Five Questions about University of Virginia football
The Virginian-Pilot
August 7, 2009

The University of Virginia opens football practice today with a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator and renewed questions about the program's direction.

Behind center will be Vic Hall, who has thrown one pass in college (it was incomplete). He'll run the spread offense under coordinator Gregg Brandon, who was brought in after U.Va. finished 105th nationally in yards per game last year (out of 119 teams).

Head coach Al Groh's ninth season at his alma mater could be one of his most pivotal. The Cavs have been to one bowl game the past three years, and after last year's 5-7 campaign, the school declined the option to add a year to his contract, which lasts through 2011. "It's not about me. It's about the team," Groh said last week.

Fair enough. So here's a look at the top 5 questions facing the team:

1. Can U.Va. establish who the quarterback will be and get that position settled?

Vic Hall (pictured) enters the preseason as Virginia's No. 1 quarterback, despite playing the position for exactly one game in his first four years (the 2008 finale in which he ran for two touchdowns and more than 100 yards in a 17-14 loss at Virginia Tech).

Hall's two rivals, Marc Verica and Jameel Sewell, have a combined 33 starts. The Cavs went to the Gator Bowl and finished 9-4 with Sewell as their starter in 2007, but academic issues caused him to miss the 2008 season and have made the coaches wary. Verica has a strong arm but also consistency issues.

2. Will Virginia be able to produce offensively?

The Cavaliers failed to crack the top 100 in total offense in any of Mike Groh's three seasons as coordinator. That resulted in his departure and the hiring of Brandon, previously the head coach at Bowling Green for six seasons.

The problem for Brandon is that he lacks three of the chief weapons from the 2009 team: All-ACC tight end John Phillips, current Baltimore Ravens running back Cedric Peerman and wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, who had a team-high 58 receptions.

Incoming freshman Tim Smith (pictured) from Chesapeake could make an impact early. At Oscar Smith, he amassed 73 receptions for 1,681 yards last season and 24 touchdowns and capped his high school career with a state playoff record four touchdown catches in the Tigers' 54-24 victory over Osbourn in the Group AAA title game.

3. Who's the kicker?

At the end of the 2008 season, true freshman Robert Randolph was kicking field goals and extra points and redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein was handling kickoffs. Earlier in the year, ex-soccer standout Yannick Reyering served in both roles.

Reyering did not return for a fifth year, but the Cavaliers have added All-Tidewater kicker Drew Jarrett (pictured) from Virginia Beach's Cox High. South Hampton Roads' all-time leader in field goals (with 29) was not listed on the Cavaliers' initial preseason roster but will be on hand from the start of camp.

4. What about filling those key holes on defense?

Virginia seldom has entered a preseason with as much talent and depth as it has in the secondary, one of the reasons Hall could be moved to quarterback. Gone from the defense, however, are the top six tacklers (counting Hall).

Inside linebackers traditionally lead the team in tackles, and Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby (pictured) manned those positions for the past three years.

Now, it's up to seldom-used fifth-year senior Darren Childs and redshirt freshman Steve Greer, who spent most of his rookie year as Copper's shadow.

5. Is the spread offense the answer?

Virginia first incorporated elements of the spread into its offensive scheme following Mike Groh's visit to Texas Tech after the 2008 season. When the Cavaliers spread the field in 2008, it was mainly to create lanes for Verica (pictured), a drop-back passer.

However, Groh has noted that running teams also have made use of the spread. In fact, Brandon had teams that featured running and passing quarterbacks at Bowling Green. Hall attempted just one pass against the Hokies but threw for more than 8,500 yards at Gretna High School.
 

