Great expectations
Virginia loses 2 stars, leaving LB Sintim as leader on defense
Friday, Aug 29, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
CHARLOTTESVILLE

They arrived at the University of Virginia in 2004, the defensive end from Ivy and the linebacker from Woodbridge. Only one of them remains at U.Va. -- the linebacker, Clint Sintim -- but the friendship he forged with defensive end Chris Long has helped the fifth-year senior become one of the ACC's best at his position.

Nobody Al Groh has coached at U.Va. worked harder than Long to build his body or sharpen his skills, and Long's example inspired a similar effort from his roommate Sintim.

"He and Chris became great soul mates, and they really pushed each other performance-wise," Groh said. "I think they had a really positive effect on each other."

Long, who played as a true freshman in 2004, was a consensus All-American last season, and the St. Louis Rams grabbed him with the second pick in this year's NFL draft. The departures of Long and fellow end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who transferred to Kansas State, left Sintim as the most accomplished playmaker on a defense that ranked third in the ACC with 43 sacks last season.

Sintim's nine sacks were the most by a Division I-A linebacker last season. Long and Fitzgerald combined for 21. With them gone, there's added pressure on Sintim heading into Virginia's opener against third-ranked Southern California tomorrow at Scott Stadium.

"Yeah, but I felt that last year," Sintim said. "I'm carrying on that same mindset. This year's a little different. I am a captain, and Chris is not around and Jeff's not around and some other guys are not around. But nevertheless, I'm still going to take the same approach, come in here every day and work hard and prepare to win and leave it all out there on the field."

Groh said: "What I expect and what we need are both the same thing. We need a big year from Clint. Nine sacks is a lot of sacks for a linebacker. That might be hard to get that many again, but certainly we could use that many. They've got to come from someplace, because there's a lot of sacks that left."

Sintim, a graduate of Gar-Field High, redshirted in 2004, then won a starting job at outside linebacker during spring practice in '05. He's never relinquished it. Sintim has started 37 straight games -- the longest active streak on the team -- and shown steady improvement as a Cavalier.

Even a casual glance at the 6-3 Sintim reveals that he has prepared diligently for his final college season. He's noticeably leaner than in previous years, and his weight has dropped into the high 240's. Sintim played in the upper 250's last season and has weighed as much as 265 at U.Va.

"He looks great," Groh said. "He's really developed the body now, through nutrition and hard work, of a big-time player. It certainly shows in his quickness and his range and probably in his stamina."

Sintim, one of the state's most coveted recruits as a 12th-grader, chose U.Va. over Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ohio State and Tennessee. A defensive end at Gar-Field, Sintim liked U.Va.'s academic reputation and the prospect of playing outside linebacker in Groh's trademark 3-4 defense.

Nearly five years later, he can't imagine playing in any other scheme. A smiling Sintim told reporters last month, "I think God said, 'Clint, you need to be an outside linebacker in the 3-4.'"

 

3 keys to UVa's season
Thursday, Aug 28, 2008 - 12:01 AM Updated: 07:14 AM

Pass rush
Two defensive ends accounted for nearly half of the Cavaliers' 43 sacks last season: Chris Long (14) and Jeffrey Fitzgerald (seven). Both are gone, and if Virginia's defense is to excel again, some, if not all, of Long's and Fitzgerald's production must be replaced. Outside linebacker Clint Sintim is back, and he was second on the team with nine sacks last season.

Special teams
Out of 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, U.Va. ranked 56th in punt returns and 89th in kickoff returns last season. The Cavaliers had a clutch kicker in Chris Gould and a second-team all-ACC punter in Ryan Weigand, but both were seniors. The new punter is likely to be true freshman Jimmy Howell, and none of the candidates to replace Gould has kicked in a college game, either. For a team that's not likely to have a large margin for error in most games, special teams may be the difference between victory and defeat.

Quarterback play
In tailbacks Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson, tight end John Phillips and wide receivers Maurice Covington and Kevin Ogletree, U.Va. has proven playmakers. Now all it needs is a quarterback who can lead the offense. Jameel Sewell, the starter at QB for the Cavaliers' past 22 games, is serving an academic suspension. His successor is likely to be Peter Lalich, who as a true freshman last year backed up Sewell, but Virginia coach Al Groh is also considering graduate student Scott Deke and sophomore Marc Verica. A deep and talented group of wideouts should help revive U.Va.'s passing attack. Virginia ranked 90th in passing offense last season.

 

The Skinny on the Cavs for 2008
Thursday, Aug 28, 2008 - 12:01 AM Updated: 07:18 AM

The skinny

Coach: Al Groh (eighth season at U.Va., 51-37; 77-77 overall)

2007 record: 6-2 in ACC (second in Coastal Division), 9-4 overall; lost 31-28 to Texas Tech in Gator Bowl

Offense: From a unit that ranked 101st nationally in total offense, third-year coordinator Mike Groh has seven starters back, including tailbacks Mikell Simpson (Jr.) and Cedric Peerman (Sr.). Tackles Eugene Monroe and Will Barker are proven talents, but the interior line has been rebuilt. How center Jack Shields and guards B.J. Cabbell and Zak Stair fare will determine how high this offense rises. Al Groh may use two quarterbacks; one of them almost certainly will be sophomore Peter Lalich. Whoever plays QB will have talented targets to throw to, most notably tight end John Phillips and wideouts Kevin Ogletree and Maurice Covington.

Defense: The Cavaliers' new coordinator, former Marshall coach Bob Pruett, would be in an enviable situation if his charges included end Jeffrey Fitzgerald and cornerback Chris Cook. But each departed the program with eligibility remaining, leaving Pruett with five returning starters. Linebackers Clint Sintim, Antonio Appleby and tackling machine Jon Copper will be asked to lead a defense that lost its starting linemen, including consensus All-American Chris Long. In the secondary, junior cornerback Vic Hall and senior safety Byron Glaspy are back, and sophomore Ras-I Dowling has all-star potential at corner. Up front, Groh is solid at nose tackle with junior Nate Collins and redshirt freshman Nick Jenkins. The biggest question about this defense: How much pass rush can it generate? Fitzgerald and Long combined for 21 sacks last season.

Specialists: This could be interesting. Gone are Chris Gould and Ryan Weigand and their replacements never have appeared in a college football game. Without Gould's clutch field goals last season, Virginia might have been a .500 team, and the kicking game figures to be critical again. Groh's options at kicker are starting senior Yannick Reyering, a former U.Va. soccer player; redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein; and true freshman Robert Randolph. The Cavaliers were uncharacteristically ineffective on kickoff returns last season, in part because Peerman missed seven games with a foot injury.

Quotable: "We just want to make sure we're distributing the ball to our playmakers and let those guys make the plays for us. There'll be a time, when [the quarterbacks] get the experience, that we're going to ask more of them, but for right now we want to lean on our strengths, and [the playmakers] are certainly going to be the strength of our offense." -- offensive coordinator Mike Groh

Outlook: The team that Al Groh expected to have this season is not the team he has. Offseason attrition cost the Cavaliers key players such as Fitzgerald, Cook, quarterback Jameel Sewell, cornerback Mike Brown and J'Courtney Williams, a freshman linebacker with immense potential. What's left is a squad that many prognosticators believe will struggle to stay ahead of Duke in the Coastal. The Wahoos have all-ACC candidates at several positions, but multiple question marks in the lineup. A majority of Virginia's games look as if they could go either way. A 4-8 regular season wouldn't be a shocker. Neither would 7-5.

Bottom line: Fourth in the Coastal and 6-6 overall.

-- Jeff White

 

Departures signal new era for Cavaliers' defensive live
Thursday, Aug 28, 2008 - 12:01 AM Updated: 07:22 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- To find Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald, look to the Midwest. Long is a rookie with the St. Louis Rams, and Fitzgerald is a recent addition to the football team at Kansas State.

Though hundreds of miles from the University of Virginia, Long and Fitzgerald have not been forgotten in their home state. Far from it. They formed the ACC's best pair of defensive ends last season, and their departures have prompted this question to be asked countless times:

How will the Cavaliers replace Long and Fitzgerald?

