Brennan Schmidt made two sacks, Elton Brown blocked like a bulldozer, Wali Lundy ran for 88 yards and a touchdown, and Marques Hagans turned in big plays as a receiver, passer, runner and punt returner.
But when his team’s 27-0 rout of Duke was over last Saturday, Virginia coach Al Groh had no trouble identifying the game’s most outstanding player: punter Tom Hagan.
“Tom certainly dominated the action,” Groh said. “He really set the tone for the game.”
Hagan punted seven times for an unspectacular average of 39.6 yards, but those stats don’t tell the real story. Five of his punts were downed inside Duke’s 20-yard line, including one at the 7, one at the 6 and two at the 1.
Groh ran on the field to give Hagan a high-five after one of those kicks and later said, “I don’t think many punters on any level have had a game like that.”
Hagan, twice an all-state punter at Cave Spring High School and UVa’s starter as a true freshman last season, said he’s never had a game quite like it, though he didn’t take all of the credit.
“I definitely got lucky with some bounces, plus our cover guys did a great job of downing the ball,” he said. “But it’s something we practice a lot. We definitely work on it, so it’s not just luck.”
Indeed, Groh has emphasized special teams ever since his arrival at Virginia three years ago. He hired Corwin Brown as the program’s first full-time special teams coach. He also devotes a fair share of practice time to every phase of special teams play.
Still, the Cavaliers had problems on special teams the past two seasons, largely because of inexperienced players. They had six kicks (three punts, three field goals) blocked in 2001, while blocking just two themselves, and allowed more than 10 yards per punt return.
Last year Virginia had freshmen as their primary kick returner, punt returner, punter, kicker and kickoff specialist. Many of the linemen and coverage team personnel also were new to their roles, so “there was a lot of on-the-job training,” Groh said.
Not surprisingly, the results were mixed last season. Three more punts were blocked, including one returned for a touchdown by Virginia Tech, and UVa’s net punting average of 30.2 yards was 107th among Division I-A teams. The Cavaliers didn’t make a field goal in their first four games. They also gave up a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in their third game against South Carolina.
But things improved over the course of the fall. The coverage teams did much better on kickoffs and punts. Wali Lundy and Marquis Weeks developed into dangerous kick returners, with Weeks springing a 100-yarder for a score against North Carolina. Hagans had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Continental Tire Bowl. Hagan became more consistent, while walk-on Connor Hughes made five of six field-goal attempts as the starter late in the season.
With almost all of the key special teams players back this season, with the notable exception of coverage ace Alex Seals, Groh said, “I thought that’s an area we should play very well in, and we’re off to a good start there.”
In addition to Hagan’s performance, Hughes made both of his field-goal attempts from 26 and 44 yards. Brown blocked a 48-yard field-goal attempt by Duke’s Brent Garber. Hagans returned five punts for 44 yards, including a nifty 22-yarder. And the coverage teams also did their jobs, with Groh giving special kudos to Weeks, Ryan Sawyer, Art Thomas and Isaiah Ekejiuba.
As a result, the Blue Devils began each of their 13 drives inside their own 30-yard line. Thanks to Hagan and company, many of those started with their backs against the end zone, making it possible for Virginia’s defense to record its first shutout in five years.
“He had a great night punting for them,” Duke coach Carl Franks said of Hagan. “Regardless of his average, the effectiveness was tremendous. You don’t get many 95-, 92-, 98-, 99-yard drives.”
Groh has long wanted a team that could dominate games on special teams. The 15th-ranked Cavaliers appear to have an advantage in that respect over their next opponent. South Carolina struggled in the kicking game in its opening 14-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
With starting kicker Daniel Weaver held out due to a potential eligibility issue, the Gamecocks used punter Josh Adams in that role. Adams missed both of his field-goal attempts, including a 29-yarder that was blocked and returned 89 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half.
A penalty also negated a long punt return for South Carolina, which lost 34-21 to Virginia last year despite winning the special-teams battle.
“Special teams is something we really take pride in,” Hagan said. “We work on it a lot and Coach Brown and Coach Groh really put a lot of time into it. We know we’re still pretty young, but the work is starting to pay off. We’re getting better."

