UVa offense may draw from ATMs
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
August 26, 2005

From our view in the press box over the past two years, it seemed like Virginia tight end Heath Miller was always open.
No wonder they called him “Big Money.” You can refer to him now as the National Bank of Pittsburgh after being picked as the Steelers’ first-round draft choice.
Does that mean his replacements at UVa, sophomores Tom Santi and Jon Stupar, will be called ATMs?

Big shoes to fill
It is difficult to replace a player of Miller’s status.
A consensus All-American and winner of the prestigious John Mackey Award, Miller left Virginia after his junior season of eligibility, holding practically every school and conference record for a tight end.
“I learned a long time ago that it’s unfair to players to say that you’re going to replace so-and-so,” coach Al Groh said. “Jon Stupar, Tom Santi and John Phillips [sophomore and former walk-on] are replacing Heath Miller. He was who he was and these guys are who they are.”
Who they are is a group of promising young prospects who all have good ball skills. They are all play-making tight ends, cut in the mold of a young Miller.
Stupar was the No. 1 tight ends prospect in the country his senior year at State College (Pa.) Area High School and could have signed with any football powerhouse in the country. But he liked the way Virginia used its tight ends and came to Cavalier Country.
Redshirted his freshman year, Stupar was expected to contribute last season, but he suffered a foot injury during training camp, eventually made it back to the playing field and reinjured it, later finding out that he had a rare condition that required offseason heart surgery.
Because of Stupar’s predicament, Santi was pressed into service as a true freshman last season, playing early as a tight end, then moving to fullback when Jason Snelling suffered an injury. The rookie from Nashville’s (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy caught 13 passes for 155 yards.

Tough to achieve
While they have big play capabilities, it will be a challenge to rack up Milleresque numbers: 144 catches,
1,703 yards and 20 TDs in three seasons. Last year alone, Miller hauled in 41 catches for 541 yards and five scores.
The other 10 ACC starting tight ends only had nine TD catches combined, and seven of those were by two of them. Only four tight ends had more than 150 yards last season and Miller’s 41 catches were eight more than six of the league’s other starting tight ends combined.
Heck, we won’t even go into Miller’s sophomore season when he caught a mind-boggling 70 balls for 835 yards.
As much as the Cavaliers utilized the tight end during Miller’s time in Charlottesville, that doesn’t mean we should expect the same results from the ATMs. Groh is quick to point out that Miller replaced Chris Luzar, who was more of a blocking tight end.
“Our tight end game became entirely different because we didn’t try to replace Chris and have Heath do Chris Luzar jobs,” Groh said. “We let him do jobs at which Heath Miller could excel. With these young players, we’re trying to take the same approach.”
These guys, these ATMs, are not wide bodies like Luzar and Pat Estes (who has been moved to tackle by the 49ers). Stupar (6-3, 250) and Santi (6-5, 225) are built more like Miller when he was a redshirt freshman (6-5, 256).
And while Miller was a constant threat, he was just one guy ... or, er, was he? Sometimes he seemed like two.
But should Virginia choose to go to a two tight end set that could present some real problems for the opposition. OK, how do you defend two play-making tight ends at the same time?
“It will be really interesting to see how defenses choose to cover that this year because there’s not many teams out there who have two tight ends that can get down the field fast like we can,” Stupar said.
Either one of them can present Excedrin Headache No. 79 to a defensive coordinator. But, how about two?
Both are versatile. Both can block. Both can get deeper into routes than most tight ends and can get there faster. Both can be classified as Good Hands People.
“They’ll make some catches that over the course of their careers, you all will say, ‘Boy, that was a really good catch,’” Groh said of the two.
Santi caught 78 passes for 1,055 yards and 12 TDs during his career while playing for former NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge at Montgomery Bell. Stupar had 75 catches his last two seasons at State College for 875 yards and a dozen scores.
The beauty of their early experience at UVa is that they also learned tricks of the trade from Miller and Estes.
“Coming out of high school you think you know so much when you get a scholarship, but when you actually get here, you really don’t know anything,” Stupar said. “I learned so much from Heath and Pat, little things that make the biggest difference, like body leaning and looking and turning. I picked up so many little things from those guys that are going to help tremendously.”
Ditto Santi on that and more.
“The biggest thing I learned from them was the work ethic and the way they approached every single practice, every weight lift,” Santi said. “Everything is 100 percent with them. You can translate that no matter what size you are ... to give 100 percent all the time.”
Santi said that all the game experience he gained last year, whether it was at tight end or fullback, was invaluable.
“Coach Groh says the more things you can do, the more help you are to the team,” Santi said. “Every bit of game experience you can get is going to help you down the road.”
He had to grow up in a hurry, too, because he saw playing time in the Cavaliers’ opener against Temple at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL’s Eagles. That’s a lot of mental pressure on a true freshman.
“[Estes] came over to me and said, ‘It’s the same game, just in a different stadium,’” Santi recalled of the pre-game warm-ups. “That helped me a lot. It settled my nerves.”
After missing all but two games last season because of the injuries and the subsequent discovery and repair of a heart problem, Stupar is hungrier than ever to make a contribution to the Wahoo effort.
“It’s really something coming back from two foot surgeries and a heart surgery and thinking for a second that your football career is over,” Stupar said. “You don’t take things for granted after that. You don’t know when your last day is going to come, so you’re giving it 100 percent every day. It’s a blessing to be out there on the field and playing ... I am enjoying every minute of it.”
Opposing defenses probably won’t share in that joy if the ATMs have anything to do with it.

