Cavs gear up for ACC opener
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
September 21, 2005

If you didn’t know Virginia’s game on Saturday against Duke was Homecoming, don’t feel bad.
On Tuesday, Al Groh admitted that he didn’t know it was Homecoming weekend until a reporter asked the fifth-year coach about it.
More importantly, Saturday’s sellout at Scott Stadium will mark the first time that the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers (2-0) will play an Atlantic Coast Conference game since divisional play was installed.
Thanks to a pair of nonconference games - wins over Western Michigan and Syracuse - and a bye week, Virginia is getting a late jump on conference play. The only other team in the league yet to play a league game is Wake Forest.
The five teams that join UVa in the Coastal Division have all played at least one league game and Virginia Tech (3-0, 2-0) and Miami (1-1, 1-1) have played in a pair.
On paper, Duke (1-2, 0-1) provides Virginia with perhaps just what the doctor ordered in an opener. The Cavaliers are a 25-point favorite in the non-televised contest, which starts at 3:30 p.m.
The Blue Devils, who beat VMI on Saturday 40-14, rank last in the ACC in total offense (229 ypg), pass offense
(92.3 ypg) and pass efficiency (offensively and defensively).
Virginia should also get a boost from the return of its running back, Wali Lundy, who has not played since spraining his foot in the first quarter of the season opener.
“He practiced well [on Monday],” Groh said of his senior captain. “If he progresses the way that he has and continues to move on from [Monday’s practice], then there’s a real good chance of it.”
With Lundy sidelined, juniors Michael Johnson and Jason Snelling and redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman handled the load, combining to run 30 times for 161 yards. Both Johnson and Peerman had rushing touchdowns.
While Lundy appears close to returning, the same cannot be said for linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Or can it? No one knows except Groh and he said on Tuesday that he “was not indulging any questions about Ahmad.”
That was a slight change from the multiple answers that Groh offered about the
All-America candidate a week prior. Groh said he “thought he would cut the silliness off at the pass,” before opening the floodgates of questions on the rehab of Brooks, who had surgery on his right knee in January and continues to slowly progress.
Unlike Lundy, Brooks was not listed on Virginia’s depth chart for the Duke game.

TAKING A TUMBLE: By the looks of a large gash on his forehead, it was apparent that Groh took quite a tumble last Thursday in practice.
During a play in the practice, an unnamed player leveled Groh.
When asked of the repercussions of the play, Groh said “there’s no penalty for that one. I appreciated his effort.”

A BLOCKING MACHINE: The crowd at the Carrier Dome booed loudly when the replay of Johnson’s 70-yard touchdown run was shown on the two large TV screens. The boobirds were voicing their opinion of a block - or a hold as they saw it - that Snelling made on a Syracuse defender.
Groh praised the “excellent” block by Snelling and pointed out that the fullback initiated the impact well past the line of scrimmage.
“That’s where the man that he was supposed to block was. He has got the support on [the play] and he tracked him down,” Groh said. “If the guy had been closer to the line of scrimmage he’d of picked him up closer.”
Two of Virginia’s veteran offensive linemen - center Brian Barthelmes and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson - also received favorable reviews on the play from their coach.
“[Barthelmes] had an excellent block. He really got the thing opened,” Groh added. “Brick had an excellent block on it. All four or five blocks at the point of attack that had to be made were ‘A-quality’ blocks.”
Johnson’s run is currently the longest from scrimmage in the ACC this season.

UNDER CENTER: Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans has taken every offensive snap in the first two games.
Junior Christian Olsen is listed second on the depth chart, one spot ahead of sophomore Kevin McCabe.
Since Hagans is a senior, Groh admitted that he would like to get the backup signal-callers some playing time, but that has not been an option with Virginia winning its first two games by a total of 15 points.
“It would be nice to do, that’s for sure,” Groh said. “But [Hagans] is so unique for us in the things that he can do. There’s an awful lot of firepower that goes along with Marques. I’m not saying we wouldn’t [use another quarterback], but we’d have to spot the right circumstance.”
The depth chart behind the top three is unknown. Redshirt freshman Scott Deke did not travel to the Syracuse game and two true freshmen - Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell - are expected to redshirt this year.