They can't, says Al Groh, U.Va.'s eighth-year coach. Long, a consensus All-American, and Fitzgerald combined for 152 tackles, 21 sacks, 13 pass break-ups and three interceptions last season, and it's not realistic to expect their replacements to duplicate those numbers.

"You try to do that in an aggregate way," said Groh, meaning the whole defense will be asked to increase its production.

Long was a senior in 2007, but Fitzgerald was only a sophomore, and had the former Hermitage High star returned for his junior season, defensive end wouldn't be such a position of interest at Virginia. But Fitzgerald withdrew from school in February because of an academic issue and subsequently transferred to K-State. He left behind a group of ends that's long on potential but short on experience in U.Va.'s 3-4 scheme.

In alphabetical order, here are new defensive coordinator Bob Pruett's options at end:

Tory Allen, 6-6, 220-pound true freshman
Matt Conrath, 6-7, 277-pound redshirt freshman
Kevin Crawford, 6-3, 280-pound junior
Alex Field, 6-7, 285-pound senior
Jason Fuller, 6-5, 255-pound junior
Sean Gottschalk, 6-4, 275-pound sophomore
Zane Parr, 6-6, 267-pound redshirt freshman
Among them, they've made 33 career tackles and one sack. Field gets credit for 23 of those stops, including the sack.

Groh, noting the ends' collective inexperience, said U.Va. coaches "certainly expect that the last chapters of these careers are going to be more dynamic than the early chapters. But we feel comfortable about these players."

The Cavaliers' starting defensive ends Saturday against fourth-ranked Southern California figure to be Field and Conrath. Field was U.Va.'s No. 3 end in 2006 and '07. Had Long and Fitzgerald not been so effective, the graduate of Broad Run High in Loudoun County would have played more.

"It wasn't frustrating," Field said. "Chris and Fitz were were both awesome players. I learned a lot playing with them and watching them play. I understood my role."

And now that role has changed. "It's an exciting opportunity," Field said. "I'm embracing it, and I'm ready to do my best."

Long and Fitzgerald were known for their speed and athleticism. Field is more a power player.

"Certain guys like to run around people," U.Va. offensive tackle Will Barker said in the spring. "He likes to run through people."

The Cavaliers' fourth defensive end last year was Gottschalk, a Deep Run High graduate. But shoulder surgery limited his participation in spring practice, and an undisclosed health issue this summer has set him back further. With Gottschalk out, Conrath pounced on the starting job. He may be difficult to unseat.

In an interview late last season, Long said Conrath "could be one of the best defensive ends to play here. . . . This kid really brings some unique things to the table. He's smooth. He makes moves in pass rush that take instincts that maybe you wouldn't make till you're a third-year [player]."

Long, the ACC defensive player of the year in 2007, was a "great mentor," Conrath said. "His work ethic was unbelievable. I've never seen anybody work like that."

The return of Crawford, who was out of school last season, may help Virginia offset the loss of Fitzgerald. As a redshirt freshman in 2007, Crawford appeared in five games, with one start, and showed excellent athletic ability. He also frustrated his coaches and teammates with his lack of dedication, a shortcoming Crawford acknowledges.

"I'm way more mature," he said. "I'm a totally different guy than when I was first here. I respect the game a lot more, I respect my teammates, and I'm always looking to get better."

 

Thursday chat with Al Groh
Still nothing from Groh regarding the identity of his starting quarterback for Saturday's game against No. 3 Southern California...but he did give us something to think about.

An out-of-state reporter asked Groh on Thursday if he felt good about Peter Lalich being the starting quarterback. Of course, Groh informed the reporter a starting quarterback had not yet been named, and then added this gem:

"If we went with who threw the ball best in practice (Wednesday), it might surprise some people," Groh said.

Hmmm...I'm thinking Groh might be messing with us all now. We'll find out soon. Lalich has competed all month with senior Scott Deke and sophomore Marc Verica for the starting job.

Groh was also asked if there was a possibility he could use two quarterbacks in Saturday's game.

"I would not rule that out," Groh said. "We've discussed it."

Wow, could the whole situation be anymore cryptic?

Moving on to the topic of true freshmen possibly playing in Saturday's game. Groh said he expects a "pretty low number" of freshmen to play, which isn't too shocking. He said it would surprise him if any freshmen other than punter Jimmy Howell, offensive guard Austin Pasztor and linebacker Steve Greer played this weekend.

On Howell:

"In all likelihood, he'll probably be the first (freshman) in (Saturday's game)," Groh said. "We hope not, but he probably will be."

Finally, Groh said sophomore linebacker Jared Detrick, a Woodside High graduate, had a tough time in the second half of preseason camp. As the playbook got larger, Detrick struggled a bit.

"He got off to a pretty fast start and the improvement was noticeable," Groh said. "As the volume of things started to accumlate, that slowed him down a little bit...He's picked it up here particularly as you get into game week."

Detrick is playing just behind starting outside linebacker Clint Sintim. Groh was optimistic Detrick could handle limited responsibilities against USC.

"You can't use everything in the system in one game," Groh said.

Posted by Norman Wood
 

UVa Notebook: Injured Dowling may not play against Southern Cal
By Andy Bitter
Published: August 29, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Starting cornerback Ras-I Dowling was listed as doubtful on Virginia’s injury report Thursday, meaning there is a good chance the sophomore will not play against third-ranked Southern California in the season opener Saturday.
The injury report, a new addition to the ACC, follows the NFL model, with four categories: out (definitely will not play), doubtful (at least 75 percent chance will not play), questionable (50-50) and probable (25).
Dowling, who assumed a starting spot after Chris Cook received a yearlong academic suspension last offseason, had been dealing with a sore leg during the latter part of training camp. If he cannot go, sophomore Mike Parker or a pair of redshirt freshmen, Dom Joseph or Chase Minnifield (who is listed as probable), would start.
Coach Al Groh had his Thursday teleconference in the morning and was not available for comment after the evening release of the injury report.
Three players were listed as out: linebacker John Bivens, defensive end Sean Gottschalk and wide receiver Staton Jobe (foot).
Wide receiver Matt Snyder joined Dowling as doubtful.
Three players — wide receiver Maurice Covington, left guard Austin Pasztor and tight end Joe Torchia — were questionable.
A total of seven players were listed as probable, including quarterback Peter Lalich, wide receiver Dontrelle Inman and safety Brandon Woods.
No specific injuries were mentioned on the release.
Sanchez ready to go
Pete Carroll didn’t take a page out of the Groh book of secrecy and confirmed earlier this week that quarterback Mark Sanchez, who dislocated his knee cap on Aug. 8, is healthy enough to start Saturday.
That came as no surprise to Groh.
“We have thought from the outset that it would be foolish to consider otherwise,” he said. “He’s a very, very good player. He’s got a live arm, can get the ball to every place on the field and throws on the run very well.”
Sanchez might not go the whole way, though. Carroll conceded Sanchez has not been able to maintain his conditioning in the last month.
“He’s not way out of shape, but he’s not in his best shape and so we have to just be careful with him,” Carroll told the Los Angeles Times. “I would tend more to underwork him than overwork him.”
If the Trojans use someone else, the first player in the game would be redshirt freshman Aaron Corp, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound mobile quarterback who beat out Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain for the backup job.
Fresh meat
Of the true freshmen on UVa’s roster, it’s a given that starting punter Jimmy Howell and Pasztor, the backup left guard, will see playing time early in the season. Add inside linebacker Steve Greer to that mix as well.
Groh had good things to say about the 6-foot-2, 218-pound Solon, Ohio, native. Not pursued by many high-profile schools during the recruiting process, Greer committed to UVa late, just a week before the signing day deadline. Groh noted from watching tape of the linebacker that, although he was not physically imposing, he had a knack for making plays.
“Once you get through the ‘Wow’ guys in recruiting, and everybody can see their gifted talents that make them stand out, then the next thing you need to do is find guys who are simply good players,” Groh said. “Maybe they go to somebody’s combine and they don’t run the fastest 40 or jump the highest, but what they do is they make more plays in the games than other people do.”
Greer is likely to get his first taste of action on special teams.
Extra points
Groh expects Denzel Burrell and Aaron Clark, who have battled for a starting spot all training camp, to split time at one of the outside linebacker positions. … Yesterday’s rain was a good thing for the Cavaliers, who faced such a dry August that Groh considered turning on the sprinklers at practice so the team could get used to dealing with those conditions. “Nature gave us that day on its own,” Groh said. “So I think that was a positive.”