 

Olsen, McCabe vying to be second on QB depth chart
By Sean McLernon / Daily Progress correspondent
August 26, 2005

It’s a question Kevin McCabe still has trouble answering.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound quarterback spent the first half of last season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Marques Hagans and had to be ready to come into the game at a moment’s notice and lead the Cavalier offense. But how can McCabe be expected to complete such a task with hardly any game experience?

“You just have to be as good as the number one guy,” McCabe said. “If the quarterback goes down, like coach says, it’s kind of like a NASCAR team and we’re the driver. You can’t really win a race without a driver; you need someone to drive the car.”

If Hagans is the veteran driver at the helm, McCabe and fellow backup Christian Olsen are the teenagers with new licenses waiting for their chance to get behind the wheel.

The two backups each saw limited action last season late in games when the Cavaliers were either winning leading or trailing by more than three touchdowns. McCabe played a total of five series last year over three games against Temple, North Carolina and Akron, completing 4 of 9 passes for

23 yards. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Olsen moved ahead of McCabe on the depth chart in early October and saw action against Florida State and Georgia Tech in addition to garbage time in the three games McCabe played in. He connected on 10 of his 12 passes for 88 yards.

Now the two signal callers are locked in a battle to be No. 2 - the man the team would turn to should anything happen to Hagans. Any Virginia fan that can remember back to the 2003 season understands how important it is to have a competent backup ready to step up when called upon.

After Matt Schaub went down with an injured shoulder in Virginia’s home opener against Duke that year, reserve Anthony Martinez came in and ran the Cavalier offense for three and a half quarters, leading his team to a 27-0 victory. The next week was a different story, however. Starting for the first time in his career, Martinez threw for only 54 yards and was intercepted twice as South Carolina upset visiting Virginia 31-10, dropping the Cavaliers out of the top 25, where they would stay for the majority of the season. The next week, then-wideout Hagans was under center and Martinez would never take the field for the Cavaliers again.

Both Olsen and McCabe were red-shirting that season for the Cavaliers. They witnessed first-hand how much of an impact a backup QB can have on a season.

“I don’t really think of it as pressure,” Olsen said “When we get in there, we’re just going to try and do our jobs, win the game and do whatever we can for the team.”

Olsen was called upon to fill in for Hagans unexpectedly against Florida State when the starting quarterback took a blow to the hip at the end of the third quarter. He threw for

47 yards and completed six of eight passes against the Seminoles, gaining experience that he feels will pay off in the long run.

“Last year I played enough that I feel comfortable getting in there,” Olsen said. “When you go down to Florida State, no matter how late in the game it is, it’s still loud, it’s a still a game experience with 90,000 fans looking on.”

As far as McCabe goes, the sophomore knows all he can do is make the best out of his practice time and show the coaches that he is as ready as he can be.

“Day-in, day-out it’s still a learning process, especially as quarterbacks, because we haven’t had much game experience,” McCabe said. “We’re just trying to do the best we can with the reps we are getting.”

So how do these quarterbacks make sure that they are truly ready when they have less than 60 minutes of playing time between them?

“Some things you just have to find a way and will your way to do it,” McCabe said.

After all, a car can’t go anywhere without a driver.

 

Johnson, Peerman try to work into running back mix
By Robert Lodge / Daily Progress correspondent
August 26, 2005

The success of the Virginia Cavalier running back corps over the past few seasons is the result of a simple philosophy: go forward.

“We just have one basic focus,” said junior tailback Michael Johnson. “We’re focused on going one direction, and that’s forward.”

The Cavaliers found success moving the ball ahead last season, racking up an ACC leading 242.8 yards per game and finding the end zone

34 times on the ground. In comparison, the UVa defense only allowed 10 rushing touchdowns all season.

