Schmidt may be the key to Cavs' defense
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
July 25, 2005

HOT SPRINGS- For the last couple of years, Virginia’s football team has been right there, knocking on the door of an ACC Championship. But there is a distinct difference in knocking on that door and kicking it down.

Last season, the Cavaliers played three “showdown” games, losing all of them to Florida State, Miami and eventual league champion Virginia Tech. While the team experienced a monumental collapse at FSU, coach Al Groh’s Wahoos had a good chance against Miami at home and still had an opportunity to take a share of the league title had they beaten the Hokies in Blacksburg.

Blame game

Against Tech and Miami, as in the overtime bowl loss to Fresno State, most of the finger pointing was aimed at UVa’s defense for the letdowns.

As the league’s 12 schools convened at The Homestead resort in rural Virginia this weekend for the annual ACC Football Kickoff, folks were still talking about how the Cavaliers seem to be on the verge of doing something special IF they can get that elusive breakthrough win.

Most critics agree that if UVa is going to do it, then it’s going to be largely up to the defense to get the job done. But how will the Hoos take that giant step forward?

Brennan Schmidt, a rare four-year starter at defensive end for the Cavs, believes he has the answer.

“In the offseason we have worked on team building,” said Schmidt on a lazy Sunday afternoon at this mountainous wonderland. “We have concentrated on becoming more of a team and learning to trust each other and count on each other instead of working on specifics.”

Trust is key

Trust is a big thing on the football field, perhaps the least talked about, most underrated intangible a team can have in its favor. I’ve got your back, you’ve got mine.

Elton Brown talked about how important that sort of thing can be during last year’s Kickoff. The huge All-ACC guard pointed out that everyone on the offensive line had to know they could count on the guy to each side of them, and how sometimes in the past he had looked over to one side or the other and spotted fear and doubt in his teammate’s eyes.

That’s not what a player wants to see at crunch time.

Schmidt believes the closer the defensive unit, the better for this coming season. Everything else is in place.

“Last year was frustrating at times,” the senior captain said of UVa’s big losses. “We know it has been a recurrent thing of us blowing the big game and we have to stop it.”

Of his five seasons at Virginia, Schmidt believes this year’s squad possesses the most heart of them all. He describes this season’s team as a bunch of selfless guys.

Schmidt knows a little something about heart. He played most of last season with a nagging injury that held him back in the weightroom and on the football field. Yet, he never stopped playing.

He landed on his left shoulder in the Florida State game and tore his labrum (the ligament that connects the shoulder to the body). How many times the rest of the season did we see him lumbering off the field like the Hunchback of Notre Dame? Schmidt was in obvious pain, but it was more obvious that he subscribes to the unwritten code of football that you never get carried off a field unless you simply can’t walk.

Heart? Toughness? Schmidt’s your model. He didn’t miss a game, keeping intact his streak of 39 consecutive games played at UVa, a streak he shares with offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Should Schmidt play in all 11 games this season, he and Ferguson could surpass defensive end Mike Frederick’s (1991-94) school record of 47 consecutive starts.

But back to this togetherness thing. Groh is a big believer in unity. No room for prima donnas in this program.

“Coach Groh tells us that the biggest lockerroom in sports is in college football and that nobody is playing for money. We’re just playing for each other and for our school, so that our concern for each other has to be genuine,” Schmidt said.

Since spring football practice ended, Schmidt has done his part in bringing the defense and the entire team more together.

“We have organized cookouts, we’ve gone tubing together, and 24 of us went on an outing to King’s Dominion [an amusement park north of Richmond],” Schmidt said. “It’s just knowing from my experience as a captain last year what makes a team go, when you ‘really’ know each other. You don’t want to let each other down.”

Groh has been all for the team bonding thing. When he sees a flier about a team get together, the coach will announce the function during a team meeting and encourage players to participate.

“We see examples of trust every day,” Schmidt said. “We see it on the practice field or we see it in the weightroom. Every day is a test and if you see guys working hard every day, well that gains your trust. You know you can depend on that guy when things get tight.”

Certainly that will be an issue this season when the Cavalier defense takes the field minus five starters from last year. Schmidt is the only returning starter to UVa’s defensive line. Well, sort of.

Chris Long and Chris Johnson, a pair of Charlottesville defensive ends, got plenty of action at that position when starter Chris Canty went down for the season early in last year’s campaign. Nose guard Andrew Hoffman graduated.

