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Cavs' passing game suffers another loss
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published August 26, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Versatile fullback Jason Snelling, Virginia's fourth-leading receiver a year ago, will likely miss the season with an undisclosed medical issue.

Cavaliers coach Al Groh said that after meeting with Snelling, a sophomore who caught 31 passes last season, both agreed that sitting out the season would be the best plan.

"Jason's got some health issues that he's dealing with," Groh said Monday morning. "In order to give him the best opportunity to solidify those things, and at the same time concentrate on academics, right now our plan is to hold him (out) this year."

Snelling, who played in 2002 as a true freshman, would be able to take this year as a redshirt season. Groh added Snelling is doing some work with the team in practice.

Kase Luzar returns as the starting fullback with junior Brandon Isaiah as his backup. Marquis Weeks, a natural tailback, has been working some at fullback since spring.

The loss of Snelling is the second blow to Virginia's passing game in less than two weeks. Michael McGrew, the team's top returning receiver, was lost for the season with a broken leg on Aug. 13. Virginia's starting wideouts for Saturday's season opener against Duke are expected to be junior Ottowa Anderson, who has 29 catches, and senior Art Thomas, who had been a cornerback until last spring. Ryan Sawyer will be the first receiver off the bench, with freshman Ron Morton and sophomore Marques Hagans also on the depth chart.

BROOKS MOVES UP. True freshman inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks was elevated to first team on Friday, earning the orange jersey by beating out junior Bryan White.

"I called my brother and mom, and they were happy for me," Brooks said. "I'm happy, too, but I've got to keep it."

Groh has been happy with the way his prized rookie has adapted.

"What this player has been able to assimilate in a short period of time is quite extensive and very impressive," Groh said. "He plays on the regular defense, he plays on the nickel, he plays on the goal line, he plays on two special teams. He's been involved in 32 practice sessions and he's been exposed to a lot. I think what he's picked up has been very impressive."

HALEY OUT. The mystery surrounding outside linebacker Dennis Haley's lost sophomore season was cleared up Monday - at least somewhat. Haley started the 2002 season opener against Colorado State but didn't play the rest of the season. Groh never explained why, and the media guide's only explanation is "personal reasons."

It turns out that Haley had been declared ineligible by the NCAA after the Colorado State game and ordered to sit out a full season. Since he had already played against CSU, he must miss Saturday's opener against Duke.

He will be eligible to play against South Carolina on Sept. 6. Groh wouldn't explain why Haley was ineligible last season.

PLAY-CALLER? Still no word on who will call the offensive plays Saturday. Groh said the staff had a "rehearsal" Wednesday night, adding there will "probably be a definitive conclusion" this morning. The possibilities are new offensive coordinator Ron Prince and Groh himself.

 

 

 

Illness likely to sideline Snelling for season
By John Galinsky  / Daily Progress staff writer
August 26, 2003
 

Jason Snelling, one of many true freshmen to make a significant impact for the Virginia football team last season, likely will redshirt this year because of undisclosed medical reasons.
UVa coach Al Groh said Monday that Snelling “has health issues he’s dealing with” and probably will not play this season. Groh did not elaborate on the nature of the illness and Snelling was unavailable for comment.
The 6-foot-1, 228-pound fullback from L.C. Bird High School near Richmond emerged midway through last season to become a key figure in Virginia’s passing game. He finished with 31 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns.
Snelling had improved as a blocker and figured to see his role expand this season. But his illness frequently kept him from practicing this preseason, said starting fullback Kase Luzar, so the decision to take him off the depth chart did not come as a surprise to the players.
“Apparently the medicine he was taking wasn’t really working. Just from talking to him, I know he’s bummed,” Luzar said. “But I know he wants to get right and come back strong.”
Snelling certainly will sit out Saturday night’s season opener against Duke at Scott Stadium. He had a breakout game against the Blue Devils last season, catching five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Virginia’s 27-22 victory. That came in the season’s sixth game.
Snelling later had eight catches for 93 yards against Georgia Tech and seven receptions for 76 yards against Maryland. He missed the Continental Tire Bowl because of his illness.
His absence represents another blow to Virginia’s passing game. The Cavaliers lost their career receiving leader, Billy McMullen, to the NFL. Their top returning wideout, Michael McGrew, suffered a broken leg Aug. 12 and also is likely to redshirt this season.
Now Luzar’s backup is junior Brandon Isaiah, who saw limited action last year.
“Jason’s definitely going to be missed, especially with receiving and running the ball,” Luzar said. “We’re sad that he’s not playing and we all want him to get better.”

