Appleby ready to fill void
Sophomore steps in for former stars
By Sean McLernon / Daily Progress staff writer
August 25, 2006

Antonio Appleby is used to plugging holes. As a starting inside linebacker, stuffing ball carriers that breach the Virginia defensive line is part of his job description. But he’s never had to fill an opening like this.

The early departure of Kai Parham and Ahmad Brooks, both former first-team All-ACC linebackers, leaves a gaping hole in the Virginia linebacking corps. Appleby, who started the final two games of the season last year, is the most experienced returner at the position.

Appleby will lead a group that includes sophomore Jon Copper and redshirt freshman Rashawn Jackson, who was recruited as a tailback.

Only 19 years old, Appleby is the veteran in the group and will look to use his experience from last season to help bring back to prominence a Virginia defense that finished third-to-last in the ACC in total defense.

“[The game experience] prepared me a lot to not only play, but the role of leading the defense and the linebackers,” Appleby said. “I’m ready to go out there and show what I can do.”

Appleby played all 12 games for the Cavaliers last season and led all true freshmen with 27 tackles. His first appearance on the field came on the punt and kickoff return teams before seeing his first action from scrimmage against Duke in Week 3.

When the Cavaliers traveled to Miami for the final game of the regular season, Appleby was tabbed to start next to Parham in place of an injured Brooks. He kept the starting spot for the Music City Bowl, where he made a career-high 10 tackles in Virginia’s 34-31 win over Minnesota.

Now, Appleby will look to pick up where Parham and Brooks left off. Talk about tough acts to follow.

The two ex-Cavaliers dominated the inside linebacker position for the last three years.

In 2004, Brooks was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. He was also named first-team All America that year, leading the Cavaliers in tackles for the second straight season.

Parham was often overshadowed by Brooks but emerged as a star in his own right in 2005 when Brooks’ time was limited because of injury. Despite playing only three seasons, Parham finished 19th in team history with 272 tackles. His 33 tackles for loss leaves him eighth in the Virginia record books.

Now it’s Appleby’s turn.

“Anytime you have good linebackers in front of you, you always want to follow in their footsteps,” Appleby said. “But at the same time you want to create your own legacy that people can remember you by.”

Appleby has already started to create his and has three more years to add to it. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound sophomore has shown he has the physical tools to get the job done, and he is learning more and more with every practice.

“He’s really well-grounded,” said linebackers coach Bob Diaco. “He’s got a clear picture of what’s important. He’s got a clear set of priorities. So, he’s got a real plan. Because of that, it helps him to go beyond his youth and lack of experience to take on a role that a real veteran guy would take.”

The opportunity is there and Appleby is ready to get out on the field and prove his worth in the post-Brooks/Parham era.

“Every player wants to be the next big thing at their school,” Appleby said. “The only thing that can make you go to that level is to go out and make plays and do the things that great athletes do.”

 

Copper wise beyond his years
By Barney Breen-Portnoy / Daily Progress correspondent
August 25, 2006

When asked about sophomore inside linebacker Jon Copper’s personality, one of his fellow linebackers let out a big laugh.

“He’s kind of like a 40-year-old in a 20-year-old’s body,” the anonymous teammate said. “He has all the old people’s jokes and he’s always smiling. He’s a good dude and a really down-to-earth guy.”

“That had to be Sintim,” Copper said with a grin on his face as he correctly identified sophomore outside linebacker Clint Sintim as the source of the quote. “But I do a lot to take care of my body. Football is not an end in itself, it’s just a means to an end.

“I realize that there is going to be a lot of life after football, and there is even a lot of life going on during the next couple of years here while I’m playing football here. So I try very hard to take care of my body, just so I have energy to do other things as well as football.”

A native of Roanoke, Copper went to Fork Union Military Academy for a year before enrolling at Virginia and walking on to the football team prior to the start of the 2004 season. After redshirting that year, he made a name for himself last season as a special teams player and a reserve linebacker.

He recorded 10 tackles overall, with six of them coming on special teams. In Virginia’s 34-31 Music City Bowl victory over Minnesota, Copper saw significant time at linebacker and notched two tackles.