OUT OF THE MIX: Charlottesville High product Chris Johnson has not played in Virginia’s first two games and for good reason. Groh said on Tuesday that Johnson is not currently enrolled at Virginia due to “academic reasons.”
Johnson, a defensive end, started the final four games of the 2004 season and finished the year with 27 tackles.
Groh said that he expects Johnson to return to the program but when that is “will be up to the deans.”
Another Charlottesville product, linebacker Devonta Brown, is also out for the year for academic-related issues.

QUICK HITS: Sophomore offensive lineman Ian Yates-Cunningham missed the 2004 season after having back surgery. Groh said Cunningham’s back problems resurfaced during the preseason, but it is “less of an issue” now. Cunningham dressed out and could have “probably” played against Syracuse if needed according to Groh. …With an average of 229.5 yards per game, Virginia ranks second in the ACC and
19th in the country in rushing offense. Wake Forest is the league leader - the Deacons average just over 270 yards a game. …
UVa is the only team in the ACC that has failed to keep its opposition from scoring on the opening drive. Western Michigan kicked a field goal and Syracuse scored a TD on their respective opening possessions. … Through the first two games, Virginia’s defensive has failed to keep an opponent off the scoreboard after they entered the red zone. The five trips inside Virginia’s 20-yard line have produced two TDs and three field goals. UVa has company. Duke has given up points in all nine trips inside its red zone. …
The Cavaliers are averaging 55 penalty yards a game, the 6th-highest figure in the league. Miami is the most penalized team, having been flagged for 192 yards in two games. …
UVa placekicker Connor Hughes entered the Syracuse game tied with former tailback Thomas Jones in scoring. He left the Carrier Dome tied with Lundy. Both current Cavaliers have scored 246 points for their respective careers.

 

Lundy's injured foot improving
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Once he was done accounting for the unsightly bruise on his forehead, Virginia football coach Al Groh was willing to share some information regarding one of his injured stars.

Groh, bloodied in a collision at practice last week, said senior tailback Wali Lundy practiced Monday and sounded optimistic that Lundy will play Saturday against Duke.

"He practiced well yesterday," Groh said at his weekly Tuesday news conference. "If he progresses the way that he has and continues to move on, then there's a real good chance of it."

Lundy, who rushed for more than 800 yards in each of his first three seasons, suffered a sprained foot on the second series of Virginia's opening game Sept. 3 against Western Michigan and did not play Saturday at Syracuse, although he was in uniform.

Groh was not as eager to furnish a report on linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who missed the trip to Syracuse as he continues his rehabilitation from offseason knee surgery.

"I'm not indulging any questions about Ahmad today," Groh said. "So, I thought we would cut the silliness off at the pass."

Groh said last week that he and Brooks' family are "in accord," an observation that Brooks' mother, Vergie, confirmed Monday night.

"Coach Groh and myself and my husband are very much in agreement as to what's going on with Ahmad," she said. "Coach Groh is handling it, basically, the way we see fit."

Ironman Hagans

Marques Hagans is the only Virginia quarterback to attempt a pass in the last eight games, dating back to the 2004 season, but there have been few opportunities for his backups.

"It would be nice to do; that's for sure," Groh said, "I'm not saying we wouldn't do it, but this quarterback is so unique for us in the things that he can do. There's an awful lot of firepower that goes along with Marques and, obviously, it's not just about passing the ball.

"In a way, it's kind of the same circumstance that Marques was in two years ago, when he was playing wide receiver but was also the back-up quarterback. Matt [Schaub] was having such a terrific year for us and we kept saying every week, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could get Marques some time?' "

Johnson lost

Groh said Tuesday that Chris Johnson, a starter at defensive end in the final four games of the 2004 season, is academically ineligible and will not play this season. It is likely that Johnson will seek readmission to UVa in 2006, choosing a path taken by wide receiver Ottowa Anderson, who missed the 2004 season. Johnson has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Four other scholarship players were declared ineligible after the first session of summer school, with cornerback Philip Brown the most prominent. Johnson attended both summer sessions.

