White: Brandon Talks Football
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/16/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As the head football coach at Bowling Green State University, Gregg Brandon regularly answered questions from groups of reporters.
As UVa's new offensive coordinator, Brandon is subject to head coach Al Groh's "one-voice policy."
"I'm learning about that," Brandon said with a smile today at Scott Stadium.
For the large majority of the year, Groh prefers to be only the member of the coaching staff who talks to the media. But he allows his assistants to do interviews for one week during training camp each year, and Brandon met with print, radio and TV reporters during the Cavaliers' media day this afternoon. He talked at length about his three quarterbacks -- seniors Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell and Marc Verica - and his coaching philosophy.
Brandon, 53, took over an offense that for the past three seasons has ranked among the least productive in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). He's installed the no-huddle spread offense with which he had great success at Bowling Green, first as offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer and then as head coach.
Some of Brandon's comments:
*On why the position at UVa appealed to him:
"I think the No. 1 reason is, Al Groh gave me a call, and we got together and talked. He's a great coach and, more importantly, is a great guy. Having an opportunity to come here and run our system, that's great. But I've been doing this long enough [to know] that it's who you work for and with."
*On what he means by "our system":
"It's pretty much the stuff we did at Bowling Green, if you saw us play through the years. That's what we installed here in the spring, and that's what we're running now. You might say it's a one-back system, but we play a lot of two backs, [with one] up in the slot. It's kind of a different system than what Virginia's going to be used to.
"Now, we're playing with a tight end, and our tight ends are doing a nice job. So it's really about getting the best people on the field and then spreading the field and taking advantage of mismatches that way."
*On whether he has the personnel at UVa to succeed with his offense:
"Yeah, I think so. We're not thin at receiver, but we're young there. I think those guys will continue to mature and grow, and Coach [Latrell] Scott's done a nice job with that group. But we're certainly good at running back and quarterback, and our offensive line, four of those kids have started. We're pretty solid that way, I think."
*On the importance of having receivers who can run after the catch:
"A lot of the stuff we're doing is based on getting the ball to the perimeter quickly, running after the catch. We don't stress the offensive line that much in protection, and those guys love it. [In a traditional offense], you think about how much they run back and forth to the huddle, that's all done now. They just jog back, line up and wait for the play. They love it. But getting the ball in the hands of the guys that can break tackles out there, that's one of the keys of the offense."
*On how complicated his system has been for the players:
"Some picked it up pretty quick, and others haven't picked it up as quickly. It's a learning process for our players. We only got 15 practices in the spring, and we just put the core stuff in. Through the first nine days of camp, we've got a lot more in, and there's been a lot of carryover, I think, from spring. And that's what I was concerned about, how much retention there would be. They did a nice job in the summer, working out on their own."
*On the importance of having a quarterback with running ability:
"The offense is built for a quarterback who can run, and we have, I think, three of them right now. Sewell and Hall, they're pretty nifty on the perimeter. Marc's not as quick and as fast as those two guys, but he can make a guy miss out there and get yards.
"The system is predicated on reading defenders and then taking advantage and exploiting what they do. So obviously if you have a quicker, athletic quarterback, then the running game will probably work better.
"At Bowling Green my first couple seasons we had a really talented quarterback that could run and throw, and we made a lot of hay. And then we had another really talented quarterback that couldn't run a lick. In fact, I was scared to death to call runs to him. But he threw for 4,000 yards his sophomore year. That was Omar Jacobs. So I can tweak and fit the system to the talent I have at quarterback, and that's what I'll do."
* On whether the Cavaliers will be able to run the ball late in a game in which they're trying to kill the clock and protect a lead:
"The system is still designed to spread the field to run the football. It's not pound it in there and three yards and a cloud of dust. We are creating running lanes for our backs. If you've watched people in the offense, that's what they do. It just creates seams for their runners. Late in the game, if we're winning the game, we'll be able to take care of the ball."
*On whether he'll have the offense in rhythm by the Sept. 5 opener:
"Absolutely. We have to. And that's something that I've been learning through my time here, just what our players can handle ... And it's not just about our offense. It's about how good is our defense, how good is our kicking game, all the facts that go into it. How much do we need to be able to do, and how much can we do to have a successful season. But we still have a lot of practice left to get this thing where we want it, to fine-tune it. We'll be ready on Sept. 5."
*On splitting snaps among three quarterbacks:
"That is a challenge. And Al and I have talked about this, about making a decision here soon -- I don't know when, that's his call -- on who will be the guy. I think Vic's done a great job. I thought after the spring, he was the guy, and he's still continuing to make progress and doing some nice things. Sewell and Verica are right in there, and all three of them [in yesterday's scrimmage], I thought, did a nice job. They all scrimmaged about 30 plays."
*On a twist he hopes to unveil this season:
"I would like to see Sewell and Vic out there together, so that's another package that I'm kind of thinking through a little bit. But we got a little bit more to do before we go there. If you have one guy, obviously that's what you'd [prefer]. But if you have a quarterback that can shift into the slot and you can throw him the ball" -- Brandon laughed -- "that's a whole different deal. Or you can just use him as kind of a decoy and bring Vic or Sewell in there and direct snap it to him and do those things. Everybody's seen it. Everybody's done forms of it in college, and even in the NFL now they do some of it. For us, it's just finding out how all those parts fit."
*On Hall, who played cornerback in 2006, '07 and all but the '08 finale:
"His biggest thing that obviously he is working on now is, he hasn't played quarterback in so long. So there's a transition back there, just lining up and taking snaps and being all the things that have to do into playing that position. He hasn't done it in a long time. He's come a long way from the spring, just with his footwork, who he's supposed to looking at on the throws that we're asking him to make, and I'm still learning with him what throws I want to utilize him for. He's good on the perimeter. He stayed in the pocket yesterday and made some nice throws down field, so he's very capable. And you all know about his athleticism. I think the big thing for me is, the team believes in the kid."
*On whether, with an offensive line whose starters average about 6-foot-6, the 5-9 Hall's height is a concern:
"Yeah, that's a problem. But you know, enough people that I've noticed win with quarterbacks under 6-foot. They're doing a nice job. Chase Daniel wasn't that tall at Missouri, and the kid at Kansas and the kid out at Oregon, they all are running similar systems to what you're going to see this fall, with not a tall, typical pro-style quarterback. It can be done, and I'm going to give Vic every chance to do it."
*On the need to work against a defensive scheme other than UVa's 3-4:
"We have a good core of plays in, and we could probably line up and play tomorrow and have a good showing. But there's just a lot of other stuff. You know, when you work against each other, you may not be necessarily preparing for what you're going to see during the season. That's certainly the case here. We'll get into working against more [four-man fronts] as we go here this week, and I think that'll help us. We definitely need to do that, because what Virginia plays here defensively is kind of what we do offensively. It's just different. Our guys have blocked that for nine days now and all spring, and now we need to block different looks."
*On whether Groh has the final word on who starts at quarterback:
"He's the head coach."
*On how much autonomy he has as offensive coordinator:
"Well, I don't know about that word. Al brought me in to run the system, and that's what I'm doing. If that's autonomous, I guess, then that's OK. But he is responsible for building the team. I'm in charge of the offense, he's in the charge of the defense, Ron Prince is in charge of kicking, so all that has to mesh for us to be successful."
*On the transition from head coach to coordinator:
"So far it has been fairly smooth. The harder transition is getting back in with the X's and O's, which I was doing before and haven't done for seven years. That's been more of a difficult transition, just getting back into the nuts and bolts rather than overseeing the whole program, running down and seeing what my defensive coaches are doing, making sure our kickers and punters are doing what they're supposed to do, and all the things that go with being a head coach. So getting a chance to be back in a situation running an offense is very exciting for me, and I'm really up for the challenge."
 