With his shoulder stronger than ever, Schmidt hopes to lead by example, something derived from his father, Robert, who played for Notre Dame and Southern Cal, and his two brothers, Will, who played at Louisiana-Lafayette, and J.D., who played at Boston College.

“I think our defense needs to learn to play our best in the biggest games,” Schmidt said. “We need to learn how to handle pressure situations better and what happens when you give in to that pressure.”

The best way to learn is to go through it, which Virginia did last season. If those were lessons, then this year is the exam.

UVa football notes: Hagans learning new ACC divisions
Academics may sideline 4 Cavaliers
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
July 25, 2005

HOT SPRINGS - In order for Marques Hagans to get his degree in anthropology from the University of Virginia in May, he undoubtedly had to take a handful of tough exams.
The Cavaliers’ starting quarterback found out that despite the degree he could still not escape a pop quiz or two from reporters at the 2005 ACC Football Kickoff at The Homestead on Sunday.
With the addition of Boston College as the league’s
12th team, the ACC is now officially divided for football into two divisions - the Atlantic and the Coastal - and will host a title game for the first time, which will be on Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. in Jacksonville, Fla.
Hagans was tested on his knowledge of the ins and outs of Virginia’s division - the Coastal Division.
“So, what do you think of the divisions this year? Are you in the tougher division?” a reporter asked the signal-caller.
“Honestly, I don’t even know who is in our division,” Hagans replied. “I guess we are in a tough division.”
“Do you know the name of [the division]?” asked the reporter.
Once again Hagans declined to answer correctly, but joked: “I just know we are in there.”
When told that he was in the Coastal Division with Miami and Virginia Tech, a pair of powerhouses, Hagans nodded and said, “That’s tough enough.”
Minutes later, Hagans was asked by a different reporter if he knew the teams in his division.
Sounding like an expert on the matter, Hagans quickly replied Miami, UVa and Virginia Tech. After pausing, he correctly answered the other three - Duke, North Carolina and Georgia Tech –- but after clapping for himself, he admitted he was scrambling for the answers, something he proved he can do as a quarterback.
Hagans’ puzzled reactions to the question about the new divisions were not uncommon.
With 24 players total in attendance (two from each school) at the kickoff the
300-plus media members present had a hard time finding athletes who had a prior knowledge of the breakdown of divisions.
Unlike others, Hagans did offer who he thought should be the media’s preseason favorite in the Coastal Division.
“Virginia,” Hagans said. “Without a doubt.”
The results of the poll will be released today by conference officials.

Four players out for season? With the kickoff comes the release of media guides from the respective teams in the ACC.
In addition to every school limiting the books to 208 pages, as mandated by new legislations from the NCAA, the 2005 Virginia media guide was missing four names, which led to speculation that those players will not be with the program when fall practice opens in early August.
The players missing? Offensive lineman D.J. Bell, cornerback Philip Brown, linebacker Devonta Brown and wide receiver Ron Morton.
UVa coach Al Groh was unavailable for comment on the matter and will not meet with reporters until today, but Hagans confirmed that Philip Brown and Morton would miss the upcoming season to deal with “academic issues.” Philip Brown, a rising sophomore, was expected to have the greatest impact of the quartet, pushing Tony Franklin and Marcus Hamilton for playing time in the secondary.
“Philip is a real close friend of mine and we came from the same area and to see him have to sit out for this season, I know it is hard on him, but it is tough on me too,” Hagans said. “He was getting so much
better.”
Hagans said he has tried to keep his fellow Hampton native focused on what the future could hold for him at UVa.
“The main thing that I just keep trying to tell him is that he has got to stay focused [and] see the big picture,” Hagans said. “I think he is going to be all right. He is going to come back, I think in the spring.”
It was Hagans’ opinion that Philip Brown would remain in Charlottesville during the season.
“I am pretty sure he will want to stay [in Charlottesville] and stay close to the guys,” Hagans added.
Philip Brown, a highly-touted recruit out of Phoebus High in 2003, played in 11 games last season as a true freshman, making three starts. He also made 20 tackles, the most by a true freshman at cornerback since Kevin Cook made 39 stops in 1986.
Morton, who was expected to join a host of wide receivers in a battle for playing time in the team’s preseason practice period, is in a “similar situation” to that of Philip Brown, according to Hagans.
“I think Ron is pretty much in the same boat too,” Hagans said. “I am not sure that [Philip Brown’s] is to the extent of Ron’s situation, but I know Philip’s personally.”
Bell, a rising junior from Camden, Del., was expected to push for playing time as a reserve on the offensive line, namely at left guard, where he saw a majority of his action in 2004. Bell, who played on the defensive line in his first two years with the program, has appeared in 28 career games. Bell would have entered the season with two years of eligibility remaining.
Devonta Brown, a former standout at Charlottesville High, redshirted last season and underwent knee surgery, but looked to be at full strength when he played well in the 2005 spring game from his linebacker position.