Odds and ends

Junior inside linebacker Kai Parham, who has taken over some of Brooks' pass-rushing responsibilities, has more sacks (four) after two games than he had in the past two seasons combined (three). ... Groh said that Marcus Hamilton's tackling ability has started to catch up to his coverage skills. Hamilton, a junior cornerback, had a team-high four interceptions last year as a part-time starter. After two games this year, he has a team-high 14 unassisted tackles. ... Virginia has four pass break-ups after two games, two by cornerback Chris Cook, a true freshman from Lynchburg's Heritage High School who has been on the field for a total of 18 plays.

 

Miller emerges from shadows
Senior Mark Miller goes from being Virginia's second option to replacing one of the nation's best linebackers.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
September 21, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Mark Miller has always been the second option around here.

During his senior year at Briarwood Christian High in Birmingham, Ala., Virginia football assistant coach Danny Rocco recruited him and told him he'd only receive a scholarship if two more promising players, Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham, didn't sign with U.Va.

Brooks and Parham eventually signed, and Miller arrived as a nonscholarship player in 2002. He played on special teams that year. Though he got a scholarship the next season, Brooks and Parham still overshadowed him at linebacker, and Miller was just a nickel-package linebacker in '03 and '04.

Miller no longer is the second option - at least not for now.

As Brooks, a junior, recovered from offseason surgery on his right knee, Miller started the Cavaliers' first two games at inside linebacker. He's listed first on the depth chart for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game against Duke at Scott Stadium.

Last Saturday, Miller made a critical, third-down tackle of Syracuse running back Damien Rhodes to snuff out the Orange's final drive and put U.Va. in position to win 27-24.

Since Miller played mostly in nickel defenses that defend passes, he had never played a full game against a running team like Syracuse.

"I had not proved it," Miller said. "But I think I proved to myself that I could play in that type of game."

Said U.Va. head coach Al Groh: "He played a linebacker game (Saturday) night."

But Miller didn't concentrate on the linebacker he replaced, preseason All-American Brooks. "I'm not trying to focus on somebody else's shoes to fill," Miller said.

Despite Miller's seven-tackle performance Saturday, nobody will confuse him for Brooks. Brooks is 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds. Miller is 6 feet and 222 pounds. Brooks is an NFL prospect. Miller is a psychology major, and he looks like little more than a psychology major.

"A lot of people don't know who Mark Miller is out there on the campus," Miller said. "You put the pads on, and you look so much bigger."

Even after the Syracuse game, few students on Monday besides his friends recognized him enough to offer congratulations.

Miller has bided his time so well behind Brooks and Parham in part because of his faith. He was raised a Presbyterian, though denomination is no big deal to him. He and Parham help lead Virginia's Bible study every Thursday.

Miller's faith has grown most during football seasons, when, he said, "There have been so many challenging times for me."

As the first option, more challenges surely lie ahead.
 

Inside U.Va.: End Chris Johnson out for poor grades
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
September 21, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Sophomore defensive end Chris Johnson is no longer enrolled at Virginia because of academic problems, U.Va. coach Al Groh said.

Groh said Johnson's situation is similar to that of wide receiver Ottowa Anderson, who missed last season because of academic issues but returned this year. Like Anderson, Johnson will have a chance to return to school. Deans will decide if he can re-enroll.

He made 27 tackles last season, playing in every game and starting the final four. But during spring practices, sophomore Chris Long won Johnson's job.

Johnson was not on the preseason depth chart, and Groh indicated on the first day of practice that Johnson had academic issues. He did not play in the first two games and did not travel last weekend to Syracuse.

Long has 10 tackles this season.

INJURY UPDATE ... SORT OF

Here's the latest on two injured U.Va. starters, inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and running back Wali Lundy. Well, the latest according to what Groh will say.

He was asked if he could indulge a question about Brooks and whether he'd describe Brooks as close or closer to playing. Groh's curt response: "Actually, I'm not indulging any questions about Ahmad today." Brooks has not played this season while recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee.

As for Lundy, who sprained his left foot in the season opener against Western Michigan and did not play last Saturday against Syracuse, he could play Saturday against Duke.

"He practiced well (Monday)," Groh said. "If he progresses the way that he has and continues to move on from (Monday), there's a real good chance he will play."

