Another bad debut for a Cavalier QB
Martinez is latest in a recent trend of first-time jitters
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published September 8, 2003

For the third time in Al Groh's three seasons as Virginia's head coach, he had to break in a first-time starter at quarterback. Like the previous two, this debut came on the road before a large crowd.

"I hadn't thought of that," Groh said of the coincidence.

Here's another similarity: Like Matt Schaub and Marques Hagans before him, Cavalier redshirt freshman Anthony Martinez had a day to forget. With the playbook simplified - some might argue too much - Martinez completed 10-of-20 passes for 54 yards. He was intercepted twice as Virginia lost 31-7 at South Carolina.

Two years ago at Wisconsin, Schaub was 3-of-10 for 24 yards with two picks. Last year at Florida State, Hagans hit on 1-of-7 passes for 4 yards. The only difference is that both were benched in the first half. Martinez took all but the game's final four snaps.

Given what he had seen from Schaub and Hagans in their first starts - and the countless debuts of other first-time quarterbacks he's seen over the years - Groh had to know Martinez would struggle to an extent.

"I wouldn't want to say I expect it, because that would be sentencing myself to that time and again," Groh said Sunday afternoon. "But let's put it this way: There's a certain degree of that that we understand is a possibility when you're in a circumstance like that.

"When you have a talented young player that moves into the position, sometimes you have to deal with that a little bit. That's just the reality of it. And it gets frustrating. We all have human emotions and sometimes it's a factor in the game you're presently playing. But if you look in the big picture, in terms of what the player can become, it helps keep things in perspective."

Groh has been second-guessed for not preparing Hagans, who was moved to wide receiver last spring, to take some snaps at USC. But Groh said Hagans missed all but "about 45 minutes" of practice last week with an injury.

"So the issue of whether he could play quarterback in the game was a moot point," Groh said.

Schaub, who separated his right shoulder in the season opener, is not expected to play in Saturday's 2 p.m. game at Western Michigan. Will Hagans get some work at quarterback this week?

"We're certainly going to give that strong consideration, yes," Groh said.
 

'The issue of whether he could play quarterback in the [South Carolina] game was a moot point'
Injured Hagans not an option for Cavaliers

UVa coach Al Groh says Marques Hagans may take some snaps at QB this week, but could not in the week before playing South Carolina.

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   If Virginia football coach Al Groh was guilty of putting up a smokescreen before the Cavaliers' game at South Carolina, it wasn't what everybody thought.

    There was a reason behind Groh's decision not to use wide receiver Marques Hagans as an emergency quarterback.

    "The reality of the situation, for all of those arm-chair geniuses who know exactly what we should have done, is that Marques wasn't able to practice last week," Groh said Sunday, one day after a 31-7 loss at South Carolina. "So, the issue of whether he could play quarterback in the game was a moot point."

    Groh would not disclose the nature of Hagans' injury, "but he was only able to practice about 45 minutes last week," UVa's coach said.

    Groh held out the possibility that Hagans, who started at quarterback at Florida State last year, might take some snaps at quarterback prior to the Cavaliers' game this week at Western Michigan.

    "We're certainly going to give that strong consideration," Groh said.

    Redshirt freshman Anthony Martinez completed 10 of 20 passes for 54 yards and was charged with two interceptions and a fumble. However, the Hagans situation has nothing to do with not hurting Martinez's confidence.

    "The only message I'm trying to send is that we're doing everything we can to win," Groh said.

    Groh did not have any news on the availability of All-ACC quarterback and 2002 ACC Player of the Year Matt Schaub, who did not play Saturday as the result of a separated shoulder suffered in the opener.

    On the other hand, it appears that offensive lineman Kevin Bailey is on the verge of making his 2002 debut.

    "It's all been negative there so far," said Groh, referring to injuries or illnesses that have sidelined Schaub, wide receiver Michael McGrew and fullback Jason Snelling, the latter two for the season. "It's all been subtraction, no addition. His coming back will be the first addition, so to speak."

    Groh said he was not pleased with a single offensive position Saturday. Bailey's return might light a fire under some of the lineman.

    "That's usually the case, most particularly in this circumstance because he's capable of being in competition at a number of spots," said Groh, who used Bailey at tackle and center in 2001.

    On another subject pertaining to the running game, Groh said he talked Saturday and Sunday with sophomore tailback Wali Lundy, who had nine carries for 35 yards and lacked "juice," according to Groh.

    Lundy had a hamstring injury that didn't concern him greatly in the preseason but may be lingering.

    "He feels that it is," Groh said. "It did not affect him in the first week, but he did not have much burst all week long and he didn't have any burst in the game either. That was a determination we made visually, but, talking to Wali, he echoed the same thing."

Injury limited Hagans
Wideout not option at QB for Virginia
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 08, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Why wasn't Virginia wideout Marques Hagans shifted back to his former position for at least a series or two Satur- day? Why did Al Groh stick with struggling starter Anthony Martinez, a decision for which the third-year coach was widely criticized after U.Va.'s 31-7 loss at South Carolina?

Groh supplied some answers last night in a teleconference with reporters.

He wasn't concerned, Groh said, about bruising Martinez's confidence by switching to Hagans, who backed up Matt Schaub at quarterback in 2002. Schaub, the reigning ACC player of the year, has been out since Aug. 30 with a separated shoulder.


Hagans didn't play quarterback at Williams-Brice Stadium, Groh said, for a simple reason: The sophomore from Hampton missed all but about 45 minutes of practice last week because of an injury.

"The only message I'm trying to send is that we're doing everything we can to win, but the reality of the situation, for all those armchair geniuses who know exactly what we should have done, is that Marques wasn't able to practice last week," said Groh, who didn't disclose that information Saturday or during the week.

