The only way is up for Cavs' offense
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
August 29, 2007

Last season Virginia’s offense coughed and sputtered like an old jalopy that couldn’t make it down the street without the wheels falling off.

Out of 119 teams playing major college football, the Cavaliers finished 110th in scoring (15.1), 113th in total offense (257.2 ypg), 102nd in passing offense (157.3), and 100th in rushing (99.9).

Since then, coach Al Groh & Co. have rebuilt, refined and tinkered with that offense. Come Saturday afternoon in Laramie, Wyo., the Cavaliers will unveil the 2007 model, which should more resemble a shiny, new, souped-up sports car that could make a Lamborghini envious.

Wanted: Playmakers

While a lot of the fingers pointed to a young, inexperienced offensive line and a musical chairs act at quarterback early in ’06, truth was there just weren’t many playmakers in the lineup, something that should change drastically this time around.

“In the long run, it really isn’t about the schemes,” Groh said Tuesday. “We’ve had some really good schemes here that looked quite ingenious when Matt [Schaub] was throwing them to Heath [Miller] and to Billy McMullen. In the long run it’s always about the players and the players’ ability to make plays.”

Plenty of problems

There was an abundance of reasons that Virginia couldn’t put points on the board last season. We’ve already pointed out the quarterback thing. Then there was the offensive line, which didn’t really come together until midseason at best.

The tight ends, a collection of some of the best in the country, really couldn’t do their jobs properly and were seldom included in the game plan because they had to stay in and help protect rookie quarterback Jameel Sewell.

Other than Kevin Ogletree, the Cavs didn’t really have any reliable receivers, which meant Sewell was trying to make a passing game work while getting on-the-job training. He seldom got to throw to the tight ends because of the previously mentioned issues, and he was so inexperienced that he didn’t throw to his checkdown receivers (safety valves for you old schoolers), which could have gotten him out of some real jams.

Instead, he would duck and run, which sometimes turned out brilliantly and sometimes didn’t.

Slow-moving backfield

The running game was a mess because the line couldn’t open holes, until later in the season when senior tailback Jason Snelling started to become effective. As Groh likes to say, every back runs the same when there are no holes. There wasn’t an abundance of proven talent at tailback, either, which didn’t help.

Now, it’s easier to understand why Virginia was one of the country’s worst offenses last year.

Also consider that the ACC has become one of the better defensive leagues in the nation (five of the teams finished among the top 18 in the country in total defense including the No. 17 Cavaliers).

Ah, yes, playmakers. God bless ’em. They can make an offense sing and make defensive coordinators curse. Virginia’s had its share of them over the years, but last year was a different story. Guys were in their football puberty and not ready for primetime or simply didn’t step up.

That won’t be the case this year.

“The catalyst where all that starts is the quarterback position, and the more prepared your quarterback is for that, either through experience or talent, the better the odds are that you’re going to get those [big plays],” Groh said.

Talk to a dozen Wahoo offensive players, such as tight end Jon Stupar, and chances are all of them will agree that Sewell’s development since last year has been like night and day.

“Jameel is athletically gifted enough to do whatever he wants, which should open up our offense a great deal,” Stupar said.

Sewell is that catalyst, but he won’t be doing things alone.

“We do feel more positive about [having playmakers] a few days before this year’s opener than we did at this time last year,” Groh said. “There was a concern last year about where the plays were going to come from.”

No longer. There are a mountainous and experienced offensive line up front and tight ends chomping at the bit to get involved again in the passing game, and the Cavs are loaded in the backfield.

Cedric Peerman has found his way, putting all the shake-n-bake stuff behind him in favor of developing a one-cut running style that has made him much tougher to handle. Andrew Pearman, the little brother of former Cavalier All-ACC tailback Alvin Pearman (Jacksonville Jaguars) has been impressive at tailback as has redshirt freshman Keith Payne and the mysterious Mikell Simpson, who can line up almost anywhere.

“He could show up in a number of spots,” Groh said of Simpson.

So, just what is he? What’s Simpson’s official position? Where will we see him?

Someone suggested that Simpson, who chose UVa over Alabama a couple of years ago, was the Wahoos’ Secret Agent.

“Secret Agent ... that’s a good one,” Groh smiled. “I’ll go with that.”

Certainly Simpson, who can play tailback or wide receiver and has great quickness, will give Virginia some versatility, as will Pearman. They could even be in the same backfield.

Can you imagine what a defensive coordinator is going to say when he sees both those guys in the backfield and two tight ends in the game at the same time?

You’re right. We can’t print that in a family newspaper.

Anyone knows that any offense worth its salt has to have a strong running game, and that shouldn’t be a problem for Virginia, which returns all five of its starting linemen. The last time that happened (2004), the Cavs led the ACC in rushing ... and it wasn’t even close.

Training camp was all about getting Pearman and Payne more exposure to the system and the line - what Groh calls understanding the flow.

“Part of that is understanding the flow of the defense as it relates to particular plays,” Groh explained. “After a while, there’s a certain way that a defense is going to read and flow to the play and that’s going to remain fairly constant from week to week.

“The more turns at that you get, the more fluid a runner becomes with it ... and as the defense flows, so, too are those linemen going to have to make decisions. ‘Am I going to put my hat on the inside or the outside?’ ‘Do I pass this guy up, because somebody else is coming?’ The more times he can run behind those linemen, he begins to develop an anticipation of where the cut is going to be and so forth.”

All of UVa’s backs have evolved because of understanding that flow.