White: Has Torchia's Time Come?
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/06/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Schools such as Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas, Boston College, Maryland and Rutgers also extended scholarship offers. But to Joe Torchia, the clear choice was the University of Virginia.
UVa's academic reputation appealed to Torchia the student. To Torchia the football player, the school's selling point was obvious.
"It was named 'Tight End U,'" Torchia said yesterday, "so what better place for a tight end?"
Throughout Al Groh's tenure as coach, he's featured that position. Chris Luzar, Heath Miller and Patrick Estes were gone by the time Torchia arrived at UVa in 2006, but standouts Jonathan Stupar, Tom Santi and John Phillips remained in the program.
"I figured I'd learn from the best," recalled Torchia, who redshirted in '06.
Stupar and Santi were seniors in 2007, and Phillips completed his eligibility last year. Torchia, a 6-6, 255-pound junior, now ranks as the most experienced tight end at UVa, and in years past that would have meant he could expect a lot of passes to be thrown his way. But Virginia has a new offensive coordinator, Gregg Brandon, and he's installed a spread attack that won't necessarily showcase the tight ends.
UVa tight ends combined for 45 receptions in 2005, 46 in 2006, 93 in 2007 and 51 last season. How prominent a role they'll play this season is unclear.
"We're going to play the best players," Brandon said shortly after being hired at UVa. "If the tight ends are some of our best players, then we'll find a place for them. At Bowling Green, we used a tight end quite a bit when we had one that was a pretty good player.
"It's really a matter of if your tight end is as good as your fourth receiver, because we play with a lot of four-receiver sets. If the tight end is your second- or third-best receiver, or your best receiver, then we're going to find a place to get him in there."
Training camp starts tomorrow for the Wahoos, and the "whole team is excited about Coach Brandon and the new schemes he's bringing," Torchia said. "There's an exciting kind of vibe around the team now. Everybody's anxious to get to camp and get things working."
Torchia, 21, is from Cold Spring, N.Y., not far from the U.S. Military Academy. As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he was Virginia's No. 4 tight end and played primarily on special teams. (He had a 13-yard kickoff return against Virginia Tech). A season ago, a separated left collarbone limited Torchia to seven games, and Phillips was almost always the tight end to whom UVa quarterbacks threw.
And now, midway through his college career, Torchia has a distinction he wouldn't mind shedding: He has yet to catch a pass for the Cavaliers. For a player who was so highly recruited, Torchia has produced few highlights thus far, but he's not discouraged.
"It is humbling, but it kind of gives you the desire to get on the field," he said. "It makes you hungry."
Torchia said he's not worried about how many catches he'll make - or what his role will be - in Brandon's offense.
"You want to help the team as best you can," Torchia said. "That's the real goal. Coach Brandon and Coach Groh, they're going to find the best place for you do that.
"When you come to college, it's not about what's the best thing to help you individually, it's about what's the best thing to help the team."
UVa's returning players include only two tight ends: Torchia and Colter Phillips, a freshman who redshirted last season. Brandon has told the offense that, along with the quarterback and the five linemen, the "best five skill players will play," Torchia said.
His goal, of course, is to be one of those five. Still, it's "not really about the success of one person," Torchia said. "It's about the success of the team. If the team succeeds, I'll succeed."

 

Virginia Football Practice Starts Friday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/06/2009

Charlottesville, VA - The Virginia football team opens its fall training camp Friday in preparation for the 2009 season. It is the first of 16 practice days the Cavaliers have before the start of the academic year. Virginia opens its season Sept. 5 at Scott Stadium against William & Mary at 6 p.m.
UVa head coach Al Groh announced that practices held on Aug. 7 (Friday), Aug. 8 (Saturday), Aug. 9 (Sunday) and Aug. 13 (Thursday) will be open to the public. Practices on those days are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. on the fields behind the McCue Center.
"We appreciate the fans who have the opportunity to come out and add to the energy and enthusiasm of the practices," Groh said. "We hope as many fans as possible can take advantage of these opportunities and we encourage them to be loud and participate and let the team know they are there watching."
Fans should be aware that no electronic devices, including mobile phones, are allowed to be on during the practices.
Virginia will hold its annual Meet the Team Day at Scott Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 16. Players and coaches will be available for photos and autographs from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Gates to the stadium open at 2 p.m.
At Meet the Team Day, fans will be able to pick up copies of the 2009 Cavalier Football schedule poster, schedule magnet and schedule cards. Tours of the locker room will take place and fans will have the opportunity to purchase the latest 2009 officially licensed sideline apparel from Nike as well as the 2009 football fan t-shirt. Concession stands will be in operation and the first 500 youth in attendance will receive a free UVa-Nike mini football. All fans in attendance also have the opportunity to win door prizes.

There will be plenty of activities for young Cavalier fans at Meet the Team day. A kid's zone will feature inflatables and other activities. The Cavalier and his horse, Sabre, will be in attendance along with the UVa cheerleaders.
 

