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Virginia awaits MRI, news about Schaub's injury
By John Galinsky  / Daily Progress staff writer
August 31, 2003

Senior quarterback Matt Schaub likely will undergo an MRI exam today to determine the severity of the injury to his right shoulder, Virginia coach Al Groh said Sunday.
Depending on the result, the No. 18 Cavaliers may be without the 2002 ACC player of the year for an extended period. If so, at least they can draw on their recent history of dealing with similar circumstances.
Last season, the Cavaliers lost their top offensive lineman, center Kevin Bailey, to a season-ending knee injury in the second game. That didn’t stop them from winning nine of their next 12 games. They also lost their best receiver, Billy McMullen, on the first series of the Continental Tire Bowl, yet still managed to score 48 points.
Likewise, Virginia’s players didn’t get discouraged when Schaub left the game shortly after being sacked by Duke linebacker DeAndre White on the 11th play of Saturday’s season opener against Duke. They blanked the Blue Devils, 27-0, in front of a record crowd at Scott Stadium.
“This was a good indication that this team has the same type of resiliency and resolve that last year’s team did,” Groh said after the game.
“It’s nothing new. Injuries happen. They can happen to anybody,” said sophomore receiver Marques Hagans, who made several big plays in the triumph. “The key is having enough people step up and rally around that. When one man falls down, you’ve got to pick him up and keep rolling.”
Of course, Schaub’s absence could be more significant than any of last year’s injuries. Quarterback, as Groh readily admits, is the most important position on a football team. Schaub also was the undeniable leader and centerpiece of UVa’s offense.
Two years ago, Virginia lost its marquee offensive player, tailback Antwoine Womack, to a sprained ankle in the first quarter of the opening game. Without Womack, the ACC’s leading rusher in 2000, the Cavaliers never developed a consistent running game and finished 5-7. (Womack missed seven games and barely played until the final game.)
UVa’s players, coaches and fans can only hope Schaub’s injury is not as severe. He was in obvious pain on the sideline, holding his right arm gingerly at his side. He spent the second half in a polo shirt and khaki shorts with a sling around his arm, then left the stadium without speaking to reporters.
Schaub was in less discomfort Sunday, Groh said, though his shoulder was not subjected to any exams.
“Matt was feeling better [Sunday] than he was [Saturday] evening,” UVa coach Al Groh said. “Our medical people were encouraged by that fact and he will be further examined and X-rayed when those facilities open up [today].”
Some of the Cavaliers said they used Schaub’s injury as motivation to succeed.
“Matt Schaub is a great quarterback, but we just took it as a challenge having to play without him,” said sophomore tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, part of an offensive line that helped pave the way to 204 rushing yards.
The Cavaliers used a more conservative approach on offense with redshirt freshman Anthony Martinez at quarterback. They relied on the ground game, which figured to be difficult against a Duke defense that ranked first in the ACC against the run last year.
But Virginia, which totalled two rushing yards against the Blue Devils last October, found plenty of running room. Tailbacks Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman and Marquis Weeks combined for 203 yards on 38 carries.
“We were able to run the ball with authority. ... I thought all three of [the tailbacks] really did a good job,” Groh said. “We’ve tried to emphasize being a more ruggedly physical team and I think we made a lot of progress in that.”
The defense and special teams also did their parts. Tom Hagan dropped four punts inside Duke’s 7-yard line, creating terrible field position for the Blue Devils. The Cavalier defense yielded just 272 yards in producing its first shutout in five years.
“When Matt went down, we had to stay focused,” said sophomore linebacker Darryl Blackstock. “We wanted ‘three and out’ every time.”

Note. Groh said the Cavaliers plan to redshirt sophomore tailback Michael Johnson, a former Parade All-American from Heritage High School. Johnson did not figure to play much this season with three tailbacks ahead of him on the depth chart. He will continue to dress out for the games, but he would prefer to preserve three seasons of eligibility, Groh said.

 

 

Groh leaving his QB options open
"That's certainly one option that's available," Al Groh says of using Marques Hagans as an emergency replacement at quarterback.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

An injury to 2002 ACC Player of the Year Matt Schaub has caused Virginia football coach Al Groh to revisit his plans for ex-quarterback Marques Hagans.
Groh said Sunday that nothing definitive will be known about Schaub's injured right shoulder until he undergoes diagnostic testing today.

"Matt's feeling more comfortable than yesterday," said Groh one day after the Cavaliers' 27-0 victory over visiting Duke.

