UVa defense gets it done against Duke
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
September 25, 2005

From the opening moment, you knew that Virginia’s defense was intent on making it a long afternoon for visiting Duke.

Duke’s was bottled up inside its own 5-yard line on its first two possessions before Kai Parham fed his ravenous hunger for the ball with a sack-strip, recovered by fellow UVa linebacker Mark Miller on the Blue Devils’ 24. That was the first dagger jabbed into Duke’s midsection as the Cavs took a 3-0 lead that ballooned to a 38-7 victory by sunset.

All week long, the Cavaliers’ defensive coaches had been in their players’ collective ears, drilling two thoughts: Aggression, turnovers. From wire-to-wire, Virginia’s defense dominated as it landed haymakers to Duke’s glass jaw.

Creating turnovers

For the record, the Cavs forced four turnovers, a fumble and three interceptions, limited Duke to 215 yards offense and 11 first downs. Tough to run against in bolting to a 3-0 start, the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers, held the Devils to an average of 2.7 yards per rush.

While Coach Al Groh was pleased with the intensity shown from his defensive unit, he wasn’t about to go overboard. It was Duke, which ranked near or in the cellar of nearly every ACC offensive statistical category. With all due respect to the Blue Devils, they’re not exactly offensive juggernauts.

“There’s a long time for this story to be written,” Groh said of Virginia’s defense. “I’m not starting the wheels to roll on that bandwagon, but they did a good job today.”

That’s today, as in not against Maryland, Boston College or Florida State, the Cavaliers next three opponents. That lineup will pose a more severe test to what this young defense is all about.

That’s not to say Groh wasn’t somewhat impressed. When the Devils were forced to throw, there was pressure on the quarterback, aiding at least one interception by safety Tony Franklin. Cornerback Marcus Hamilton picked off two as the Wahoos stole three enemy passes for the first time since 2003.

“I felt there would be chances for us if [Duke] ran certain plays, and they ran those plays,” said Hamilton. “After the first couple of games we needed to get some turnovers and we were aggressive enough to do so.”

Bucking the trend

In wins over Western Michigan and Syracuse, the Cavs had gained only two turnovers, but had given up six, placing them last in the conference in turnover margin.

Coaches believed that statistic had to change.

“The coaches really emphasized ball disruption drills this week in practice,” said sophomore defensive end Chris Long. “We focused on causing turnovers and converting them to touchdowns. The second or third guy in on a tackle should be going for the football.”

Parham obviously got the memo, but didn’t need any help in forcing the first turnover as the linebacker was all over the field, leading the Cavs in tackles (12) for the third straight game.

“In every defense there’s a playmaker who energizes the whole defense,” Long said. “Kai is good enough to make the play and has ball awareness at the same time.”

Parham, who entered the game as the ACC’s sack leader and ranked high in all tackling statistics, helped cause one interception with his relentless pursuit of Duke quarterback Zack Asack.

“Based off what we saw in film study, we felt we could dominate the line of scrimmage,” Parham said. “We thought we could beat our man and we got a good jump up front most of the day.”

But don’t expect Parham to accept a lot of praise toward his own accomplishments. The deeply religious linebacker simply explains the results as being in God’s favor.

The Almighty favored him over and over on Saturday as Duke’s offensive frustration grew. The Blue Devils rarely crossed midfield and scored their lone touchdown when wide receiver Jomar Wright broke free on a 30-yard reception, Duke’s longest play of the day.

It was the only hiccup by UVa’s ball-hungry secondary. Hamilton said that defensive coordinator Al Golden has brought a new, aggressive philosophy to pass defense and it is starting to pay off.

“It’s vision and break,” Hamilton said. “Before, we couldn’t see the ball coming, so you couldn’t make a play on it if you couldn’t see the ball.”

Hamilton saw the ball well on his first pick, took a chance and jumped at the pass. That led to a missed

52-yard field goal attempt. Franklin got the second, halting a Duke drive in Virginia territory just before the half. Hamilton’s second pickoff came off Parham’s pressure and led to a score and 24-0 lead three plays later.

“We talked about a plus-three ratio in turnovers this week,” said Long.

That’s what Virginia finished with.

Groh praised Golden’s ability to manage the game when Duke’s offensive strategy switched from a power game, to a spread it out, shotgun, ride-option attack, back to a power game.

“We had to get in and out of a lot of different schemes and communicate those to the players, and [Golden] did a really good job,” Groh said.

Don’t get overly excited though. Groh didn’t. You shouldn’t. Remember it was Duke. The Cavaliers are yet to face a big-league offense and while coaches note the weekly improvement by a defense that requires on-the-job training by a lot of young players, tougher tests lie ahead.

“The challenges will get more severe week by week,” Groh said.

He won’t be handing out any grades or high fives until this unit holds up under those circumstances. When it’s no longer Duke, but rather the big dogs of the league, there will be plenty of reason to celebrate.

Groh is waiting.

 

Johnson puts together strong performance
By Kris Wright / Daily Progress staff writer
September 25, 2005

Michael Johnson is not a fumbler.

A little brash? Sure. Fast as a three-card monte dealer? You bet. More moves than U-Haul and Rider combined? Probably.

A fumbler? Don’t go there.

“I know I’m not a fumbler. I’ve never been a fumbler. I didn’t fumble a lot in high school and I wasn’t known as one,” Johnson said. “Against Western Michigan, it was something that happened. I don’t know why I was fumbling but I had two. I do know that if I have anything to do with it, those will be my last two.”

The questions about Johnson’s ability to hang on to the football surfaced after a shaky opening game against Western Michigan at Scott Stadium. After starting running back Wali Lundy had exited with an injury, Johnson stepped in as the next option. He was ready to go to work - pack the lunchpail, he was ready to take the ball to the house.

A bunch.

The problem became that the lunchpail wasn’t big enough to hold the pigskin. The junior fumbled twice. He lost his edge. Any mental focus followed. Cedric Peerman picked up the load and stormed onto the scene.

Johnson said that coach Al Groh gave him a pep talk of sorts afterward.

“I had the two fumbles against Western Michigan and I was out of the game and I was really sour. … But Coach Groh told me that he knew I wasn’t a fumbler and that he knew I didn’t want to fumble the ball and basically just showed that he still had confidence and trust in me,” Johnson said. “It was Western Michigan and I was looking for a touchdown on every play instead of paying close enough attention to the ball.”

Johnson got back to work in practice. No, there weren’t any changes in his approach. No, he didn’t change his grip on the ball. No, ‘high and tight’ post-it reminders. No, taping the ball to his hands on the way to class.

No, no, no.

Not a fumbler.

“I hold the ball the same. There’s nothing different. I’ve always got a ball in my hand at practice, just walking around with a ball. I just keep working hard in practice,” Johnson said. “I know I’m not a fumbler.”