“I know guys say this all the time about people on their team, but Jon Copper is one of the hardest working guys I’ve seen in my life as far as football, work ethic and just overall getting better,” Sintim said. “Jon was a walk-on coming here and he’s just worked himself into a good football player. I have nothing but faith in Jon Copper as far as his ability to make plays, give calls and run our defense.”

In May, Virginia coach Al Groh called Copper into his office and informed him that he had been awarded a scholarship.

“It was just a blessing,” Copper said. “I was very thankful. I wasn’t really expecting it.”

Virginia’s linebacking corps has experienced considerable turnover this offseason with the departures of players such as Ahmad Brooks, Mark Miller, Kai Parham and Bryan White. Heading into the season, Copper finds himself at the top of the depth chart at one of the inside linebacking spots, alongside sophomore Antonio Appleby. The starters at outside linebacker look to be Sintim and junior Jermaine Dias.

Despite the high level of attrition, Copper has full faith in the capabilities of this year’s collection of linebackers.

“There might not be a head-and-shoulders leader of the group this year, but I think we all learned so much from the guys last year,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to a good year.”

 

Outside looking in
Dias, Sintim making a difference at linebacker
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progres staff writer
August 25, 2006

There were subplots everywhere you looked.

Coordinators had left. Seniors were saying goodbye. Tears of joy flowed like water.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock at the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Virginia’s football team celebrated a miraculous comeback, one that secured a 34-31 victory over Minnesota.

With enough drama to get Stephen King’s attention, quite a few bright spots went unnoticed to the average fan.

Al Groh is not the average fan. Virginia’s coach, who doubled as the team’s defensive coordinator in that game, saw something that stood out.

Perhaps for the first time since the opening month, Groh got solid, if not spectacular, play from two outside linebackers.

The reason had nothing to do with Clint Sintim, a reliable linebacker that started every game and made 53 tackles. It was a foot injury to starter Jermaine Dias, a setback that caused the junior to miss four games and forced Mark Miller into the starting lineup five times.

“Each one of [Dias’] significant opportunities to develop the last two seasons came to a quick halt,” Groh said referring to Dias’ injuries. “In the third game last year [against Duke], he had an ankle sprain/fracture and missed another six or seven weeks or so and it wasn’t really until Minnesota before he was really back up to being in decent shape.

“He’s been pretty decent [in training camp]. The December practices, the April practices, and now this fall so this is close to his most extended period of practice.”

Against Minnesota, Dias and Sintim hit every Golden Gopher in sight. The matching seven-tackle performances could have earned both guys stuffed animals at Six Flags in a Whack-a-Mole game.

More importantly, the duo gave Groh a glimpse of what 2006 could look like at one of the most important positions on the field in a 3-4 defense.

“What we expect from [Dias and Sintim] is what the position has got to provide every year,” Groh said. “In this scheme, they’re the guys that really have to be play-wreckers for you. Whether it’s setting the edge on the force or rushing the passer, they’ve got to make a difference on the defense.”

Virginia has had those difference-makers in the past. Former outside linebackers Darryl Blackstock and Raymond Mann combined for eight sacks in ’03. Blackstock teamed with Dennis Haley to tally 13 sacks in ’04.

Most of those quarterback-crushing plays, however, came with Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham lined up at inside linebacker.

Both linebackers had a year of eligibility remaining but varying circumstances got the duo labeled as former Cavaliers. Brooks was suspended by Groh and later selected by the Bengals in the NFL’s supplemental draft, while Parham entered the regular draft only to go unselected. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent, but has since been waived.

Don’t look for Dias or Sintim to use the departures as an excuse.

“Those players really don’t have any bearing on this year’s team,” Groh said. “While they’re certainly well respected in what they did, I think that they have been pretty well forgotten by members of this year’s team.

“Players have a short memory. They are really just interested in what’s going to occur today.”

During the spring, Virginia employed an “average Joe” concept. It was not designed solely for a collection of linebackers without star power, but both Dias and Sintim have rallied behind the idea.