While the receivers don’t have a player that has produced under fire, there seems to be some progress being made there. Playmakers sometimes evolve.

This offense could be worlds better than a year ago, and if that happens, then Virginia’s going to be a hard club to beat, because it boasts a potentially great defense.

“I like the poise this offense shows and the confidence it shows,” said Mike Groh, who is entering his second year as offensive coordinator, which should also be a bonus on that side of the ball. “They have an understanding of every play rather than just going out there and trying to run a play. They trust each other now, and when you have that, you have consistency.”

Trust and consistency and understanding. There was about as much of that around last season as there were playmakers.

That jalopy was junked. It’s time for this machine to purrrrrrrrr.

 

Hall should be busy vs. Wyoming
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
August 29, 2007

Vic Hall’s life on an island starts Saturday.

As the only non-returning starter on Virginia’s defense, the sophomore cornerback is certainly a viable target for Wyoming to test.

Hall may have some company.

“From what we’ve seen and what was remembered from last year, Wyoming has got quite a diversified passing game,” said Virginia coach Al Groh on Tuesday. “It looks like everybody is going to get the ball thrown at them.”

In fact, Wyoming returns six players that caught at least 10 passes last year, led by wide receiver Michael Ford (60 receptions for 674 yards, 4 TD).

But given the experience of cornerback Chris Cook, a junior, Hall confirmed that the pre-game attention on him is justifiable.

“At the position of cornerback, you have got to expect an offense to come at you anyways,” Hall said. “I have been preparing myself for that.”

Hall has also been preparing for a host of other duties - his name appears on Virginia’s two-deep in three places, cornerback, holder and punt returner.

Hall said he is on every special teams unit except kickoff returns.

Groh held to his stance that the increased workload would not impact Hall’s play.

“There’s no personal agenda with him. There’s no ego,” Groh said. “It is truly, with Vic Hall, 100 percent about the team and what he can do for the team; and whatever you ask him to do, whatever the chore might be, [his mentality is], ‘I’m going to be very good at it.’

“And it doesn’t make a lot of difference to him what the chore is.”

It remains unclear if Hall or Andrew Pearman or both will handle punt returns against the Cowboys.

Regardless, Hall knows its importance.

“When you look at punt returns, a lot of people think it is just catching the ball,” Hall said. “You also have to judge the coverage team and see whether or not you have to fair catch it.

“There are a lot of little things, but it is a big play in college football.”

Bivens sidelined

Some light was shed on the inclusion of junior linebacker Bernie McKeever on the depth chart.

John Bivens, a redshirt freshman that was expected to spell inside linebacker Jon Copper, has a leg injury that will keep him out of action against Wyoming.

“John’s got a little bit of a sore leg,” Groh said, “so it’s taken him out of this week’s work.”

Bivens, who had worked with the first-team nickel package, did not practice last week and a timetable on his return was not given.

Some road debuts

While not accounting for players that were rewarded for scout team performances with a spot on the travel roster, Groh said 25 players would be making their first road trip.

That group also includes seven true freshmen (Danny Aiken, Ras-I Dowling, Jared Green, Dontrelle Inman, Nick Jenkins, Dom Joseph and Peter Lalich).

Only Aiken and Inman are expected to play.

“It would take circumstances probably [for us to play the others],” Groh said.

Groh said last week that he is not bound to a set number for the travel list, but expected the number to be near 60.

Extra points …

… Scott Deke is second on the depth chart behind quarterback Jameel Sewell. The depth chart released Monday indicated that Deke was tied with Lalich.

“That’s just so that one is not [listed No.] 3,” Groh said.

… Mikell Simpson, who could line up at tailback or wide receiver, appeared on the depth chart in only one place - the sophomore is the third option to return kickoffs.

Do not read into that.

Groh said Simpson would play “because he does a lot of different things for us and versatility is part of his game. He can show up in a number of those spots.”

… UVa remains a 4-point favorite over Wyoming.

 

Belin suffers another loss
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
August 29, 2007

Virginia assistant coach Levern Belin is not expected to travel with the Cavaliers this weekend to Wyoming.

On Monday, Belin’s wife, DeVida, gave birth to their first child during an emergency C-section. During the procedure, however, DeVida Belin lost one of her twins.

When asked about the situation on Tuesday, Al Groh was torn emotionally.

In one respect, Virginia’s football coach wanted to celebrate a new addition to the Belin family. Levern and DeVida Belin have been married for 12 years, Groh said.

But the coach confirmed that the McCue Center was also filled with the sadness that accompanies the loss of life.

It was not the first dose of adversity for Levern Belin, a devout Christian. In December, his father was killed in North Carolina in an automobile accident.

Belin said his faith in God and the thoughts and prayers of many helped him through that tragedy.

“Having that much support from friends and family really meant a lot and helped us to realize that, you know what, Dad is in a better place now than where we live,” Belin said earlier this month. “Because of that we can celebrate and praise God, and we never have to worry about Dad hurting ever again.

“Even in hard times, we just praise God and thank him for what he gives us.”

On Tuesday, after hearing the news, a number of Virginia’s players sent Belin text messages.

Groh said he encouraged Belin to remain in Charlottesville with his wife this weekend.

“We had kind of expected that he wouldn’t be going anyway,” Groh said. “[Coach Belin] came into my office recently and said, ‘Coach, I don’t know what to do.’

“I told him that he should stay here - there is nothing to be considered.”

Belin, who is the defensive assistant coach, is in his third year at Virginia. He also helps defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Mike London with the defensive line.

