Lyles back to work
Safety recovered, cleared for camp
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 4, 2006

Chris Long was recently relaxing on the front porch of his apartment complex when the only returning starter on Virginia’s defensive line heard some magical words.

His neighbor and close friend, Nate Lyles, delivered the message while failing to contain his trademark smile. The junior safety was back - officially back - having cleared almost every medical test known to man.

A long awaited moment for Lyles, who was carted out of Scott Stadium after a neck injury in November against Georgia Tech, has finally arrived. Today, as Virginia opens its sixth training camp under coach Al Groh, Lyles is expected to be in uniform. The session starts tonight at 6:15 and is open to the public.

For a team that many national publications have written off, Long said Lyles’ return delivered a huge emotional lift.

“That was really good news. I gave him a hug and told him it was going to be a good year,” Long said. “And it is going to be a good year because he has worked so hard to get back. He is in the best shape of his life. He looks great, he is running great and he got really strong this summer.”

Long said watching Lyles get shutdown for the season “was one of the toughest things that I have went through and it is not about us as teammates. It was about Nate. We all tried to be real supportive.”

It also gave Long and his teammates a better appreciation for the game of football.

“We are all blessed to be able to play this sport at the level that we do and when it is taken away in a heartbeat,” Long added, “you realize that you don’t have a guaranteed tomorrow.”

Despite missing the final three games a year ago, Lyles finished ninth on the team in tackles (39), intercepted two passes and was an emotional leader in practice.

Lyles, however, might not be the only safety present in comeback fashion. Sources close to the team have said that senior safety Tony Franklin worked out with his teammates during the summer and could be officially reinstated today by Groh prior to practice.

Franklin, a former team captain, was dismissed from the team following a misdemeanor arrest last December for possessing marijuana. He was enrolled in summer school classes at UVa.

Long was unable to confirm or deny Franklin’s status, but said he personally was just ready to get his first training camp as a team captain underway.

“Every year you step up a level, not only in your expectations, but in your knowledge of what’s to come,” Long said of his third training camp. “I feel like I have seen it twice and had a whole year of starting games and now I feel real comfortable.

“I feel more excited than I have in the first two years, and I think I’m going to have a lot of fun this camp.”

Fun is not likely to be the word of choice, at least initially, for the true freshmen who will be making their collegiate practice debut today.

“It is fast-paced and you are probably hitting people that are bigger than people that you have ever hit before,” Long recounted. “There are going to be a lot of things coming at [the true freshmen] and you just have to soak it all up and say ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘No, Sir,’ and take coaching and work hard.

“If you do, your teammates will respect you, your coaches will respect you, and you will learn.”

Like the newcomers, three assistant coaches will be making their training camp debut. Steve Bernstein (defensive backs), Bob Diaco (linebackers) and Dave Borbely (offensive line) were added to the staff after four vacancies popped up late last year.

Another open post was filled by defensive coordinator Mike London, who coached four years at UVa (’01-’04) before joining the Houston Texans last season as the defensive line coach.

The new coaches, however, were around for the spring practice period, which should give them a better idea of what they are working with from a each position.

“That was really important. I will respect any coach that coaches me, but players like to establish their relationship with coaches at times,” Long said. “That can set a foundation for a great season, and I think that was great that we got those coaches in there.

“I think by now we have all established great relationships with these coaches.”

In addition to today’s open practice, fans have two other opportunities. Sessions on Saturday (5:15 p.m.) and Sunday (2:45 p.m.) will be open to the public.

Virginia opens its season on Sept. 2 at Pittsburgh.

 

Virginia stacks secondary
New assistant treated to depth, experience in defensive backs
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 4, 2006

Another year, another secondary coach for the University of Virginia football team. But the man now overseeing U.Va.'s defensive backs - Steve Bernstein - figures to benefit from luxuries that predecessors Bob Price (2000 to 2004) and Al Golden (2005) didn't enjoy: depth and experience.

"We have so many guys who have played," said senior cornerback Marcus Hamilton, who was second-team all-ACC last year. "I don't know if we've had that since I've been here."

Training camp opens tonight for U.Va., which finished 7-5 in 2005, in part because its secondary was devastated by injuries and off-the-field issues last season. Three of the team's top defensive backs - safeties Tony Franklin and Nate Lyles and cornerback Chris Cook - were not available for the Music City Bowl, in which U.Va. rallied to beat Minnesota.