Martinez growing into larger role
After expecting to compete for the backup job this season, Anthony Martinez has to adjust quickly.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Now that Anthony Martinez has become Virginia's starting quarterback, he has a platform that will enable him to set one record straight.
Contrary to the information published in the UVa media guide and game program, Martinez does not weigh 249 pounds.

"I saw that," said Martinez, a redshirt freshman from Montpelier, located north of Richmond in Hanover County. "It happens. It's no big deal."

If South Carolina expects a chunky lad when Virginia travels to Williams-Brice Stadium for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday, the Gamecocks might be surprised. At 238, 6-foot-4 Martinez is much sleeker than listed.

"I knew I wanted to get down anyway," said Martinez, not motivated solely by his published weight. "I knew I'd move better and I'd feel a lot better, too.

"I worked hard in camp and in the offseason to try and get my body into shape."

The extra conditioning paid off for Martinez, who could not have anticipated significant playing time with the return of Matt Schaub, the 2002 ACC Player of the Year.

Martinez could have been excused for setting his sights toward the spring and an expected three-way battle with freshman Kevin McCabe and transfer Chris Olsen.

Indeed, one week earlier, Olsen's impending arrival had received far more attention than the competition between Martinez and McCabe for the backup job this year.

"I knew about [Olsen's transfer] beforehand," Martinez said. "I talked to Coach [Al] Groh about it. He gets good players to come to the University of Virginia to play football and that's something I've got to deal with every year."

With Schaub sidelined indefinitely by a shoulder injury, Martinez knows he has a chance to separate himself from the other candidates. However, he doesn't expect the issue to be settled before the spring.

"I'm going to take it one day at a time," Martinez said. "If Matt does come back, I'm still going to look at it as though I could go in at any time. I look at springtime as more of my chance to get ready for next year."

Martinez gave himself mixed reviews for his performance Saturday against Duke, when he was 6-of-15 for 76 yards and one touchdown, a 9-yard alley-oop to tight end Heath Miller.

"I knew if I throw it to Heath - we call him 'Big Money' - that he'd make the play," Martinez said.

In Groh's opinion, Martinez should have been awarded a second touchdown pass when he turned and whipped the ball to Marques Hagans, who was credited with a 14-yard touchdown run.

"There were 61,000 people who knew the quarterback passed him the ball," Groh said. "It was a called pass play in the huddle and the quarterback threw it overhand, but what do I know?"

Schaub, a 68.9 percent passer last year, completed five of six passes on UVa's first drive Saturday and was victimized by a drop on his lone miss. Martinez thinks the suddenness of his entry may have contributed to his lack of accuracy.

Martinez knew as soon as Schaub grabbed his shoulder "that something wasn't right," he said. "It shocked me at the beginning."

If Martinez was nervous in front of 61,000 supporters, how is he going to be Saturday at mostly hostile 80,250-seat Williams-Brice Stadium? For one thing, he'll need to turn up the volume. At home Saturday, Martinez's first pass hit wide receiver Art Thomas in the back after Thomas did not hear an audible at the line of scrimmage.

"They get on me at practice sometimes," Martinez said, "but I felt I was screaming out there."

Martinez also needs to master the art of quickly locating the plays on his wristband when they are signalled to him from the bench. Groh said it is his responsibility to find a way to make Martinez relax.

"That's my job, to say and do whatever gives him the best opportunity to play well Saturday afternoon," Groh said. "This isn't just about playing quarterback. This is, 'How do you move into this slot [and] this set of circumstances?'

"It's different from putting another right guard in there. The right guard doesn't have to call the plays. The right guard doesn't become a symbol for the team."

 

'A-mart' special
Strong-armed freshman QB will lead U.Va.
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 03, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE His father played football at Highland Springs High, but on the line, not at quarterback. Who, then, deserves credit for Anthony Martinez's powerful right arm, which has fired a baseball 94 mph and can launch a football into outer space?

"I'll give his mom the props," David Martinez said with a laugh yesterday. "He got his arm from her."