Johnson’s hard work and diligence paid off. The Newport News native has put together strong back-to-back games. At Syracuse, he racked up 81 yards on six carries, ripping off a

70-yard touchdown in the process. Against, Duke on Saturday he had the team’s top running average with 45 yards on nine carries while splitting time with Lundy and Peerman. He also ripped off a career-best 68-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.

Johnson credited Peerman, who scored his touchdown on the first play after the return, with a big-time block on the kickoff. Peerman praised Johnson’s ability to turn the ‘routine’ block into an off-to-the-races return.

“He threw me a good block on the play. I saw 37 out of the corner of my eye and he hit a block that sprung me upfield so I owed him for that with his touchdown,” Johnson said with a laugh.

“My job is to hit the middle and help make a hole. I was able to get a block that sprung Michael up the middle and he used his God-given speed to do the rest,” Peerman said. “He did a great job, probably better than I would have done in that situation.”

Of course, Johnson wanted to score on the play. He still thinks a touchdown return is coming. Maybe soon.

“Yeah, man. I wanted to take it,” Johnson said with a laugh. “I’ll break one. I’ll get one soon on a kickoff.”

Groh noticed Johnson’s play too. He liked the play of the special teams as a whole and praised the kickoff unit’s production against Duke, including Johnson’s return.

What Groh really likes, however, is that Johnson seems to be emerging as a playmaker and growing into his role.

“He did [play well]. Mike’s a player that we’ve been kind of waiting for for quite some time,” Groh said. “He brings an element of speed to our team that’s a little bit special for us. It showed up on a number of plays today. The game sped up for Mike on some of his carries today and you got a chance to really see it on that kickoff return.”

 

Second half surge
No. 23 Cavs score 4 TDs after halftime in blowout
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
September 25, 2005

If the old adage that players make plays and coaches just coach is true, then perhaps a footnote should be added. In many cases, the players are only as good as the adjustments that their coaches make.

And that was just the case for Virginia on Saturday in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Scott Stadium.

After a slow and shaky start gave the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers a 10-0 lead at halftime, UVa exploded offensively - scoring four second-half touchdowns - and kept a perfect season alive with a 38-7 win over Duke in front of a Homecoming crowd of 61,021.

Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, who passed for just 61 yards and one touchdown in the first 30 minutes of the game, got going early in the second half. The senior signal-caller threw three touchdowns passes, all of which came in the third quarter, and finished with 174 yards on 13-for-21 passing.

What was the real difference in the half-to-half results? Hagans credited the offensive changes made at halftime. Virginia coach Al Groh credited the alterations made by Al Golden, his defensive coordinator.

"[Offensively], we just got a chance to really sit back and look at the blitzes that they were running and how we wanted to exploit them or how we wanted to attack them," Hagans said. "We put the gameplan on the board [at halftime] and made a couple of adjustments, added a couple of different plays and we went right out there and attacked them."

Duke slowed the Hagans-directed offense in the first half with a number of different slants and blitz packages.

"Some plays don't work against blitzes and some plays do," Hagans said. "You just have to look at the blitzes that we get and you reestablish [the gameplan] from there. That's what we did."

Defensively, Groh pointed at the "intensity" that Virginia's defense showed from the opening snap. For the game, Duke finished with 218 yards of total offense and turned the ball over four times.

"I thought Al [Golden] did a terrific job managing the game," Groh said. "The game changed a lot. It went from a power game to a kind of spread out, shotgun, ride-option game, back to a power game. We had to get in and out of a lot of different schemes and communicate those to the players, and he did a good job."

Hagans used the offensive adjustments, which included getting a handful of new offensive lineman acclimated, to Virginia's advantage early in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers took control of the contest on their first possession of the second half, marching 63 yards on seven plays.

The drive, which saw Hagans complete five of his six passing attempts, was capped off by a 46-yard TD strike to tight end Tom Santi on 3rd-and-24.

"It certainly set the tone for the second half," said Duke coach Ted Roof of Santi's catch. "I surely don't want to say that was the only play that affected the outcome of the game, but we've got to be able to get off the field on third and long."

It would was "third and long" and not 3rd-and-9, because Virginia was called for three straight false start penalties, a true rarity.

Nevertheless, Virginia took a 17-0 lead on Santi's second scoring reception of the year. Not content or perhaps remembering the first two games of the season (close wins over Western Michigan and Syracuse), Virginia quickly padded its lead and thanks in part to the second interception of the game by UVa cornerback Marcus Hamilton.

Three plays after Hamilton's interception, Hagans connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Phillips. After making the catch shy of the goalline, Phillips carried a handful of Duke defenders on his back for the first touchdown of the true freshman's career.

"Man, it seemed like 10 seconds for [Phillips] to get in there," joked Hagans, "but it was worth it."

Virginia pushed the lead to 31-0 as Hagans threw his fourth and final touchdown pass, connecting with Deyon Williams for a 23-yard strike on the drive's first play from scrimmage.

It was the second touchdown of the game for Williams, who led Virginia with four catches and 49 yards. The junior wideout caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hagans in the second quarter, which gave UVa a 10-point lead.

Virginia's final score came in the fourth quarter as redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman found the end zone on a 17-yard run. That score was set up by a

68-yard kickoff return by Michael Johnson, easily the longest of his three-year career.

For the game, Virginia finished with just 324 yards of total offense and 17 first downs, but it was more than enough to knock off the Blue Devils.

"We kind of kept grinding," Groh said. "These things don't happen automatically. You've got to have a grinding mentality if you're against good competition and competitive players, and Duke's players played hard today.

"They're going to make it sticky on you for awhile. You can't get discouraged. You've got to keep grinding. I was pleased with that."

The win comes at a pivotal time for Virginia. The game was the first of five straight ACC games for Virginia and the team may have to play without three of its would-be starters.

Virginia's left tackle, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, an All-American candidate, left the contest with 1:20 left in the first quarter and did not return. After being helped off the field, Ferguson sat on the bench and did not stand up until there was 8:30 remaining in the second quarter.

When Ferguson went to the ground on a rushing attempt by Hagans, the tackled quarterback said he was scared of the severity of the injury, the common feeling in the stadium.

"I was getting up and I saw him laying down and I was like 'Ah, man.' I was praying that it wasn't that bad," Hagans admitted. "When I saw him sit up, I went over there and asked him, 'Are you good?' He said: 'I'm alright. I'm about to get up.'

"When he said that I was a little bit better."

Numerous members of Virginia's training staff attended to Ferguson's left knee throughout the first half, but he was able to walk off the field under his own power before and after halftime.

He watched the second half in street clothes with ice packs on the front and back of his knee. Groh disclosed little about the injury after the game.

"It's a little early to tell anything there," Groh said. "I'm sure he'll be day-to-day."

Hagans said Ferguson's injury ultimately served as a wake-up call for the offense.

"You have to go out there and keep fighting. They took down one of our prominent players, one of the best players on our team," Hagans said. "I think it rallied the team more than anything. I don't think it took the air out of our sails.