“I love it. I love that constant involvement. It keeps everybody humble and it keeps guys level-headed,” Sintim said. “Everybody is the same guy. I have heard it since high school, the name on the front [of the jersey] is a lot more important than the name on the back.

“Every guy is an individual, but we are all a team and we are all the same kind of guys.”

 

Bivens could be dual threat
By Todd Merchant / Daily Progress assistant sports editor
August 25, 2006

While they’re in high school, a majority of athletes play in multiple sports. It’s quite common for them to play in two, three or even four sports at the prep level.

But once they arrive at college, most athletes are forced to choose just one. Sure, there have been plenty who have managed to find time to star in multiple sports - the most famous probably being Deion Sanders, and more recently there is Notre Dame wide receiver and Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija - but they are the exception that proves the rule.

Virginia is no stranger to these types of special athletes. The recently graduated Tom Hagan was the football team’s starting punter before he decided to focus his energy on the baseball diamond.

The trend may continue this year with freshman linebacker John Bivens considering the double-dip.

Bivens, a three-sport star at Prince George High School, was rated the No. 94 baseball prospect in the nation by Perfect Game USA.

A Group AAA first-team all-state selection as an outfielder, Bivens received calls from the Cubs and White Sox during the amateur draft, but “signability” was an issue.

“He’s a really good athlete,” said UVa baseball coach Brian O’Connor. “He’s a big, physical kid.”

Like any freshman playing college baseball, Bivens’ progression will be slowed by missing fall workouts.

“He needs some development from the baseball side,” O’Connor said.

Bivens said he’s still “50-50” regarding whether he’ll take a stab at collegiate baseball. His main focus is currently on impressing coaches on the gridiron.

“Right now I’m committed 100 percent to football,” Bivens said.

It wasn’t always that way in high school as he didn’t play football his junior year, but that didn’t stop him from putting up solid numbers last season.

Bivens amassed approximately 800 all-purpose yards and recorded 10 touchdowns on offense and posted 68 tackles, including four sacks, and one interception while splitting his time between safety and linebacker on defense.

He opened preseason practices as a safety for UVa, but since the Cavs are loaded in the secondary and thin at the inside linebacker spot, Bivens was moved back inside.

“It’s been going real well,” he said. “I’ve always thought of myself as a linebacker.”

At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Bivens is somewhat undersized to play the position, but he is expected to bulk up in similar fashion to former Cavalier linebacker Angelo Crowell.

“There are some people who knew Angelo when he came here,” said UVa head coach Al Groh, “and they say he wasn’t much bigger than what John is right now.”

Bivens is still likely a year away from making an impact at linebacker and is not expected to be listed on the two-deep depth chart when it is released Tuesday.

A redshirt season may be in the cards for Bivens as he continues to acclimate himself to the college game.

“[The toughest thing] has been learning the plays and learning your assignments,” he said. “… But I’m just trying to do everything I can to help the team win.”

 

Virginia's Linebackers
August 25, 2006

Inside Linebackers

Antonio Appleby

Sophomore l 6-foot-4 l 248 pounds

Virginia Beach

The Numbers: Appleby played in every game last year but it was not until the final regular-season game that he worked his way into the starting lineup. … As a true freshman, Appleby made 27 tackles, tops among the new faces on the team. … Appleby made 16 of his tackles during the final two games, including 10 in the bowl game.

The Skinny: Great things are expected of Appleby, who is the only player on the team who has started a game at inside linebacker. … Virginia coach Al Groh said the playing time that Appleby got as a rookie has helped his progression. “He is off to a good start with that position, and we need him to have a big year,” Groh said. “He has all the ‘want to’ to do that.”

The Factoid: In addition to defensive end and linebacker, Appleby played tight end in high school. ESPN.com listed him as the ninth-best tight end in the nation coming out of Salem High.

Jon Copper

Sophoomore l 6-0 l 232

Roanoke

The Numbers: Copper, a redshirt in ’04, played in every game last year. He made 10 tackles, six of which came on special teams. … Copper made his debut on the field as a linebacker against Temple and made a pair of tackles.