Extra points. Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks was one of the Cavaliers who missed the spring game this year. Hagans said UVa fans should not worry about the Butkus Award candidate. “He looks really good,” Hagans said of Brooks, who wore a brace on his leg during the spring game after minor surgery. “He looks the best that I have seen him. He is stronger than ever.” … The buzz at lunch on Sunday centered around two coaches sharing a table. The two coaches? Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen. … On his drive to Hot Springs on Saturday, Hagans said law officials at a routine traffic checkpoint stopped him. The officer had some advice for the QB. “He told me to beat Virginia Tech,” Hagans laughed. … Several of the players at the kickoff said they would play golf at The Homestead today. Hagans will not be among that group. “I have to get back and work out,” Hagans said. He did admit that he was going to sneak in a fishing trip to a nearby pond before returning to Charlottesville on Sunday night.

Cavs, Hokies to Start Season Without Several Players
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 25, 2005; Page E03

HOT SPRINGS, Va., July 24 -- Five University of Virginia football players, including promising cornerback Philip Brown, have left the team because of academic problems or other reasons, a source close to the situation said Sunday. Also, three Virginia Tech signees failed to qualify academically and won't play for the Hokies this fall, and at least two other incoming freshmen must pass summer school classes to meet NCAA initial eligibility requirements.

The loss of Brown further depletes the Cavaliers' secondary, where they return cornerbacks Tony Franklin and Marcus Hamilton (Centreville), but must replace safeties Jermaine Hardy and Marquis Weeks. Brown, who in 2002 was rated the nation's fifth-best cornerback prospect by Rivals.com as a senior at Phoebus High School in Hampton, Va., didn't play in the Cavaliers' 24-10 loss at Virginia Tech on Nov. 27 because of academic shortcomings. He had 20 tackles in 11 games as a freshman last season.
Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, one of Brown's closest friends, said the sophomore has been dismissed from the school for academic reasons but hopes to re-enroll next spring.

"To see him have to sit out this season is very tough," Hagans said.

Other players who have left the team include linebacker Devonta Brown of Charlottesville, offensive tackle Davon Robb of Hopewell, Va., wide receiver Ron Morton of Hamilton, N.J., and center D.J. Bell of Camden, Del. Morton played in two games last season and had one catch, and Bell played in 16 games in 2002 and 2003 before moving from defensive end last year.

Hokies Note: Virginia Tech will be without three signees -- defensive end Steven Friday and wide receiver Todd Nolen of Hampton and linebacker Deveon Simmons of Virginia Beach -- when preseason practice begins Aug. 5. Friday and Nolen are expected to enroll in a prep school, and Simmons will attend a two-year junior college.

A Virginia Tech official also said at least two other prospects haven't yet met academic requirements, but declined to identify the players. Each of the Cavaliers' 25 signees have qualified, a source said.

Cornerback not with the program at U.Va.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published July 25, 2005

HOT SPRINGS -- The college football career of Virginia cornerback Philip Brown has been interrupted again. And this time, it apparently will be for the entire season.

Assistant sports information director Michael Colley said Cavaliers coach Al Groh recently instructed him to strike Brown and four other players from the media guide. Colley said Groh, who was not available for comment Sunday as the ACC's Football Kickoff began at the Homestead, did not give a reason. A source close to the program said Brown's problem is academic related.

Brown, a sophomore from Phoebus, played in 11 games and started three last season as a true freshman. He missed the regular-season finale against Virginia Tech for reasons Groh would not reveal. Brown returned for the Cavaliers' bowl game but missed most of spring practice with a hamstring injury.

Because he played as a true freshman, Brown would not lose a season of eligibility if he were able to return in 2006.

"Philip is a real close friend of mine," U.Va. quarterback Marques Hagans said. "For him to have to sit out this season, I know it's hard for him but it's tough for me, too. I keep telling him he's got to stay focused and see the big picture. I think he'll be all right. He gets to come back, I think, in the spring."