"It was good to see him walking. I was thankful for that. He'll be back."

Virginia also lost starting center, Brian Barthelmes, who left the game in the first half with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. He did not play in the second half, giving way to Jordy Lipsey.

Barthelmes did, however, remain in uniform and exercised on a stationary bike until it was known that his services were not needed.

Also, UVa linebacker Ahmad Brooks (knee) did not dress out against Duke and has not played yet this season. He remains questionable at best to play on Saturday at Maryland.

 

Makeshift Offensive Line makes difference
By Kris Wright / Daily Progress staff writer
September 25, 2005

Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson was sitting in street clothes. Center Brian Barthelmes was riding an exercise bike, available only in case of emergency. Tackle Brad Butler was in a new home on the opposite side of the line. Only one starter - Brandon Albert - was still in his original position.

No matter. The Virginia football team overcame a knee injury to Ferguson and tightness in Barthelmes’ left leg, as a make-shift offensive line helped dispatch visiting Duke, 38-7.

“They fit right in and did a good job,” said UVa QB Marques Hagans of the different faces on the O-line. “Brad Butler did a good job on the other side of the line - he got a gameball - and he did a great job of leading those guys.”

The different personnel along the front line strengthened as the game progressed, protecting longer for Hagans and opening up more running room than earlier in the game.

Need proof?

Virginia’s leading rusher on the day was Cedric Peerman with 46 yards on 10 carries - all of that production came in the fourth quarter. Granted, the game was well in hand by that point but the offensive line had been winning the battle since a forgettable sequence of penalties early in the third quarter.

With more than 11 minutes remaining in the period, UVa’s line drew three straight false start penalties. The final two flags were on a pair of reserves - Eddie Pinigis and Jordy Lipsey - as Duke’s linebackers danced around the line of scrimmage, showing blitz and taking it away.

Those mistakes were erased. Quickly.

On 3rd-and-24 (after a penalty-free pre-snap), Hagans dropped back and roped a seeing-eye touchdown pass to tight end Tom Santi from 46 yards out. Obviously, there’s nothing like a touchdown to settle down an anxious line because the Cavs cruised from there.

“We’re three games since the end of last season and we had a completely revamped offensive line in there. Ron [Prince] did a good job of getting them ready at halftime and of letting them know what we were going to do and what we were going to run and so forth,” Cavalier coach Al Groh said. “They should be very proud of the way they played.”

UVa dealt with the first-half injuries by shifting Butler (6-foot-8, 296-pound senior) to left tackle in place of Ferguson and by plugging in several other players everywhere else. That left Albert, the 6-7, 310-pound freshman left guard, as the only starter still in place. Lipsey (6- 3, 266 sophomore) took over the center duties while Pinigis (6-7, 290 sophomore) and Eugene Monroe (6-6, 318 freshman) handled the right-side slots for the majority of snaps.

Albert, who wasn’t sure if that particular lineup had practiced together in those spots, said there wasn’t much change once the group settled down.

“No, [it wasn’t tough],” Albert said. “Eddie Pinigis and Jordy Lipsey know the system and know what to do in there and they came in and did a good job.”

 

Extended Cavalier Football Notebook
September 25, 2005

THE SERIES. Virginia now leads the all-time series with Duke 30-27 after Saturday’s 38-7 victory. Duke had opened a 12-game edge in the series in 1982, but the Cavaliers have won 19 of the past 23 meetings to surge ahead.

FOR STARTERS. Virginia’s defense kept Duke from scoring on its first drive of the game. That marked the first time this season that the Cavaliers’ opposition did not score on its opening possession. Western Michigan scored on a field goal and Syracuse opened with a touchdown.

HAGANS’ DAY. Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans’ 46-yard touchdown pass to Tom Santi in the third quarter was the longest scoring pass of his career; it was also the longest TD reception of Santi’s career. Furthermore, Hagans’ four touchdown passes against the Devils set a new career high; he had three at Western Michigan in 2003 when he started in place of an injured Matt Schaub.
It was the first time a Virginia signal-caller tossed four scoring passes since Schaub did it against N.C. State in 2003. Hagans’ final line: 13-of-21 passing, 174 yards,
4 TDs.
The career passing day came just one week after the senior quarterback had a career rushing day at Syracuse. He rushed for a career-best 110 yards against the Orange.
Hagans has now started the season with three-straight career performances. In addition to the marks mentioned above versus Syracuse and Duke, the Hampton native racked up a career-high
252 passing yards against Western Michigan in the season opener.

WILLIAMS STILL HOT. With two touchdown grabs against Duke, UVa receiver Deyon Williams secured the first multiple touchdown game of his career. Those two scoring catches were his first of the season and they matched his career total entering the game.
Williams finished with four receptions for 49 yards and the two scores. For Williams, it was a good way to start off a birthday - he turned 20 on Saturday.
Williams, a junior, has been sizzling since starting strong in training camp. Against Western Michigan, he tied his then-career high with five receptions for
79 yards and three of those catches went for first downs. Then at Syracuse, he set a new personal benchmark with seven catches and 61 yards.

POINTS CHASE. Kicker Connor Hughes continued his climb up the career scoring charts with another solid day. Hughes upped his season points total to
24 after the Duke game, giving him 257 for his career. That keeps him in third place on the record list, just 16 points from passing former placekicker Rafael Garcia on the charts. Gene Mayer (1912-1915) is the all-time leader with 293. Hughes (8 ppg) is on pace to pass 300 points by the end of the season.
The rise up the charts should not be surprising - Hughes has made at least one field goal in 26 of his last 31 games. He opened the scoring against Duke with a
32-yarder in the first quarter. He also missed a 52-yarded in the second quarter.
TURNOVER TROUBLES CONTINUE. The Cavaliers had not been a turnover prone team in recent years under Al Groh, but the early season problems continued with Duke. On the second play of the second quarter, Hagans hit Jason Snelling over the middle for a completion. Snelling, who was fighting for extra yards, got hit while being tackled and the ball popped into the air before landing in Duke defensive end Eli Nichols’ arms. It was UVa’s fifth fumble of the season.
The Cavaliers had fumble problems against Western Michigan in the opener as well, recording four fumbles - losing just one of them. Notably, Hagans had also thrown five interceptions (two vs. WMU and three vs. Syracuse) before having zero against the Devils.

THE DROPSIES. Virginia came out of the gates with intentions of passing he ball through the air. The problem? UVa’s intended receivers dropped 3 of the first 5 attempts. The two completions were screens to Snelling and Wali Lundy, the 100th reception of his career.
“I never lose confidence in my receivers. They never lose confidence in me so there’s no way I could lose confidence in them,” Hagans said. “Anytime I’ve thrown a pick, they’ve all rallied behind me so there’s never a way I’m going to lose confidence in them.”
Lundy, making his return after sitting out seven-plus quarters with an injury, finished with 20 yards rushing and 16 yards receiving on three catches. He now has
102 career receptions, which leaves him 12th on the all-time list at UVa. Lundy is just the third running back to accomplish the feat, along with Terry Kirby and Alvin Pearman.