 

U.VA. NOTES
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007 - 12:06 AM Updated: 12:49 AM

Defense is a plus for trip to Wyoming
His record in road games as Virginia's football coach is 10-23, which means Al Groh can take nothing for granted away from Scott Stadium. Still, if Groh feels good about his team's opener Saturday at Wyoming, it's probably because the Cavaliers have 10 starters back from their stout 2006 defense.

"Defense always travels easier than offense travels," Groh said yesterday. "It's less affected by different conditions, whether it's November weather or rain storms, whatever those circumstances might be. There are elements that come in the game, more natural elements, that coaches can't plan for that have a greater effect on the offense on any team than they do on the defense."

Virginia ranked 22nd nationally in scoring defense last season and 110th in scoring offense. Eight starters are back on offense.

College road life new for many players
Of the 60 or so players Virginia will take to Wyoming for the opener, about 25 have never traveled to a road game in college, Groh said.

The Cavaliers' travel squad will include six true freshmen: long-snapper Danny Aiken, wide receivers Dontrelle Inman and Jared Green, nose tackle Nick Jenkins and cornerbacks Dom Joseph and Ras-I Dowling.

Aiken and Inman are expected to play against the Cowboys.

"It would take [special] circumstances, probably, for the all the rest of them to play," Groh said.

Gould seeks gains after losing weight
Looking fit and trim yesterday was Chris Gould, who sometimes does not cut such a dashing figure.

"In the offseason, I always balloon up to 220," he said with a smile. "I like my sweets, and I like my ice cream."

The 6-1 senior is down to 204 pounds and determined to bounce back from a disappointing junior year. For the first half of last season, Gould handled all the extra points, kickoffs, field goals and punts, and the workload exacted a toll on his right leg.

"Obviously, last year it did seem like I wore down," said Gould.

He made only 11 of 19 field-goal attempts in 2006, which led him to simplify his technique in the offseason.

"Anybody who talks to me knows I wasn't happy about it," Gould said, "and that was a big point of emphasis to me to go out and do better."

Midway through the season, Ryan Weigand took over on punts from outside the 50-yard line, and that arrangement will continue again this year. Gould said he should stay stronger as a result.

"It's going to be a significant reduction [in workload]," he said. "I don't have to put everything I have into every punt in practice."

From quarterback to cornerback for Hall
Talk about a role reversal. At Gretna High, where he had a spectacular career at quarterback, Vic Hall never fielded a punt, and he didn't line up on defense more than 10 times.

At U.Va., the redshirt sophomore is set to make his first start at cornerback Saturday, and he's listed second on the depth chart at punt-returner. Hall, the holder on extra points and field goals, plays on every special-teams unit except one: kickoff returns.

Groh notes progress of Billyk, Cabbell
Each April, Rock Weir awards go to the U.Va. players who have shown the most improvement during spring practice. On his radio show Monday night, Groh was asked which players had progressed the most during training camp this month.

On defense, Groh's choice was senior nose tackle Allen Billyk, who started 10 games last season despite dealing with a series of injuries.

On offense, Groh singled out offensive guard B.J. Cabbell, a redshirt freshman from Nelson County High. The 6-6, 303-pound Cabbell backs up starter Ian-Yates Cunningham at right guard.

"I had just watched some of the practice tape," Groh said yesterday, "and was impressed with what I'd seen B.J. do, so he quickly came to mind. Whether he was the most improved or not, we'd have to analyze more guys to say that, but he certainly did have a positive camp." - Jeff White
 

Bivens off depth chart for opener
Groh says former Prince George star has sore leg
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007 - 12:06 AM Updated: 12:59 AM

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Conspicuously absent on the depth chart for University of Virginia football team's opener is linebacker John Bivens, a former star at Prince George High School.

A 6-2, 233-pound redshirt freshman from whom great things are expected at U.Va., Bivens has "a little bit of a sore leg" and won't play Saturday at Wyoming, coach Al Groh said yesterday.

Bivens wasn't among the players who met with the media yesterday, and it's unclear when he'll make his long-awaited college debut. Virginia hosts Duke on Sept. 8 at Scott Stadium and meets North Carolina in Chapel Hill a week later.

When healthy, Bivens plays on the nickel defense and backs up starter Jon Copper at inside linebacker. Defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who suffered two major knee injuries at Hermitage High, said that Bivens had been able to practice until recently.

"I didn't even realize he had a knee injury," Fitzgerald said. "I just told him to go through the rehab, and he should be able to bounce back with no problem."

With Bivens out, walk-on Bernie McKeever, a 6-3, 237-pound junior, is listed as Copper's backup. Redshirt freshman Darnell Carter backs up Antonio Appleby, the other starter inside. - Jeff White

 

Gould welcomes thin Wyoming air
Entering his second season as Virginia's No. 1 place-kicker, Chris Gould hopes the high altitude at the site of the Cavaliers' opener will ultimately work in his favor.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- One sure way to get Virginia football coach Al Groh to clam up is to ask about the altitude of Laramie, Wyo., site of the Cavaliers' season opener on Saturday.

If there is a gag order, it doesn't extend to the UVa kicking specialists.

"It's 7,284 feet," senior place-kicker Chris Gould said. "Right?"

Actually, the University of Wyoming lists the elevation at War Memorial Stadium at 7,220 feet, but Gould was close enough.

He can also tell you the elevation for Charlottesville -- 594 feet -- though altitude has never been cited as a factor in games played at UVa's Scott Stadium.

There is no Division I-A stadium with a higher elevation than Wyoming's, but Groh has a no-excuses policy on topics he deems peripheral -- even when, as in this case, the situation seems to favor the Cavaliers.

