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Cavaliers let one slip away
 By JOHN GALINSKY / Daily Progress staff writer
Aug 23, 2002

 
Virginia's young football team figured to be both exciting and mistake-prone this season. In their 2002 debut, the Cavaliers didn't disappoint.

On a sweltering summer night at Scott Stadium, UVa engaged Colorado State in a thrilling, earliest-ever opener to the college football season. Both teams traded big plays and major miscues throughout the Jim Thorpe Classic.

Ultimately, Virginia's good work was undone by five turnovers, including a fumble by backup quarterback Marques Hagans one yard shy of the go-ahead touchdown. It was recovered just in front of the goal line by Rams safety David Vickers with 10 seconds left.

The 35-29 loss spoiled an impressive debut for UVa's celebrated freshmen, a number of whom shone in the spotlight of their first collegiate game. There were good signs for the future, to be sure, but the mood in the locker room was not cheery.

"I'm not a silver-lining coach. I thought we would win the game," UVa coach Al Groh said. "I think we're all very disappointed."

Said freshman tailback Michael Johnson: "We fought back, but you don't get a medal for trying."

The Cavaliers rallied from a 19-6 halftime deficit and took a 29-22 lead on Alvin Pearman's 19-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

But the Rams tied the game on Cecil Sapp's 16-yard run and then went ahead on Jeff Babcock's 46-yard field goal, which snuck over the crossbar with 4:07 left.

Some of the 57,120 fans started to leave moments later when Matt Schaub's errant pass was picked off by Rams cornerback Dexter Wynn, who returned the ball 46 yards to the UVa 4.

But linebacker Raymond Mann sacked Bradlee Van Pelt for a 12-yard loss and Colorado State had to settle for another field goal, Babcock's fifth of the night.

That gave Virginia one more chance to pull out an improbable victory.

With 2:06 left and the ball at the UVa 18, Groh put the game in the hands of Hagans, a redshirt freshman who sparked the team in the first half and directed several touchdown drives.

Hagans connected with Pearman for passes of 18 and 21 yards, taking the ball to the CSU 30. Freshman tailback Wali Lundy then ran four times for 25 yards. A 2-yard draw by Hagans got the Cavaliers to the Rams 3.

But on the next play, Hagans sprinted to his right and looked toward the end zone for an open receiver. Finding no one, he tried to run it in himself but was stripped of the ball.

It was the first major mistake by a Cavalier freshman all night. Otherwise, they distinguished themselves.

Left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, defensive end Kwakou Robinson and punter Tom Hagan became the first UVa true freshmen to start a season opener in 10 years.

Others made a major impact, including Lundy (team-high 94 rushing yards), Johnson (86 all-purpose yards), and Darryl Blackstock (one sack). In all, 10 true freshmen played for Virginia.

"They had a nice start," Groh said.

Early on, it was the Cavalier veterans making the big mistakes. Pearman and Ottawa Anderson, both sophomores, and senior Billy McMullen each fumbled in the first half. The Rams converted those turnovers into 10 points.

Pearman let a punt slip through his hands midway through the first quarter. Eric Pauly dove on the loose ball at the UVa 13, but the Rams had to settle for Babcock's 27-yard field goal and a 6-0 lead. Babcock also made a 28-yarder on Colorado State's first drive.

The Cavaliers and their sweat-soaked fans received their first burst of energy from Hagans, who made his entrance following a Merrill Robertson fumble recovery at the Colorado State 47. Hagans ran four times for 28 yards on the ensuing drive, which he capped off with a 1-yard touchdown on an option keeper.

Hagans ended up completing 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards, but two of those catches turned into fumbles. Anderson and McMullen were stripped of the ball, snuffing out two promising drives.

Sapp, who finished with 178 yards on 25 carries, bounded out a pile and raced 72 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, giving Colorado State a 12-7 lead.

The Rams failed on the two-point conversion, but they scored again with 3:23 to play in the half on a 34-yard pass from Van Pelt to Joe Cuppari.

The Cavaliers rallied to take the lead with two quick touchdowns in the third quarter. Schaub threw an 11-yard strike to redshirt freshman Heath Miller. After Wynn fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Pearman capped off a short drive with a 2-yard plunge.

Babcock's third field goal, a 38-yarder, gave Colorado State a 22-21 lead before Hagans directed a 76-yard march that ended in Pearman's second score.

The defense didn't hold up down the stretch, however, so the Cavaliers will go into next week's game at No. 3 Florida State without much momentum.

"The disappointing thing was after months of emphasis, we had five turnovers and gave up two long plays on defense," Groh said. "Those were the two major targets of the team."

 

 

UVa has quarterback controversy
 By JERRY RATCLIFFE / Daily Progress sports editor
Aug 23, 2002

 
The last thing Virginia fans expected this season was a quarterback controversy. Now, they've got one.

A full-fledged one at that after Thursday night's 35-29, thriller-diller loss to Colorado State in the Jim Thorpe Classic. If Cavaliers coach Al Groh expected one, he sure kept it to himself.

While he never missed an opportunity to praise the efforts of backup Marques Hagans, a diminutive redshirt freshman, he never hinted that Hagans would get significant playing time in the season-opener either. But the guy who succeeded Ronald Curry in the Hampton High School football dynasty, played himself into the hearts of the Wahoo nation in a heart-breaking defeat.

This was supposed to be Matt Schaub's team. The lanky quarterback from Pennsylvania had a timeshare on the job last season until Bryson Spinner left school during the winter.

While he had stunk up a couple of games early, he had become quite efficient as the season wore on, shredding North Carolina's defense and went on to lead the team in passing. With no one looking over his shoulder this year, it was his time to shine.

Nobody told Hagans.

After the offense stalled on its first four possessions, Groh inserted Hagans to try to get something going and the little guy responded by leading the Cavaliers to a go-

ahead touchdown (7-6) on an 8-play, 44-yard drive. He carried four times for 28 of those yards, striking paydirt from a yard out on the last.

