Groh remains hush on QB situation
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
September 13, 2006

One of the most valuable people in the McCue Center this week has nothing to do with formations or schemes that will be called Saturday against Western Michigan.

Nancy Bourne, an administrative assistant for Virginia coach Al Groh, has the power to hit the delete button on e-mails sent to the coach. That is of added importance, Groh said, just days after backup quarterback Kevin McCabe delivered a game-winning touchdown pass against Wyoming in overtime.

Groh’s inbox was flooded with comments and opinions from armchair quarterbacks instructing the coach on who to start under center - the options include fifth-year starter Christian Olsen or McCabe.

“Sometimes she will give me some and say ‘You’ll find this amusing,’” Groh laughed. “Actually, she wrote on two of them, ‘This guy is back again.’ She even recognizes the names.”

They often get a laugh, but Groh does not put much weight into the e-mails.

“It is now interesting that I am getting some suggestions and some insight, this is true, from some of the same people who told me that [former quarterback Matt] Schaub wasn’t fast enough and that [former quarterback Marques] Hagans was too short,” Groh said. “So clearly I am taking those under strong advisement.”

While the team-issued depth chart still lists Olsen ahead of McCabe, Groh is not in a hurry to endorse either signal-caller.

“I’m not really concerned about naming one for the public,” Groh said. “The public’s not going to choose the quarterback. You guys can have all your little Internet polls that you want, or whatnot.

“It really doesn’t make any difference what the polls say. That’s not the way you choose a quarterback. It’s not an issue for us that we inform the public as to what we are doing.”

Practice, Groh said, would ultimately help make the decision. That would not necessarily be the case if college football resembled the NFL.

“If we had four preseason games to play, what we probably would have done would be to have started Olsen in the first game, played McCabe in the middle of the second quarter, and played Jameel Sewell in the fourth quarter,” Groh said. “In the second preseason game, we probably would have started McCabe, played Olsen in the second half and would not have played Sewell.

“In the third game, we would have started Olsen, played Sewell in the second half and not play McCabe. And then we have a real good idea, and for the fourth game we would then be able to decide who gets the bulk of the action. That’s pretty much the situation we have now, except the games count.”

For the season, Olsen is 29 of 55 for 222 yards. McCabe is 10 of 16 for 111 yards and the lone passing touchdown, a 25-yard strike to Kevin Ogletree on the opening play of overtime.

That pass, McCabe said, is a thing of the past.

“It was a lot of fun for 24 hours,” McCabe said. “Sunday, I got time to reflect on it and that’s when you can enjoy it.

“When Monday comes around at 6:45 you have films and you learn from what you did wrong. I did a lot of things wrong, but in the end I was just happy that I was able to move the ball down the field and we ended up getting a win.”

Getting the nod

Despite starting just one game, cornerback Chris Cook ranks second on the team with 13 tackles.

The sophomore, who made 12 tackles against Wyoming, replaced Chris Gorham in the starting lineup.

“That was what we thought would give us the best chance to play well in the game,” Groh said. “We did the same thing at safety.”

At safety, Byron Glaspy replaced senior Tony Franklin.

Injury update

Early in the Saturday’s game, linebacker Denzel Burrell left with an apparent knee injury. Groh said he expects to know more after he gets the results from an MRI performed on Tuesday.

Wideout Deyon Williams (stress fracture) had an X-ray on Monday on his foot, but Groh does not have a timetable for a possible return.

Williams, a senior, said prior to the season that he hoped to return for Virginia’s first ACC game on Sept. 21 at Georgia Tech.

“That’s the optimism of a player that clearly wants to be back sooner rather than later,” Groh said. “Given the time frame that we all received, Georgia Tech was on the very front of the time frame, so that’s probably why Deyon picked that one.”

Defensive end Keenan Carter was also injured during the Wyoming game.

“I think it is his ankle, but whatever put him in the boot, he is in the boot,” Groh said. “That’s about all I need to know.”

Tailback Jason Snelling was held out of the Wyoming game but returned to practice on Monday.

“He did take turns last night, limited, but he took turns last night,” Groh said of his Game 1 starter. “Hopefully, with another week to go he will be up and ready to go.”

Sounding off

“[Jon Copper] really brings it every day, every drill, every play in team period, every lift in the weight room. Those are the things. Commitment, work ethic and toughness are the things that gain the respect of most players.”