THOUGH HIS PRESENCE WAS REQUESTED, LUNDY DID NOT ADDRESS THE MEDIA TUESDAY. AT YOUR REQUEST

Before U.Va. fullback Jason Snelling on Saturday made the game's crucial 5-yard run on fourth down-and-inches at the Syracuse 10-yard line, left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson asked Groh during a sideline huddle to run the play to his side of the line.

Though Groh can't recall Ferguson doing that often before Saturday, former right guard Elton Brown usually made such requests.

"Elton is a model," Groh said. "He'd want it."

Left guard Branden Albert - U.Va.'s only true freshman starter - lined up next to Ferguson, a senior who has started 41 games, and heard his request in the huddle. "I was like, 'Oh man, he's coming to our side, so I've gotta do my job,'" Albert said. "I knew he was gonna do his job. ... That was nerve-wracking."

SECONDARY ROTATION

Groh has rotated more safeties and cornerbacks into games, because many of the players at those positions are inexperienced and Groh wants them all to get playing time.

Three players have seen time at safety: Junior Tony Franklin and sophomores Nate Lyles and Jamaal Jackson. Franklin has started as a cornerback, but this is his first year at safety.

Last season, seniors Marquis Weeks and Jermaine Hardy were entrenched at safety.

"This year, they're really kind of all the same," Groh said. "They're all kind of first-time players there."

Four corners have played: Junior Marcus Hamilton, sophomore Chris Gorham and true freshmen Chris Cook and Mike Brown. Cook played mostly safety at Heritage High in Lynchburg and worked out during the preseason at safety and corner. Groh's unsure where Cook will end up at U.Va., but, for now, Groh said he's a corner.

"He's probably come on a little fast," Groh said. "That probably was the pleasant surprise of it."

THIS AND THAT

Backup left guard Ian-Yates Cunningham dressed but did not play against Syracuse. He has not played this season because of an injured back, though Groh said he probably could have played Saturday. Cunningham dressing means the back injury is "less of an issue," Groh said. ... Saturday's game against Duke is homecoming for Virginia. The Cavaliers have won 13 of their past 14 homecoming games. ... U.Va. has outscored Duke 481-184 in the teams' past 15 games. The Cavs have won 13 of them.
 

Notebook: Roof gets a chance to relax, but not for long
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Sep 20, 2005 : 1:09 am ET

Duke coach Ted Roof eats, drinks and sleeps football.

That didn't change Saturday evening, hours after Duke's 40-14 victory over VMI, but Roof did at least allow himself to eat and drink while tuning in for some football on television.

Rather than watching with a notepad and pen in hand, he watched with pizza and diet soda.

"I know this: Saturday afternoon was a lot better at my house than last Saturday afternoon was," said Roof, who went home last weekend following a 45-0 loss to Virginia Tech. "There was much more levity.

"When you work 16 or 17 hours a day, it's hard to separate how you feel about yourself as a person as opposed to what happens to your football team on Saturday afternoons. You know that's not the right thing to do -- win or lose -- but when you put that much into it, it's hard to separate the two."

Roof said he understood that the Blue Devils beat a Division I-AA opponent that they were expected to beat, but he still thought it was important that his team savor its first successful outing of the season.

"It's great to get a win for our kids," he said. "I certainly understand that there will be some people that will say because it was a I-AA and this or that or the other, but I want our players to be proud of their effort and what they accomplished because they did what they were supposed to do.

"You see examples all over the country of I-AA schools beating I-A schools, so I want our players to be proud of what they did. A lot of people look at that as a no-win situation; well, it's a win if you go and do what you're supposed to do."

That being said, it was a short-lived celebration for the players and the coaches, who came together Sunday to prepare for Saturday's trip to Virginia.

"It was back to work," Roof said. "We had a lot of mistakes that we had to correct because the focus is the same no matter who we played. We've got to make sure that we correct Duke and get Duke ready to go."

Back in action

Roof also got good news on the medical front, with most of the players who missed the VMI game expected to be ready for Virginia on Saturday.

Roof said he expected quarterback Curt Dukes, halfback Ben Patrick, wide receiver Deon Adams and linebacker Codey Lowe to be ready to face the Cavaliers.

Dukes saw significant time under center behind starter Mike Schneider in the Blue Devils' first two games.