Redshirt freshman Anthony Martinez replaced Schaub and completed six of 15 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. In Groh's opinion, heralded quarterback recruit Kevin McCabe would not have been ready if needed Saturday night.

"We'll see what kind of growth hormones we can give him," Groh said. "If something else happens to Martinez, maybe we'll go to single-wing."

Groh was joking, but there would not be a UVa player better-suited for the single wing than Hagans, an all-purpose threat who moved to wide receiver in the spring.

Against Duke, Hagans completed a pass on a fake punt, caught a pass, went 14 yards for a touchdown on a backward pass and returned five punts for 44 yards.

"He looks like he's in the single wing sometimes on those punts," Groh said.

If Hagans has been taking any practice snaps at quarterback, it hasn't been well-advertised. However, when inserted for Schaub in the 2002 opener, he was responsible for a UVa comeback that fell inches short in a 33-28 loss to Colorado State.

Might the Cavaliers give Hagans a refresher course, if only as an emergency replacement at quarterback?

"That's certainly one option that's available," Groh said. "We had a little discussion about it today; then our assistants started looking at [upcoming opponent] South Carolina."

Groh, reluctant to discuss the Schaub situation Saturday night, was in a more revealing mood Sunday. He reported that sophomore tailback Michael Johnson did not play Saturday night because the Cavaliers want to redshirt him.

"I anticipate that Michael Johnson will have some glory days before he leaves the University of Virginia," said Groh, who got more than 200 rushing yards Saturday from tailbacks Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy.

"When we have the time to use Michael, I'd like to see what he could do with 200 carries a year."

Groh also is eager to see what a week of work with the first team will do for Martinez, whose problems Saturday night included a lack of volume on his audibles. His first pass attempt hit an unaware Art Thomas in the back.

"I would expect that [intense practice] would be a big deal, based on the conversations I had with him after the game," Groh said. "Based on what he related as to how shocked he was and the anxiety he experienced, maybe I should have been a little more concerned than I was."

 

 

 

Schaub out next game
QB prognosis unclear; Martinez to start at S. Carolina
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 01, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Freshman quarterback Anthony Martinez, who made his college debut two nights ago at Scott Stadium, will make his first start Saturday afternoon at 80,250-seat Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

Virginia coach Al Groh said last night that senior Matt Schaub, who hurt his throwing shoulder on the first series against Duke, won't play against South Carolina. How long the reigning ACC player of the year will be sidelined isn't clear.

"Matt was feeling more comfortable today than he did last night," Groh said. "The medical people were encouraged by that fact."

When Schaub is examined again today, Groh said, he'll undergo an MRI or have X-rays taken of his right shoulder. After facing South Carolina (1-0) this weekend, 18th-ranked Virginia (1-0) will visit Western Michigan on Sept. 13. The Cavaliers are idle Sept. 20.

South Carolina struggled to beat visiting Louisiana-Lafayette 14-7 on Saturday night. Informed yesterday that Schaub wasn't likely to play against his team, Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz said, "I'll tell you this, after he watches our film, he'll play, even if he has to throw left-handed."

U.Va. led Duke 3-0 when Schaub went to the bench with 8:45 left in the first period. The final was 27-0. Martinez, who redshirted last season, didn't expect to play against the Blue Devils. Thrust into action, he completed 6 of 15 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown.

Groh said Martinez, a 2002 graduate of Ashland's Patrick Henry High, should benefit greatly from taking snaps with the first team in practice this week.

"I would expect that'll be a big deal, kind of based on conversations with him after the game," Groh said. "From what he related to us about how shocked he was to be in there and the natural anxieties that went with that, had I known that during the game, I probably would have been more [concerned]".

Two years ago, U.Va. lost its best player, tailback Antwoine Womack, in the season opener against Wisconsin. Womack missed seven games before returning, but he wasn't close to full strength until the season finale.

Groh said he hoped Schaub would be back "sooner rather than later." He added, however, that U.Va. coaches "had a lot more information then at this point" about Womack's injury than they did last night about Schaub's.

NOTE: Assuming the Cavaliers' top three tailbacks - sophomore Wali Lundy and juniors Alvin Pearman and Marquis Weeks - stay healthy, Michael Johnson will redshirt this season, Groh said.

Johnson, a Parade All-American at Newport News' Heritage High in 2001, was slowed by a high ankle sprain as a true freshman last season and played sparingly in nine games. Groh said he expects Johnson, U.Va.'s fastest player, to continue to add size and strength between now and next season.