The Skinny: Copper was rewarded for his hard work and improvement with a scholarship from coach Al Groh. … While he is expected to split time with Rashawn Jackson, Copper opened practice in training camp with an orange jersey given to starters. … Copper, who has been called “savvy” by Groh, was one of the winners of the Rock Weir Award after spring practice in ’05.

The Factoid: Copper holds a number of weightlifting records.

Outside linebackers

Clint Sintim

Sophomore l 6-3 l 256

Woodbridge

The Numbers: Sintim was one of five Cavaliers to start every game last year and he finished fifth on the squad with 53 tackles. … Thanks to a solid rookie season, Sintim was given the Bill Dudkey Award as the program’s Most Outstanding first-year player. … Sintim forced a fumble in the season opener last year against Western Michigan and finished with nine tackles for a loss, the second-most by a Cavalier rookie.

The Skinny: The sky is the limit for Sintim. He knows the plays, has the size and the motor to be one of the best outside linebackers in program history. … Sintim has what Groh calls “big-play ability.” Virginia will need that as it starts inexperienced players at inside linebacker.

The Factoid: Sintim was one of the winners of the Rock Weir Award after the spring practice concluded.

Jermaine Dias

Junior l 6-1 l 237

Hackensack, N.J.

The Numbers: Dias has played in 19 games during his career and has tallied 32 tackles. … Dias, a four-star recruit, had a quarterback sack last year against Temple and finished with 21 tackles (7 solo, 14 assisted).

The Skinny: When healthy, Dias can be one of the best linebackers in the ACC. Keeping him at 100 percent has been the problem. … Dias benefited from an injury-free spring and has a great understanding of his position.

The Factoid: Dias went to Hackensack High in the Garden State. That is the same school that produced Randy Neal, the third-leading tackler in program history.

THE BEST OF THE REST

John Bivens

Freshman l 6-2 l 213

Disputanta

The Skinny: Bivens, who might also play baseball at UVa, worked out early in practice at safety but has since been moved to inside linebacker. Bivens is undersized to play the position but is expected to bulk up in similar fashion to former Cavalier linebacker Angelo Crowell.

Denzel Burrell

Redshirt freshman l 6-4 l 224

South Orange, N.J.

The Skinny: Burrell did not play last year, but Groh has mentioned the New Jersey native as a back-up at outside linebacker. … Burrell continues to add muscle to his frame.

Darnell Carter

Freshman l 6-3 l 244

Englewood, N.J.

The Skinny: Carter has been projected as a “run-and-hit linebacker” by Groh and has the athletic ability needed to play in the 3-4. Carter, a four-year starter, also played tight end in high school.

Darren Childs

Redshirt freshman l 6-1 l 238

San Diego

The Skinny: Childs was a late addition to the recruiting class for 2005 and did not play. On the pre-fall depth chart, Childs was listed as a backup behind inside linebacker Antonio Appleby but could be a year away from being a regular contributor.

Aaron Clark

Sophomore l 6-5 l 254

Fairfield

The Skinny: Clark was on the field for 114 plays last year and should see that number increase. The sophomore was slowed in the preseason by a knee injury, but Groh said earlier this week that the outside linebacker has returned to practice.

John-Kevin Dolce

Freshman l 6-2 l 230

Bayshore, N.Y.

The Skinny: Dolce could be headed for a redshirt season, but teammates have said that he works hard in the weight room. ... Groh has raved about Dolce’s academic achievements at the prep level.

Olu Hall

Sophomore l 6-3 l 230

Fairfax

The Skinny: Hall played in eight games last year, mainly logging time on nickel packages. He is expected to push for playing time as a backup at outside linebacker again this season.

Rashawn Jackson

Redshirt freshman l 6-1 l 254

Jersey City, N.J.

The Skinny: Jackson, a converted fullback, could wind up as a starter at inside linebacker in place of Jon Copper. The youngster has gotten the attention of the coaching staff in training camp. “He’s got very good natural quickness,” Groh said. “This is a big player, now. He is solid and has got good quickness and movement.”

Bernie McKeever

Sophomore l 6-3 l 236

Fairfax Station

The Skinny: McKeever, a walk-on, started his career at wideout and after a move to the secondary, he has worked at linebacker. He could make an impact on special teams.

