Groh,
Virginia look to restore confidence in defensive squad
By JOHN GALINSKY
/ Daily Progress staff writer
Aug 17, 2002
|
During practice, the members of Virginia's first-team defense wear
orange jerseys that read: Orange Crush Defense. The backups wear blue
jerseys. All of the offensive players are in plain white.
The idea, UVa coach Al Groh said, is to make the defensive starters
feel special. "I want them to feel there's a pride and honor in
wearing those jerseys," he said.
In recent years, Groh knows, there hasn't been much pride or honor in
being a Virginia defender. The Cavaliers were 90th in the nation in
total defense in 1999, 98th in 2000 and 93rd last season. They haven't
stopped anyone consistently since 1998, when they allowed fewer than 20
points per game. Since then, they have given up 30 points or more in 19
of 36 games.
Only two members of the current defense, safeties Chris Williams and
Shernard Newby, were on the 1998 roster. Both were in their first year
in the program and ended up redshirting, but they watched from the
sideline and know what a smothering unit looks like.
"That," Williams said, "was an awesome defense."
And it wasn't unusual. Through most of the 1990s, Virginia ranked
among the ACC's top defenses in fewest points allowed and most turnovers
forced. They also excelled at stopping the run. None of that has been
the case the past three seasons.
The switch from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 alignment - installed
by Groh and defensive coordinator Al Golden last year - did not pay
immediate dividends. Some players admitted they had trouble making the
transition, but they expect better results in year two of the 3-4.
"We came into it blind last year. Now we all know what we're
supposed to do," said senior linebacker Angelo Crowell.
"Personally, I feel like things are going to be a lot different. We
have a year under our belt. We know what the coaches want. We know the
system. All we have to do is execute it."
Said Williams: "I don't think everyone got comfortable with the
defense last year. This is our second year with the system and this year
will be much better."
As Groh often points out, however, schemes don't matter without
talent. And Virginia's talent level on defense clearly has dropped off
in recent years.
In 1998, the Cavaliers placed three defensive players on the All-ACC
first team: safety Anthony Poindexter, defensive end Patrick Kerney and
linebacker Wali Rainer. Poindexter and Kerney finished first and second,
respectively, in voting for ACC defensive player of the year. Since
then, not a single Virginia defender has made the All-ACC first team.
Crowell, who set a school record with 144 tackles, and Newby, who
made five interceptions, earned second-team honors last year. Both are
back along with several other players with unquestionable – if
unproven – talent.
That group includes junior linebacker Raymond Mann and sophomore
defensive end Chris Canty. Together, they have just two career sacks
(both by Mann) but they will be counted on to provide a consistent pass
rush.
"I think our entire defense has a lot of potential," said
Canty, who is expected to miss the opening game with a leg injury.
"We have a lot of talent, but we also have a lot of young
guys."
The starting defensive line consists of Canty, fellow sophomore
Andrew Hoffman and redshirt freshman Brennan Schmidt. Four of the
backups are true freshmen. Of all the linemen on the roster, only Canty
and Hoffman have played in a college game. Groh said he has never had
such a young defensive line in eight years as a college coach.
The line "is an area of concern," Groh said, "just
because we have so many young players in there for the first time."
On the bright side, three of Virginia problems last year - lack of
size on the line, lack of depth at linebacker and lack of experience at
cornerback - seem to be solved.
All of the starting linemen weigh at least 275 pounds. Canty and
Hoffman are around 290, while freshmen Kwakou Robinson and Ron Darden
are well above 300. That bulk should keep the Cavaliers from getting
pushed around. Last year, they often were overpowered at the line of
scrimmage, a major reason they were 94th in the nation in rushing
defense, giving up 202.8 yards per game.
Eight opposing backs had 100-yard games against Virginia last season.
Will the run defense be better this year?
"I think I'm just as curious as everyone on this one," Groh
said. "It's a high priority with us, and we feel we're on the right
track with it, but that track includes a lot of guys who are on it for
the first time. There's going to be a lot of developmental coaching as
well as game-plan coaching."
The good news is UVa appears stocked with solid linebackers. Senior
Merrill Robertson and sophomore Dennis Haley will start alongside
Crowell and Mann. There are plenty of capable backups in sophomores Rich
Bedesem and Bryan White, junior Stan Norfleet and freshman Darryl
Blackstock. If prize recruit Kai Parham can return from a lingering back
injury, that would be a bonus.
"We have linebackers for days now," said Robertson.
"We have a lot more depth. That makes our linebacking corps much
better."
The secondary, which returns intact, should be much improved. The top
three safeties (all seniors) and top four cornerbacks (three juniors and
a sophomore) are back.
Williams, Newby and Jerton Evans will rotate at the two safety spots,
giving the defense experience and leadership in the back. All three are
wearing orange jerseys during practice because Groh considers them all
starters.
Art Thomas and Jamaine Winborne will start at left and right
cornerback, respectively. Fellow junior Almondo Curry will fill in at
nickelback, while sophomore Jermaine Hardy also figures to see regular
playing time. All four went through growing pains last year but are
approaching the season with confidence.
"It was a learning experience for all of us," Curry said.
"We had a lot of things thrown at us. Now that we've gone through
that, we are all looking forward to this year."
|
Cavaliers
put confidence in Schaub
By JOHN GALINSKY
/ Daily Progress staff writer
Aug 18, 2002
|
Matt Schaub insists that his preparations for this football season were
no different than last year. He lifted weights. He ran. He watched film.
He threw countless passes to his receivers. His work ethic, he
emphasizes, hasn't changed a bit.
But Virginia's junior quarterback readily admits that he is better
prepared now than he was a year ago - and only partly because his main
competition for the job left the program.
"With the experience I got last year, I know what I'm going to
be up against with the opponents," said Schaub, who will lead the
Cavaliers against Colorado State in Thursday's Jim Thorpe Classic.
"And just knowing there's not that outside force pulling on you,
you can lock in on the task at hand."
That "outside force" was Schaub's uncertainty with his role
on the team. Two days before the opener against Wisconsin, UVa coach Al
Groh told him that he would start. Schaub threw two early interceptions
and was pulled in the second quarter, starting a quarterback carousel
that lasted all season. Schaub and fellow sophomore Bryson Spinner each
ended up starting six games.
Things are different now. Schaub has known he would be Virginia's
starting quarterback in 2002 ever since last December, when Spinner
announced he was transferring. Schaub says that has allowed him to feel
more comfortable with taking a leadership role, something his teammates
also have noticed.
"He's taking command in the huddle," senior receiver Billy
McMullen said. "He knows he's the quarterback now. It's his
offense. It's his job to lose. You can tell he has a lot more
confidence."
