Canty quality in Fitzgerald?
Hermitage product wears number of former Cavs star, shows promise
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Sep 20, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE He wanted jersey No. 99 when he joined the University of Virginia football team in 2005, but that belonged to another defensive lineman. His second choice, No. 97, wasn't available either, having been retired at U.Va. more than 50 years earlier.

And so Jeffrey Fitzgerald took No. 95, with mixed emotions.

"In a sense, I kind of didn't want 95, because I'd be compared to Chris Canty," Fitzgerald said with a smile yesterday. "But being compared to him means I'm having success, so I can't be too mad about that."

Canty starred at defensive end in U.Va.'s 3-4 scheme and now starts for the Dallas Cowboys. His old number is in good hands. Fitzgerald, a 6-3, 279-pound redshirt freshman, won the starting job at left defensive end in spring practice, after which he received a Rock Weir Award as one of the Cavaliers' most improved players. Three games into his first college season, the Hermitage High graduate looks like a big-time talent.

"He just keeps getting better and better every day," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "He's one of those players who's doing a really, really good job of taking every opportunity to move his game forward."

Fitzgerald made a career-high eight tackles and assisted on a sack Saturday against Western Michigan. Heading into his first ACC game - Virginia (1-2) meets Georgia Tech (2-1) tomorrow night in Atlanta - Fitzgerald is fourth on the team in tackles with 17, including five for loss.

"Me playing well is good personally, but I'm not satisfied with it if we're not winning," Fitzgerald said. "I could have the best game of my life, and if we lost, I wouldn't be satisfied with my efforts."

U.Va. is expected to start three Hermitage graduates tomorrow night: Fitzgerald, senior wideout Fontel Mines and redshirt freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell. Fitzgerald and Mines go back to elementary school. Mines' best friend is Fitzgerald's brother, Justin, a junior wideout at Ohio University.

Justin's kid brother "takes coaching very well," Mines said yesterday. "Just going through things that he went through in his high school career. . . . Now is his time to shine, and he's taking full advantage of it."

Fitzgerald suffered two major knee injuries in high school. As a sophomore, he tore the ACL in his right knee. Fitzgerald came back and starred for Panthers coach Patrick Kane as a junior, then tore his left ACL on the eve of his senior season.

The second time, Fitzgerald said, "I didn't even know it was an ACL injury until I came out of surgery, so that kind of shocked me. But I never thought I wouldn't play again."

He added unwanted pounds after his operation. To get back in shape, he joined the track team at Hermitage in the spring of his senior year. Fitzgerald did more than sweat off extra weight. He placed second in the shot put at the state Group AAA meet and seventh in the discus (one spot ahead of Salem High's Antonio Appleby, now a starting linebacker at U.Va.).

Fitzgerald didn't coast when he got to Virginia, either.

"I worked hard my first year here, in strength and conditioning and everything, trying to learn the defense, and now I believe I'm ready to have an impact and make a name for myself," he said.

"There's no time to be a so-called freshman out there. I'm getting a lot of reps, so I got to grow with it and become a veteran real quick."

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Sep 20, 2006

BIG STAGE: Coach Al Groh told reporters yesterday that he wouldn't make a final decision until after practice last night, but quarterback Jameel Sewell has worked with the first team this week and is expected to start tomorrow night against ACC rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Sewell, believed to be the first left-hander to play QB for U.Va. in more than 25 years, is a 6-2, 219-pound redshirt freshman who starred at Hermitage High. He has played in two college games, both off the bench, and completed 7 of 11 passes for 51 yards. He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass or an interception.

"This is a pretty substantial opponent for a guy to get his first considerable playing time [against]," Groh said, "but look, it's going to come sooner or later. You can't hide in the shadows. You've just got to go out and play."

Senior Christian Olsen, who started the first two games for the Cavaliers (1-2), is likely to be the No. 2 quarterback against the Yellow Jackets (2-1). Junior Kevin McCabe, who started Saturday against Western Michigan, apparently has dropped to the No. 3 on the depth chart. McCabe is 23 for 32 passing this season, but he's thrown three interceptions, two of which have been returned for touchdowns. The other led to a TD.

"Interceptions will cause you to lose," Groh said on his radio show Monday night.

Sewell has a "very good overall package of skills," Groh said. "He's got a lot of life on the ball. He's got good athletic ability for the position. This isn't Marques Hagans back there, but he's got niftiness in the pocket, which, unless you can go to the Marques Hagans/Reggie Ball level with it, is the key thing. It's not scrambling ability per se, it's niftiness in the pocket, to move, to avoid rushers, which quite obviously would be a desired trait for any of our quarterbacks right now. Probably a desired trait to be effective back there."

TOUGH CRITIC: After reviewing videotape of his play in Virginia's 17-10 loss to Western Michigan at Scott Stadium, Sewell said he told himself, "You got a lot of work to do, Sewell. A whole lot."

He completed 7 of 10 passes for 51 yards but was sacked twice and, on a play late in the fourth quarter, tripped over his feet and fell.

"I wasn't necessarily too pleased with my performance, but I knew it was going to be a little bumpy, a little rocky," said Sewell, who played the entire second half. "Coach kind of expected it, but it's not what we wanted, so I've got a lot of things to work on in practice."

SWITCHING SIDES: Redshirt freshman Vic Hall, who was a record-setting quarterback at Gretna High, is now a reserve cornerback at U.Va. But he's been playing the role of Ball, Georgia Tech's versatile quarterback, on the scout-team offense in practice this week.

Asked yesterday if the 5-9, 184-pound Hall might one day move back to offense full time, Groh said, "I don't know. That has no bearing on where we are right now. It certainly doesn't have any bearing for [tomorrow] night."

Hall has been used primarily on special teams this season, but Groh remains high on him as a cornerback. He also has seen improvement in practice recently from inside linebacker Rashawn Jackson, a redshirt freshman who's played little from scrimmage.