Marvin Richardson

Junior l 6-3 l 243

East Orange, N.J.

The Skinny: After a slow start to his career - Richardson was on the field for just 21 plays last year - the three-star recruit has moved into the discussion for playing time at outside linebacker.


- Jay Jenkins

 

Sports Focus: U.Va. Football
Boosted by 3-4 fluency Groh has high expectations for freshman LB, who played in the Cavs' defense in high school
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 25, 2006

VIRGINIA AT PITT
SEPT. 2: Season opener, 7 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV ESPNU. Radio WRVA (1140), 6 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE Abase defense used by many high school football teams is the 4-3. The powerful program at St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, N.J., however, favors the 3-4, and that's one reason University of Virginia coach Al Groh is so high on inside linebacker Rashawn Jackson.

The Cavaliers run the 3-4, which puts them in a distinct minority in Division I-A, where the 4-3 dominates. Jackson's familiarity with the principles of the 3-4, which employs four linebackers, has accelerated the development of one of U.Va.'s most promising players.

"He's a size-and-speed player with instincts and a lot of ambition, so we have high expectations for what he can be," Groh said.

Jackson, a 6-1, 254-pound redshirt freshman, may not beat out sophomore Jon Copper for a starting job by Virginia's Sept. 2 opener at Pittsburgh. Still, don't be surprised if Jackson earns an orange practice jersey -- symbolic of first-team status on defense -- before season's end.

"I work harder and harder every day, trying to become the best player I can become, and eventually, whenever Coach Groh feels that I deserve it, then I'll get it," Jackson said. "But until I prove that I deserve it, then you won't see me in one."

At St. Peter's Prep, Jackson also starred at running back, and that was his position at U.Va. for the first half of last season. But when the Cavaliers found themselves short-handed at inside linebacker, Jackson happily switched sides.

"I just felt as though I wanted to do the best I can to help the team in any way possible, even if that meant moving from offense," said Jackson, whose classmates and teammates at Virginia include cornerback Mike Brown, who played with him at St. Peter's Prep.

As promising as Jackson was at running back, "I've got an affinity for linebackers," Groh said. "Truthfully, I've had my eye on him for a while."

Even on defense, Groh said, Jackson shows "the runner's instincts for finding holes. I think you'll find that a lot of the really, really good linebackers were high school running backs. There's a similarity in the vision needed to see holes and the flow of play."

Jackson arrived at U.Va. with an ailing left shoulder, and the injury required surgery after the 2005 season ended. He's now back to 100 percent, but Jackson wasn't allowed to tackle or hit during spring practice.

"Even though it wasn't my fault I had to get shoulder surgery, I felt as though I let my team down, because they needed me," Jackson said. "So now I feel an even bigger obligation to the team to give them all I got so that we can become great competitors in this league."

Groh said: "He's really applied himself. As with a lot of the young players, some days are really sharp days, and the next day isn't probably quite as sharp. But overall I'd say we've laid a very positive foundation for him. He's going to be in the games, no doubt about that."

 

Rocco: Liberty's a destination point
The former UVa aide believes the Flames have the potential to become a Division I-AA power.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

LYNCHBURG -- New Liberty University football coach Danny Rocco is a believer, and he's been a believer for a while.

Rocco tries to live up to the Christian ideals that Jerry Falwell's university espouses, but not all faith is spiritual in nature.

Even before he took over a moribund Flames program, Rocco was a believer in Liberty football.

His father, Frank, was the Flames' director of football operations from 2000-2001. An older brother, Frank Jr., was the offensive coordinator under Ken Karcher from 2000-2003.

"To me, this is a lot more attractive job than a lot of the other I-AA jobs where people might have said, 'Oh, boy, that's a good job for Danny,'" Rocco said Thursday. "Knowing what I knew, to me this was the best of the bunch."

Rocco, who turned 46 in July, had spent the previous five seasons at UVa, where he coached linebackers and served as associate head coach.