White: Changes Coming to Coach's Show
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/06/2009
By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Say good-bye to Cavalier Call-in.
Say hello to the Farm Bureau Insurance Coach's Corner with Al Groh.
The University of Virginia football coach's weekly radio show has a new name and a new format.
"We just have one purpose, and that's to try to make the show more interesting, informative and therefore enjoyable for those people who tune in," Groh said today in his McCue Center office. "To get away from an hour for 12 weeks of the same person talking on one end to a limited group of repeat callers from the other end, and to cover lots of different areas of Cavalier football."
Most notably, the show no longer will include calls from fans. Such a move is not unprecedented. Virginia Tech, in fact, announced Tuesday that it has adopted a similar policy for Frank Beamer's radio show.
"The show needed a new spark to pick up the pacing," Bill Roth, who hosts Beamer's show, told The Roanoke Times. "I thought it was getting a little stale."
Starting Aug. 31, the Farm Bureau Insurance Coach's Corner will air live from the McCue Center each Monday from 7:05 to 8 p.m. The show's host is Dave Koehn, the Voice of the Cavaliers, and fans still will be able to pose to questions to Groh by e-mail, at askdave@virginiasports.com.
"We wanted to liven it up," Groh said. "We think it's got greater potential than the other way around."
A typical show might include a recap and discussion of the previous game, a conversation with a current UVa player, assistant coach or staffer, a segment on how former UVa players are faring in the NFL, an interview with an NFL player who attended UVa, a scouting report on UVa's next opponent, a look around the ACC, Groh's choice for student-athlete of the week, and a breakdown of a key play from the Cavaliers' most recent game.
"What we really want to do is show as many angles of the program as possible," Koehn said. "We feel like bringing in players, assistant coaches, and former UVa stars will accomplish that and make for a more entertaining program for our listeners across Virginia."
Groh said that if, for example, the Wahoos excel in pass protection on a Saturday, offensive line coach Dave Borbely might be a guest on the show two nights later to discuss his group's play.
"We're trying to broaden the base of areas that we touch upon and information that we bring," Groh said, "and bring a lot more personalities into the show."
Like most in his profession, Groh periodically fielded calls from critical fans on his show.
"Obviously, human nature being what it is, negativity of any type affects people, but most particularly it affects a team," said Groh, who's heading into his ninth season as coach at his alma mater.
Sometimes that negativity is "well-deserved," Groh noted, but he's confident the new format will result in a better show.
"One of the things that we found was that sometimes after some of our best games, we got the least amount of callers," he said. "So now we're sitting there with an hour of, 'Everybody seems pretty pleased. How are we going to keep this thing going?'"
Under the new format, Groh said, UVa will have "the whole time frame covered with what we think will be good interesting football information."
 

Seniors to play big role
Virginia offensive tackle Will Barker is one of several fifth-year seniors.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

There was one obvious omission on the Virginia football roster prepared for today's opening of preseason workouts.

The Cavaliers have not designated a captain or co-captains, a process that normally takes place in the spring.

Al Groh, entering his ninth season as UVa's head coach, isn't tipping his hand. However, it would be a huge upset if Vic Hall isn't one of the choices.

Hall, playing his fifth year as a graduate student, begins camp as a full-time quarterback after spending most of his career on defense.

"Vic is one of the most respected players by coaches and teammates that we've had," Groh said. "That's certainly very evident by the fact that, as a junior last year, he was elected captain."

The other three captains were seniors John Phillips, Clint Sintim and Cedric Peerman.

Groh said he wanted younger players to have more exposure to their teammates before making their selections this year.

Hall and offensive tackle Will Barker recently accompanied Groh to Greensboro, N.C., where players and coaches met with the ACC media at the end of July.

Barker, a fifth-year senior, has made 37 consecutive starts at right tackle.

"Will has really made a big step in everything that he has done," Groh said. "His overall maturity has really shown, [as has] his purposefulness. Will was, at best, a mediocre practice player early in his career, a lot more into the games than into the practices.

"This spring, he had his screw down on every turn. He's really trying to be the best he can be. A year ago at this time, if you had said, 'OK, write down the names of the players you might bring to the ACC Kickoff in 2009, Will would have been well down the list.'

"This particular year, it was an easy choice."

There will be no shortage of candidates when the players vote for their captains. UVa has an unusually high number of fifth-year seniors, 11, but only one fourth-year senior, defensive end Nate Collins.

Fifth-year seniors include two former starters who missed the 2008 season while on academic suspension, quarterback Jameel Sewell and cornerback Chris Cook.

Aaron Clark, an outside linebacker from Rockbridge County, originally was scheduled to complete his eligibility in 2008 but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the opening game. Clark never had been redshirted but, after a successful hardship appeal, is now tentatively listed as a starter.

After an earlier advisory that all practices would be closed, Virginia announced Thursday that today's 2:30 p.m. practice will be open to the public, as will practices Saturday, Sunday and next Friday.
 