"I'm hopeful that he's moving to a point where we can get some plays out of him other than special teams," Groh said.

TOO EARLY TO SAY: Virginia's best defensive back, senior cornerback Marcus Hamilton, is questionable for tomorrow night's game, according to Groh. Hamilton, a second-team all-ACC choice last season, suffered a shoulder injury in practice last week and missed the Western Michigan game.

Hamilton has 11 career interceptions and has played especially well against Georgia Tech's star receiver, Calvin Johnson.

BRONX CHEERS: A smattering of boos was heard Sept.9 at Scott Stadium in Virginia's 13-12 overtime win over Wyoming. A week later, more members of the near-capacity crowd voiced their displeasure as U.Va. stumbled against Western Michigan.

"I guess it's become part of the American sporting culture," Groh said. "I noticed that none of it came from the student body. That section probably is the section that's done the most to change the climate at the stadium. They've been great. Their support has been tremendous from start to finish, from game to game, from season to season.

"We didn't play very well, and we don't expect any praise for it. We shouldn't expect any praise for it, and we should take all the responsibility necessary for our performance."

As for the booing, "I think any activities of that nature are more a commentary of the purported supporters of the team than it is on [the team]," Groh said. "We don't need to be told when we didn't perform well." - Jeff White
 

Groh says Hall not an option at QB for UVa
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- There are certain subjects upon which reporters have learned to approach Virginia football coach Al Groh gingerly.

One of them is the disposition of redshirt freshman cornerback Vic Hall, the all-time leading passer in Virginia high-school history.

A reporter asked Groh on Tuesday about the value of using Hall to impersonate Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball in practice this week.

"You're assuming that ...," said Groh, not aware that players earlier had told the media about the benefits of having Hall working with the scout team.

The Cavaliers (1-2) visit Ball and the Yellow Jackets (2-1) at 7:45 p.m. Thursday in a game that will be televised by ESPN. Ball accounted for 294 yards Saturday in a 35-20 victory over Troy, including 130 on the ground, a school record for a quarterback.

"We have Vic Hall back there [on the scout team] and I feel as though that's a real great look," UVa linebacker Antonio Appleby said. "He's fast, he's athletic and there's a lot of things that Ball can do that Vic can do also."

The last thing Groh needed Tuesday was a question about Hall after using three other quarterbacks Saturday in a 17-10 loss to Western Michigan.

"He only took 10 plays yesterday," Groh said. "We've only practiced once."

Groh continued to talk as if redshirt freshman Jameel Sewell would get his first start at Georgia Tech, giving UVa its third different starter in as many games. Sewell completed seven of 10 passes in the second half against Western Michigan but had 25 yards in lost rushing yardage.

Groh later deflected a question about whether Hall might one day return to quarterback.

"That has no bearing on where we are right now," he said. "It certainly doesn't have any bearing for Thursday night.

Hall has been on the field for 28 plays in three games -- 17 on punts and 11 on kickoffs.

McCabe's drop

Groh's call-in show was unavailable until 7:30 p.m. Monday on UVa's new Roanoke home at 101.5 AM, but it was clear that Game 2 starter Kevin McCabe had the support of the callers.

McCabe, who yielded interceptions that led to both Western Michigan touchdowns, has been dropped to third string despite completing 71.9 percent of his passes (23-of-32) in three games.

"I don't quite see it the same way, apparently, as everybody else does," Groh said. "I don't see where any of the quarterbacks had moved the team. Kevin had one drive the other day, which was a very good drive and I'm pleased for it and I was happy for him and I appreciate what he did.

"I'm not a Kevin-basher. I'm not mad at Kevin. From my perspective, until that touchdown [on an 83-yard drive] the other day, we really hadn't had a drive for a touchdown by any of the quarterbacks. Frankly, the two negative plays outweighed it."

He noticed

It was hard to mistake the booing that followed the Western Michigan loss, only the fourth for Virginia in its past 20 games at Scott Stadium. Groh didn't blow it off Tuesday.

"I guess it's become part of the American sporting culture," Groh said. "I noticed that none of it came from the student body. That section is the section that probably has done the most to change the climate of the stadium. They've been great.

"We didn't play very well. We don't expect any praise for it. We shouldn't accept any praise for it.

"We should take every responsibility for our performance, [but] activities of that nature are more a commentary on the purported supporters of the team than it is on the players."

"We don't need to be told that we didn't perform well."

Williams jogging

Wide receiver Deyon Williams has resumed running after Aug. 11 surgery to repair a broken foot, "but I wouldn't put any stock in what that means," Groh said.

"Until I get a message that there's a strong [probability], I'm treating it the same way as I did the [Ahmad] Brooks situation last year. I'm not even considering the possibility of him coming back. The team is what it is."

Groh plans to meet periodically with Williams to gauge his interest in returning in 2007 as a fifth-year senior.

Odds 'n' ends

Groh said 2006 ACC interception champion Marcus Hamilton is day-to-day after missing the Western Michigan game with an injured shoulder. ... Denzel Burrell, a redshirt freshman linebacker who had been getting time in Virginia's "nickel" package, has undergone season-ending knee surgery. ... Sewell is the first left-hander to play quarterback for Virginia since Louis Holmes, a walk-on who had four attempts in a 31-6 UVa loss at UNC in 1976.
 

Hall playing Ball for UVa
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
September 20, 2006

Georgia Tech does not have a lot of videotape on Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell.

The redshirt freshman has appeared in two games for a total of six possessions.

Virginia’s coaching staff, on the other hand, does not face that sort of dilemma. Al Groh and his assistants have hours upon hours of game film on Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball, a senior that has started 39 games during his career and ranks 13th in conference history in total offense.

And heading into the ACC opener - UVa (1-2) plays at Georgia Tech on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. - the Cavaliers’ head coach also boasts a secret weapon.

Vic Hall, a speedy quarterback turned cornerback, worked out against the Cavaliers’ No. 1 defense on Monday to simulate Ball’s agility and speed.

Defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald raved about the experiment.

Groh, however, said on Tuesday that Hall had only taken about “10” snaps in practice on Monday, the first of the week.

With Sewell, Christian Olsen and Kevin McCabe struggling through the first three games - Virginia has scored three touchdowns in 12 quarters - Groh had to expect a question about Hall returning under center.

That question came on Tuesday.

“That has no bearing on where we are right now,” Groh uttered. “It certainly doesn’t have any bearing on Thursday night.”

What Hall has done is garner Groh’s attention in practice with his progression at right corner, where he is listed behind senior Marcus Hamilton and sophomore Mike Brown.

“[Hall] is doing a nice job over there,” Groh said. “He had a couple pass breakups [in practice on Monday]. He was pretty close to causing a fumble on one play.”

Hall was not the only redshirt freshman turning heads of late.

Inside linebacker Rashawn Jackson is progressing to the point where the coaching staff may be able to insert him into the game to relieve Jon Copper or Antonio Appleby.

“I was well pleased with some of the things that Rashawn did that he hasn’t been able to do to that point,” Groh said referring to Monday’s practice. “I am hopeful that we are moving to a point that we can get some plays out of him other than on special teams.”

Groh also said on his weekly radio show on Monday that Jackson has worked well with Virginia’s goal-line package as a blocking fullback.

Updating Deyon

During the preseason, wide receiver Deyon Williams (stress fracture) said he hoped to return to action by the Georgia Tech game.

That will not happen.

Williams, a senior, is jogging during practice sessions, but Groh said he would treat the situation the same way he looked at former inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks’ knee injury last season.

“I wouldn’t put any stock in what that means,” Groh said of Williams’ ability to jog. “I don’t even watch it because … it would be to just distract myself and until I get a message that there is a stronger probability, I am actually treating it the same way as the Brooks’ situation.

“Would [Williams] be a positive contributor to the team had he been there? I am sure he would be, but he hasn’t been. We don’t think about it that way. I am not even considering the possibility of him coming back. The team is what it is, and I don’t even think about it.”

With the regular season one-third of the way completed after Thursday’s game, Groh was asked how he would handle the potential of redshirting Williams.

“I think periodically, Deyon and I plan to visit that circumstance,” Groh said, “just as we get updates and see where we are with things.”

Sources have said that Williams’ preference is to play if he can return by the start of a three-game homestand that opens with Maryland on Oct. 14.

Going back home

Thursday’s game will serve as a kind of homecoming for Virginia right guard Ian-Yates Cunningham.

The junior lived in Atlanta during his childhood and thanks to a redshirt season in ’04, Cunningham has never played at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“It is definitely going to be exciting since I used to live in Atlanta,” Cunningham said. “I kind of know the atmosphere down there. It is going to be really cool to play down there.”

After battling Jordy Lipsey for the starting nod at center during the preseason, Cunningham was moved to right guard and has played a majority of the offensive snaps.

While Marshal Ausberry, an 11-game starter last year, has spelled Cunningham at times, the pattern has been altered.

“There has been a rotation but it is not set in stone,” Cunningham said. “I could not tell if it’s like the third series and he goes in for a series or whatever. It’s just whenever [offensive line coach Dave Borbely] feels like ‘Hey, Ian, I am going to put Marshal in for this.’”

Cunningham would prefer playing throughout, but he is not complaining.

“You always feel like when you are playing that you are in a rhythm and sometimes you get out of a rhythm, but being a player you have to be able to get back in that rhythm fast,” Cunningham added. “There is no big deal with that. Marshal has been playing well and he deserves time to play, so that’s fine with me.”

It doesn’t hurt that Cunningham and Ausberry are roommates.

Injury update

Jason Snelling said on Tuesday that he is fine and ready to play against Georgia Tech.

The senior tailback missed Week 2 with a foot injury and part of last week’s game with Western Michigan after he took a hit from his blindside.

The hit, Snelling said, actually came on the second interception of the game, which was tossed by Virginia quarterback Kevin McCabe and returned for a touchdown. Snelling returned to the game late in the second half and finished with 77 rushing yards.

The status of cornerback Marcus Hamilton (shoulder) for Thursday’s game remains up in the air.

Groh said under the NFL injury plan he would list Hamilton as “questionable.” That, in the professional ranks, translates to a 50-50 chance.

Hamilton’s addition would be a bonus as UVa battles the ACC’s most feared wideout, Calvin Johnson. In Virginia’s last game at Georgia Tech in 2004, Hamilton intercepted two passes en route to being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

Sounding off

When asked, Groh admitted that he noticed the scores of boos raining down on the players and coaching staff as they left the field following the 17-10 loss to Western Michigan.

“I guess it has become part of the American sporting culture,” Groh said. “I noticed that none of it came from the student body and that section is the section that has done the most to change the climate at the stadium. They have been great.”

Groh acknowledged the reasoning behind the fans’ reaction.

“We didn’t play very well and we don’t expect any praise for it,” Groh said. “We shouldn’t expect any praise for it and we should take all the responsibility necessary for our performance.

“We don’t need to be told when we didn’t perform well.”

 

Calm, cool Sewell ready for his shot
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
September 20, 2006

After playing quarterback the entire second half in Virginia’s loss to underdog Western Michigan last Saturday night, redshirt freshman Jameel Sewell had one of those little personal chats with himself about his performance.

“I told myself, ‘You’ve got a lot of work to do Sewell ... a whole lot,’” said Sewell, who shared the story with media in a Tuesday interview. “I know it’s going to be a little bumpy. I’ve got a lot of things to work on in practice this week.”

Problem is, this week’s practice has been abbreviated due to the short turnaround. The Cavs leave today for Thursday night’s nationally televised ESPN game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Making his move

Sewell, yet another solid prospect out of Richmond’s Hermitage High School, didn’t win the starting job in UVa’s last game.