 

USC's Wright healthy enough to start at CB
August 29, 2008 12:16 am
By MICHAEL LEVThe Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES

--Cornerback Shareece Wright will make his second career start in USC's season opener tomorrow at Virginia. A few days ago he was just happy to be running.

"The past Sunday when I got out of bed I could barely walk. I rehabbed all day," he said. "On Monday morning I felt good. I was running."

His status was uncertain for much of this week after he suffered a strained hip flexor last week that extended to his groin and abdomen.

He spent Sunday and Monday doing lunges and other strength drills, while sitting out practice. With the Trojans four-deep at cornerback, he might not have been able to afford to miss another day.

Wright, along with cornerback Cary Harris, is listed ahead of former starters Josh Pinkard and Kevin Thomas.

"That was the worst part of the injury, knowing that to play I had to practice," Wright, a junior, said. "And it hurt me to walk. I was worried about how I'm going to take it through the week. The trainers told me I had to walk without pain before I could do anything."

Coach Pete Carroll said Wright's showing Wednesday sealed his status.

"He's fine. He's absolutely 100 percent," he said. "He practiced great [Wednesday]. He went full speed and had no problems."

Turnover key

USC has won all seven of its season openers under Carroll and has not lost its first game since 1997.

Carroll said that should continue tomorrow as long as his team holds onto the football.

Turnovers have been the common thread in the Trojans' four defeats the past two seasons. Last season, they turned the ball over three times while losing at Oregon and five times against Stanford, which snapped USC's 35-game home winning streak. The Trojans had a total of five turnovers in road defeats to UCLA and Oregon State in 2006.

"We're counting on playing clean football. Stay out of our own way," he said. "If we do that we're going to be hard to beat, no matter who we play."

 

Cavs seek starter — again
By Jay Jenkins
Published: August 28, 2008

It took nearly three weeks before Jameel Sewell felt comfortable in the huddle.

For Anthony Martinez, the experience was over almost before it started.

Kevin McCabe claimed to have been given a four-hour notice to adjust to his new job title.

Such is the life of a starting quarterback thrust into college football’s brightest spotlight.

And for the sixth time in as many seasons, Virginia is set to add another member to the high-profile club Saturday as it entertains third-ranked Southern California at Scott Stadium.

Few people inside the sold-out venue will be able to relate to the pressure that will be instantly thrust upon the victor of the month-long, three-way quarterback battle that includes Pete Lalich, Marc Verica and Scott Deke.

It is a feeling, however, that Sewell can certainly relate to.

The most recent starting quarterback for UVa was thrown into the fire two years ago on national television at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets finished that campaign ranked 27th nationally in total defense and scoring defense and held Sewell to just 115 yards passing while forcing two interceptions.

Sewell, temporarily out of the loop, is left to assume that it will be Lalich, who made eight appearances last year and served as the Cavaliers’ top backup.

“Pete is about to step into — as an official starter — an even more vicious defense than what Georgia Tech had,” said Sewell, who helped create the vacancy at quarterback after he was placed on a one-year academic suspension last January. “It is going to be hard. He is going to have to show his team that he’s not going to back down. Even if we were to lose, which I don’t think will happen, if he shows the true fight of a warrior, the team will have his back.

“He can’t come out and be in the Friday night lights. Everything is going to be spinning. There is going to be a lot of pressure that he can’t let his boys down.”

The coaching staff and his teammates certainly backed Sewell in 2006 as he slowly adjusted to life as a starter.

“For me to actually get comfortable it was until the Miami game, almost three weeks, to actually feel like I fit in with the guys,” he said. “I was accepted and they knew that I was going to ride with them, but they didn’t know my full capability out there on the field for a while.”

After dropping his debut at Georgia Tech, 24-7, and losing two of his next three starts, Sewell went on to post a 12-6 record and led Virginia to last season’s Gator Bowl.

“To know that if you don’t play a perfect game and they are saying, ‘We are still with you,’ means a lot,” Sewell said. “I don’t put up great stats, but I win. That’s what I like to do.

“I don’t care about stats. I don’t look at touchdowns or stats or yards. I only look at interceptions.”

Sewell’s positive experience as a starter was not shared by several other former quarterbacks. Martinez, McCabe and Christian Olsen were relegated to reserve duty shortly after earning starting status.

The leash was so short for Martinez that he struggles to recount the experience all together.

After Matt Schaub was injured in the season opener against Duke in 2003, Martinez earned a road start at South Carolina. After passing for just 54 yards during a dreadful loss, Virginia coach Al Groh turned the following week to Marques Hagans, who was a wideout at the time.

“Actually, I never think about that game,” said Martinez, now playing minor league baseball in the Baltimore Orioles organization. “I watch football and I still talk to my friends from the team, but it is a blur in my mind.”

Hagans, the lone quarterback in the past six years to win his debut, kept the position warm for Schaub, but went on to start every game in 2004 and 2005 before his graduation left yet another void.

Groh initially turned to Olsen to run his offense in 2006. That lasted all of seven quarters and included a woeful 25-point loss at Pittsburgh.

McCabe emerged next and was given a start against Western Michigan in the season’s third game.

After a pair of interceptions, the McCabe experiment ended before the game reached the fourth quarter.

“I didn’t get the call that I was going to start until 11:00 that morning,” McCabe said. “I know we were in a transition that season and we struggled in the first couple of games, but at the same time, you want the guy that is going to pull the trigger for you to feel comfortable unless you are trying to run him out.”

McCabe did leave, and awaits another turn as a starting quarterback Saturday for Division II California (Pa.) University.

He said he remains hopeful that the next Virginia quarterback will be given a longer leash.

“In that game, I started to get into a good flow of the game and I had one errant pass that went off a receivers’ shoulder pad and that was it,” he recounted. “It’s just hard when you are playing at that level and you are trying to play like someone else.

“You are trying to be someone else by playing in the system instead using your God-given talent and just naturally showing things. It just never happened for me.”

Without knowing the reasoning, McCabe seemed baffled that Virginia had not announced a starting quarterback.

“If they know that they are going in with a guy, there is no reason to screw around with that gray area,” he said. “As a quarterback you are thinking, ‘If they are not that confident in naming me the starter three days before the game, then how confident are they going to be in me if I make a mistake or if I don’t do this right.’

“I am sure when Matt Schaub and Marques Hagans were under the reins, they were able to go out and be themselves. It just kind of made them feel at home, as well as Jameel. He had all the freedom in the world and everybody knows players can make plays.”

Groh had his reasons, the biggest of which stemmed from the idea’s origin: the quarterbacks’ suggestion. Shunning interview requests from the media, Groh said, provided a “cocoon” and “sanity” for the trio.

“What we wanted to do is create the circumstance of sanity,” Groh said. “As soon as it was mentioned, it seemed to make a lot of sense. And it’s worked out great.

“They’ve had a nice, quiet, sane period of time to do what they were supposed to do — work on their game — and not become a team spokesman, wittingly or unwittingly.”

That calm feeling, of course, will evaporate shortly after Saturday’s kickoff.

“It’s only as hard as you make it,” Martinez said. “At first you have all the jitters and all the nerves, but it is something that you just have to find a way to fight through.”

 

3 Keys to a Trojan Victory
Stafon Johnson By Lyle Everett
SCPlaybook Contributor
Posted Aug 29, 2008

The USC Trojans open the 2008 season on Saturday against the Virginia Cavaliers. SCPlaybook’s Lyle Everett breaks down the two teams and lets you know the 3 Keys to a Trojan Victory.

1) Dominate the line of scrimmage
UVA’s predominant weaknesses lie within their offensive and defensive lines. USC has to exploit this and dictate tempo within the first five minutes of the game. If they push the Cavs around up front early and often, it will set the tone that could last the whole day.

