Groh bashers not always right with their facts
Olsen likely choice at quarterback
Doug Doughty

I wouldn’t want to come across as a guy who defends Al Groh all the time, but it’s amazing how much misinformation you can come across in a week’s time.

As I was listening to ESPN Radio last Saturday morning, talk turned to Southern Cal and the seniors it had lost to the draft. One of the commentators hastened to point out that SC’s recruiting classes had been ranked No. 1 in the country for two or three years, so the Trojans need to be considered perennial national contenders.

At that point, Beano Cook jumped into the debate.

Virginia has had recruiting classes ranked in the top five or six, Cook pointed out, “and Al Groh has fallen on hard times,” he said.

Cook, a former Pittsburgh sports information director, lives in Pittsburgh and no doubt was aware of the 38-13 pounding Virginia had taken from the hometown Panthers. A 13-12 overtime squeaker with Wyoming did little to belie his “hard times” evaluation.

But, here’s where he was wrong. If Virginia has had a top-five recruiting class, it was only one, Groh’s first full recruiting class in 2002. And, I’m not sure which services, if any, had the Cavaliers in the top five.

SuperPrep had that class ranked ninth, followed by classes that were ranked 11th, 18 and 14th. You could make the case that four straight Top 25 classes should produce a Top 25 team, but there seems to be a perception that Groh brings in top-10 classes each year and that hasn’t been the case.

In fact, last year, Virginia’s recruiting class was ranked 40th by SuperPrep and that was based on a 24-player class that has since dwindled to 16. That caused many to wonder if Groh had lost his recruiting touch, but the early response from the class of 2007 would suggest that 2006 was an aberration.

While I would never say that recruiting rankings are infallible, I still think that the overall success of a program comes down to players and not whether a team is using a 3-4 defense, as opposed to a 4-3. Groh and Co. have made some recruiting mistakes along the way and they’ve also had some bad luck, particularly with the vaunted 2002 recruiting class.

Of the 2002 recruits who remain, running back Michael Johnson was the most highly-touted coming out of high school, but Johnson, a Parade All-American at Heritage High School in Newport News, seems destined not to live up to his press clippings. Marcus Hamilton has had a nice career, but he was one of the top 10 players in Virginia; he should have had a nice career.

It would have helped to have safety Willie Davis, whose career ended with a 2003 collision at South Carolina, or linebacker Kai Parham, but Parham apparently misjudged his pro potential and passed up his senior season, only to be dropped by Dallas in the preseason’s first cutdown.

Ahmad Brooks was also a member of that 2002 recruiting class, as well as the 2003 recruiting class. He was one of four 2002 UVa signees who never got to Charlottesville – the kind of information that rarely is taken into account when the rankings are done.

SO, WHO DO you think will start at quarterback for Virginia on Saturday against Western Michigan. I think Groh will stick with fifth-year Christian Olsen for one reason.

Groh has said that he will base his decision on practice performance. If it comes down to practice, we can only assume that Olsen got the job because he was a superior practice player over a month of spring practice and a month of preseason practice.

Kevin McCabe certainly outperformed Olsen in leading Virginia to a 13-12 overtime victory over Wyoming, but is he suddenly going to become a superior practice player when he has always lagged behind Olsen until now?

Groh has not forgotten that McCabe called the wrong play when UVa had a fourth-and-1 midway through the fourth quarter against Wyoming.

Could that kind of absent-mindedness be one of the reasons that Groh has been reluctant to commit to McCabe in the past?

“Some of it, yes,” Groh said.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a sign that Groh might go with McCabe this Saturday, consider some of the moves he made last week, when safety Tony Franklin and cornerback Chris Gorham were demoted following the Pittsburgh loss.

Groh has always said that the same standard should apply to quarterbacks as applies to the other positions – what player gives the team the best chance to win. If he could bench Franklin, a fifth-year senior who he invited back after much soul-searching, he definitely could bench Olsen.

THURSDAY WAS THE drop-dead practice for Western Michigan quarterback Ryan Cubit, who missed the Broncos’ game with Toledo last Saturday as a result of a cut suffered in their opener at Indiana.

Cubit had been throwing with two of the fingers on his right hand taped together and still has stitches in one of his fingers that will not be removed in time for Saturday’s game in Charlottesville.

Cubit played in only three games last year, missing the trip to Virginia with an injury that predated the leg injury that ended his season against Temple. In his last full season, he passed for 1,887 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2004.

Three Western Michigan quarterbacks combined to throw for 2,712 yards last year but the Broncos passed the ball on only 15 of 47 offensive plays in a 31-10 victory over Toledo.
 

Broncos not sneaking up on Cavs
Virginia should be familiar with WMU
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
September 15, 2006

Like a cat burglar, Western Michigan snuck into Charlottesville last year looking to steal a win from Virginia.

