Cavs ready for Palko-led Panthers
Former WR Davis pleads guilty, gets 3 months in jail
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 31, 2006

Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt raved this week about Virginia.

Virginia coach Al Groh did the same about Pitt.

Wannstedt mentioned Virginia’s strong recruiting classes, while Groh singled out Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko’s experience.

Both former NFL coaches sounded genuine, but both coaches have been forced to breakdown videotape from games played in a different calendar year.

Every team in the country faces those same challenges, but Virginia still saw enough from last year’s Pittsburgh squad to make several evaluations, most of which involved Palko.

“[Palko] has a really good arm,” said UVa outside linebacker Clint Sintim. “He takes chances with the ball and he throws them in tight coverages, and he makes them look easy.

“He puts it right in there and his receivers make catches on it. He is a good quarterback and he is elusive.”

Palko, a junior, enters his third season as the starting quarterback and already ranks fifth all-time at Pitt with 5,472 passing yards. Earlier this week, Palko was one of 34 players to be named to the “watch list” for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

Sintim said he has been thinking for months about sacking Palko and other quarterbacks who lie ahead on the Cavaliers’ schedule. That’s only natural.

“I have visions in my mind sometimes, just in class ... I’m not supposed to, but every now and then you have visions of what kind of play you want to make,” Sintim said. “I have had visions of picking up a fumble, scoring a touchdown, an interception ... just things you want to happen in a game that may not ever happen. It is always good to dream.

“Hopefully, I can get my hands on [Palko].”

That might be easier said than done.

“I don’t think Palko necessarily looks to run, but I think if he gets rushed he will run, and he can run,” Sintim said. “He is one of the better players on their team and he helps them win games. Hopefully, we can discourage him.”

Wannstedt, fresh off a 5-6 record in his first season at Pitt, said taking a veteran such as Palko into battle will be “big for us.”

“Nobody has prepared themselves on and off the field more than Tyler has. The kid has really worked hard,” Wannstedt said in his press conference on Monday. “I know that he knows that his No. 1 job is to not make ‘X’ amount of great plays but manage the game, give the ball to the right guy and have some confidence in these young kids that they will make plays.”

UVa defensive end Chris Long said the video on Palko and his teammates helps with “tendencies offensively,” and pointed out that, with six starters back on offense, “it makes it a little bit convenient for us to scout personnel.”

Not everything on tape matters to Long.

“Really, it is Game 1 and you are going to know some tendencies and whatnot, but when we get up there Saturday night it is time to play football,” Long said. “A football player doesn’t need to know everything about an opponent.”

Davis update

Former UVa wideout Theirrien “Bud” Davis pleaded guilty Wednesday in Albemarle County Circuit Court to petty larceny, stemming from a March 2 incident in which he removed books from the central UVa Bookstore.

Davis was sentenced to 12 months in jail, with nine months suspended. He is required to report to jail on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

He must remain on good behavior for two years, pay $1,355 in restitution to the bookstore and withdraw from the football team and school.

“Never to return to either,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jon R. Zug.

Davis, who was entering his third season with the UVa football team, was originally charged with grand larceny with intent to resell books.

After a previous incident caught on tape at the UVa bookstore that day, Zug said Davis took books indiscriminately off the shelves of the bookstore and carried them to a café area inside the building. Davis noticed employees were watching him and he left the area without the books.

Davis later admitted that he’d gotten the books with the intent to steal, Zug said, and also talked about selling books to the bookstore that he’d previously taken from other places.

Davis left Virginia’s football team on Monday citing “personal reasons.”

The junior had three career receptions for 54 yards. He had played in 16 games for Virginia, including one start against Fresno State in the MPC Computers Bowl in 2004.

 

Miami-FSU tilt all about execution
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
August 31, 2006

Scattershooting around the ACC, while itching to get at football season … Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has lost more games to Miami than any other school during his lengthy coaching career, having dropped 20 games to the rival Hurricanes (once while he was head coach at West Virginia).

But Bowden, the winningest coach in major college history, thinks in the positive. He has also beaten Miami 13 times. The rivals square off once again on Labor Day evening in a game that could go FSU’s way.