Assuming Cavaliers coach Al Groh re-instates Franklin to the team, as expected, all three will be in the rotation this season. Also back are Hamilton, who has 10 career interceptions, and a slew of players who gained valuable experience in 2005, including sophomore cornerback Mike Brown, junior cornerback Chris Gorham, sophomore safety Byron Glaspy and junior safeties Jamaal Jackson and Ryan Best.

Also in the mix are likely to be cornerback Vic Hall and safety Brandon Woods, who redshirted as freshmen last year.

Franklin, dismissed before the start of spring practice this year for undisclosed violations of team rules, has started 28 games for the Cavaliers at cornerback and safety. If he's allowed to play again, U.Va. will have defensive backs with 75 starts among them.

Hamilton has started 21 games; Lyles, nine; Gorham, eight; Glaspy, four; Brown, three; Cook and Jackson, one apiece.

"Unless there's some real surprises," Groh said, "we shouldn't have the degree of [on-the-job training] back there that we've had in the past."

In 2005, U.Va. ranked 11th among the 12 ACC teams in passing defense, allowing an average of 224.6 yards per game. The Cavaliers also struggled to consistently mount a pass rush - they ranked 11th among ACC teams in sacks, too - and that contributed to the breakdowns in the secondary.

Lyles' 2005 season ended Nov. 12 when he hurt his neck against Georgia Tech. The injury required surgery, but the hard-hitting Lyles has been cleared by his doctors and seemingly never has wavered in his desire to play again.

"Every practice at which he's been able to be, he's been there," Groh said. "When offered the option to go home for Thanksgiving or stay at school over Thanksgiving - obviously he wasn't going to play the next week - he looked incredulous when I told he had an option.

"He was like, 'Hey, I'm on this team. I'm staying here.' He's been involved to every degree possible throughout the spring and progressively so through the summer offseason program."

Cook impressed immediately as a true freshman last year, and by the fifth game he'd won a starting job. But the 6-2 202-pounder from Lynchburg broke his leg in that game - a loss at Boston College - and missed the rest of the season. Cook took part in spring practice.

"He's tall, he's fast, he's strong," Hamilton said.

Groh went looking for a new secondary coach after Golden, who was also U.Va.'s defensive coordinator, left in December to become head coach at Temple.

Bernstein, 61, is a former Marine who was a decorated platoon commander in Vietnam. He's been tutoring defensive backs for more than 30 years, at such schools as Virginia Tech, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, LSU, Arizona and Northern Illinois.

"It'd certainly be hard to find any issues that Steve hasn't had to address, either in preparation or during the course of the game," Groh said.

U.Va.'s assistants in football typically aren't allowed to do interviews, but Bernstein and the other members of Groh's staff fielded questions at an informal news conference in March.

Asked about the secondary, Bernstein said, "There's a lot of experience there, which is really good, because there's no substitute for experience."

 

Cavs spring to fans' defense
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

When Al Groh was finished with his prepared comments last week at the Roanoke Valley Sports Club, the first question he received was about ESPN Radio talk-show host Colin Cowherd.

Cowherd seemingly has been on a mission this summer to trash Virginia's football program and its fans.

"I think, for the fourth straight year now, we've set a record for season-ticket sales," Groh responded to fan Maggie Drewry at the Salem Civic Center. "Obviously, the fans have done a remarkable job in responding to what was asked of them."

The origin of Cowherd's attacks came in a discussion of the top 10 states for football, when a caller suggested that Virginia belonged on the list and cited interest in the Virginia Tech and UVa programs.

"UVa football is the softest bunch of cream puff, bow-tie wearing, brie-cheese-eating, ascot-wearing wussies I have ever seen in my life," Cowherd said. "There's not a softer bunch of cookie-dough-eating wienies than the UVa football program.

"Those guys wear makeup to games. That is the biggest bunch of fru fru, daiquiri-drinking, non-alcohol-beer-chugging wienies I have ever seen in my life. Dude, do you know what the most popular drink [is] at UVa football tailgating? Zima! Unbelievable.

"I ought to punch UVa people in the neck. Don't ever come on my show and brag about your football."

Groh didn't say whether he had heard any part of Cowherd's rant, but, apparently, he was aware of it.

"Considering the source, I ignored it," Groh said at the Salem Civic Center. "I didn't know the context. [On talk radio] it's about how hard you can yell."

The subject had come up at the recent ACC Football Kickoff in Jacksonville, Fla., where UVa quarterback and co-captain Chris Olsen was asked about Cowherd.