Schaub says that confidence stems more from his experience than from
Spinner's departure. He entered last season having thrown 18 passes as a
collegian. He threw 240 last year, including 54 in one memorable outing
against North Carolina. The results were mixed, but the overall effect
was a wiser, savvier QB.
"Just from playing the number of games he did last year, he's
more familiar with the offense and he's more familiar with
defenses," offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said. "He's
making reads a lot faster and his decisions are coming more
quickly."
Musgrave said Schaub also appears stronger after adding eight pounds
in the off-season. Now 6-5 and 235 pounds, he is able to put more zip on
his throws.
"He has confidence in his arm," McMullen said. "He's
trying a lot more passes than he did last year. Even if there's just a
little bit of space, he's putting it in there."
The biggest difference in Schaub, however, may be mental. Knowing
that he is the starter, even if he makes some mistakes, should help him
play with more poise and confidence. It also should benefit the team.
Even Groh says he prefers the current situation to last year's ongoing
quarterback competition - or quarterback controversy, as others would
call it.
"I think it's always better to have the position as definitive
as possible," Groh said. "In years back, it was easier [to
platoon]. Now that type of circumstance becomes such a media subject and
the spotlight of the team that, even if the players are comfortable with
it, it gets brought up so much that it becomes less than it should
be."
Schaub's teammates say that last year's revolving door at quarterback
never became a major distraction, but many of them agree that, in this
case, one QB is better than two.
"It helps the team knowing who's going to be out there every day
and knowing who's going to be leading us," junior center Kevin
Bailey said.
"As a receiver, it's easier to learn one guy's style,"
McMullen said. "Matt and Bryson were different quarterbacks. They
threw the ball differently and led the team differently. It's probably
better to work with one guy all the time than split it with two."
Schaub now gets nearly all of the reps with the first-team offense,
which also should help him progress. He completed 58.3 percent of his
passes last season, a number Groh wants him to improve. In two
intrasquad competitions during preseason camp, Schaub completed 71
percent of his throws.
"He's settled in real well," Groh said.
Schaub won't have to look over his shoulder this season. His backup
is Marques Hagans, a redshirt freshman who needs more seasoning. Since
he doesn't have to worry about keeping his job, he says, he can focus
entirely on scoring points and winning games.
"The experience I gained last year springboarded me into the
off-season," Schaub said. "It helped me get the team together
and mesh together as a unit."
Note. Defensive back Randy Jones, who was seriously injured in an
Oct. 7 car wreck, is back in school.
Academically, he will start over as a freshman. He won't practice
with the team this season, Groh said, and his return at any point is
uncertain. But Jones attended a team meeting Saturday morning and
received an ovation from his teammates.
"It's heartwarming to have him back," Groh said.
|
Virginia football hoping that bigger is
better
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 17, 2002
Among them, they have zero
career starts. In fact, two of them have never played in a college game, and the
third has lined up for just 65 plays.
But they average 293 pounds.
No career sacks. No quarterback hurries.
But they average 293 pounds.
No tackles for loss. No fumbles caused, or recovered.
But hey … 293 pounds?
If bigger is better, Virginia’s defensive line should be improved this
season. Undersized a year ago, Virginia’s front three was game but
overmatched. The proof was in the numbers. The Cavaliers ranked 94th in the
nation against the run, allowing 4.3 yards per carry and 203 yards per game.
Defensive ends Ljubomir Stamenich and Daryl Sanders were listed at 260
pounds, but played closer to 250. Only nose tackle Monsanto Pope, at 286, had
the heft to clog the middle.
All were seniors. Their replacements — defensive ends Brennan Schmidt and
Kwakou Robinson and nose tackle Andrew Hoffman — more closely resemble the
prototype lineman coach Al Groh wants to bring to Virginia. They’re tall,
quick, and most of all, bulky.
But they’re also green. Schmidt, the runt of the litter at 6-foot-3 and 275
pounds, is a redshirt freshman. Robinson, 6-4 and 322, is a true freshman.
Hoffman, 6-5 and 282, is a sophomore who red-shirted last season.
“It’s been a challenge to get thrown in the mix like we have,” Schmidt
said. “I think we know we can handle the challenge.”
The veteran of the line, and the player being touted as a potential star, is
defensive end Chris Canty. But Canty, a sophomore who played in 12 games last
year, is recovering from a broken leg and is expected to miss the opener against
Colorado State.
Canty will likely be replaced by Robinson, a Parade All-American and the
Gatorade Player of the Year in New York last year. Also in the mix is Justin
Walker, a fourth-year junior who has never played in a game.
Robinson dominated in high school, where 300-pound linemen can often get by
on size alone. Who needs technique when you can lower your shoulder and bull
your way into the offensive backfield?
What works in high school doesn’t work in college, where the man across the
line is generally just as big and strong.
“For these guys, it’s like looking in the mirror for the first time in
their life,” Groh said.
Not just for Robinson. True freshmen D.J. Bell, Braden Campbell and Ron
Darden are expected to play this season as well. Darden, 6-4 and 315 pounds,
won’t turn 18 until December.
The learning curve is steep. As Schmidt noted: “I don’t know many, if
any, high schools that play a 3-4 defense. It’s a different mentality.
You’re not attacking, penetrating as much.”
Robinson, who reported at 335-plus pounds, is ahead of the other newcomers.
Shedding some extra weight has made him quicker, Groh said.
“Some of his tentativeness has been wiped off,” the coach said.
Hoffman and Schmidt have bulked up from a year ago. Rather than waste a year
playing behind Pope, Hoffman red-shirted, adding weight and strength.
Schmidt also red-shirted, and was impressive in spring drills. Groh calls him
a “high-motor” player.
“He’s a real tough kid, and he’s got a nice sense for making plays,”
Groh said. “He’s not just slugging it out in there.”
The key, however, is Canty, an intriguing talent entering his third year in
the program. At 6-7, Canty is long-armed, quick and power-forward tall. He’s
added more than 20 pounds since his last season and nearly 50 since high school,
and now weighs around 285. He played in 12 games last year and was productive in
short bursts.
“He’s worked hard to get himself ready to play,” linebacker Angelo
Crowell said.
“And we need him.”
Canty fractured his right leg during spring practice and was cleared for
preseason drills. But his recovery has been slower than expected.
“The healing process is moving along,” Groh said.