On the offensive side, the Trojan line must protect Mark Sanchez, especially given the injury suffered to his kneecap three weeks ago. If Sanchez experiences success early on, look for

SC to get out to a lead in which they never look back. UVA will be breaking in two new linemen on their 3-4 defense who have never experienced the intensity of opening a college football season in front of a capacity crowd, let alone against a perennial powerhouse like USC. You may have to excuse them if they are a little star struck. Their inexperience is a major factor that must be exploited.

After suffering numerous injuries in fall camp, the Trojan starting offensive line has been working cohesively for the past two weeks, benefiting heavily by the return of Jeff Byers, the heart and sole of the unit. Sophomore Kris O’Dowd is quickly becoming the leader the coaching staff envisioned when they signed him, which is an extremely important characteristic for the Center of a national championship contending team.

On the other side of the ball, USC’s defensive line must get penetration and force non-stop pressure on the unproven Virginia quarterbacks. If the Trojans can get in their faces and punish them early on, the Cavs entire offense could split at the seams. It is imperative that Kyle Moore and Everson Griffen attack vigorously from their defensive end positions, while Fili Moala dominates the interior. This will free LB’s Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, giving them wide open lanes to blitz through and apply fierce pressure on the Hoos backfield. In relentlessly attacking the UVA QB, this also allows Cary Harris, Shareece Wright, Kevin Thomas and Josh Pinkard to stay on top of their man coverage...and you have to feel good about Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison patrolling the hash marks to the sidelines. The D-Line sets the tone for the rest of the defense to dominate. Without pressure up front, your blitzes are picked up and your DB’s lose coverage, making your day on defense much tougher than it needs to be.

2) Establish the running game in the first quarter

Whichever lucky contestant gets the early carries as USC running back has to move the chains consistently. This accomplishes two things: Demoralizing the UVA defense, and keeping the pressure off Sanchez, instead allowing him to settle into the game and gain confidence with each minute that passes.

C.J. Gable returned to the practice field this week and looks every bit of 100%. He and Stafon Johnson will get the majority of the early reps, but keep an eye out for Joe McKnight, whom the Trojans habitually employed on second down last year. This game could serve as his official coming out party in his third year in offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s system. Carroll and Sark have always planned on utilizing McKnight similarly to the way they created around Reggie Bush, we hope this game starts the season off right for McKnight. Allen Bradford is the big, physical punisher that may split carries with all-around threat Stanley Havilii in short yardage and goal line situations.

The other important impact the running backs must have on the game lie within blitz pickup. It would not be surprising to see Al Groh blitzing his linebackers early on to get to Sanchez and rattle him. They would like to test his knee and see if it’s able to withstand pressure. Nagurski candidate Clint Sintim is a major threat coming off the outside and the interior LB’s, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby are chalk full of experience. When UVA comes at SC with 8 men rushing the passer, it is absolutely crucial that the RB in the game for the Trojans picks up his assignment and lays a shoulder on the open man.

3) Win the turnover battle

This is Coach Carroll’s focus week in, week out. Winning the battle for turnovers is a big part of USC’s success on defense and this game is no different. It has become what they are known for nationally. When SC applies pressure, opportunities arise for them. They must take advantage of these situations, look to wreck havoc and create loose ball situations. The inexperience at QB for the Cavs matched against the speed and athleticism on the SC defense could provide many of those situations. If SC can capitalize, this game could get ugly.

Prediction: USC 31, UVA 9



 

Virginia wideouts on target
Unnamed QB will have help
Patrick Stevens (Contact)
Friday, August 29, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE | Virginia coach Al Groh doesn't plan to name a starting quarterback until Saturday's season opener against Southern California.

At least whoever wins the job will have a few more options at wide receiver than Jameel Sewell did at this time last year.

While the Cavaliers haven't publicly decided between sophomore Peter Lalich, fifth-year senior Scott Deke and redshirt sophomore Marc Verica at quarterback, they at least aren't nearly as concerned about a dearth of wideouts as last August.

"Last year, all the questions were about wide receiver, if that answers your question," offensive coordinator Mike Groh said. "I think [we're in] a lot better shape. We had to throw some guys in the fire before they were ready, but they really did a hell of a job last year."

That's probably a relative term. With wideout Kevin Ogletree shelved with a knee injury, there was precious little experience heading into last season. And even that took a dent when Maurice Covington missed four games early in the season with a broken hand.

It made for a creative season for both Groh and wide receivers coach Wayne Lineburg. Covington, despite his injury, led the unit in receptions (21) and yards (269) and accounted for half of the receivers' four touchdowns.

This year, it could be vastly different.

Ogletree is back and declared his injury is far from his mind. Covington is a senior likely to build on his first extensive playing time. The same is true of sophomores Dontrelle Inman and Staton Jobe and senior Cary Koch.

It also has made camp far more manageable for Lineburg, who dealt with as raw a group as could be imagined in his first season with the Cavaliers.

"He's walking around smiling a lot more," coach Al Groh said. "We don't see as many frowns on his face. It's certainly very different for all of us."

Ogletree's return helps immensely. The junior led the Cavaliers in receptions two seasons ago and became just the ninth player in school history to record 50 receptions in a season.

He also kept an eye on the way Virginia squeaked out victories last season - five of them by a combined seven points - even without a consistent vertical passing attack and is eager to return that element to the offense.

"I remember every game and every corner who came through here," Ogletree said. "You keep that in mind and use that as a little fuel to fire you."

Certainly, he and his fellow receivers would like to match last year's nine-win season, the program's first since 2002. Many of the big names on the roster - notably defensive end Chris Long and left guard Branden Albert - are gone from that Gator Bowl team.

But the receivers return almost entirely intact and could prove to be one of the team's most reliable units.

"I think our wideouts may be one of the strongest groups we have and one of the most experienced," Covington said. "A lot of young guys got the opportunity to play last year. I think this year we'll have something to prove, and we'll definitely prove it."

The best way for Covington to make a statement will to be reliable for whichever green candidate winds up at quarterback. Lalich played in eight games and had 61 attempts as a true freshman last fall. Deke has played in one game and has never attempted a pass. Verica's next college snap will be his first.


Senior Maurice Covington led Virginia's receivers with 21 catches and two touchdowns last season. (Getty Images)

But at least the winner of the Cavaliers' quarterback competition will have a veteran receiver corps to work with.

"You ask those point guards playing over there in the Olympics, they certainly like playing with all those good players," Mike Groh said. "It's pretty easy to find an open guy. I think that's a nice security blanket for any quarterback to have."

 

Rain could be a problem for Trojans during game
Rain was falling when USC's team charter arrived in Virginia, a possible precursor to what the Trojans might have to deal with in their opener Saturday against Virginia.
By David Wharton and Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
10:14 PM PDT, August 28, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Rain was falling Thursday night when USC's team charter arrived here, a possible precursor to what the Trojans might have to deal with in their opener Saturday against Virginia.

The game-day forecast calls for a high of 82 degrees with scattered thunderstorms, the likelihood of precipitation increasing slightly as the day goes on.

How that might affect the Trojans, specifically quarterback Mark Sanchez's passing accuracy and the stability of his left knee, will be measured today when the Trojans practice.

Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said upon arrival that the Trojans would probably mix in some wet-ball work regardless of the conditions.

But Coach Pete Carroll did not seem concerned about inclement weather.

"It's going to rain on both sides of the field," Carroll said before the Trojans departed Los Angeles. "It's going to be wet for everybody."

Later, after the players got settled at the team hotel, he said, "If it's a factor, you just have to make sure you deal with it properly."

Rain, however, isn't the only potential atmospheric problem. The humidity could reach 90% compared with 51% during Thursday's practice at USC.

The weather did not seem to concern players much.

"We've been beating up on ourselves the past month," tailback Stafon Johnson said. "It's time to take it somewhere else and beat up on someone else."

Front men

The first weeks of training camp were not easy for an offensive line replacing four starters. There were injuries, missed assignments and sacks.

While Carroll insisted the line's play has improved significantly over the last week, guard Jeff Byers said he won't pass final judgment until after the Virginia game.

"We've made great strides since the beginning of camp, but . . . it's test time on Saturday," the senior said. "Can guys focus on every play? That's everybody, including myself."

Virginia has faced a similar predicament with inexperienced tackles on each side of a new interior line.