Hagans moved the team on the next two series as well before fumbles by freshman back Wali Lundy and senior wide receiver Billy McMullen stopped the Cavs cold.

Schaub came back strong in the third quarter, leading Virginia to two quick scores to go ahead again, 21-19 before Hagans was re-inserted - with no rhyme or reason - on the following series.

Whatever, it worked. Hagans drove the team 79 yards on 10 plays to give Virginia a 29-22 lead with 10:54 to play in the game. His quickness obviously gave the weary Colorado State defense a difficult time and he would dart for 10 yards on a quarterback draw, scramble for yardage, dive for more.

This kid is dangerous.

When Schaub got his last chance of the game, with the Cavs trailing 32-29, it was his turn to be the hero, win the game, answer all the questions.

Instead, he was picked off on the very first play, his pass wildly missing McMullen, who was hardly in the neighborhood of the ball. Colorado State speed merchant Dexter Wynn stunned the Cavaliers as he returned the ball to the UVa 4, even though the Rams had to settle for a field goal, 35-29.

Now it was up to Hagans. The Cavs were 82 yards away and had only a smattering more than two minutes to cover the distance.

He went to work, benefitting from a roughing the passer call, then passing twice to Pearman, moving the chain. A Lundy counter, Lundy right, Lundy up the gut twice as the Wahoos moved to the 5 with 42 seconds to play.

There was no time for anything complicated. Hagans kept the ball to the left and picked up two yards to the three, 21 seconds to go and the clock ticking before the Rams called time out to set their defense.

Virginia called a sprint pass to the right. The Cavaliers had used the play successfully in the past and Hagans' job was simple: Don't get tackled. Going to the ground would end the game.

Hagans took off around the right side and it wasn't too clear, even in his own mind what happened. He disappeared in a swarm of Rams jerseys, the ball shot out of his hands and into the end zone, bounced back to short of the goal line where a Colorado State player recovered.

Ball game.

"I just felt like I could get [the touchdown] once I got outside containment," said a dejected Hagans later.

He stuck around to meet the media. Schaub, understandably ducked out after an 8-for-14 performance for 73 yards and a badly thrown interception.

"He's pretty bold," said Groh later. "His level of self confidence got the ball down there. I don't second guess what he did. It was unfortunate for him, but I know he did a great job to get his team down there in the first place."

Groh had planned to use Hagans because of his skills. Groh had mentioned during the spring that he had never coached a quarterback as fast as Hagans. Hampton High coach told this columnist once that Hagans was the best athlete he had ever coached.

"The main thing down there was to not get sacked," Hagans said. "I tried to get rid of the guy on me. I think I just flung [the ball]. I don't know what happened really. But I'll deal with it and get better."

Hagans said though it was his first taste of college action, he wasn't nervous. He said he had fun until the bitter ending.

"I didn't know I'd play that much, but I was ready," he said.

Hagans, known more for his running than his passing ability, picked up 45 yards on the ground and completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards.

Don't expect Groh to change things dramatically. Schaub didn't exactly glow but he's not being sent to football's Siberia either. Instead, it will probably be the case where both quarterbacks will play, just like last year.

That's all Virginia needed. Another quarterback controversy.

 

 

Virginia lets one slip away
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 23, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Conditions at kickoff were more conducive to a pool party than a football game. Temperature at game time was 97 degrees, the trade-off for the distinction of playing the earliest game in college history.

The sauna-like evening made ballhandling an adventure, and on a night when the ball hit the turf any number of times, a fumble in the final frantic seconds of an achingly close game was the difference between a stirring Virginia comeback and a deflating defeat.

Quarterback Marques Hagans, a redshirt freshmen playing his first college game, lost the ball at the Colorado State 1 with less than 10 seconds to play Thursday night, and Virginia fell to the Rams 35-29 in front of 57,120 fans at sweltering Scott Stadium.

Tackling, or the lack of it, put Virginia in the position of needing a final comeback drive. Slippery Colorado State tailback Cecil Sapp scooted for 178 yards and Virginia failed to stop the Rams when it needed to.

Two late field goals sealed the win for Colorado State. With the score tied at 29, Virginia stopped Sapp four yards short of a first down at the Rams’ 29. But Colorado State kicker Jeff Babcock had just enough leg to urge a 46-yard field goal through the uprights and give the Rams a 32-29 lead with 4:07 to play.

A Matt Schaub interception quickly ended Virginia’s next possession, and Babcock kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Colorado State its final margin.

Virginia pulled ahead 29-22 on an Alvin Pearman 21-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion. But Colorado State needed just 36 seconds to respond, moving 60 yards in three plays to tie the score at 29.

Coach Al Groh shuffled quarterbacks Schaub and Hagans and got a pair of scoring drives from each. Virginia also received major contributions from true freshmen tailbacks Wali Lundy and Michael Johnson.

Groh went to his highly-touted recruiting class of 2002 early and often. By the end of the first quarter, eight true freshmen had played.

Johnson helped turn the game in the third quarter, when Virginia scored twice in 2:19 to take a 21-19 lead. Johnson got the Cavaliers started by returning a punt 38 yards to the Colorado State 39. His classmate Lundy moved Virginia to the 11, where Schaub hit Heath Miller with a scoring pass.

Virginia regained possession immediately, after the Rams’ Dexter Wynn fumbled the kickoff. Two Schaub passes put the Cavaliers on the 7, where Pearman needed two carries to reach the end zone.

Virginia trailed 19-7 after a first half characterized by defensive breakdowns and turnovers.

Colorado State’s first touchdown came when Sapp tried the middle, then burst outside and outran Virginia safety Shernard Newby for a 72-yard scoring run.