For starters. The Cavaliers had four true freshmen in the starting lineup for last year’s opening game — the first time any true freshman had started a season opener for Virginia in a decade.
At least one true freshman will be on the field with the first unit Saturday night. Inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks was given the orange practice jersey as a member of UVa’s starting defense last Friday, taking over the spot held by junior Bryan White.
“I was happy. I was excited,” said Brooks, the USA Today national high school defensive player of the year in 2001. He played at Hargrave Military Academy last fall while becoming academically eligible to enroll at UVa. “Knowing I’m a freshman and I’ll be starting the first game against Duke, it was a happy feeling for me.”
Brooks will play in the base 3-4 defense as well as in nickel and goal-line situations. He also is on the punt coverage unit.
“What this player has been able to assimilate in a short period of time,” Groh said, “is very extensive and impressive to me.”

Too deep. Notably absent from the two-deep chart that Groh released to the media Monday were a pair of juniors, linebacker Dennis Haley and safety Jay Dorsey.
Haley, expected to back up sophomore Darryl Blackstock at one outside spot, is ineligible for the opening game because of an NCAA ruling, Groh said. Haley played in the first game last year, then sat out the rest of the season for undisclosed academic reasons. The NCAA apparently suspended Haley for a full year, meaning he will be eligible to play at South Carolina next week.
Dorsey, meanwhile, earned the starting job at safety in the spring, but lost it to sophomore Willie Davis two weeks ago. Now Dorsey is behind both Davis and true freshman Robbie Catterton, who is likely to see action against Duke, Groh said.
All Groh said about Dorsey is that he “is working his way back onto the two-deep.”

Extra points. Groh declined to comment on Notre Dame transfer Chris Olsen, among the nation’s top quarterback recruits two years ago, until Olsen is officially enrolled as a student at Virginia. Olsen said he is planning to take classes at UVa this fall. After sitting out this season under NCAA transfer rules, he will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. … Groh said junior Marquis Weeks will be a starting kick returner along with either Davis or redshirt freshman Tony Franklin. … Senior center Kevin Bailey still has not received medical clearance because of an injured knee, but he will play against Duke if he is cleared this week, Groh said.

 

 

 

No surprise: Brooks earns starting job
By Jerry Ratcliffe  / Daily Progress sports editor
August 26, 2003
 