- Groh on starting inside linebacker Jon Copper.

Extra points …

Virginia offensive coordinator Mike Groh was on the field during the win over Wyoming. In the season opener, he was in the press box. Al Groh said he expects to have his coordinator on the field again this week.

… Virginia’s ground game ranks ahead of only three programs nationally (Baylor, Florida State and Hawaii). Western Michigan’s rushing defense is ranked No. 34. The Broncos have given up an average of just 79.5 yards per game.

… UVa is a nine-point favorite over Western Michigan.

 

Long doesn't care about lack of stats
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
September 13, 2006

Chris Long is perhaps the best defensive player on Virginia’s football team. Chris Long only has two tackles in 125 snaps this season.

What’s wrong with Chris Long?

Absolutely nothing. In fact, everything is exactly right with the 6-foot-4, 284-pound homegrown defensive end.

In Al Groh’s 3-4 defensive scheme, often the defensive end doesn’t rack up amazing statistical numbers in terms of tackles or sacks. Rather, it is the defensive line’s job to draw as much fire as possible to free up the Cavalier linebackers to make those plays.

An unselfish workhorse

While some players with larger egos might have difficulty handling that kind of assignment, Long thrives in the challenge. As long as somebody is making the tackles or the sacks, as long as UVa is winning, it’s all good with the youngster who grew up in the shadows of the Rotunda in nearby Ivy.

“His play has been real good,” said Groh of Long during Tuesday’s meeting with media. “If you look at some of these linebacker tackle numbers, it gives you some idea where the production is. They’ve been up there pretty good in numbers because the guys around them are doing a good job of giving them the opportunities to move freely to the ball.”

Reaping the rewards

True. The four starting linebackers are among the top eight tacklers on the team: Jon Copper (No. 1 with 18); Antonio Appleby (No. 4 with 11); Clint Sintim (No. 6 with nine); and Jermaine Dias (No. 8 with eight).

The other two starting linemen, nose tackle Allen Billyk and rookie defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, each rank ahead of Long in tackles, somewhat benefiting from the idea that running at Long is not considered the smart thing to do, and the fact that Long gets double-teamed and is sometimes held illegally by his opponent.

The hidden stats

Maybe Long only has a couple of tackles and no sacks, but he has drawn four holding calls in two games, which is essentially like four sacks because each is a 10-yard loss for the opponent.

“It almost feels like a sack,” Long said. “It’s positive production for the defense, it’s 10 yards back. Coach Groh talks about hidden yards a lot and you just feel like you’ve done that much to help your team.”

So, if he has drawn four holding calls, just how many times have opponents gotten away with holds that weren’t called?

“No comment,” said the big end. “I’m not the official out there. I don’t make the calls. I just play football and try to beat blocks. I can’t tell if it’s a hold or not until I look at the film.

“I’m just out there battling for my life in the trenches. If you look at our numbers last game, we were disruptive as a defense.”

While opponents are busy holding Long or trying to negate his threat as a pass rusher, things have opened up for his teammates. Virginia had four sacks in the 13-12 win over Wyoming last Saturday, two by outside linebacker Clint Sintim.

UVa’s defensive backs have also gotten into the act by coming up to stop the run with corner Chris Cook and safety Nate Lyles putting up impressive numbers thus far.

That’s fine with Long.

“When I look at the stat sheet at the end of the game, I’m not looking at my stats, I’m looking at how many sacks we had as a defense,” said No. 91. “If I could be any part of that in causing pressure or havoc, I’m satisfied with that.”

But Long is accustomed to that being the case. During a breakout season as a sophomore in 2005, he recorded 46 tackles (22 solos) in 752 plays (sixth most on the team). Ten of those were tackles in the opponent’s backfield and he had two sacks to go along with a staggering amount of quarterback pressures or hurries with 26 (the next closest on the team was 10).

Still, this past Saturday, he was spotted on several occasions driving his opponent deep into the backfield.

As Groh was quick to point out, there’s no doubt that opposing coaches have informed their players about how important it is to stop Long, although players can easily see for themselves when watching film of Virginia.

Long likes the more aggressive approach that the coaching staff has taken this year toward defensive calls. Fifth-year cornerback Marcus Hamilton said that is partly due to what defensive coordinator Mike London brought back from the Houston Texans after spending a year with the NFL team, and partly because the secondary has more experienced and dependable players that allows London to take more risks.