And, like Byers, Coach Al Groh believes there is only so much that can discerned from watching practice.

"I would say probably they're about as far as they could come under these circumstances -- that is working against the same players and the same defenses," Groh said of his new starters. "Now they need those other schemes and other players to continue to progress."

Pet peeve

With buses waiting to take players to the airport, Thursday's practice ran short of two hours.

But if the players thought they were getting a break, the second-unit offense quickly discovered otherwise.

When quarterback Aaron Corp, the newly anointed No. 2, fumbled a snap in red zone drills, Sarkisian ordered him and his teammates off the field.

"Give me the ones," he shouted.

Quick hits

After cornerback Shareece Wright (abdomen) had another strong practice, Carroll said he would start against Virginia. . . . USC brought 80 players on the trip, 16 more than are allowed for Pac-10 games. . . . Receiver Ronald Johnson woke up Thursday with a sore throat and dizziness but practiced. "I'm just going to take a nap on the plane and I'll be all right," he said.
 

Carroll, Groh cut from same coaching cloth
Pete Carroll and Virginia coach Al Groh, who will face-off for the first time Saturday, have taken their extensive NFL backgrounds to the college game, where both have found success.
By: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
Posted: 8/28/08

Saturday's football game may be the first meeting between USC and Virginia, but it won't be the first time Pete Carroll and Virginia coach Al Groh have stood on opposing sidelines.

While their styles seem as diametric as the coasts where their schools lay, the two coaches have startling similarities in their coaching careers.

Both Carroll and Groh cut their teeth in coaching as defensive coordinators in New York with Carroll working for the Jets and Groh leading the Giants. Each had to bounce around the NFL as an assistant before landing their first head coaching job.

"[Saturday's game] has got a little flavor of an AFC East matchup here," Carroll said.

Carroll notched his first head coaching job with the Jets in 1994 but was fired after his first season. He later moved on to lead the New England Patriots, where he coached for three years.

A disciple of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, Groh didn't land his first head coaching job in the NFL until 2000, when he led the Jets to a 9-7 record.

But after one season, Groh decided he was interested in other opportunities and left the team to coach his alma mater.

"He had a real clear thought that he wanted to be in college coaching. I'm sure the Jets didn't want him to leave, so that was unlike my situation," Carroll said with a wry smile.

Carroll and Groh took the plunge into the world of college football head coaching in 2001, facing largely different tasks. Carroll was confronted with reviving a USC program that had fallen on hard times as it slid down the Pac-10 totem pole. Groh had to replace George Welsh, the most successful coach in Virginia's school history.

But both tackled the transition to the college level by bringing their NFL mentalities with them to their new jobs. Despite the prevalence of option attacks and spread offenses in college football, Carroll and Groh each installed standard pro-style offenses that allowed for balance and versatility.

The two coaches also brought their sons in to their respective programs to assist the offense. Brennan Carroll coaches tight ends for USC, while Mike Groh serves as Virginia's offensive coordinator.

Groh also implemented a 3-4 defensive alignment, a format which he used under Parcells and Belichick but was seldom seen at the college level.

The first season was rocky for both coaches. USC finished 6-6 in the regular season and lost to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl while Virginia went 5-7.

"College football is different than the NFL football. [College football] is kind of 'stand on the edge of the pool and jump right in' and see what the temperature is once you get in it," Groh said. "That's why it seems to take a while for things to level out, to see what the landscape really looks like in college football."

Carroll and Groh seemed to figure out college football in 2002, when both of their teams broke out.

The Trojans steamrolled the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Orange Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 4. Groh won the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year award after his Cavaliers went 9-5, despite being picked to finish near the bottom of the league in the preseason.

The two coaches' performances that season rang out as a victory for coaches with NFL backgrounds in college. Their successes helped create a small-scale migration toward the collegiate ranks.

"I don't know if there's a trend to that or if that's enough for a trend, but [college football] is a fun place to work, and I think some of our guys are finding that out," Carroll said.

Groh and Carroll diverted paths as the expectations of their respective schools caught up with them. While the Trojans have returned to national prominence under Carroll, the Cavaliers' best mark leveled off at nine wins, which they matched last season.

Groh is far from the hot seat, but his tenure has been divisive among the Virginia fan base.

Even more of a heated subject than his results are his treatment of the school's traditions.

Prior to Groh's arrival, men often wore coats and ties to games while women would wear sundresses. But before the 2003 season, Groh asked fans to wear orange T-shirts to create a "sea of orange" - a movement that still divides the school's students and alumni.

But Groh doesn't care what legacy he leaves at the school he attended.

"When I've been asked about our style or our team in the past," he said, "I've just usually said, 'Look, we just coach the team the way that we think it needs to be coached.'"

While Groh has settled into his current position, Carroll's name has entered the conversation for more than a handful of NFL coaching vacancies in recent years.

Whether or not the whispers amount to anything more than rumors, Carroll has said he has found his place coaching the Trojans.

Whether at Virginia or USC, the college game has provided both Carroll and Groh with the opportunity to coach in their own distinct ways.

"I know he's probably coaching in the style that he's always dreamed of coaching in and that's what I'm doing," Carroll said. "We've obviously carried tremendous amounts from our past."
 

Trojans enter season in excellent health
By John Nadel
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES -- Injuries to several important players and a rare illness contracted by another caused some concern during training camp as No. 3 Southern California prepared for the season. Now, with the opener just a few days away, speedy recoveries not only have the Trojans at ease, but put them in better condition at this time of year than they've been in recent memory.

"We came out of camp real healthy," USC coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday, pointing to cornerback Shareece Wright as the only key player whose status for Saturday's game at Virginia seems uncertain.

Wright, listed as a first-stringer on the depth chart, has been slowed by an abdominal injury. But like quarterback Mark Sanchez and tailback C.J. Gable, he has improved significantly in recent days and might be ready to play against the Cavaliers.

And if he isn't, the Trojans have Josh Pinkard as a backup. Pinkard was a first-stringer in 2005 who started the 2006 opener before injuries forced him to miss nearly two full seasons.

"We've been very fortunate," Carroll said. "For the sake of the kids, knock on wood, we can keep that going and keep these guys able to play. Camp was very physical and very aggressive, and the guys were able to handle it. We were in great shape to handle the workload, and it's showed up and paid off for us. So hopefully we'll continue."

Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap without being touched on Aug. 8 -- the third day of practice -- but has recovered to the point where it's a virtual certainty he'll start against Virginia, pending a check by team doctors.

"Mark practiced really well yesterday," Carroll said. "He's had a couple good days under his belt. His knee is still a little bit swollen and kind of black and blue, but he's not in any serious pain at all. He's managed very well."

Gable, one of four tailbacks who figure to share playing time, injured his hip last week, but looked good at practice Monday and said afterward he's ready to go.

"C.J. Gable came flying. He had a great day of practice yesterday," Carroll said. "He was at full speed and was on a mission to prove that he was full speed. He's not missing this game. We all thought he was in big, big trouble, but he just wouldn't hear of it."

Joe McKnight, another tailback, injured two fingers when a teammate accidentally closed a dormitory door on his right hand and later hurt his elbow, but is OK now.

Linebacker Brian Cushing sprained his left wrist a couple weeks ago, and was wearing a wrap on his wrist Monday.

"I'm playing. I'm practicing every day," he said. I'm ready to go."

And guard Jeff Byers, the only returning starter on the offensive line, was sick for what he called the better part of two months with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but he's OK now.

"I feel great. I've been healthy for a week and a half," he said Tuesday. "It was definitely a frustrating experience. I learned a lot about medicine, how it works. It was scary at times. I had a real high fever, bad stuff. I was on antibiotics for 10 days, they said that should kill the bacterial infection. They weren't letting me do anything.

"It seems like we're extremely healthy," added Byers, a fifth-year senior. "I can't remember going into the opener with the team pretty much intact. Luck helped."

The Trojans and Cavaliers will be meeting for the first time. Virginia was 9-4 last season, but returns only 10 starters. USC, 11-2 last year including a 49-17 victory over Illinois in the Rose Bowl, is listed as a 19 1/2-point favorite.