The two teams have been predicted to meet again in the ACC Championship game in December, so Monday night’s game could provide an early look at the two best teams in the conference.

(Personal note: keep your eye on Clemson).

But Bowden has been in enough of these to know what may decide the outcome.

“It’s going to come down to a matter of execution,” Saint Bobby said. “One of the good things is you can look at history and see we play good down there [at Miami]. We’ve lost some but we played good. I think one of the reasons is we probably will have as many in the stands as they will.”

Miami fans rarely fill up the Orange Bowl, so it is easy for FSU supporters to get tickets and make it more of a neutral environment.

Look for Bowden to put more emphasis on the running game because he believes the team that runs the ball best in the annual meeting with the Hurricanes, is usually the victor.

Running with the ’Pack

Speaking of the running game, N.C. State will be banking on the run a lot this season, and Coach Chuck Amato believes the Wolfpack should be productive with its corps of tailbacks.

Amato said that running back Toney Baker is “The Man.” But he also says that about Andre Brown and redshirt freshman Jamelle Eugene.

“They’re going to be ‘The Man, plural,’” said Amato. “I guess that would be ‘The Men.’”

He believes he has three first-team tailbacks, so all of them will get plenty of action.

“There aren’t a lot of running backs in college football who average over 25 runs a game, over 25 or 30 touches a game,” said the State coach. “You multiply that by just 10 games and that’s over 300 snaps people are coming right at you. There’s only so much the body can take and we play 12 games.”

Short yardage …

… Georgia Tech will be attempting to break its ESPN “Gameday” jinx, having been clobbered both times the Yellow Jackets previously were featured - a 34-7 loss to Florida State in 1998 and a 51-7 loss at Virginia Tech last season.

… Remember Rudy? The Notre Dame reserve, Rudy Ruettiger of movie fame? Well, the only tackle of his career came against Georgia Tech in 1975. … Speaking of the Yellow Jackets, wide receiver Calvin Johnson is up for the Heisman, but Tech is taking a low-key approach to promoting him for the award. He has a web page, linked from the Tech athletics home page (Ramblinwreck.com), but there’s not a lot of other stuff going out. … Three former UVa assistant coaches make their head coaching debuts this week: Kansas State head coach Ron Prince plays host to Illinois State; Temple’s Al Golden travels to Buffalo; and Liberty’s Danny Rocco plays host to St. Paul’s tonight in Lynchburg.

…Boston College doesn’t feel it has yet developed a true rivalry in the ACC after only one season in the league, so the Eagles are trying to work out a long-range, long-term deal to get former Big East rival Syracuse back on the schedule. But don’t look for it to happen until around 2010 or 2012. … Maryland received a $20 million deal for the next 25 years to rename its football home Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. The Terps plan to use those funds for expansion, adding 500 mezzanine seats and 50 to 60 luxury boxes to the 51,500-seat facility. The project will likely be finished by 2010.

… North Carolina running backs coach Andre Powell (formerly the running backs coach at UVa under George Welsh), has purposely held starting tailback Ronnie McGill out of several drills during the past week because the Tar Heels don’t want to risk getting their best runner injured before the first game. McGill has a history of injuries, so it may be a smart move. McGill had mixed feelings about the strategy but did agree that it has kept his body fresh.

The picks

Boston College 44, Central Michigan 13; Virginia Tech 52, Northeastern 6; North Carolina 30, Rutgers 19; Clemson 63, Florida Atlantic 3; Duke 33, Richmond 17; Maryland 27, William & Mary 10; N.C. State 24, Appalachian State 17; Wake Forest 26, Syracuse 23; Virginia 30, Pittsburgh 27; Notre Dame 28, Georgia Tech 24; Florida State 23, Miami 17.

 

All hands on deck
Fontel Mines and Kevin Ogletree will start for UVa in the opener and look to overcome the loss of injured Deyon Williams.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A comparison of receiving numbers to postseason awards would suggest that Virginia wide receiver Deyon Williams has been underappreciated.

Just how underappreciated could be determined Saturday night at Pittsburgh.