WAITING FOR CEDRIC. Any Virginia fans who left before the start of the fourth quarter Saturday didn’t see much action from running back Cedric Peerman, who had become the Cavs’ workhorse since late in the Western Michigan game.
Certainly part of the wait had to do with Lundy’s return and Michael Johnson’s performance in the first three quarters (9 carries for 45 yards). Once Peerman got into the rotation, he immediately went to work with a 17-yard touchdown run. Peerman has now rushed for a score in three straight contests. He had one TD against Western Michigan and one against Syracuse (he also scored on a reception against SU).
Peerman, who recorded a team-high 46 yards Saturday, had a team-leading 17 carries for 69 yards against WMU and followed that with a 63-yard effort versus the Orange. Entering the Duke game, Peerman led all freshmen in the nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 163.5 ypg.

ROTATING QBS. While Virginia’s quarterback situation is a known commodity, Duke rotated its signal callers Saturday. Mike Schneider started the game under center before giving way to freshman Zack Asack for part of the day. Schneider finished 2 of 5 for 21 yards with an INT, while Asack went 7 of 13 with 2 INTs and 1 TD.
With the game well in hand (38-7), Christian Olsen entered as the backup quarterback for Hagans in the fourth quarter. He went 2 of 4 for 40 yards.

KAI AND LONG. Cavalier linebacker Kai Parham and defensive linemen Chris Long had big days against the Blue Devils. Parham, who was the ACC Defensive Player of the Week last week, racked up another 12 tackles this week and added a forced fumble.
Long, who entered Saturday’s game as the ACC co-leader for tackles by defensive linemen with 5.0 tackles per game, helped his cause against Duke. He was credited with four tackles.

TACKLING THE TIDBITS. Three NFL teams had scouts scheduled to be at Saturday’s game (N.Y. Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers). ... Virginia had just one interception on defense entering the Duke game before picking off two in the first half and one in the second half. The three interceptions were the most by the Cav defense since picking off three against Western Michigan in 2003. Marcus Hamilton upped his career INT total to six, while Tony Franklin moved his career number to four. Hamilton, who had two picks Saturday, also had two last year against Georgia Tech. … After the win over Duke, UVa has won 14 of its last 15 Homecoming games, including five straight. The Cavs are 41-38-2 all-time in Homecoming games. … The attendance Saturday was 61,021. … Michael Johnson’s 68-yard fourth-quarter kickoff return was the longest of his career. He had one of 47 yards against Fresno State in last year’s MPC Computers Bowl. Saturday’s return set up a Peerman touchdown run. … The captains against Duke were Franklin, Brennan Schmidt, Lundy and Hughes. … Kurt Smith carried the flag to lead the Hoos onto the field. … Gameballs went to Brad Butler, Kwakou Robinson, Brennan Schmidt, Kevin Bradley and weight coach Evan Marcus. … Aaron Clark got in on the action Saturday, becoming the eighth true freshman to play this season for Virginia. … Tight end John Phillips’ touchdown catch was his first career TD reception and his first career catch period. Phillips first college snap was the previous play.

DUNKING THE DEVIL. In ‘The Adventures of Cavman,’ one of the pre-game features at Scott Stadium, the animated Cavalier made his was to the Aquatics and Fitness Center. Once inside the pool, the Cavman forced the Blue Devils’ mascot into the water to win the head-to-head battle.

UP NEXT. Virginia (3-0, 1-0 ACC) travels to Maryland on Saturday for a noon start, while Duke (1-3, 0-2 ACC) hosts Navy the same day at 1 p.m.

 

After slow start, Cavaliers roll over Duke
Mistakes hurt Virginia early, but quarterback Marques Hagans and the offense get better as the game goes on.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When an offensive line incurs three consecutive false-start penalties, there are few ways to escape a coach's wrath.

Virginia found one Saturday against Duke.

There were only smiles when the offensive unit returned to the bench after Marques Hagans completed a 46-yard pass to Tom Santi on third-and-24, the touchdown that served as UVa's springboard to a 38-7 victory at Scott Stadium.

"I just told the guys to calm down," said Hagans, who by then was playing behind a makeshift line after the loss of veterans D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Brian Barthelmes. "We'd gone about as far as we could in one direction. It was time to start going the other direction."

Hagans' pass to Santi was the first of three Virginia touchdowns in a 6-minute, 49-second span of the third quarter and removed any suspense as 23rd-ranked Virginia (3-0, 1-0 ACC) beat the Blue Devils (1-3, 0-2) for the sixth straight time.

Hagans finished with four touchdown passes -- a pair to junior wide receiver Deyon Williams and one each to tight ends Santi and John Phillips, a true freshman from Bath County. Hagans had thrown three touchdown passes only once, in an emergency start two years ago at Western Michigan.

"I don't think I've ever thrown for four touchdowns in a game, not even at Hampton High School, but I may have run for four, five or six," Hagans said.

Virginia receivers dropped passes on four consecutive Hagans attempts in the first quarter, but he finished 13-of-21 for 174 yards.

No apologies were in order.

"They don't got to say anything," Hagans said. "I make mistakes, too. I throw bad balls. I just got through throwing five interceptions in the last two games. They pick me up. I pick them up. They don't want to drop the ball. I don't want to throw interceptions."

Virginia, ranked 114th out of 117 Division I-A teams in turnover margin, had its lone turnover Saturday on a Jason Snelling fumble and forced four Duke turnovers -- a fumble and three interceptions, two by cornerback Marcus Hamilton.

Nevertheless, the Cavaliers heard a smattering of boos as they left the field at halftime and again during the penalty-riddled sequence prior to the Santi touchdown reception.

"You know coach [Al] Groh had to be [ticked]," Hagans said. "We were [ticked], too."

By that time, back-ups Eddie Pinigis and Jordy Lipsey were at right tackle and center, respectively, and starting right tackle Brad Butler had moved to left tackle.

"You've got to hand it to coach [Ron] Prince," said Butler, referring to the Cavaliers' offensive coordinator. "When we had some lopsided games last year, he would move me to left tackle and I would play with the second team. I felt like I knew what I was doing over there."

Doctors retaped Barthelmes' ankle and he rode a stationary bike for the rest of the afternoon -- in case he was needed, which he wasn't. Ferguson needed some assistance as he limped off the field with an apparent knee injury but he stared into a TV camera after the final buzzer and said he would be OK.

Most unusual was an injury sustained by Santi, who returned to the bench after his touchdown reception and started experiencing soreness in his chest. He started coughing up blood and was joined on the bench by his father, a physician in Nashville, Tenn.

"He's a colon-cancer surgeon," Santi said. "That's on the other end from this. It was more of a father thing than a doctor thing. I guess he saw it happen. He was up in the stands and just ended up down there."