"I talk to my brother and Kyle [Wright] and they say, 'We love coming to our stadium; your stadium is great,'" said Olsen, whose younger brother, Greg, plays tight end for the University of Miami team quarterbacked by Wright. "I don't know how [Cowherd] got off on a tangent like that.

"It really made me mad, not so much because he said things about our football team, which is fine, but what he said about the fans really ticked me off. Because our fans went to games 30 years ago in sports coats doesn't mean that's the way it still is."

Olsen said he had never seen anybody drinking Zima, a malt beverage.

"I would say most of the people drink beer," he said. "I don't really know because I've never been to a tailgate, but I don't think anybody drinks Zima. I didn't even know that was still out."

n Virginia announced last week that it had sold 39,347 season tickets. It marks the third straight season in which Virginia has sold out its season-ticket allotment, as well as the earliest that season tickets had been sold out.

Single-game tickets remain for selected games, including an Oct. 19 Thursday night game against North Carolina that will be televised by ESPN.

Dealing in Beantown

Prized Virginia baseball signee Ryan Kalish was in Boston on Tuesday to talk contract with Red Sox officials. Kalish, a power-hitting outfielder, was selected in the ninth round of the amateur draft in June but wants second-round money to skip college.

Three weeks remain before UVa begins classes, at which point Kalish would become untouchable, but he could sign with Boston before the end of the week.

Brian O'Connor, who has taken UVa to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons as coach, already has seven commitments for 2007. The latest is from Dan Grovatt, a Tabernacle, N.J., neighbor of UVa junior Sean Doolittle.

Like Doolittle, the ACC player of the year, Grovatt is a left-handed pitcher and left-handed outfielder-first baseman.

Going big-time

UVa junior tennis player Somdev Devaarman, the runner-up in this year's NCAA Division I singles championships, received an invitation to play with professionals at the ATP's Legg Mason Classic in Washington. But he lost in the first round Tuesday to Edgardo Massa, 6-4, 6-0.

Devaarman captured the Roanoke Valley Invitational Tennis Tournament in June.
 

There are plenty of opening questions
The Hokies and the Cavaliers open practice today with quarterback questions.
BY DARRYL SLATER AND NORM WOOD
247-4641
August 4 2006

Coaching staffs at Virginia and Virginia Tech will get preseason glimpses of their teams en masse today for the first time as practice opens for both teams. If U.Va. coach Al Groh and Tech coach Frank Beamer walk off their respective steamy practice fields with more questions than answers, it shouldn't be cause for alarm. Both teams have just under a month to get ready for season openers. There's plenty of time to find answers.

Tech is coming off a season in which it made its 13th consecutive bowl appearance. A 2006 non-conference schedule that includes Northeastern, a Division I-AA foe, Cincinnati, Southern Mississippi and Kent State should guarantee a 14th straight bowl.

The prestige of that impending bowl game will depend on Tech filling holes at quarterback, weakside linebacker and both offensive guard, defensive tackle and cornerback positions.

While the non-conference slate is anything but daunting, Tech may be hard-pressed to continue its road dominance in the ACC. Games at Boston College (Oct. 12) and Miami (Nov. 4) will present serious challenges to Tech's 8-0 ACC road record combined in its first two years in the conference.

At Virginia, the Cavaliers must replace five starters on offense, five on defense and kicker Connor Hughes. Virginia's newcomers have little time to adjust, since the Cavaliers open their season Sept. 2 at Pittsburgh.

It'll be a tough opener compared to last year's against Western Michigan, but Pittsburgh didn't make a bowl game last year. Of Virginia's first eight opponents, only Georgia Tech played in a bowl last season. The combined 2005 record of those eight opponents: 39-50.

Yet the Cavaliers finish with North Carolina State, Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech - with the FSU and Tech games on the road, where Virginia is 9-18 in five seasons under coach Al Groh. (Just three of those nine teams finished those seasons with winning records.)

Virginia's final four opponents this season made bowls last year. Their combined record: 35-15.

As Tech and Virginia begin preseason practices today - Tech's starts at 3:15 p.m.; Virginia's begins at 6:15 p.m. and is open to fans - here are five questions each team must address before the season starts.

Virginia Tech

WHICH YOUNG QUARTERBACK WILL EMERGE AS TECH'S STARTER?

Considering Beamer said he hopes to name a starter by the end of the first week of practice, it appears to be sophomore Sean Glennon's job to lose.

Glennon was listed first on the depth chart after spring practice. There won't be much time for sophomore Cory Holt or redshirt freshman Ike Whitaker to make an impression and slip past Glennon.