"Our punter, Ryan Weigand, says the ball really flies out there," Gould said.

Weigand is from Pasadena, Calif., but he's had more exposure to the Mountain time zone than Gould, whose first and only trip across the Mississippi River was when the Cavaliers played their 2004 bowl game in Boise, Idaho. The elevation there is 2,842 feet.

Gould could have asked his brother about kicking in mile-high Denver -- except Robbie Gould, entering his third season as the Chicago Bears' place-kicker, has never played there.

Technically, the thin air should increase the kickers' range Saturday, "but I had enough long ones last year," Gould said. "I'd settle for a couple of short ones and getting some confidence under my belt."

Gould is coming off a 2006 season in which he did not have a field goal in UVa's final four games.

He finished 11-for-19 -- perfect on seven attempts inside of 40 yards but 4-of-12 beyond that.

Since the end of the season, he has tried to fine-tune his technique and has gone to a two-step approach. He feels it could reduce his range but increase his accuracy.

"I might go from being able to hit a 58-yarder to maybe 53," said Gould, who previously took three steps, "but how many attempts are you going to get from that range anyway? If it makes you better from 47 or 48 yards, that's all you really need.

"In the NFL, it seems like most of the kickers have gone to the two-step. Adam Vinatieri has gone to it. I think David Akers has, too. I got a look at Connor Hughes and it looks like that's what he's doing now."

Hughes, a first-team All-ACC pick as a Virginia senior in 2005, was 66-of-79 on field goals during his college career. As a senior, he was 21-for-24.

"Obviously, when you go 11-for-19, some kind of change is called for," Gould said.

For last season's first seven games, Gould handled all kicking responsibilities for the Cavaliers -- kickoffs, field goals, extra points and punts.

In the last five games, he ceded some of the punting responsibilities to Weigand. From that point, Gould only punted when the Cavaliers had crossed midfield and needed a directional kick. He set a school record with 29 punts downed inside the 20.

"Whether I wore down or not last year, it's hard to say," Gould said, "but it's going to be a significant reduction not having to practice the backed-up punts."

He kicked 135 times in games -- 56 punts, 18 extra points, 19 field goals and 42 kickoffs.

"I always had to be paying attention to what was going on in the game," he said. "I wasn't always focusing on my technique."

Gould probably could have received more recognition for his kickoffs, half of which went for touchbacks. Nearly three of every four kickoffs -- 31 of 42 -- reached the end zone.

Kickoffs will take on increased importance this year because the ball will be set at the kicking team's 30-yard line, as opposed to the 35.

Another consideration for Gould this year will be his new holder, Vic Hall, and new snapper, freshman Danny Aiken. Walk-on quarterback John Phillips and Tyrus Gardner handled those duties last year.

"With Tyrus and J.P., when I missed one, it was because of me," Gould said, "but Vic Hall and Danny Aiken have done a great job for the entire camp."

The kicking game was a major factor when Wyoming came to Charlottesville last year. UVa won 13-12 when Cowboys freshman Aric Goodman missed an extra point that would have sent the game to a second overtime.

"I talked to him in the off-season and he thanked me for some of the things I said after that game," Gould said."But hey, I went through my own struggles. Taking over for Connor, it was almost like I was a true freshman."

It was news to Gould that Goodman left the Wyoming program when the Cowboys would not make a commitment to him for 2007. He transferred to Colorado.

Kicking can be a competitive business -- as evidenced by Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad was convicted of stabbing starter Rafael Mendoza.

Gould hasn't experienced that kind of rage at Virginia but added, with a grin, "I keep a close eye on Weigand and [freshman kicker Chris] Hinkebein."
 

U.Va. Notebook: Cavs to leave a day early for Wyoming game
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 29, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE

In 119 seasons, Virginia has played football in 25 states and ventured west of the Mississippi 13 times.

But U.Va. has never played at Wyoming, site of Saturday's season opener and one of the longest regular-season road trips in school history.

Virginia will leave Thursday afternoon and work out in Cheyenne on Thursday evening. That's a day earlier than most road trips. Coach Al Groh said leaving Thursday will "get all the travel out of the way and allow us to have a much more relaxed and much more normal Friday."

The amount of missed class time will be about the same.

Hard road to victory

Long trip or short, Virginia has struggled on the road, going 1-5 in 2006 and 2-9 the past two years. U.Va. beat a winless Duke team on the road last year and a one-win Syracuse squad in 2005.

Groh said he doesn't feel extra pressure to win on the road. "If you have a good team, you win every place," he said. "Our issue is trying to put together a really good team."

Said tailback Cedric Peerman: "We have a

60-minute road attitude. Away games are just like home games. We treat them all the same."

Freshmen making trip

Six true freshmen will make the trip to Wyoming. Only two - long snapper Danny Aiken and receiver Dontrelle Inman - are expected to play.

Others dressing for the game are cornerback Ras-I Dowling from Deep Creek, defensive lineman Nick Jenkins, defensive back Dom Joseph and receiver Jared Green.

That sounds familiar

In a move sure to confuse public-address announcers and fans home and away, Andrew Pearman has claimed the No. 2 tailback slot behind Cedric Peerman. They are expected to share carries this year. The names are pronounced the same.

Pearman, younger brother of former Virginia star Alvin Pearman, began his career at receiver in 2006. He left the team in mid-season for personal reasons and returned this year.

At just 176 pounds, Pearman is one of the team's quickest players. He brings a different running style than the 208-pound Peerman and 235-pound Keith Payne, the third tailback.