"Curt, we want to get his knee healthy, and unless we sat him it was going to be one of those nagging things each week," Roof said. "We made the commitment to sit him down and let him rest and get healthy because there's a lot of football left this season.

"And because we went out and took care of business early, we were able to play a couple of those young kids, and they did pretty well."

True freshman Zack Asack made his first appearance and completed all four of his passes, including a 6-yard touchdown toss to Marcus Jones.

Jones, who has logged significant time at wide receiver, also got some snaps at quarterback, completing 1 of 2 passes.

"Mike is our quarterback; it's his ball," Roof said. "For our future we certainly need to bring along those guys, but at the same time not forget about Curt Dukes and what he brings to our offense."

Quick kick

Duke's next home game, Oct. 1 against Navy, has been set for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

 

Miller fills in on defense
Senior linebacker Miller gets opportunity to start due to Ahmad Brooks' injury
Walker Freer, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Don't blame yourself if you wouldn't recognize Mark Miller walking around grounds. In fact, don't blame yourself if you're not even quite sure just who Mark Miller is. But whether you know Miller or not, it's all fine by him.

"A lot of people don't know who Mark Miller is out there on campus," Miller said at Virginia's weekly press conference Tuesday. "You put the pads on and look so much bigger. Sometimes that's nice. I like being the normal guy out there. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself."

To clarify, Miller is a senior inside linebacker for the Virginia football team who started his first game at linebacker just two and half weeks ago against Western Michigan. He also happens to be Ahmad Brooks' back-up. Since walking on to the team his first year, Miller has never logged significant playing time at linebacker because of the tremendous depth at the position. For the past two seasons, Miller has been stuck behind Brooks, a returning First Team All-American who led the team in tackles in 2004 with 90 and was second with eight sacks. Brooks underwent off-season knee surgery last spring, and, although he has reportedly practiced with the team, he has not yet suited up to play and didn't travel with the team to Syracuse last weekend. Virginia coach Al Groh refuses to comment on Brooks' status.

With the logjam at linebacker, Miller has spent most of his time at Virginia with the special teams unit where he has been a valuable contributor on punt and kickoff coverage.

At 6 feet, 222 pounds, Miller doesn't physically fit the inside linebacker prototype, but that hasn't stopped him from stepping up in each of Virginia's first two games this season. He had two tackles against Western Michigan, but last Saturday against Syracuse, Miller had a career-high seven tackles. His last tackle, which resulted in a one-yard loss for Syracuse, came on a key third-down situation late in the game with the Orange threatening inside Virginia's 10-yard line. On the play, Syracuse quarterback Perry Patterson handed the ball off to running back Damien Rhodes, who, after taking the hand off, broke right in a futile attempt to avoid a hard-closing Miller, who wrapped him up to bring up fourth down. Syracuse proceeded to kick the game-tying field goal on the next play, but, thanks to Miller's tackle, Virginia was only tied instead of trailing by four.

Following his performance, Miller earned nothing but praise from Groh.

"Mark did a real good job of kind of sizing up [Syracuse's run offense] throughout the preparation," Groh said. "He knew what his role was going to be, what his job was going to be."

Groh added that Syracuse was Miller's first test.

"Basically, up to this point, he's been a pass defender and a special teams player," the coach said. "This was his first significant test to [stopping the run], and I think he can be pretty pleased with the results."

Born and raised in Birmingham, Ala., Miller, who is projected to start again this Saturday when Virginia hosts Duke University at 3:30 p.m., is only four tackles shy of matching his 2004 total of 13. But individual statistics aren't something he's particularly worried about.

"Being able to help this team -- I'm just so thankful for that," Miller said. "But I also have a huge challenge, and I want to do as much as I can to meet the challenge."

Should he continue to meet that challenge as he has so far, Mark Miller won't go unnoticed for much longer.

 

UVa's Cook earns increased role
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 21, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia has been quite liberal about rotating plenty of players in what is a youthful secondary, which is all the more reason to expect to see more of Heritage product and true freshman Chris Cook.
Cook, a backup cornerback, saw significant action in the second half against Syracuse, successfully defending two deep balls thrown his way. It seems he has already gained the trust of the coaching staff.

"He made a very quick impression," UVa head coach Al Groh said.