Anita Martinez gave birth to Anthony on Dec. 19, 1983 at Henrico Doctors' Hospital. Her baby has grown to 6-3 and 237 pounds, and he's been the subject of intense discussion around the state since Virginia's season opener Saturday night. That's when U.Va.'s star quarterback, senior Matt Schaub, separated his throwing shoulder on the first series against Duke at Scott Stadium.

Out went Schaub, the reigning ACC player of the year. In came Martinez, a redshirt freshman who was a three-year starter at Patrick Henry High in Ashland. He hadn't expected to play Saturday - at least not so early - and his teammates noticed immediately that Martinez was nervous.

"Who didn't?" wideout Ottowa Anderson said, smiling.

Martinez gradually relaxed. He wasn't perfect, but the guy who goes by "A-mart" lofted a touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller and completed a 39-yard bomb to wideout Art Thomas to help the Cavaliers roll 27-0. Also, wideout Marques Hagans scored after catching a toss from Martinez that was correctly ruled - over U.Va. coach Al Groh's objections - a lateral.

"I had a good time out there," said Martinez, who completed 6 of 15 passes for 76 yards. "I had a blast."

No.15 Virginia hopes the fun continues this weekend in Columbia, S.C. With Schaub out indefinitely, Martinez will make his first start Saturday against South Carolina (1-0). The sellout crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium will include Martinez's family, which moved from eastern Henrico County to Montpelier in Hanover County when he was in the sixth grade.

"This is the day we've all been waiting for since the day he started playing little league football," said Anita Martinez, a Varina High graduate. "That day finally came. It just came a little earlier than we thought it would."

More than 61,000 fans watched Martinez's debut at U.Va., and virtually every one was pulling for him to succeed. That won't be the case Saturday at Williams-Brice, where some 82,000 spectators are expected. A hostile environment, Martinez said, is the least of his worries.

"I have confidence in myself," he said. "I won't pay attention to that."

He's more concerned with raising his voice at the line of scrimmage - the other Cavaliers struggled to hear his calls at times Saturday night - and in raising his completion percentage. Martinez missed on several short passes against Duke.

"I was thinking so much at the time, I wasn't really concentrating on my fundamentals," he said. "I know I can complete those balls. Things like that happen. I now know this week what to expect."

At Patrick Henry, longtime coach Ray Long wasn't sure what to expect when Martinez entered the program. The Patriots had long favored quarterbacks, such as Daninelle Derricott, who burned opposing defenses more with their legs than their arms. Martinez is a classic dropback passer.

"He has amazing arm strength," Anderson said. "He can get the ball anywhere on the field he needs to get it."

Long realized that. Still, he said, it "took us about a year to get it straight." Once that happened, PH reaffirmed its status as one of the Central Region's premier programs. As a senior, Martinez passed for 1,912 yards and 17 touchdowns and led the Patriots to the state Group AAA, Division 5 final.

"When he hums it, it goes a long way," Groh said. "He's a big, strong quarterback with a live arm. We're very confident that he's going to be a very good quarterback."

Martinez expected to spend this season as Schaub's understudy. After being thrust into a leading role, however, he knows what's at stake.

"I have to go out there and earn the confidence of my teammates," Martinez said, "so they know I can lead the team."

Long said: "He's got to do the job. He's got to be The Man for a couple of weeks."
 

USC coach says Big Dogs need more bite

South Carolina called its offensive linemen the "Big Dogs" last season.

But in a season-opening win over Louisiana-Lafayette, they were just dogs.

At least that was the assessment of Gamecocks offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, who had no explanation for his unit's uninspired play.

"We were soft. We didn't come off the football. We were not aggressive at all," DeGuglielmo said. "After the first series where we knocked them around pretty good, guys shut it down. And I don't know why."

Despite replacing four starters, DeGuglielmo had high hopes for his revamped line, anchored by senior left tackle Travelle Wharton. Two of the four newcomers -- guard Jeff Barnes and tackle Na'shan Goddard -- had started before, and DeGuglielmo thought the line was stronger and more athletic than last year's.

But Wharton, who thought about leaving early for the NFL draft, was the only lineman who graded out a winner last weekend.

"We played down to the competition instead of playing at our level and that made me sick," said DeGuglielmo, who plans to stay with his eight-man rotation.