White: Media Day Notebook
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/16/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When Latrell Scott was the wide receivers coach at the University of Richmond, the staff there evaluated Matt Snyder, a star wideout from nearby Deep Run High School.
The Spiders decided not to offer a scholarship to Snyder, and in 2007 he joined the team at UVa as a freshman walk-on.
He has a new receivers coach this year -- Scott, who smiled today when asked whether he'd recruited Snyder for UR.
"I knew Matt well," Scott said at Scott Stadium. "It was just a situation where at that time that wasn't what we were looking for at Richmond, but obviously in this business you make mistakes. Matt Snyder is a very, very big part of this group. Matt's kind of the glue that holds this thing together."
Snyder, a 6-4, 205-pound redshirt sophomore, is still a walk-on, and he's yet to appear in a college game. But Virginia coach Al Groh said today that he expects Snyder to play a significant role this fall.
"He's one of those players that through his commitment, his work ethic, his relationship with his teammates, has earned the respect of the players and coaches," Groh said. "And on top of that he's made plays. He had two or three real good plays yesterday [in a scrimmage].
"He is one of the most involved and passionate special-teams players on top of all his offensive duties ... It might be a little premature to say it because he hasn't played in a game yet, but he's just one of these players that's just a real good football player. He blocks, he catches, he plays special teams, he tackles on special teams, he tries to block kicks on special teams, all the things that football players do, and he does it with a high energy level and a great deal of intensity.
"And he's a very bright player. He makes very good decisions on his feet, which in the modern game, with all the different situations that come up and the changing circumstances and schemes, the ability of a player to make good, quick decisions on the move is a significant talent."

* * * * * * *

Snyder's brother, Jake, is one of the Cavaliers' four first-year defensive ends, along with Will Hill, Brent Urban and Justin Renfrow.
Hill has been working the second team throughout training camp and is likely to play this season. He had a head start on the other three. The 6-4 250-pounder graduated in December from Williamsburg's Lafayette High, entered UVa in January and went through spring practice with the team.
Nate Collins, now a senior, played on the defensive line for UVa as a true freshman.
"It's a huge challenge," Collins said, "but I think [Hill is] taking it on real well. He's taking coaching real well. He asks a lot of questions. He's always in his playbook. In the hotel, he's always knocking on my door, asking questions, things like that.
"I think for him the spring practice helped him out a whole lot. It's one of the things I always say to him, 'You're in a great situation.' Because I feel like if I was here for the spring practice before I came, it would have done me a lot of justice. But I feel like he's delivered real well. He has a great work ethic. He probably has the best work ethic on the team, freshman-wise, and on the team, he's up there. He's always working out. I think he works out seven times a week. Even when we're not working out, I always hear about him being in the weight room. Sometimes we have to tell him that he needs to just give his body a rest.
"He's doing all the right things. Yeah, he's still making freshman mistakes, but he's making plays, too."

* * * * * * *

At his news conference today at John Paul Jones Arena, Groh appeared stunned when a TV reporter asked why he'd decided to give cornerback Chris Cook a second chance.
Cook was placed on academic suspension in January 2008 and had to leave UVa for two semesters. He was re-admitted for the second semester in 2008-09.
"There was never any decision," Groh said. "Chris is one of our guys. That's what coaching's about, and that's particularly what college coaching's about: developing young people.
"I've made plenty of mistakes for which people gave me another chance. And so I'm just trying to give him the same thing that people gave me and that I've seen other people give, and if there's an innate goodness in a person and a willingness to be successful, those are the kind of people you go with."

* * * * * * *

Cook, a fifth-year senior from Lynchburg, was recently named one of the team captains. The others are quarterback Vic Hall and tackle Will Barker on offense and Collins and linebackers Aaron Clark and Denzel Burrell on defense.
Hall was a captain last season, too, and he's "a great leader," running back Rashawn Jackson said. "He's not the most vocal guy every day, but he's the most vocal guy when it counts."