Four assistant coaches left the UVa staff after the 2005 season, three to become head coaches. Ron Prince and Al Golden took over Division I-A programs at Kansas State and Temple, respectively, during the same five-day period that Rocco was hired at Liberty.

Some analysts looked at Rocco's jump to a lower-level program with little recent success and wondered if he had become disenchanted with his UVa boss, Al Groh.

"That wasn't the case at all," he said. "What I wanted was to be the head coach at a Division I program that I thought was committed to winning."

In his mid-30s, Rocco could have been viewed as one of the nation's top young coaching prospects. He was an assistant at Texas from 1994-1997 and had talks with then-Longhorns coach John Mackovic about moving up to assistant head coach. That was in 1996. One year later, Mackovic was fired.

"I've always been a hard-working foot soldier," said Rocco, who earlier had coached at Boston College and later had worked at Maryland. "I've had many titles and I've done many things at some of the largest universities. I've never been a self-promoter. I've never tried to be the king of the mountain.

"I talked to Lou Tepper the other day. He's the coach at [Indiana University of Pennsylvania]. He went there from Edinboro. Here's a coach who used to be the head coach at Illinois, so that should tell you, these jobs are hard to get. When you take a step back, what job was I going to get?"

Rocco said he had been "tracking" the Liberty job for more than five years. He isn't sure when it was that he first got the attention of Falwell, but it may have been the Monday night after Virginia's 7-5 loss at North Carolina. Groh had gone to Pennsylvania on a recruiting trip and left Rocco to handle his Monday night call-in show.

"It was a bad loss, we didn't play real well and the wolves were circling," Rocco said. "Evidently, Dr. Falwell was listening to the show that night. When I met with him after the season, he told me, 'I was listening for your LQ.' I said, 'What's that?' He said, 'I was listening for your loyalty quotient. You stood in there and you took every one of those questions and never wavered.'

"It's the foot soldier thing. I think that's what prompted him to say, 'That's the guy I want to hire to coach my football team.' Dr. Falwell's a blue-collar guy. He's a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of guy."

Rocco was accustomed to a one-voice policy, first under Tom Coughlin at Boston College and then at Virginia, where Groh would not allow his assistants to do interviews during the season. So, it was unusual that Groh let Rocco handle the call-in show that October night. It hadn't happened before.

Rocco will let his Liberty assistants talk to the media, as Golden has said he will at Temple, but there will be plenty of signs of the Groh influence in Lynchburg.

"There was an article in our local paper where Michael Groh [the UVa coach's son] says, 'I'm just as susceptible to an ass-chewing as anyone else,'" Rocco said. "So, that perception is out there, [that] that's part of the life in Charlottesville. But, Al Groh has treated me great for a long, long time. I talk to him regularly and seek his advice regularly."

On the corner of Rocco's desk is a plaque that reads, "Just Coach the Team," similar to the one Groh received from Bill Parcells prior to taking over as coach of the New York Jets. Groh sent it to Rocco this summer.

Hopefully, the plaque won't be misplaced next week when Liberty moves its football offices to the new $8-million A.L. Williams Football Operations Center behind the north end zone at Williams Stadium. Rocco said it compares favorably Virginia's McCue Center.

Liberty also has resurfaced its artificial-turf field to the tune of $750,000.

"The biggest selling point to me was, I wanted to go somewhere where they were making a commitment," Rocco said. "Although we're coming off a 1-10 season, the commitment far outweighs that record. The talent on this football team far outweighs the 1-10."

Liberty has had success in the past, most notably when ex-Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano presided over the Flames' program, but Liberty has had trouble attracting a strong schedule. Early on, opponents may have been wary about the possibility of proselytism.

Falwell didn't ask Rocco to be the team chaplain. He asked him to coach.

"He wanted a man of integrity; he wanted a man of character," Rocco said. "He wanted a man who had good Christian values. He also told me, 'You don't have to attend my church.' Our family is attending a non-denominational Christian church out in Bedford County, which is kind of what we've been doing for the last 10 years. I feel I can be myself.

"I'd be happy if I was here for a long time. This isn't about coming here so I can get the Virginia job. This is about coming here so I can impact these kids and that we can win. That's been my battle cry. We can win here. We can do it."
 