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound Cook is the biggest of the four cornerbacks listed on UVa's depth chart (Marcus Hamilton is 5-11, Chris Gorham is 6-0 and Mike Brown is 5-9). Originally a safety when training camp started in August (he played there more than cornerback in high school), Cook was shifted when Tony Franklin moved from corner to safety prior to the season opener when neither Jamaal Jackson nor Lance Evans snagged the starting job.

A three-star recruit, Cook committed to UVa as a junior in May of 2004. He wasn't particularly heralded by recruiting services coming out of Heritage, where he played cornerback, safety, tailback, wide receiver and even quarterback.

But Groh said Cook was always on the team's radar.

"We were very enthusiastic about him from the outset," Groh said. "When you watched all the jobs that he did down at Heritage, his athletic ability and his versatility were very apparent. ?

"There's no way to judge what a player's maturity is going to be like and how ready he's going to be when he gets there, but in his case, that probably was the pleasant surprise. ? He's been very positive right from the start."

Grades ground Johnson

Groh confirmed Tuesday that sophomore Chris Johnson, who started the final four games at right defensive end in place of the injured Chris Canty last season, is academically ineligible.

The 6-3, 275-pound Charlottesville High graduate is not in school or on the team.

Groh does not know how long Johnson will be out, but said "I think it will be a little bit longer than a game."

Johnson made 17 tackles in the final four games of last season, two of which were for a loss. He led all freshmen with 28 tackles before disappearing from the depth chart in the spring and over the summer as fellow sophomore Chris Long assumed the starting right end spot.

Day-to-day

Not one to comment on injuries, Groh was a little more forthcoming when the subject turned to him. The coach had a bruise on his forehead Tuesday, the result of being run into by an unnamed cornerback in practice.

Asked if the unidentified cornerback was still in the program, Groh said "Oh yeah. I appreciated his effort." Groh was also asked if he was day-to-day, the oft-repeated refrain he has used to sidestep questions about the status of linebacker Ahmad Brooks.

"I would say in terms of moving around too quickly, that would be the case," Groh said with a hint of a smile. "There are a few more spots that aren't quite as apparent as my forehead."

Extra points

Kickoff for Virginia's Oct. 1 game at Maryland has been set for noon. It will be televised by Jefferson Pilot Sports. ? When Brooks' status was brought up, Groh cut off the discussion early. "I'm not indulging any questions about Ahmad today," Groh said. "I thought we would cut the silliness off at the pass today." Brooks is not listed on the probable depth chart for Duke. ? The outlook was better for tailback Wali Lundy, who dressed but did not play against Syracuse because of a sprained left foot. "He practiced well (Monday)," Groh said. "If he progresses the way that he has and continues to move on from yesterday, then there's a real good chance (he'll play)." Like last week, Lundy is listed as the starting tailback on the depth chart ahead of Michael Johnson and Cedric Peerman (William Campbell).

- Andy Bitter

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Sep 21, 2005

HOOP IT UP: Dave Leitao took over as the Virginia men's basketball coach in April. Since then, numerous Division I teams have received commitments for 2006-07, but Leitao is still awaiting his first.

It could come soon. U.Va. is a finalist for Kelvin Lewis, a 6-3 guard from Fort Worth, Texas, who visited the school last weekend. Lewis' father, Kevin, is a Texas Christian assistant and a longtime friend of U.Va. assistant Rob Lanier. The younger Lewis is expected to choose between Virginia and Auburn this week.

Also, the Cavaliers will entertain four prospects this weekend - two high school seniors on official visits and two 11th-graders. The seniors are big men from New York: 6-7, 235-pound Jonathan Mitchell and 6-10, 200-pound Brad Sheehan. The juniors are Sam Zeglinski, a 6-0 point guard from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, and Austin Freeman, a 6-5 shooting guard from DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Md.

This will be the second visit to U.Va. in a month for Zeglinski, and a commitment from him may be imminent. His teammates at Penn Charter in 2003-04 included Sean Singletary, now Virginia's starting point guard. Freeman played last season at DeMatha with Mamadi Diane, now a freshman at U.Va., and they are good friends.

Leitao has three scholarships available for 2006-07 and will have at least four for 2007-08.