There was little reason to expect that to happen in a season-opening game that saw the Cavaliers stroll in as a 32–point favorite.

At the time, UVa was ranked 25th in the nation. WMU was looking to rebound from a one-win season.

The Cavalier faithful, many expecting a blowout, got a rude awakening, evidenced by Al Groh’s postgame comments.

“If you’re not happy with this win, you’ve got a problem with your ego,” Virginia’s coach said after a 31-19 victory over the Broncos. “I’m happy to win. It’s been nine months since we’ve won.”

Expect similar comments from Groh on Saturday if Virginia (1-1) beats Western Michigan (1-1) at Scott Stadium.

“We have a familiarity with the level of challenge that we have this week, having played Western Michigan last year and having had a very difficult time with them,” Groh said Wednesday. “We see them as a team that’s improved from last year and very similar to the team we played last weekend.”

The days of the Broncos flying under the radar are a thing of the past, thanks in part to last year’s seven-win season and an impressive 21-point victory over Toledo last Saturday.

“We are not going to sneak up on anyone this year,” Western Michigan linebacker Ameer Ismail said. “We had a pretty good year.”

Ismail and the Broncos, in fact, recovered from the loss in Charlottesville to become bowl eligible with seven wins. That postseason invitation never came, but an upset win over UVa this weekend would help their chances.

Ismail is not looking that far ahead. The goal, for now at least, is just to duplicate the ’05 environment in Scott Stadium.

“We want to go in there and make some plays and hopefully quiet the crowd a little bit,” said Ismail, who had eight sacks last year, including two against former UVa quarterback Marques Hagans. “It’s a cool feeling when they get quiet. It’s fun.”

Last year, Western Michigan played without starting quarterback Ryan Cubit. Backup signal-caller Robbie Haas went on to complete 33 of 49 passes for 271 yards.

The high completion rate was explainable, Groh said. WMU used offensive sets with three and four wideouts and thrived on short passes.

“It was just quarterback take the ball quick, throw it to somebody, let them try to run with the ball for some yards,” said Groh, while pointing out no pass went for more than eight yards downfield.

The biggest culprits, wideout Greg Jennings and tight end Tony Scheffler, are now in the pros - Jennings with Green Bay and Scheffler in Denver.

As last year progressed, the Broncos tried to employ a more balanced attack (they ran for at least 100 yards in each of the last eight games).

Expect that trend to continue. Cubit, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility thanks to a medical hardship, will not start at quarterback for the second straight game according to the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette.

Cubit will be an emergency quarterback as he continues to recover from a deep cut on his throwing hand.

In his stead, WMU will go with JUCO transfer Thomas Peregrin under center. Against winless Toledo, the 6-foot-3 junior was 11 of 15 for 98 yards and two touchdown passes.

That put much of the pressure on tailback Mark Bonds and the ground game. WMU ran the ball 32 of its 47 offensive plays.

Bonds delivered to the tune of 22 carries for 134 yards and a first-quarter touchdown scamper.

“Mark Bonds really came through for us,” WMU coach Bill Cubit said. “I’m not used to playing that style of football, but that’s what we had to do.

“We couldn’t make the first mistake and turn this thing into a turnover-fest.”

With Peregrin starting, Groh knows what to expect.

“Based on last week, who the quarterback is probably will dictate their style somewhat,” Groh added. “The [offensive] scheme is different in that it’s a lot more physically oriented than it was when we played them last year. It was quite a finesse game last year.”

DOWN AND OUT: Virginia outside linebacker Denzel Burrell is out for the season, Groh confirmed on Thursday.

Burrell injured his left knee in the first half against Wyoming. An MRI performed on Tuesday indicated that season-ending surgery would be required.

“He was really developing nicely,” Groh said.

Burrell, a redshirt freshman, was playing on special teams and the nickel defensive package. He had been on the field for 18 plays without making a tackle.

 

ACC NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Sep 15, 2006

PLAYING CARDS: Miami never has lost to Louisville in football. To avoid falling back below .500, the Hurricanes must make sure that streak continues.

The No. 17 'Canes (1-1) visit the No. 12 Cardinals (2-0) tomorrow. Miami leads the series 9-0-1 but hasn't played in Louisville since 1984.

The ACC hasn't impressed so far this season, but Miami coach Larry Coker said that carrying the conference banner isn't on his team's mind.

"I think the thing we've got to do is represent ourselves well," he said. "If we do that, the conference will obviously benefit. We've got to carry our own flag."

Miami, which opened with a 13-10 loss to FSU on Sept. 4, hammered Division I-AA Florida A&M 51-10 five days later.

"We did some things awfully well last week," Coker said, "but the competition level wasn't what it was the week before, and it wasn't what it's going to be this week."