If Williams remains underappreciated, that would be good for UVa. That would mean a relatively unheralded receiving corps has picked up the slack as Williams recovers from a broken foot.

"I think they've done OK," said Groh of a group that is now being led by Williams' fellow senior and alter ego, Fontel Mines. "I've been pleased with how they've applied themselves, but I'm holding my assessment until I see what happens in actual competition. I don't think there's any other valid assessment."

Mines, who started six games in 2005 and had 28 receptions, will start at one of the receiver spots. On the other side, Virginia will go with Kevin Ogletree, a 6-foot-2, 189-pound sophomore who had seven receptions last season, five in a 51-3 romp over Temple.

As a senior at Holy Cross High School in St. Albans, N.Y., Ogletree caught 19 touchdown passes in 2004, which was one short of a state record.

"He's got a lot of skills, as much skill as we've had at that position," said Groh at a Tuesday news conference. "He's got good hands and good athletic sense. [He's] a little bit slippery."

When he came to camp, Ogletree's focus was the slot-receiver position that is likely to be filled by veteran Emmanuel Byers and Andrew Pearman, a transfer from Hawaii who is the younger brother of former Cavalier standout Alvin Pearman, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While Virginia lists a fullback on its depth chart, there are many occasions when the Cavaliers remove the fullback and play either three wide receivers or two tight ends.

Ogletree figured to see ample playing time at slot receiver, but in that position, he would have worked the middle of the field. Now that he's moved into Williams' position, he also has inherited Williams' role as deep threat.

"I definitely look at myself as a speed player," Ogletree said early in preseason camp. "More than anything maybe, that's my greatest asset, I try to use that as much as I can and wherever possible.

"It was kind of a shock when I found out about Deyon. I kind of had to switch mentalities, but we practice each day so each receiver can go in at any of the positions. We're pretty interchangeable."

Virginia has been in this position before. In 2003, when Williams and Mines were true freshmen, projected starter Michael McGrew broke his leg in preseason practice.

That was the year that Virginia got a combined 133 receptions out of tight end Heath Miller (70) and tailback Alvin Pearman (63). With no receiver catching as many as 40 passes, UVa went 8-5 and beat Pittsburgh in the Continental Tire Bowl.

It was more of the same in 2004, when McGrew returned to catch 30 passes, the high by a UVa receiver. Then, Williams caught 58 passes -- seven for touchdowns -- last year.

Unlike the McGrew injury, a nasty break that occurred in view of teammates, Williams practiced with the Cavaliers until it was determined he had a stress fracture.

"It wasn't like [the McGrew injury] at all," Mines said. "When the X-rays came back, we were all shocked. It was something that was hard to deal with at first, but we're all coping with it right now. I'm trying to pick him up as a teammate and friend."

Williams serves as a co-captain, but he and Mines might as well be co-co-captains as inseparable as they are.

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Mines has the size that had some envisioning him as a tight end at one point. He's more of a possession receiver than a deep threat and became more of a factor last year, when he caught five passes against Florida State and four in two other games.

"I was somewhat pleased," Mines said. "It was a solid year, but you can't ever be satisfied with mediocrity."

An "x" factor for the Cavaliers is respected third-year receivers coach John Garrett, who came from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he worked with the likes of Chad Johnson.

"Innately, he's [Mines] got to the thinking to be himself, 'You know what, I'm more of a veteran receiver and our veteran receiver is down, so I've got to step it up,' " Garrett said. "I just see a great approach from Fontel, really not a change from when Deyon got hurt, but just the same 'I'm going to work hard every day' attitude that he's always had."
 

Rebuilding Cavs look for new leaders
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 31, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The first phase of the Al Groh era has ended, short of its goals.

Groh came to Virginia talking of competing for national championships and playing in major bowls. As the Cavaliers stockpiled talent, it appeared they were poised to become the next big thing in the ACC.

But after nine wins and a second-place finish in 2002, Virginia leveled off. The Cavaliers won eight games in 2003 and 2004, and seven last year, going just .500 in the conference and playing in second-tier (Continental Tire, Music City) or third-tier (MPC Computers) bowl games.