Like everything else in the Virginia defense, the Cavaliers need it to happen
sooner, rather than later.
| Rehabilitating
Jones returns to Virginia |
| Randy
Jones surprises the football team by coming back to campus less than a
year after being in a coma. |
By
DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES |
CHARLOTTESVILLE
- In preparing his team for Thursday's opening game against Colorado
State, Virginia football coach Al Groh is trying to make sure the players
don't experience too many surprises.
He had one for them Saturday.
Groh looked into the audience at a team meeting and
recognized Randy Jones, who had arrived in town one day earlier.
Jones, one of two SuperPrep All-Americans in Groh's
first recruiting class, spent three weeks in a coma and was hospitalized
for nearly two months after an auto accident last Oct.7 near Stoneville,
N.C.
Jones, who was being redshirted and did not
accompany the team to an Oct.6 game at Maryland, was returning from a
weekend at his Rockingham, N.C., home when a car driven by one of his
brothers, Travis Wilson, crossed the median on U.S.220 and struck a
motorcycle.
Both riders on the motorcycle were killed, as was
another of Jones' brothers, Moses Wilson. Travis Wilson was charged with
three counts of felony death by motor vehicle and driving while impaired,
the North Carolina Highway Patrol told the Greensboro News&Record.
In addition to internal injuries that prompted
doctors to keep him in an induced coma, Jones suffered a broken right leg,
broken left foot and broken left shoulder. The thighbone in his right leg
was stabilized with a rod.
Jones, who did not return to school, will be
allowed to repeat his freshman year while he continues his rehabilitation
under the watch of the UVa training
staff. His goal is to rejoin the team for spring practice.
"Emotionally, I lost my brother," Jones
said. "That's hard right now. But, he died bringing me back to
college. He believed I needed to be in college. I've got to do this for
him. If I'd just quit college, it would have been like he died in vain.
Can't have that. I'm here to stay."
Jones was named Mid-Atlantic Defensive Player of the
Year in 2000 by SuperPrep magazine, which rated him the No.4 prospect in
North Carolina and the No.18 defensive back in the country.
"He and I came in together and talked about how
we would be the cornerbacks one day," said Jermaine Hardy, described
by Jones as his best friend at UVa.
"When he was in the coma, I kept asking the coaches how he was.
"I was surprised to see him this soon. He
didn't tell me he was coming."
Doctors have told Jones that he can play with the
rod in his thigh and that it might make him stronger. He hopes to regain
the 4.4-second 40 speed that made him such an attractive prospect, but he
remains slight at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, having lost 10 pounds that he
added in his first month at UVa.
"It's heart-warming to have him back,"
Groh said. "The players gave him a big ovation. Where his football
future lies right now is very secondary to getting him established
academically and continuing to rebuild his strength.
"There was never really any thought about the
football issue. It was always about his rehabilitation and getting him
back to school. We wanted to be as supportive as possible and make sure
there was something to aim for and fight through his circumstances.
"We'll all see where it goes from here."
ODDS 'N' ENDS: Rams junior quarterback Bradlee Van
Pelt, who became the starter in the fourth game of the 2001 season, is the
son of ex-New York Giants star Brad Van Pelt. Bradlee Van Pelt began his
college career at Michigan State, his father's alma mater. ... Groh
continues to look at three kickers for field goals and extra points, but
he said it is likely that redshirt freshman and former Roanoker Kurt Smith
will handle kickoffs.
|
Brooks' arrival
signals new era at Hargrave
Fork Union coach raves about ex-Cave Spring lineman
By DOUG
DOUGHTY
Exclusive
to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Fridays
Until this week, hardly anybody
could have told you who the new football coach at Hargrave Military Academy is.
The announcement that Virginia
signee Ahmad Brooks had arrived at Hargrave was a good way to get the word out.
After what he was able to do at
Gretna, Bob Prunty should not have needed any introduction. When he got to
Gretna in 1996, Prunty took over a program that would break a state record later
that season with its 44th straight loss.
Five years later, Gretna went
undefeated in the regular season and finished 11-1 after falling to Liberty in
the region finals.
Nevertheless, not even Perry
Brooks knew that Prunty had been named coach at Hargrave in April. Brooks not
only knew Prunty but he had a son who faced the prospect of attending prep
school.
"I definitely would have gone
after [Ahmad Brooks] if I'd known he was looking," Prunty said Friday,
"but the first I heard about it was when it was reported he was going to
Fork Union. After that, I didn't mess with it."
That is, until Sunday night, when
he received a phone call from Perry Brooks.
"I knew exactly who he
was," Prunty said. *When I was in college [at Hampton], he came down there
with Tony McGee. Tony McGee's son, David, was my roommate in college. I
refreshed his memory and he was like, "Yeah, small world.'
"We talked for about an hour
and a half."
They did have some business to
discuss.
"He said they had found out
that [Ahmad] could come to Hargrave and, if he got qualified by January, he
could go over to the University of Virginia," Prunty said. "That's our
policy, if he gets qualified by January and the University of Virginia sends a
letter."
Once Hargrave is notified of
Brooks' college acceptance, he will be relieved of his financial obligations for
the second semester. That was a sticking point at Fork Union, which was Brooks'
first choice.
PRUNTY'S UNDERSTANDING is
that Brooks is close enough to the required score on the Scholastic Assessment
Test that he could meet NCAA standards by October.
"I'm excited that we're
getting a player the caliber of Ahmad who has signed with Virginia," said
Prunty, whose impression is that most UVa recruits needing a postgraduate year
have headed to Fork Union. "And, Ahmad will be going back to
Virginia."
Defensive back Jermaine Hardy from
Roanoke is the only Hargrave product on a Virginia roster that has seven Fork
Union players, including All-ACC wide receiver Billy McMullen and fellow
starters Merrill Robertson, Art Thomas and Jamaine Winborne.
Two of UVa's scholarship
basketball players, Jason Clark and Keith Jenifer, are 2001 Hargrave alumni.
"Ahmad seems to be very
happy," Prunty said. "He's a lock, a lock for Virginia. He's made that
clear. He doesn't want to talk to anyone. He's not even doing interviews. He
just wants to get his score and go back to Virginia."
Hargrave has been competitive with
Fork Union on the field, but former Hargrave coach Lonnie Messick did not have
the relationship with the media enjoyed by charismatic Fork Union coach John
Shuman.
"This is nothing personal
against coach Shuman because he's got a class act over there," Prunty said,
"but it's my job, as the coach here, to go out and recruit the best
players. And, that's an annual thing. If Ahmad shows up at your doorstep, you
don't turn him away."
Prunty said he got in his car this
spring and drove through Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in an effort to
spread the Hargrave name.