Saw what happen?

"I don't know what it was," said Santi, who could not remember being hit on his touchdown reception or sustaining a particularly hard hit on any other play.

Making his return after a three-week absence was senior tailback Wali Lundy, who sustained a sprained foot in the first quarter of UVa's opening game Sept. 3 against Western Michigan. Lundy started Saturday and carried 10 times for 20 yards, and he also had three receptions.

"I think Wali did a nice job," Groh said. "I don't think he had all his juice out there today."

Redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman didn't get his first carry until the fourth quarter but immediately ran 17 yards for a touchdown. He ended up as UVa's leading rusher with 46 yards on a day when the Cavaliers ran for 110 as a team -- down from 348 last year, when Alvin Pearman had 223 by himself in a 37-16 UVa win in Durham, N.C.

After the 2004 game, Virginia had anticipated that Duke would be out to stop the run and "that's the basic nature of their scheme anyway -- to gang up on the run and try and condense the field," Groh said. "We were determined we weren't going to let the game be played in a phone booth."

 

Bath County's Phillips answers call with a TD
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Bath County's John Phillips had dreamed of his first reception in a Virginia football uniform, but reality was even sweeter.

Phillips had played on special teams in UVa's first two games, but he had just been summoned from the bench Saturday when he took a short pass from quarterback Marques Hagans and barreled into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown reception.

It would have been nice if his father had been on hand for the occasion, but the Phillips family can't be everywhere.

Gene "Bugs" Phillips was in Williamsburg, where several hours earlier, older son Jacob had thrown a touchdown pass and rushed for a touchdown in William and Mary's 56-0 romp of Liberty.

Mother Susan was at Scott Stadium, where John added a 14-yard reception in the fourth quarter of a 38-7 victory over Duke. Several cousins were part of both traveling parties.

Phillips might not have been playing if Tom Santi had not required medical attention after catching a 46-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Moments after Santi's touchdown, an interception by Marcus Hamilton and a personal foul against the Blue Devils, gave Virginia possession at the 12-yard line.

On first down, UVa employed one tight end, Jon Stupar. After Michael Johnson was stopped for no gain, the call was for a two tight ends.

"Coach Prince turned around and said, 'You're in the game,' " Phillips said. "I didn't even know Tom was hurt."

After an incompletion, Phillips was the primary receiver for a Hagans' toss over the middle. He caught it at the 4 and dragged several defenders into the end zone.

Phillips was about 15 yards up the field, headed to the bench, when, after some deliberation, the officials signaled touchdown.

"I was pretty sure I was in," he said. "But I didn't know. I was just excited I got my first catch."

Coach Al Groh was describing the play to reporters when he saw Phillips at the back of the interview area.

"It was an excellent individual play by John," Groh said. "We hope it's the first of many. He didn't stick his toe in the water and see if this was a good idea this year or not. He came in with the mentality that he was going to play.

"He did a real nice job today, he's proud of his touchdown and I'm sure he wishes he had that holding penalty back. Right, John."

Personnel

Phillips' fellow freshman from Timesland, outside linebacker Aaron Clark of Rockbridge County, made his first appearance of the season and was credited with a quarterback pressure. Clark was the eighth true freshman to play for UVa this season. ... Eddie Pinigis, a sophomore offensive tackle from Jefferson Forest, received the most extensive playing time of his career.

Milestones

Senior tailback Wali Lundy became the 13th UVa player to notch 100 receptions in his career with the first of three catches Saturday. ... Junior Deyon Williams, celebrating his 20th birthday, became the first UVa wide receiver with two touchdown receptions in a game since Billy McMullen in 2002.

Odds and ends

Groh was quick to praise his special teams, especially fifth-year kickoff specialist Kurt Smith. Two of his high kickoffs resulted in touchbacks and none of which was returned past the 22. ... Kai Parham just missed out on his fifth sack of 2005 when Duke quarterback Mike Schneider fumbled the ball, which was picked up by the Cavaliers' Mark Miller. ... Virginia never had beaten Duke six straight times before Saturday. ... UVa is 14-1 in its last 15 homecoming games.

Up next for Virginia

The Cavaliers (3-0 overall, 1-0 ACC) visit Maryland (2-2, 1-1) for a noon game Saturday that will be televised on WDBJ. The Terrapins snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Wake Forest, 22-12, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

 

Cavaliers' defense stymies Blue Devils' 'attack'
Virginia's defense holds Duke to 215 yards of total offense and forces four Blue Devils turnovers.
By Jim Reedy
381-1673
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For a long while Saturday afternoon, little seemed to go right for Virginia's offense.

Receivers dropped passes. Blockers struggled to open holes and backs struggled to find them. And then injuries felled the Cavaliers' top two linemen.

The defense wasn't fazed. The defense tries to never be fazed, no matter what happens on the other side of the ball.

"We have a tremendous offense," said senior defensive end Brennan Schmidt, a team captain. "Sometimes you just need to give them a second."

So while Marques Hagans and his offensive mates found a rhythm, Schmidt and the defense set about the task of dismantling Duke's quote-unquote attack. They know it's not the biggest challenge they'll face this season, but it's hard not to be excited with the details of Saturday's 38-7 win.

The Blue Devils gained only 215 yards from scrimmage -- and got 112 of them on their final three possessions once the game was in hand and Virginia had begun substituting liberally.

And the turnovers. Oh, the turnovers.

Kai Parham, doing his best to make Virginia fans forget the continued absence of fellow star linebacker Ahmad Brooks, forced a fumble to set up the Cavaliers' first three points.

Marcus Hamilton, who intercepted two passes, jumped an out pattern deep in Duke territory and snared a wounded duck that quarterback Zack Asack, under heavy pressure from Parham and others, unwisely heaved into the secondary.

Tony Franklin had a pick as well, a relatively easy catch of an overthrow forced by Virginia's precisely positioned zone defense.

Nine of Duke's 13 possessions ended either in turnovers or three-and-outs.

"We were out there having fun all game," said sophomore end Chris Long, one of nine freshmen and sophomores in Virginia's regular defensive rotation.

Still, as Pete Gillen, UVa's recently departed basketball coach, was fond of saying: "Duke is Duke."

The Blue Devils, losers to East Carolina and Virginia Tech in their only previous games against Division I-A opponents, came in with an ACC-low average of 229 offensive yards per game -- more than 100 yards less than the next-worst team.

"It's easy to look at somebody like Duke, just because of their past and their record and just assume that you're going to run over them," said Parham, whose 12 tackles made him the team leader in all three games this season. "But it really doesn't matter how good you're supposed to be or how bad you're supposed to be. We're just going to get after it."

Certainly UVa coach Al Groh wasn't quite ready to shower his defense with unconditional praise.

"It did those [good] things today," Groh said. "We'll see. There's a long time for this story to be written, so I'm certainly not starting the wheels on the bandwagon to roll right now. But for what they had to deal with today, they did a nice job."

