Receiving battle heats up for Cavs
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 14, 2004

A majority of the attention entering the Virginia football team’s Spring Festival on Saturday centers around who will emerge as the top quarterback on the depth chart.

Meanwhile, a nice battle for playing time has developed among the Cavaliers’ receiving corps.

Three players return after seeing action last year - Ottowa Anderson, Fontel Mines and Deyon Williams - and Michael McGrew is back in the mix after missing last season with a broken leg.

Anderson caught 33 passes for 407 yards. He joined tight end Heath Miller as the only Cavalier to catch a pass in every game last year.

Mines had a TD reception against UNC last year and finished the season with six catches for 66 yards. The 6-foot-5 Richmond native has frequently drawn comparisons to ex-UVa star Billy McMullen.

Williams did not play in the first two Cavalier games last year, but when he debuted he had a touchdown reception against Western Michigan. For his freshman season, he tallied eight catches and 122 yards receiving.

Virginia coach Al Groh has said recently that Mines and Williams are “promising players” and have showed growing confidence.

Morton, a redshirt sophomore, is one of the fastest players on the team. Last year, Morton used his speed to get wide open in the third quarter of the Virginia Tech game but UVa quarterback Matt Schaub missed him on the route and just one play later he dropped a screen pass.

Groh has been pleased with Morton’s improvements this spring.

“I would say it is a progressive spring for him,” Groh said. “He is moving along.”

Groh also acknowledged Morton’s speed.

“It would be a pretty good race between [Morton] and [Williams],” Groh said.

After redshirting last year, Emmanuel Byers hopes his play in the spring practice period will help throw his name into the mix next year as a freshman.

It has not come easy for the 5-foot-9, 175-pound receiver from High Point, N.C.

Byers, who did everything his coaching staff asked of him at Ragsdale High from punting to playing defensive back, has slowly learned the playbook and routes.

“I am starting to see the light,” Byers said. “It is a lot different from high school. I have to get more comfortable and smarter.”

As a senior in high school, Byers made 35 catches for 495 yards and six touchdowns. That was good enough to earn him an invitation to the Shrine Bowl, which pits the top players from the Tarheel state against their counterparts from South Carolina.

Byers shined in the all-star game catching four passes for 62 yards.

What is it about Byers that could separate him from the other UVa wideouts?

“I am not going to drop too many balls,” Byers said. “I think I am probably more of a possession receiver. That is what I think my biggest strength is ... catching the ball.”

According to Byers it does not matter who the Virginia coaches elect to start at quarterback.

“They are all on point. They are all doing pretty good,” Byers said. “I feel comfortable with all four on the field.”

If Marques Hagans wins the quarterback job, Byers expects to be in the mix to handle the job returning punts. In high school, Byers returned three punts for touchdowns during his four-year career.

“I am excited about that. I hope I can help the team with [punt returns],” Byers said.

Visitors’ point of view. For Saturday’s Spring Festival, fans will get a look from the visitors’ side of Scott Stadium. Fans will be limited to the east side of Scott Stadium due to renovations on the west side.

Gates open at 10:30 a.m., and the players will take the field at 12:30 p.m.

Fans can register at www.virginiasports.com for the chance to take part in a quarterback challenge and a punt receiving contest on Saturday.
 

Spring football notes: Groh holds 'draft'
Players selected for spring game
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 15, 2004

If you and a friend decided to split up the current Virginia football roster with a draft, whom would you take with the No. 1 pick? What if your friend had the No. 1 and you picked second - then who would you take? Offense or defense? Speed or size?

On Wednesday, the assistant coaches on the Virginia staff did just that as coach Al Groh set up what he termed the “2004 UVa Player allocation draft” to get two teams that could play each other at Saturday’s Spring Festival at Scott Stadium.

Prior to the draft, Groh split up the coaching staff into two teams - the “Cavaliers” and the “Wahoos”.

The “Cavaliers” will dress in blue uniforms and use the home sidelines. The head coach for this squad will be Mike Groh and his staff includes Al Golden, Bob Price, Mark D’Onofrio and Anthony Poindexter.

The “Wahoos” will wear white uniforms and use the visitor sidelines. Mike London will be the head coach and his assistants are Ron Prince, Danny Rocco and John Garrett.

Coach Al Groh will serve as the “commissioner” of the game and said “I’ll have my whistle out there, so if I think for safety sake [I need to blow the whistle] sooner than they might normally blow, I’ll take care of that.”

As for the draft, coach Al Groh released the first two selections. The Wahoos team selected linebacker Darryl Blackstock with the top pick and the Cavaliers followed with quarterback Marques Hagans.

Without giving any further draft results, Virginia’s head coach indicated that quarterbacks were taken at a premium.