"We never had a player here
from Florida State," Prunty said. "We have two here now. Before they
brought kids in here from Auburn and Georgia. I'm new to this. There are
[college] coaches who need to send kids to a prep school to get qualified. I
didn't wait for them to call me."
IN CASE ANYBODY wants to
buy tickets, Hargrave will entertain Fork Union on Nov. 8, when Brooks will have
the opportunity to face two would-be future Virginia teammates, nose tackle
Keenan Carter and defensive end Robert Armstrong.
"We're sad because we feel
strongly that we can get this young man eligible," Shuman said. "I'd
put our scores against anybody on the East Coast.
"It would have been nice to
watch he and Karim Taylor play together. We brought [Taylor] back this year. He
was our MVP on defense last year.
"We'll be all right. It's not
like Fork Union has never had a good player before. If [Brooks] had gotten
eligible, we wouldn't have had him anyway. "
Shuman is wild about Robbie
Powell, listed at 6-5 and 220 pounds when he was a first-team All-Timesland
selection last year at Cave Spring High School. Powell, who moved from Roanoke
to the Asheville, N.C., area after his junior year, was an academic qualifier
out of high school but nobody would take a chance on him, not even the I-AAs.
It sounds like Powell, now listed
at 6-4 and 262 pounds, will be recruited above the I-AA level now.
"Man, I love Robbie
Powell," Shuman said. "If Virginia Tech doesn't take Robbie Powell, I
might become an altogether UVa guy. Robbie Powell is better than Dave Kadela and
a little bit ahead of Jimmy Martin right now."
Kadela and Martin both played for
Shuman before signing with Virginia Tech. Kadela is with the Atlanta Falcons.
"Robbie Powell is a good
player, a really good player," Shuman said.
"Robbie Powell is going to be
on the wall of fame at Fork Union. We're going to get [Jim] Cavanaugh interested
[at Virginia Tech] or I swear we're going to send him to North Carolina.
"He's [Powell] almost giving
us too much effort. I feel like telling him to 'back off a little bit and save
yourself.' Robbie Powell is one of the most impressive guys in our camp. We like
to take a guy who's been picked on and no-named and have him end up like
McMullen or Kadela."
Injured U.Va. DB has mind on school
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
|
Aug 18, 2002
|
CHARLOTTESVILLE - University of Virginia safety Jerton Evans saw Randy
Jones in the hallway and did a double take.
"I was freaked," Evans said, "because I didn't think he was
coming back."
Jones, a defensive back who entered U.Va. last summer, suffered serious
injuries in an Oct. 7 car wreck that killed three people, including his
brother Moses Wilson. Months of grueling rehabilitation at his home in
Rockingham, N.C., followed seven weeks in a hospital, three of which Jones
spent in an induced coma. But Jones never lost sight of his goal.
"I knew I was coming back," he said yesterday afternoon. "If
I survived it, God must have something planned for me."
Whether those plans include football, however, isn't clear.
"Schoolwork is No.1 really," Jones said, "and I just want to
work out and try to get myself back where I need to be. Hopefully, I'll be
ready by spring ball."
Jones, who will begin his freshman year again, returned to town Friday.
U.Va. coach Al Groh reintroduced Jones to his former teammates - and
introduced him to the freshmen - at a team meeting yesterday morning.
"The players gave him a big ovation," Groh said. "It's
heartwarming to have him back."
Jones, 19, smiled when asked about his teammates' response.
"Everybody seems like they still remember me," he said.
U.Va. was redshirting Jones, a SuperPrep All-American from Richmond Senior
High, when the wreck occurred near Stoneville, N.C. Jones was a passenger in a
car driven by his oldest brother, Travis Wilson, and they were headed back to
Charlottesville. Jones broke his left ankle, his left femur and his right
shoulder. He still has a rod in his thigh but says he can do
"everything" physically.
"I can't run at my natural full speed," Jones said, "but
even my running is better than it was."
Jones, who's about 10 pounds lighter than his playing weight of 175, isn't
likely to practice with the team this season, Groh said.
"Where his football future lies right now is very secondary to getting
him established academically and physically rebuilding his strength."
Seated in the McCue Center locker room yesterday, Jones smiled easily and
looked comfortable. He'll carry scars from the wreck, though, for the rest of
his life.
"Emotionally, I lost my brother. That's hard," Jones said.
"But he died bringing me back to college, so obviously he believed I
needed to be in college. I've got to do this for him."
Turning his back on school wasn't an option, Jones said.
"Because if I'd have just quit college, it would have been like he
died in vain."
A developing situation for Cavaliers
Projections accurate for tackle Barthelmes
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
|
Aug 17, 2002
|
CHARLOTTESVILLE - He knew he needed to gain weight, but there weren't
enough hours in the day. When 6-7 Brian Barthelmes wasn't playing football at
Kenston High in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, he was running up and down the basketball
court or working out with the track team. And then there was his schoolwork.
"He was a three-sporter here, and there was just no time, though he
tried to get in the weight room," recalled Mike Knepp, Barthelmes'
football coach at Kenston.
Couple Barthelmes' lack of bulk with his injury-marred 11th-grade year - he
tore cartilage in his knee - and the result was an unheralded lineman who
attracted scant interest from major-college recruiters before his senior year.
"He was sort of an unknown quantity," Knepp said. "Brian was
thin, and his junior-year films just didn't exist."
He's thin no more. Barthelmes, who weighed 230 pounds when he signed with
the University of Virginia in February 2001, was up to 250 by the time he
enrolled there about six months later. For every hour he didn't get to spend
in the weight room at Kenston, he's put in multiple hours at U.Va.'s McCue
Center. He's grown into the 286-pound redshirt freshman who's expected to
start at left offensive tackle in Virginia's opener Thursday night.
"I always set my sights high," Barthelmes said. "I'm not
sure I expected this so quickly, but I just busted my butt and good things
happened."
Barthelmes' sister, Megan, attends Liberty University, and he was
interested in playing college football near her. So their father, Lee, a
former star offensive tackle at Edinboro University, compiled a highlight
videotape, Knepp wrote a letter of recommendation and the family mailed
packages to schools in this region.
George Welsh's staff liked Barthelmes' potential and offered him a
scholarship. Before Barthelmes accepted, though, Welsh retired, and Al Groh
took over as Virginia's coach. Groh dispatched his son Mike, the Cavaliers'
receivers coach, to Ohio to watch Barthelmes play basketball, and the younger
Groh returned with a positive report.
"There are probably a lot of linemen similar to Brian," Al Groh
said. "Big, rangy kids in high school that had height and some toughness
to them but were undersized for what they needed to do."