New assistants play key roles for Cavaliers
By Norm Wood
247-4642
August 7, 2009

As the Virginia football team opens practice today in what will be the most important season of Al Groh's nine seasons as coach in Charlottesville, urgency is certainly present, but there's also a renewed sense of trust.

While another losing season — the Cavaliers have had two 5-7 campaigns in the last three years — might make it difficult for Groh to hang on to the job, he doesn't appear to have gone into control-freak mode with his staff, which features five new assistant coaches.

New offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon has been charged with installing his spread attack to revive U.Va.'s offense, which was 105th in the nation last season in total offense. Groh has ceded much of his linebacker coaching duties of past seasons to new linebackers coach Bob Trott, who had good runs as a defensive coach at Air Force, Arkansas and Clemson, and in the NFL with the New York Giants, New England and Cleveland.

Despite his reliance on several new faces, Groh will have to keep a sharp eye on several positions this month. Those positions include:

Quarterback
Ah, it's the question that just won't go away. At this stage of the discussion, it seems like two scenarios are most likely — Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell both play a lot of snaps, or Hall gets the majority of the time under center. Hall enters practice with the edge on Sewell in the new spread offense.

Wide receivers
This group generated a lot of buzz during the spring game. Javaris Brown's speed burst and potential on reverses will ensure he's on the field. Jared Green came a long way last season. Dontrelle Inman, who had just two catches last season, and Kris Burd, who had seven catches last season, must play bigger roles. Joe Torchia also will be a first-year starter at tight end.

Left tackle
Though it would've been fun to see Morgan Moses attempt to step in as a freshman to replace NFL first-round pick Eugene Monroe, it'll have to wait since Moses is Fork Union-bound. Landon Bradley will get the job to start the season, and he's coming off a solid spring. If he should falter, Matt Mihalik could get the next shot.

Safety
While he's slated to be a new starter, Rodney McLeod could be on the verge of becoming one of U.Va.'s most dependable players. He played well at cornerback last season in the nickel package, and he was a serious special-teams contributor. His ability to make a seamless transition to a starting role will be critical for the secondary's success.

Linebackers
Only returning starter Denzel Burrell and Darren Childs, who started six games last season, have extensive experience. Three other starting linebackers — U.Va.'s top three leading tacklers last season — are gone. Aaron Clark, Steve Greer and Cam Johnson will have to step up. Woodside High graduate Jared Detrick and Gloucester grad Aaron Taliaferro both should crack the two-deep.

Season opener
Season opener
WHO: William and Mary (7-4 in 2008) at Virginia (5-7).

WHEN: 6 p.m. Sept. 5.

WHERE: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville.
 

Simpson’s durability a question in crowded backfield
JAY JENKINS MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: August 7, 2009

For better or worse, the opening practice session this afternoon will provide a host of newcomers the chance to make a first impression.

Virginia opens its ninth training camp under coach Al Groh today at 2:30 p.m. in a newly announced open session for fans that will be held at the practice fields next to the McCue Center.

Early pecking orders -- albeit premature as it will be the first of 16 practice sessions -- will be visible at numerous positions, from the trenches to the secondary to the quarterbacks.

Another thing of note in the eyes of many in the fan base comes in the suddenly crowded backfield, which offers options in all speeds, shapes and sizes.

The starting job entering camp remains senior running back Mikell Simpson's to lose given the depth chart, his experience and the explosive nature by which he ran during a head-turning finish to the campaign in 2007. After waiting in the wings that season, Simpson emerged in the eighth game, against Maryland, and finished the year with 570 yards on the ground and 402 through the air.

Simpson struggled last season, appearing suddenly mortal in the shadow of Cedric Peerman. He gained just 262 rushing yards, despite touchdowns in the first two games, and failed to rush for more than 20 yards on a play before being sacked with a season-ending shoulder injury in the ninth game.

It raised the question if Simpson needed more work to get into a rhythm.

"Certainly if you ask the runners they would clearly want to be in there all the time," Groh said. "I think when you can do that it is advantageous."

There has been a Catch-22 for many of the nation's top-tiered programs. With an increased workload comes the greater risk of injury.

Just ask Groh. He has had ample reason to feel snakebit.

"One of the things that we are really sensitive to at the position is, as we have assessed certain things about the state of the program, is every top running back we've had here, every one of them has been hurt during the course of the season," Groh pointed out.

The Cavaliers' unfortunate pattern started moments into Groh's arrival as the coach at his alma mater in 2001.