“We haven’t just sat back and reacted,” Long said. “We have been the ones taking the fight to the offense. I think that’s a credit to just how aggressive Coach London and Coach Groh want us to be. We’re a little bit smaller this year than we have been and have people in positions to play those roles.”

Getting sacks are extremely important to Virginia’s success. Consider that the Cavaliers are 20-4 under Groh (.833) when they make at least three sacks, including 16 of the last 17 times.

With Western Michigan coming to town this weekend, it will be important for Long to be a force. The Cavaliers are 77th nationally in total defense, 75th in pass defense, and 72nd in run defense, which means they’re not doing a very good job of controlling the line of scrimmage.

Should Virginia get by with that this weekend, it surely won’t hold up next week when the Cavs travel to Georgia Tech to begin ACC play. That means as good as Long has been, he may have to raise his game to another level in order for the Wahoos to survive.

 

Sports Focus: Virginia's Quarterback Situation
Groh playing it close Cavs coach feels no pressure to name Olsen or McCabe as starter before Saturday's game
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 13, 2006
W. MICHIGAN AT VIRGINIA
SATURDAY: 3:30 p.m. RADIO: WRVA (1140), 2:30

CHARLOTTESVILLE At the University of Virginia football team's weekly media gathering, one by one they sat down in front of the microphone and answered questions yesterday: first Kevin McCabe, then Al Groh and, finally, Christian Olsen.

Groh, of course, is the Cavaliers' coach. McCabe and Olsen are his most experienced quarterbacks, and one of them figures to start Saturday for U.Va. (1-1) against Western Michigan (1-1) at Scott Stadium.

Performance in practice this week will play a role in his decision, Groh said, but don't expect an official announcement before kickoff.

"I'm not really concerned about naming one for the public," he told reporters. "The public's not going to choose the quarterback. You guys can have all your little Internet polls that you want, or what not. It really doesn't make any difference what the polls say. That's not the way you choose a quarterback."

Given the choice, most U.Va. fans almost certainly would go with McCabe, a redshirt junior. Olsen, a fifth-year senior, started Virginia's first two games and struggled in each one. McCabe replaced Olsen early in the fourth quarter against Wyoming last weekend and led the Wahoos to a 13-12 overtime victory, throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass in overtime.

"Obviously I was upset to come out of the game," Olsen said, "but I realized [the coaches] had to do what they felt was best for our team to win the game. I was real excited that Kevin got to go in there and make some plays."

Matt Schaub started at quarterback for Virginia in 2002 and '03, followed by Marques Hagans in '04 and '05. Neither Olsen nor McCabe entered this season with significant experience, and the other quarterback battling for the starting job, Jameel Sewell, is a redshirt freshman.

For the season, Olsen is 29 of 55 passing for 222 yards and zero touchdowns. He's thrown two interceptions, one of which Pitt returned for a touchdown. McCabe has completed 10 of 16 passes for 111 yards and one TD. Like Olsen, McCabe also threw an interception that was run back for a TD at Pitt.

Both players took snaps with the first-team offense in practice Monday, and that's likely to be the case all week.

McCabe said his first extended stint as a college quarterback was a blast.

"I can't lie about that one," he said. "You always want the best success for the team, no matter who's out there playing, but then whenever you're able to be part of it, and you're able to contribute to a win, it really is a different feeling. And you want to go out there and duplicate that success the next week and the week after."

McCabe's positive moments against Wyoming aside, the offense "had a few more operational problems than what we'd had before," Groh said. Most notably, McCabe mistakenly changed the call on a fourth-and-1 play that the Cowboys subsequently stopped for no gain.

Some fans believe "it's so obvious what we should do at quarterback, but there's a lot of facts that people don't know," Groh said. "Although it's quite interesting that I'm getting some suggestions and some insight from some of the same people who told me that Schaub wasn't fast enough and Hagans was too short."

He added with a wry smile, "So clearly I'm taking those under strong advisement."

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Sep 13, 2006

MEDICAL REPORT: When Deyon Williams will make his 2006 debut for Virginia's football team remains unclear, but the senior wide receiver will start doing some light jogging at the end of this week or early next week, coach Al Groh said yesterday.