Defensive lineman D.J. Bell, wide receiver Ron Morton, linebacker Devonta Brown and offensive tackle Davon Robb also were last-minute scratches. Wideout Ottowa Anderson, who missed the '04 season with academic issues, is back on the roster.

COMING BACK

It's likely that no quarterback in the nation experienced a bigger drop-off from his sophomore-to-junior season than Clemson's Charlie Whitehurst. After completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,561 yards in 2003, his numbers slipped to 51 percent and 2,067 yards in '04.

Most alarmingly, his touchdown passes dropped from 21 to seven while his interceptions rose from 13 to 17.

"I want to throw more touchdown passes this year, but I can live without touchdown passes," said Whitehurst, by far the league's most-experienced quarterback. "What I can't live with is nearly 20 interceptions. Some of those turnovers were really out of character for me. I've got to get back to making good decisions."

The 2004 season was a strange one for Whitehurst. As his numbers plummeted and the Tigers failed to make postseason for the first time since 1998, Whitehurst broke every school career passing record that matters. Among them: completions (588), attempts (1,028) and yards (7,182).

"What surprised me when I watched film is how reluctant I was to pull the trigger when I had thrown an interception earlier," he said. "You need confidence to play this game."

INTERIOR

Virginia Tech defensive end Darryl Tapp was a first-team All-ACC pick last year and a pre-season All-American now. Based on what he did in 2004 - 60 stops, 16 tackles for loss, 81/2 quarterback sacks - it's a no-brainer. But during the offseason, Hokie defensive coordinator Bud Foster came to Tapp with an interesting concept. What about moving over a bit and lining up at tackle on certain passing situations?

"Honestly, I wasn't too excited about it when he first told me," Tapp said. "But the more I thought about it, it works out in my favor. Not to toot my own horn, but I had a great season last year. After that, they're going to be coming after me scheming away. But if I can play off the reads on the defensive line, it's going to cause a lot of problems."

As if he didn't cause enough problems last year.

Tech, U.Va. switch roles in preseason
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW
Jul 25, 2005

HOT SPRINGS Greetings from the Homestead, home of the oldest first tee in America and staging area for the latest installment of the ACC's Football Kickoff. This year's game-show theme is "Name That Division." Based on yesterday's random survey, none of the league's 12 members has Ken Jennings on its two-deep.

Take Virginia defensive end Brennan Schmidt and Virginia Tech tight end Jeff King, a couple of otherwise bright lads who whiffed on the subject (they weren't alone). Schmidt could neither identify which division the Cavaliers call home (Coastal) nor the other teams in it. King nailed the Hokies' division (Coastal) but was hopeless when asked for its makeup.

"Maryland?" he offered hopefully. Nope. "N.C. State?" Uh-uh. A shrug. "It really doesn't matter," he said. "As long as you win your ACC games, it doesn't come into play."

A summer ago when these guys were juniors, the ACC was an 11-team conga line, not a house divided. A summer ago, Tech was suspected of being a paper Hokie, and U.Va. a possibility for very big things.

A year later, they've switched roles.

What a difference a socko debut makes.

When the ACC convened for rounds of golf and marketing last July, Tech was not a growth stock. Its image as a national power had faded. Ditto its stature in the splintering Big East. Arriving in their new domicile, the Hokies was assigned Room 6 in the preseason pecking order. Who knew? Who knew Bryan Randall would emerge as the ACC's top player? Who knew the defense would stage a revival?

Who knew the Hokies would win the whole shebang?

Tech assistant coach Billy Hite didn't know. But he had an inkling.

"When they picked us sixth, I laughed at it," Hite said yesterday. "I didn't know we were going to win the ACC championship, but I knew we were going to be better than that."

Virginia, meanwhile, was considered on the verge a July ago picked third behind the rote selections of Miami and Florida State but given a real shot at staging a coup if things fell in place. The Cavaliers didn't.

Despite the momentum from two straight upbeat finishes and the presence of seven players who'd be drafted by the NFL, the Cavs flunked November for the first time under Al Groh. Worst of all, they plopped at Tech when first place in the standings was still up for grabs. The defeat sentenced them to an anonymous bowl date with Fresno State two zones away. They lost that one, too.

"If we beat Virginia Tech, we get a piece of the pie," said Schmidt. "Seeing it go to anybody else, it's tough. It's not you. Seeing as it was the Hokies made it worse. That's the way it goes."