* * * * * * *

The Wahoos had the first of their two scrimmages yesterday at Scott Stadium. The second comes Saturday, after which the depth chart will become clearer.
"Probably next Sunday will be a day ... when we try to put some clarity to some of these situations," Groh said. "As a result of what we saw yesterday and in grading the tape today, we're going to perhaps put some players in some other roles -- either move one up, move one down or shift a position -- to find out whether by next Saturday they can be in the mix or where they should be.
"So that's a big part of it here during this time frame here. It's not just about schemes. It's about, amongst the younger players, which ones look like they might be ready to help the team at some point this year, if not right away then, say, by the fifth or sixth game. There's certain positions that we can clearly see that the addition of some of these rookie players will be very beneficial at some point.
"While they may not be high enough up on the depth chart for somebody from the outside to say that they're going to be, we can see that if we can bring this player along by October, maybe that might be the first time that he sees action, but all of the sudden at that time he might make the position better."
True freshmen who may be ready to play sooner rather than later, if only on special teams, include Hill, wideouts Tim Smith and Quintin Hunter, tailback Perry Jones and offensive tackle Oday Aboushi.

* * * * * * *

So far in training camp, UVa's quarterbacks have been off-limits to tacklers. That's kept them healthy, but Groh realizes there are benefits to putting them "live" work.
"I'd like to some place in here to do that," Groh said. "There were some throws made yesterday that were real good throws that probably wouldn't have come off the same way if the rusher hadn't pulled off. And I think the quarterbacks need to know that."

* * * * * * *

What Austin Pasztor did last season was almost unprecedented in Dave Borbely's long coaching career.
Borbely has been working with offensive linemen for nearly 25 years. During that span, he said yesterday, he's probably coached no more than three starters who were true freshmen. And Pasztor, who started the Cavaliers' final eight games at left guard, didn't turn 18 until the last week of the season.
"He did a great job for us last year," said Borbely, who's in his fourth season at UVa. "The thing we stressed to him was, 'You've really got to come out this year and establish yourself as a veteran.'"
Pasztor is one of four returning starters on the offensive line. The others are center Jack Shields, right guard B.J. Cabbell and right tackle Will Barker.

* * * * * * *

Virginia's starting cornerbacks, Cook and Ras-I Dowling, are each 6-2. Its starters at safety, Rodney McLeod and Corey Mosley, are each listed at 5-10, though Mosley may be shorter.
"If they can play the game," height doesn't matter much, secondoary coach Anthony Poindexter said. "Football players come in all shapes and sizes, in my opinion. If you came to our field, you would think the two corners look like the safeties and the safeties look like the corners. But we just got 'em reversed, and all of them can run."
Anyway, Poindexter noted, Mosley "definitely hits harder than any of them, and he's the smallest of them all."

* * * * * * *

Two of the team's more experienced wideouts, sophomore Kris Burd and junior Dontrelle Inman, have been slowed by injuries so far in training camp. But Scott doesn't believe that will put them too far behind the other receivers.
"Because they had great summers, and their issues [came up] late in the summer," Scott said. "I expect Kris Burd to be back [soon] and be a really big contributor in this group right away."

 

Injury Derails Kelly's Football Career
Aug. 16, 2009
2:18 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Matt Kelly's college football career is over before it ever really began.

Kelly, who was a four-year starter in lacrosse for UVa, joined the football team after lax season ended this year. He tore an ACL recently, however, and will require season-ending reconstructive surgery. Kelly's football eligibility runs out this year.

"We feel bad for him," Al Groh told me today. "You could see how much football meant to him and how much he enjoyed being part of the team."

The 6-0, 205-pound Kelly's plans for the coming school year aren't clear. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from UVa in May and was planning to take graduate classes this fall.

At New Trier High School in Kenilworth, Ill., Kelly was a star tailback who could have played major-college football. He chose, however, to accept a lacrosse scholarship from UVa, which won the NCAA title when Kelly was a first-year defenseman.

Kelly was expected to compete for playing time on special teams this fall.

-- Jeff White

 

New OC, old QB in fold at Virginia
Gregg Brandon is used to the spotlight, but the supporting role he'll now play is just as important.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Unlike some of his University of Virginia coaching colleagues, whose on-the-record exposure to the media lasts for one week each year, Gregg Brandon seemed totally at ease in the glare of the TV lights Sunday.

"I'm used to doing this a heck of a lot more," said Brandon, the Cavaliers' new offensive coordinator.

For the past six seasons, Brandon was the head coach at Bowling Green, where he posted a 44-30 record but lost his job after a 6-6 season in 2008

Brandon, 53, looks back on the Bowling Green experience "with a lot of fond memories," he said. "We won a pretty good chunk of games, [including] some bowl games. We did some things there that nobody had done, but all good things come to an end sometimes and it was time for us to move on."

Bowling Green opened the season with a 27-17 victory at Pittsburgh and ended the year with a 38-10 thrashing of Toledo on the road. In between, the Falcons lost to eventual Mid-America Conference champion Buffalo in overtime and dropped two other games by three points.

"In this business, nothing stuns me anymore," said Brandon, who described his reaction as "surprise, maybe a little bit.

"Any time there's transition in the administration, there's people potentially who can lose their jobs. We had a new president and a new AD, and obviously they wanted to move in another direction."

If Bowling Green had been able to hold onto a 27-7 fourth-quarter lead against Buffalo, it's likely that Brandon would have kept his job.

Along the same lines, if Virginia had been able to stop Miami on a third-and-13 from the Hurricanes' 3-yard line or otherwise prevented a 96-yard, fourth-quarter drive in a 24-17 overtime loss, Mike Groh might still be the Cavaliers' offensive coordinator.

Virginia announced on Dec. 8 that Groh, son of UVa head coach Al Groh, was resigning to pursue other interests. Ten days later, the Cavaliers announced the appointment of Brandon, an acquaintance of the older Groh, but hardly a member of "the tribe" of former Groh coaching contacts.

Brandon takes over a Virginia offense that did not rank among the top 100 Division I-A teams in total offense during Mike Groh's three seasons as coordinator.

"The thing I noticed about [the ACC] is that there are really good defenses," Brandon said. "Either that, or there are really crummy offenses.

"I'm not sure which it is, but I think the defenses are good because the best offense last year [Georgia Tech] was 50th in the country. But, five of the 12 teams in the league, I think, were in the top 30 in defense."