While the Cavaliers return half of their highly touted tandem of tailbacks from the 2004 season in Wali Lundy, they will certainly miss out on the presence of running mate Alvin Pearman, who was drafted this past summer by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. The Draft also snagged the - quite literally - biggest piece of the team’s offensive line in guard Elton Brown, leaving the once steady running game with some question marks.

Despite the uncertainty, expectations have not lessened in the locker room.

“All respect to Alvin, he’s a great player, but I don’t honestly see any chance for us slowing down,” Johnson insisted. “If you talked to him, he’d probably say the same thing.”

Johnson’s confidence lies greatly in a strong belief in his own abilities. He quickly made a name for himself among the Cavalier community with his lightening speed, but has since failed to break his way into a permanent position on the first string offense.

Yet Johnson’s success in the time he has received leaves a number of Cavalier fans excited about the possibility of what he can bring alongside Lundy, who himself needs 1,379 yards to break Thomas Jones’ all-time rushing record and six touchdowns to break the career scoring mark set by Gene Mayer.

In 2004, Johnson rushed for 6.05 yards per carry, the third best average in the ACC for players with at least 50 carries. He showed flashes of brilliance in games against North Carolina, where he scored his first career touchdown, and Akron, where he compiled his first 100-yard game with an astounding average of 17 yards a carry.

Johnson’s speedy style meshes well with a power back like Lundy, giving the Cavaliers another strong 1-2 punch at tailback, which brings a smile to coach Al Groh’s face.

“We have pretty good candidates and we are not going to go through the year with one running back,” Groh confirmed before adding that “two or three will play.”

Even junior Fullback Jason Snelling, whose bruising play typically paves the way for the guys behind him, can expect to see significant action this year after spending some time working at tailback.

“[Snelling] has proven, when he is available, that he’s one of our best players,” said Groh. “He’s certainly a player we would consider [at tailback].”

The backfield becomes even more crowded with the emergence of red-shirt freshman Cedric Peerman, who many think will jump right into the action and compete for playing time. A consensus top-100 recruit out of high school, Peerman was a big get for Groh’s recruiting class two years ago. After red shirting a year to better acclimate himself to the college game, he has looked better suited for action.

With such a talented pool of tailbacks to choose from, its no wonder Johnson likes the team’s chances to outdo last year’s impressive statistics. And the offensive line?

“People keep saying all this stuff about how we won’t have any blocking this year,” Johnson complained with a grin. “But I’ve been watching them big boys work every day at practice, and I know I feel pretty safe. So I think it’s going to be a big year for us.”



 

Cavalier receivers continue improvement
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 26, 2005

It takes two to tango.

The same can be said for passing the football.

Someone must throw the ball and someone must catch the ball. Without both pieces of the puzzle an offense is left one-dimensional.

In eight games last season, Virginia needed not to worry about passing the football. The running game was that strong.

The Cavaliers rushed for 2,225 total yards for an average of 5.5 yards per carry in its eight wins.

Many skeptics said the running game excelled at the expense of the passing game.

Virginia coach Al Groh does not agree.

“I think we tried to do during the course of the season what we felt at the time we could do the best,” Groh said.

While the running game is expected to be one of the strong suits of the team again this season, quarterback Marques Hagans knows the passing game must be better if the Cavaliers are to vie for an ACC Championship.

Last season, Virginia averaged 180.5 yards per game through the air and struggled mightily at times to stretch the field.

In the Cavaliers four losses last season (Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech and Fresno State), only 17 of the

62 completions went for gains of 11 or more yards. Of those receptions, former tight end Heath Miller hauled in eight and five more were made by ex-tailback Alvin Pearman.

Throughout the summer, Hagans and a host of Virginia’s wide receivers, both returning and new options, worked in 7-on-7 drills to build timing and cohesion.

That work appears to be paying off. Groh has said numerous times throughout the preseason that he is pleased with the progression of the eight scholarship wideouts on the team.

“We have had good competition and we have had some guys step up their game here in camp,” Groh said.

Two players in particular have stepped “up their game” in the preseason: junior Deyon Williams and redshirt sophomore Emmanuel Byers.

Williams, who has 27 career receptions for 383 yards, was slowed for close to a week early in camp with a muscle pull but has since returned and shown a knack for making “the tough catch.” Groh has also praised Williams’ improved route running.

After redshirting in 2003, Byers appeared poised last year to contribute on offense. He made a reception in the season opener against Temple (14 yards) and three more against Akron for 16 yards.