"When Michael uses his time, I want it to be for 200 carries a year," Groh said, "not a certain amount of carries spread out amongst four guys."

 

 

 

U.Va's Schaub to undergo more tests
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published September 1, 2003

Though Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub is not expected to play in Saturday's game at South Carolina, Cavaliers coach Al Groh received some good news Sunday. And he hopes it means Schaub's return will come sooner instead of later.

"Matt was feeling more comfortable today than he was last evening," Groh said during his Sunday afternoon teleconference. "The medical people were encouraged by that fact, and he will be further examined and X-rayed (today) when some of these facilities open up."

Anthony Martinez, a redshirt freshman from outside Richmond, is set to make his first collegiate start in Saturday's 12:30 p.m. game in Columbia, S.C. Martinez completed 6 of 15 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in Virginia's 27-0 victory over Duke.

Schaub was off to a hot start, having completed 5 of 6 passes - the lone incompletion was a drop - for 84 yards. But on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, a blocker missed an assignment and Schaub was blindsided by Duke linebacker DeAndre White.

Though his throwing shoulder was driven into the turf, Schaub stayed on the field for two more plays, handing off to Alvin Pearman on third down and holding for Connor Hughes' 26-yard field goal to make it 3-0. He spent the rest of the game on the sideline, eventually wearing a sling to keep his arm immobilized.

It is unclear whether Schaub sustained a separated shoulder, which could sideline him for more than a month, or simply a sprain. Schaub started 13 games and set a school record with 418 passes last season, without missing a single play to injury.

This is the second time in Groh's three seasons that the main cog of the offense was injured in the opener. In 2001, tailback Antwoine Womack badly sprained his ankle and missed the next seven games.

Groh certainly doesn't want history to repeat any further.

"We had a lot more information at this time, the day after, with Womack," Groh said. "More definitive information than we have with this injury. We'll have to stay in suspense for a little while longer."

Groh said he was uncertain whether Schaub would undergo an X-ray or an MRI.

"It doesn't make any difference to me," he said. "All I want to know is, on the basis of whatever they decide to do, what the determination is."

JOHNSON TO REDSHIRT. Virginia tailback Michael Johnson was conspicuous by his absence in Saturday night's opener against Duke, but it was for a good reason. Coach Al Groh said that the plan is to redshirt Johnson, perhaps their fastest player.

"I anticipate Michael's going to have some glory days at the university, and that's what we're planning on," Groh said. "When he uses his time, I want it to be for 200 carries a year, not a certain amount of carries spread out amongst four guys."

Johnson, a sophomore from Heritage High, went into the season fourth on the depth chart behind classmate Wali Lundy and juniors Marquis Weeks and Alvin Pearman. Johnson carried only 26 times as a true freshman in 2002.

Groh indicated the decision for Johnson to redshirt was mutual.

"It's a chance for him to develop a bit with size and strength, which he's done a tremendous job of," Groh said. "He's 12 pounds bigger than when he got here and he's gotten significantly stronger."

Johnson, listed at 5-feet-10 and 190 pounds on the team's Web site, said he was about 197 at the beginning of the season. He still will dress for all the games.
 

 

 

Duke Monday Morning Quarterback
BY BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Aug 31, 2003 : 11:59 pm ET

REWIND

The Blue Devils' chances for an upset seemed to soar when Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub left early with an injury, but the Cavaliers changed gears and simply ran over Duke. One year after managing just two rushing yards against Duke, the Cavaliers piled up 204.

COMMENTARY

Duke might have entered Saturday night's season opener at Virginia with a confidence problem. And no, it's not what you think.

The Blue Devils finished 2-10 last season, on the heels of back-to-back winless seasons. No player on the roster had played in an ACC victory.

It would be understandable if the Blue Devils were lacking in confidence.

But that's not what we're talking about here.

"Maybe we were a little too confident," Duke coach Carl Franks said. "I hope not."

Overconfident? That's not possible, is it?

Believe it or not, it just might be.

Just listen to senior running back Chris Douglas after Duke's 27-0 loss.

"Losing is always a bad thing, but in a certain way, it's going to put things in perspective," Douglas said. "We're not invincible."

In 2001, when Duke was in the midst of building the nation's longest losing streak, the Blue Devils would have given anything for a confidence builder. They turned that corner last season, winning two nonconference games, and they lost five games by five points or fewer.

The victories and the close calls -- even though they were losses -- gave Duke confidence that it could compete. During the off-season, with virtually the entire roster returning, that confidence continued to grow.