A Billy McMullen fumble two series later gave the Rams possession on their 36. Colorado State quickly moved to the Virginia 34. On second down, receiver Joey Cuppari ran by cornerback Art Thomas and caught a Bradlee Van Pelt pass over his shoulder in the end zone.

Virginia lost three fumbles in the half.

The turnovers were no help to an offense that had trouble sustaining drives. Groh said during preseason that Schaub was the team’s clear No. 1 quarterback, but it took just three series for him to pull the junior and insert Hagans.

The move paid off immediately. Hagans took over at the Colorado State 44 after Merrill Robertson recovered a Ram fumble. He rolled nine yards for a first down, then found Miller for a 12-yard gain.

Hagans scrambled 13 yards to bring Virginia to the 3, then scored on a 1-yard rollout two plays later.

A pair of mistakes cost Virginia six points early. A personal foul kept Colorado State’s first drive alive, and led to a 28-yard field goal. The Rams’ next field goal was set up when Pearman fumbled a punt at the Colorado State 13.

 

 

QB carousel falls just short

The Cavs rotate between QBs Matt Schaub and Marques Hagans but see their final comeback end inches short when Hagans fumbles with seconds left.

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   CHARLOTTESVILLE - The NCAA's decision to eliminate "preseason" college football games has come a year too late to help Virginia.

    Invariably they're billed as classics, but, in the Cavaliers' case, only the opponents are coming away with highlight material.

    This time it was first-time foe Colorado State that prevailed 35-29 in the Jim Thorpe Classic, handing Virginia its fourth loss in as many preseason games.

    The outcome wasn't sealed until Rams cornerback David Vickers recovered a fumble by UVa quarterback Marques Hagans with 10 seconds remaining. The distance between the ball and the goal line was approximately 3 inches.

    "I'm not a silver-lining coach," said Al Groh after the first game of the 2002 college football season. "I expected that we would win the game. I thought we'd play well, better than what we would. To be that close and not win the game, I'd say we're all very disappointed."

    Hagans' fumble represented the fifth turnover of the game for the Cavaliers, four of them fumbles.

    "The most disappointing part, after months of emphasis, was turning the ball over five times and giving up two long plays," Groh said. "Those were two primary targets of our team's preparation."

    Three of the fumbles came in the first half and led to 10 points as the Rams took a 19-7 lead.

    Virginia was able to take a 21-19 lead when it scored on its first two possessions of the second half, the second following a Muffin Curry fumble recovery.

    Junior quarterback Matt Schaub, unable to move the team in the first half, tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman tight end Heath Miller to start the second-half scoring and the Cavaliers took the lead on a 2-yard run by Alvin Pearman.

    Miller's catch represented the first touchdown reception by a UVa tight end since the 1999 season.

    After Colorado State had taken a 22-21 lead with one second remaining in the third quarter, Groh went back to Hagans, a 5-foot-10 redshirt freshman who had led the Cavaliers on their only touchdown drive of the first half.

    Hagans again took the Cavaliers down the field, running three times and completing all three of his pass attempts before Pearman ran 19 yards for a touchdown, followed by a two-point pass from Hagans to Billy McMullen that made it 29-22 with 10:54 left.

    The Rams needed only 36 seconds to go 60 yards for the touchdown that made it 29-29, and a 46-yard field goal by Jeff Babcock with 4:07 left gave them the lead for good at 32-29.

    Many UVa fans headed to the exits when Schaub badly overthrew his intended receiver and was intercepted by CSU's Dexter Wynn, whose 46-yard return gave the Rams first-and-goal at the UVa 4-yard line.

    A sack by outside linebacker Raymond Mann on first down gave UVa some hope and, when Babcock banged home his fifth field goal with 2:20 left, all the Cavaliers needed was a touchdown.

    Groh went back to Hagans, who took the Cavaliers from their 18-yard line to the Colorado State 7 with just under a minute remaining. After runs by Wali Lundy and Hagans took Virginia to the CSU 3, the Cavaliers hustled to the line of scrimmage, only to hear the Rams call for a timeout.

    "It came from one of the players," Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick. "I was very apprehensive when we called it, but apparently they came out in a formation that did not suit the defense we had called. I think now that they would have scored if we hadn't called a timeout."

    Groh said UVa's call gave Hagans a sprint-pass option, but Hagans looked to be running all the way. When a Colorado State defender cut Hagans' legs from under him, the ball went flying out of Hagans' arms.

    "I can't really tell you what I was thinking," Hagans said. "I just flung it."

    If the Cavaliers had recovered, it would have been fourth down and inches. Instead, CSU quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt ran out the clock.

    "It's a play a lot of teams use in that circumstance," Groh said. "We've been successful quite a bit with it in the past. It's kind of important not to get tackled on the field with the ball. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.

    "He's [Hagans] a pretty bold player. He's got a good level of self-confidence. I think it's that mentality and that self-confidence that got the ball down there in the first place. I don't second-guess what he did."

    It was the first college appearance for Hagans, a redshirt freshman. Virginia used 10 true freshmen, including Lundy, who had a team-high 94 yards on 20 carries.

    "They had a nice start," Groh said, "but I tend to look more at what the team does right now than finding too many individual kudos."

 

 

Groh mixes up Cavs' lineup in early going
 

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   CHARLOTTESVILLE - By the time 2001 rushing leader Alvin Pearman made his first appearance Thursday night against Colorado State, Virginia already had used two other tailbacks.

    Pearman, who entered the game as a punt returner, promptly let a ball slip through his hands at the UVa 10-yard line and the Cavaliers were unable to recover.

    Virginia coach Al Groh, who surprised some with his choice of Matt Schaub to start the 2001 opener at quarterback, went with little-used tailback Marquis Weeks against the Rams.

    Weeks, a sophomore, carried four times for 16 yards during the entire 2001 season.