 

Virginia will be tough
By Bob Hammond
Boomerang Sports Editor

When Virginia invades the Front Range to take on the University of Wyoming Saturday in War Memorial Stadium, it will make only the second appearance ever by an Atlantic Coast Conference football team in Laramie.

The other came on Sept. 23, 1961, when North Carolina State and All-American quarterback Roman Gabriel visited Laramie in Bob Devaney’s final season as the Cowboys’ head coach.

Wyoming had defeated N.C. State, 26-0, two years earlier in Raleigh when Gabriel was a sophomore.

In the rematch in Laramie, the Wolfpack held a 14-6 lead in the middle of the third quarter when the game turned around. N.C. State was facing a 3rd-and-12 situation on its own 6-yard line when it elected to punt. Reserve center Oscar Overcash then snapped the ball over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for a safety.

That bad snap came back to haunt the Wolfpack when the Cowboys scored in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Wayne Linton to tie the game at 14-14. Chuck Lamson then kicked the winning extra point.

It’s now 46 years later, but Saturday’s game between the Cavaliers and Cowboys figures to be just as tough.

Defensively, the Cavaliers are loaded. Coach Al Groh has 10 returning starters from a team that gave up an average of 289.5 yards and 17.8 yards per game. In winning three of their last five games, the Cavaliers blanked North Carolina, while giving up just seven points apiece to North Carolina State and Miami (Fla.).

The two losses in those last five games came at the hands of Florida State and Virginia Tech, both on the road.

That defense limited Wyoming to a pair of field goals in regulation, followed by a touchdown in overtime, in the Cowboys’ 13-12 loss to the Cavaliers last year in Charlottesville, Va.

Leading the way for the Virginia defense is All-American senior end Chris Long (6-4, 279) and a very good linebacker corps, consisting of senior Jermaine Dias (6-1, 240), juniors Jon Cooper (6-0, 230), Clint Sintim (6-3, 248) and Antonio Appleby (6-4, 240).

“Defensively, I bet this is as good a defense as we will see all year,” Glenn said. “The whole front seven is back. It’s a great defense, led by Chris Long, Howie Long’s son, and we all know what Howie did as a player at Villanova and the (Oakland) Raiders. Chris is a chip off the block in that sense.

“Their linebacker corps is very much like ours … a veteran bunch. They’re big and on target, some really tough guys. Jon Cooper reminds me a lot of Ward Dobbs. He’s a guy that led their team in tackles last year. They play these guys more than we play ours. We platoon our guys quite a bit, but their four guys are pretty much on the field all the time.”

Offensively, Virginia struggled last season. And like Wyoming with Karsten Sween, the Cavalier offense played better after freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell was inserted into the lineup in the fourth game of the season.

Virginia returns its entire offensive line, led by junior left guard Branden Albert (6-7, 310), and three veteran tight ends in seniors Tom Santi (6-5, 242) and Jonathan Stupar (6-3, 252) and junior John Phillips (6-6, 255).

“They’re just a very experienced team at almost every position except wide receiver,” Glenn said. “They’re very tight-end oriented. They will get on the field with two and three tight ends and pound the ball. It might be like goal-line football, especially with young receivers. So, you can look for them to be in a lot of two- and three-tight end stuff.

“They have a big fullback (sophomore Rashawn Jackson, 6-1, 254) and a 6-foot-3, 234-pound redshirt freshman tailback (Keith Payne), which might play into their hands if they want to get into a fist fight. So, I’m guessing a little bit that we might see a little bit of Ground Groh offense, if you will,” Glenn quipped.

In Glenn’s mind, the key to Saturday’s will come down to whichever team does the best job of taking care of the football.

“I look for this game to be a slug out, but it would be safe to say whoever protects the ball better is going to win the game,” Glenn added. “I’ve asked our team to work hard to score on defense, to score on offense and to score on special teams. I’m thinking it is going to take three scores to win the game.”

Virginia, which will fly into Cheyenne on Thursday before holding a light workout in War Memorial Stadium on Friday, will head into the game as a 4-point favorite.

 

Groh wants Copper to "get running"
By Melinda Waldrop | Daily Press
4:51 PM EDT, August 28, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When linebacker Jon Copper led Virginia with 81 tackles last season, it was a classic case of hard work paying off in Copper's case, maybe a little too much work.

Copper is such a film room rat that coach Al Groh has to sometimes tell him "get running." Meaning?

"When the play starts, I need to be going with the rest of the players and not trying to think about where the play's probably going to go," Copper said. " ... There's definitely advantages to knowing what the play is probably going to be before the snap, (but) my tendency in the past has been to try to overthink that a little bit."

Groh does want his players to anticipate plays, but also to get busy making them.

"Jon takes it, from my experience, to an unheard-of level, just his intrigue with (studying film) and his willingness to commit his personal time to it," Groh said. " ... His intent is to be able to figure the play out. (But) at a point, you have to go with what you have and trust your instincts, or else you stand there watching, and you've got a guy who's got a great commentary on what the play was he just wasn't in the action."

Copper said even his study habits have their limits.

"It's more general than specific teams or players," Copper said. "I don't watch enough tape to pick up on how the offensive tackle does his mouthpiece or whatever on a pass play."

 

Hall ready to start for Cavs
By Melinda Waldrop | Daily Press
4:49 PM EDT, August 28, 2007
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- - Virginia's defense returns all but one starter from last season.

Vic Hall is that one.