"That means nothing to me," Carroll said. "It's a big-time football game. We expect it's going to be a very difficult game. We're holding nothing back, we're not resting anybody and we're not going to get somebody ready for a couple weeks from now. We're going for it and that's the only way we know how to do it.

"We have a lot of similarities. They are a a pretty classic, as I would see it, classic run and play-action team. It's an NFL offense is what it is, and an NFL 3-4 defense that Al (Groh) brought from his years in the league."

Groh, like Carroll, is a former head coach in the NFL.

"Coach Groh's team looks a lot like the Patriots, the Jets, teams he was a part of," Carroll said.

So was Carroll, who coached the Jets for one season and the Patriots for three in the 1990s.

Carroll said there's a good possibility that six-to-eight true freshmen will play for the Trojans in the opener, and that number could double in the upcoming weeks.
 

USC Trojans Game 1 Preview: Virginia Cavaliers
USC Football Community Leader and Senior Writer Paul Peszko previews this week's opponent - the Virginia Cavaliers.
by Paul Peszko (Senior Writer)
8 389 reads
Preview/Prediction
August 26, 2008

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Or, at least, the Wicked Witch of the West Coast Offense. She flew over Howard Jones Field all during Fall camp, spreading her infamous injury bug.

While Mark Sanchez seems to have completely recovered from her scourge and his dislocated knee, the injury did keep him from playing in the Trojans' two controlled scrimmages at the Coliseum as well as the final Mock Game.

The last game-type action that Sanchez saw was the annual "Huddle," which marked the end of spring practice. Neither Sanchez nor Mitch Mustain looked particularly great that day. The one quarterback who did was Aaron Corp, listed as No. 3 on the depth chart at the time.

In 2007, Sanchez appeared in eight games and was 69-of-114 (60 percent) passing for 694 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He started three games for the injured John David Booty.

His best performance was at Notre Dame, where he was 21-of-38 for 235 yards with four TDs and no interceptions. USC won that game 38-0. In the loss at Oregon, Sanchez was 26-of-41 for 277 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

While there may still be some question about how much the knee injury may hamper him, there is the greater question of whether he is game-ready as far as his overall conditioning.

The same is true of the offensive line, which has only one full-time starter, left guard Jeff Byers, returning from last year. However, he missed most of Fall camp with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, of all things. Zack Heberer, the right guard, also missed much of Fall camp with an injury. Both Byers and Heberer have been back for a week now.

The good news for Virginia is that it usually takes an offensive line a month or so to really feel comfortable working together. In that regard, Virginia is fortunate that they are playing the Trojans early.

The bad news for the Cavaliers is that the injury bug seems to be in remission. Not only is Sanchez coming around, but versatile running back C.J. Gable returned to practice yesterday from an ankle and hip sprain and had a terrific day running the ball. Also, cornerback Cary Harris returned with a brace on his sprained shoulder.

But enough about the Trojans. How about this week’s opponent, the Virginia Cavaliers?

Head coach Al Groh shares several similarities with Pete Carroll. They were both NFL coaches and both served as a head coach of the New York Jets.

Both have a son on their coaching staff. Brandon Carroll coaches the tight ends and is the Trojans recruiting coordinator. Mike Groh is Virginia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Both Carroll and Groh are starting their eighth year as head coaches at their respective schools.

But there, the similarity ends. Carroll has been highly successful with a 76-14 record. Overall, Groh has had only modest success. His record stands exactly at .500 (77-77) in the collegiate ranks but a very decent 51-37 at Virginia.

His current squad has only ten returning starters from last fall's 9-4 Gator Bowl team, which means he is counting on a number of inexperienced players to step up.

Whereas Pete Carroll named his starting quarterback last spring, Groh has yet to do so. He needs to decide before Saturday between Peter Lalich, a sophomore who appeared in eight games, and Scott Deke, a redshirt senior who has only seen action in one game.

Groh was expecting Jameel Sewell to win out in the quarterback competition. But Sewell was declared academically ineligible last spring. The loss hurt the Cavaliers because of Sewell’s mobility. Last season, Lalich connected on 35-of-61 passes (57%) for 321 career yards, but he lacks the mobility and athleticism of both Sewell and Deke.

The rest of the Cavalier backfield stacks up fairly well with tailbacks, Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson. Peerman was the ACC’s leading rusher through five games, averaging over 100 yards before suffering a broken leg.

Simpson filled in for him, and the Cavaliers didn’t really lose a beat. Simpson gained 570 yards with eight touchdowns on 113 carries. Against Maryland, he put up over 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving.

Both are expected to share the duties at running back while Rashawn Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 253-pound converted linebacker, returns at fullback.

Kevin Ogletree returns at wide receiver after missing the 2007 season with a torn ACL. He is the fastest player on the team and should give the Trojans defensive backs a good test. He is joined by Maurice Covington (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) on the other side.

With Ogletree unavailable last season, Groh went to a double tight-end offense.

John Phillips (6-foot-6, 260) returns this season. Phillips appeared in all 13 games last year, starting eight. He had 17 catches for 193 yards and two2 touchdowns.

Like the Trojans, the Cavaliers' offensive line is inexperienced in the middle. All-American offensive guard Branden Albert, was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 15th overall pick.

That left Eugene Monroe (6-foot-6, 320), an Outland Trophy candidate at left tackle, and Will Barker at right tackle as the only experienced players on the offensive line.

DEFENSE

Former Marshall University head coach Bob Pruett takes over as defensive coordinator this season for Virginia’s 3-4 defense. In 2007, Virginia’s defense ranked 16th nationally allowing 19.7 points and 13th in rushing, allowing just 106.9 ypg. In total defense, the Cavs ranked 23rd allowing 332.5 yards per game.

Like USC, the linebackers and defensive backs are the strength of Virginia's defense. Three of four starters return from last year at linebacker. Jon Copper led the Cavs with 109 tackles. He also had three sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Senior Antonio Appleby had 60 tackles and two sacks. Senior pass rushing specialist and outside linebacker, Clint Sintim, led the linebackers with nine sacks. Like Trojan linebackers, Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, Sintim is a candidate for the Bronco Nagurski Award.

The secondary has two returning starters: cornerback Vic Hall and free safety Byron Glaspy. Hall, the most experienced DB on the squad, is only 5-foot-9 and may have trouble defending the likes of Patrick Turner and David Ausberry. He’s also the Cavs' punt returner.

Glaspy, a former walk-on like Jon Copper, made a career-high 71 tackles in 13 games last season as part of a defense that allowed just nine rushing touchdowns, fifth in the nation. The coaching staff is also high on sophomore Ras-I Dowling (6-foot-2, 200). Dowling played in 12 games and recorded 44 tackles. He led the team with nine pass break-ups and shared the team lead with two interceptions.

As for the defensive front three, the Cavs' biggest loss was at defensive end, where Chris Long was the overall #2 pick in the NFL Draft. Only junior nose guard Nate Collins (6-2,280) saw much real action in 2007, backing up starter Allen Billyk. Collins played in all 13 games and recorded 31 tackles.

Redshirt sophomore Sean Gottschalk (6-foot-4, 275) appeared in nine games as a reserve defensive end and recorded four tackles. He also played on the kickoff return team Senior Alex Field (6-foot-7, 270) will be at the other defensive end. Field played in all 13 games as a reserve and had 11 tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Last week, Groh named Yannick Reyering, a German national who led UVA’s soccer team in goals in each of the past three seasons, as the new place kicker.