As for the game, coach Al Groh indicated that the plans were in place for there to be four 12-minute quarters played at an NFL pace. The clock will continue to run on first downs and at some point, it may even continue to roll when a player goes out of bounds. The contest will be full contact for all players - including the quarterbacks.

“It will be a good thing for the quarterbacks,” Groh said. “Because while we are always trying to make the point, ‘Don’t hold the ball, throw it on time, get it out of there,’ being in danger of actually being hit sometimes makes the coaching point much stronger than when the coach is behind you saying that.”

The Virginia placekickers were not part of the draft as Groh hopes to allow Connor Hughes and the other kickers to continue to work regularly with a new holder and long-snapper.

Groh indicated that the players are excited about the format and that a lot of thought went into the draft.

“There was a lot of strategizing in this selection process,” Groh said. “They were picking for performance. There were picks made for insurance and there were certain picks to prevent the other team from having a particular strength in a particular area.”

The team practiced on Wednesday and Groh plans to have the team’s final spring practice today.

Groh also indicated that he has been pleased with the progress of the team before Wednesday’s practice session.

“I think our work has been effective,” Groh said. “We’ve had good competition, we’ve had good contact and I think we’ve had a real intensity. The intent of spring practice is to make the team add up to more than it did when you started.

“When you subtract players from the team because of injury, obviously that’s going in the opposite direction,” Groh said. “We have improved some things, and a number of players have improved their skills, and we still have everybody that we started with. I hope that we can say that on Saturday afternoon.”

Spring awards. After the spring practice period is over the Virginia coaching staff votes for several awards to honor the players who have made the biggest impact in the drills.

According to Groh, the list of players who could be among the winners on the offensive side of the ball include Ron Darden, Jonathan Stupar, Patrick Estes, Heath Miller, Zac Yarbrough and Michael Johnson.

Defensively, Andrew Hoffman, Marcus Hamilton, Brennan Schmidt and Blackstock have been discussed as potential winners.

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Apr 15, 2004

FUN AND GAMES: University of Virginia football fans aren't the only ones looking forward to Saturday's spring game at Scott Stadium. Coach Al Groh said his assistants "conducted the 2004 U.Va. Player Allocation Draft" yesterday, splitting the roster into two teams for the 12:30 p.m. scrimmage.

The "Cavaliers" will dress in blue and use the home sideline Saturday. Quarterbacks coach Mike Groh is their head coach, and his assistants will be defensive coordinator Al Golden, secondary coach Bob Price, special teams-tight ends coach Mark D'Onofrio and running backs coach Anthony Poindexter.

Head coach of the "Wahoos," who'll wear white and use the visiting sideline, is defensive-line coach Mike London. His assistants: offensive coordinator-offensive line coach Ron Prince, outside linebackers coach Danny Rocco and wide receivers coach John Garrett.

"I think they'll have fun with it," Al Groh said of his assistants. And his role Saturday?

"I'm going to be the commissioner," Groh said.

The Wahoos had the first pick in yesterday's draft, and they chose outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock. The Cavaliers selected next and took quarterback Marques Hagans.

The plan, Groh said, is for the teams to play 12-minute quarters. The clock will not stop on first downs, and halftime will be significantly shorter than the 20-minute intermission at college games. It will be a full-contact scrimmage.

STIFF COMPETITION: Virginia's coaching staff will meet soon to choose the winners of the Rock Weir Awards, given each spring to the team's most improved players. They went last year to tight end Patrick Estes and center Phillip Sims on offense and to safety Jermaine Hardy on defense.

Candidates on offense this spring, Groh said, include offensive guard Ron Darden, tight ends Estes, Jonathan Stupar and Heath Miller, center Zac Yarbrough and tailback Michael Johnon. Defenders who've shown significant improvement this spring include Blackstock, nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, end Brennan Schmidt and cornerback Marcus Hamilton, Groh said.

Miller was named a Playboy All-American this week, so he's obviously a polished player. But Groh said he's seen "notable progress in Heath's blocking . . . and his releases off the line of scrimmage."

Complacency, Groh said, never has been an issue with Miller, who came to U.Va. as a quarterback in 2001.

RAISING HIS STOCK: Like Miller, Virginia offensive guard Elton Brown was named a Playboy All-American this week. Brown, who played as a true freshman in 2001, considered leaving U.Va. early for the NFL draft. Had Brown done so, Groh said NFL coaches have told him, the 6-6, 333-pound Hampton resident probably would have been picked in the fourth round.

By returning for his senior season, Groh said, Brown has "an opportunity to really play himself down" to an early-round spot in the 2005 draft.