STRATEGIC MOVE: Wake Forest doesn't land many blue-chip recruits, so development is crucial in coach Jim Grobe's program. He tries whenever possible to redshirt his first-year players.

"I think it's critical at Wake Forest," Grobe said. "We've got to play experienced players . . . I think if we play too many young guys, we're going to have a problem. The toughest part is a lot of young players come in and want to play right away."

BIG FOOT: Ryan Plackemeier, a three-time all-ACC selection, exhausted his eligibility last season, but Wake has another talented punter.

Sophomore Sam Swank, also the Demon Deacons' kicker, had an 86-yard punt against Duke last weekend. That broke Plackemeier's school record of 82 yards. The ACC mark belongs to Maryland's Joe Fritsch, who had an 88-yarder in 1986.

"That punt the other day, the 86-yarder, got our attention," Grobe said. "We're hoping that one day Sam is Ryan Plackemeier for us. I don't know if that's possible with him doing both jobs, but he's certainly developing into a very good punter."

PREMATURE ENDING: An MRI revealed that outside linebacker Denzel Burrell's knee injury is season-ending and will require surgery, Virginia coach Al Groh said yesterday.

"Too bad," Groh said. "He was really developing nicely."

Burrell, a redshirt freshman, played on special teams and on U.Va.'s nickel defense. He was injured last weekend against Wyoming.

PLAIN SPEAKING: The loss of three first-round NFL draft choices - all of whom played defense - has hurt N.C. State (1-1), which visits Southern Mississippi (1-1) tomorrow.

"There's no question," Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato said. "It can't help."

Two of those first-round picks - end Mario Williams and tackle John McCargo (Randolph-Henry High School) - had eligibility remaining.

ON THE AIR: Former East Carolina coach Steve Logan has a radio show in the Raleigh/Durham area. North Carolina coach John Bunting doesn't spend much time listening to sports talk radio, but he had kind words for Logan.

"I think it's all individual," Bunting said. "Some guys know what they're talking about. Some guys don't. Steve Logan is a guy who knows football."

SHORT-HANDED: Injuries have hammered Florida State's defensive line. Tackles Letroy Guion (ankle), Emmanuel Dunbar (back) and Paul Griffin (knee) were hurt against Troy last weekend, and Griffin, who tore his left ACL, will miss the rest of the season.

"It just means you are going to have to play freshmen," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said of the injuries. "There's going to have to be freshmen playing - guys you would have liked to have redshirt and that probably needed redshirting. Somebody will have to step up."

STIFF CHALLENGE: Georgia Tech (1-1) entertains Troy (1-1) tomorrow afternoon. Yellow Jackets coach Chan Gailey hasn't had to convince his players that Troy is a formidable opponent.

"They all saw the score," Gailey said, referring to the FSU game. "They all saw some of the highlights, and then when you put the film on, they see how they play."

The Trojans led FSU 17-10 in the fourth quarter.

"They've got great team speed," Gailey said. "They don't give you anything. You have to go earn it."

SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE: After beating Clemson in double overtime last weekend, Boston College (1-0, 2-0) broke into The Associated Press poll at No. 23. Eagles coach Tom O'Brien says it's too early to assess his team.

"We're still a work in progress," O'Brien said. "We're going to find out by the end of the year if we're any good or not." - Jeff White
 

Virginia very different team from last year
Friday, September 15, 2006
By Graham Couch
gcouch@kalamazoogazette.com 388-7773

When Western Michigan University's football team ventured to Virginia for last season's opener, it had what appeared to be a mammoth challenge in front of it.

Not only did it face its own limitations coming off a 1-10 season, but on the other side of the ball stood seven future National Football League draft picks and a coaching staff that had five years to build its program.

The Broncos nearly pulled the upset, losing 31-19, and WMU coach Bill Cubit recently said he didn't blame the Cavaliers for overlooking his team.

A year later, the situation has changed drastically.

The Broncos aren't the favorites -- they're 9.5-point underdogs, actually -- but they're also not facing a Virginia team with near the experience it had in 2005.

The Cavaliers return 12 starters from last season's 7-5 squad, but not their massive left tackle, All-American D'Brickashaw Ferguson, starting quarterback Marques Hagans or the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time touchdown leader, running back Wali Lundy.

The program's losses don't stop there. Offensive coordinator Ron Prince left for the head coaching job at Kansas State; associate head coach Danny Rocco took the top position at Liberty; and defensive coordinator Al Golden is now in charge at Temple, which visits Waldo Stadium next week.

``It's been challenging, that's for sure,'' said Virginia head coach Al Groh, now in his seventh season at his alma mater. ``There will always be that variable with college football. Certainly with personnel, every four years, you can anticipate that. It's a lot less with coaching moves. You have to deal with that spontaneously. We've had to deal with both at the same time.