    After carrying once for 2 yards Thursday night, Weeks gave way to freshman Wali Lundy, whose first play had come as UVa's return man on the opening kickoff.

    By the midpoint of the second quarter, four UVa tailbacks had carried the ball from scrimmage.

    Lundy was one of eight true freshmen who played for UVa in the first quarter, two of them as starters, Kwakou Robinson at defensive end and D'Brickashaw Ferguson at right offensive tackle.

    Also seeing action in the first quarter were punter Tom Hagan, outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock, defensive end Braden Campbell, running back Michael Johnson and defensive end D.J. Bell.

    A ninth freshman, fullback Jason Snelling, entered the game on the first play of the second quarter. Willie Davis made it 10 on UVa's kickoff after the touchdown that made it 7-6.

    HAGAN ACTIVE EARLY: Only 25 seconds had elapsed when Hagan, from Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, was summoned for the first time. Hagan punted three times by the end of the quarter, including a 49-yarder to end the period.

    Hagan's first two punts, a 35-yarder and a 31-yarder, were end-over-end efforts. His 49-yarder landed close to the Colorado State 10-yard line before eluding the return man and UVa's coverage team, bounding into the end zone.

    THE OTHER KICKERS: Sophomore Bryan Smith made the first appearance of his career when he kicked the extra point after the touchdown scored by his former Hampton High School teammate, quarterback Marques Hagans. Redshirt freshman Kurt Smith was the choice for the ensuing kickoff.

    BACK IN VIRGINIA: Maybe the only member of the Colorado State traveling party with a Virginia connection was seventh-year Rams assistant Dan Hammerschmidt, who had not returned to the Old Dominion since he left VMI two days before the start of spring practice in 1996.

    Hammerschmidt, who coached the VMI secondary during the 1994-95 seasons, had been promoted to defensive coordinator by then-Keydets coach Bill Stewart when he was invited to return to Colorado State, where he had been a four-year starter at defensive back.

    "We had just finished our playbook and Sonny [ Lubick ] called," Hammerschmidt said. "I struggled for about three or four days on that decision because Stew was such a good, loyal guy to me. It was my alma mater. Bill understood. I couldn't turn this down.

    "I liked my time at VMI. There's something about that place. It's hard to win there, it's hard to recruit and all the rest of that and I know those guys are struggling, but there's some pride to that dang place. It was fun to coach there."

    STAFF STUFF: Colorado State receivers coach Matt Lubick has the same position under his father, Sonny, that Virginia assistant Mike Groh has under his father, UVa head coach Al Groh.

    "The same goes for the pro team in our state," said Al Groh, referring to the Washington Redskins, whose headquarters are in Ashburn. Steve Spurrier Jr. is the receivers coach for his father and namesake, the Redskins' first-year coach.

    UVa NEXT WEEK: The Cavaliers will visit third-ranked Florida State on Saturday, Aug.31, at 3:45 p.m. The Seminoles open the season Saturday against Iowa State in the Eddie Robinson Classic.

 

 

10 'true' freshmen? It could be more

Garden state a garden spot for Cavs?

By DOUG DOUGHTY
 Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays

What would have been the odds last spring that Virginia would play 10 true freshmen in its opening game and that none of them would be Ahmad Brooks or Kai Parham?

By then, UVa fans were starting to realize that Brooks might not meet NCAA eligibility requirements but the extent of Parham's back problems did not become evident till around the time of the Virginia High School Coaches' Association all-star games.

The questions now are if and when Parham starts practicing and whether he will be able to play this season. As for Brooks, he still needs to get the required test score at Hargrave Military Academy before he can enroll at UVa in time to go through spring practice.

If Angelo Crowell and Merrill Robertson can stay healthy, Virginia might be able to survive the absence of its two prize linebacker recruits, but the Cavaliers have no choice other than to play the "true" freshmen at some positions.

Groh said 10 or more true freshmen will play tonight (Thursday) against Colorado State. After consulting with media gadfly Jeff White, who saw more preseason practices than I did, here's one man's guess as to their identity:

1) P Tom Hagan
2) DE Kwakou Robinson
3) PR-RB Wali Lundy
4) KR-RB Michael Johnson
5) OLB Darryl Blackstock
6) OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson
7) DE Braden Campbell
8) FB Jason Snelling
9) CB Marcus Hamilton
10) DL Ron Darden.

There are another four or five players who could get in the game depending on the status of the players in front of them: DL D.J. Bell, WR Ron Morton, OL Brad Butler and S Willie Davis.

Parham definitely will not play. Players likely to be redshirted are S Lance Evans, RB Tony Franklin, QB Anthony Martinez, CB Stefan Orange, OL Damian Spradlin, OL Brett Tobin and WR Kenneth Tynes.

The Gadfly tells me that Davis is ahead of Evans, but, with three senior safeties -- actually four, counting special teams specialist Alex Seals -- it's not necessary that any of them play.

Orange is making the transition from safety to corner and Tynes from tailback to wideout. Tobin was hurt and Spradlin did not meet conditioning standards and actually left the team for one or two days. Groh has indicated that Franklin is a likely redshirt candidate and that he would like to redshirt Martinez.

Groh has said he plans to play as many as six or seven defensive lineman, a number that would have to include Bell and Darden, but Groh hasn't ruled out the possibility that, say, a Darden could play this season and redshirt next year. That's what Groh did last year with nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, who played sparingly in 2000 as a true freshman under George Welsh.

Robinson and Hagan are the only sure starters, if you classify a punter as a starter, but you can't rule out any surprises. Groh said last week that Ferguson is pressing redshirt freshman Brian Barthelmes at left tackle and there has been a persistent buzz that Lundy is pressing Pearman for the starting tailback job.

A possible surprise among Groh's 10 true freshmen who could see playing time? It could be walk-on linebacker Mark Miller. With Brooks and Parham unavailable, Miller is the kind of player who could fill in this year and take a redshirt year later in his career.

