U.Va. to face Pitt,'76 ghosts
Panthers will honor 12-0 national champs from 30 years ago
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 29, 2006

The University of Virginia football team hopes the spirit of'76 doesn't inspire Pittsburgh to greatness Saturday night.

U.Va. opens the season against the Panthers at Heinz Field, also home of the Super Bowl champion Steelers. At halftime, Pitt will honor its 1976 team, which went 12-0 and won the national title.

"It's going to add a lot of excitement to the night," Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt said yesterday.

Thirty years ago, the Panthers, then coached by Johnny Majors, opened the season with a 31-10 rout of Notre Dame. They closed it with a 27-3 romp over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Pitt's standouts in'76 included tailback Tony Dorsett, offensive lineman Tom Brzoza, nose guard Al Romano and quarterback Matt Cavanaugh, now the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Wannstedt said he'll probably ask some of the Pitt legends to address the current team this weekend.

"It's going to be great to have them in," said Wannstedt, who has two degrees from Pitt and was a graduate assistant on the'76 team. "The timing is perfect, so it'll be a good night."

Majors, who left Pitt for Tennessee after the'76 season, had a second stint (1993-96) as the Panthers' coach. He's now a special assistant to the chancellor and the athletic director at Pitt and lives near campus.

Saturday night's game marks the start of Al Groh's sixth season as coach at U.Va., where his record is 37-26. Groh expects a "a little more juice in the atmosphere" than usual at Heinz Field, where Pitt went 5-1 last season.

"It's going to be center stage in Pittsburgh, a big dog-and-pony show," Groh said. "All of that is going to make it very challenging for this team."

Pitt has won nine national titles in football, the last coming in 1976. Last year's 5-6 finish broke a string of five winning seasons for the Panthers, who would love to start Wannstedt's second campaign on a high note.

The Cavaliers would love to spoil Pitt's reunion Saturday night.

"It's just going to be a great opportunity for us to do something good," U.Va. quarterback Christian Olsen said.

NOTES: The Cavaliers, already without star wide receiver Deyon Williams, who is sidelined indefinitely with a foot injury, have lost another player at that position. U.Va. announced last night that reserve Theirrien "Bud" Davis has withdrawn from school for personal reasons and is no longer part of the team.

Davis, a junior from Bowie, Md., played in four games as a true freshman in 2004 and in 12 last year. Most of his playing time came on special teams, but he started at wideout in the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl against Fresno State. As a Cavalier, Davis gained 54 yards on three catches, 44 yards on two kickoff returns and 14 yards on one carry.

Also, Liberty's new coach, Danny Rocco, a former U.Va. assistant, has added another ex-Cavalier to his squad. Last week it was Eddie Pinigis, a junior who quit the team at Virginia after being demoted to the second team and now starts at offensive tackle for the Flames. This week it's defensive lineman Vince Redd, who lettered as a reserve at U.Va. in 2004 and'05. Groh kicked Redd off the team before the start of spring practice this year for unspecified violations of team rules.

Redd is not eligible to compete at Liberty this season, Rocco said, but plans to play his final season there in 2007. Redd, who is from Elizabethton, Tenn., originally planned to transfer to Grambling, along with former U.Va. teammates Philip Brown and Chris Johnson, but eligibility issues arose.
 

For new aide at U.Va., lots of moves but just one title
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 29, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Steve Bernstein was looking forward to coaching defensive ends. His wife, Carolyn, was looking forward to him coaching defensive ends.

After 30 years coaching defensive backs, Bernstein arrived at the University of Arizona in 2001 ready to try something new.

Then, the secondary coach at Arizona left unexpectedly. Three guesses who coach John Mackovic asked to take the job.

"I had secondary experience, so I ended up being secondary coach there, too," Bernstein said.

Bernstein said this with a shrug and a smile as he mingled with fans and media on the Scott Stadium concourse at Virginia's "Meet the Team" day earlier this month. At 62, he's settling into yet another job in yet another college town - his 10th in 36 years.

The venues change but the job description remains the same. Once again, Bernstein's coaching defensive backs.

This time, Bernstein's got another title attached to his name: assistant head coach. It's an indication of the respect head coach Al Groh has for him, and the importance he's placed on shoring up the secondary, which has been a problem area in recent seasons.

"There shouldn't be too many issues Steve hasn't had to address during preparation or during the course of a game," Groh said. "The significant thing is he's had a lot of experience in elements of the scheme that we run."

Not to mention a lot of experience, period. Groh jokingly said that another benefit of hiring Bernstein is that the oldest face he sees at work each day won't be the one staring back at him in the men's room mirror. He's not quite right. Bernstein, born Aug. 13, 1944, is actually a month younger than his boss.