Actually, it was five in the top 18 and seven in the top 30.

"Virginia was close to winning eight or nine games last year," Brandon said. "You could say the offense didn't score enough points or get enough yards or whatever, but maybe it's that we didn't do a good enough job in the kicking game or you didn't do a good enough job on defense."

As an assistant, Brandon worked for some creative offensive minds -- Mike Price at Weber State, Gary Barnett at Northwestern and Colorado, and Urban Meyer at Bowling Green. As Meyer's offensive coordinator, Brandon helped install the Falcons' spread offense and continued to tinker with it after Meyer went to Utah.

Brandon's transition from coaching the team to serving as an assistant has been smooth, "but the hard thing has been getting back into the X's and O's, which I haven't done for seven years," he said.

Brandon said the spread that he has installed at UVa is virtually the same that he ran at Bowling Green, which finished second in Division I-A in total offense in 2004 with Omar Jacobs at quarterback.

"The offense is built for a quarterback who can run," said Brandon, who has two running threats this year in Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell, "but, at Bowling Green, we had a really talented quarterback [Jacobs] who couldn't run a lick but he threw for over 4,000 yards.

"I can tweak the system to what I have at quarterback and that's what I'll do."

Note

Parade All-America offensive tackle Morgan Moses was at Virginia's football scrimmage Saturday and has told Cavaliers coach Al Groh that he will enroll at Fork Union Military Academy today.

Groh also said Sunday that Moses' fellow 2009 UVa signee, Cody Wallace, also will be enrolling at Fork Union.

Wallace, an offensive lineman from Moorestown, N.J., took part in conditioning during the first summer session at UVa but did not report for preseason camp for what were described as personal reasons.

Moses, who did not meet NCAA eligibility guidelines, said as recently as last week that he was considering prep schools for this season.
 

Aaron McFarling: Love of the game helps push Sewell
By Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell wants you to know a few things.

No. 1, he's lazy. Extremely lazy. Got that?

No. 2 -- and he really cannot stress this enough -- he doesn't like school. It's not really his thing.

Despite these facts, or perhaps because of them, I can't help but pull for the guy as he returns to the field this season.

Hear me out. Maybe if you listen to him long enough, you'll feel the same way.

"Conquer thyself," the old quote goes. "Till thou has done this, thou art but a slave." Sir Richard Francis Burton said that. Who is Sir Richard Francis Burton, you ask? I have no idea. But anybody with "Sir" before his first name has to be somewhat important, and in this case, you've got to admit he's got a point. It's tough to wield influence on the world when you don't know your own strengths and weaknesses.

Sewell knows his, now more than ever. There might not be a more self-aware athlete in the state than the fifth-year senior triggerman, who guided the Cavaliers to nine wins in 2007 but had to sit out last season because of academic suspension.

Why did he get suspended? Simple.

"Laziness," he said.

It was one of five times he would use the word "lazy" or one of its derivations to describe his attitude toward academics during a 30-minute interview Sunday. Asked why he would admit this character flaw, he smiled.

"Hey, you can't fake the funk for so long," he said.

In other words, why lie? Why deny it? So he doesn't. Instead, he's identified it as a problem and attacked it to the best of his ability.

"Even though I'm a very lazy person, I'm trying to get out of that," Sewell said. "I've been making a conscious effort to get away from my laziness, which was basically the reason I was academically ineligible for the past year. I've been doing everything I can to make progress."

Informed that the word "lazy" doesn't usually jibe with the phrase "two-year starter as a Division I quarterback," Sewell nodded and explained.

"I absolutely love football," he said. "I don't absolutely love school. So it was easy for me to be lazy in something that I don't have a serious passion for. That's just human nature for me.

"I know it sounds stupid. I cheated myself in the classroom. I would never cheat myself on the field, because it's more than just me out there. If I'm cheating myself, I'm cheating everybody else."

But in a major way -- and one that he now understands -- Sewell's nonchalance as a student did cheat the team. With Sewell gone, the quarterback position was unstable most of last year, with Marc Verica doing the best he could under difficult circumstances. Eventually, coach Al Groh turned to cornerback Vic Hall as his QB in the season finale against Virginia Tech.

Sewell followed every game on TV or radio, angry at himself that he couldn't contribute. He cried about it. He soul-searched. He read Bible verses (some, not all) that his mother sent to him. And he kept in contact with the team through it all, eager to return after his yearlong suspension ended.

"Off the field, it's like he never left," said senior linebacker Darren Childs, who roomed with Sewell last year. "He was always around, hanging out with the guys."

The best news for a lazy guy was that Sewell didn't actually have to do anything to earn his way back except wait. No classes. No tests. Just stay out of trouble, which he did.

This time last year, Sewell was looking for a job that would pay the rent. He found it, of all places, as a tutor for middle-school students in Charlottesville.

"Very ironic," he called it, and it is when you think about it. But it was just the thing he needed to help him appreciate his opportunities.

While Groh understandably seems hesitant to heap praise on a man who let the team down last year, new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon clearly is thrilled to have the 6-foot-3, 225-pound speedster. Brandon said Sunday that his spread system is "built for a quarterback who can run" and that he "would like to see Sewell and Vic out there together."

Sewell's cool with the idea. He'd like you to know that. And he'd like you to know one more thing, something he told Groh when he was reinstated.

"I actually want to graduate," said Sewell, who added that he's 20 credits shy of a degree. "I do care about graduating now. So I do think of school in a different aspect.

"I'm not saying I love it. Not at all. But it's just something I've got to do to better my life."

There was no huge epiphany here. No zebra instantly changing his stripes. Just reluctant adherence to standards set forth by others, a guy doing something he doesn't like so he can do something he loves.

Sounds a lot like real life, doesn't it?
 

Expect Virginia QBs to spread wealth in no-huddle offense
By Norm Wood
247-4642
August 17, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - After the first week of preseason practice had come and gone in Charlottesville, first-year University of Virginia offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon finally could breathe a tiny sigh of relief.