• Barnes' father hospitalized. William Barnes suffered a stroke at his Atlanta-area home Monday and remains hospitalized, his son said Tuesday.

Jeff Barnes said his 56-year-old father is stable, but is having trouble with his speech. The younger Barnes will remain in Columbia as long as his father's condition remains unchanged.

• Hurley burly. Outside linebacker Ricardo Hurley, who missed two weeks with a high right ankle sprain, expects to play on a limited basis Saturday against Virginia.

"I'll probably get in and run around a little bit a couple plays and see how I run on it," said Hurley, who expects to be at least 95 percent the following week at Georgia.

• He likes Ike. USC long snapper Ike Crofoot is only 175 pounds, but he has friends in high places. Crofoot's father is a big Notre Dame booster who befriended USC coach Lou Holtz when he was at South Bend.

So when an ankle injury his senior year at an Orlando high school hurt his scholarship chances, Ike Crofoot decided to walk on at USC, unbeknownst to Holtz. Crofoot ran into Holtz at a driving range this summer in Orlando and told him he was coming to Columbia.

"He was excited to hear I was coming up here," said Crofoot, a former high school quarterback.

Crofoot is continuing a family tradition. His older brother, Chas, walked on at Auburn this year as a long snapper, and a younger brother is snapping for his old high school.

Said Holtz: "The first day he got here he was very good."

• Odds and ends. Place-kicker Daniel Weaver has regained his starting spot after being held out last week for an undisclosed academic eligibility issue, Holtz said. Freshman Stephen Stellfox is competing with Joey Bowers to handle the kickoff chores. ‘.‘.‘. A severe storm Tuesday forced the Gamecocks indoors, where receiver Andre Hemphill and defensive lineman Natron Scott suffered ankle injuries that were the result of the artificial turf at the indoor facility.
 

South Carolina tightens grip on ball
By JOSEPH PERSON
Staff Writer

Most South Carolina fans remember the Gamecocks' five-game losing streak to end the 2002 season as the death march to a bowlless holiday season. But it was an early September trip to Virginia where the Gamecocks dropped the ball on their best chance to earn a third consecutive bowl bid.

In fact, they dropped it six times. USC lost six fumbles in the 34-21 loss in Charlottesville and, with them, a chance to grab an important road victory against a quality team. Had the Gamecocks held on to the ball and the game, they would have been 6-1 and bowl-eligible heading into the final five-game stretch.

"I think last season this was the game that broke our season," USC cornerback Dunta Robinson said.

USC had four more turnovers the following week in a 13-7 loss to Georgia, including two in the shadow of the Bulldogs' end zone. And while the Gamecocks bounced back with a four-game win streak after the Georgia loss, they never captured the kind of signature victory that might have lifted them from the middle of the SEC ranks.

Consider that USC was 5-0 last year against teams that did not play in a bowl game and 0-7 against schools that did go bowling. The Gamecocks were 0-4 against top-25 teams. USC was 1-0 and ranked 22nd last year when it traveled to Virginia, which was unranked at the time. The Gamecocks have not cracked the rankings since.

This year USC is 1-0 again and could get some national recognition if it beats a Virginia team that is ranked 15th after a 27-0 shutout of Duke last weekend. The Gamecocks would appear to be catching the Cavaliers at a good time: Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub, a Heisman Trophy candidate, will miss the game with an injured throwing shoulder.

"I think (Saturday) will tell a whole lot about this team. We're in the same situation we were in last year, going into the Virginia game," Robinson said. "So if we can go in and get this victory, I think it will be a big confidence booster for our team."

USC had leads of 14-7 and 21-20 last year against Virginia before self-destructing.

Quarterback Corey Jenkins was the chief culprit with four of the Gamecocks' seven turnovers, three of which came inside the Virginia 16-yard line.

"That was the story of the game," USC quarterbacks coach Todd Fitch said. "I've been in a game where we've had turnovers, obviously, but I don't think I've ever been in a game where we had six or seven, whatever it was."

How bad did it get? Jenkins fumbled twice on the same play when he tried to pick up the ball instead of falling on it. When Ryan Brewer fumbled on a kickoff return, USC coach Lou Holtz replaced Brewer with Matthew Thomas, who later fumbled.