But he did elevate himself to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart for practice and is likely to be the starter against the Yellow Jackets.

Still, nothing is guaranteed. Virginia coach Al Groh said Tuesday that his staff is operating with the same philosophy of the first three games.

“We’ll get into the game and see how it’s going and try to make a decision in terms of what’s going to give us the best chance to win,” said the Cavs’ coach.

That means if Sewell does start and performs well, he’ll stay in. If he can’t move the team, then fifth-year senior Christian Olsen and then junior Kevin McCabe could get the call.

Taking his licks

If there’s little difference in the three, traditionally coaches may go with the youngest, particularly in a year when the program is down, because there’s more than this season to think about.

Should that be the case, then Sewell, learning on the fly, will have to experience the same beatdowns that any young quarterback must endure to essentially pay his dues.

“[Georgia Tech] is a pretty substantial opponent for a guy to get his first considerable playing time,” admitted Groh. “But that’s going to come sooner or later. You can’t hide in the shadows, you’ve just got to go out and play.”

An easy rider

The coach will probably lose a little less sleep after he reads how the laid back Sewell has responded to the challenge and how his teammates perceive this mobile, left-handed quarterback.

On the eve of perhaps the biggest break of his young career, Sewell seemed undaunted.

“This can be [my big chance], but I’m thinking more so of just one night,” said the quarterback. “Just try to go out there and get the win.”

Pressure? What pressure? Sewell is well aware that Georgia Tech’s customary practice is to blitz - even veteran quarterbacks, let alone rookies - but he’s not entering this week worrying about looking over his shoulder at Olsen and McCabe, or looking for the hook is he messes up.

“You can’t go into a game thinking like that,” said the rookie, who doesn’t sound like a rookie. “You’ve got to go in there and play, let it flow. Otherwise you’re going to feel too uptight. Mistakes are going to happen. You just have to deal with it and correct your mistakes.”

Groh has already overdosed on Pepto-Bismol after watching his quarterbacks in the first three games. All he wants this time out is some consistency and no turnovers.

If Sewell is nervous, he must be like the duck that appears calm as it floats effortlessly across the water’s surface, but underneath is paddling like mad. Reports from the UVa huddle is that he’s one cool customer.

“After the game, I actually had a conversation with [Ian-Yates Cunningham] and he was just talking about how he was so surprised how calm and controlling Jameel was in the huddle,” said UVa wide receiver Fontel Mines, also a Hermitage product. “I think that is very positive for us to see as players, him coming to the huddle and taking charge and saying, ‘Let’s do this ... let’s get this done.’”

Cunningham said he was blown away by the rookie.

“I couldn’t imagine anybody coming in there when they are that young and having that control and poise,” said the UVa lineman. “Jameel is just one of those guys that is cool, calm and collected. People say you play like you practice and he practices like that. He is calm.”

Sewell said the extra reps he has gotten in practice this week have given him a clearer picture of the offense, something he admittedly had struggled with. He said after Saturday’s game that he had experienced difficulty reading the defense, and even though running lanes were open for him on some pass calls that blew up, he hesitated too long to take advantage.

That may not be the case this week. After his practice reps he heads straight for offensive coordinator Mike Groh to find out everything he did right and wrong. After practice, Al Groh has advised Sewell to “live in the film room.”

He is spending more time on the quarterback simulator, sort of like a video game, that helps him understand his passing progressions, reading defensive movement and coverages. But in reality, there’s nothing like the real thing.

“Just being able to see safety rotations and to recognize when I’m ‘hot’ off blitzing linebackers and blitzing defensive backs is helpful because that determines where you throw the ball,” said Sewell. “I had a difficult time seeing the defense.”

Sewell said he’s still developing the vision to see where those blitzers are coming from and, reacting instinctively to throw to a receiver in the hole vacated by the pass rusher.

Getting those techniques down and gaining that sixth sense a quarterback must have in the practice, has been part of his growth.

“You’ve just got to feel it,” Sewell said of that sense. “If you know you’re not going to be able to get the ball off when you get out of the pocket, you’ve got to pull it down and go, or let it go out of bounds.”

There’s a lot to like about this quarterback, who is seemingly fearless.

“He’s got a very good overall package of skills,” said Al Groh, meaning, “He’s got a lot of rotation on the ball. He’s got a lot of life on the ball. He’s got good athletic ability for the position. This isn’t Marques Hagans back there, but he’s got niftiness in the pocket. That’s not scrambling per se, it’s niftiness to move to avoid rushers, which quite obviously would be a desirable trait for any of our quarterbacks right now ... probably a required trait to be effective back there.”

Groh said the rookie has demonstrated accuracy but has the same consistency issues that go with youth in that, while several passes may be on target, the next might very well sail well over the receiver’s head.

In a way, Sewell is playing catch-up. He was getting a decent amount of reps in training camp until a bicycle accident set him back. Sewell’s foot got caught and cut when the bike slipped on a wet surface and he missed three days of practice while recovering.

But he’s used to taking on challenges. Had he not responded well in summer school, he wouldn’t be academically eligible right now, which could have left the Cavaliers in a pickle.

However, he made two B’s and a C and is well on his way.

“By doing that, it gave me a lot of confidence,” Sewell said. “I’ve been focusing a lot on my schoolwork this year. It’s stressful if schoolwork isn’t going well because it can affect your play on the field.”

My, how satisfying it must have been last Saturday night, even in the wake of defeat, for Sewell to have been joined for dinner by his mom and dad and uncle to discuss the day’s events. They left him with simple advice: chalk it up as another learning experience, and just go out and play.

It was a quiet evening. Nobody rushed up and slapped him on the back. No fans crowding for autographs or photos.

Nobody recognized the young quarterback. That could change quickly if he can convert his simulator experience into real life success against the Ramblin’ Wreck’s ferocious pass rush.

And don’t worry. Sewell’s walking to practice these days, not biking.