Case in point: Mike Mullins, U.Va.'s starter at right offensive tackle. The
6-8 Mullins, a graduate of Graham High in Southwest Virginia, was listed at
231 pounds when he arrived at Virginia in 1998. He's now at 292.
There's no guarantee that a player will be able to add 30 or 40 or 50
pounds of good, solid weight. When evaluating a lean lineman, Groh said,
"you want to take a good look at a kid's frame, his age, what his family
lineage might be, what his work habits might be."
With Barthelmes, the Cavaliers' projections proved accurate. Newcomers on
the offensive line this season include D'Brickashaw Ferguson (6-5, 265) and
right tackle Brad Butler (6-7, 271). Neither Ferguson nor Butler is as heavy
as many Division I-A linemen, but both will play as true freshmen.
Physically, Butler resembles Barthelmes.
"He's 6-7, he's 270, he's lean," Groh said of the E.C. Glass High
graduate. "I think that gives you a good idea of why he was attractive to
us. He's got a real good first step, and he's smart and he's tough, so I think
he's going to be a good player some day."
U.VA. NOTEBOOK
STILL IN EFFECT: The security measures the University of Virginia
implemented last football season in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks will
continue this season.
Ticket holders may not return during the game after leaving Scott Stadium.
Backpacks, bags and totes are not allowed inside the stadium. Banners, flags
and signs attached to poles are prohibited, and air space over the stadium is
restricted.
The decision to again prohibit re-entry into Scott Stadium was not,
however, primarily based on security concerns. In a statement last winter,
Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said U.Va.'s football team "can
benefit from the competitive advantage that comes from an imposing and
intimidating atmosphere in the stadium. One element of gaining this
competitive edge is to have Cavalier fans ready to support the team throughout
the game."
In years past, thousands of fans would stream out of Scott Stadium at
halftime to tailgate in the surrounding parking lots. Many often wouldn't make
it back to their seats until well into the third quarter.
"The goal is to create an environment that maximizes our home-field
advantage from the beginning of the game until the final horn,"
Littlepage said.
HISTORIC EVENT: According to the NCAA, the Cavaliers will play the earliest
opener in college football history. Virginia and Colorado State meet Thursday
night - Aug. 22 - in the Jim Thorpe Classic at Scott Stadium.
Until this year, Aug. 23 had been the earliest start. Northwestern beat
Oklahoma on that date in 1997, and Louisville whipped New Mexico State on Aug.
23 of last year.
This will mark the third time U.Va. has played in the first game of a
season. In 1989, Virginia lost to Notre Dame in the Kickoff Classic. In'95, it
fell on the game's final play to Michigan in the Pigskin Classic.
READY OR NOT: When Virginia's coaches recruited Kwakou Robinson, they told
him he'd play immediately. They weren't kidding. Because of an injury to Chris
Canty, Robinson a 6-4, 321-pound freshman, is likely to start at defensive end
against Colorado State.
"I don't get nervous and throw up, but I do get nervous and get
butterflies," said Robinson, a Parade All-American last season at Poly
Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
"At this level, I think my butterflies will be heightened."
SENSE OF PURPOSE: Few players have impressed coach Al Groh this summer as
much as tailback Marquis Weeks. The redshirt sophomore from Berwyn, Pa.,
carried only four times in 2001, but he's contending for the starting job this
season.
"I'm just more focused this year," Weeks said. "Last year, I
would make little mistakes, things you can't do in a game. I guess I wasn't
mentally in the game."
Of course, the arrival of a freshman class loaded with talented tailbacks
didn't hurt Weeks' focus.
"You've definitely got to pick it up," he said. "You can't
be a pushover and let someone take your position away." - Jeff White
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In a perfect world, Colorado State University's secondary would be
facing a run-oriented team in its opening game. You know, some team like
Air Force that passes about once per quarter.
Unfortunately, that will not be the case Thursday for the Rams when
they take on Virginia in the Jim Thorpe Association Classic. Since Al
Groh arrived last year from the New York Jets to coach his alma mater,
Virginia has been filling the air with footballs.
That's not good news for CSU's secondary, which will have three new
starters on the field in the season opener.
"It probably would be a little bit better if we were facing a
team that was going to line up and play smash-mouth," CSU secondary
coach Marvin Sanders said. "Virginia will still run the ball, but
they also have the potential to be an explosive passing team."
This much is certain: Virginia will pass early and often. The
Cavaliers chucked an average of 37 passes per game last year, and
quarterback Matt Schaub and star receiver Billy McMullen are back for
more this fall.
Schaub, a junior, passed for 1,524 yards and 10 touchdowns last year
while splitting time with Byrson Spinner. He set school records for
passes (54) and completions (33) in a game, and threw for a career-best
334 yards against North Carolina.
McMullen, meanwhile, led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 83
catches and already is Virginia's career leader with 141 receptions --
27 more than former NFL star Herman Moore. At 6-foot-4 and blessed with
great speed, he creates problems for any secondary.
"No doubt about it, McMullen is a good player," Sanders
said. "He catches a lot of balls and he has that ability to find
seams in the defense. Plus, he's 6-4, and that helps a lot."
CSU, meanwhile, will attempt to match up with 5-9 cornerback Dexter
Wynn on one side of the field and 6-0 Rhett Nelson on the other. Wynn is
a returning starter but Nelson has seen limited action the past two
seasons due to persistent injuries.
The Rams' lack of experience at corner, however, is nothing compared
to the dearth of previous playing time at safety. Senior David Vickers,
a former starting middle linebacker, will make his first start at strong
safety, while sophomore Landon Jones will make his first start of any
kind at free safety.
That foursome is being asked to decipher a complex Virginia offensive
system that features multiple formations, lots of shifts and motion and
every other trick to create confusion in the opposition's secondary.
"They'll come out with two backs, no backs, one wideout and five
wideouts," Sanders said. "We're going to have to mix up our
coverages, using some man-to-man, some zone and some combinations. If we
just sit back in a zone they will pick us apart."
Still, despite the lack of experience and the rather imposing
challenge at hand, Sanders remains confident in his secondary.
"I'll take those guys into battle any time, anywhere,"
Sanders said. "They have worked their butts off in camp, and they
are ready to go. I think they're going to be fine."
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Nearly every coach complains this time of year about fielding
inexperienced players.
Virginia's Al Groh simply points to his depth chart.
Groh, Virginia's second-year coach, said he will use as many as 16
true or redshirt freshman in prominent roles a week from tonight when
the Cavaliers play host to Colorado State University in the Jim Thorpe
Association Classic.
"Our freshmen better have an impact, or we're going to be
noncompetitive," he said Thursday. "We've got to play them.