As quick as Byers emerged, he disappeared. He not only failed to catch another pass but he was left off the travel squad for the Duke game.

“I was kind of inconsistent last year and that is a big part of why I didn’t play a lot,” said Byers, who said he is a different player now. “I feel a little more confident this year than I did last year. I am ready to contribute more this year than I did the last two years and I feel more comfortable with the offense. It is coming to me easier.”

Hagans said Byers was one of the best wide receivers in summer workouts.

“I think E.B. came out and set the tone early that he was going to get better,” Hagans said. “He has been working hard since 7-on-7 [drills]. He worked hard in the weight room as well. I think every major exercise that we do in the weight room … he increased his strength level.

“That right there says to me that he was trying to get better. Then he came out every day in 7-on-7 and continued to get better. He is working so hard and he is looking good in camp.”

In addition to Byers and Williams, Virginia has three other upperclassmen at wideout - senior Ottowa Anderson, junior Fontel Mines and sophomore Theirrien Davis.

Anderson is back after serving a one-year academic suspension and Groh has referred to his return as an NFL re-signing a veteran. Anderson, one of the best blocking wide receivers on the team, has a team-high 62 career receptions.

Mines has 13 career receptions. That number would likely be higher but he broke his collarbone in the season opener last year against Temple and missed the next five games. The 6-foot-4 222-pounder could emerge as a scoring threat in the red zone thanks to his leaping ability and height.

Davis started last season on the defensive side of the ball, but worked his way into the mix by the seasons’ end and started in Virginia’s bowl game against Fresno State. In that game, the speedster made a 15-yard reception and took an end around on the first play from scrimmage for 14 yards and a first down.

Virginia also added three other players who could emerge at the position either this season or in the future in Maurice Covington, Kevin Ogletree and Brandon Woods.

The youngsters have made a favorable impression on the teams’ quarterbacks.

“There is still a lot for [the rookies] to learn but they are eager to learn and they are out there competing hard everyday,” Hagans said. “I think they are progressing pretty well.”

Andrew Pearman has been working out at the spot too, but he will be forced to sit out this season, after transferring from Hawaii.

So, just how good can this unit be?

Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton, who practices against them daily, said very good.

“I think that actually might be one of our strong points this year on offense,” Hamilton said. “I think what coach [John] Garrett has been teaching them, they have been trying to use against us. It has been good. They have gotten me on a couple of off-the-ball moves. They are just working real hard.

“We have a big group so everybody is competing for playing time.”

 

Clark showing promise
The Rockbridge County graduate has been moved to outside linebacker in Virginia's 3-4 scheme.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When Al Groh was asked for his first impressions of Virginia's newcomers, he said that he was struck by the potential of some of the less-heralded members of the class.

He didn't name names, but it appears that Aaron Clark was one of the players to whom he was referring.

"We would be surprised if he wasn't in the two-deep for the first game," said Groh after the Cavaliers had been practicing for two weeks.

"From the time that he first arrived this summer, he has impressed everybody in the organization very positively."

Clark, who was measured at 6-foot-534 and 238 pounds in early August, played tight end and defensive tackle last year at Rockbridge County High School. Virginia immediately placed him at outside linebacker in its 3-4 defensive scheme.

"I love being out in space where I can move," Clark said. "I love being off the line. I love the 3-4 defense."

Clark was a second-team All-Group AA selection in 2003, when he had a staggering 24 tackles for a loss, including seven sacks. However, those numbers dropped in 2004 and so did his ranking among the state's top prospects.

"I had a few injuries; I was working to learn a new position [defensive tackle] and it took a while to adjust," Clark said. "I wasn't able to have the kind of year I wanted, but we won the district championship so it was still a lot of fun."

Two of the players who are being projected for early playing time, Clark and ex-Bath County tight end John Phillips, live close enough to Charlottesville that they were able to attend multiple spring practices.

"I was over here all the time," said Clark, whose Fairfield home is 45 minutes from Scott Stadium. "I wasn't just watching; I was trying to learn as much as I could. It gave me a solid base. I'm really glad that I came. If I didn't, I'd be much further behind than I am now."

Clark said last week that he would agreeable to redshirting, if that's what the coaches wanted, but the Cavaliers might not have that luxury. Both of last year's starting outside linebackers, Darryl Blackstock and Dennis Haley, currently are in NFL camps.

The projected starters are sophomore Jermaine Dias and redshirt freshman Clint Sintim, with sophomore Marvin Richardson listed in the preseason depth chart as the backup at both spots. Richardson played in one game and for three plays in 2004.