The Blue Devils didn't roll into Scott Stadium thinking that they were going to beat the top-20 Cavaliers with one hand tied behind their back. But they might have gone into the game confident that they could give Virginia a game -- no matter how they played.

Duke got a rude reminder that while the program might be heading down the right path, the trip is only in the beginning stages. With home games against Western Carolina, Rice and Northwestern on the horizon, Duke can bounce back.

In that, Douglas and the Devils are confident.

"Next week will be a hard week at practice, and we will fix those things for our upcoming games," Douglas said. "We're going to take the negatives from this game and try to turn them around because we really are capable of winning a lot of games."

NOTES AND QUOTES

Douglas not only became Duke's all-time leader in all-purpose yards Saturday, but he also topped the 2,000-yard mark in career rushing. Douglas' 89-yard game put his career total at 2,073 yards, moving him up to fifth on Duke's all-time rushing list. ... Among the Duke players making their debut Saturday, quarterback Mike Schneider made the biggest splash. Schneider relieved Adam Smith (6 of 20, 47 yards) midway through the third quarter and finished the game out, completing 5 of 9 passes for 73 yards. He took Duke 76 yards on the game's final drive but came up a yard short of keeping the drive alive on a 9-yard scramble on fourth and 10. "I was a little nervous at the beginning, but I just tried to stay confident in the huddle," Schneider said. "I know I didn't do everything right, but I had some good plays and made some good things happen." ... Tight end Ben Patrick made a strong debut with three catches for 30 yards. True freshman Casey Camero started at defensive end, and cornerback John Talley and wideouts Kendral Felder and Derek Bryant saw their first action.


 

 

 

Offensive line fails its first test
By JOSEPH PERSON
Staff Writer

With the benefit of film study, Lou Holtz said the Gamecocks' offense wasn't as bad as he thought during South Carolina's lackluster 14-7 win over Louisiana-Lafayette.

It was worse.

Holtz was particularly disappointed in the offensive line, which failed its first test after a promising preseason.

"We did not play very well up front. We just got beat physically. There's not another way to put it," Holtz said Sunday. "Guys tried hard, but it was inconsistent. Basically, we did not control the line of scrimmage. And when there were holes there, many of the backs missed them."

The Gamecocks lost four starters from last year's line, including two -- guard Shane Hall and tackle Watts Sanderson -- who went to NFL training camps as undrafted free agents. But Holtz and offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo had raved about the physical and talented makeup of the current line, which averages 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds a man.

Holtz admitted it might have been misguided optimism after watching the line square off against the Gamecocks' defensive line all summer.

"Going against each other you can't tell," he said. "We weren't a whole lot better than the defensive line. It's a glaring weakness that did not show because we worked against each other."

With the line using a lot of zone blocking techniques, USC rushed for only 141 yards -- its lowest output since a 138-yard effort in a 16-12 win at Kentucky last October. Take away Syvelle Newton's 32-yard gain on a reverse, the longest running play of the night, and the Gamecocks averaged only 3.1 yards per rushing attempt.

DeGuglielmo stuck mostly to a six-man rotation, using John Strickland at center, Travelle Wharton and Na'shan Goddard at the tackles and alternating Jeff Barnes, Jonathan Alston and Jabari Levey at the guard spots.

Holtz said he doesn't plan to make any wholesale changes up front.

"I'm not one to stand pat," he said, "but what the answers are, I don't know."

• Schaub sidelined. Virginia will be without its top offensive player Saturday against USC after quarterback Matt Schaub injured his shoulder early in a 27-0 win over Duke on Saturday.

Cavaliers coach Al Groh said Schaub is scheduled for further tests and X-rays today, but indicated that backup quarterback Anthony Martinez would work with the first-team offense in practice this week.

Schaub left the game in the first quarter after getting sacked and landing hard on his right shoulder. He watched the rest of the game from the sideline with his arm in a sling and will sit out this Saturday's game at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Heisman Trophy candidate completed 20 of 30 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns last year in Virginia's 34-21 win over USC.

"After he watched our film he'll play. Even if he has to throw left-handed," Holtz said. "That'll be the best cure they can give him: Show him our film."

Martinez completed six of 15 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown after taking over for Schaub.

• Silas unlikely to be admitted. While calling it unofficial, Holtz said it appears unlikely that defensive end Charles Silas will be admitted to USC as a full qualifier. Silas, a transfer from Georgia Military College, has been held out for two weeks while school officials reviewed his official transcripts, which included a correspondence course from the University of Phoenix.