"So the issue of whether he could play quarterback in the game was a moot point."

Hagans, who starred in the season-opening win over Duke, played sparingly at receiver against South Carolina, catching two passes for 5 yards. He gained 21 yards on three punt returns.

The Cavaliers blew into Columbia, S.C., as the nation's 15th-ranked team. Now, after their lopsided loss, they're no longer ranked in either major poll.

Next up for U.Va. (1-1) is a road date with Western Michigan (1-1), whose coach, Gary Darnell, is a friend and former colleague of Groh. The teams meet Saturday at 2 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Mich., where the Broncos hammered Division I-AA William and Mary 56-24 two nights ago.

Schaub isn't likely to play, which means Hagans may get the practice time at quarterback that he missed last week. "We're certainly going to give that strong consideration," Groh said.

Broncos senior Chad Munson completed 24 of 35 passes for a school-record 450 yards and six touchdowns against W&M. Earlier in the day, against decidedly stronger competition, Martinez had connected on 10 of 20 attempts for only 54 yards.

U.Va.'s coaches simplified the playbook for Martinez, but the redshirt freshman from Patrick Henry High never looked comfortable. He threw a first-quarter interception on second and 5 from the USC 34. Another Martinez pass was picked off, early in the third quarter, on third and 18 from the Gamecocks' 45.

"I've just got to bounce back," Martinez said.

Groh said he didn't know how many quarterbacks made their first NFL starts yesterday, but "my guess would be they probably had their rough moments wherever it happened."

Against South Carolina, the Cavaliers were missing four players who were projected to start on offense this season: Schaub, offensive lineman Kevin Bailey, fullback Jason Snelling and wideout Michael McGrew. Snelling and McGrew are out for the year, and Schaub is sidelined indefinitely, but not all the news is bad for new offensive coordinator Ron Prince.

Bailey, who can play center and tackle, is expected to return against Western Michigan. An all-ACC candidate when healthy, Bailey missed most of last season with an injured knee.

 

Young QB struggled, and got little help
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 7, 2003
Bob Marinaro
COLUMBIA, S.C.

The debacle by Virginia’s football team resembled a comic turn from an old Army movie, in which the sergeant addresses a group of soldiers prior to a dangerous mission and asks for volunteers to step forward. In unison, the men take a giant step backward, except for one unsuspecting G.I. left standing front and center.

That solitary soldier was Anthony Martinez on Saturday afternoon against South Carolina. For this game, the redshirt freshman’s first start for U.Va., no Cavaliers quarterback in recent memory needed more support from his teammates, or received less.

Blame for U.Va.’s 31-7 loss is “well spread around,” Al Groh said. “Unfortunately today, from top to bottom, we weren’t ready to play.”

Virginia’s coach was trying to protect Martinez from any more criticism than he deserves, but perhaps more disappointing than the quarterback’s immature performance was the anemic effort from the rest of the team.

Ineffectual play along both the offensive and defensive lines, bad tackling all over the field, poor punting from Tom Hagan, even ill-advised play calling by the coaches all contributed to this dismal defeat. As for South Carolina’s first touchdown, a stunning 99-yard pass and run play in the second quarter, Groh characterized that moment as simply “embarrassing.”

And so it went.

Asked what he thought of Martinez’s game, Groh said, “He’s right in line with everybody else today.”

Nobody else, though, felt as much pressure as the raw recruit from Richmond. He denied it, of course. Pressure? Nerves? No, said Martinez, “I just had a bad game. That happens.”

to Martinez: He threw 20 passes, completing only 10 for a paltry 54 yards. He was sacked twice, threw two interceptions, and was involved in a botched handoff exchange with Alvin Pearman that resulted in a fumble, which South Carolina quickly converted into a touchdown.

“Things,” Groh said of Martinez, “were moving pretty fast for him.”

Asked by a reporter if U.Va. simplified the playbook for its fledgling quarterback, Groh grew irritable. Anybody who understands anything about football, he said, would know that the curriculum had been pared down for Martinez.

“He’s got about as much experience playing quarterback as you do,” Groh said.

So it appeared to anyone who saw Martinez freeze in the pocket or throw off target the few times receivers broke open.

So why, some wondered, was he left to sink or swim in front of a large, hostile crowd? Marques Hagans, who started last season as a quarterback before being converted to a receiver, was available, but the sophomore reportedly did not take a snap in practice last week.

Hagans declined comment Saturday. Meanwhile, Matt Schaub, standing on the sidelines in shorts, empathized with Martinez.

“Early in my career,” said the injured senior, “I played pretty much as he did today.”

Schaub experienced more than a few growing pains before developing into last season’s ACC Player of the Year. U.Va.’s feeble offensive effort against South Carolina was the best advertisement for declaring him the conference’s Most Valuable Player again this season.

Of Martinez, Schaub said, “It’s a tough environment playing on the road. It kind of got the best of him. It got the best of our team.”

Leading up to the game, though, there was every reason to believe that U.Va. would rally around its quarterback and find a way to win with a total team effort. Just the opposite happened.

Said cornerback Almondo “Muffin” Curry, one of the few Cavaliers who played well, “South Carolina came out in the second half and totally dominated.”

It may be wishful thinking on U.Va.’s part to imagine Martinez being less intimidated next Saturday at suddenly more ominous Western Michigan. Martinez doesn’t sound discouraged, though.

“I’ve just got to bounce back,” he said. “I’m eager to get started again on Monday.”

Eager, too, should be the rest of the U.Va. team, which gets an opportunity to prove that this first loss of the season was an aberration and not a big step backward.