You could see it coming as far back as last December when linebacker phenom Ahmad Brooks entered Virginia at mid-semester to get a jump on his football career.
Brooks, perhaps the most talked about recruit at UVa since Terry Kirby in 1989, was determined to become indoctrinated into the Cavaliers’ program, take part in winter workouts, spring drills and learn Al Groh’s 3-4 defense inside and out.
He drew oohs and aahs from Wahoo fans attending the spring festival with his incredible speed for an inside linebacker. From that moment, you knew there was no way Ahmad Brooks could be denied a starting spot early this season.
Too early?
For some, maybe even Brooks, it came earlier than many expected when Groh’s depth chart listed the true freshman as one of the Hoos’ starting inside linebackers for Saturday night’s season opener against visiting Duke.
Groh and defensive coordinator Al Golden informed Brooks over the weekend that he would start against the Blue Devils. When the rookie returned to his dressing quarters in the locker room, an orange jersey, symbolic of a starting job, was hanging in his spot.
“I was very surprised but yet it was something I really wanted,” said Brooks, who said last week that he had not been a second-stringer since his freshman year at Hylton High in Northern Virginia.
The son of former Washington Redskins’ defensive tackle Perry Brooks, the youngster said that his early admission into UVa from Hargrave Military Academy was instrumental in the success he has experienced thus far. Brooks signed with the Cavs out of Hylton but he needed a semester at prep school to get up to speed academically.
“Coming in early I got to work out, I had the time to sit down one-on-one with the coaches to talk about the defense, and the players helped me out with the defense as well,” Brooks said. “It was a big step for me to come in here in January.”
Consistency
There was really no way Groh could keep him out of the lineup. Brooks knew he would be getting a lot of snaps on Saturday night but he didn’t know he’d be starting.
What pushed Groh to insert the young star into the lineup so soon?
“A higher level of consistency,” the coach said. “What this player has been able to assimilate in quite a short period of time is quite extensive and very impressive to me.
“[Brooks] plays on the regular defense, he plays on the nickle, he plays on goal line, he plays on two special teams. He has been involved in 34 practices. He has been exposed to an awful lot. I’m very confident he’ll get off to a good start.”
There is a lot of pressure on Brooks. He was USA Today’s National High School Defensive Player of the Year at Hylton. At Hargrave, his legend grew when his coach called him a “freak of nature,” because of his amazing speed.
The speed is still there at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds. He’s the type of linebacker, who if he intercepts a pass, just might take it
to the house.
Yes, there is pressure, but Brooks is unfettered by all the attention.
“Being so highly recruited my senior year, there’s more attention on me,” Brooks said.
“But I put more pressure on myself than anybody else puts on me. I’m going to be out there doing my best.”
He believes the young trio of himself, inside linebacker Kai Parham (a red-shirt freshman), and sophomore outside backer Darryl Blackstock have a bright future at UVa.
“We could be great ... we could really be great,” Brooks said. “We all have ability. The things we bring to the table are different. We’re still growing. We’re all trying to get bigger, stronger, faster. A couple of years down the road, we might be unstoppable.”

 

 

 

Virginia forward transfers
Vander Laan bound for Concordia College
By Andrew Joyner  / Daily Progress staff writer
August 26, 2003
 

Nick Vander Laan’s time on the East Coast, particularly in Virginia, didn’t last as long as expected.
Vander Laan, a native of Sacramento, Calif., who transferred from Cal to Virginia in April 2001, announced Monday that he will be transferring again, this time to Concordia College in Irvine, Calif.
At Concordia, which won the NAIA national championship last season, Vander Laan will have one season of eligibility remaining. He could not have transferred to any other Division I program and still have any eligibility remaining.
“We appreciate all that Nick did for us on and off the court the last two years,” Gillen said. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Calls to Vander Laan were not returned Monday. Vander Laan’s mother, Margaret, declined comment in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The 6-foot-10 Vander Laan averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 15.3 minutes during the 2002-03 season when he played in 31 games and started 14 for UVa.
He sat out the 2001-2002 season under NCAA guidelines. Vander Laan actually paid his own tuition that year as Virginia was over the limit of necessary scholarships at the time.
Virginia is scheduled to play at Loyola Marymount on Dec. 19 in a game that was supposed to be a homecoming of sorts for Vander Laan and former Cavalier guard Jermaine Harper, both California natives.
Harper, however, left UVa this past spring and has since transferred to the College of Charleston.
Vander Laan is the 12th player to leave the program with eligibility remaining since Gillen came to UVa in April 1998. Of those 12, Vander Laan is the fifth actually recruited by Gillen to depart for another school while a sixth, Roger Mason Jr., left after his junior season for the NBA.

 

 

 

Brooks slated to start in opener

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   CHARLOTTESVILLE - That didn't take long.

    When Virginia distributed a revised depth chart for its opening football game Saturday against Duke, one change caught everybody's attention.