Looking for a critical game? Don’t overlook East Carolina
Animosity lingers following Pinigis’ departure
Doug Doughty

For most of the summer, I’ve been telling everyone who asks that Virginia’s football team will go 6-6 this season.

In so doing, I have violated one of my cardinal rules of prognosticating.

A pet peeve of mine has always been that people shouldn’t pick football records without having a schedule in front of them.

When asked to come up with some predictions for The Roanoke Times’ college football package, which publishes Sunday, I finally went through UVa’s schedule and came up with 7-5.

That includes a loss to Pittsburgh, currently a four-point favorite after opening at 3 ½ and getting as high as five.

I also figure the Cavs to lose at Georgia Tech in Week 5, then reel off five straight victories before dropping their final three games – at Florida State, against Miami in Charlottesville and at Virginia Tech.

Most people would say that Virginia’s most critical stretch of the season will be the three-game homestand in which it faces Maryland on Oct. 14, North Carolina on Oct. 19 and N.C. State on Oct. 28.

Playing North Carolina on a Thursday night, only five days after entertaining Maryland, will be particularly challenging. However, the Tar Heels also play five days earlier – against South Florida – and have to travel to Charlottesville.

South Florida is a Big East squad, coached by Jim Leavitt, that lost to N.C. State last year in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, 14-0, and finished 6-6.

If you ask me, one of the scariest dates on UVa’s schedule is an Oct. 7 visit to East Carolina. Most people would put that in Virginia “W” column, but the Pirates took tremendous strides in Skip Holtz’s first season as coach, finishing 5-6 after going 3-22 in their previous 25 games, including 3-19 under Holtz’s predecessor, John Thompson.

(Another thing: I’m not sure that people should chalk up the Miami home game as a Cavalier “L.” After visiting Florida State on Nov. 4, Virginia has an open date before hosting Miami. The Hurricanes, on the other hand, will travel to Maryland on Nov. 4. UVa took Miami to the wire last year at the Orange Bowl.).

I CAN’T REMEMBER a time when I’ve talked to anybody as unhappy as Amy Pinigis, mother of former Virginia offensive tackle Eddie Pinigis, who enrolled in classes at Division I-AA Liberty earlier this week after losing his starting job at UVa..

Amy said that the Liberty coaches were so happy at the arrival of Pinigis that head coach Danny Rocco pulled his car onto the grass out front of Liberty’s Hancock Center and gave up his parking spot.

“That did happen,” Rocco said Thursday.

A central theme in Mrs. Pinigis’ tirade was her contention that UVa head coach Al Groh had always been indifferent to her son and the Pinigis family and that former offensive coordinator Ron Prince, now the head coach at Kansas State, was responsible for her son’s playing time in 2005.

“When coach Prince left, that was the beginning of the end for Eddie,” Pinigis’ mom said. “If not for coach Prince and coach Rocco, he never would have played. Prince believed in him and fought for him every day. Rocco backed him every step of the way.”

She said that Prince was among a group of former coaches and teammates who have called in support of Pinigis, including first-round NFL Draft pick D’Brickashaw Ferguson, whose spot Pinigis filled for two games when Ferguson was injured last season.

She said that her son also heard from members of the current UVa staff, several of whom “cried” and “begged for him to come back.”

IT WAS INTERESTING to hear Groh say in a Wednesday teleconference that tight end Joe Torchia, one of the two SuperPrep All-Americans (along with Keith Payne) in Virginia’s recruiting class, was not likely to play this season.

Coupled with Groh’s earlier statement that defensive lineman Nate Collins was the only recruit who possibly could play in the opener, it makes you wonder if Groh will make a greater commitment to redshirting than he has in past years.

Of the 24 members of Virginia’s 2005 recruiting class, almost half (11) played as true freshman. Remarkably, given Virginia’s attrition of late, all 24 remain in the program.

Payne’s name came up on Groh’s Monday teleconference when Groh was asked if Payne had NCAA Clearinghouse issues that had kept him from practicing. Groh was short with rivals.com questioner Chris Wallace and the matter went unresolved.