“Nah, I gave up the Lance Armstrong thing,” the young quarterback said with a wide smile.

 

U.VA. Report: Cavs hope Hamilton can return to go up against Johnson
By ED MILLER , The Virginian-Pilot
© September 20, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Marcus Hamilton knows Calvin Johnson. He's studied Johnson. He's faced him - twice - and come about as close as anyone has to containing Georgia Tech's All-American receiver.

That's all good news for Virginia - if Hamilton's able to play Thursday night.

Hamilton, Virginia's best cornerback, missed Saturday's game against Western Michigan with a shoulder injury. Coach Al Groh called him "questionable" for Thursday night.

If Hamilton can't go, Virginia will likely start a pair of sophomores, Chris Cook and Mike Brown, each with two career starts. Hamilton has 23.

Either way, Johnson is a handful, a difficult player to scheme against because the Yellow Jackets move him around the offense, lining him up at three spots, coach Al Groh said.

"It's like the leading scorer in basketball: You're going to find ways to get him free," Groh said.

U.Va. using young corner to simulate Jackets' Ball

The Yellow Jackets have revamped their offense this year, with more called running plays for quarterback Reggie Ball, Groh said. Ball ran for 130 yards, a school record for a quarterback, in Georgia Tech's 35-10 win over Troy on Saturday.

Ball's mobility will put extra pressure on a defense that has faced only drop-back passers in three games thus far.

"When he doesn't like what's there, he's quick to get out of there," Groh said.

To simulate Ball in practice, Virginia turned to cornerback Vic Hall, a record-setting high school quarterback who switched sides of the ball last season.

"That's a great look," said linebacker Antonio Appleby, from Virginia Beach. "He's fast, he's athletic. A lot of things that Ball can do, Vic can also do."

Hall compiled 13,770 yards of offense in high school, a state record. Recruited as a quarterback, he switched to corner after injuries left Virginia thin at the position last year. He's not listed on the depth chart and has yet to appear in a game from scrimmage, playing only on special teams. But Groh said Hall has been coming on at practice, at cornerback, where he also spent time Monday.

"Vic's doing a nice job over there," he said.

Groh: Boos don't help athletes assess play

Groh said he heard the boos from the home crowd Saturday, late in the loss to Western Michigan.

"I guess it's become part of the American sporting culture," he said. "I noticed that none of it came from the student body. That section probably is the section that has done the most to change the climate in the stadium. They've been great. Their support has been tremendous."

Groh said the team didn't expect praise for its performance, but said booing says more about those doing it than it does about the team.

"Activities of that nature are more a commentary on the purported supporters of the team than it is on the players," he said. "We don't need to be told when we didn't perform well."

 

Cavs will feel Jackets' sting but can heal, save season

Bob Molinaro
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 20, 2006
Last updated: 11:44 PM

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When Virginia leaves Atlanta a loser Thursday night, the really hard work begins for Al Groh.

My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Wahoo. I don't mean to dismiss the Cavaliers' chances. But who actually believes that the team that lost to Western Michigan at home will upset Georgia Tech on the road? Don't raise your hands all at once.

At Groh's weekly media conference Tuesday, the focus was on Jameel Sewell, the redshirt freshman quarterback who will make his first college start against a rapacious Georgia Tech defense that will be fired up even more by the presence of ESPN's cameras.

Cavaliers fans may want to avert their eyes, or turn to the Food Network.

After several inquiries about Sewell's readiness, Groh was asked if he feared Sewell might be overwhelmed by the occasion and Tech's blitzes. How's a coach supposed to answer a question like that?

Groh shrugged. "Under the present circumstances," he said, "I'm worried about a lot of things."

That would include Georgia Tech's offense - "the most wide-open, diverse offense we've played this year" - not to mention U.Va.'s own maligned offensive line.

Groh's concerned about something else, too. Something that could hang heavily over this U.Va. season, if it isn't already.

Groh called it "the psychology of results."

Virginia's results haven't been good, of course. Against the weakest part of their schedule, the Cavaliers are 1-2 and haven't played a decent game yet. After Saturday's 17-10 loss, the players walked off the field to boos.

It's at times like these that disgruntled fans wonder about Groh. Isn't he being paid a reported $1.7 million salary? For that kind of money, he's expected to produce a big bowl contender, not a team that melts down against Western Michigan.

Georgia Tech is a tough place to turn around a season, but despite what we've seen so far, it's smart to remember that the season has just begun. It's too early, even for U.Va., to give in to any psychology that doesn't promise success. This may soon be the challenge facing Groh.

"The morale of the team is more important than anything," he acknowledged Tuesday. "The first thought of the day is, 'What does the team need to hear today?' A great deal of thought goes into how the team is going to be addressed."

Locker room speeches can inspire, but they don't put the ball in the end zone; better quarterbacking does. For now, Groh searches for the spark - could it be Sewell? - that can make a difference.

"We're always looking for them," he said. "But sometimes, there is no solution. Sometimes, you have the lineup that you have."

Given the season the Cavaliers are having so far, here's a safe prediction: When bowl bids are handed out, U.Va. will be asked to take a number. But the season doesn't have to be a complete washout. There are still games to be won. The ACC, if you haven't noticed, isn't overflowing with talent.

If not this week, U.Va.'s opportunities for upward mobility will come later. Against Duke, nonconference East Carolina, then Maryland, North Carolina and North Carolina State. These are teams with problems, teams as flawed as U.Va. - teams the Cavs play, in order, after Georgia Tech.

Tuesday, promising sophomore linebacker Antonio Appleby of Virginia Beach said, "Every game we play is a chance to turn the season around."

That's what players always say. That's what they should be saying.

It's Groh's job to make them believe. This week and next.
 

More mobile Sewell gets his chance
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell is on track to start for Virginia at Georgia Tech.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
September 20, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Jameel Sewell gathered his belongings in the locker room Saturday evening, preparing to head out to dinner with his parents and uncle.