    Ahmad Brooks, selected preseason ACC defensive newcomer of the year by The Sporting News, has moved ahead of junior Bryan White at inside linebacker.

    "I'm very confident that he'll [Brooks] get off to a good start," UVa head coach Al Groh. "Is he going to play the best that he'll ever play? That's problematic. Obviously, if we didn't think he'd play very well, we wouldn't have put him up there."

    Brooks was informed of the decision Friday in a meeting with Groh and defensive coordinator Al Golden. When Brooks arrived for practice Saturday, waiting for him was one of the orange practice jerseys reserved for the first-team defense.

    Brooks was rated the No.1 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times as a senior at Hylton High School in 2001. After spending a semester at Hargrave Military Academy, he enrolled at UVa last January and participated in spring practice.

    "What this player has been able to assimilate in a short period of time is quite extensive and very impressive," Groh said. "He plays on the regular defense, he plays on the nickel, he plays on the goal line, he plays on two special teams."

    At 6-foot-4 and approximately 250 pounds, Brooks has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his combination of size and speed.

    "If I could use one word to describe him, it would be 'extraordinary,'" UVa tailback Alvin Pearman said. "Ahmad is an animal out there. I don't like looking across the line at him. I'm glad he's on my team."

    Nobody would have been surprised to see Brooks pass White on the depth chart at some point, but Brooks described himself as excited, nervous and "very surprised" at the suddenness of his promotion.

    "I've got a pretty good grasp of what we're doing," he said. "By Saturday, I hope to have a pretty good idea of what Duke's going to be doing, but you know there's going to be some stuff we haven't seen before."

    ANOTHER BLOW: Coach Al Groh indicated that sophomore fullback Jason Snelling, who had 31 receptions in 2002, has had a recurrence of the seizures that kept him out of the Continental Tire Bowl and will not play Saturday night and probably not this season.

    Snelling has a redshirt year at his disposal, "but redshirt or no redshirt, he and I have discussed it and we think it's [not playing] in his best interest right now," Groh said.

    Walk-on Kase Luzar, who started seven games last year and has 18 career receptions, will start against Duke. Junior Brandon Isaiah will back him up and tailback-return specialist Marquis Weeks also is getting practice time at fullback.

    HALEY SAGA: Junior linebacker Dennis Haley learned at the conclusion of practice Saturday that he will be held out of the opening game because he was ineligible by NCAA standards when he played in the 2002 opener against Colorado State.

    "I guess, in the back of my mind, I knew that this could happen," said Haley, a Salem High School graduate who was on academic suspension for the final 13 games of the 2002 season. "I practiced all summer and never gave it much thought. I'm just counting down the days 'till we go down to Columbia [S.C.]."

    Groh said Haley would return to the Cavaliers' two-deep roster for a Sept.6 game at South Carolina. In Haley's absence, junior John Thompson, a walk-on from J.J. Kelly High School in Wise, will be Darryl Blackstock 's backup.

    ODDS 'N' ENDS: Jay Dorsey, a junior who was No.1 at one of the safety spots until last week, has fallen behind freshman Robbie Catteron and "is working to get back on the second team," Groh said. ... Fifth-year senior Kevin Bailey, who represents most of UVa's depth on the offensive line, still has not received medical clearance to play Saturday. Bailey underwent reconstructive knee surgery in the offseason. ... Groh said he would not have any comment on quarterback Chris Olsen, a transfer from Notre Dame, until Olsen is officially admitted to school.

    Olsen's brother, Greg, a tight end, also left the Notre Dame football team. He decided to transfer to Miami, the players' father, Chris Olsen Sr., said.

 

 

 

Virginia wouldn't be Franks' pick for opener
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Aug 25, 2003 : 11:19 pm ET

If Duke coach Carl Franks had his druthers, the Blue Devils wouldn't be opening their season against an ACC opponent -- much less a ranked ACC opponent such as Virginia.