Here’s the Cavalier lineup at a glance…

Offense

QB - P. Lalich; S. Deke; M. Verica

TB - C. Peerman/M. Simpson; R. Horne; M. Millien

FB - R. Jackson; K. Payne; C. Orshoski

TE - J. Phillips; J. Torchia; A. Devlin

WR - K. Ogletree; D. Inman; S. Jobe

WR - M. Covington; K. Burd; C. Koch

LT - E. Monroe; Z. Stair; L. Milstead

LG - Z. Stair; P. Slebonick

C - J. Shields; A. Miholta

RG - B.J. Cabbell; B. Cuffee

RT - W. Barker; Z. Stair; L. Milstead

Defense

DE - S. Gottschalk; M. Conrath

NG - N. Collins; N. Jenkins

DE - A. Field; J. Fuller

LOLB - C. Sintim; A. Clark

LILB - A. Appleby; J. Bivens; T. Fells-Danser

RILB - J. Copper; J. Bivens; T. Fells-Danzer

ROLB - D. Burrell; J. Detrick

CB - R. Dowling; C. Minnifield

CB - V. Hall; M. Parker

SS - B. Glasby; M. Leemhuis

FS - B. Woods; C. Mosely

(NB - T. Womack)

Special Teams

PK - Y. Reyering; R. Randolph; C. Hinkebein

P - J. Howell; J. Thornton

LS - D. Aiken; C. Reiss

PR - V. Hall; M. Simpson

KR - M. Simpson; C. Minnifield; K. Ogletree; J. Green

Holder - V. Hall; S. Deke

A crowd of 61,500 fans is expected to attend. There is a chance for scattered thunderstorms in Charlottesville for Saturday’s game, with an expected high of 83 degrees.

Oddsmakers opened the Trojans as a 17-point road favorite. The odds currently favor the Trojans by 19½ points. While I prefer not to make any predictions but simply give an overall preview of USC opponents based on the facts as I know them, I can offer one suggestion – take the points.

Trojans set their sights on Charlottesville
Healthy and ready to hit the road, No. 3 USC faces Virginia on Saturday's opening game.
Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Sports
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Media Credit: Joel Zink | Daily Trojan

Collision course · Heading into Saturday's game against Virginia with most of their players healthy, the Trojans will look to deliver hard hits like this one against the Cavaliers' offense.

A new season, a new quarterback at the helm, a tough road opener far from Southern California, and national championship expectations through the roof. Sound exciting?

For the No. 3 Trojans, it's just the same old story.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez will start his first full season at quarterback for the Trojans tomorrow when they open their season on the road against Virginia at 12:30 p.m., just as former Trojan quarterbacks Matt Leinart and John David Booty began their first seasons in hostile environments, with Leinart at Auburn and Booty at Arkansas.

The Trojans are looking to set the groundwork for a season in which they feel they have something to prove after missing out on the BCS title game the last two years. And they hope to do so at full strength.

"We're coming out of camp on a pretty good feeling, particularly in terms of all our guys being available to us," USC coach Pete Carroll said.

Sanchez and running back C.J. Gable were previously questionable for tomorrow's opener before making full recoveries. Sanchez survived a scare when he dislocated his kneecap Aug. 8, and Gable is back from a sprained ankle and strained hip.

Carroll noted the benefits of playing the opener on the road in front of a noisy, hyped-up crowd.

"We look at this as other openers in the past," Carroll said. "[When] you get that opening game under your belt with your team and all of those things going into your confidence down the schedule, [it's] important. I particularly like the challenge of the matchup, but we expect it's going to be a very difficult game."

Sanchez will not be the only Trojan tested by the hostile crowd. USC's offensive line lacks experience and has been called the team's biggest positional question mark. Carroll is not especially concerned, however, because of the improvement he saw in the last week and half of fall camp.

"It's just like the light went on for the guys and they started to work together well," Carroll said. "But they just kind of came together in terms of protections, really, is what jumped out first."

The Trojans meet the unranked Cavaliers for the first time in school history, something Carroll said adds an even greater degree of difficulty to the matchup.

"The time frame that they have between when they last played and when they play now is the concern, because they could do anything," he said. "We have to be open to more things."

After finishing the 2007 season at 9-4, Virginia looks to rebound after losing key players such as quarterback Jameel Sewell and standout defensive end Chris Long, as well as the majority of its offensive and defensive lines.

Sewell is one of several players not with the team this season because of academics.

Virginia will be breaking in a new signal-caller against the Trojans, but coach Al Groh has yet to name the starting quarterback for tomorrow's game.

Peter Lalich comes in with the most experience, having played in eight games and thrown two touchdowns for the Cavaliers.

Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim, who recorded nine sacks last season, will be called on to slow USC's talented offense.

As one of the leaders in the Cavaliers' 3-4 defensive alignment, Sintim will be responsible for making plays behind a depleted defensive line.

Groh says he expects big things from Sintim this season.

"We need a big year from Clint," the Virginia coach said. "He had an excellent season for us last year and performed well in training camp."

Despite all signs pointing to a rebuilding year for the Cavaliers, Carroll is adamant about not letting his players look past them and ahead to Ohio State. The showdown with the No. 2 Buckeyes in two weeks is anticipated as the game of the year by most, but Carroll and the Trojans are keeping their focus squared in on their mission in Charlottesville.

"It's a championship game for us as everything is and we're giving it everything we've got," he said. "We're holding nothing back. We're not resting anybody and we're not going to get somebody ready for a couple of weeks from now. We're going for it and that's the only way we know how to do it."


 

Mikalauskas has decided to go pro
Friday, Aug 29, 2008 - 12:07 AM
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Laurynas Mikalauskas has played his last college basketball game.

Mikalauskas, whom University of Virginia coach Dave Leitao dismissed from the team Aug. 18, announced yesterday that he has signed with an agent and will pursue a pro career overseas.

A Lithuania native whose hustle and enthusiasm made him a favorite of U.Va. fans, Mikalauskas made his announcement at the Blue Ridge School, from which he graduated in 2005. The 6-8 245-pounder played three seasons at U.Va., averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds and shooting 58.8 percent from the floor.

Mikalauskas played in 2007-08 with a painful shoulder injury, which later required surgery.

"I want to thank the University of Virginia for everything it has done for me over the past three years," he said. "I especially want to thank the fans, my teammates and all who have supported me during my time here. I hope that they felt the emotion that I played with and saw that I gave it my all every time I wore the Virginia jersey."

Mikalauskas turns 23 in October, and he would have had to sit out the coming season if he'd transferred to another Division I school. He said he couldn't see himself attending or playing for another school.

He also confirmed that he's academically ineligible at U.Va., but poor grades weren't all that led to his dismissal. A long list of infractions, including missed study halls and team meetings, had hurt Mikalauskas' standing with Leitao.

"There are standards to be a member of this basketball program, and Laurynas has not lived up to those standards," Leitao said in a statement Aug. 18. -- Jeff White

 

Lars says goodbye
By Whitey Reid
Published: August 28, 2008

Prior to his Thursday afternoon press conference at Blue Ridge School, former Virginia forward Lars Mikalauskas said he wasn’t going to get emotional when it came time to address the reasons for his dismissal from the UVa program.

But just a couple of minutes into his farewell speech, it was obvious that wasn’t going to be the case.

Dressed in a gray suit and sporting a new businesslike hairdo, the Lithuanian’s eyes welled with tears as he spoke to a small gathering of television and print media.

“When I found out [12] days ago, it was a really sad situation,” Mikalauskas said. “I felt terrible, but at the same time I’m excited to become a professional now.”

That was the crux of Mikalauskas’ announcement. Sitting to his right during the press conference was Michael Lelchitski, an agent for Sports International Group.

“Lars is going to have a lot of great opportunities to play,” Lelchitski said. “He’s a great player and people know who he is. He’s had a lot of exposure at UVa and will be able to entertain offers from a variety of top teams in Europe. I feel confident that he’ll have his choice of what country he wants to go.”

Contrary to an on-line report on Thursday, there is zero chance that Mikalauskas will be playing in his native Lithuania. The 6-foot-8, 240-pounder will likely sign with a team in Italy, Spain or Russia.

However, Mikalauskas’ future plans may include playing for the Lithuanian national team. Mikalauskas said that he has already been invited to try out for next year’s squad.

“I’m looking forward to maybe playing in the Olympics in London in 2012,” he said.

During the 12-minute press conference, Mikalauskas expressed no resentment toward Virginia coach Dave Leitao. Mikalauskas repeatedly took responsibility for the academic suspension that led to his dismissal.

The only hint of dissatisfaction came when Mikalauskas talked about the time frame of Leitao’s decision.

“I wish I had known this earlier in the summer,” he said, “so I could have had more exposure overseas, but it is what is and now I have to deal with it.”