Tailback Antwoine Womack, a year after leading the ACC in rushing, suffered a high ankle strain in the first quarter of the season opener at Wisconsin.

A wet field induced the injury, which Groh called "unlucky," required surgery and cost Womack 10 games.

It has continued at a rapid clip moving forward with notable ballcarriers including Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman, Jason Snelling, Peerman and Simpson falling victim to injuries.

"[In 2002] Pearman had his knee operated on," Groh said. "The next year Wali Lundy broke his foot in the first game. The next year Jason Snelling got hurt right away.

"Cedric Peerman missed half the season, and then he got hurt in the first game of the next season. Simpson got hurt and missed the second half of the season. Certainly it is a position where durability is an issue."

With that said, it is understandable why Groh will elect to work fullback Rashawn Jackson and tailbacks Torrey Mack, Max Milien, Keith Payne and Dominique Wallace into the mix.

Groh said teams "really have to have three put-in-the-game players in order to always have two available."

While Jackson and Payne are both listed at 245 pounds, size is of concern with Simpson (200) and Mack (195) "so the durability issue there is certainly one that has the possibility of coming up," Groh said.

Given the uncertainty of what Virginia's new-look spread offense will incorporate, how the on-field opportunities will pan out remain a mystery that Groh would just assume avoid.

"We would like to say in a perfect world that you could give the ball to one guy 25 times a game for 12 weeks," he said, "but there are not many guys who can hold up through that."
. . .
Virginia announced late yesterday afternoon that the four open practice opportunities for fans would be held today, tomorrow, Sunday and Thursday. Each session is free to the public and slated to start at 2:30 p.m.
 

Karlovic ousts Devvarman
By Whitey Reid
Published: August 7, 2009

WASHINGTON — In the early going of Thursday night’s third-round match at the Legg Mason Classic between Somdev Devvarman and Ivo Karlovic, Karlovic, a 6-foot-10, 230-pounder from Croatia, drilled a first serve that clipped the top of the net. The serve, which was likely in excess of 140 miles per hour, left a dent in the net that could be seen from several rows up the
grandstand.
This is what Devvarman, the former Virginia star, had to deal with as he tried for his second upset in as many nights — one of the hardest and most intimidating serves in men’s tennis.
The Chennai, India native battled as best he could, but in the end Karlovic’s bombs were just too much to handle. The 33rd-ranked Karlovic, thanks to 14 aces, defeated Devvarman 7-5, 6-1 to move into tonight’s quarterfinals against Andy Roddick. Karlovic also avenged a January loss to Devvarman at the Chennai Open.
“It’s really hard to read a guy’s serve like that,” Devvarman said. “Even when you do read it, there’s not much you can do with it. I think he did a really good job of holding his serve.
“I did well to keep some pressure on him the whole first set, but then I played a couple of sloppy games — the kind of stuff that’s keeping me from getting to the next level. To get better, I’m going to have to stop those kinds of things from happening.”
Devvarman, who once again had great fan support from a large Cavalier contingent, never came close to breaking Karlovic’s serve. In fact, he never had a break point.
His best chance came when he was already trailing, 4-1, in the second set. Devvarman was up 30-15, but Karlovic answered with two aces and a service winner to take a 5-1 lead that all but sealed the victory.
“A lot of it is hoping he misses the first serve because you can do a lot with his second serve,” said Devvarman, when asked about his strategy against the hard-hitting Croatian. “I think that’s what players better than me do. They make him feel a little pressure on his second serve.
“But when he’s serving first serves well, it’s pretty hard for anybody to do much with that ball.”
In the first set, Devvarman went toe to toe with Karlovic. He even fired two aces of his own to hold serve at 4-all.
But leading 6-5, Karlovic hit two baseline winners and smashed home a volley to break Devvarman and close out the set.
In the second set, Karlovic broke Devvarman to go up 3-1 and pulled away quickly. Fittingly, he closed out the match with an ace. Karlovic had a 63-percent first-serve percentage on the night, winning 90 percent of those points.
For Devvarman, who had beaten 15th-ranked Marin Cilic on Wednesday, it was still a successful tournament, considering he had to fight his way through qualifying just to get into the main draw. The 153rd-ranked Devvarman will now play a Challenger event in Binghamton before heading to New York for the U.S. Open qualifiers.
“I feel like the summer’s started off on the right kind of note,” Devvarman said. “I’m going to continue to put in the work and hopefully have a good run at Binghamton.”