 

Media takes issue with UVa access
Shooting guard Mack to visit Blacksburg
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

At least two in-state daily newspapers were prepared this week to suspend mid-week University of Virginia football coverage, citing a lack of accessibility.

The Roanoke Times was among a large group of papers invited to participate in a boycott, apparently averted when UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said he would take a personal role in improved relations.

Littlepage advised reporters to wait and see if they were satisfied with player turnout on future Tuesdays, the day that Virginia has chosen for its weekly on-site news conference.

For the past 25 years, UVa has held its news conferences on Mondays but switched to Tuesday this year because coach Al Groh said he did not want to talk about a Saturday game for three straight days – Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

While Groh’s explanation was reasonable enough, it did put the Cavaliers’ weekly news conference in different conflict with coach Frank Beamer’s weekly news luncheon, which has been held on Tuesdays virtually since his arrival.

Some news outlets have been placed in a position of making a choice, including The Associated Press and The Washington Post, who have the same beat reporter for both programs (Hank Kurz for the AP and Mark Schlabach for the Post). This past Tuesday, Kurz and Schlabach were in Blacksburg, advancing fourth-ranked Virginia Tech’s game with No. 15 Georgia Tech.

The turnout in Charlottesville was among the slimmest in recent memory, although the Cavaliers are spending their fourth straight week in the Top 25.

Reporters are asked to submit interview requests by Sunday, although requests rarely are filed on time (their problem, not UVa’s). When Tuesday came around, four players showed up for interview: freshman offensive guard Branden Albert, nose tackle Keenan Carter, linebacker Mark Miller and defensive lineman Kwakou Robinson.

None would qualify as a marquee player, which is one reason that editors from Norfolk and Newport News – the two papers who drive the farthest distance to cover UVa football – were left to question their policy. Among the players who did not show were quarterback Marques Hagans – a regular no-show – and tailback Wali Lundy.

(To the credit of the UVa sports information office, it was able to line up a phone interview Tuesday with linebacker Kai Parham, who has a class conflict on Mondays.).

Much of the blame has been directed at Groh, who also does not allow his assistant coaches to speak to the media, except for one week at the end of spring training. In 2004, Groh became angry at media coverage of off-field incidents and didn’t let his assistants talk the whole year.

More recently, Groh has become testy when asked about the status of linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who has not played this season while rehabilitating a surgically repaired knee. Never mind that Brooks was a finalist last year for the Butkus Award that goes to the nation’s top linebacker.

“We’re going to cut this silliness off at the pass,” said Groh, without explaining why the questions about Brooks represented “sillines.”

UVa had problems with player attendance at news conferences under Groh’s predecessor, George Welsh, but there was a succession of players like Ronde and Tiki Barber, Anthony Poindexter, Matt Schaub and others, who understood that stardom comes with certain demands.

For a time, Virginia Tech had similar problems, with the media regularly complaining about the lack of star quality when the luncheons were held off campus. When the luncheons were moved on campus, player attendance improved, but that particular event also picked up the support of the football staff.

Littlepage may be able to improve relations for 2-3 weeks, but there won’t be any long-term improvement until Groh sees a need for it.

AMONG THE VISITORS to Virginia Tech for the Hokies’ football game Saturday with Georgia Tech will be Doneal Mack, a 6-foot-5 basketball recruit from Statesville, N.C., who will in Blacksburg on an official visit.

Florida and Marquette furnish the stiffest competition for Mack, a shooting guard who plays at Statesville Christian. Last week, the Hokies entertained three players from whom they have oral commitments – Lewis Witcher from Franklin County and teammates Nigel Munson and Jeff Allen from DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md.

Allen reportedly will spend the 2006-2007 season at Hargrave Military Academy in 2007-2008. Part of the reason for that is the anticipation that he might not meet NCAA eligibility guidelines. However, Tech currently is in the position of not having any grants for 2006-2007.

That is based on the assumption that Markus Sailes, a senior academically, will return in 2006-2007 for a fourth season of basketball eligibility. Sailes played in three early games this past season but was at less than full strength as the result of a stress fracture in his right leg and has grounds for a successful hardship appeal.

Rivals.com says that three football recruits will make official visits to Tech this weekend – offensive linemen Alex Stadler from Liberty High School in Fauquier County and Aaron Brown from Cincinnati, and defensive lineman Jared Odrick from Lebanon, Pa.

TAKING IN THE Virginia-Duke football game will be two current high-school seniors, 6-6 Jonathan Mitchell from Mount Vernon, N.Y., and 6-9 Brad Sheehan from Shaker, N.Y, who will be making official visits.

Coach Dave Leitao and his staff also have invited several juniors to campus for unofficial visits; reporter Chris Horne, who works for TheSabre.com and TechSideline.com, says that group will include point guard Sam Zeglinski from Philadelphia and shooting guard Austin Freeman from DeMatha.

Zeglinski plays at the same school (Penn Charter) and for the same coach (Jim Phillips) who turned out UVa point guard Sean Singletary.

 

Tougher tests await the Cavaliers
Published September 25 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Well now, that was a fairly successful and comprehensive homecoming, wouldn't you say?

Your Virginia Cavaliers evoked cheers, smiles and moderate satisfaction, as well as occasional doses of concern, anguish and general head scratching.

They gave the home folks reason to remain interested beyond halftime, then commenced to whacking the ACC's pinata in pads, Duke University.

"They're going to make it sticky on you for a while," Virginia coach Al Groh said of the Blue Devils after Saturday's 38-7 victory. "You can't get discouraged. You've got to keep grinding. I was pleased with that. ... You believe in yourself and you don't blink and you don't flinch, well, that's got to be part of our M.O."

After three tries, Virginia finally disposed of an inferior opponent. What's unclear is the extent to which the Cavaliers improved, or whether they simply took advantage of Duke's deficiencies and generosity.

A more accurate reading of the Cavaliers' abilities will come soon enough, as dates loom at Maryland, at Boston College and versus Florida State.

The Cavaliers rarely play well in College Park. BC is a big, physical team that deserves its ranking, and the Seminoles always have more ath-a-letes than just about anyone. But those are concerns for future days.

The happy side of the Virginia ledger Saturday included quarterback Marques Hagans, a full complement of running backs, a defense that has made gains in three games, and special teams that excelled, at least for one day, in both coverage and kick returns.

The queasy side featured injuries to starting offensive linemen D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Brian Barthelmes, a sudden case of the drops by the receivers, and the continued absence of linebacker Ahmad Brooks.

Hagans, the senior from Hampton, threw for four touchdowns and, unlike the first two games, didn't come close to throwing an interception. He was undeterred, despite several muffs by his receivers.

"I make mistakes, too," he said. "I throw bad balls. I threw five interceptions in the first two games, and they're always there to pick me up and say that we're going to make the next play. There's no discouragement. I know they don't want to drop the ball, and I don't want to throw interceptions."