Then again, if Franks had his druthers, the Blue Devils wouldn't be playing Virginia later in the season, either.

"Oh gosh, I wish we didn't have to play them at all," Franks joked Monday. "When you open up with a team the caliber of Virginia, at No. 18 in the country, that's pretty tough.

"I guess if you had your choice, you'd rather open up with a nonconference game and then build your way into the season -- kind of like the way most of the basketball teams do it. That type of schedule would probably be preferable, but I have no control over the conference schedule, so we'll just go play."

Ready or not, the Blue Devils travel to Charlottesville to face the Cavaliers on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Scott Stadium.

While Franks would probably love to flip-flop his team's first two games -- Duke opens its home schedule Sept. 6 against Western Carolina -- there actually might be some advantages to opening the season against a tough conference foe.

Specifically in the case of Virginia, the Cavaliers have struggled in season openers of late, dropping their last three -- including two at home.

More generally, it's common for teams to start out slowly: They're often either rusty or too riled up, making season openers an annual breeding ground for upsets.

Duke is listed as a 16-point underdog.

In addition, the underdog often benefits before the season opener from the chance to spend more time preparing for the opponent at hand. The Blue Devils started working on Virginia stuff in practice Wednesday; it's safe to say they won't look ahead to Western Carolina in practice this Wednesday.

"I guess that will help in the long run," safety Terrell Smith said. "It helps because you get maybe one or two extra days -- not much but a little bit more time to watch film and study up on them."

With nearly everyone back for Duke from last season, the group still has good vibes about season openers. This time last year, the Blue Devils stormed out to a 20-0 lead in the season opener against East Carolina and held on for a 23-16 victory, ending the nation's longest losing streak at 23.

Saturday, they'll attempt to end the longest ACC losing streak in league history at 25.

"Everywhere you look, every magazine you read, it's there," Smith said. "You can't run from it.

"We're just looking forward to breaking it."

NOTES--Opening the season with a conference game isn't new for the Blue Devils. Since Florida State joined the league in 1992, Duke has opened seven of the 11 seasons with an ACC game, going 1-6. It doesn't help that five of those seven openers were against FSU. n Virginia has opened the season against ACC teams four times in the same period, going 3-1. The Cavs' last conference opener came in 1999, a 20-17 victory at North Carolina.


 

 

Put up or shut up time?
By FRANK DASCENZO : The Herald-Sun
fdascenzo@heraldsun.com
Aug 25, 2003 : 11:20 pm ET

What's the difference between the football programs at Duke and Virginia?

Heck, that's easy. Virginia knows how to win, Duke doesn't. The Cavaliers, who've won 16 of the last 20 games with the Blue Devils, listened carefully to Matt Schaub's signal calling and scored 147 fourth-quarter points on their way to a 9-5 season in 2002.

Schaub, ACC player of the year, threw 28 touchdown passes and ushered the Cavaliers to four wins over ranked teams and three come-from-behind fourth-quarter wins. When asked if Schaub reminded him of anybody, Duke's fifth-year coach Carl Franks couldn't say. Or wouldn't say. Or didn't want to say.

Meanwhile, there was Duke and its red-zone misery, those 69 fourth-quarter points and that 2-10 record.

What else is the difference between Duke and Virginia in football?

That's even easier. The Cavaliers win close games and Duke loses close games. The swaggering Cavs beat Wake Forest by four points, Duke by five, Clemson by five, N.C. State by five and North Carolina by 10.

Duke lost to Northwestern by five points, N.C. State by two, Clemson by three and UNC by two.

While Franks tried to draw on similarities between the programs Monday -- Duke's habit of losing close games and Virginia's abilities to win them -- it became painstakingly obvious that the Cavs know how to do it and Duke doesn't.

Ask Franks what he needs, other than to end that painful Blue Devils 25-game ACC losing streak, and he'll be quick to tell you a close win over anybody. Right, preferably somebody good, like No. 18 Virginia on Saturday night in Scott Stadium.