Somehow they are going to have to get beyond the fact that three months
ago they were getting ready for their high school prom and show they can
play college football."
The Cavaliers, who suffered heavy graduation losses, list two
freshmen -- defensive ends Brennan Schmidt and Kwakou Robinson -- as
starters. But several others are listed as backups, particularly on
defense.
"There's a big transition from high school to college,"
Groh said. "All of a sudden these guys line up and see a guy on the
other side of the ball who is just as big as they are. That can be a
tough thing to handle early on."
Don't cry too many tears for Groh, however. Virginia's 2002
recruiting class has been ranked as high as No. 5 nationally, with Groh
and his staff landing four of the top five players in Virginia --
players who in the past probably would have been signed by state rival
Virginia Tech.
Among the plums in the class are linebacker Ahmad Brooks, USA TODAY's
national defensive player of the year; All-American tailback Michael
Johnson; All-American quarterback Anthony Martinez; All-American
linebacker Kai Parham and Robinson, the New York high school player of
the year.
CSU, meanwhile, lists two freshmen -- redshirt tight end Matt Bartz
and redshirt strong side guard Albert Bimper -- as starters. CSU coach
Sonny Lubick said as many as four true freshmen could play, but none are
expected to start any time soon. Last year, Mike Vomhof was the lone
true freshman to play for the Rams.
Top true freshmen include Tristan Walker, who is listed as the No. 2
fullback; Danny Foster, listed as the No. 2 right cornerback; and Ben
Stratton, listed as the No. 3 strong safety. Wideout Dave Anderson also
could play this year.
For the most part, though, Lubick tries to avoid using too many
freshmen -- particularly early in the season.
"No matter how good you are in high school, it's still hard to
learn the complicated systems in college and get used to the faster
tempo in practices and games," he said. "It always takes
freshmen awhile to adjust."
For that reason, Lubick is hoping the Rams can take advantage of
Virginia's youth in the opener.
"I think it is somewhat advantageous for us that they are using
so many freshmen, but I also know that they have some very good
freshmen," he said. "Just because they are young doesn't mean
they are not talented.
"You would think that might help us, but that can also backfire
on you. Freshmen sometimes come out wild and wooly, trying to prove they
belong. I think sometimes players lose a little of that as they get
older, so it's not always a bad thing to get young guys some playing
time."
But whether Virginia's youth movement makes a difference remains to
be seen.
"I guess we'll find out next week," Groh said.
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One year ago, Colorado State University co-offensive coordinator Dan
Hammerschmidt wasn't sure if the Rams could make a first down, let alone
score a touchdown.
With star fullback Cecil Sapp injured and a quarterback controversy
bubbling over, the Rams were downright awful in preseason practice. As a
result, it was not a huge surprise when the Rams were downright awful in
a 41-14, season-opening loss to the University of Colorado.
Today, however, things are much different. With run-pass threat
Bradlee Van Pelt entrenched as the starting quarterback, Sapp back and
looking better than ever and a surprisingly potent receiver corps
catching everything thrown its way, the Rams look positively explosive
as they begin the final week of preparation for their Aug. 22 opener at
Virginia.
"We lost a big part of our offense last year when Cecil and
Rahsaan (Sanders, Sapp's former backup) got hurt during
two-a-days," Hammerschmidt said. "All of a sudden we became a
perimeter-oriented team, and that's not what we're about at CSU. We
couldn't do the things we were used to doing."
With Sapp back, however, the Rams are back to their traditional
offensive philosophy, which includes bruising runs inside the tackles
and play-action passes to wide receivers and tight ends. Sapp, who
missed all of last season after having a benign tumor removed from his
heel, has been extremely impressive in practice, displaying the same
power and speed that made him an all-Mountain West Conference pick in
2000.
Van Pelt is equally dangerous because of his running ability and
emerging skill as a passer. Defenses will have to defend the perimeter
to stop CSU's option play and also must limit their blitzing because of
Van Pelt's scrambling ability.
"We're going to spread people out a little more than we have in
the past and try to take advantage of our speed," Hammerschmidt
said. "At the same time, Bradlee has improved so much as a passer
that we can get back to hitting the bread-and-butter pass plays that
have been a big part of our offense in the past."
The new element is the presence of Henri Childs, who will see time at
fullback and receiver. After leading the team in rushing last year in
Sapp's absence, Childs should be better able to use his speed and
open-field running ability as a receiver.
Childs' skills will be complemented by veteran wideouts Joey Cuppari,
Chris Pittman and Eric Hill. All have had outstanding camps.
Finally, there is H-back/tight end Joel Dreessen, an emerging star in
the MWC after catching 22 passes last year as a freshman. His height
(6-foot-5) and speed make him a difficult one-on-one match-up for any
defender.
Suddenly, Hammerschmidt finds himself with a problem he never
imagined last season: Too many weapons, too few footballs.
"You know we're going to establish the run with Cecil, and
Bradlee is going to cause problems, too," he said. "Henri has
been great since we moved him, and the wideouts are catching everything.
"But John (Benton, the other co-coordinator) and I were talking
the other day about how we have to get more balls to Joel. That's a nice
problem to have."
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Colorado State Rams 2002 College Football Preseason
Preview
By Greg Waters, Special to TheSabre.com
2001 Record: Overall 7-5
2001 Mountain West Conference Record: 5-2 (2nd)
Dubious Distinctions: The Rams were 0-4 last season when the opponent had a
100-yard rusher.
Stellar Stats: During Coach Sonny Lubick's tenure the Rams are 34-17 on the
road.
Game Preview:
For the third time in five years, the University of Virginia Cavaliers will
encounter a team from the Mountain West Conference. In 1998 and 1999 the Hoos
faced off against the BYU Cougars, this season they'll host the Colorado State
Rams in the Jim Thorp Classic at Scott Stadium. This is an intriguing
"preseason" matchup and should give both 2nd year Virginia head
football coach Al Groh and Colorado State's 4-Time Conference Coach of the Year
Sonny Lubick an early read on their 2002 prospects. This is the second
consecutive year the Hoos have played in a preseason contest, losing in the
Eddie Robinson Classic last season 26-17 at Wisconsin. This is the first time
the Rams have faced a current Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.
Colorado State got off to a rocky start in 2001, losing 4 of their first six
games; three by a touchdown or less. Four wins in the final five games of the
season got the Rams over the .500 mark, placing them second in the Mountain West
Conference and landing the Rams in the New Orleans Bowl against a 5-6 North
Texas team. The Rams won 45-20 to end the season at 7-5. Considering Virginia
posted a 5-7 record, criticizing a team that ended 2001 with a winning mark may
seem a little "bush" but we'll do it anyway.