Williams had surgery Aug. 11 to repair a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. About a week later, Williams told reporters that he hoped to be back for U.Va.'s Sept. 21 game at Georgia Tech, but that doesn't appear likely.

Virginia (1-1) plays host to Western Michigan (1-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

"Clearly he wants to be back sooner rather than later," Groh said of Williams, the team's leading receiver in 2005. "Given the time frame that we all had received, Georgia Tech was on the very front of that time frame, and that's why Deyon probably picked that one."

In other injury news, Groh said redshirt freshman Denzel Burrell was scheduled to have an MRI yesterday on his left leg, which he injured early in the game against Wyoming last weekend. Burrell played on special teams and at linebacker in U.Va.'s nickel defense.

Also, backup nose tackle Keenan Carter, an oft-injured junior, has his foot in a boot after hurting it against Wyoming. It's unclear when Carter will return.

ON THE MEND: Senior tailback Jason Snelling, who missed the Wyoming game with a sprained ankle, took some turns in practice Monday night. Groh said he hopes the former L.C. Bird star will be available against Western Michigan.

Snelling started in the opener at Pittsburgh and scored the Cavaliers' lone touchdown.

CHANGES COMING: Fans experienced long delays at some gates last weekend as they tried to get into Scott Stadium for the home opener. As a result, U.Va. yesterday announced that it will adjust its new system for scanning fans' tickets, especially at gates on the east side.

The school will open additional entry points and add staff with scanners to improve the flow of fans into the stadium this weekend. Spectators are encouraged to enter the stadium earlier than usual.

OUT OF THE PICTURE: Kevin Bradley, who started at fullback against Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, has been placed on academic suspension and is no longer at U.Va. Bradley, a junior who played mostly on special teams, may apply for re-admission after this academic year.

Linebacker Olu Hall, who played sparingly as a true freshman last season, is still at U.Va., but he'll concentrate on schoolwork this semester and won't practice or play with the team. He's expected to rejoin the team for spring practice and will have three seasons of eligibility left, starting in 2007.

Even if Hall had no academic issues, Groh planned to redshirt him this season to get the former Robinson High star back on track developmentally.

PRECOCIOUS: The only true freshman to play for the Cavaliers this season, Nate Collins, wasn't highly regarded by recruiting analysts. But the 6-2, 281-pound nose tackle from Port Chester, N.Y., has impressed his coaches and teammates at U.Va., and his role seems likely to grow, especially with Carter hobbled.

"He's further along than I was two years ago, just in his approach," said defensive end Chris Long, who played as a true freshman in 2004. "He's much more mature than you would have anticipated coming in, and I believe defensive line, in our system especially, is one of the toughest places for a freshman to play. And he's stepped in and done a nice job for us. And what he lacks in technique and experience, he's made up for it in tenacity and hard work."

Collins attended King & Low-Heywood Thomas, a private school in Connecticut, and spent only part of his time on the defensive line, also playing running back, wideout, quarterback and linebacker.

BIG TARGET: Basketball coach Dave Leitao wants to add a frontcourt player to his 2007-08 recruiting class, and the Cavaliers have intensified their pursuit of 6-8, 215-pound Mike Scott, a graduate of Chesapeake's Deep Creek High.

Scott, who signed with Temple last fall, was released from his letter of intent after John Chaney retired as coach at the Philadelphia school. Scott enrolled this summer at Hargrave Military Academy, where his teammates on the postgraduate team include 6-6 forward Eric Wallace, who has committed to Virginia for 2007-08.

"It doesn't hurt [U.Va.'s chances] that Eric Wallace is here," Hargrave coach Kevin Keatts said yesterday.

Other schools interested in Scott include Wake Forest, Clemson, N.C. State, West Virginia, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh, Keatts said.

Solomon Alabi, a 7-1, 230-pound center from Nigeria who attends a Florida high school, spent last weekend at U.Va. Alabi will visit his other two finalists, Arizona and Florida State, before choosing a school. - Jeff White
 

QB job rests on practice
Christian Olsen and Kevin McCabe are waiting to see who will be chosen to start against Western Michigan.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Christian Olsen was battling a head cold Tuesday as he fielded questions on his future as Virginia's starting quarterback, but, hey, things could be worse.