 

With London's return, Cavs look to improve
New defensive coordinator, returning stars counted on to improve lackluster performance
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

When former Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden stepped down at the end of last season to take the head coaching position at Temple, Virginia coach Al Groh knew who to call. Mike London was the defensive line coach on Groh's original coaching staff at Virginia in 2001 and had also served as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2002 through 2004.

In 2005, London left Charlottesville to work as the defensive line coach for the NFL's Houston Texans. Like Virginia, the Texans utilize a 3-4 defensive system. Out of the 12 schools in the ACC, Virginia is one of only two that utilizes the 3-4, rather than the 4-3, defensive system. Part of Groh's decision to lure London back to Charlottesville as the defensive coordinator was London's familiarity with the 3-4 system.

"Obviously, Mike picked up some very good things" while with the Texans, Groh said. "Some of them are particularly pertinent to us because he was in a system that has some overlap with what we do. So he was able to bring some points to us about that."

London has been charged with the task of improving a defense that often struggled last season. In the ACC, the Cavaliers finished 10th in rushing defense, 11th in passing defense and eighth in scoring defense. Virginia also posted the worst defensive third-down conversion rate in the ACC at 43.8 percent.

Complicating London's task is the fact that the Cavaliers lost several key defensive players to graduation and other circumstances during the off-season. Most notable among these were defensive linemen Kwakou Robinson, Vince Redd and Brennan Schmidt along with linebackers Ahmad Brooks, Mark Miller, Kai Parham and Bryan White.

The cupboard is not entirely bare for London, however. The secondary is led by senior cornerback Marcus Hamilton, a preseason All-American. Up front, the defensive line is anchored by junior defensive end Chris Long, who has also accumulated several prominent preseason accolades.

Long, who notched 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season, is the only returning starter on the defensive line. His backup will be redshirt freshman Jason Fuller.

Sophomore Alex Field and redshirt freshman Jeffrey Fitzgerald will battle for playing time at the other defensive end spot. Fitzgerald currently appears to have the inside track to the starting role.

Junior Allen Billyk looks like he will be the starter at nose tackle. He accumulated eight tackles over 10 games last season and can also fill in at defensive end if needed. Junior Keenan Carter is listed second behind Billyk on the depth chart.

An effective 3-4 system relies heavily upon the playmaking ability of the linebacking corps. At the outside linebacker spots, Virginia is set with junior Jermaine Dias and sophomore Clint Sintim. Sintim saw action in all 12 games last season, totaling 53 tackles and three sacks while Dias appeared in eight games and posted 21 tackles and a sack while helping fill the void left by the knee injury to Brooks.

Sophomores Antonio Appleby and Jon Cooper will start at the inside linebacker positions. Both saw action in all 12 games. Appleby made 27 tackles and saw his playing time increase over the course of the year. Most of Cooper's contributions came on special teams, where he made six of his 10 tackles.

"It was great last year when we had four guys that really knew the system and had a lot of game experience," Cooper said of the linebacking corps. "We learned a lot from those guys, especially from Parham. There may not be a head and shoulders leader this year but I think we all got better by learning from the guys last year."

Groh said they may rotate three players through the two inside linebacker spots. Sophomore Bernie McKeever and redshirt freshmen Rashawn Jackson and Darren Childs are listed beneath Appleby and Cooper on the depth chart.

The secondary is where Virginia's defense has the most depth. Hamilton led the Cavaliers with six interceptions. Starting at the other corner spot will be junior Chris Gorham, who hauled in two interceptions of his own in 2005. In reserve, Virginia will have sophomores Mike Brown and Chris Cook as well as the versatile redshirt freshman Vic Hall.

At safety, Virginia will start the fearsome duo of senior Tony Franklin and junior Nate Lyles. Lyles made 39 tackles before going down with a season-ending neck injury Nov. 12 while Franklin recorded 55 tackles and two interceptions, including one that sealed Virginia's 26-21 upset victory over Florida State Oct. 16.

Backing up Franklin and Lyles will be a talented group that includes juniors Jamaal Jackson and Ryan Best, along with redshirt freshman Brandon Woods.