ON THE MEND: U.Va.'s homecoming game in football - and ACC opener - is Saturday afternoon against Duke. The sellout crowd at Scott Stadium is likely to see senior tailback Wali Lundy in action for the first time since he sprained his left foot in the Sept. 3 opener against Western Michigan.

"He practiced well [Monday]," Virginia coach Al Groh said yesterday. "If he progresses the way that he has and continues to move on from [Monday], then there's a real good chance of it."

Redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman and junior Michael Johnson handled the tailback duties in U.Va.'s 27-24 win at Syracuse on Saturday. Lundy was held out as a precaution.

"We think these two backs today did a real good job, but we think Wali's one of the four or five best backs in the league, and so we would certainly like to have him," Groh said after the game. "Now we've had to play and win two games without him. That's not the way we thought the season was going to go, but we're probably better for it now at this stage."

Groh declined yesterday to discuss the status of injured linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who is recovering from knee surgery and has yet to play this season. Unlike Lundy, Brooks was not on the depth chart released yesterday. U.Va. insiders had been hopeful that Brooks would play against Duke, but his rehabilitation continues to proceed slowly, and he may miss another game.

IN THE LINE OF FIRE: Groh wore a cap at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Not until his news conference yesterday did reporters see the cuts and bruises on his forehead, courtesy of a head-to-helmet with one of his defensive backs during practice last week.

"I was run into," Groh said. "I appreciated his effort."

He may be moving slowly for a while. "There are a few more spots that aren't quite as apparent as the one on my forehead," Groh said.

TOP OF THE CHARTS: In the latest ACC statistics, Peerman ranks first in kickoff returns (an average of 30.8 yards) and is tied for first in scoring (9 points per game) among nonkickers. Junior wideout Deyon Williams is tied with N.C. State senior Tramain Hall for the lead in receptions per game (6.0). With four sacks - in only two games - junior linebacker Kai Parham leads the ACC. Parham had a career-best three at Syracuse.

COMING ON STRONG: He wasn't one of U.Va's more heralded freshmen, but cornerback Chris Cook is tall, fast and athletic, and his coaches love his potential.

A graduate of Heritage High in Lynchburg, Cook played only on special teams in Virginia's opener. Against Syracuse, however, the 6-2, 188-pound Cook was in for 18 plays at cornerback and broke up two long passes.

"He's earning our confidence, and he certainly earned more of it today," Groh said at the Carrier Dome.

IN THE CREASE: The men's lacrosse team is well into fall practice, and U.Va.'s freshman class, which some analysts rate the nation's best, hasn't disappointed.

"The freshman group offensively is what we hoped they would be," coach Dom Starsia said.

Of Danny Glading, Garrett Billings and Steve Giannone, Starsia said, "I think all those guys are special." The Cavaliers' coach also spoke highly of attackman Gavin Gill, midfielder Max Pomper, goalie Mark Wade and defenseman Matt Kelly.

Glading and Billings are being used at both attack and midfield; Giannone, at midfield. - Jeff White
 

Mascot takes a hit at Duke
Devil roughed up during VMI game
By SAMIHA KHANNA, Staff Writer

DURHAM -- The Duke Blue Devil mascot was strutting along the sidelines of the football field Saturday, getting Dukies fired up for a big win over the visiting Virginia Military Institute Keydets.
As VMI was getting torched, a member of the Keydets band was getting keyed up.

Eyeing the Blue Devil mascot, an 18-year-old band member leapt over a wall and sacked the foam-padded mascot. The crowd watched as the mascot's big horned head rolled, leaving student Charlie Suwankosai, 21, exposed.

Suwankosai blinked. His contact lenses had been knocked out of his eyes.

The VMI student, who was not identified by police because he wasn't charged with a crime, told an officer he tackled the mascot to "help motivate the crowd," said Leanora Minai, spokeswoman for Duke police.

Police investigated the incident as a simple assault, but Suwankosai declined to press charges in the man-vs.-mascot tussle. Suwankosai did, however, want help replacing his contact lenses, worth $200, Minai said. Suwankosai declined to comment Tuesday; the Blue Devil can't talk, he explained.

The Duke team went on to take the game, 40-14.