Olsen, relieved by Kevin McCabe in the Cavaliers' 13-12 victory over Wyoming, said he went home and watched college football Saturday "and tried to enjoy the win.

"There wasn't too much for us to be upset about. Obviously, I didn't play as well as I would have liked. It would have been a lot worse being the Wyoming kicker going all the way back to Wyoming after missing the extra point."

Olsen completed 12 of 21 passes for 89 yards, yielding his lone interception on a tipped ball, but left after three quarters and the score tied 6-6.

Coach Al Groh said in February that Olsen would go into spring practice as Virginia's No. 1 quarterback, and Olsen's hold on the job only grew stronger during spring practice and the preseason.

Whether Olsen starts for Virginia (1-1) in its homecoming game Saturday against Western Michigan (1-1) will hinge on practice this week.

"We've all put in hard work," Olsen said when asked about previous practice work. "I'm not trying to think of any of that. Just because I was the starter doesn't mean those other two guys [McCabe and Jameel Sewell] didn't work hard for the past six months."

Groh wouldn't discount the importance of game performance, but there was little to go on before the season.

"Ever since Marques Hagans stepped off the field [at the Music City Bowl] in Nashville, we've had a circumstance where we have no quarterbacks who really have any game resume to base a decision on," he said.

McCabe got a few more repetitions than usual with the first offense Monday, but neither he nor Olsen could see any signs that Groh had settled on a starter. If he wants to keep the players guessing, that's fine with McCabe.

"I like it like that," he said. "I like living on the edge a little bit. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps you from getting complacent."

Williams not ready yet

Co-captain Deyon Williams, the Cavaliers' leading receiver last season, was in uniform Saturday and participated in the coin flip but his return from Aug. 11 foot surgery is not imminent.

Williams said on UVa's media day Aug. 17 that he hoped to return in time for Virginia's Sept. 21 visit to Georgia Tech but "that's the optimism of a player who clearly wants to be back sooner rather than later," Groh said.

"The way the injury was described to me, it could be anywhere from five weeks to a year. Because it's the outside of the bone, where the degree of blood flow is an issue, there's no way for the doctor to predict the speed of the recovery."

Copper shines

Walk-on linebacker Jon Copper, a sophomore from Northside High School, leads the ACC in unassisted tackles (13) after two games and is third in total tackles with 19, six more than UVa's second-leading tackler, cornerback Chris Cook.

Copper's image is appearing frequently on UVa's JumboTron so frequently that his mother noticed that Fork Union's John Shuman is listed as his high school coach and not Northside's Jim Hickam. Copper said he will ask UVa officials to add Hickam's name to the graphic.

Odds 'n' ends

Shuman said that 2006 UVa signee DeAndre Filer, a defensive back from Indian River High School in Chesapeake, has inquired about the possibility of enrolling at Fork Union. Filer was one of eight UVa signees who were not accepted for admission.

n Mike Groh, in his first season as offensive coordinator, was on the sidelines last Saturday after coaching from the press box Sept. 2, when the Cavaliers lost at Pittsburgh 38-13. McCabe, for one, said he preferred the face-to-face interaction.

n An online telecast of the Virginia-Western Michigan game will be available Saturday on ESPN360.com. One-time Cavaliers head coach Sonny Randle will provide the commentary, with Brian Rose handling the play-by-play.

n Chris Hinkebein, the Charlotte, N.C., place-kicker who committed to Virginia last weekend, already has sent one kickoff through the goalposts and had another hit an upright this season. He is a former Providence High School teammate of UVa wide receiver Andrew Pearman.
 

McCabe gives Cavs a spark; as for a start, Groh is mum
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© September 13, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The conversation Virginia quarterback Kevin McCabe waited three years to have went something like this:

Virginia offensive coordinator Mike Groh: "You're going in."

McCabe: "What?"

Groh: "You're going in."

McCabe: "Cool."

McCabe trotted onto the field in the fourth quarter of a 6-6 game and led Virginia to a 13-12 victory over Wyoming on Saturday, throwing a 25-yard dart to receiver Kevin Ogletree on the first play of overtime to give the Cavaliers their only touchdown of the day.

They were the first meaningful in-game snaps McCabe has taken since 2002, when he was a senior at Pine-Richland High in Wexford, Pa., and rated as one of the top prep quarterbacks in the nation. McCabe, 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds, came to Virginia with no shortage of confidence or sky-high expectations.