Now, the players who were cornerstones of those teams are gone and U.Va. faces its first major rebuild under Groh. In the increasingly-tough ACC, getting to even seven wins won't be easy.

"They weren't just good players, they were players that did things few players in the history of the ACC have ever done," Groh said.

Tailback Wali Lundy was the ACC's career touchdown leader, kicker Connor Hughes Virginia's all-time leading scorer. Defensive end Brennan Schmidt started 51 straight games. Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the No. 4 pick in the draft, Marques Hagans one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in school history.

If those players couldn't lead the Cavaliers to ACC contention, what chance does the 2006 team have?

On the surface, not much. On offense, U.Va. has question marks at quarterback and on the line and will start the season with its top playmaker, receiver Deyon Williams, out with a foot injury. On defense, the middle of the front seven - nose tackle and inside linebacker - is unproven.

Still, there's some intriguing young talent. For inspiration, Virginia could turn to 2002, when an inexperienced group of players was thrown in the fire early and matured into a surprisingly good team.

"Who knew anything about Connor Hughes" a few years ago? Groh said. "Who knew D'Brickashaw Ferguson? Who knew too much about Wali Lundy? Who knew anything about Brennan Schmidt?

"There are players like that now."

To avoid taking a step back, Virginia has to hope there are.

BREAKDOWN

Impact players

CB Marcus Hamilton has 10 career interceptions, third among active players nationally. He leads a deep and talented secondary, which looks to be the strength of the defense.

DE Chris Long appears ready for a breakout season. Long is a relentless pass rusher who’s strong enough to be effective against the run.

QB Christian Olsen has waited three years for the chance to be the starter. Olsen, more of a dropback passer than his predecessor, Marques Hagans, was a high school All-American who spent a season at Notre Dame before transferring.

G Branden Albert, who won a starting job as a true freshman last year, could be the next great Virginia lineman. At 6-7 and 320 pounds, Albert is quick enough to get to the edge on running plays.

Don't miss

The season opener against Pittsburgh. If Virginia can get by the Panthers, a 3-0 start is a virtual certainty and 6-0 is not outside the realm of possibility.

Fast fact

S Ryan Best won the 2005 Brian Piccolo Award as the most courageous player in the ACC. The former goalkeeper on the soccer team was diagnosed with cancer after joining the football team in 2004 but returned to play in 11 games last year.

Emerging star

WR Kevin Ogletree. With Deyon Williams likely to miss at least a few games with a foot injury, the development of Ogletree could be a key to the season. He showed flashes of his considerable potential as a true freshman last year, and the extra playing time he gets while Williams is healing should accelerate his progress.

By the numbers

2 — Number of seniors on the defensive roster.

20.8 — Number of first downs allowed by Virginia in 2005, second-most in the ACC.

26 — Number of quarterback hurries by DE Chris Long in 2005.

45 — Number of passes caught by Virginia tight ends in 2005.

63.7 — Percentage of total offense accounted for by QB Marques Hagans in 2005.

165 — Number of points scored by graduated seniors Connor Hughes and Wali Lundy in 2005, more than half (51.5 percent) of the team’s total.

Coachspeak

“There are so many positions that don’t have any veteran players. It’s going to be very interesting to see ... which of the younger players step up in front of their peers to set the standard and take a leadership role.”

— Al Groh

Prediction

7-5 overall, 4-4 ACC. The schedule sets up for a fast start, but the bills come due in November. Check out the brutal run to the finish, starting with Florida State on Nov. 4, home against Miami two weeks later and then at Virginia Tech

Wannstedt and Groh: Familiar faces on oppossing sidelines
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 30, 2006

Dave Wannstedt wasn't the head coach when Pittsburgh and Virginia agreed to a home-and-home series a few years ago, but it figures he'll be on the sidelines when the teams meet on Saturday.
Wannstedt and Cavaliers head coach Al Groh have a tendency to find each other on the schedule.

Their careers have crossed paths almost every step of the way in the last 17 years, first with the Cowboys and Giants in the NFC East, later in the AFC East with the Dolphins and Jets and now in the college ranks.