This could be a good season-opening game, providing Franks' offense is better when opportunity knocks inside the opposing team's 20-yard line and his secondary doesn't get dizzy chasing Schaub's spirals. Inquiring minds want to know if Virginia, which played 14 true freshmen last season -- 12 recruits and a couple of walk-ons -- can sustain success, particularly without splendid wide receiver Billy McMullen (210 career catches, second-most in the ACC).

Virginians, with their orange-and-blue striped ties and an occasional flask seen popping out of those navy-blue blazers, should be happy with Al Groh as coach. Picked eighth in the ACC, Groh coached the Cavs to a second-place finish in 2002 after winning five games his first season, including two of the final three. In two seasons at Virginia, Groh's record is 14-12 (9-7 in the ACC) and his non-league schedules have included Virginia Tech (twice), Wisconsin, Penn State (twice), South Carolina and Colorado State.

Duke's decision to retain Franks and wait to see if he can produce with a veteran team could be the smart one if the Blue Devils can gain some confidence and -- as the doubters like to say -- learn how to win. So far Franks' teams haven't done that and their record, 5-40, proves it. While the nice Iron Dukes of the world remain patient for Franks, there are plenty who figure it's time that his program puts up or shuts up.

In fairness to Franks, he hasn't been blessed with easy openers -- three times with East Carolina and once with Florida State -- but at least he will have three winnable games after the trek to Charlottesville. Western Carolina, Rice and Northwestern all play in Durham and the three were a combined 12-22 last season.

Franks says there are "multiple problems'' with his red-zone offense. Lack of execution could generally summarize the problem but Duke has weapons heading into Charlottesville as an obvious underdog.

Bruising senior fullback Alex Wade and tailback Chris Douglas give Duke a nice running combination but remember, the Devils rushed for 158 yards vs. the Cavs last season (126 by Douglas) and still lost.

For sure, you can see that there are similarities between Duke and Virginia in football. But the Cavs clearly have a much better view.


 

 

 

Defense flashing stop sign
Cavs promise improvement
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 26, 2003
DUKE AT U.VA.
SATURDAY: 7 p.m. RADIO: WRVA (1140), 6

CHARLOTTESVILLE - In July, every college football team is unbeaten, and optimism runs high among players. Virginia cornerback Almondo Curry was no exception when he spoke to reporters at last month's ACC Football Kickoff.

"I think our defense could be great this year," said Curry, who was honorable mention all-ACC last season.

How about merely solid? That would give the 18th-ranked Cavaliers, who open at home Saturday night against Duke, a significantly better chance of reaching their lofty goals for this season. In 2002, Al Groh's team won nine games, but its margin for error was nearly nonexistent, partly because opponents routinely piled up hundreds of yards against the Cavaliers.

U.Va. surrendered an average of 424.6 yards in 2002. Only 17 teams in Division I-A allowed more. The Cavs were particularly inept against the run, allowing 208.9 yards per game, which ranked 108th in Division I-A.

Among the tailbacks who ran past U.Va. defenders were Colorado State's Cecil Sapp (178 yards rushing), Florida State's Greg Jones (173), Duke's Chris Douglas (126), Penn State's Larry Johnson (188) and Virginia Tech's Lee Suggs (108) and Kevin Jones (91).

Groh, whose coaching resume includes 11 seasons as a defensive assistant in the NFL, knows that's not acceptable.

"There haven't been very many championship teams that weren't real good defensively," Groh said. "If we want to be a championship team, we'll have to stop the run better than we've been able to the last two years."

The Cavaliers' top three tacklers in 2002 - linebackers Angelo Crowell (155) and Merrill Robertson (122) and safety Jerton Evans (116) - were seniors. Yet when asked yesterday how he felt about his defense, as compared to this time last year, Groh said, "A lot better."

A year ago, Virginia's defensive linemen entered the season with one start and 26 career tackles among them, and end Chris Canty had made 23 of those stops. Canty, however, was recovering from a broken leg, and he didn't play in the Cavaliers' first two games, losses to Colorado State and FSU.