"I've always wanted to be the quarterback since I arrived on campus here, day one," he said Tuesday.

McCabe's performance last week would seem to have moved him closer to that goal. After he came on in relief of starter Christian Olsen - and threw for nearly as many yards in one quarter as Olsen did in three - it might appear reasonable to assume that he will start Saturday against Western Michigan, right?

Maybe. Maybe not. At his weekly news conference Tuesday, coach Al Groh not only declined to name a starter, he also said he might not make any announcement prior to the game. For longtime Virginia followers, it brought back memories of 2001. That was Groh's first season, when Matt Schaub and Bryson Spinner traded the job all year, and Groh deflected the weekly questions about who would start.

"I'm not really concerned about naming one for the public," Groh said. "The public's not going to choose the quarterback."

Groh's decision will be based in part on practice this week. As for game performance, Groh said neither McCabe, a redshirt junior, nor Olsen, a redshirt senior, has enough on which to base a decision.

For their part, McCabe and Olsen say coaches haven't tipped their hands. Monday's practice was like any other, McCabe said.

"Chris and I, we both took reps with both teams," he said.

Call it a competition, not a controversy, the players say. McCabe and Olsen both arrived at Virginia in 2003 and remain close.

Still, McCabe said there was an "awkward feeling" between the two after the way things played out Saturday. Olsen failed to get the offense moving for the second straight week and left the field to scattered boos after another three-and-out series.

McCabe entered the game and immediately completed a roll-out pass for 20 yards that enlivened the offense. In three quarters under Olsen, Virginia managed 95 yards of offense and five first downs. In one quarter and one play of overtime, McCabe spurred the team to 111 yards and six first downs. McCabe completed 8 of 13 passes for 85 yards, Olsen 12 of 21 for 95.

"We just looked at each other and said it doesn't change anything," McCabe said. "We're still both quarterbacks for the University of Virginia. It's an awkward feeling, I'm sure, for both of us. If I was in the situation he was in, you wouldn't' know how to approach it, but we just try not to let it come off the field."

McCabe and Olsen hung out and watched and talked football Sunday, as usual. Both said they want what's best for the team, no matter what Groh decides.

But as McCabe said: "You also want to be the guy out there, playing quarterback in the ACC."

Neither said he minded waiting a few days to learn who will be starting Saturday.

"It's going to be a really exciting week of practice," Olsen said.

 

UVa Notebook: Stats don't tell Long's story
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 13, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Chris Long's stats - two tackles in two weeks - aren't impressive. That doesn't mean Virginia's coaches are displeased with the defensive end's play.
The stats to look at, they say, are the defense's production. Specifically, the linebackers.

"(The linebackers have) been up there pretty good in numbers," Virginia coach Al Groh said, "and that's because those guys around them are doing a pretty good job of giving them the opportunity to move freely to the ball."

UVa's two inside linebackers, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby, have combined for 29 tackles.

An all-ACC candidate coming off a sophomore season in which he made 46 tackles, 10 of which were for a loss, Long has made an impact in different ways. In two games, he's drawn three holding penalties.

"It almost feels like a sack," Long said. "You feel like you've helped the team. I'm not going in to each play trying to draw a flag, trying to take a charge like in basketball. I'm out there trying to make plays. If that's an added bonus, I'll take it."

QB still TBA

Groh refused to name a starting quarterback on Tuesday, but he was amused by the number of opinions on the subject.

"You guys can have all the Internet polls that you want," he said. "It really doesn't make a difference what the polls say. That's not the way you choose the quarterback."

Against Wyoming, junior Kevin McCabe replaced fifth-year senior Christian Olsen in the fourth quarter and led the Cavaliers to their only touchdown, a 25-yard pass to Kevin Ogletree in overtime. With Olsen at the helm, UVa gained just 95 yards of offense through three quarters.

Groh said someone will likely emerge from the team's final three practices this week and didn't rule out the possibility of playing two quarterbacks.

"We'll do in any one particular game whatever is necessary," Groh said. "We don't think there's any pat formula. There's not at any other position."

Road to recovery

Many thought that since Deyon Williams was in uniform on Saturday, it meant the senior wide receiver was close to returning from the stress fracture in his right leg that required surgery in early August. Not so.

Groh said Williams could resume light jogging by the end of this week or the beginning of next week but still has no timetable for his return.