The men are definitely of the same coaching generation, though. Both cut their teeth coaching for the military, Groh at West Point, Bernstein in the Marine Corps. Until now, they'd never crossed paths, though both count Mackovic and former Illinois coach Lou Tepper as close friends and influences.

Bernstein played running back in the Marines after graduating from Occidental College in 1966. After a stint in Vietnam, where he was a decorated platoon commander, he coached the secondary for a Marine team based in Quantico. When a friend from the Corps took a job at Utah State, Bernstein went with him, as secondary coach.

A highly specialized career was born. Bernstein coached defensive backs at Utah State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, LSU, Arizona and Northern Illinois before coming to Virginia.

"It's a tough position to coach," he said. "Because your kids, they could play a great game, and then give up one big play. If you dwell on it, it's just going to hurt you, so you've got to go to the next play.

"I was a Marine officer and I kind of learned that there. You've just got to get over it and go to the next thing, because if you don't, something will overtake you."

Bernstein is Virginia's third secondary coach in as many years. Former defensive coordinator Al Golden coached there last year, tight ends coach Bob Price the year before. Virginia ranked 11th in the 12-team ACC in pass defense last year, though the secondary didn't get much help from the pass rush. The Cavaliers managed just 19 sacks, also 11th in the league.

Bernstein's job is to impart a career's worth of coverage techniques. Though terminology changes from place to place, the basics don't, he said.

"He definitely knows his information," cornerback Marcus Hamilton said. "He's been around a long time. Coach Golden sort of did things by the book. Coach Bernstein tries to teach you things he's seen that worked."

Bernstein inherits a secondary that returns all four starters, and nine players with game experience. All in all, it's the most experienced unit on the team.

On and off the field.

 

U.Va. loses another wide receiver
BY DARRYL SLATER
Daily Press
August 28, 2006, 10:01 PM EDT

Five days before its season opener, Virginia has lost another wide receiver. Backup Theirrien "Bud" Davis, a junior, has withdrawn from school because of personal reasons, Virginia announced Monday.

Senior Deyon Williams, a starting receiver, underwent surgery Aug. 11 after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot. He said he hopes to return by the Sept. 21 game at Georgia Tech.

After Williams was sidelined, Virginia coach Al Groh said candidates to replace him were Davis and sophomore Kevin Ogletree. A few days later, wide receivers coach John Garrett said he expected Ogletree to win the competition, apparently leaving Davis in a backup role.

Senior Fontel Mines is Virginia's other starting receiver. Virginia's backup receivers now likely will be junior Emmanuel Byers and sophomores Andrew Pearman and Maurice Covington. Between them, they have 30 career catches. (Pearman has none of those because he sat out last season after transferring from Hawaii.)

Groh said he's been impressed with the speed and size of true freshman receiver Chris Dalton, a 6-foot-2, 172-pounder from Statesville, N.C.

Davis, a 5-foot-11, 188-pounder from Bowie, Md., played in 16 games the past two seasons, including all 12 last year. His career statistics: three catches for 54 yards. Davis could not be reached for comment. His parents, Lawan Davis and Theirrien Clark, did not return a telephone message.

Davis is the second player to leave Virginia in the past nine days. Junior right tackle Eddie Pinigis quit on Aug. 19. He'll play this season at Liberty.

Davis arrived at Virginia in 2004 and did not redshirt. He has two years of eligibility remaining, even if he decides to transfer to a Division I-A school. Virginia begins the season at 7 p.m. Saturday at Pittsburgh.
 

Cavaliers look for Hughes replacement to kick start season
Loss of Conor Hughes prompts coaches to talk about one of the most crucial positions for this year's football team -- the punter
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

While much of the focus this off-season has been on how to replace departed high-profile star players like Marques Hagans and Kai Parham, a more important issue may be who will step up to take the place of kickers Connor Hughes and Kurt Smith.

The kicking positions "are right up on the same bar of importance with the other positions," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "The one guy I might want back more than anyone else is Connor Hughes."

Hughes set a new standard for dependability at the placekicking position throughout his four years at Virginia. He made 83.5 percent of his career field goal attempts and set school records in points (332), field goals made (66) and extra points made (134). Of the 12 field goals of 50 yards or longer in Virginia history, Hughes kicked five of them. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints this summer but was released last week and is currently looking to catch on with another NFL squad.

Smith may have received less attention than Hughes but was equal in importance. Of his 66 kickoffs in 2005, 38 resulted in touchbacks and the average starting position for Virginia's opponents was the 21-yard line, tied for the best mark in the ACC. He was picked in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

The Cavaliers will look to junior Chris "Beep" Gould and senior Noah Greenbaum to handle the kicking duties. Gould carried out the punting duties for Virginia the past two seasons, a role that may be filled by junior Ryan Weigand this year, depending on how the competition shakes out.