Misleading stat of the day: Duke held a five-minute advantage in time of possession in the second half.

The Cavaliers scored touchdowns on the first four possessions of the second half, three of which took less than a minute and covered no more than 25 yards, thanks to their defense and special teams.

"I don't think we really did a good job of closing out the game today," offensive tackle Brad Butler said. "I think the defense and special teams did such a great job, it makes it pretty easy on the offense when you're starting at the 20- or 30-yard line."

The Cavaliers' 10-0 halftime lead elicited some grumbling, which was to be expected when it plays out that you're more successful converting on 3rd-and-24 than on 3rd-and-1.

But Groh and the coaching staff were determined to try to use Hagans' arm and feet to prevent Duke from crowding the line of scrimmage against the run, given that the Cavaliers rushed for 348 yards in last year's victory.

Defense and special teams rendered the offensive strategy moot. The Cavaliers rushed for less than one-third the yardage of a year ago, which turned out to be plenty.

"Each week and each game is its own week, and there is no succession of events in a season," Groh said. "There's not a momentum of winning, there's not a momentum of losing. Each game is its own deal, whether it's 30 degrees out there, 90 degrees out there, inside, outside, home, away, the circus is coming to town or it's not coming to town."

The Cavaliers' traveling circus hits the road again this week.
 

Defense, special teams trigger U.Va.
After sputtering start, Hagans gets Cavs' offense rolling in second half
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 25, 2005
U.VA. 38 DUKE 7
PAGE C5: U.Va.'s Michael Johnson can predict the future, says columnist John Markon

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Superior special teams and dominant defense carried the University of Virginia football team for a half yesterday. When the Cava- liers' offense stopped sputtering, the romp was on.

In its ACC opener, 23rd-ranked U.Va. scored four second-half touchdowns and cruised to a 38-7 victory over Coastal Division foe Duke before a homecoming crowd of 61,021 at Scott Stadium.

"That's part of football," Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton said of the offense's early struggles. "They're going to have to pick us up sometime."

Senior quarterback Marques Hagans, picked off five times in Virginia's first two games, threw no interceptions against the Blue Devils (0-2, 1-3). On an afternoon when he had five of his passes dropped, Hagans still completed 13 of 21 attempts for 174 yards. He threw a career-high four touchdown passes, including two to junior wideout Deyon Williams.

"He did everything we'd want a quarterback to do," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said.

Virginia (1-0, 3-0) forced four turnovers, three in the first half. At the break, though, the Cavs' lead was only 10-0, and they'd totaled a modest 125 yards of offense. Worse for the Wahoos, two of their starting offensive linemen -- center Brian Barthelmes (left ankle) and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (sprained left knee) -- had suffered first-half injuries.

Fortunately for U.Va., its opponent was Duke. The Blue Devils, who finished with 215 yards of offense, don't have the speed or talent or depth to hang with the conference's better teams, and their almost-inevitable decline started after the break.

On the opening series of the second half, behind a makeshift offensive line that included seldom-used sophomore Jordy Lipsey at center, the Cavaliers drove to the Duke 31-yard line, where they faced third and 9. Three consecutive false starts pushed U.Va. back to the 46.

Third and 24? What's the big deal? Hagans fired a perfect strike to sophomore tight end Tom Santi, who caught the ball inside the 10 and outran his defender to the end zone.

"That's a big turning point in the game," Groh said. "It gave us a lot of juice, a lot of momentum."

Hagans never cooled off. Duke's next series ended when Hamilton made his second interception of the game, which he returned 10 yards. A personal foul on the Devils gave U.Va. a first down at their 12. Three plays later, Hagans passed to true freshman tight end John Phillips, who caught the ball at the 4 and made the first reception of his college career one to savor. Phillips is a lean 240-pounder, but he dragged multiple Devils into the end zone for a TD with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers struck even quicker on their final two scores. After a play in which Duke punted and then was called for two penalties on Michael Johnson's return, U.Va. set up at the Devils' 23. On first down, Williams, uncovered on a post pattern, caught a pass from Hagans for a 30-0 lead late in the third quarter.

Virginia enjoyed excellent field position throughout. Moments into the fourth quarter, U.Va. started a series at the Duke 17 after a 68-yard kickoff return by Johnson. On first down, redshirt freshman tailback Cedric Peerman produced his fourth TD as a Cavalier, racing 17 yards on a toss sweep. Connor Hughes' extra point made it 38-7 with 14:36 left, and junior Christian Olsen replaced Hagans at QB on U.Va.'s next series.

"We just kind of kept grinding," Groh said of his offense's improvement in the second half. "I was pleased with that: that idea about being a grinder and not getting discouraged and everything's not perfect, but you believe in yourself and you don't blink and you don't flinch. That's got to be part of our M.O. as much as our schemes."

Senior tailback Wali Lundy played for the first time since spraining his left foot in the Sept. 3 opener. Lundy didn't have his usual burst, rushing 10 times for 20 yards, but the Cavaliers' other tailbacks were in top form. Johnson gained 45 yards on nine carries, and Peerman finished with 46 on 10 runs.

Williams, on his 20th birthday, had four receptions for 49 yards in U.Va.'s sixth straight win over Duke.

U.Va. again played without inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who was on the sideline in street clothes. In Brooks' absence, inside linebacker Kai Parham continued to perform like an All-American. The junior from Virginia Beach contributed a game-high 12 tackles, including two for losses. The Cavaliers recorded only one sack but applied constant pressure to Duke's quarterbacks. U.Va.'s coverage teams dazzled, too, as did return men Peerman and Johnson.

"Today our defense and special teams did a good job of making it easier on the offense," said senior Brad Butler, who shifted from right tackle to left tackle after Ferguson departed late in the first quarter.


 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Sep 25, 2005

IN JEOPARDY? Like defensive end Brennan Schmidt, offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson started his 42nd consecutive game for Virginia yesterday. Whether Ferguson's streak will continue is uncertain.

Late in the first quarter, Ferguson suffered an injury that U.Va. trainers diagnosed as a sprained left knee, according to a report on U.Va.'s radio broadcast. The All-America candidate spent the rest of the game on the sidelines, with ice on his knee. Ferguson watched the second half in a warmup suit, but he seemed to be in good spirits and put his energy into coaching, sharing his expertise with his less-experienced teammates.

The school record for career starts is 49, held by former punter Will Brice.

"It's a little bit early to tell anything there," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said when asked about Ferguson's status for next weekend's game at Maryland.

ADJUSTING ON THE FLY: Not only did Virginia lose Ferguson in the first half, but starting center Brian Barthelmes hurt his left ankle. Barthelmes, a fifth-year senior, didn't play in the second half, but he got plenty of exercise. To keep his ankle loose, Barthelmes rode a stationary bike on the sideline for most of the game's final 30 minutes.