JUDGING BY THE PRESEASON issue of SuperPrep that arrived in the mail this week, New Jersey has emerged as the state with the second-highest number of Virginia recruiting targets.

The state's No. 2-rated prospect, Irvington defensive tackle Nate Robinson, is among those with UVa on his list. Others include No. 4 Jeff Zuttah, an offensive lineman from the Hun School; No. 6 Jermaine Dias, a linebacker from Hackensack; No. 7 Dan Mazan, an offensive lineman from Carteret; No. 8 Derrick Harper, a wide receiver from Montclair; No. 9 Jesse Holley, a wide receiver from Roselle; and No. 10 Joe Kedra, a linebacker from Cherry Hill.

Those seven made SuperPrep's preseason All-America team and the Cavaliers also are being mentioned with No. 14 Andre Callender, a running back from West Orange; No. 15 Albert Young, a running back from Moorestown; No. 16 James Townsend, a wide receiver from Delran; No. 21 James Stevenson, a linebacker from Franklinville; as well as eight other players in the 26-40 range.

UVa already has commitments from No. 19 Gordie Sammis, an offensive lineman from Somerville; and No. 33 Marvin Richardson, a defensive end from East Orange.

SuperPrep says Virginia is the favorite with Dias, Townsend and No. 31 Mike Loree, a 6-5, 220-pound quarterback from Morristown, although recent Internet posts indicate North Carolina will be a player with Dias. UVa has an in with Townsend, who was a teammate of the Cavaliers' Lundy last year at Holy Cross High School.

One thing that comes out in the Superprep player capsules is the strong interest that Maryland has been able to generate, apparently on the strength of last year's ACC championship. Harper and Holley both are said to be favoring the Terps.

 

 

Good till . . . the last drop
Giveaway at goal line leaves Scott Stadium crowd stunned
 
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER		 Aug 23, 2002
 
 
 
COLO. ST. 35 VIRGINIA 29
dropped back on third and goal from the 3, then took off for the end zone.

 

He didn't make it. Hagans was hit near the goal line and lost the football. The Rams recovered at the 1 with 10 seconds left, and the tension that had gripped the crowd of 57,120 drained out of Scott Stadium. Colorado State ran out the clock to seal its 35-29 victory in the first meeting between these teams.

"I expected that we would win the game," said Al Groh, U.Va.'s second-year coach. "I thought we'd play better than what we did, so to be that close and not win the game, I think we're all very disappointed."

On this sweltering night - the temperature at game time was 97 degrees - Hagans' turnover was the Cavaliers' fifth overall and second in the final four minutes.

CSU scored two of its three touchdowns on big plays in the second quarter: a 72-yard run by tailback Cecil Sapp and a 34-yard pass from Bradlee Van Pelt to wideout Joe Cuppari.

"The most disappointing part was after months of emphasis - those were really the two primary targets of the team - was turning the ball over five times and giving up two long plays," Groh said.

U.Va. will be happy never to face CSU kicker Jeff Babcock again. The sophomore from Tampa, Fla., was 5 for 5 on field goals, connecting from 28, 27, 38, 46 and 28 yards.

After Babcock's 46-yarder made it 32-29 with 4:07 left, Virginia got the ball back with no reason to panic. After all, it had rallied for last-minute victories against Clemson and Georgia Tech in 2001. But junior Matt Schaub, who started at QB, badly overthrew Billy McMullen on second down, and his pass was intercepted and returned to the U.Va. 4.

The Cavaliers' exhausted defense found the energy to keep the Rams out of the end zone, but Babcock's fifth field goal made it 35-29.

U.Va. took possession with 2:09 left, and this time Groh turned to Hagans, who had played brilliantly off the bench. The redshirt freshman from Hampton High again sparkled, moving the Cavaliers 79 yards to the CSU 3 before running out of heroics.

Hagans, who led Virginia on two touchdown drives, completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and rushed 11 times for 45 yards and one TD. He also threw a 2-point conversion pass to McMullen that gave U.Va. a 29-22 lead with 10:54 left.

"He kind of caught us off balance when he came into the game," Rams coach Sonny Lubick said. "He's quick."

The departure of Bryson Spinner was supposed to ensure that U.Va. wouldn't have a quarterback controversy this season. Hagans may have something to say about that.

"You can see he brings some skills to the team," Groh said. "The plan was to use him, and I'm sure we will continue to do that."

Schaub, who was 8 for 14 passing for 73 yards and one TD, looked sharp on the two drives on which he guided the Cavs to touchdowns. At other times, however, he looked out of sync and a step slow.

The Cavs turned the ball over three times in the first half, and the Rams turned those mistakes into 10 points and a 19-7 halftime lead.

The game's biggest sequence, though, might have come midway through the fourth quarter. With the score 29-29, U.Va. seemingly had Colorado State trapped. The Rams faced first and 32 from their 4-yard line. Somehow they gained 33 yards on their next three plays. The drive finally stalled, but not before Babcock drilled the field goal that proved decisive.

Sapp and Van Pelt also played starring roles for Mountain West Conference power CSU. Showing no ill effects of the foot injury that sidelined him last season, Sapp carried 25 times for 178 yards and two TDs. Van Pelt completed 17 of 27 passes for 229 yards and one TD.

For Virginia, 10 true freshmen played, and many distinguished themselves. Wali Lundy, who replaced Marquis Weeks at tailback after U.Va.'s first series, carried 20 times for 94 yards. Another first-year tailback, Michael Johnson, gained 37 yards on five carries, had two catches for 11 yards and returned a punt 38 yards.

Sophomore tailback Alvin Pearman fumbled away a first-half punt but redeemed himself by rushing nine times for 54 yards and two TDs. Virginia totaled 237 yards rushing, by far the most in its 13 games under Groh.