"It seems like we've ended up in the same conference a lot," said Groh, who has gotten the better of Wannstedt in their only two meetings as head coaches, both in 2000.

It's more than that, though. Their coaching careers are near facsimiles. Both latched on to a successful head coach early in their careers (Wannstedt to Jimmy Johnson; Groh to Bill Parcells). Both are defensive specialists who eventually got NFL head jobs. And both opted to go back to their respective alma maters.

So both know what to expect from their coaching counterpart this weekend.

Like Groh and his affinity for the 3-4 defense and tall, lean, athletic types who fit in well at either linebacker or tight end, Wannstedt has his preferences.

"It looks like (Pittsburgh's) being put together in a fashion, kind of a construction model, very typical of Dave," Groh said. "I guess you could make the analogy that you've got homebuilders, and each guy's got his own style and tends to build in a similar fashion from house to house. Well, coaches are the same way."

The hallmarks of Wannstedt's defenses in Dallas, Chicago and Miami were speedy linebackers, aggressive pass rushers and lockdown corners. Naturally, he's building the Panthers in that image.

H.B. Blades is of the Ken Norton Jr./Zach Thomas mold, standing just six feet tall but patrolling the middle linebacker position as well as anyone in the country, as his 121 tackles last year will attest.

Pittsburgh's defensive line isn't that big, but it's fast and aggressive. And its secondary is physical and talented, allowing the third fewest passing yard per game last year.

"I've always admired the work of his defenses," Groh said. "Every place he's been, (his defenses have) been a hard issue to deal with."

Groh has at least one advantage. He's had five years to build Virginia in his mold. Wannstedt is entering Year Two.

Groh can certainly relate to Wannstedt's situation. He finished 5-7 his first season at UVa in 2001 but closed strong, posting wins over No. 20 Georgia Tech and Penn State in the final three weeks.

Wannstedt's first season with Pittsburgh followed a similar arc.

The Panthers went 5-6 after starting out 1-4. But they made progress, winning four of their last six and coming up one win shy of making a bowl game.

"It's a work in progress," Wannstedt said. "We have a real clear picture of where we're going and what we're going to become, but it doesn't happen overnight.

"If you called our players in and asked them what is the foundation of this team and what the philosophy is, I think man for man they would know. And that's the starting point."


 

Virginia corner presents challenge for Pitt
By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 31, 2006

Pitt players and coaches spent the summer scouting Virginia game tapes, and immediately recognized the playmaking abilities of Marcus Hamilton.
The senior cornerback is easy to spot.

He often has a ball in his hands.

Hamilton's 10 career interceptions ranks third in the nation among active players. He had six last season, when he was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference.

"A lot of his interceptions come from being aggressive, but he's a playmaker, and you have to know where he's going to be at all times," Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko said. "He does it all. He can cover and he can be physical and he's not afraid to stick his nose in there and stop the run."

True, the 5-foot-11, 198-pound Hamilton has been known to blitz the quarterback, and is averaging 47 tackles the past three seasons, and 58.5 the past two years. Hamilton is an All-American candidate and an NFL prospect.

"He's a big-time player. I'm sure if you would talk to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles or Washington Redskins, he would be a guy that would be listed as a potential pro prospect," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He's a guy you better be aware of at all times because he can turn a game around in a hurry."

Hamilton did so several times last season. His interception against Florida State set up a touchdown. Against Georgia Tech, he had seven tackles, picked off one pass, broke up two others and shut down All-American receiver Calvin Johnson. His interception in the end zone sealed Virginia's Music City Bowl victory over Minnesota.

Hamilton's propensity for picking off passes has the Panthers concerned, especially after Palko threw four interceptions in the first two games last season.

Three came against Ohio and two were returned for touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.

Even though Palko is working on his timing with a young receiving corps, Hamilton expects the fifth-year senior to be a challenge for Virginia's secondary.

"That was last year," Hamilton said. "I'm sure he's progressed as a player and he's smarter about things he does. It's going to be a challenge for our secondary as a whole to go up there and try to compete against him and their receivers. Palko's a very good athlete, a very good QB. He's going to be a pretty good test for us."