Hall, a redshirt sophomore who played on special teams and as a backup cornerback in 2006, will make his first start at corner when the Cavaliers take on Wyoming on Saturday at 2 p.m.

"I don't put any pressure on myself, but I understand that I have to gain (the returners') trust, and I have to step up to their level of play," Hall said.

Hall, a three-time all-state quarterback at Gretna High School, moved to defense at U.Va. midway through his redshirt season of 2005. Last year, he made 13 tackles, including seven on punt coverage tied for the team lead with Mike Brown.

"It is truly, with Vic Hall, 100 percent about the team, and whatever he can do for the team," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. ". ... His mindset is, 'Whatever that chore might be, I'm gonna be very good at it.' "

On Saturday, Hall's chores will also include returning punts for the first time in his career college or high school.

Hall, whose 13,770 career yards of offense broke the Virginia high school record held by former Hampton star Ronald Curry, prepared for his newest duty by practicing with the Cavs' kicking team twice a week.

"Looking at punt returns, a lot of people probably think it's just catching the ball, but you also have to judge the coverage team and see whether or not you have to fair-catch it," Hall said. "It's a lot of little things, but it's a big play in college football."

It's also a job Groh though Hall was well suited to perform.

"Vic tracks the ball very well visually, and that's the key," Groh said. " ... Then obviously there's the physical catching part of it, (and) he quickly showed that he could do those two things."

In June, Hall made frightening off-the-field news when he was struck in the head with a blunt object outside a Charlottesville restaurant. But Hall recovered and said he never doubted he'd be a part of U.Va.'s season opener.

"Regardless if I was playing or not I always knew that I would be here with the team, doing whatever I had to do to help," Hall said. "I never had any doubts about it."
 

UVa Notebook: Peerman, Pearman tops on depth chart at running back
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 29, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As expected, Cedric Peerman sits atop Virginia's depth chart at tailback as it prepares for the season opener at Wyoming this Saturday. How many carries the former William Campbell star will get remains uncertain.
Peerman is followed on the depth chart by converted wide receiver Andrew Pearman and redshirt freshman Keith Payne. Coach Al Groh, never one to shy away from using more than one back in a game, intends to use all of them. How much depends on how well each of them runs.

"If you've got a back who's hot and he's got a great flow in the game and the other team can't stop him, then we probably would be reluctant to stop him ourselves by taking him out," Groh said.

All three have a distinct style. Peerman, at 5-foot-10, 208 pounds, is a blend of power and speed. The 5-foot-10, 168-pound Pearman is the fastest of the backs. And Payne, all 6-foot-3, 243 pounds of him, brings size to the equation.

"If we've got a guy who is struggling, then maybe a little change of tempo might help," Groh said. "And what we have is a little bit different tempo with all three of them."

Instinct over analysis

Linebacker Jon Copper is about as studious about watching film as any player Groh has seen. But the coach would like Copper to cut back on his analysis when the ball is snapped and rely more on his instincts.

At times, Copper has been too focused on trying to figure out the play instead of trying to stop it. Not guessing, but "educated guessing," Copper said.

"While study and preparation are very important, at a point you kind of have to lock those in and go with what you have and trust your instincts, or else you stand there watching," Groh said. "You've got a guy who's got great commentary of what the play was. He just wasn't in the action."

Copper, who led UVa with 81 tackles last year, has tried to change his delayed reaction and, as Groh told him, "get running," trying to instinctively move on the snap.

"When the play starts, I need to be going with the rest of the players and not think about where the play is probably going to go," Copper said.

Five yards a big difference

The NCAA moved kickoffs back five yards this season, from the 35-yard line to the 30, meaning fewer touchbacks and plenty more returns. Groh said Wisconsin coach Brett Bielema did some research and concluded that 67 percent of the touchbacks the Badgers recorded last season would have been returned with the five additional yards.

"Even the strongest legs have a real good chance of having kickoffs returned against them," Groh said.

The Cavaliers have a strong leg in Chris Gould. Of his 42 kickoffs last season, 31 of them were for touchbacks.

They also have a kick return unit led by Peerman that ranked 11th nationally, averaging 23.9 yards per return. Because of that, Virginia has worked on receiving different kinds of kicks (line drives, pop ups) that might be used to negate its advantage.

"I know there's been a lot of coaches thinking about kickoff coverage and kickoff returns a lot more than in previous summers," Groh said.

Extra points

On his radio show Monday night, Groh cited backup right guard B.J. Cabbell (Nelson County) as the most improved offensive player in preseason practice. "His performance is stair-stepping in an upward direction right now," Groh said. ? The Cavaliers will have 25 first-time travelers on their list to Wyoming. The true freshmen making the trip are long snapper Danny Aiken, wide receivers Dontrelle Inman and Jared Green, defensive backs Dom Joseph and Ras-I Dowling and defensive lineman Nick Jenkins. Only Aiken and Inman are expected to play. The others are for emergency situations. ? Scott Deke and Peter Lalich are listed as co-No. 2's on the depth chart at quarterback behind Jameel Sewell. Groh said the rotation would go Deke and then Lalich, a true freshman the team would like to redshirt this season. ? Junior Bernie McKeever is listed as a backup inside linebacker this week instead of redshirt freshman John Bivens, who is dealing with a leg injury.


 

Cavalier defense to stand strong in 2007
Senior Chris Long expected to lead veteran defensive squad; 18 starters returning to nation's 17th best defense
Aaron Perryman, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

With an offense that ranked 113th out of 119 Division I schools, the Virginia defense, ranked 17th in the nation, was the lone bright spot of the football team last year. With 18 starters returning, including 10 of 11 defensive starters, things should get only brighter.