The Cavaliers' receiving corps, however, was uncharacteristically quiet. Virginia's leading receivers were Pearman (four catches for 60 yards) and redshirt freshman tight end Heath Miller (four catches for 42 yards and one TD).

Of the wideouts, McMullen had three catches, Ottowa Anderson one and Michael McGrew none. McMullen and Anderson each fumbled away the ball in the first half.

 

 

U.VA. NOTES
 

 		 Aug 23, 2002
 
YOUNG BLOOD: Virginia coach Al Groh said he had no plans to put his heralded freshman class in the Witness Protection Program. He wasn't kidding.

In last night's Jim Thorpe Classic, four newcomers started for U.Va. against Colorado State: D'Brickashaw Ferguson at offensive tackle, Kwakou Robinson at defensive end, Wali Lundy at kick returner and Tom Hagan at punter. Six other true freshmen played from scrimmage or on special teams: Michael Johnson, Darryl Blackstock, Willie Davis, D.J. Bell, Braden Campbell and Jason Snelling.

U.Va.'s Alvin Pearman was a true freshman when he returned the opening kickoff 61 yards in the 2001 opener against Wisconsin. Until last night, though, a decade had passed since a Virginia true freshman - wideout Demetrius "Pete" Allen in 1992 - had started on offense or defense in an opener.

Robinson also became the first true freshman to start the opener on defense for Virginia since cornerback Kevin Cook in 1986.

Blackstock recorded his first sack midway through the second quarter. He had a tackle for a loss on the final play of the half. He ended with six tackles.

Lundy finished with 184 yards of total offense: 94 rushing, 20 receiving and 70 on kickoff returns.

DENVER, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: Colorado State's walk-through at Scott Stadium started around 10:15 Wednesday night, but not by design. The Rams had scheduled their light practice for several hours earlier, but plane trouble delayed their arrival in Charlottesville.

CSU's traveling party was aboard its chartered flight at the Denver airport about 11:15 a.m. (Mountain Time) Wednesday when it learned the plane couldn't depart because it didn't meet the FAA's new weight restrictions. About 75 minutes later, the plane finally took off, but about a half-hour into the flight, the plane turned around and headed back to Denver.

The pilot announced to his passengers that the plane was reversing course because of a problem with its cooling system, but the Rams later learned it was because one of the engines had failed. The team boarded another plane in Denver and, after about 40 minutes, took off around 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time. The Rams landed in Charlottesville some five hours later, around 9:30 p.m. local time.

BRIEF APPEARANCE: Groh said last month that Pearman would start at tailback against CSU, but redshirt sophomore Marquis Weeks got the call. Weeks played only one series, though, before Lundy replaced him. Weeks gained 2 yards on his only carry.

FIRST AND LONG: The surprise guest in the video shown to the crowd before the game was Howie Long, the former NFL great who now lives in the Charlottesville area. Long has supported U.Va.'s program since moving to the area.

WISE CHOICE: Groh didn't don his trademark gray sweatshirt last night, perhaps because it was 97 degrees at game time. He opted for a polo shirt.

CSU coach Sonny Lubick on the weather: "Being on the sidelines, that was about as humid as we've played in. I don't know if you can ever get used to this stuff."

FOCUSED: Former U.Va. star Germane Crowell plays in the NFL, and his younger brother Angelo expects to join him there next season.

Angelo Crowell knows, however, that he needs to banish thoughts of the NFL from his mind this season. His coach has preached that to the senior linebacker, too. Groh spent 12 seasons as an NFL assistant and was the New York Jets' coach in 2000.

"There's a lot of distractions for players," Groh said, "whether they're self-manufactured or manufactured by other people: stats to make an all-star team, the circling of agents, [questions such as] 'Am I going to make this all-star game?' or 'How is my performance going to affect my draft potential?'

"The reality is, these things are out there and can be on people's minds. I told him the best way to enhance his status is to walk in every day and say to himself, 'What can I do to help my team win?' If he can do that, ultimately that will help his performance rating and his career."

PENINSULA PIPELINE: Hampton High has five of its former stars on the U.Va. roster, the most of any high school. The ex-Crabbers are Elton Brown, Almondo Curry, Marques Hagans, Bryan Smith and Raymond Mann. Three Cavaliers are from Newport News' Heritage High: Blackstock, Johnson and Chris Williams.

UP NEXT: The Cavaliers (0-1) begin ACC play Aug. 31 at Florida State, where they're 0-5. The third-ranked Seminoles open Saturday against Iowa State in the Eddie Robinson Classic at Kansas City, Mo. FSU hammered U.Va. 43-7 at Scott Stadium last fall.

 

 

In Opener, Cavs Get Rammed
Colorado State 35, Virginia 29
   

By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, August 23, 2002; Page D01

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Aug. 22 -- When Virginia Coach Al Groh agreed to host Colorado State in the first game of the college football season, he said he wanted two things: a challenge and a win. He got the former, but fell one yard shy of the latter tonight at Scott Stadium.

The Rams, picked by many to be the best team in the Mountain West Conference, survived six lead changes and escaped the Jim Thorpe Classic with a 35-29 win after Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans fumbled one yard away from a touchdown that would have won the game.

Hagans's fumble was the fifth turnover of the game for the Cavaliers (0-1) and a sour final note for a 5-foot-10 redshirt freshman who dazzled at times in his first college playing time.

On third and goal with 21 seconds remaining, Hagans took the snap at the 3-yard line and sprinted right. Swarmed around the line of scrimmage, he blindly tried to fling the ball to a teammate, figuring the clock would run out if he was tackled in bounds. Virginia had just used its final timeout.

"The main thing was not to get sacked," said Hagans, who completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and added 47 rushing yards. "When [the Colorado State player] grabbed me, I tried to get rid of it."