Not even USC's defensive players were immune to the fumble-itis: Nose guard Langston Moore coughed up the ball after an interception deep in USC territory.

"Most of them were on us, to be honest," Fitch said. "I don't think they came and made a great hit or schemed it and a guy came from the backside and ‘.‘.‘. you just didn't see him. Most of them were bad football on our part."

Thomas, a junior from Pearson, Ga., was in the midst of a career game when he fumbled the second-half kickoff. In the first half, Thomas had touchdowns on a 10-yard reception and a 95-yard kickoff return, eighth-longest in school history.

"I had a good game, but I put the ball on the ground, as well. And when you don't protect the ball, you don't win the game," Thomas said. "Coach Holtz stresses that a lot. If we protect the ball, we'll win games."
 

Apparently, Lou, fans do know how to boo
By RON MORRIS
Sports Columnist

GOOD FANS DON'T boo officials. Good fans don't boo the opposing team. And good fans never, ever boo their own team like South Carolina fans did at the conclusion of Saturday's first half at Williams-Brice Stadium.

"Any time you're a player, you really don't like to hear your fans booing you," said USC offensive lineman Travelle Wharton. "You hear enough booing when you go on the road.

"When you're at home, it hurts."

The chorus of boos from the sellout crowd could have been intended for the Louisiana-Lafayette players who celebrated in the end zone. Or, the boos could have been a knee-jerk reaction to an unusual ending to the half, when Louisiana-Lafayette blocked a USC field-goal attempt and returned it 89 yards for a tying touchdown.

Neither argument holds much weight.

These fans were booing a sub-par performance by the Gamecocks, primarily an offense that managed one first-half touchdown on a short drive following a Louisiana-Lafayette fumble. These fans were booing the fact that USC was in a 7-7 tie against a 24-point underdog.

Make no mistake about it, USC fans were not happy at halftime, and they let their team know it by sounding like a crowd from Philadelphia, where fans have been known to boo Santa Claus.

This isn't Philly, and longtime USC fans should know better.

If not, they should be reminded of when The Citadel nearly stunned the Gamecocks in the opening game of perhaps the most glorious season in USC football history. A game-saving tackle in the waning minutes preserved USC's 31-24 victory and propelled the Gamecocks to a 10-2 record.

"You know, one thing they told me when I came here was that the fans would not boo, that they just show their displeasure by leaving," USC coach Lou Holtz said on Monday. "You know, that's what I was told.

"Either our fans have changed or I've been given the wrong information, whatever the case may be."

USC fans generally didn't boo during Holtz's first season, when the Gamecocks lost all 11 games including six at Williams-Brice Stadium. As Holtz was told, USC fans simply headed to the parking lots early to avoid the traffic and the inevitable finish.

Probably the last time USC was serenaded by boos from its fans was on Halloween, 1998. That night Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin completed an NCAA-record 23 consecutive passes in a 49-14 Vols' victory that was the eighth loss in what became a 10-game USC losing streak.

That booing clearly was a case of kicking a team when it was down.

"I'll just say this to people and to our team," Holtz said. "It's easy to jump on people when you're down. Man, I'll tell you, you can jump all over them, you can criticize them, you can boo them."

Holtz paused, then added sarcastically, "That takes courage.

"But I want to tell you something, just like in life, when people have a little difficulty is not when they need to be chomped on. (That's) when they need to be encouraged, when they need help."

Holtz said he would prefer to see USC fans channel their energy toward affecting the opponent. He used Arkansas as an example.

He said the crowd noise at Razorback Stadium and War Memorial Stadium is so raucous that visiting teams have difficulty starting their play count or checking off plays at the line of scrimmage. When Arkansas has the ball, the stadium goes silent to help the home team call signals.

But, as Wharton said, a team can't control its fans.

"Our fans have been really loyal and supportive over the past years," Wharton said. "We still have to step up and play well."

That's what Holtz said USC did in the second half of the Gamecocks' 14-7 win, even without the support of disgruntled fans.

"It would be great if you have the fans," Holtz said. "But if we don't have them, we aren't going to fall over and die. We're going to continue to play."