Hamilton, likewise, will be a test for the Panthers, who will be aware of where No. 3 lines up on every down.

"He's not a guy we want to go after every snap," Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said. "We'll find out how they're going to play him, on what side of the field and, when they're playing man coverage, who they're going to match him up on."

The combination of his quickness and Virginia's 3-4 scheme allows Hamilton to be aggressive in pass defense. But his natural abilities have helped Hamilton develop a reputation as one of the nation's top cover corners.

"The way our defense has been playing has helped out a lot," Hamilton said. "We put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and that allows me to be aggressive and puts me in position to make plays. I think it has to do with that also, the instincts and gifts that God has given me. I try to make some plays and help my team in any way possible."


 

Offensive line blocks out past, eyes future
Thursday, August 31, 2006
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The members of Pitt's offensive line gather each day before practice near the locker-room exit, but none take the field immediately.

Instead, they wait for others to follow them and the group grows until one of the seniors gives a sign that all are present and accounted for.

Then, they jog together as a unit to their first station on the field and start their warm-up drills.

It is a small -- and some might say insignificant -- daily ritual, but its message is far more powerful.

"We don't do anything alone," said senior offensive guard John Simonitis. "We are all in this together. After what happened last year, we got together and just decided that the offensive line needed to really come together and be one solid unit."

The Panthers play host to Virginia Saturday night, and the members of the offensive line said they hope their hard work in the offseason will be rewarded with an excellent performance against the Cavaliers. If that happens, it would be a big step forward for a unit that was one of the team's most glaring weaknesses last season.

Simonitis, one of the Panthers' most-experienced players, said the members of the offensive line have spent a lot of time together on and off the field. He believes an offensive line, more than any other unit, has to be unified because each individual is only as good as the player to his right or left. He also believes this line is more unified than any he has played on.

Part of its problem early last season was there wasn't much of an opportunity to gain momentum in training camp because so many combinations were used as coaches searched for the best five players. That problem was compounded in the second game by key injuries to starters.

By midseason, however, five starters were identified and, from then on, the line improved each week.

Four of those five players return, so the continuity is much better heading into this season. Some linemen said that alone should translate into a group that is more capable of both protecting quarterback Tyler Palko and opening running lanes for tailbacks.

"Last year was tough on all of us because we just didn't get much of an opportunity to play together until later in the season and, by that time, we were already on our way to a losing record," said center Joe Villani. "This year, we have four guys together already and, really, we just needed to work one new guy into the mix, which is much easier to do."

Simonitis added, "We started camp this year ahead of, and I mean by a lot, where we ended last season. It is not even close. I really expect us to not just have a good year, but to be the strength of our offense."

Simonitis, who is entering his fourth season as the starting right guard, Villani, right tackle Mike McGlynn and left guard C.J. Davis are the four returning starters who have had an entire offseason and a training camp to work together. They all say they've grown to the point where most of their communication is non-verbal because they have such a good idea of what the others are thinking in every situation.

The lone newcomer is left tackle Jeff Otah, a 6-foot-6, 340-pound junior-college transfer and one of the prize recruits of the current class. Otah began camp battling sophomore John Bachman for the starting job and recently was named the starter.

Villani said that getting Otah into the fold was an easy process because he is very coachable and easy to get along with.

"John played some with us last year, so he was already a part of us and had a good start to what we are trying to do," Villani said. "And Jeff, we all liked him instantly, not just as a player, but off the field."

NOTES -- Coach Dave Wannstedt named Palko, tight end Steve Buches and linebackers Clint Session and H.B. Blades captains for the opener. ... Freshman Joe Thomas will be the top reserve at offensive guard. ... Wannstedt said the top two reserve wide receivers Saturday will be Marcel Pestano and Cedric McGee. One receiver who will dress but not play is freshman T.J. Porter. ... Freshman RB/WR Dorin Dickerson has been hampered with injuries throughout the summer and missed much of camp, but Wannstedt expects him to play against the Cavaliers. ... Defensive tackle Mick Williams (concussion) has been cleared by doctors and is expected to play.