HOW WILL BEAMER AND HIS COACHING STAFF HANDLE PERSONAL FOULS, UNSPORTSMANLIKE-CONDUCT PENALTIES AND GENERAL ON-FIELD MISBEHAVIOR THIS SEASON?

Beamer has vowed to take a more no-nonsense approach this season. He said there will be specific consequences for personal fouls and unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties.

HE SPOKE WITH SEVERAL RETURNING PLAYERS IN JANUARY TO ADDRESS LATE SEASON BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN TECH'S 35-24 VICTORY AGAINST LOUISVILLE IN THE GATOR BOWL. TECH HAD FOUR DEFENSIVE PENALTIES OF 15 YARDS OR MORE IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE BOWL GAME, CORNERBACK JIMMY WILLIAMS WAS EJECTED AND QUARTERBACK MARCUS VICK'S CAREER ESSENTIALLY CAME TO AN END AFTER THE INFAMOUS STOMPING INCIDENT INVOLVING LOUISVILLE'S ELVIS DUMERVIL. IS BRANDEN ORE READY TO GO AT TAILBACK?

If you listen to senior safety Aaron Rouse, you'd think Ore was getting ready to make Tech fans forget about Kevin Jones, Lee Suggs, Shyrone Stith and Cyrus Lawrence. Rouse said Ore appears stronger and more focused and mature than in previous seasons, which is good news considering Ore skipped the spring semester to return to his Chesapeake home to rehabilitate after January shoulder surgery. When he left Tech, there were rumors he was struggling in the classroom. His on-field success may be most dependent on the offensive line, which will have three new starters.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT TECH'S CORNERBACK POSITIONS?

Two new starters could be featured at what is Tech's biggest question area right now. Sophomore Victor Harris has the upper hand on Roland Minor at one cornerback spot, though Minor started 12 games last season. Sophomore Brandon Flowers enters preseason practice first on the depth chart - ahead of redshirt freshman Jahre Cheeseman - for the other cornerback job vacated by Jimmy Williams. If Harris and Flowers wind up being the starters, don't expect these positions to remain question marks for long. Both guys are potential stars.

CAN TECH'S FOUR NEW ASSISTANT COACHES MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION?

They look like they've already gotten comfortable. Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray, offensive line coach Curt Newsome, quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain and wide receivers coach Kevin Sherman have been responsible for helping Tech pick up eight of its 23 commitments for the 2007 season. Gray played at Tech (safety, 1992-1996). Nobody knows the state's high school coaches better than Newsome. O'Cain (Clemson, N.C. State and UNC) and Sherman (Wake Forest), who is a Radford native, both have experience coaching in the ACC.

Virginia

WHO WILL START AT QB FOR THE CAVALIERS?

Christian Olsen seemed confident late last month at ACC media days that the job is his to lose. But technically, it's still open, according to Groh. Olsen exceeded Groh's expectations in spring practices, and Olsen's teammates named him a captain for this season. Though Olsen hasn't started a game since 2001, his senior year at Wayne Hills (N.J.) High, he has the inside track to replace two-year starter Marques Hagans.

WHAT'S THE SITUATION WITH THE CAVALIERS' SECONDARY?

It depends on safeties Tony Franklin and Nate Lyles, who could shore up the unit. Franklin was dismissed from the team before spring practices for breaking an unspecified team rule. But Franklin, a captain last year, enrolled in summer school with the hope of returning for his senior season. His status remains uncertain. Groh is optimistic about Lyles, a junior, practicing during the preseason. Lyles suffered a season-ending neck injury last fall and had offseason surgery.

WILL THE WIDE RECEIVERS CONTINUE TO EMERGE AS MAJOR THREATS?

Seems likely. Deyon Williams ranked fourth in the ACC last year with 767 receiving yards. Fontel Mines had 345 yards. Both are seniors. Virginia threw the ball 44.6 percent of the time last season. That percentage might increase this year if Olsen, more of a drop-back passer than Hagans, wins the quarterback job. Plus, Virginia's top three tailbacks - Jason Snelling, Michael Johnson and Cedric Peerman - combined for just 178 carries and 829 yards last season.

CAN THE CAVALIERS PUT OFFSEASON TURMOIL AND CHANGES BEHIND THEM?

Groh hopes so. Three players were dismissed before spring practices. Inside linebacker Kai Parham left early for the NFL. Four players, including one of those dismissed, were arrested in connection with a fraternity-house brawl. On the field, players must adjust to four new assistant coaches - including both coordinators.