Mikalauskas, who said his expulsion from the program was caused mainly by his performance in one anthropology class this summer — Leitao has not elaborated on the circumstances leading to Mikalauskas’ dismissal — vowed to return to Virginia over the next two summers so that he can complete his degree. He said he has already been in touch with his academic dean, who has given him advice on how to best accomplish that objective.

“Completing my degree is very important to me and I plan on coming back as soon as possible,” he said.

Sitting to Mikalauskas’ left during the press conference was Blue Ridge coach Bill Ramsey and his wife, Margaret. The couple served as Mikalauskas’ legal guardians when Mikalauskas came to the United States in the ninth grade. The Ramseys’ children, Cal and Emily, were also on hand.

“These last three years were very special — going to all of his games and traveling to the ACC Tournament,” said Bill Ramsey. “[This] was kind of a shocker. It happened real fast, but I feel like he has some great opportunities already. … I think he’ll be gainfully employed within a month or so. We’re excited for Lars.”

It was toward the end of his prepared statement when Mikalauskas seemed to become most emotional.

“I especially want to thank the fans. Go Wahoos!” said Mikalauskas as he pumped his fist. “I really hope that they felt the emotion that I played with and saw that I gave it my all every time I stepped on the court in a Virginia jersey — number 11.

“I took great pride in being a student-athlete at Virginia and couldn’t see myself transferring to another school or playing for another program.”

 

Does Groh have hidden agenda?
Will coast remain clear for Lalich?
By Doug Doughty

Why so secretive?

What was the gain for Virginia football coach Al Groh in not naming a starting quarterback for the Cavaliers' season opener Saturday against Southern California?

Does he think USC coach Pete Carroll and his Trojan braintrust are lying awake at night, wondering if the UVa starter is going to be Scott Deke, Peter Lalich and Marc Verica?

My first impulse is to think this is another case of “Al being Al,” of Groh being difficult for the sake of being difficult.

On further thought, I think Groh has a motive in not naming starter.

He's reluctant to commit to Lalich.

I don't think there's any question that Lalich is the most gifted of the UVa quarterbacks. Plus, he's the most experienced. But, he's volatile. He can't seem to stay out of trouble.

No one knows what kind of penalty Groh levied when Lalich was charged with underage possession of alcohol this summer, but we can assume that Lalich's on a short leash.

Let's say Groh had come out two weeks ago and named Lalich as the starter and then Lalich had showed up on the Virginia courts website, as he had for a series of traffic citations.

What kind of panic would it have caused among Lalich's teammates, not to mention the UVa fan base, for Groh to pull the starting assignment and go with somebody else?

As long as Groh remains uncommitted, he has the starting job to dangle over Lalich's head and give him even more incentive to behave himself.

While you'd never get Groh to admit that Lalich or anybody else is in the “doghouse,” keep in mind that Lalich was the third quarterback to get on the field in UVa's spring game. When the media guide was distributed, he was listed third on the depth chart, behind Deke and Verica, without an “or” separating their names.

Groh subsequently has said that the three veteran quarterbacks were equal going into the fall, and by the time the media could observe the team for the first time in an open practice, Lalich was seeing as much time with the first team – if not more – than the other contenders.

Keep in mind, Lalich is one of the highest-rated quarterback prospects Virginia has ever signed. SuperPrep rated him the No. 10 quarterback in the country in 2007. I only go with the SuperPrep ratings because I have them available, but Dan Ellis was No. 11 in 1997 and Matt Schaub was No. 19 in 1999.

All you need to know about those rankings – and player rankings in general – is that another 1999 UVa signee, Bryson Spinner, was rated the No. 12 quarterback in the country. But, of course, it was Spinner and not Schaub who started three games as a redshirt freshman while Ellis was sidelined in 2000.

In looking at the 2007 SuperPrep ratings, it is interesting to note that the No. 11-rated quarterback, one spot behind Lalich, was Miami signee Robert Marve. Marve was suspended for the Hurricanes' opening game with Charleston Southern as the result of his involvement in a disturbance last Halloween in Coconut Grove.

Miami has named true freshman Jacory Harris as its starter for the opener but confirmed that Marve had won the No. 1 spot and will start the next week against Florida.

Let's say that the opponents were reversed and the Hurricanes were opening with the Gators. What kind of uproar would it have caused in that case if Marve had been suspended Aug. 24?

Of course, Halloween in Coconut Grove is not the same as late August in Charlottesville, but Lalich has found just enough trouble for Groh to be wary.

 

Lots of new faces for UVa
By Whitey Reid
Published: August 28, 2008

Last season was a disappointing one for the Virginia men’s soccer team. UVa finished 12-8-2 (1-5-2 in the ACC) and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to West Virginia. That marked the program’s earliest exit from the Big Dance since 1996.

The Cavaliers had some extremely bad luck with injuries. Numerous players were out of the lineup down the stretch, including Yannick Reyering, the team’s leading scorer who suffered a torn ACL in a late-season loss at Maryland.

“Nobody wants to hear [excuses],” said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch, “but those things that happened haven’t happened to me in 13 years. It was one thing after another.”

Tonight, Virginia opens its season at home against St. Johns.

“We played them last year and they have a lot of the same personnel,” said Gelnovatch, alluding to his team’s 1-0 win in Charlottesville. “We know what to expect from that, but they also know about us, too.

“I think it should be a well-paced, exciting game.”

One of Gelnovatch’s challenges heading into this campaign will be finding a way to replace the scoring punch of Reyering, who is now the place-kicker for the Virginia football team .

One player who will be relied heavily on is junior Ross LaBauex. As a sophomore last season, the Chicago native tallied seven goals and four assists.

“When we needed goals, Yannick was there for us,” LaBauex said. “I think not just me, but a lot of guys need to contribute.”

Virginia will be looking for a bounce-back year from junior Jonathan Villanueva. The forward was one of the most heralded players in the nation coming out of the Texas high school ranks two years ago. Villanueva had a strong first year — he was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team – but his production dipped last season when he only scored two goals.

“He had a pretty good spring,” Gelnovatch said. “I know that he and we were a little disappointed with his fall. He’s going to try and use this opportunity to be as good as he was his first year.”

Veterans Matt Mitchell and Neil Barlow are other players Gelnovatch will look to get scoring from, along with Chris Agorsor, a highly touted freshman who was named Gatorade national high school player of the year.

“He’s a super talent,” Gelnovatch said, “but at the same time I’ve been doing this long enough to know that when you’re first-year guy in the ACC, it’s not the easiest thing. We don’t want to put too much on him. We want to let him ease into things.”

The biggest question marks for Virginia are on the defensive end. Mainstays Zola Short and Matt Williams are gone. Who will replace them is completely up in the air.

Robby Rogers, Karter Smith, T.J. Cyrus, Hunter Jumper, Howard Turk, Shawn Barry and Mike Volk are some of the names in the hat.

Volk, who played at Rutgers last season, is one of three transfers on the team. Matt Weiler (Kentucky) and Jordan Evans (Richmond) are the others.

“We wanted instant experience and maturity for our team,” Gelnovatch said. “We were actually looking for transfer kids this year.

“All three of them have good chances of being in the lineup. We recruited these kids out of high school and know them pretty well. We like them and know what they’re capable of.”

Meanwhile, in goal, sophomore Dan Louisignau beat out junior Mike Giallombardo, but Gelnovatch said that could change on a game-by-game basis.

LaBauex believes the team is anxious to rid themselves of the bitter feeling that it experienced last year when it barely qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

“[It] was tough after having gone to the Final Four my first year,” he said. “It was kind of disappointing. I think everyone wants to get back to where we are and compete for an ACC championship and maybe a national championship as well.

“I think the biggest question mark is, ‘Where is Virginia soccer right now?’ We come from such a rich tradition. Are we going to be able to get back to our winning ways or are we going to crumble? We really need to make sure we come into the season focused and prepared because if we don’t things may not go our way this year.”

Virginia returns only six starters and will have nine first-years on its roster. Gelnovatch, entering his 13th year at the helm, can’t recall having ever coached a younger squad.

“We have the pieces,” Gelnovatch said. “That’s probably the most comforting thing to me, but the experience and us trying to figure out the pieces is going to take a while.

“We’re going to have to be patient. We want to win along the way, but at the same time we have to realize how young we are.”