It was evident to him that at the very least, quarterbacks Vic Hall, Jameel Sewell and Marc Verica hadn't been stricken with summertime amnesia. All the permutations and nuances of the spread offense Brandon had crammed into the heads of the quarterbacks in the spring had stuck.

Establishing that the quarterbacks had indeed retained the info was step one of the preseason. Now, finding the quarterback with the greatest ability to consistently run the offense is another issue altogether.

Hall impressed Brandon the most in the spring, but Brandon didn't refer to Hall as the chosen one at Sunday's football media day. Even if Brandon had made such a declaration, his vote isn't the only one in the ballot box.

Still, like any good offensive mind who was responsible for teams that averaged 420 yards per game in his six seasons as head coach at Bowling Green, Brandon is concocting ideas — including putting two of the quarterbacks on the field at the same time.

That's the mad scientist side of the spread offense brain at work.

"That is a challenge," said Brandon regarding the selection of a starting quarterback for his no-huddle offense. "(Coach) Al (Groh) and I have talked about making a decision here soon. I don't know when. That's his call — who will be the guy. Vic's done a great job. I thought after the spring he was the guy. He's still continued to make some progress and he's doing some nice things. Sewell and Verica are right in there.

"I would like to see Sewell and Vic out there together."

In Brandon's world, you never can have enough wide receivers. Four and five-receiver sets were the norm when he was at Bowling Green, a job he was fired from last November after compiling a 44-30 career record.

Already this preseason he has converted former quarterbacks Riko Smalls and Quintin Hunter to receivers. Though both Hall and Sewell say they haven't been on the field at the same time in practices, it's clear that day may come. At least with Hall and Sewell under center, the essential mobile quarterback presence in the spread offense will be there.

"I can tweak and fit the system to the talent I have at quarterback," said Brandon, whose spread offense started to take form in the 2001 and '02 seasons when he was the offensive coordinator under then-Bowling Green coach Urban Meyer, now the coach at Florida. "That's what I'll do, but the element of a (running) quarterback, that's one of the 'X' factors of the offense because when you line up in the shotgun a lot of defenses don't account for (the quarterback). It's a 12th guy, in my opinion."

Hall showed his running ability last season when he served as U.Va.'s surprise starter at quarterback and ran for 109 yards in U.Va.'s 17-14 loss at Virginia Tech. Before that game, he hadn't played quarterback since his '04 senior season at Gretna High in Gretna, Va., where he amassed a state-record 13,770 total yards in his career, while playing in a no-huddle offense. Of course, those no-huddle days and these no-huddle days aren't the same.

"I really like the pace (of U.Va.'s spread offense) because the defense can't really get set," Hall said. "Once they get set, they can't really make reads."

Sewell is looking for a season of redemption. He's back on the team after not being enrolled at U.Va. last season because of what he called "laziness" in the classroom.

After starting for U.Va. in '06 and '07 in what was then a more traditional I-formation offense, Sewell is just happy to be back in the fold. He said he's 20 credit hours away from getting his degree, which would be a hard-fought victory all in its own.

"I absolutely love football," Sewell said. "I don't absolutely love school.

"I know it sounds stupid, but I cheated myself in the classroom. I never cheated myself on the football field."

As Brandon prepares for his first attempt (and maybe only attempt if the season doesn't go well) to turn around U.Va.'s offense, which has been ranked 101st or worse in the nation in total offense each of the last three seasons, he's drawing from all of his experiences working with the spread offense. Giving the popularity of the offense in college football, it's not hard to find blueprints.

"We're all thieves in this business," Brandon said. "You see something else that somebody else is doing and steal it, but there's a lot of creativity in it, too."

Prince: Litigation isn't distraction
By Norm Wood
247-4642
August 17, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia special teams coordinator Ron Prince said he isn't letting his ongoing litigation with Kansas State, his former employer, distract him from his new duties in Charlottesville.

Prince's attorneys are seeking $3 million in punitive damages from Kansas State, where Prince was the head football coach from 2006-08, on a claim that the school committed breach of contract and fraud. The claim also states Jon Wefald, who was the president at Kansas State during Prince's tenure, and other officials at the university were privy to a $3.2 million buyout agreement that the university said was a secret deal and wanted to have voided via court proceedings.

"It's one of those things where I think you have to be where you are," said Prince regarding how the Kansas State situation is affecting his responsibilities at U.Va. "I think you have to be in the moment in this game, and that's what we've done — it always has. There's obviously been a lot of statements made by our folks and (Kansas State's). We'll just let the process do its thing and see where it goes."

Kansas State already is responsible for paying Prince nearly $4.4 million in buyouts. In his three seasons at Kansas State, Prince's teams went 17-20.

More on quarterbacks
In the first full week of preseason practice, coach Al Groh said he and his coaching staff have resisted the urge to be what he referred to as "instant evaluators," which has played a role in why a starting quarterback hasn't been named.
Groh said Vic Hall, Jameel Sewell and Marc Verica all remain in the hunt to be the starter. None of the quarterbacks have absorbed any contact in practice, but Groh said he thought about unleashing his defense on the quarterbacks in a Saturday scrimmage.

Before the scrimmage, Groh said he discussed with one of his assistants the merits of having the quarterbacks go live. They decided to wait a little longer.

"Neither one of us was sure what to do," said Groh regarding his conversation with the unnamed assistant. "The other said 'You know, I want to do that, but you've only got a few of these guys.' "

Finding his place
Though tight ends weren't big targets in first-year offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon's spread attack at Bowling Green, U.Va.'s Joe Torchia doesn't seem to be losing much sleep about where he's going to fit in.

At Bowling Green, Brandon often went with four or five wide receivers and no tight end on his starting offense. He went with that kind of lineup in six of 12 games last season. Jimmy Schiedler, who was Bowling Green's primary tight end, had just 17 catches for 150 yards last season, but he did have a Mid-American Conference-high seven touchdown receptions.

Those aren't numbers that necessarily frighten Torchia, who expects to often line up in something resembling a wide receiver role at times this season.