Then he gathered his thoughts, preparing to embark on what had suddenly become an intriguing college football career.

"You've got a lot of work to do, Sewell," he thought. "A whole lot."

He expected to feel this way, to yearn for progress, after the most significant action of his career. Virginia coach Al Groh expected it, too. He inserted Sewell - a redshirt freshman still learning the Cavaliers' system - as his quarterback Saturday after starter Kevin McCabe and second-stringer Christian Olsen failed to spark a floundering offense.

Sewell played the entire second half of a 17-10 loss to Western Michigan, completing 7 of 10 passes for 51 yards. The Cavaliers had just 71 yards and four first downs in the second half.

Sewell was surprised Sunday when offensive coordinator Mike Groh told him he'd begin this week as Virginia's No. 1 quarterback. Sewell expected to play this season -just not this early.

The Cavaliers open their ACC schedule at 7:45 p.m. Thursday at Georgia Tech. They're looking for some way, any way, to boost their offense. Even if it means starting their third quarterback in four games.

Though Sewell isn't guaranteed to start - and coaches haven't given him any long-term assurances about playing time - Al Groh is willing to throw him up against Georgia Tech's blitzing defense. (Groh hasn't determined a No. 2 quarterback.)

"Look, it's gonna come sooner or later," Groh said. "You can't hide in the shadows. Just gotta go out and play."

That's about all Virginia's offense has done this season - played. It hasn't produced much of anything. Of 119 Division I-A teams, Virginia is ranked 107th in scoring (12 points per game), 112th in total offense (225 yards per game) and 117th in rushing (51 yards per game).

The last time Virginia started a redshirt freshman quarterback was in 2002 at Florida State. Marques Hagans completed 1 of 7 passes for 4 yards in a 40-19 loss. Hagans was replaced late in the second quarter. He didn't start again until 2003 but went on to have an outstanding college career.

Some redshirt freshmen excel from the beginning. Florida State's Drew Weatherford last season set an ACC freshman record by passing for 3,208 yards.

Yet this Virginia team is much shakier than the 2005 Seminoles, who won the ACC. The Cavaliers' best wide receiver, Deyon Williams, is sidelined with a stress fracture in his right foot. Their offensive line has been porous.

Sewell faced pressure several times Saturday and, he admitted, stayed in the pocket too long or failed to dump the ball to open receivers on short routes.

"I was expecting it when I got in the game last week - for them to just keep bringing the blitz, bringing blitz, pressure a young quarterback so he would crumble," he said. "So I'm expecting it this week also."

Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta, a Virginia graduate, uses relentless blitzes. The Yellow Jackets ranked third in the ACC last season with three sacks per game.

Sewell said he must improve on recognizing defenses - specifically, seeing how safeties rotate in coverage and knowing where to find receivers when he's under blitz pressure. At Hermitage High in Richmond, Sewell usually had to know two reads, rather than the three or four he must remember at Virginia, said Hermitage coach Patrick Kane.

Al Groh said Sewell's passing accuracy is sharp but inconsistent. An advantage Sewell has over McCabe and Olsen: mobility. Sewell isn't a Hagans-type run threat and "was always a passer first," Kane said.

"It's not scrambling ability per se," Groh said. "It's niftiness in the pocket to move, to avoid rushers - which, quite obviously, would be a desirable trait for any of our quarterbacks right now. Probably a required trait."

Since he knew Hagans would depart after last season, Groh in October gave Olsen and Sewell increased snaps in practice, hoping to hurry their development. In the latter half of the season, Sewell took four to five snaps a day with the first team, Groh said.

"It's like the guy who takes golf lessons with the expectation (that) in a short period of time, he'll be a lot better," Groh said. "Then a year later, he's still hitting the ball the same way. The expectation is that the lessons would've improved his game. Unfortunately, they haven't yet.

"I'd say the quarterbacks look pretty much the same as they looked in April and pretty much the same as they looked in August."

Sewell missed four preseason practices - and a significant chunk of core plays, Groh said - after slicing his right foot while riding his mountain bike in sandals. Olsen, who started the season's first two games, failed to show his mettle. None of Virginia's three quarterbacks had notable game experience.

"We'd like to have one guy, and he's in there for the whole time," Groh said. "And that's the way we wanted it to be to start with. The situation that we're in, frankly, isn't one that was totally unexpected. But we just had to play to find out what the reality of things were."

Sewell admitted it's hard not to think this is his chance to take Virginia's quarterback job and carry it for the better part of four years. But if the weight of the situation is shaking his nerves, teammates didn't see it Saturday.

Said right guard Ian-Yates Cunningham: "I couldn't imagine anybody else coming in there when they're that young and have that poise."

UVa Notebook: Sewell will start at quarterback against Georgia Tech
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 19, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE -Virginia's starting quarterback against Georgia Tech on Thursday will be the same one who finished the Western Michigan game - redshirt freshman Jameel Sewell.
"He's got a good overall package of skills," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He's got a lot of rotation on the ball. He's got a lot of life on the ball. He's got good athletic ability for the position.

"This isn't Marques Hagans back there, but he's got niftiness in the pocket. ? It's not scrambling ability, per se. It's niftiness in the pocket to avoid rushers, which quite obviously would be a desirable trait for our quarterbacks right now."

Sewell led the Cavaliers to just four first downs in the second half of a 17-10 loss to the Broncos last Saturday, but will get his shot after Christian Olsen and Kevin McCabe couldn't seize the position.

Olsen has an 81.8 quarterback efficiency rating after three games and led UVa to one touchdown drive, which spanned all of 13 yards.

McCabe started against Western Michigan and has moved the offense the best. But he has thrown more touchdowns to the opponent (2) than to his own receivers (1). The junior also has had problems getting the plays right from the sideline.

That leaves Sewell, who was 7-for-10 for 51 yards in his first extended action last week, which left him with one thought.