One of the leaders for the defense will be senior captain and defensive end Chris Long. Despite being double-teamed for much of the season, Long still finished as the team leader in quarterback pressures (21) and tackles for a loss (12). He also finished second on the team in sacks (4.5) and fourth among ACC defensive linemen in tackles per game (4.8).

Long is very optimistic about the impact the defense could have this season.

"If we play as a unit -- the sky is the limit for us," Long said. "[It's important that] guys don't play outside of themselves.We don't have any individuals, we play as a unit."

Sophomore Jeffrey Fitzgerald will start at the other defensive end position for the Cavalier defense. Fitzgerald had a standout freshman campaign, averaging 5.3 tackles per game, the most of any freshman in the nation and earning freshman All-American honors. Fitzgerald also led the team in sacks with six.

Fitzgerald will likely receive more attention from opposing teams this season than last, but that can also open up the opportunity for other Cavalier defenders, especially Long, to make tackles. The presence of Fitzgerald should take some of the pressure and double teams off of Long.

"Now I think [Fitzgerald and Long] could help each other because if you want to spend the whole day [trying] to neutralize one or the other, each guy is very capable of taking advantage of that," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

Additionally, Fitzgerald now has an invaluable year of experience under his belt.

"There are not too many things now that are going on now that he has not been exposed to," Groh said.

The middle of Groh's 3-4 defense is manned by senior noseguard Allen Billyk. Billyk has seen increased game action over the past couple of years and is this season's likely starter. He was in on 23 tackles last season, up from eight in 2005.

Virginia returns all of its four starters at linebacker. Junior Jon Copper came from nowhere last season to lead the team in tackles with 81. Named the most improved defensive player in the spring, junior Antonio Appleby returns to the team after placing second last season in tackles with 68.

Hounded by injuries throughout his career, senior Jermaine Dias is finely back on the field. When healthy, Dias has proven effective for the Cavaliers as he has registered seven tackles in a game on three different occasions. He recorded 48 tackles last season.

Junior Clint Sintim played with an injured shoulder last season that limited his abilities. Off-season surgery should improve his play-making skills.

Virginia's secondary is perhaps the defense's biggest question mark.

Junior Chris Cook, who emerged as a solid player last season with 4.8 tackles per game, is one starter at cornerback. The other spot, vacated by graduate Marcus Hamilton, is up for grabs. The two main candidates for the spot are junior Mike Brown, who has four career starts, and sophomore Vic Hall.

Senior Nate Lyles (46 tackles last season) and junior Byron Glaspy (56 tackles last season) are the starting safeties. Senior Jamaal Jackson should also compete for significant playing time.

"The three veteran safeties have led the way in terms of the summer off-season program, just their investment, their involvement in it," Groh said. "They clearly have a strong sense of purpose about them."

Once again the Virginia defense has the potential to carry the team.

"We're very optimistic that this could be a very solid defense for us. We have a lot of returning players who work very well together, who are going to play hard every week and play together."

 

Cavs brace themselves for long trip out West
Virginia prepares for Wyoming
Date published: 8/29/2007
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

The University of Virginia football team is opening its season on the road for the second straight year.

But with 18 starters back, including 10 on defense, the Cavaliers are expecting a much better showing at Wyoming than they had in last season's opener in a 38-13 loss to Pittsburgh.

The setback was the most disheartening season-opener in head coach Al Groh's tenure, which is entering its seventh season.

"That was the least enjoyable one to deal with," Groh said in a press conference yesterday in John Paul Jones Arena, "but probably the least unexpected."

The Cavaliers, who are coming off a 5-7 season, visit Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game is a rematch of Virginia's 13-12 overtime victory last season in Charlottesville.

Wyoming kicker Aric Goodman missed the potential game-tying extra point to preserve the Cavaliers' win. The Cowboys went on to finish 6-6.

Analyze this
Virginia junior inside linebacker Jon Copper was the team's leading tackler last season with 81 tackles.

But he may have had more if he didn't think so much before reacting.

Copper has become obsessed with studying game tapes to try to figure out an opponent's play before it's put into action.

Groh said Copper is extremely analytical, almost to a fault. He said Copper takes studying opponent's tendencies to "an unheard of level" for a college player.

"At a point, you kind of have to lock in, go with what you have and trust your instincts," Groh said. "Or else you're standing there watching. A guy will have a great commentary on what the play was, but he just wasn't in the action."

Copper calls his style of play "educated guessing."

He said he's the opposite of a player with tremendous athletic ability who is often out of position because he doesn't study film.

"Most guys get running and they don't know where they're running to," he said. "For me, it's kind of backwards."

Roster shuffle
When Virginia revealed its depth chart for Saturday's game, there weren't any surprises among the starters.

But the backups are a different story.

Former North Stafford standout Patrick Slebonick, a redshirt sophomore, is the top reserve left guard, backing up standout junior Branden Albert.

Andrew Pearman, who worked out at running back and wide receiver in training camp, was tabbed as Cedric Peerman's backup running back, ahead of heralded redshirt freshman Keith Payne.

Payne missed a major portion of fall practice while concentrating on academics.

Freshman quarterback Peter Lalich, the team's prize recruit, is listed along with junior Scott Deke as the backup to Jameel Sewell.

However, Groh said Deke will enter the game first if the need for a backup quarterback arises.

A new experience
Twenty-five Cavaliers will take their first-ever trip with the team when it leaves tomorrow for Wyoming.