"Just because we're going away from coach Groh's traditional two-tight-end offense doesn't mean the tight end isn't going to be used," Torchia said. "Even John Phillips last year, his role kind of expanded and he split out. Like I said, I'm not really worried about it.

 

Spread the word at U.Va.: New offense is coming
By John O'Connor
Published: August 17, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- New University of Virginia offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon brings a spread offense that comes with questions:

•Do the Cavaliers currently have personnel capable of effectively operating it?

•How much can be installed before U.Va.'s season starts vs. William and Mary on Sept. 5?
Brandon, Bowling Green's coach during 2003-08, believes Virginia does have players who can fit his system, which he described yesterday as "getting the best people on the field and then spreading the [players] and taking advantage of mismatches that way."

Installation began with 15 spring practices and continued with the first nine of summer camp.

"Some [players] picked it up pretty quick and others haven't picked it up as quickly," Brandon said.

"That's something I've been learning through my time here, just what our players can handle. I'm kind of going back to when we put it in at Bowling Green. Just what did we do there? How much did we get in? What kind of progress did we make?"

No huddle. Shotgun formation. Quick-paced. Designed to wear down defenses. Quarterback gets the plays from sideline signals. Most college offenses use some form of it.

"You don't know whether we're going to run the ball. You don't know if we're going to pass. That's what keeps it exciting," said Cavaliers center Jack Shields. "We don't even know what we're going to do until the quarterback gets the signs [from the sideline]."

Virginia's offense averaged 16.1 points while going 5-7 last season. Offensive coordinator Mike Groh left to join the Alabama staff. Brandon, 53, was available after his Bowling Green teams averaged more than 420 yards. The Falcons went 6-6 last season, 44-30 in Brandon's six seasons with three bowl appearances. He was succeeded by ex-University of Richmond coach Dave Clawson.

Al Groh, entering his ninth year as the Cavaliers' coach, yesterday said he has not determined who will be his starting quarterback vs. William and Mary. Senior Vic Hall, a converted cornerback, competes with Hermitage High graduate Jameel Sewell, a senior who missed last season because of academic issues but started the two previous years, and junior Marc Verica, who started most of last year.

Groh said a decision may be made by the weekend. The choice will determine, to some degree, Virginia's variation of the spread offense, suggested Brandon. He envisions the possibility of using Sewell at quarterback and the 5-9 Hall, among U.Va.'s most athletic players, in the slot as a receiver/ballcarrier.

This spread isn't a new one for U.Va., Groh noted yesterday.

"Actually, we employed it quite a bit in 2001, 2002 and 2003, particularly when Matt Schaub was the quarterback," said Groh, Virginia's coach since 2001. "For personnel reasons, [U.Va.] got away from it as extensively as in previous years, but we were attempting to move back in that direction last year.

"Some circumstances kind of derailed that."

Sewell's ineligibility influenced a change of plan.
 

Ron Prince, Anthony Poindexter and Ras-I Dowling from U.Va.'s football media day
After spending the last three years as Kansas State's coach, Ron Prince has embraced his new job as U.Va.'s special teams coordinator.
Apparently, there are some distinct differences in grooming habits when making the transition from the big office to one of the smaller offices. It comes with the territory of being a guy that no longer has to spend time in front of television cameras.
“I tell people the biggest difference between being a head coach and an assistant coach is when you’re a head coach you have to shave more,” said the well-stubbled Prince, who added he spoke on the phone with U.Va. coach Al Groh two or three times a week when he was at Kansas State. “It’s a different job, and I’m real excited about coaching with Al again.”
Prince is back at U.Va. for his second coaching stop. He was the Cavaliers’ offensive line coach under Groh in ’01 and ’02, before adding offensive coordinator to his job title in the ’03 through ’05 seasons. He left U.Va. to take the Kansas State job.

*************************************************************************************************
Cornerback Ras-I Dowling has his sights set on bigger goals this season after logging a total of 20 pass breakups and five interceptions in his first two seasons at U.Va.
Specifically, he wants to add to the interception category.
"I want to get more interceptions this year," Dowling said. "Breaking up passes still stops the play. Not letting receivers get the ball is the key."
Last season, Dowling earned second team All-ACC honors with just three interceptions. His 11 pass breakups caught most of the attention from all-conference voters.
Dowling, a Chesapeake native, may be able to pick up some pointers on boosting his interception totals from his new position coach, Anthony Poindexter, a guy who knows a thing or two about picking off passes. When U.Va. underwent its assistant coach shakeup in the offseason, Poindexter was moved from running backs coach and assistant special teams coordinator to defensive backs coach. He also keeps the assistant special teams coordinator tag this season.
Poindexter's new job description marks a return to a position where he made a name for himself at U.Va. As a Cavaliers safety from 1994-98, he amassed 342 tackles, ninth-most in U.Va. history and tops among ACC defensive backs, and 12 interceptions, fifth in school history. He was a first team All-America selection in his junior and senior seasons.
"I'm excited to be back on the defensive side of the ball," Poindexter said Sunday. "My personality sort of fits a little bit more (on defense)."
Dowling has his own memories of Poindexter's playing days. It seems Dowling was quite a fan of Poindexter when Poindexter was at U.Va. and in the National Football League with the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
"I grew up watching him (when I was) in middle school and high school," Dowling said. "He was a great player."

Posted by Norman Wood
 

Cavs' Sewell says slacker days over
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--When Jameel Sewell was asked if there's a technical way to explain why he sat out the 2008 season for the University of Virginia football team, he didn't mince words.

"Laziness," the quarterback said matter-of-factly at the Cavaliers' media day yesterday. "You can't fake the funk but for so long."

Sewell's dedication to football has rarely been questioned.

He was a team leader who was known for his competitive spirit when he helped guide the Cavaliers to a 9-4 finish and a trip to the Gator Bowl in 2007.

But after starting 22 consecutive games in 2006-07, he was suspended from school in January 2008 for academic reasons.