HOW IS THE OFFENSIVE LINE SHAPING UP?

The Cavaliers lost three of five starters: left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, center Brian Barthelmes and right tackle Brad Butler. Eugene Monroe, who had left-knee surgery in the spring, is slotted to replace Ferguson. Ian-Yates Cunningham, a converted guard whom Barthelmes beat for the center job last season, is now No. 1 on the depth chart at center. Eddie Pinigis is at right tackle, where he backed up Butler the past two seasons.

Workouts, pickups keep Cavs sharp in summer
Basketball players stay in Charlottesville during the summer to prepare for next year
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor

There is no off-season in the world of college basketball. While practice does not officially start until Oct. 15, most basketball players spent the summer months working out, playing pickup games and taking summer classes.

Such is the case at Virginia, where the seven returning players and five newcomers have begun their training for the upcoming season.

After achieving a surprising level of success with a 7-9 ACC record during coach Dave Leitao's first season in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers hope to continue turning heads around the country this winter and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.

"Summer has been good," sophomore forward Laurynas Mikalauskas said. "I had a chance to take an extra few classes, work out with the team and work on my game."

Summer school classes allow the players the opportunity to earn credits during a time of year much less stressful than basketball season.

Perhaps the most important element of summer preparations is conditioning, under the coordination of strength coach Shaun Brown. The players lift weights four times a week and also attend yoga classes twice a week. Several players have bulked up in recent months, including junior center Tunji Soroye, who has put on around 20-25 pounds of muscle.

The players also keep their game instincts sharp with daily evening pickup games at University Hall.

"It gets pretty competitive sometimes," Mikalauskas said. "Everyone has gotten stronger and bigger and I think we've gotten better as a team so it's helped us a lot."

The summer has also seen Virginia's five newcomers acclimate themselves to life in Charlottesville. These five -- Will Harris, Jerome Meyinsse, Ryan Pettinella, Solomon Tat and Jamil Tucker -- will provide a major boost to a roster that lacked depth at several key positions last season.

"The pickup games have been huge in terms of developing the chemistry level of the team," Pettinella, a junior transfer from the University of Pennsylvania, said. "The freshmen have adjusted pretty well to college life. It's not easy. I remember when I was a freshman, it took me almost the first year to fully adjust. I think these guys are getting used to the rigors of the schedule and are doing a great job so far."

He added that, even in pickup games, there is no comparison between ACC and Ivy League players.

"This is definitely another level," he said. "The size and speed, guys just kind of explode at this level. They get to the basket quicker and are a lot stronger in the paint."

Mikalauskas has been impressed with what he has seen from the five fresh faces.

"They're pretty good," Mikalauskas said. "I think that they are going to help us a lot next year. We have some tall guys and some guards so they should help us right away."

 

Offensive coordinator Mike Groh faces added pressure of working for his father
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- In many ways, it seems only natural that Mike Groh has become Virginia's offensive coordinator. As the starting quarterback for George Welsh during the 1994 and 1995 seasons, Mike Groh compiled an 18-7 record and led the Cavaliers to bowl victories in consecutive years for the first time in school history. Most significantly in the eyes of many Virginia fans, he was under center during the Cavaliers monumental 33-28 upset victory over then-No. 2 and previously unbeaten Florida State Nov. 2, 1995.

For the past five years, Mike Groh has paid his dues on Virginia's coaching staff, first as the wide receivers coach and then as the quarterbacks coach. He also was the recruiting coordinator last season.

Mike Groh, however, is not your usual up-and-coming assistant coach. His father just happens to be Al Groh, who is now entering his sixth year as Virginia's head coach.

When Ron Prince, who served as Virginia's offensive coordinator from 2003 through last season, was hired by Kansas State to replace the retiring Bill Snyder as the Wildcats head coach, Al Groh had a tough decision to make. After many hours of deliberations and consultations, however, Groh made the choice to name his son as the new offensive coordinator.

Al Groh is confident that he made the right decision.

"We all know that if Michael wasn't the coordinator, the first time something went wrong offensively, everybody would say that he should have been," Al Groh said. "That's coming from 62,000 people who didn't put 100 hours into deciding what we should do. Whether you're the quarterback coach, the offensive line coach, the head coach or the special teams coach, when you get into this business you know that it's basically a business of being second-guessed. And if you listen to that, you are listening to the wrong people."