Hagans's mere presence on the field, let alone in the 81-yard, game-breaking drive, was something of a surprise. Groh praised redshirt junior Matt Schaub throughout the offseason and told reporters he was happy to not have a repeat of last season's platoon, in which Schaub and the since-departed Bryson Spinner each started six games.

Less than a minute into the second quarter tonight, he brought in Hagans.

Groh said after the game he had in fact planned all along to alternate the two quarterbacks tonight, a switch that Colorado State Coach Sonny Lubick said caught the Rams (1-0) "off balance."

Hagans was arguably the most important of several Virginia rookies who contributed heavily tonight. True freshman tailback Wali Lundy ran for 96 yards and Michael Johnson had 37, plus a scintillating 38-yard punt return. Outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock made six tackles, including two for losses, and added a sack.

But the Cavaliers could not overcome four fumbles and a Schaub interception. The Virginia defense held strong deep in its own territory a handful of times but wore down in the second half, allowing Rams tailback Cecil Sapp a career-high 178 yards on only 25 carries. Quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt also set personal bests with 229 yards on 17-for-27 passing.

"The most disappointing point was after months of emphasis, we turned the ball over five times and gave up two long plays on defense," Groh said.

Sapp had the first of those big plays, bouncing off a pileup at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter and sprinting 72 yards for the touchdown that gave the Rams a 19-7 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Cavaliers regrouped from their three first-half fumbles and crafted touchdown drives on their first three possessions to take a 29-22 lead. Schaub, who was 8 of 14 for 73 yards passing, engineered the first two drives before Hagans returned for a 79-yard drive capped by Alvin Pearman's second touchdown run.

But the Rams went 60 yards in 36 seconds to tie and pushed ahead for good on Jeff Babcock's 46-yard field goal with 4 minutes 7 seconds remaining. With 2:20 left, they increased the lead to 35-29 by converting another field goal after Schaub's interception.

"They just made more plays than we did," Cavaliers wideout Michael McGrew said.

When Virginia took over at its 18 with 2:10 remaining, Groh sent Hagans back out for the final series because "he seemed to be doing well." He came up just short.

"I am not a 'silver lining' coach," Groh said. "I expected that we would win the game. I thought we played well and to not win the game is a disappointment."

 

 

They play beyond their years


By David Teel

Published August 23, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia's recent courtship of Peninsula quarterbacks did not go well. Ronald Curry matriculated at North Carolina, Michael and Marcus Vick at Virginia Tech.

But wait. Remember Hampton High's Marques Hagans? Followed Curry on Queen Street, prepped for a year at Fork Union, signed with Virginia and redshirted last season. Folks questioned his arm strength and bemoaned his size.

Not now. And perhaps never again. Not after Thursday's season-opener against Colorado State at Scott Stadium.

Yes, his gallant attempt at engineering a last-second, game-winning, 82-yard touchdown drive ended with his fumble inside the 1-yard-line. Yes, the Cavaliers lost 35-29.

But the young man can play.

Same goes for a host of other Cavaliers freshmen, many from our little corner of the globe. They could not prevent defeat Thursday, but they sure sent a buzz through the crowd.

"Tonight," freshman tailback Michael Johnson said, "you saw a flash of the future."

Such may be the year's theme in Charlottesville: encouraging future, discouraging results.

Virginia's media guide cover guys, senior linebacker Angelo Crowell and senior receiver Billy McMullen, performed below expectations. But the Peninsula freshmen: wow.

Hagans, 5-feet-10, was darn-near flawless while sharing time with incumbent starter Matt Schaub. Hagans passed for 120 yards, ran for 45, energized his teammates and created a quarterback debate that's sure to fester on talk radio and the Internet for months.

"He's not as big as Schaub, he's not as experienced as Schaub, he's just an athlete," Johnson said. "He knows how to make plays."

When Virginia fell behind 22-21 late in the third quarter, coach Al Groh called on the playmaker. Hagans promptly guided a 79-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead.

Hagans completed all three of his passes during the series and added a two-point conversion pass to McMullen to give the Cavaliers a 29-22 edge that lasted, courtesy of the defense, 36 seconds.

Hagans first took over the offense to start the second quarter, and eight plays later the Cavaliers scored their first touchdown. On the 44-yard drive, Hagans carried four times for 27 yards, completed his only pass -a 12-yarder to Heath Miller -and scored on a 1-yard option run.

Not a bad debut.

Hagans' next two series appeared end-zone bound, also. But on third-and-inches, Ottowa Anderson fumbled away a completion from Hagans.

How's that for confidence in a rookie? Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave disdained a conservative run on third-and-short, calling a play-action pass instead.

Virginia's next possession ended on McMullen's fumble, which came after another Hagans completion. But Hagans' most picturesque throw was his only incompletion of the half - a deep post that glanced off the diving McMullen's fingertips near Colorado State's 10-yard line.

Hagans certainly wasn't alone among the rookies.

Linebacker Darryl Blackstock from Heritage High sacked Bradlee Van Pelt in the second quarter and concluded the first half by tackling Henri Childs for a 1-yard loss. Johnson, also from Heritage, gained 8 yards on his first collegiate carry, 15 on his first reception, 38 on his first punt return.

"It was just like high school again," Johnson said.

But as striking as the rookies were (another freshman, New Jersey native Wali Lundy, rushed for 94 yards), they couldn't overcome a defense that yielded 6.1 yards per play and allowed Colorado State to climb out of a first-and-32 hole midway through the fourth quarter. Hagans, however, came oh-so-close before fumbling on third-and-goal with 10 seconds remaining.

"It's tough what happened on that last play," Johnson said. "But he's gotta bounce back from that."

Bounce back in a hurry. Virginia travels to Florida State next week.

Mike Smith, Hagans' coach at Hampton High, has no doubts.

"That's the thing about Marcus," Smith said Thursday night. "He doesn't fear anything. He plays the game for the fun of it."