Holtz said he wasn't sure whether the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Silas would stay at USC as a partial qualifier or "go to another SEC school."

USC beat out Arkansas in an intense recruiting battle for Silas, who practiced for 14 days this summer before sitting out under NCAA rules.

Russ Pate, the school's NCAA faculty athletics rep, said the review process took so long because officials wanted to be thorough.

"What we were trying to do was be fair to the student and everyone involved," Pate said, "and at the same time be compliant with university and NCAA guidelines."

• Odds and ends. Defensive end George Gause (hip strain) and tailback Demetris Summers (bruised ribs) were USC's only injuries Saturday, but both should be OK for Saturday. Outside linebacker Ricardo Hurley (high ankle sprain) is doubtful this week after sitting out against Louisiana-Lafayette. ‘.‘.‘. Holtz said he wanted to play backup quarterback Michael Rathe, but the situation did not present itself. ‘.‘.‘. Holtz counted 10 dropped passes against the Ragin' Cajuns.
 

 

 

 

Blue Devils' deja vu
Virginia loses ACC player of the year Matt Schaub on its first series, but the Cavaliers pile up more than 200 yards rushing and limit Duke starting quarterback Adam Smith to just 47 yards passing.
By J.P. GIGLIO, Staff Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- How? Why?
Chris Douglas tossed those questions around his brain Saturday night in Duke's season-opener at 18th-ranked Virginia.

These Blue Devils are supposed to be different. With so many returning starters , they're supposed to be past the point of embarrassment and ineptitude. Yet there was Douglas, a senior running back, living through another ACC loss -- the Devils' 26th in a row -- this one a 27-0 pounding by the Cavaliers in front of a record crowd of 61,737 at Scott Stadium.

"As the game went on, I just got more and more frustrated," Douglas said. "I know the level we're capable of playing at. We just did not do that tonight."

After linebacker DeAndre White knocked out UVa quarterback Matt Schaub during the game's first series, injuring his right shoulder , Duke couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.

Schaub did not return. Virginia coach Al Groh said the team will evaluate his injury this week.

But Duke couldn't escape its usual deficiencies of defensive breakdowns, overthrown passes and missed opportunities.

"We can't play much worse than that," said Duke coach Carl Franks, whose ACC record stands at 3-30 in his fifth season.

Certainly not the offense, which was shut out for the first time since the 2000 season-opener against East Carolina. Douglas, who on Saturday became the school's career leader in all-purpose yards, was the only bright spot. He rushed for 89 yards and finished with 166 all-purpose yards. He has 4,471 in his career, passing Mike Grayson (4,381).

Starting quarterback Adam Smith connected on just 6 of 20 passes for 47 yards. Franks pulled him in the third quarter for freshman Mike Schneider. Alex Wade, Duke's leading rusher in 2002, wasn't a help either. An injured hamstring limited him to three plays -- all in the first half .

Defensively, the Devils reverted to their bullfighter tackling of 2001. With backup Anthony Martinez -- who hadn't taken a snap in college -- subbing for Schaub, the Cavs pounded the ball on the ground.

The Devils' defense, which ranked first against the run in the ACC in 2002, allowed Groh to morph into Woody Hayes. Virginia ran the ball 41 times for 204 yards. Wali Lundy led the way with 88 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.

In last year's 27-22 win in Durham, the Cavs rushed for 2 yards on 20 carries.

"It was surprising to us all," said Franks of Virginia's rushing success. "It was disappointing the way we played the run."

Even before the game, the Devils had letdowns. Franks suspended junior receiver Khary Sharpe and senior cornerback Temo George for "violating team rules." Also out was starting defensive end Micah Harris with an undisclosed injury.

With Douglas the only reliable rushing option, the Devils punted five times in the first half -- compared to six first downs.

The Devils' best scoring effort came at the end of the first quarter. Trailing 3-0, Douglas gained 17 yards on two consecutive games, taking Duke to the Cavs' 31-yard line. But three incompletions stalled the drive and Elton Brown blocked Brent Garber's 49-yard field goal attempt.

Virginia responded with a seven-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. Lundy finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run off left tackle for the 10-0 lead.

Duke's reached the Cavs' 34 on its next drive. But after an incomplete pass , Franks elected to punt on fourth-and-6.

Duke never threatened again, leaving Douglas to live through another ACC loss.

"I really expected us to come here and play these guys real tough," Douglas said. "I honestly don't have an answer."