A UVa assistant once said that the Cavaliers decided to offer Clark a scholarship because they didn't know how many times scouts from Pittsburgh or West Virginia might drive down Interstate 81 without envisioning Clark as a 6-6, 270-pounder.

"That's one of the things that got our attention in the recruiting process -- the versatility of where he's going to end up," Groh said. "He's certainly got range [and] we know he's going to be a lot bigger someday.

"Rockbridge would run a lot of four-wide receivers stuff and, at the time, he'd be one of the four wide receivers. Then, he'd play defensive line. In a way, this is a carryover from both of those spots."

 

Cavalier fans starting to hear about Olu Hall
Health issues linger for Darden
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Less than two years after being rated the No. 1 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times and other publications, Olu Hall’s name rarely comes up.

Maybe it was the year he spent at Hargrave Military Academy or maybeVirginia was so happy to learn this summer that he would become eligible that nobody was talking about the impact Hall would have for the Cavaliers’ defense.

Hall wasn’t among the five players listed by Groh as likely to play in the Cavaliers’ opener Sept. 3 against Western Michigan, but early reviews are favorable.

“Olu’s got a real good football aptitude,” Groh said Wednesday. “Football comes naturally. He sees the game very quickly and very clearly and he understands the game very well.”

One of the concerns about Hall, a defensive end at Robertson High School in Fairfax, was whether he could make an adjustment to outside linebacker in Virginia’s 3-4 defensive scheme.

“He’s proven to be a very coachable player in his ability to take information and put it to use, as well as to make corrections [based] on the information he’s gotten,” Groh said. “He’s off to a very good start.

“It’s been a little bit of a conversion for him. He’s another one of those players who looks like the prototypical outside linebacker for us but a player who didn’t necessarily have a lot of training at that position.

“He’s certainly confirming in a short period of time why he was a heavily sought player.”

Without correct heights and weights in front of him, Groh put Hall in the 6-foot-3, 230-pound range. Hall was just over 200 pounds as a senior at Robinson.

“He’s 18 months older than when he came out of high school,” Groh said. “We envision him being a 240- or 245-pound outside linebacker and, as his career develops and with his speed and explosiveness, that would be more than sufficient.”

AT HARGRAVE LAST YEAR, Hall was only 15 minutes down U.S. 29 from another Hall, unrelated quarterback Vicqual “Vic” Hall from Group AA Division 3 champion Gretna.

UVa quarterback coach Mike Groh said Thursday at meet-the-team day that the one thing Vic Hall had established in two weeks was that he is an accurate passer and not just a strong-armed thrower.

“That’s certainly accurate,” Al Groh said Wednesday, “but I was thinking this morning … I saw where San Francisco announced that [Tim] Rattay was going to be the quarterback and that Alex Smith hadn’t fared too well in the preseason game.

“I think the term that was in there was that he had been somewhat overwhelmed by the complexity of what he was dealing with. I thought that certainly describes very well what an incoming quarterback at every level has to deal with.

“That certainly would be the case with Jameel [Sewell] and Vic coming in here and having to compete with quarterbacks who have been in the system for quite some time and have a greater working knowledge of the offense.

“Obviously, Alex Smith was good enough to be the No. 1 pick in the draft and yet you have a player who has been there for two, three or four years and [by] being around and knowing the system and knowing the league is able to perform better.”

GROH SOUNDED AN ominous note Wednesday when asked about nose-guard candidate Ron Darden, who was listed as a first-team offensive guard in 2004 before experiencing headaches that led to extensive medical testing and caused him to miss the last two months of the season.

“It’s kind of gone back and forth a little bit,” said Groh when asked if the headaches had recurred. “As the wear and strain of training camp goes on, there have been real good days for him and there have been other days when he hasn’t been quite as comfortable with circumstances.”

Groh hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a three-man rotation of senior Kwakou Robinson, sophomore Keenan Carter or Darden, a junior.

VIRGINIA MEN’S BASKETBALL fans can start getting excited about Jonathan Mitchell, a 6-foot-6, 233-pound forward from Mount Vernon, N.Y., who has the Cavaliers at or near the top of his list.

Scouts describe Mitchell as a “face-up 4,” meaning he has the power to go inside and the shooting range to take a defender outside. New Virginia coach Dave Leitao and his staff immediately detected an absence of power players in the program – one reason they would be more than happy to award their two scholarships to Mitchell and 6-8 Duke Crews from Bethel High School in Hampton.

Leitao and Co. were forced to play catch-up with Crews, who recently received an offer from North Carolina and is expected to narrow his choices by the end of the week. Marquette, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh are among the schools in the running for Mitchell.