GROWING BOY: The 6-7 Estes, who weighed 240 pounds when he enrolled at U.Va. in 2001, is "pushing 285," the former Benedictine High star said last week. Estes, one of strength coach Evan Marcus' prize pupils, carries the extra weight easily, and he's developed into a crushing blocker.

BACK IN A FLASH: Michael Johnson redshirted last season, because Groh didn't want the former Parade All-American, who'd played as a true freshman in 2002, to waste a year of eligibility trying to get carries in a backfield that included tailbacks Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman.

Lundy and Pearman are still around, but look for the Cavaliers to get the ball into Johnson's hands.

"We're fast back there, but you don't find Mike's type of speed everywhere," Lundy said. "If he finds a crease, he's going to be out of there."

SINGULAR HONOR: The first recipient of an award to be presented annually by the Virginia Football Alumni Club is Dr. Frank C. McCue III. Dr. McCue, who served as U.Va.'s team physician for many years, will receive the award tomorrow night at Bryant Hall.

He'll be the first to enter the club's Order of the Crossed Sabres, which will add at least one member every year. A permanent display will be installed in the Alumni Room at Bryant Hall.

This will be a memorable weekend for Dr. McCue, former director of the U.Va. athletic department's sports-medicine program. His career will be celebrated Saturday night at Memorial Gymnasium. Gene Corrigan, a former U.Va. athletic director and ACC commissioner, will be master of ceremonies.

For information about Saturday's event, which includes dinner and a cash bar, call (434) 982-5555 or (800) 626-8723. - Jeff White
 

Cavs hold draft of their own
BY DAVE JOHNSON
Published April 15, 2004

There was no war room, no network coverage and Mel Kiper couldn't have cared less. But Wednesday morning in the McCue Center, the 2004 Player Allocation Draft was conducted.

With more veterans in camp than in any of his previous three springs as Virginia's coach, Al Groh divided his team into the Cavaliers and the Wahoos, and they will play a four-quarter game Saturday afternoon at Scott Stadium. Quarterbacks coach Mike Groh will direct the Cavaliers; defensive line coach Mike London will lead the Wahoos.

It's an actual "spring game." In the past three years, the Cavaliers conducted some drills before matching the offense against the defense for a few series.

"We have enough players at each position now," Al Groh said. "In the past, like last year, we didn't have enough offensive linemen for two different lines. This year, we could have had 41/2 lines. I think they'll have a lot of fun with it. There was a lot of strategizing that went on with the (draft) process."

The Wahoos had the first pick, and given his defensive background, it should come as no surprise that London selected linebacker Darryl Blackstock of Heritage High. Mike Groh, a former quarterback, took quarterback Marques Hagans of Hampton High with his No. 1 choice.

There was no word on who was picked last.

The format for the game, which begins at 12:30 and is to conclude spring practice, will be four 12-minute quarters. There will be no yellow jerseys on the quarterbacks. In last year's controlled scrimmage, nobody was allowed within 5 yards of Matt Schaub.

Other than pride, what are the stakes?

"Well, one side will eat a lot better on Monday than the other one will," Al Groh said. "There are NCAA rules against gambling, so I'm sure there will be no side bets on this."

QBS

Though all signs point to it, Al Groh isn't ready to declare Hagans the starting quarterback just yet.

"I'm going to reserve judgement and let the full 15 days of (spring) practice play out," Groh said.

From all indications, the race isn't close. Observers have said Hagans, a junior, is far ahead of sophomores Christian Olsen and Anthony Martinez and freshman Kevin McCabe. Hagans has more experience, having started two games and played extensively in a third. He has completed 31-of-51 passes for 361 yards and four touchdowns.

"Speaking in terms of the rest of the quarterbacks, he's doing the best," tailback Michael Johnson said last week. "Not to say the others aren't doing well, but you can see a difference between them and Marques."

BIG E

Senior right guard Elton Brown said he never seriously considered making himself eligible for the NFL draft a year early. If he had, Groh said Brown would have been selected in the middle rounds.

"From what I'm told, fourth round," said Groh, who has several pro contacts from his NFL days. "But he has the opportunity to play himself down a lot this year."

Part of Brown's reasoning for coming back was that his junior season wasn't what he had hoped. He missed two games with a concussion. Expectations this year are already high. On Tuesday, he was named to the Playboy All-America team.

NOTES

Though several players were unable to participate in spring drills - notably, linebacker Kai Parham (back) and safety Jermaine Hardy (knee) - Groh said the only injuries during practice were a pair of broken fingers. There were still three sessions left when he said that Wednesday morning, so "hopefully I can say that Saturday afternoon." ...

Groh said 310-pound sophomores Ron Darden and Ian-Yates Cunningham are competing for the starting job at left offensive guard.