And now? Now, Tech is viewed as one Marcus Vick blossoming from being a sexy choice to challenge for a national title. Now, U.Va. is seen as a tad depleted and sluggish. Oh, sure, rising expectations (and a dicey opener at N.C. State) could sandbag the Hokies, and the still-talented Cavs might regroup. But for the moment, they're roles apart.

"We might be better off as underdogs," U.Va. quarterback Marques Hagans surmised. That's a part the Hokies know well. Some of them prefer star billing.

"I like being picked where we are," said Hite. "Yeah, it adds pressure. But at the same time, I think we're finished sneaking up on people like we did in past years. I think Virginia Tech is one of the top 10 programs in the country now."

Will they be on the marquee one July from now? Wait for the coming attractions. And the reviews.

Long division on ACC cheat sheet
Published July 25 2005
David Teel

HOT SPRINGS -- The pop quiz began shortly after Darryl Tapp arrived Sunday for the ACC Football Kickoff.

"Do you know what division you're in?" a reporter asked.

"Coastal," Tapp said, brushing aside the question like he would some chicken-legged offensive tackle.

"Do you know who else is in the division?" the reporter pressed.

"No sir," Tapp said, as if pancaked by a 300-pounder.

Tapp, Virginia Tech's first-team, all-conference defensive end, shouldn't worry. In the ACC's new 12-team world, most everyone needs a cheat sheet to ace the divisional test.

For the record, Virginia Tech joins Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami in the Coastal. The Atlantic Division includes Florida State, Clemson, Maryland, Wake Forest, North Carolina State and newcomer Boston College.

Also for the record: The Hokies are the conference's defending champions and finished 10th in the final coaches' and media polls.

Not that Tapp and tight end Jeff King, Virginia Tech's representatives here, acted the part. Neither appeared much interested in rewinding to last season, Virginia Tech's ACC debut, and neither has much use for his championship ring.

Perhaps they'll sport said bling when they're 40-something has-beens attempting to impress their kids, but for now the rings sit in some drawer gathering dust. Why, Tapp wouldn't even bite when asked about the allure of the first ACC championship game, set for Dec. 3 in Jacksonville, Fla.

"All I'm thinking about," he said, "is N.C. State."

Now there's a curious season-opener. The Wolfpack, without a top-three ACC finish since 1994, tied for eighth last season but was the only conference team to defeat the Hokies - 17-16, in Blacksburg no less.

State won that game with defense, sacking Bryan Randall 10 times. The Wolfpack, No. 1 nationally in total defense last season, lost coordinator Reggie Herring to a similar position at Arkansas but replaced him with a coach more than familiar with Virginia Tech's tendencies - Steve Dunlap worked as a defensive assistant at West Virginia from 1984-2000 and at Syracuse from 2001-04.

The Wolfpack and Hokies reconvene Sept. 4 in Raleigh, N.C., for an ESPN Sunday nighter. Win there, and Virginia Tech should rank among the title contenders entering a decisive, late-season stretch - at Maryland, home to Boston College and Miami, and at Virginia.

The Hokies, like all of their conference rivals, do not boast marquee talent, players who appear on those silly preseason Heisman Trophy watch lists. No, the best of this league are more blue-collar. King and Tapp, for instance.

And Boston College end Mathias Kiwanuka, the 2004 Big East defensive player of the year, and Miami offensive tackle Eric Winston.

So good luck handicapping this race. The only no-brainer is penciling in Duke for last in the Coastal.

Virginia Tech is the darling of the countless preseason mags and rags, but five conference teams return more starters, and four welcome back more lettermen. Besides, didn't we wizards of the fourth estate pick the Hokies to finish sixth last season?

The contrast is not lost on King, second-team all-conference last season as a junior, and in his own subtle way, he's trying to make sure that inflated expectations haven't left his teammates fat and happy. Anyone unsure of the perils of expectations need only consult Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

As a sophomore in 2003, he quarterbacked the Tigers to a 9-4 record and late-season upsets of third-ranked Florida State and sixth-ranked Tennessee. A year later, after much preseason ado, he threw 17 interceptions and only seven touchdown passes as Clemson fell to 6-5.

The first question Whitehurst faced Sunday: What happened?

"We were, as a team, bad," Whitehurst said.

Virginia Tech should not be bad, especially if the Hokies adhere to their offseason slogan: Work don't read.

Anticipating the jokes, King stressed, "That's our football mentality, not our schoolwork mentality."

Now all the Hokies need to do is read up on that Coastal Division.