"Anytime you follow two kicking legends -- Hughes and Smith -- there is pressure," Gould said. "But they were last year's team and Noah Greenbaum, Ryan Weigand and myself are this year's team. We just have to focus on ourselves and what we have to do to help this team win."

Gould will kick off for Virginia but the battle for who will take the field goal and extra point duties is ongoing. Gould was primarily a field goal kicker in high school but moved to punter his freshman year at Virginia to replace a struggling Sean Johnson. Greenbaum, a Richmond native, converted on the only field goal attempt of his collegiate career, a 41-yarder last Nov. 5 in a 51-3 win over Temple.

"It's just so close," Groh said of the competition. "Noah has done a very good job [in training camp]. He has acquitted himself well and has presented himself with a good opportunity."

The fight for playing time has put a high level of pressure to perform during training camp on both Gould and Greenbaum.

"The competition is tight every day, so if you don't bring your A game, you might not be playing at Pittsburgh," Gould said.

Gould's development as a kicker has been aided by his older brother Robbie, who kicks professionally for the Chicago Bears.

"He's been a great mentor to me," Chris Gould said of his older brother. "In high school, I was able to learn what he was learning in college. Now when I'm in college, I'm learning from what he's learning in the NFL. So I am able to stay one step ahead and be a little more advanced at what I do. Hopefully, I can carry that on the field this year and help the team win."

Weigand transferred to Virginia from Pasadena City College following the 2004 season. Last year, he did not see any action as he backed up Gould, who averaged 40 yards per punt. If Gould wins the field goal/extra point kicking job, the likelihood that Weigand starts at punter will increase.

Gould has been impressed with how Weigand has adjusted to the speed of the Division I level.

"He came in being able to get it off in 2.3 seconds and now he has to be below 2.0, around 1.9," Gould said. "So it's a big difference but he has adjusted well and I think he'll do a great job for the team this year."
 

Ferguson sees ups, downs early in rookie year
Associated Press

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) - When you are the No. 4 pick in the draft, every move you make gets sliced, diced and criticized.

Left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson is becoming all too familiar with that.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Ferguson has been alternately praised and admonished during his first month of full practice. He has made some good plays, and a few bad ones. Unfortunately, the bad ones stand out more because so much is expected from him.

Ferguson knows it. But he is learning and trying to grow from all his rookie experiences.

"Even in college and high school, you're going to make mistakes," Ferguson said. "You've just got to bounce back. We still have a long season, so I can't really allow the mistakes of one game to affect the whole season."

The one game he is talking about: a 13-7 loss to the Giants last week.

Ferguson was called for two false-start penalties in the span of eight plays. On the second one, the Jets had fourth-and-1 from the Giants 28. The miscue sent the Jets out of field goal range, and they were forced to punt.

Jets coach Eric Mangini quickly yanked Ferguson from the game for a quarter and a half. He played one more series with the starters, then spent the rest of the game with the backups. Mangini took Ferguson aside on the sideline and told him to remember the five-second rule: dwell on the mistake only for a moment and then move on.

But Mangini was furious after the game, chiding Ferguson for his lack of focus.

The message seemed to have sunk in. When the team returned to practice Sunday, Ferguson bounced right back and showed his mettle.

"He's a resilient guy. He understands the mistakes he made and the fact those are in the past and the important thing is to not repeat those mistakes and to improve in the areas where he needs to improve," Mangini said. "You could see that (Sunday), him focusing on that, working on that. You did see improvement."

Ferguson also had a false-start penalty in the second game against Washington, giving him three for the preseason. But he also had a stunning block against the Redskins on Brad Smith's 61-yard reverse for a touchdown. Ferguson ran 30 yards down field to make the play, earning heavy praise from his teammates and Mangini.

He also has held his own against some of the better defensive ends in the league. Ferguson went against Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora against the Giants and held him in check.

"I've had an opportunity to go against a couple guys. There's some things I did well, there's some things I didn't do as well," Ferguson said. "I still think it's real early and I'm just trying to go out there and perform as best as I can."

Ferguson and rookie center Nick Mangold have perhaps the most pressure on them. Both were taken in the first round and are starting on the line, playing two of the most difficult positions on offense. Ferguson must protect the blind-side for the quarterback. If Chad Pennington is the starter, this job is even more important given his history of shoulder injuries.

Mangold must make all the line calls and direct traffic. The two have developed a close relationship, starting when they met at the Senior Bowl. Mangold said he felt for Ferguson in the Giants game, but said everyone can take something away from what happened.

"Every day is another learning experience," Mangold said. "We have to take the coaching and take the playbook and learn as much as possible, which I think we're going to have to do the whole season."

Ferguson agrees.

"In every game there's going to be some things that go my way or not go my way," Ferguson said. "It's a matter of correcting the things that didn't go well and continuing to grow upon things that did go well. That's my attitude toward the situation."

A good attitude to have for a rookie.