaliers have fallen to those same two teams that Hopkins annihilated, as well as No. 19 Denver and unranked Air Force. With those four loses, the turnover-plagued Virginia team suffered its longest losing streak in the past 17 years, though three of those defeats came by a total of only four goals.

The motivations for tomorrow's game, therefore, differ greatly from those of last year's contest.

"When you look at it in that regard, you couldn't have two teams with more different motivations," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "We're the defending national champions, but they're chomping at the bit with a chip on their shoulder."

While a championship may not be at stake tomorrow, the Cavaliers will look to hand John's Hopkins their first loss of the season and get back on track with an upset.

The Cavaliers snapped their four-game losing streak last Sunday at No. 18 Towson, pulling out a come-from-behind 9-8 overtime victory. The Cavaliers' strong defense, backed by veteran goalie Tillman Johnson, received aid from sophomore attackman Matt Ward, who converted on two vital scoring attempts. He leads the team in both goals and points this season. Tomorrow his scoring ability will be tested by the best scoring defense in the nation.

Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala claims that his squad isn't fooled by the early shortcomings of the relatively young Cavaliers.

"Our players have a tremendous amount of respect for them," he said. "We're not foolish enough to look at the rankings."

Hopkins has more incentive this weekend than simply avenging the national championship loss. The Blue Jays have only defeated the Cavaliers once since 2000. Senior captain Conor Ford, who is currently fifth in the nation in goals per game, claims that this game simply isn't a matter of payback, however.

"I really don't think our team is looking for revenge, necessarily," he said. "We're looking to put our best effort forward in attack, defense and faceoffs."

Whether Hopkins is out for revenge or simply looking to keep intact its 13-game regular season win streak, the stakes are high for both teams. Though off to a rocky start, the Cavaliers aren't down and out, with much of the season still ahead.

"This year isn't over -- Virginia has not said all that they've wanted to this season," Pietramala said.

This may not be the national title game, but the Cavaliers can make a championship caliber statement with an upset victory tomorrow.
 

New offense baffles, Cavs thump Tribe
Virginia maintains full control of game throughout, wins third straight contest, Appelt registers ninth-straight hat trick
Joey Mancini
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

After imposing the 10-goal mercy rule just two days earlier on UMBC, Virginia almost repeated the same feat last night against William & Mary at Klöckner Stadium. During the contest, the Cavalier lead never dwindled below two goals and reached an advantage as high as nine on the way to a 16-8 victory over the Tribe.

Virginia coach Julie Myers' new offensive strategy once again upset the opponent's defensive cohesion through a combination of quick passes, motion sets and cutting players through the eight-meter circle.

The Cavaliers (7-2) entered the game ranked fifth in the nation, facing an in-state rival who, at 4-2, had earned a ranking of No. 18 nationally. The competition also had personal ramifications, as William & Mary coach Tara Brown was a member, along with Myers, of the 1991 Virginia national championship team.

Throughout the game, the Cavaliers moved through an alternating series of scoring runs and droughts, but they were never forced to change their offensive style. The first half was dominated by forced turnovers, ground balls and stick contact for Virginia, which appeared to regain the ball after every change of possession in favor of the Tribe.

"We've been working a lot on our transition and ground balls in practice this week, and obviously it is paying off," sophomore attacker Tyler Leachman said. "I think we are really putting it together."

Junior attacker Amy Appelt notched her ninth straight hat trick for the Virginia offense on four goals and four assists. Three times throughout the game, Appelt scored by backing down a William & Mary defender, then spinning through the center of the circle and bouncing the ball into the net.

Leachman also performed notably well for the Cavaliers with four goals and two assists. As the offense progressed throughout the game, she was consistently making plays with the help of her teammates.

Leachman "is a great shooter, and she sees the field really well," Myers said. "For somebody like Tyler, our new offense is perfect -- it really brings out her strengths."

As a team, the Cavaliers held the groundball advantage by a margin of 31-27 and sacrificed two fewer turnovers than the Tribe. Throughout the scoring runs of the first and second halves, Virginia succeeded in disrupting William & Mary on both sides of the field, rarely allowing the Tribe to establish a rhythm. In the first 20:36 of the game, Virginia scored eight goals, only to go more than 13 minutes before scoring again. After that score, however, the Cavaliers went on a four-goal run to extend their lead.

For the second time in three days, the highlight for the Cavaliers was the success of a new offensive strategy put into place by the coaching staff.

"I don't even think that we have run [the offense] perfectly yet," Myers said. "I think we get a little anxious, and when we see the first shot, we try for it. When we get a little more disciplined, it will be even more damaging to teams."

Despite an offense molded with only two games of competitive experience, Virginia has scored at least 16 goals in each of these contests. As the new offensive attack evolves for the Cavaliers, a newly diverse scoring corps should only continue to improve.
 

Groh assesses race for No. 1 quarterback
Virginia Coach Al Groh holds first press conference, discusses replacement for Schaub, holder, long snapper, punter
Joe Lemire
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Virginia football coach Al Groh wasn't surprised that the first question in his first media teleconference before his first spring practice pertained to the unresolved quarterback situation for next year. As expected, however, he responded diplomatically, not revealing much -- only naming the candidates and listing what each has working in his favor.

"Marques [Hagans] is the only one that has had extensive playing time," Groh said. "He's had two positive games at quarterback in his career. He's made plays in games as a receiver and punt returner. He's demonstrated that he's a playmaker."

Notre Dame transfer Chris Olsen will also figure into the mix. Groh said that Olsen "has a good knowledge of the offense both in his year here and what he was doing before."

Groh said Anthony Martinez "has a very strong arm, and he's played in a couple of games before." Freshman Kevin McCabe "is entering his first spring practice. He's out of his dazed phase."

When asked what criteria he would use to choose his starter, Groh said that the decision would be made through simple competition.

"Part of the process is to go out and orchestrate situations, and let the players grade themselves," Groh said. "If everyone performs the same, whether that's good or mediocre, then [the decision] will be difficult."

News and Notes

· The question Groh did not expect to hear -- the identities of Virginia's next long snapper and holder -- was not asked, so Groh chose to introduce the topic himself.

"Ryan Childress was a very reliable snapper, and Matt [Schaub] was as good a holder as he was a quarterback," Groh said of the graduates. Among the candidates to take over snapping duties are Tyrus Gardner, Jonathan Stupar, Heath Miller and Zak Yarbrough. Recevier Emmanuel Byers and "the young quarterbacks" will all compete for holding duties.

· Jermaine Hardy, Rich Bedesem and Marvin Richardson will not participate in spring practice because of postseason surgeries. Kai Parham will sit out the spring because of "a little condition in his back" that is not related to the back problem that contributed to his decision to redshirt his freshman season.

· Groh confirmed that Tom Hagan will no longer be Virginia's punter. The leading candidates to replace him are current freshman Noah Greenbaum, Sean Johnson, who is returning from taking time off for a Mormon mission, and incoming recruits Chris Gould and Brian Leskanic.