Sewell said he had no desire to do well in school, but that outlook has changed since the senior rejoined the Cavaliers in the spring semester and is fighting for the starting quarterback job with Vic Hall.

"I absolutely love football. I don't absolutely love school," Sewell said. "So it's easy for me to be lazy at something I don't have a serious passion for. That's just human nature for me. I know it sounds stupid. I cheated myself in the classroom, but I would never cheat myself on the field. If I cheat myself [on the field] I'm cheating everybody else."

Still, Sewell's teammates said they felt cheated when their starting quarterback and leader didn't take care of business academically.

His one-year dismissal from school is one reason head coach Al Groh said "the 2008 team had to endure more things than any team I've been associated with."

The Cavaliers finished 5-7 after Sewell and replacement Peter Lalich were both suspended. Lalich later transferred to Oregon State.

Sewell has returned and is trying to win back the respect of his teammates.

"We all know Jameel is competitive. He's going to do whatever needs to be done to help his team," senior fullback Rashawn Jackson said. "What a lot of guys try to convey to Jameel is that being accountable isn't just being accountable on the field. He's learned that. This summer he's done a good job in the classroom. He's proved to us that he's going to be here. He's not going to leave us hanging again."

It didn't take long for Sewell to begin his trek back to Virginia after his suspension. He said he had no doubt he would return. He said the only stipulation for readmission was staying out of legal trouble.

While on suspension, Sewell worked as a tutor and instructional assistant at Buford Middle School in Charlottesville and as the quarterbacks coach at Charlottesville High.

"I grew a lot," Sewell said. "Mentally, it was tough being away. Even though I'm a very lazy person, I'm trying to get out of that. I made a conscious effort to get away from my laziness, which was basically the reason why I was academically ineligible."

Sewell said he now takes schoolwork seriously because he wants a positive life after football. He's 20 credit hours short of graduating.

On the field, he's working on getting his shoulder and wrist back in shape.

His arm may need the workout. If Sewell earns the job over Hall, he's going to take over the pass-heavy spread offense directed by first-year offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon. Sewell said he has been told the offense fits his talents perfectly, but he'll be happy playing in any system.

Groh said Sewell has the attitude of "What do you want me to do? I'm just glad to be back."

"When that kind of mentality hits a player," Groh said, "it enriches their outlook on the game."
 

Fan support not a problem
By Brian McNeill
Published: August 17, 2009

Wearing the dark blue No. 10 jersey of University of Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Jameel Sewell, 4-year-old Tyler Coleman of Fluvanna County approached a grinning Sewell on Sunday and handed over a football to be autographed.

“Oh, we got a little 10 here!” Sewell said, as he signed Tyler’s football.

Sewell gave the young fan a fist bump. “You the man,” he said.

Tyler’s father, Sean Coleman, looked on proudly. His son, he noted, wants to one day attend UVa and play football.

“That’s a future running back, right there,” he said.

More than 1,000 Cavalier fans showed up at Scott Stadium on Sunday for a pre-season Meet the Team Day.

Long lines of fans, most wearing orange and blue, snaked through the columns at the stadium as they waited in the sweltering heat for autographs on souvenir football helmets, posters, T-shirts and other memorabilia.

Despite UVa’s rocky 2008-09 season, many of the fans who turned out Sunday said they are excited and optimistic about this year’s season, which kicks off Sept. 5, when the Cavaliers face the College of William & Mary’s Tribe for the first time since 1995.

Jeff Llera of Charlottes-ville, who always buys season tickets to UVa football, said his family is looking forward to seeing how the relatively young Cavaliers perform.

“I’m hoping that this team will develop and we’ll have a good team this year and next year,” he said.

Bob Patrick, father of UVa linebacker Aaron Clark, wandered through the crowd snapping photos of the players and the fans. Patrick said he thinks the upcoming season will have its share of tough games — most notably against Texas Christian University on Sept. 12, Southern Mississippi on Sept. 19 and the University of North Carolina on Oct. 3 — but will ultimately be a great year for the Cavaliers.

“I really think it’s going to be a good year,” he said. “There’s a lot of promise. There’s a lot of talent. And I know they’re working their tails off.”
 

Quarterback still a mystery
By Jay Jenkins
Published: August 17, 2009

Ready to learn who will start at quarterback for Virginia against William & Mary?
Hit the pause button.
While the players may know which signal caller throws the first pass of the season, the Cavaliers’ coaching staff has not anointed a starter nor spent lengthy time discussing the pecking order at the spot.
“We are really not evaluating anything right now. The guards, the quarterbacks, whatever, it is too early in the process,” said Virginia coach Al Groh during the program’s annual media day. “I think the players understand this, I think the coaches understand this. We are in a stage right now, we are just going day-to-day.
“Put one foot in front of the other foot, move forward. What we do on Tuesday puts us in position to do what we had planned on Wednesday puts us in position to do what we had planned on Thursday.”
It was a plan that the players knew would be in place and one that was adopted last year despite the knowledge that former quarterback Pete Lalich would start the opener over
challengers Scott Deke and Marc Verica.
“We install. We practice. We correct with the players. We install again,” said Groh. “We practice, we just keep turning move forward so we’re pointedly trying to not be instant evaluators, otherwise everyday you have a new order of quarterbacks and it’ll be the body of work at all the positions that determines it.”
Vic Hall, a former starting cornerback, appears to have a clear-cut advantage based on practice reps, but the Virginia native said he has taken snaps with the first-, second- and third-team units thus far.
“We have rotated quite a bit,” he said. “Jameel [Sewell] has worked with the first team and Marc [Verica] has worked with the first unit.
“We are all just out there trying to get better and trying to get this team better.”
The jockeying at wide receiver, another position without a clear pecking order, is just as wide open according to Groh.
“They have been [battling] from the start. They will continue that way,” he said. “Some players made some plays [in Saturday’s scrimmage], which was nice to see.
“All that means is that they have to prove it again tomorrow. That doesn’t make them different than other positions, but in this case it certainly does apply to the wide receiver spot.”
Determination on the depth chart, Groh said, should come after Saturday’s upcoming scrimmage and with the review of the film from the first scrimmage, which was held Saturday at Scott Stadium.
“As a result of what we saw [Saturday], and in
grading the tape, we’re going to perhaps put some other players in some other roles,” he said. “Move one up, or move one down or shift a position to find out whether by next Saturday they can be in the mix or where they should be.”
Extra points …
Virginia’s prized offensive lineman Morgan Moses was at Fork Union on Sunday.
The four-star recruit, the state’s best tackle, plans to enroll at Virginia in January. … After a day off, the Cavaliers will return to the practice field today.
 