Such a situation is not unprecedented. At Florida State, head coach Bobby Bowden's son Jeff has been the offensive coordinator of the Seminoles for the past five years. Florida State's drop in offensive production over the past few years, however, has created some awkward moments for the Bowdens. Jeff has become a lightning rod for criticism from both the media and the public and Bobby has had to stand by and watch.

"I can't defend [our offense] because of my son," Bobby Bowden said. "I could defend it if it weren't for him but everyone will say 'Oh, you're just taking up for your boy.'"

At least one Florida State player feels that Jeff Bowden is held to a higher standard because of who his father is.

"It's obviously tough for him because he's not judged the same way everyone else is," senior running back Lorenzo Booker said.

After Prince left for Kansas State last December, it was up to Mike Groh and assistant offensive head coach John Garrett to devise an offensive game plan for the Music City Bowl. After Virginia pulled off a 34-31 win over Minnesota, both Mike Groh and Garrett received much credit for a game plan that featured a high level of ingenuity that was lacking during several of Virginia's regular season games.

One of Mike Groh's main tasks this year will be to oversee the transition of senior quarterback Christian Olsen from a backup to a starter. Olsen is extremely comfortable with Groh because of Groh's past experience as a quarterback.

"It's great because Coach Mike was a quarterback and he understands what it's like to be out there on the field during a game," Olsen said. "He's a lot more like a mentor than he is a coach. He understands the game of football because he's been around it his whole life."

One change that Olsen has noticed between Groh and Prince has been Groh's introduction of a simplified passing game.

"I think [Mike Groh] absorbed everything from Coach Prince and in his own way has simplified it to make it easier for guys to come in and play earlier," Olsen said.

Olsen also commented on the professional relationship between Mike and Al.

"If they didn't have the same last name, you wouldn't necessarily know that they were related," Olsen said. "When we talk to Coach Mike we never say 'your dad this, your dad that'. When I first got here, I made that mistake a few times."

Mike Groh's elevation to the role of offensive coordinator was part of a larger off-season reformation of Virginia's coaching staff. Mike London, the new defensive coordinator, is back in Charlottesville after a year as the defensive line coach for the Houston Texans. Other fresh faces include Steve Bernstein (assistant head coach/defensive backs coach), Bob Diaco (special teams coach/linebackers coach) and Dave Borbely (running game coordinator/offensive line coach).

"To this point, it has been a pretty seamless transition," Al Groh said. "The overall culture of how we do business is the same."

 

August not the time to push panic button
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor

It is trendy right now for Virginia football fans to be pessimistic about the upcoming football season. Maybe it is just the result of this oppressive heat wave, but one does not have to look too far at the moment to find criticism of Al Groh's program.

Examples of this burgeoning despair are everywhere. The mood on the Virginia message boards is apocalyptic. In recent weeks, I have had numerous conversations in which people have expressed a mixture of disgust and low expectations for the program. Kickoff is still a month away but many Virginia fans seem to have already written off this season.

I have to ask these doomsayers one question, however: Why?

Sure, at least at least a cursory glance at the facts shows it has not been the best off-season. Several players were kicked off the team for off-the-field incidents. Groh has had to reshuffle his coaching staff. Also, eight members of this year's recruiting class were denied admission to the University. It certainly has not been the smoothest of off-seasons.

But let's face reality. What truly measures the state of a program is performance on the field. And despite the current atmosphere of negativity, Virginia has not played in, much less lost, a game yet this season. People need to relax, take a drink of cold water and allow this team the chance to prove itself on the field. The players deserve that opportunity.

Also, Virginia fans that hold negative feelings towards Al Groh need to learn to separate those feelings from their feelings towards the team. I am not dismissing all criticism of Groh as out of hand, but coaches at every major college football program take much heat these days. It is the nature of the job.

It is too easy for fans to second-guess coaches. Coaches do not always make the right decisions but there are also usually legitimate factors at play unknown to the public that play a role in those decisions. Coach Groh is not perfect but neither is anyone else. Anti-Groh Virginia fans would be better served to channel their energy into rooting for the team rather than contributing to an atmosphere of negativity.

It is not my intent to be a cheerleader for the football program. I will be critical when I need to be critical. But it's August. Training camp opens today and this team is not without potential.

If Christian Olsen can handle the quarterbacking duties, this team has the weapons to be able to go to a bowl game for a fifth consecutive year under Groh. There are many schools, including some in the ACC, which would love to be in that same position.

If this team flops on the field, it will be more than acceptable for fans to criticize the program. But it's disconcerting to hear such criticism in August. Virginia needs a cool breeze to sweep away both the heat wave and this stifling air of negativity.