Given its youth and schedule, Virginia, 5-7 in 2001, is probably headed for its first consecutive losing seasons since 1981-82. But if Thursday is any indication, the ride is gonna be wild, with some Peninsula products riding shotgun.
 

 

 

U.Va. falls by a foot
Hagans-led drive ends up just short


By Dave Johnson
Daily Press

Published August 23, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia coach Al Groh says he isn't "a silver-lining kind of guy." If he were, he'd no doubt point out the amazing poise rookie quarterback Marques Hagans showed or the 131 combined rushing yards he got from true freshmen Wali Lundy and Michael Johnson.

Nope, Groh knows that turning the ball over five times and giving up a pair of long touchdowns is a classic recipe for failure. All the good things to come from the Cavaliers' season opener - and there was plenty of good - couldn't overcome that.
Colorado State place-kicker Jeff Babcock made two of his five field goals in the final 4:07 as the Rams broke a tie game and held on for a 35-29 victory Thursday night at Scott Stadium. Hagans, who got a large amount of playing time, had the Cavaliers three yards from a potential game-winning touchdown but fumbled at the goal line with 10 seconds left.

"I expected to win the game, and I thought we'd play better than we did," Groh said. "I tend to look more overall at how the team does, and at this particular point I can't find too many kudos. We did a lot of positive things, but they were negated by the turnovers and giving up two easy long touchdowns."

As he predicted, Groh played 10 true freshmen Thursday night. Lundy rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries and Johnson added 37 on five attempts plus a 38-yard punt return. But it was a redshirt freshman who nearly lifted the Cavaliers to a comeback victory. Hagans, who followed Ronald Curry at Hampton High, split time with starter Matt Schaub and completed 10-of-13 passes for 120 yards. He also rushed 11 times for 45 yards.

Groh juggled the two for most of the night and went with Hagans when the Cavs took over at their own 18-yard line with 2:09 remaining and CSU leading by six. After a roughing-the-passer penalty gave Virginia new life, Hagans completed back-to-back passes to Alvin Pearman covering 39 yards. After three Lundy carries, the Cavs had first-and-goal from the Ram 7-yard line with 42 seconds left.

Lundy moved it to the 5, then Hagans gained a couple of yards on a rollout. After a Ram timeout, Hagans sprinted right on the option pass. The cardinal rule was not to get sacked and, as a CSU defender wrapped him up, Hagans said he "flung" the ball forward. It was recovered near the goal line by Colorado State safety David Vickers.

"I just tried to get rid of it," Hagans said. "It's really disappointing."

But with Hagans' strong night and Schaub's mediocre one - 8-of-14, 73 yards, one crushing interception - Groh is guaranteed to be asked about the quarterback situation next week. Just as it appeared settled.

"Our plan was to use him," Groh said of Hagans, "and I'm sure we'll continue to do that in the future."

The Cavaliers rushed for 221 yards, more than in any game last season. But defensively, some of the same old problems that haunted Virginia in 2001 were evident. CSU tailback Cecil Sapp gained 178 yards, 72 coming on a second-quarter touchdown run in which he was all but stopped at the line of scrimmage. Bradlee Van Pelt was 17-of-27 for 229 and rushed for 27 more.

A particularly galling moment for the Cavs' defense: With the game tied at 29-all near the 8-minute mark, CSU was backed up at its 4-yard line with a first-and-32. Three Van Pelt passes converted the first down and led to Babcock's tiebreaking field goal.
 

 

 

 

Two big plays prove costly for UVa in loss to Colorado St.
 Aug 23, 2002

 
CHARLOTTESVILLE - In the earliest start in college football history, the UVa defense was fully awake for its challenge.

With the exception of two big plays, UVa held its own in the first half. Cavaliers safety Jerton Evans (Jefferson Forest) assisted with recovering an early second-quarter fumble, leading to quarterback Marques Hagans' one-yard run for the first UVa score.

UVa did, however, fall short 35-29 to the Rams in the Jim Thorpe Classic.

Colorado State gained adequate field position in the first quarter, but had just two field goals to show for it.

UVa looked to shore up a vulnerable run defense and did so by holding touted Colorado State running back Cecil Sapp to 15 yards on his first seven plays. The Cavaliers held CSU to just 65 first-quarter yards on 19 plays.

Then Cecil broke the big play with a 72-yard rumble to paydirt to give the Rams a 12-0 lead early in the second quarter.

"We got two big plays on us and that's it," Evans said. "We proved we could play with them. We should have won."

That lead was lengthened to 19-0 when another UVa fumble led to a 34-yard strike from quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt to wide receiver Joey Guppari.

Despite sloppy play on offense - the Cavaliers were fumble-prone, coughing the ball up six times, but recovering three - the defense showed its heart and kept UVa within striking distance.

The defensive prowess rubbed off on the offense as the Cavaliers capitalized on a turnover to go ahead 21-19 in the third quarter.

The Cavalier defense, was then guilty of allowing Sapp's tying touchdown with 10:18 left in regulation. It took the Rams only three plays to cover 60 yards and tie the game at 29.

CSU's go-ahead field goal came with just four minutes remaining, powered by Sapp's hard-nosed running, though he was stopped on a crucial third down deep in UVa territory.

"All we got to do is stop the run and wrap up," Evans said. "We were hitting them all day. We just weren't wrapping up."

So does this boost confidence heading into Florida State?

"We'll boost ourselves during practice," Evans said. "We hope (this will build momentum)."

Evans had a shot at his first interception of the season when a pass off a CSU receiver's hand went up in the air, but the defender did not react quick enough.

The Lynchburg area is also represented on the UVa roster by offensive tackle Brad Butler (E.C. Glass), punter Bryce Coffee (E.C. Glass) and center Philip Sims (Brookville). Evans was the only local who played.