Greer Takes On New Role
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 08/13/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE - They're about the same height and about the same weight. One wears jersey No. 53 for UVa's football team, and the other wore No. 54. Athletically they're similar, too.

Steve Greer is no clone of Jon Copper, but the comparisons don't bother him.

"I have no problem being called Jon Copper," Greer said after practice the other day. "He led the team in tackles for three years."

The final time Copper did so - in 2008 - he was a senior. So was the other starting inside linebacker, Antonio Appleby, in the Cavaliers' 3-4 defense.

Fifth-year senior Darren Childs has moved into Appleby's spot. Copper's replacement is Greer, a 6-2, 230-pound redshirt freshman from the Cleveland area. UVa also has a new linebackers coach, Bob Trott, who spent the past four seasons on the staff of Greer's favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns.

Copper was renowned for the hours he logged studying videotape in the McCue Center. Greer, 19, wants to be known for a similar work ethic.

"There's really nothing you could do to beat hard work," Greer said. "The coaches instill that in us every day. The more time you put in, you more you start seeing results."

Greer impressed in training camp last year. But with Copper and Appleby around, he was unlikely to have played a significant role as a true freshman, and UVa coach Al Groh ultimately opted to redshirt Greer.

The coaching staff didn't forget about Greer. Even after it became clear that Greer, barring an emergency, would not play in 2008, Groh brought him along to road games. He knew that Greer would contend for a starting job this year, Groh said, "and hopefully by being on the scene and seeing all that goes on with that, that would have him a little more prepared. And at this stage right now, it would appear that he did a very good job of taking in and profiting from what he was exposed to."

Greer said he benefited from traveling with the team last year.

"It was another learning experience," he said. "I got see how things worked."

As a Solon High senior, Greer committed to UVa on the eve of signing day in 2008. He chose Virginia over North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Army and Air Force.

Two months earlier, Greer had been little more than a name to the 'Hoos. But after returning from the Gator Bowl, Groh said this morning, "we were looking to expand our list at some positions. We were aware of Steven by reputation but had not evaluated him."

The evaluation made the decision to offer a scholarship to Greer an easy one. He played in a rugged league, attended a prestigious high school career and had a passion for football.

Solon competes in Division I, which comprises Ohio's largest high schools.

 In 2007, Greer led the Comets with 150 tackles, including 25 for loss, and was named to the all-Ohio first team in Division I.

Greer's commitment followed his official visit to UVa. "It's a great school, and I kind of just knew," Greer said. "It was a no-brainer that this was where I wanted to come."

And now, barely a year after he enrolled at Virginia, Greer is being asked to fill the void left by Copper's departure.

"I have every confidence in him," said defensive end Matt Conrath, who started every game as a redshirt freshman in 2008. "As long as he studies tape and trusts what Coach Trott's telling him, he'll be fine."

Greer said: "Coach Groh and Coach Trott have us as a defense prepared pretty well, so I'm not really nervous. There's 10 other guys out there, so we've just got to work together."

* * * * * * *

EXTRA POINTS: Virginia's captains for this season are quarterback Vic Hall and tackle Will Barker on offense and end Nate Collins, linebackers Aaron Clark and Denzel Burrell and cornerback Chris Cook on defense.

"This was the first time we had so many guys on one side of the ball, offense or defense, wind up with virtually the same vote count," Groh said. "We checked our voting machines and didn't find any hanging chads. We just went with the results."

All six of those chosen by their teammates are seniors. Hall was one of Virginia's captains last season, too.







Cavs seek points from all over
By Jay Jenkins
Published: August 16, 2009

Some of the drills seem mundane in nature.

Average fans might even look at those on display in Virginia’s open practices and wonder if they wrongly stumbled into Klockner Stadium.

Yes, as odd as it looks, soccer balls have made there way back onto the practice fields during the Cavaliers’ training camp sessions for the first time since former kickers Connor Hughes and Kurt Smith dominated in orange and blue uniforms.

“I bet it looks a bit odd,” chuckled Virginia punter Jimmy Howell.

The drill that incorporates the circular balls was installed to help Virginia’s players improve on blocking punts.

It sends a stronger message: The Cavaliers are desperate for non-offensive touchdowns.

Last year, en route to a 5-7 record, Virginia managed just one touchdown without its offense on the field. That lone defensive score came on a 60-yard interception that was returned for a score by cornerback Vic Hall.

“It is all about non-offensive touchdowns this year,” Howell said. “We have failed to do that and anybody will tell you that. It is a matter of getting offensive touchdowns, defensive touchdowns and

incorporating special teams with blocked kicks and returned kicks.”

It was apparent during Virginia’s open practice on Thursday as the offense appeared to finish the session in a dead heat with the defense.

“They might have won or we might have won but when it is all said and counted, the defense didn’t put the ball in the end zone and that is all that matters,” said defensive end Nate Collins. “That is all that we are worried about this training camp on defense.

“That is how you can change a game in the blink of an eye.”

It remains unclear how Virginia will handle its return units, a focal point for special teams guru Ron Prince, the program’s former offensive coordinator.

For now, Hall appears to have the inside track on punt returns — a rarity for a starting quarterback, the position he appears set to fill.

Regardless, improvements appear obvious in regards to blocked kicks, both punts and field goals.

“That intensity speeds us all up in practice, which isn’t bad at all,” Howell said. “It lets us know where the good parts are and what we need to work on because they are the best the we are going to face and we are the best that they are going to face.

“It has been a real good competition out there.”