"That you've got a lot of work to do, Sewell. A whole lot," he said. "I wasn't necessarily too pleased with my performance, but I know it's going to be a little bumpy and a little rocky. Coach kind of expected it, but it's not what he wanted, so I've got a lot of things to work on in practice."

Olsen will be Sewell's backup and McCabe is third string.

Near facsimile

Former Gretna standout Vic Hall took some snaps at quarterback Sunday ? on the scout team.

Hall, an athletic 5-foot-9, 184-pound redshirt freshman who switched from quarterback to cornerback last year, emulated elusive Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball for about 10 snaps on Sunday. Ball averages 64.7 yards per game on the ground, tops among ACC quarterbacks and tied for sixth overall.

"He was giving us a real good look," defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said of Hall. "We have to adjust to that."

Hall will continue to play on defense for the time being, though. When asked if Hall, who set state yardage records while under center for four years at Gretna, could move back to quarterback at some time, Groh said, "That has no bearing on where we are right now. It certainly doesn't have any bearing for Thursday night."

Hall could press for some time at cornerback. He currently backs up Marcus Hamilton and Mike Brown at one of the cornerback positions, but Groh was pleased with some of the progress he had made at recent practices.

Questionable return

An NFL veteran, Groh used its injury reporting system to give an update on Hamilton, saying the senior cornerback was questionable for Thursday, which in NFL parlance means he has a 50 percent chance of being active.

Hamilton, who missed last week with a shoulder injury, has had success covering Georgia Tech's All-American wide receiver, Calvin Johnson. Last year, he limited Johnson to four catches for 41 yards.

Virginia will pay plenty of attention to the 6-foot-5, 235-pound future first-round NFL pick.

"I would say when you have a wide receiver who stands out like this, you better put some of your focus on him and hope that it works, because if you don't ? you're probably not going to stop him," Groh said. "Whether it's Calvin Johnson or Dwayne Jarrett or Jerry Rice or Marvin Harrison, you better have a plan for them or they're going to win the game by themselves."

Extra points

Groh said redshirt freshman inside linebacker Rashawn Jackson has made strides in practice and is closer to getting time on UVa's regular defense. Most of Jackson's playing time this season has been on special teams. ? Wide receiver Deyon Williams (stress fracture) began some light jogging recently, but Groh says not to take much stock in it. "Until I get a message that there's a stronger probability (of him playing), I'm actually treating it the same way I did with the (Ahmad) Brooks (injury) situation. ? I'm not even considering the possibility of him coming back."
 

Tech's new threads far out and groovy
Jackets to wear 1970 retro uniforms for Virginia game
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/20/06

Fans don't have to wear hot pants, platform shoes or bell bottoms to watch Georgia Tech's ACC opener against Virginia on Thursday night.

The Yellow Jackets' on-the-field attire, though, will be 36 years out of date.

Tech will sport gold jerseys, white pants and black shoes, plus white helmets that look a whole lot like Al Hutko's lamp.

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, when Bobby Dodd Stadium takes a trip back to 1970, to the days when Rock Perdoni was the All-America lineman, Eddie McAshan was the quarterback and Hutko was the junior right guard with the exceptionally large head.

When his teammates turned in their helmets for the last time, Hutko got to keep his because the equipment manager said it would be too big for anyone else. Hutko, an engineer, turned the helmet into a lamp he still uses in his home office in Augusta.

Now you, too, can own a white helmet with gold and blue stripes down the middle and the familiar GT logo in blue and gold on the sides. Throwback mini-helmets will be on sale Thursday night for $25 apiece.

If you want a full-size helmet worn by one of Tech's players, bring a cellphone with Web browser capability and visit www.stingmobile.com. Tech will auction off two helmets before the game and two in each quarter, with the winners notified where to pick them up after the game. Minimum opening bid: $300. Bidding on the rest of Tech's helmets begins Monday at ramblinwreck.com.

"Our goal is to break even with it," Tech marketing director Scott McLaren said. "The biggest thing is to have a lot of fun and excitement and get 50,000 people in the stadium."

That's how many tickets had been sold through Tuesday morning.

Fans will be able to buy popcorn at 1970 prices — $1 for a 46-ounce tub — from concessionaires in 1970s outfits. Tech's band will sport tie-dyed shirts. Listen for some period music over the loudspeakers and look for some surprises on the messageboard, McLaren said.

The players might be too busy to notice anything but their uniforms, but that's OK with them.

"I'm going to love it," fullback Mike Cox said. "We've been wearing the helmets on Thursdays to get used to them. Everybody practices a little better when they have the helmets on. It's something new and exciting."

Tech went 9-3 in 1970, though Hutko said those Jackets were "small and slow" compared with this year's. He began his Tech career as a 6-foot-3, 220-pound tackle and finished it as a 248-pound guard.

"I hope they don't reproduce our results from my senior year," said Dr. Gene Spiotta, who wore a similar uniform as a 170-pound running back and captain on Tech's 4-6 team of 1969. Yellow Jackets players wouldn't want to reproduce the campus environment, either.

"Georgia Tech from 1968-70 was still an extremely conservative school," Spiotta said, adding that all but about 50 of the students were male and "girls had curfews at 11 o'clock on weekdays."

Tech didn't play Virginia in those years. The series didn't become an annual event until Tech joined the ACC in the early 1980s. Even that is ancient history for a 21-year-old like linebacker KaMichael Hall, who looks at Throwback Thursday as a 2006 football game, not a one-night trip into the past.

"I don't think it's too much about the uniforms. It's about the people that are in them," Hall said. "It's just clothes to me. I'll just put them on like any other uniform."

He'll still be No. 35, like always, but you'll need to remember that number if you want to identify him on the field. Those gold jerseys in 1970 didn't have names on the backs, and neither will the jerseys Tech wears Thursday night.