To fill the holes created by Ferguson's and Barthelmes' departures, offensive line coach Ron Prince shifted senior Brad Butler from right tackle to Ferguson's spot on the left side. Prince, also Virginia's offensive coordinator, inserted seldom-used sophomores Jordy Lipsey and Eddie Pinigis at center and right tackle, respectively.

On one side of Lipsey, at left guard, was true freshman Branden Albert. At right guard was sophomore Marshal Ausberry or true freshman Eugene Monroe. With that makeshift group manning the line, U.Va. scored 28 second-half points in its 38-7 win over Duke.

"It was very pleasing to see," Groh said. "That's what a team's got to do. People understand their roles and their expectations . . . That's a credit to their resilience, and Ron Prince did a good job of getting them organized at halftime, as to what was going to go on, what we were going to call, so they were well-prepped. They can feel proud of what they did tonight."

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Defensive end Chris Johnson confirmed Wednesday night that he plans to apply for re-admission to Virginia after serving his academic suspension. Johnson is likely to miss the entire 2005-06 school year but said it might "be possible that I could be re-admitted for the [spring semester]."

Johnson, who started U.Va.'s final four games as a true freshman last season, recently learned U.Va. officials had rejected his appeal of his suspension.

"There were some contributing things, but I made mistakes, and that's why I'm in this position," said Johnson, a graduate of Charlottesville High. "I'm not going to hide from it. If anything, it's going to make me that much more focused, that much more hungry. Some people think I won't be able to bounce back, but that's my motivation."

Johnson cited the example set by wideout Ottowa Anderson, who was suspended from U.Va. in 2004-05 for academic reasons but is now back in school and on the team.

"The whole situation just makes you value playing that much more," said Johnson, who participated in Virginia's training camp last month but didn't play in its first two games.

WELL DONE: Groh and his staff awarded game balls to Butler for offense, nose tackle/end Kwakou Robinson and end Brennan Schmidt for defense, and Kevin Bradley for special teams. One also went to strength coach Evan Marcus.

NOT THIS TIME: A season ago at Wallace Wade Stadium, U.Va. rushed for 348 yards, with tailback Alvin Pearman contributing 223, in a 37-16 rout of Duke. The Blue Devils had no intention of getting run over again yesterday, and they emphasized slowing Virginia's ground game.

That didn't surprise Groh. "That's the basic nature of their scheme anyway, to gang up on the run, try to condense the field."

The Cavaliers rushed for only 110 yards yesterday, but they were happy to move the ball through the air. Quarterback Marques Hagans passed for 174 yards and four touchdowns, and backup Christian Olsen was 2 for 4 for 40 yards.

"We were kind of determined that we weren't going to let the game be played in a phone booth today," Groh said, "and it worked out pretty decently."

INTO THE MIX: Outside linebacker Aaron Clark became the eighth true freshman to play for U.Va. this season. Clark made his debut in the second quarter yesterday and nearly had a sack in the fourth quarter.

The other true freshmen who have played for the Cavaliers are offensive guards Albert and Monroe, cornerbacks Mike Brown and Chris Cook, tight end John Phillips, outside linebacker Olu Hall and inside linebacker Antonio Appleby.

NEXT WEEKEND: Virginia (1-0, 3-0) goes on the road to meet Maryland (1-1, 2-2) at Byrd Stadium in College Park. The Terrapins won 22-12 at Wake Forest yesterday. A season ago at Scott Stadium, U.Va. blanked Maryland 16-0. The Cavaliers haven't won in College Park since 1999. - Jeff White

 

No psychic needed to predict unbeaten start by Cavaliers
JOHN MARKON
POINT OF VIEW Sep 25, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE Here's something you probably don't know about Michael Johnson, the University of Virginia's junior tailback and kick returner.

He can predict the future.

Before yesterday's game against Duke at Scott Stadium, Johnson told Cavalier cornerback Marcus Hamilton that Hamilton would intercept two passes against the Blue Devils.

Direct hit.

Johnson also told quarterback Marques Hagans that Hagans would complete no fewer than five touchdown passes. Hagans threw for "only" four TDs, technically a miss for Johnson but no reason to knock him off the Ouija board.

"I don't always do a lot of predicting," said Johnson, "but, when I get a really strong feeling about something, I will tell people."

Johnson may have also forecasted the Cavaliers' 38-7 victory over the Blue Devils, but, frankly, you didn't need psychic powers to do that. In Atlantic Coast Conference games, Duke is 18-102 since 1990 and 9-73 since 1995. In Durham, a 1-7 season inside the conference isn't either a good year or a bad year, it's every year.

Anyone wishing to poke holes in Virginia's performance could have done so. The Cavs led by a very modest 10-0 at halftime. Even though they eventually dominated the scoreboard, they never really got to the point where they were just lining up and knocking the Blue Devils off the football.

Duke (1-3) is probably just too slow to win games in the current ACC, where at least a facsimile of pass defense is required for victory. The first three of Hagans' TD passes came on a third-and-nine, a third-and-10 and, most memorably, a third-and-24. That was a 46-yard flip to tight end Tom Santi that followed three straight illegal-motion penalties on the Cavs.

Virginia (3-0) is still best defined by the three U's of September football: unbeaten, untied and unimpressive.

In a somewhat confessional postgame moment, U.Va. coach Al Groh said that his offense, in particular, isn't really structured or able at this point to pound even lesser opponents into submission.

"Last year," said Groh, "we had a team built around power and that was the way we played. This year, we have a different kind of team."

Cavalier running backs netted 101 yards on 31 rushes against Duke. It certainly didn't help that tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (knee) and center Brian Barthelmes (leg) departed in the first half with injuries.

"We're working to get the power game back," said Johnson. "We don't have [2004 senior] Elton Brown on this year's line. Then, we lose two more guys today. Now, before the year's over, we will be running it inside and gaining good yards. That is the best way to dominate another team, even though it's not the only way to win a game."

"When Coach Groh says that," added Hagans, "I think he could be saying we're more flexible. Last year, in the tight spots, we went to a power game. This year, we have more depth and we can do more."

Hagans running out of the pocket was the Cavs' indispensible weapon in previous wins over Western Michigan and Syracuse. Yesterday, Hagans was very effective playing a more traditional, conservative game at QB.

But it was only Duke, ranked by computer guru Jeff Sagarin as the 149th best of the 239 Division I-A and I-AA teams in the country, just a notch higher than mighty Lafayette. Syracuse is ranked 75th, Western Michigan 100th.

The Virginia defense held Duke to 215 net yards, which sounds reasonably proficient until you remember the Devils were held to 45 yards by Virginia Tech just two weeks ago in Durham.

"Personally, I can't wait until we start playing those quote-unquote 'good teams' that everyone says we haven't played yet," said defensive end Chris Long. "I think we'll do well. People are going to find out we have some very good players on our team."

And it wouldn't hurt if Michael Johnson has one of those feelings on the bus to next week's Maryland game.

A really strong feeling.

Just in case.