Canty, now a 6-7, 285-pound junior, made the all-ACC second team in 2002. Also back are the other starting linemen, sophomore end Brennan Schmidt and junior nose tackle Andrew Hoffman. Their backups - sophomore ends Kwakou Robinson and Braden Campbell and sophomore nose tackle Melvin Massey - all played last season, too. Robinson, in fact, started six games.

"We're so far ahead of where we were last year," Canty said of the line. "We've got depth, we've got experience, we've got talent. The sky's the limit. We've just got to go out there and prove it."

Replacing Crowell and Robertson won't be easy, but in freshman inside linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham, Groh has two former Parade All-Americans who rank among the most heralded recruits ever to have entered U.Va. The 6-4, 249-pound Brooks is set to start against Duke, and the 6-3, 245-pound Parham will back up junior Rich Bedesem at the other inside spot. On the outside are senior Raymond Mann and 6-4, 242-pound sophomore Darryl Blackstock, who set an ACC record for a freshman with 10 sacks last season.

The first-team cornerbacks - Curry and fellow senior Jamaine Winborne - are back, and safety Willie Davis started five games as a true freshman in 2002. At the other safety is junior Jermaine Hardy, a converted cornerback whose play has impressed his coaches.

Virginia upset ranked opponents in three of its final four games last season, thanks in no small part to the contributions of coordinator Al Golden's defense. This group is bigger and faster and has a better grasp of the 3-4 scheme that Groh installed when he took over at U.Va. before the 2001 season.

The switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 was difficult, Bedesem said, only "because we were the first ones to learn it. We didn't have anyone to learn it from. It had to be all from the coaches, and if we wanted to do it on our own, we really couldn't talk to each other. Now the older players know it and can talk to the younger players about it. I think everyone just knows the system now."

 

 

 

Brooks in the Know, Will Start for Cavs
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, August 26, 2003; Page D08

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Aug. 25 -- Virginia freshman inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks began practicing with the first-team defense three days ago and will be in the starting lineup when the Cavaliers open the season Saturday night against Duke.

Brooks, the 2001 All-Met Defensive Player of the Year at Hylton, had been playing behind junior Bryan White as he learned the details of Coach Al Groh's 3-4 defense.

"He has all the talent, but he had to get the defense down," said junior Rich Bedesem, Virginia's other starting inside linebacker. "If you don't know your assignment, you can't play, no matter how good you are."

That's especially important at inside linebacker, where players not only have to know their own responsibilities on each play but also must get the linemen and other linebackers set and make any necessary pre-snap changes to the defense.

"What [Brooks has] been able to assimilate in a short period of time is quite extensive and very impressive to me," Groh said. "He plays on the regular defense, he plays on the nickel, he plays on the goal line, he plays on two special teams. . . . He's been exposed to an awful lot."

Said Brooks: "I'm very satisfied to get this [starter's] jersey. Right now I just need to keep it."

Meantime, Groh said he expects sophomore fullback Jason Snelling to sit out the season because of the undisclosed health issues that forced him to miss two games near the end of last season.

Snelling, who has a redshirt year available, emerged as a receiving threat last season and finished fourth on the team with 31 catches. Starting fullback Kase Luzar, a fifth-year senior, and junior backup Brandon Isaiah are better blockers than receivers.

Cavaliers Notes: Quarterback Chris Olsen's transfer from Notre Dame to Virginia is nearly finalized, Groh said. Olsen, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound New Jersey native, did not play as a freshman last season but was the offensive most valuable player of Notre Dame's spring game. He will have to sit out this season but would be in line to compete with Anthony Martinez and Kevin McCabe for the starting job in 2004 after senior Matt Schaub exhausts his eligibility. . . . Outside linebacker Dennis Haley will miss Saturday's opener to complete the suspension that began when the NCAA ruled him ineligible after the first game last season.