"The injury was described to me that (recovery) could be anywhere from five weeks to a year," Groh said. "I feel like I'm not really giving you an answer, but as I understand the situation, there really isn't an answer."

Williams, who surprised Groh by dressing out Saturday, mentioned shortly after his surgery that he wanted to return for the Thursday night Georgia Tech game on Sept. 21. That doesn't appear likely.

"I think typically that's the optimism of a player who clearly wants to be back sooner rather than later," Groh said.

Extra points

Sophomore Byron Glaspy jumped senior Tony Franklin on the depth chart at the starting safety spot opposite Nate Lyles. Glaspy started against Wyoming and made four tackles. Franklin had three stops and broke up a pass. ? Nickel linebacker Denzel Burrell was on crutches for the second half of Saturday's game after getting hit on his left knee during a special teams play. He was scheduled for an MRI late Tuesday. ? Tailback Jason Snelling (ankle) took some turns on Monday after sitting out the Wyoming game. Groh is hopeful that he will be able to play Saturday.


 

Virginia football: We need to have the talk
Joey Mancini, Cavalier Daily Columnist

After Virginia's narrow win over Wyoming Saturday, a good friend of mine said that every year, he has to have a "DTR-type" conversation with the team in the home opener to figure out the status of their relationship over the course of the season.

A "DTR," for clarification, stands for a discussion "defining the relationship," often occurring after a couple has been "hanging out" for a while.

The dominant individual in the relationship will usually tease the other participant along, avoiding the DTR or minimizing the discussion.

The "lower hand in the relationship" tries to force a decision on the status of the relationship, though often puts the DTR off in favor of "waiting it out" until the other individual is ready.

Such has been my experience with the Virginia football team.

I have never been able to define my relationship with Cavalier football. And inevitably, every season, I have a discussion with myself over how much I want to personally invest in the team.

The "hanging out" occurs every offseason. I follow some storylines. I get to know the team. I go to practice and media weekend. I set my expectations. I hook up with a few stories to follow during the year.

At some point in the season, however, a DTR is upon us. I have the lower hand in the relationship, so naturally, I force the discussion.

During my first year, Virginia football won out.

"Let's just get to know each other some more," the team told me.

So I rooted for the "Scheisman." I went to Florida State three hours early to get a good seat. I came back from Thanksgiving to watch the Virginia Tech game. I wore orange apparel to every contest.

For the most part -- aside from a home victory over the Hokies -- the Cavaliers led me along, coaxing me to continue to "hang out" when I wasn't sure whether I wanted to tailgate or get a good seat.

The debate continued second-year, and I once again attempted to force the discussion.

But we were 5-0 heading down to Florida State. I left tailgates early to see Cav Man. We almost beat Miami. We almost beat Virginia Tech.

And I continued to get dragged along, not sure about whether I wanted to have a personal stake in such a one-sided relationship.

What had Virginia football done to earn my support?

By third-year, I was getting frustrated.

"[The Virginia football team] never does what I want to do."

We lost to Maryland, 45-33.

"[The Virginia football team] is never ready on time."

We lost to North Carolina, 7-5.

"[The Virginia football team] is always letting me down."

We lost to Virginia Tech, 52-14.

I was beginning to think that the team just wanted to hang out forever, without giving me any concrete evidence that I should even be going to games anymore.

But I still had the lower hand in the relationship. We kept putting off the DTR. I was hoping that the team would change and finally find success.

By the end of the year, I was so frustrated that I was tailgating well into the second half.

Enter fourth-year.

For many students, the Wyoming game defined their relationship with Virginia football for the 2006 season.

Like that sad lover who keeps coming back for more, we stood on the hill during Saturday's home opener as we have done so many times before.

But this time, many fans questioned the relationship. Many shook their heads and wandered off at the end of regulation, wondering where the relationship stood.

My aforementioned buddy told me that this year he wasn't going to accept a serious relationship with the Virginia football team. They had broken his heart too many times.

I haven't decided the outcome of my DTR with the Cavaliers quite yet, even though I had this team pegged at 5-7 in July. It is my last year in Charlottesville and maybe I should be there for every game. Maybe I should give Virginia football one more chance. Maybe I shouldn't define the relationship as a failure yet.

Or maybe I should hang out with my real friends.