``I didn't know it would happen all in the same season. It's created some extra hours, that's for sure.''

Part of Groh's solution was to hire his son, Mike, as offensive coordinator.

GROH NOT SURE ABOUT BRONCOS: Virginia's head coach said it was too early to tell how good WMU is this year, even after its 31-10 whipping of Toledo last week.

``It usually takes three to four games really to see what a team is, what its strengths are,'' Groh said. ``I hope they are not better than they were last year because they were plenty good last year.''

PEREGRIN TO START FOR WMU AT QB: Following Thursday's practice, Bill Cubit made official what had been suspected all week -- junior Thomas Peregrin will make his second start at quarterback.

Cubit said his son, Ryan, who is still recovering from a deep laceration on his throwing hand, will be used only in an ``emergency situation.''

 

Receiving defense into his life
Thursday, September 14, 2006
By Graham Couch
gcouch@kalamazoogazette.com 388-7773

He had come to Kalamazoo to be the next big thing at receiver and to follow in the footsteps of his father, Irving Fryar, a longtime National Football League standout at the position.

Two seasons later, as it finally appeared he'd get his shot, Western Michigan University's Londen Fryar was met with an unthinkable proposal: The Broncos' new coaching staff -- which wasn't the one that recruited him -- wanted him elsewhere ... on defense.

``Dang,'' Fryar said, rehashing his response. ``I went home and called my dad and said, `They switched me to corner.' He said to go out there the first day and see how I feel about it.

``I was scared. It took the first year (under coach Bill Cubit) to finally learn (his) offense. I was finally ready to contribute.''

Saturday, in WMU's 31-10 win over Toledo, Fryar did -- at the position he so feared taking on just a few months earlier.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound sophomore from Jobstown, N.J., had two interceptions, one of which turned the game in the Broncos' favor.

Receiving defense into his life

With Toledo nearing the goal line midway through the third quarter, Fryar stepped in front of a pass and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown, giving the Broncos a 21-10 lead.

``It felt great to make a play like that,'' Fryar said. ``Most of all, I helped the team.''

Fryar did so last year, as well, as one of WMU's best special teams players during his redshirt-freshman season. He even started a game at receiver, though every time he appeared ready to break through, ``nagging injuries'' (a hyper-extended knee, sprained ankle and ``messed up'' thumb) kept from staying in the playing group.

``It's pretty remarkable, the whole way he's approached everything,'' coach Bill Cubit said of Fryar, who nearly transferred after his redshirt season in 2004, former coach Gary Darnell's last. ``He's one of those guys who came in as a freshman, the same way a lot of young kids are -- `If they were playing me, we'd be winning.'

``He could have been a good receiver for us. It was a matter of where our needs are. If you ask me if I'm glad we (switched him to defense), yeah, I'm glad we did it -- based on (Saturday) night.''

So, too, is Fryar. As it turns out, he prefers that side of the ball.

``Corner feels more natural,'' Fryar said. ``I like to hit people. I like the physical nature.''

His affection for the position came about with the help of ``five coaches,'' including fellow sophomore defensive backs Louis Delmas, E.J. Biggers and C.J. Wilson and, of course, a couple of WMU's actual coaches, defensive coordinator Scott Shafer and secondary coach Clayton White.

``I was nervous, real nervous,'' Fryar said of moving to corner. ``I figured I hadn't played corner full-time since my junior year of high school. I didn't know how to play corner. In high school, they just tell you to stick with your man and run with him.

``I learned the defense in a week, because of my support group (those five coaches).''

Knowing the defense and executing it are separate issues, however. During spring practice, Fryar admittedly ``messed up coverages and got beat a couple of times.''

His new comrades on `D' tutored him and accepted him, even if he was an offensive guy.

``Londen is an athlete, point blank. You can't take that away from him,'' said Wilson, who, despite his defense-is-better mentality, has an offensive background, having played quarterback at North Chicago High School. ``Me, Louis, E.J. -- we had to get him into that defensive mentality. It's much harder on defense. We had to get his mind right for defense.''

Another of his teammates, senior Ameer Ismail -- who also switched sides of the ball at WMU, from running back to linebacker -- said the two years Fryar spent catching passes benefits him now.

``Being on the offensive side of the ball, you know what their tendencies are,'' Ismail said. ``If you were a running back, you know what running backs like to do. If you're a receiver, what receivers like to do. I think it helps him covering receivers.''

That he's covering them at WMU, however, means the original dream of following dad as a wideout into the NFL is unlikely. Still, Fryar has found a bit of common ground in their situations.

``It's funny, my dad had a full ride to Nebraska to play defense and switched over to receiver. I had a full ride as a receiver and switched over to defense.''

Perhaps defense is in his blood.