First, give the Rams credit for the fact they won most of the games they were
supposed to win and lost the games they were supposed to lose. CSU lost a heart
breaker in overtime to then undefeated Fresno State (11-2) 25-22 at home. They
lost big in Denver to a Colorado (10-3) team that contended for the
"mythical" national championship, lost to a quality Louisville (11-2)
team by 5 and a solid BYU (12-2) team by 24, both on the road. Their lone ugly
loss was a 14-7 defeat by a 3-8 San Diego State team at home. The seven Ram wins
came over teams with a combined 37-39 record, with only two victories coming
against teams with a winning record. What has to concern Ram fans further is the
fact that even with a winning record, the Rams were still out scored (23.1 to
23.0), and they gave up more yards passing (216.4 to 153.6) and rushing (211.1
to 190.4) than they accumulated.
The 2002 Rams return 6 starters and on both sides of the ball and 2
additional players that saw action as starters, one on offense and one defense
along with two kicking specialist. Coach Lubick also returns for his 10th season
at the helm of the Colorado State program during which he has posted a 74-34
record, including three straight trips to post season play and six overall.
Offense
The Colorado State offense is led by Michigan State transfer, quarterback
Bradlee Van Pelt (Jr. 6-3 220). Van Pelt, the son of former New York Giant
All-Pro Brad Van Pelt, finished 2001 completing 94 of 194 passes for 1247 yards
and 8 touchdowns. His 546 (5.5 ypc) yards rushing and 4 touchdowns were good
enough to make Van pelt the third leading rusher on the team. He started the
final nine games of 2001 and was named honorable mention All-MWC.
An early indication of how well the season may go for the Rams is how well
Van Pelts inexperienced receivers develop. The Rams bid farewell to Pete
Rebstock and Dallas Davis, two key ingredients to the string of three
consecutive bowl game appearances. Now Rebstock and Davis look to become parts
of their respective teams' success in the NFL. Rebstock signed a two-year deal
with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Davis signed a three-year contract with the
Pittsburgh Steelers. The duo accounted for 50 receptions (40% of the teams' 2001
total), 792 yards (46%) and 5 touchdowns (45%). Of the six players who will be
vying for playing time at the wide receiver and tight end positions, they
collectively own three career starts among them and accounted for 20 catches and
352 yards last season. Joey Cuppari (Sr. 6-1, 175) will likely get the starting
nod at one wideout. Cuppari finished 4th on the team in 1999 with 20 catches for
308 yards, third in 2000 with 31 receptions for 438 yards and was expected to be
one of the go to guys in 2001. His season was plagued by injuries and he
finished the year with 6 catches for 151 yards. We look for Cuppari to return to
his sophomore and junior year form in 2002. Chris Pittman (Jr. 6-1 182) should
be penciled in at the other starting wide receiver spot for the Rams. He
finished 2001 with 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Pittman has
excellent speed and the Rams like to use him on reverses. Also competing for
playing time will be juniors Eric Hill (6-0 185, 4 catches for 58 yards in 2001)
and Russell Sprague (Jr 6-4, 210). Sprague served as a reserve wideout and
special teams player for Colorado State in 2001 and is coming off knee surgery.
Both James Sondrup (Jr. 6-6 251) and Matt Baldischwiler (So. 6-3 235) are
reserve tight ends with limited game experience.
The lone starter in the receiving corps for Colorado State is Joel Dreessen
(So. 6-6 235). Dreessen mans the H-Back position in the Colorado offense and
accounted for 22 receptions last season for 205 yards. He is the Rams leading
returning receiver.
The force of the Colorado State offense is the running game. Not only is Van
Pelt a serious threat to run, but also the Rams return a stable of solid running
backs. State returns their leading rushers from 2001, Henri Childs (Sr. 6-2,
217) and 2000, Cecil Sapp (Jr. 6-1, 225), who sat out last season after having a
benign tumor removed from his heel. Sapp was back in top form though his duty
was limited in the annual Gold-Green spring game. He rushed twice for five yards
and caught one pass for a 29-yard gain. Ram head coach Sonny Lubick said,
"Cecil looked good. He looks strong, and showed a bit of speed." Sapp
was a 1st Team All Conference performer in 2000 accounting for 841 yards and 10
touchdowns. The versatile Childs carried the ball 166 times a year ago gaining
841 yards (5.1 ypc, 4 tds), he caught 13 passes for 117 yards (1 td), and was 2
for 2 on halfback option passes, accounting for a touchdown as well. His 87
yards per game average was good enough for 2nd on the team in all purpose yards.
Also returning from an injury riddled 2001 season is Rahsaan Sanders (Jr. 6-0,
212). Sanders has started 8 games over his career and was 2nd on the team in
rushing in 2000 carrying 131 times for 524 yards and 4 touchdowns. With a very
inexperienced defensive backfield, Sanders spent most of the spring working out
at free safety and will in all likelihood be moved to the other side of the ball
with the running back position firmly secure with the likes of Childs and Sapp.
Even without Sanders, offensive coordinator Dan Hammerschmidt has a strong 1-2
punch in the backfield.
While there are no questions about the potential of the Ram backfield, the
same cannot be said for the Colorado State offensive line. While center Mark
Dreyer (Jr. 6-4 281) and 2001 All-MWC honorable mention guard Morgan Pears (Sr.
6-8 309) accounted for 24 starts last season, the rest of the offensive line
two-deep includes 8 players that have a combined 7 starts between them. Four of
those starts belong to weak side tackle Aaron Green (Sr. 6-5 275) who is likely
to return as a starter at that position in 2002. Look for massive Terrell
Gardner (Jr. 6-6 347) and Kelly Wall (Jr. 6-4 300) to via for the open position
at strong side guard. Erik Pears (So. 6-8 310 - Morgan's brother), who logged
three starts last season and the undersized Zeke Hacker (Jr. 6-3 280) will fight
it out for the start at the strong side tackle position.
Defense
The big concern for the Rams this season will be on defense where they only
return 6 starters. The deepest losses and the primary area that will require Ram
defensive coordinator Larry Kerr to keep a bottle of Tums close by will
certainly be the secondary. The projected two-deep has accumulated a grand total
of 13 Division 1-A college starts among them and may well feature a redshirt
freshman at the pivotal free safety position. Gone from the 2001 Ram secondary
are Jason and Justin Gallimore (Arizona Cardinals free agent signee) and Aaron
Sprague. The three combined for 33 starts, 244 tackles (48% of the team total),
10 tackles for loss (20%), and 9 interceptions (56%). Of the 13 career starts in
the Colorado State secondary, 10 of those belong to 1st Team All-MWC cornerback
Dexter Wynn. A threat both on defense and special teams, Wynn accounted for 52
tackles a year ago, tied for second on the team in tackles for loss and led the
Rams with 9 pass breakups. When you add to those accomplishments his exploits as
one of the MWC's and the nations top kick return specialists you have the
makings of a dangerous player.