Russell Athletic donated the jerseys, which the current Yellow Jackets players will be allowed to keep. Putting together the rest of the uniform took countless hours of work by equipment manager Tom Conner and assistants Punt Windham and Brady Parish. Conner studied photos, then worked with suppliers to match that 1970 look. He began ordering equipment in late February, and the last few pairs of black shoes were scheduled to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday.

Some Tech offensive linemen prefer shoe models that have been discontinued, so Conner had to scrounge up size 13-1/2 and 14 high-tops from colleagues at other universities.

Just putting the stripes and decals on the helmets took 18 man-hours.

"It's a great look, and it's a great uniform," Conner said. "Everybody who's seen it has been thrilled with it. But would I want to do this every year just to have that thrill for everybody? No, because it's not that big a thrill for me."

 

Ball gets room to run offense
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/20/06

Fans can see how accurately or inaccurately he passes, how well he runs and how successful or unsuccessful he is at spotting an open receiver and delivering the ball on time.

What they can't see about quarterback Reggie Ball are the decisions he makes.

Ball originally was supposed to run a draw on the second-quarter play against Troy that turned into a 55-yard touchdown pass to James Johnson, Johnson said. Offensive coordinator Patrick Nix has given Ball the authority to change out of plays at certain times based on the defense.

"If they blitz him, he can throw the pass," Nix said. "If there's a certain coverage, he can throw the pass. And there are certain times we know we're going to run it because we've got the numbers."

That's not the kind of freedom a coach would give a freshman, but Ball is a fourth-year starter.

"He understands the game. He's not going to get rattled on the field," coach Chan Gailey said. "He's going to make good decisions to get your team in a position to have a successful play. Then, we tried to not make it so complicated that it becomes burdensome. If you get him thinking too much, then you paralyze him to a certain extent."

Ball is 467 yards from Joe Hamilton's record of 1,758 yards rushing by a Tech quarterback. Hamilton and Shawn Jones are the only Tech players who have thrown more touchdown passes. Ball's passing efficiency rating of 113.1 this season is a career high.Break out the XXL jerseys

Tech's players will wear uniforms from 36 years ago Thursday night, but the uniform sizes will be a lot bigger.

"We didn't even have a weight room [or a strength coach]," said Dr. Gene Spiotta, captain of the 1969 team. "We had a small closeted area with some free weights in it."

Jackets get deeper on defensive line

Michael Johnson gave Tech a big boost Saturday when he was able to play against Troy after missing the Notre Dame and Samford games while hurt. Johnson backs up Adamm Oliver and Darrell Robertson at defensive end and made five tackles, including a sack, forced a fumble and broke up two passes.

"He is a good player and had a great game last week, and it's really nice to work him in the rotation," Oliver said. "We want to keep fresh and go all out on every play. Michael Johnson is going to come in and give it everything he's got; he is just that type of guy."

Expectations of players change

Not only has Tech added to its offense with each game, but it has adjusted the players it uses and the ways it uses them.

"I will continue to figure out who can do what and what plays are the best and how we need to use this guy or use that guy," Nix said. "There are some guys that going in we thought, 'He's going to be a great one for us,' but they haven't panned out, and there are some guys we thought maybe they're not going to be and all of the sudden they're being a big-time player for us."

 

Cavs stuck in a developmental holding pattern
Joey Mancini, Cavalier Daily Columnist

At the beginning of his spring football press conference, Al Groh said that the Virginia football team had a "significant rebuilding job" in front of it.

Taking that statement as reliable, my first column in August argued that if the Cavaliers were in fact "rebuilding" in 2006, then Jameel Sewell should be the starting quarterback.

His upside is tremendous. And as the purported "quarterback of the future," he could benefit greatly from a year of experience with young teammates.

But we won't go back to that.

There are two quarterbacks on the roster that Virginia could currently be "rebuilding" around -- Sewell and Kevin McCabe.

Both have remaining eligibility, with the option to return and be a part of next year's team.

Regardless of who you think should be the starting quarterback, Saturday, Groh apparently did not create a situation in which either McCabe or Sewell could stay above water, let alone swim.

Based on his performance against Wyoming, McCabe deserved to be the starting quarterback against Western Michigan.

But throughout last week, Groh said that a decision about a starting quarterback would be made in practice.

Instead, McCabe reportedly learned that he would be the starting quarterback at breakfast Saturday morning, hours before game time.

It is unfair for a quarterback to get the news that he will be starting for the first time on the morning of a game, regardless of an "every player must be ready to play" mantra. What is more ridiculous, however, is that the coaching staff did not know until Saturday morning that McCabe would be the starter.

Groh failed Sewell by focusing on a competition between Olsen and McCabe the week before, without telling the young talent that he would receive substantial playing time Saturday.

After the game, Sewell, without hesitation, said that he "didn't expect to play the entire second half."

Throughout the week, Sewell said he received "not too many" reps in practice.

Without reps in practice, he could never have been prepared to lead a late comeback.

In fact, Sewell said he wasn't told he would even play in the game until Friday afternoon when the team got to the hotel.

For the sake of development, Groh must very soon name his player and decide his vision at the quarterback position.

I have said that my choice would be Sewell.

But whoever it is, that player should know as soon as possible. And once Groh is comfortable with either McCabe or Sewell, he should name one the starter for the remainder of the season.

Saturday, Groh failed his quarterbacks by not putting them in a position to succeed.

McCabe did not know he would be the starter until hours before the game.

Sewell spent the entire second half going back to the sidelines to ask about plays because he never knew that he would play 30 minutes of football against Western Michigan.

The entire charade implies that Virginia coach Al Groh doesn't have a vision for his quarterbacks in this "rebuilding job."

And as long as the Cavaliers move week-to-week wondering who will start, McCabe and Sewell, and perhaps the entire team, will stand in a developmental holding pattern.

It is important every week for receivers to know who will be throwing to them, for running backs to know who will be handing the ball to them and for an offensive line to know who they are protecting.

It is more important that inexperienced quarterbacks have enough information from their coach to prepare themselves for game day.

That didn't happen Saturday.