 

Groh hopes shifts in secondary will help Cavaliers
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
Published August 26, 2005

Toward the end of preseason practices last year, Virginia football coach Al Groh tinkered with a few positions, trying out running back Alvin Pearman at wide receiver and using inside linebacker Kai Parham as a fullback in goal-line situations.

A year later, Groh is experimenting again.

Junior Tony Franklin, a returning starter at cornerback along with junior Marcus Hamilton, has worked out as a safety recently and has pleased Groh.

With the departure of Marquis Weeks and Jermaine Hardy, both safety spots were open. Sophomore Nate Lyles landed one early in training camp. The other, according to the preseason depth chart, was up for grabs between juniors Lance Evans and Marshall Tucker. Since neither player was apparently impressive enough - and because true freshmen Mike Brown and Chris Cook showed they could see significant time this fall - Groh tried using Franklin at safety. If he remains there, Brown and sophomore Chris Gorham could take the starting corner spot. Cook has practiced at corner and safety.

"Now that we have (Brown and Cook) here, and we're actually coaching them, we have a much better sense of how quickly they catch on to things and how physically ready they might be," Groh said. "That changes the equation and some of the things that are available to us."

Groh hopes his changes mean results. The Cavaliers' ranked second to last in the ACC last season with 15 passing touchdowns allowed. During the offseason, Groh moved defensive coordinator Al Golden from inside linebackers coach to defensive backs coach.

"If the coordinator can be the secondary coach also, then he's working with the position that every coordinator should always give the most attention to," Groh said. "Plus, most of the (defensive) adjustments that get made during the course of the game are secondary adjustments."

Said Golden: "Obviously, as a leader, you want to attack those areas on your defense that were perceived to be the weakest points."

DOWN TO THE WIRE

Groh probably won't reveal his punter until the Sept. 3 season opener against Western Michigan. Sophomores Chris Gould and Ryan Weigand are competing for the position.

Gould punted for the final three games last season after replacing Sean Johnson, who has since left the team. Weigand transferred from Pasadena (Calif.) City College. Gould and Weigand have competed evenly, Groh said.

Both players have a redshirt year, so if Groh settles on one, he can save the other. Groh initially indicated he'd rather have one punter, but then said he's open to a rotation. "I don't think we're gonna get into that pinch-hitter routine," he said. "But if one proved to be a more deadly inside-the-50 punter than the other one, and the other one proved to be a better long-range, directional kicker, we could conceivably use both if that would give us a better overall punting game."

WHO NOSE?

Competition also remains open for the nose tackle spot between sophomore Keenan Carter, junior Ron Darden and senior Kwakou Robinson. But Groh is leaning toward a rotation at the grueling position. U.Va.'s opponents have had that luxury in the past, while the Cavs haven't.

Andrew Hoffman, who is now with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and Monsanto Pope shouldered most of the work at nose tackle during Groh's first four years.

Since the nose tackle is at the center of the defensive line, he often takes a beating. The biggest and sturdiest defensive players usually play the position. Carter, Darden and Robinson are the only players on the preseason defensive two-deep who weigh at least 300 pounds.

Carter, who was Hoffman's backup last year, returned to practice during the middle of last week after missing time with a broken hand, but he didn't fall as far behind as Groh expected. Darden, a converted guard, missed most of last year because of excruciating headaches. Groh said Darden is feeling better, though the headaches bother him some days more than others.

THIS AND THAT

Former walk-on sophomores Tyrus Gardner and Mike Robertson are now on scholarship. ... The Cavs did not practice on Thursday and will start today with preparation for Western Michigan. ... With inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks' status uncertain for the season opener, seniors Bryan White and Mark Miller have worked out at Brooks' position. So have redshirt freshman Jon Copper and true freshman Antonio Appleby. White is also slotted to back up Parham at the other inside linebacker spot. Brooks is recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee. ... Though outside linebacker Aaron Clark didn't receive as much recognition as his fellow true freshmen, Groh expects him to crack the two-deep for the Western Michigan game.

Beamer's price should Groh up in Blacksburg
PAUL WOODY
POINT OF VIEW Aug 26, 2005

"Atoast," Frank Beamer should be saying right about now, "to Al Groh and those fine, fine folks in Charlottesville."

Clink.

"A toast," Al Groh should be saying right about now, "to Frank Beamer, and those fine folks in Blacksburg."

Clink.

In terms of family, friends and health, Beamer is a rich man already. In terms of finances, Beamer probably had a few dollars in a savings account somewhere, and he is about to have a few more.

And the contract Al Groh just received from the University of Virginia will have something to do with that.