True freshmen Jared Green, Dom Joseph, Dontrelle Inman, Nick Jenkins, Ras-I Dowling and Danny Aiken are among the group.

But unless there's a major need, only Inman and Aiken are expected to play right away. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Inman is the top backup to starting wide receiver Staton Jobe. Aiken is the team's long snapper.

Too far from home
None of the first three players who stepped to the podium at Virginia's press conference yesterday said their parents will attend Saturday's contest against the Cowboys.

The reason: Laramie, Wyo. is too far away.

"I don't think anybody is going from the Peerman family," the running back said in a matter-of-fact manner.

Peerman's parents have attended all of his collegiate games. But on Saturday, they'll have to settle for listening on the radio, he said. The game will be televised on the Versus network, which isn't available in all areas.

"As long as their prayers are with me," Peerman said. "That's good enough for me."

 

'He Does Everything Right'
Copper Is One of Virginia's Hardest Hitters on the Field, But He Makes Sure to Tackle Matters of Body and Soul While off It
By Adam Kilgore
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 29, 2007; H04

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Jon Copper walked to a corner of the practice field, sweat dripping onto his orange Virginia football practice jersey, and dropped to one knee. His teammates, one by one, gathered around him. Mike Parker, a redshirt freshman cornerback, rested his arm on Copper's shoulder. Jameel Sewell, the starting quarterback, kneeled across from him.

The players dipped their chins to their chests, and Copper led them in a prayer, as he does after every practice.

Copper arrived at Virginia as a walk-on who wasn't fast enough, big enough or strong enough to seriously contend for playing time. Three years later, he is entering his second season as a starting inside linebacker, situated literally and figuratively at the heart of the Cavaliers' defense. Copper, 22, also is married and two semesters away from graduating with a degree in religious studies.

"He does everything right," Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said.

Away from football, Copper is thoughtful but quiet, almost sheepish. He speaks softly and cites passages from the Bible. His father, Jeff, was a pastor for 20 years while Jon grew up in Roanoke.

"The Lord got ahold of me kind of young," Jon said.

On Sundays, he takes a group of about 10 teammates to a Baptist church in Charlottesville. He once went on a mission to a Sioux reservation in South Dakota. He hosts Bible study at his house, because football meetings don't allow him to make Wednesday night services.

Still, when he plays football, "he's a little nasty," Sintim said. Stepping onto the field is akin to flipping a light switch. He led Virginia with 81 tackles last season while replacing Ahmad Brooks, one of the best athletes and most highly regarded recruits to ever play at Virginia.

"I think you need to be passionate about whatever you do," Copper said. "Tomorrow's not guaranteed, and that's the way I approach football. It doesn't mean you have to be a dirty player. But it does mean that you play with an intensity and a passion."

Teammates marvel at, and try to borrow from, his routine and work ethic. He bases his diet on fruits and vegetables, and he never eats fast food.

"There's a verse in scripture that says you eat what God made," Copper said. "And God didn't make Big Macs and Cokes."

He researches the vitamins and minerals with which he supplements his diet, and teammates often approach him for advice on what vitamins they should take. "He's definitely like our doctor among the team," Sintim said.

Several linebackers also have incorporated some of Copper's stretching routines into their workouts. Copper used to stretch for 45 minutes immediately after every workout or practice. He has scaled back, waiting three hours after a workout to stretch, focusing mostly on his hips.

During the regular season, he watches Saturday's game film every Sunday. Throughout the week, he watches between 60 and 90 minutes of film beyond what coaches show in meetings.

"He's not the tallest, the strongest or the fastest linebacker, but he has been the most productive," Sintim said.

His best play, though, came off the field. Holly Dixon first saw Copper when she visited Virginia as a high school senior during the week of the spring football game.

Dixon was a sports fan, a softball and volleyball player in high school, so she and her mother watched. When Copper walked off the field, Dixon's mother nudged her.

"Oh, Holly, he's cute," she said.

She agreed, but she wasn't on campus to look for a boyfriend. However, when Dixon decided on Virginia, she attended a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting on campus the week before school began. Copper attended, too, but he forgot his contact lenses. He didn't notice Holly, but remembered her name. Later, during a class, he saw her clearly at last.

"My second thought was, 'She's going to be my wife,' " Copper said. "My first thought was, she was gorgeous."

They soon began dating, and last fall, on a Thursday, Copper took Holly to dinner at Hamilton's in downtown Charlottesville. His fingers fluttered nervously over the buttons of his cellphone at the table. He told Holly he was making arrangements for his ticket allotment for that Saturday's game, at home against North Carolina State.

Instead, he sent text messages to two friends, a guitar player and a singer. They set up a few blocks from the restaurant and began playing. When he and Dixon passed, he dropped to a knee and proposed. They were married in May.

Copper likes to share a lesson his father taught him when he was in high school. Copper was celebrating a pin at a wrestling tournament, a victory that allowed his team to win the meet. Jeff told Jon to imagine a turtle sitting on a fence post.

"Nobody thinks, 'How'd the turtle get up there?' " Jeff said. "But it didn't climb up. Someone placed him there."

Jon understood.

"That's kind of the way I view my life," Copper said after a practice last week. "I haven't climbed up any fence posts. I've been placed where I'm at. If that was on a lower stool tomorrow, that would be okay. And if that was a higher stool tomorrow, that would be okay."

A few minutes later, he finished chatting with a reporter and ambled over to his wife. Copper kissed her, and they locked eyes and smiled. It was hard to imagine he could be placed any higher.