That's where the good news ends in the Colorado State secondary. Looking for
playing time at the other cornerback spot is Rhett Nelson (Sr. 6-1, 194) who
played in eight games last season and was responsible for 28 tackles along with
redshirt freshmen Jesse Rivers (6-0, 185). Both safety spots could be manned by
underclassmen. After an injury plagued 2001 season, David Vickers (Sr. 6-0, 208)
will return to the starting lineup but not in his former position as strong side
linebacker, but in all probability strong safety. Vickers was an honorable
mention all-league performer who started all 12 games for the Rams in 2000,
finishing 3rd on the team in tackles. According to coach Lubick, "He has
really had a good spring, and looked comfortable at safety." Landon Jones
(So 6-2, 222) who saw action is one game in 2001 will compete with juniors Jason
Hepp (Jr. 6-2, 191) and junior college transfer Guy Porter (Jr 6-1, 200) for the
starting position at strong safety but we believe the experienced Vickers will
be there on August 22. Look for either Miles Kochevar (R-Fr 6-1, 185) or Travis
Campbell (Jr 6-0, 190) to emerge as the starting free safety. Defensive backs
coach Marvin Sanders in an article in the Rocky Mountain Collegian stated,
"We still don't have a definitive depth chart at free safety. A lot of it
has to do with chemistry and how well certain guys work with each other, so we
tried to give a lot of guys some looks back there. Rashaan (Sanders), David
Foley, Travis Campbell and Lenzie Williams all got a chance to show what they
could do with the first team. This is probably something that we will continue
during fall practice."
The Rams appear thin on the defensive front as well, especially on the two
deep. Figuratively and literally. With an average height of 6-3 and average
weight of 263 pounds, the Ram front line is smaller than Dukes' (6-4, 265) and
will likely be the smallest front the Cavs face this season next to Akron (6-3,
254). The real struggle may come if one of the starters gets injured. Of the 6
guys fighting for back-up playing time, only one has any real game experience
(Andre Sommersell, Jr. 6-3, 210). Colorado State does return 2nd team all MWC
performer and their leading sack man from a year ago in Peter Hogan (Sr. 6-3,
255). Hogan started eleven games last season including one at nose tackle,
accounted for 37 tackles including 4 for loss from his position on the left side
of the line. The "behemoth" of the undersized Rams defensive line is
7-time 2001 starter Patrick Goodpaster (So. 6-3, 285). As a true freshman,
Goodpaster was responsible for 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack. The
Rams do return two other players with starting experience for coach Tom Ehlers
in tackle Bryan Save (Jr. 6-2, 270) and Wallace Thomas (Sr. 6-3, 245) with four
and three starts respectively. Save tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries
and added 11 tackles while Thomas simply tied for top honors in the tackles for
loss (6) and quarterback sacks (3) category.
While the defensive front may be light on experience, Virginia fans and
offensive line coach Ron Prince would do well not to underestimate this group.
Coach Tom Ehlers is an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks and is a proven
commodity having coached eight all-conference performers and six of the top ten
ranked career leaders in quarterback sacks in CSU history.
One area where there is no concern on defense is with the linebacker corps
where the Rams feature one of the nation's best. All three 2001 starters return
this season. This group combined for 279 tackles in 2001, 33% of the team total.
Drew Wood (Jr. 6-2, 224) should return to his starting spot at middle linebacker
where he was 2nd on the team in tackles (96) last fall and tied for the team
lead in interceptions with three. Two starters from a year ago, Eric Pauly (Jr.
6-4, 220) and Adam Wade (Jr. 6-1, 210) will fill the weak side and strong side
outside linebacker spots for CSU. Pauly led the Rams and the MWC in tackles with
115 in 2001 and Wade finished 6th on the team in tackles and tied Wallace Thomas
for tackles for loss honors with six. All the members of the backer two deep
have game experience and should be solid backups for the starting three. Vickers
could also spell the starters if some of the younger players step up in the
secondary.
Special teams was an area all to often mired by breakdowns by the Hoos last
fall and Virginia fans should get an early look as to how well Corwin Browns'
charges have improved when the Cavs lineup against Colorado State. The Rams
blocked 4 kicks in 2001, each resulting in a score (3 touchdowns, 1 safety). The
CSU special teams are loaded with top-flight performers across the board. Punter
Joey Huber (Sr. 6-4, 223) was a finalist for the Ray Guy award and was named
first team all MWC leading the Rams to a 5th place finish in the nation in net
punting (40.3). Place kicker Jeff Babcock (So. 5-10, 180) will take over all of
the kicking duties this season for Colorado State after primarily handling the
kick-offs a year ago. Of his 60 kicks last season, only 21 were returned. The
humid Virginia air should make his task a little more difficult in late August,
but Babcock posses a strong leg and gets exceptional lift on his kicks. The
Wahoos will not have to deal with departed kick return specialist and 2001 team
MVP Pete Rebstock (27.6) who was 11th in the nation last fall in kick-off
returns. They will however need to find a way to manage Dexter Wynn who led the
MWC in punt returns (15.1) and was 3rd in the conference in kick-off returns
with a 26.1 ypr average. Overall, the Rams were 1st in the league returning
kicks with a 26.6 ypr average.
The Virginia staff can approach this game two ways; look to pound the
undersized CSU defensive front in the muggy Virginia August humidity, or test
the Ram pass defense early and often. While the defensive line is suspect, the
Ram linebackers are not. Although State gave up 211 yards per game rushing a
year ago (in a passing conference) the strength early on for the Hoos might be
with an experienced quarterback in Matt Schaub and a solid group of returning
guys to throw the ball too. With receivers like Billy McMullen, Ottawa Anderson
and Michael McGrew, plus solid receivers out of the backfield like Alvin Pearman
and newcomer Wali Lundy, look for Bill Musgrave and the offense to try and
exploit the young Ram secondary, and then pound the ball late.
The Cavs will likely be featuring a lot of new faces on both sides of the
ball when this game starts and anytime you start true freshmen, especially a lot
of true freshmen, one should be cautious with their expectations. That said,
this game should end a little different than the last time a Mountain West Team
visited the friendly confines of Scott Stadium, with a UVA victory.