Groh, the football coach at U.Va., just signed a contract with a starting salary of $1.7 million, with 5 percent cost-of-living raises kicking in annually. A few of those 5-percent increases on that kind of salary and pretty soon you're talking about real money.

Groh has yet to win a conference championship. He's 30-21 in four seasons at Virginia. The Cavaliers twice won the event formerly known as the Continental Tire Bowl and lost to Boise State last January in the MPC Computers Bowl.

But when the coach up the road in Blacksburg is making $1.3 million per year and is negotiating a new deal, how can Virginia not give Groh a nice, new contract that, at least for a bit, overshadows Beamer's contract?

So, if Groh just got a deal that starts at $1.7 mil, and quickly escalates to $2.1 million, doesn't that change the Beamer-Virginia Tech dynamic just a bit?

Oh yeah, you betcha.

The top end of Groh's contract is about where the bottom end of Beamer's deal should start. Perhaps that would have been the case anyway. Now, it almost has to be the case.

Beamer won the ACC title in the first year Virginia Tech joined the league. His teams won or shared the Big East Conference title three times.

He had the Hokies in the national championship game after the 1999 season, and they lost in the Sugar Bowl, a BCS game, last season. Beamer has taken Virginia Tech to 12 straight bowl games.

Beamer and Groh should be among the happiest individuals in America.

They are getting NFL money without the pressures and problems of the NFL. They get to work within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and, in Groh's case, most of his extended family is nearby.

Where do we go to sign up for that?

Yes, there are pressures and problems in college football.

But, in college, you can have a team ranked between 20th and 25th in the country and still earn a salary that starts at $1.7 million.

In the NFL, if you have the 25th best team, you're starting to think about your next job.

Groh got out of the NFL grind at the right time and landed at the right place.

Beamer has yet to come close to leaving Virginia Tech for the NFL. This is a man who is wise beyond his years. He is at the top of the ladder in college coaching, and if the marketplace drives these contracts, it's hard to say Beamer should be paid a below-market salary.

But let's be clear on one thing. When you pay your coaches as much as Virginia and Virginia Tech are about to pay their football coaches, any pretense that these programs are anything other than big businesses quickly fades.

We like to talk about our esteemed institutions of higher education, of Mr. Jefferson's University, the Rotunda and the Lawn. People speak eloquently about the millions of dollars in research grants at Virginia Tech, the beauty of the quad and the tranquility of the duck pond.

We like to think we're a cut above all those states that house programs that are little more than football factories.

But when we have two coaches who earn more than the governor, the presidents of their universities, not to mention the president of the United States, and whose teams play in palatial palaces complete with luxury boxes, are we?

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Aug 26, 2005

BLUE, ORANGE . . . AND GREEN: Of the players likely to letter on defense for Virginia this season, only four are seniors: end Brennan Schmidt, nose tackle Kwakou Robinson and inside linebackers Bryan White and Mark Miller. Schmidt is the only member of that group who's a lock to start.

"The bottom line is this: You can win without experience, but the kids have got to be fundamentally sound, they've got to know where they're lining up, and you as a coach have got to give them the opportunity to do that," Cavaliers defensive coordinator Al Golden said last week.

"In other words, you can't create defenses beyond the reach of their comprehension or beyond their ability at that given point. The biggest thing for us right now is to incorporate the young guys with the older guys, integrate them into the system . . . We're trying to push them to see where we're going to be [when the season starts], and what defenses we can call and what we have to stay away from."

In 2001, Golden's first season as coordinator, Virginia ranked 93rd in total defense and 74th in scoring defense nationally. The Cavaliers finished 18th in total defense and 17th in scoring defense last year.

DAY-TO-DAY SITUATION: The severe headaches that ended U.Va. football player Ron Darden's 2004 season prematurely - and forced him to miss spring practice - remain a concern.

Darden, a 6-4, 330-pound junior, rejoined the team this summer and moved from offensive guard to nose tackle, where he's battling Robinson and sophomore Keenan Carter for the starting job.

Asked Wednesday about Darden's health, Virginia coach Al Groh said, "It's kind of gone back and forth a little bit. As the wear and strain of training camp goes on, there have been real good days for him, and there have been other days when he hasn't been quite as comfortable with circumstances."

Carter, who broke his hand early this month, started practicing again last week.

"It's hard to say how far along he would be if he'd had all those practices," Groh said, "but that being said, [the setback to Carter] seems remarkably less than what you might have anticipated."

FIRST STEP: Sam Zeglinski, one of the top basketball prospects in the nation's Class of 2007, visited U.Va. this week with his high school coach. The junior point guard from Philadelphia met with Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao and his assistants, donned a hard hat to tour the John Paul Jones Arena and played pickup with the U.Va. players.

The 6-0 Zeglinski liked what he saw, said Jim Phillips, his coach at William Penn Charter School.

"I think the next step is to try to get his mom and dad down [to U.Va.], probably for a football weekend," Phillips said. "Then everyone will have seen it . . . and then I think you're in a more serious place."

Leitao has offered a scholarship to Zeglinski, whose teammates at Penn Charter in 2003-04 included Sean Singletary, now the Cavaliers' starting point guard.

Zeglinski put on a show in Richmond last season, making the all-tournament team at the Benedictine Capital City Classic. In the quarterfinals, against eventual champion Benedictine, Zeglinski scored 27 points. In the seventh-place game, he had 24 to lead Penn Charter past Trinity Episcopal.

BACK OVERSEAS: Former U.Va. basketball star Roger Mason, who played in summer leagues with the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat last month, recently put his NBA dreams on hold and signed with Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel.

Mason, a second-round pick in the 2002 NBA draft, played sparingly for the Bulls in 2002-03 and '03-04 before Toronto acquired him in a trade. At his request, the Raptors released Mason last December, and the 6-5 guard later signed with Olympiacos, a team in Greece with which he finished the 2004-05 season.

IN THE CREASE: Steve Holmes, an honorable-mention All-American on defense last season, will not play for the U.Va. men's lacrosse team in 2006. Holmes, who's from the Philadelphia area, has been declared academically ineligible for the second time in his college career.

The Cavaliers, who advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 2005, will return two starters on defense next season: Michael Culver and Ricky Smith. Contenders to fill Holmes' spot include Patrick Buchanan, James King, Tim Shaw and Mike Timms. U.Va. also must find a new starting long-stick midfielder.

"We've got people to work with," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "I've got confidence in those guys."

Holmes' lacrosse career at U.Va. may be over, but he's determined to earn his degree from the school, Starsia said, and may be able to do so if he's accepted for re-admission. - Jeff White

 

Pass pattern
Eagles wideout McMullen hopes to gradually break out in the NFL, the same way he did at Virginia
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 26, 2005

In two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, wideout Billy McMullen has played in 13 games and caught four passes, for all of 26 yards. The Eagles no doubt expected more from the former University of Virginia star when they chose him in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft.

Rest assured, so did McMullen, who had five games at U.Va. in which he caught 10 or more passes.

"I expected to come out of the gate and blow the league up," he recalled this week, "but it didn't happen that way. I expected the same thing at Virginia, but it didn't happen till my third year."

As a true freshman at U.Va., the Henrico High graduate caught 28 passes. A year later, McMullen had 30 receptions. Then came the season in which McMullen transformed himself from a solid player to an all-ACC receiver. In 2001, he caught 83 passes for 1,060 yards and 12 touchdowns.

A similar breakthrough for McMullen is unlikely in his third pro season, but the 6-4 215-pounder remains confident that he'll eventually thrive in the NFL.

"I see a lot of great things this year," McMullen said. "I'm getting a lot more playing time with the first team."

This has been a tumultuous offseason for the Eagles' receiving corps, and not only because of the ongoing Terrell Owens soap opera. Philadelphia has lost two receivers - veteran Todd Pinkston and second-year player Justin Jenkins - to season-ending knee injuries.

Even before Pinkston went down, McMullen said, "I was looking forward to having a bigger role." Now that seems certain - if he can become more consistent.

"Billy has got tools," Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress told reporters. "He's got a big body. He's got a long reach. He's got big hands. He knows what we're doing, but it's just a matter of getting it into play on the game field. So, as a coach, you're looking for it during practice. He shows flashes, then he'll take a step back."

In the Eagles' first exhibition, they played without Owens, and McMullen had four catches for 59 yards in a loss to Pittsburgh.

"Every chance you get, you want to let them know why they drafted you," he said.

In Philadelphia's second exhibition, a win over Baltimore, he played special teams and rotated between the first- and second-team offenses before sitting out the second half, McMullen said. He didn't catch any passes, but then again, neither did teammate Reggie Brown, a rookie wideout who has impressed during training camp.

The Eagles' third exhibition is tonight against Cincinnati in Philadelphia.

McMullen, 25, said he spent much of the offseason with his family here. Deeply religious, he has faith in God's plan for him. Others may disagree, but McMullen said he doesn't believe he's come to a critical juncture in his NFL career.

"I don't look at it like that, because it just adds unwanted pressure," he said. "I've been playing this game since I was small, so you just relax and do the best you can do."