Can Groh turn things around?
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
September 4, 2007

Nearly two hours before the sun came up on Sunday morning, Al Groh was in his McCue Center office with a fresh pot of coffee, sorting out exactly what went wrong the previous day in Wyoming.

The Virginia coach admittedly sometimes has trouble sleeping after a Cavalier win, let alone a loss. Saturday’s 23-3 setback in the season opener chewed a hole in Groh’s soul that only winning can repair. Thusly, he’s been in his corner office between 4:30 and 5 a.m. every day since the Wahoos returned home.

Understanding his critics

He missed the painting of Beta Bridge that read: “$1.7 million, Groh Must Go!” Actually, we think it’s $1.9, but who’s counting?

He probably didn’t hear about the “Groh Must Go” T-shirts that popped up at The Diamond in Richmond. His call-in radio show wasn’t as damning as many of us expected on Monday night, although some guy in Lynchburg suggested that Groh should resign.

Groh, who has been accused of being surly with media types and at times prickly to critical fans, appeared to completely understand where they were coming from on Tuesday when he was grilled about the Wyoming massacre and the state of the program.

“Look, I’m troubled by the game,” Groh said. “I don’t know why anybody else wouldn’t be either.”

The difference was that while Wahoo Nation was reaching for the panic button, Groh wasn’t. He hasn’t given up, nor has his team after a 23-3 pasting where very little went right.

“I also understand that we’ve got a lot of games left,” Groh said. “In ’02, we had an 0-2 team that won nine games. I happened to be on a team one year that lost its first two games and went to the Super Bowl. If you’re going to get anything done in athletics, you’re wise not to cash your chips in too soon.”

How to rebound

Certainly, Virginia fans have only to look back to last December for a reference. That’s when the basketball team, the top seed in the San Juan Shootout (you never thought you’d have to read about that again, did you?) was blown out by Appalachian State, then Utah, and barely got by the Division III Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Tarzans.

Folks were questioning Dave Leitao and the team and bemoaning how the team probably wouldn’t win a game in the ACC.

The Cavs ended up tying for the regular-season title in the conference, which they could had easily won with one more decent performance at Miami or Wake.

However, the question is, what is Groh going to do about it and can he turn things around?

Asked if he was confident that Virginia’s philosophies and schemes and plans were being done right, that they were solid, and Groh replied with an emphatic ‘yes.’

“Any time you don’t get the results that you want it would be arrogant to say that you think things are perfect,” the coach said. “Arrogance is one of the first steps toward failure.”

Groh said he and his staff spent nine months of research and analysis on what would be best for the talent, the experience or inexperience on hand for this particular team.

“We feel that we have a well thought-out plan going into the season. It’s a little bit different plan than we’ve had for some other seasons, but it’s a different team,” he said. “The approach and the plan has been a little bit different each year, depending on how the team changes.”

Cavaliers coaches have spent time observing other programs, both college and pro, in an attempt to tweak ideas that might fit UVa’s personnel. Nothing was done on the fly.

While Groh didn’t say so (he would never throw a player under the bus), it was evident to most of us that quarterback Jameel Sewell struggled more than anyone would have predicted, even the sophomore himself.

Sewell still seemed to have that “wax paper” vision of the field that plagued him most of his rookie year. Everyone believed that he had cleared that hurdle, but clearly regressed that frustrating afternoon in Laramie.

Certainly the UVa starting QB can do better than that. He did from time to time last season. The question is, can he become consistently good this season?

Virginia simply can’t win without a strong performer at quarterback whether it is Sewell, rookie Peter Lalich or someone else.

There were plenty of other problems Saturday. Some of the receivers didn’t run precise routes, which didn’t help Sewell’s performance. Some running backs didn’t make the proper cuts in the zone-blocking scheme.

All these problems produced a lousy 110 yards and three points from an offense that was supposed to be much improved over last year’s, which was one of the least productive units in the nation.

Fans’ frustration immediately turned to Groh and to his son, Mike Groh, the team’s offensive coordinator. Now they’re starting to get the same kind of heat Lou and Skip Holtz got at South Carolina, and that Bobby and Jeff Bowden got at Florida State.

We can’t find out how Mike Groh feels about the situation because of Al’s “One Voice” policy for the program. But, the head coach was asked how Saturday’s performance impacted the offensive coordinator.

“[Mike] feels the way the rest of us do ... he’s troubled by the results,” Al Groh said. “And we’re not getting the production out of the players and the schemes that we have. Collectively, we think this is the most complete and most diverse overall scheme that we’ve had, and yet there’s still some issues that prevent us from utilizing a great deal of it.”

Players interviewed Tuesday would not cast the blame at the coaching staff, but rather accepted responsibility for not getting the job done.

“The way we played is not a direct reflection of our coach,” said defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald. “We know that we can do better, we should have done better.”

Center Jordy Lipsey was offended about the bridge painting.

“I heard about Beta Bridge,” he said. “I think it was painted while we were on the plane. I’m surprised that someone had the audacity to do that in broad daylight. It was up by the time we got home from Wyoming.”

While the players and coaches try to fix the problems during practice this week, Groh said he is not taking away from recruiting or his other work in order to spend more time with the offense. Rather, he’s coming in earlier to devote even more time to the challenge.

“One of the ways I manage to do those things is that I spend less time in bed,” said Groh, who is customarily in the office early and stays late anyway. “That’s where the time comes from.”

It’s all part of the job and Groh understands that and even though the questioning got pretty tough on Tuesday, the coach’s feathers weren’t ruffled. He didn’t snap at anyone, or challenge their football knowledge or deliver “the stare” that occasionally follows a stupid question.

Instead, he was calm, cool, collected. He understood the process.

“When you’re the head coach, it’s a position that you know by the nature of it, that you’re going to take your hits,” Groh said. “So, that’s just the way it goes. It’s like playing quarterback. You know you’re going to get hit. Whether it’s on the field or off the field, it’s just part of the position.

“If you can’t get hit and get back up, then you can’t play the position.”

The Grohs, Al and Mike, and Sewell, and everyone else, have their first chance to get back up on Saturday. If they don’t, then they will likely get comfortable with the horizontal position.

 

Improving the passing game
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 5, 2007

In a way, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell is playing football on borrowed time.

Nine months after the signal-caller underwent career-saving surgery on his throwing wrist, UVa coach Al Groh is forced to tackle the unknown.

Sewell, while not being bothered by the wrist in an 87-yard, two-interception performance against Wyoming last Saturday, is clearly day-to-day.

“It’s an ongoing situation, and it is a situation that we have been told medically could re-present itself at any time,” Groh said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “Literally, we have been told it could be in 10 minutes or 10 years.”

Groh said Sewell’s wrist is a “non-issue,” but it clearly played a role in the determination of inserting true freshman Peter Lalich into the 20-point loss at Wyoming.

“That being the case, if we thought Peter was up to it, that it
would be the best thing to do should we have to do that at some point into the season it wasn’t all of a sudden, ‘Oh, wow. He hasn’t been in a game before,’” Groh said.

How Lalich will be used in the future remains to be seen, but Groh compared the situation to what Florida had during its 2006 campaign with senior quarterback Chris Leak and true freshman Tim Tebow.

For the Gators, however, the roles were completely reversed.

“The veteran quarterback was the in-the-pocket player, and the rookie, while he had quite a career throwing the ball, had made his real mark and what he was most comfortable doing was running it,” Groh said. “In our particular case here, the incoming player has had more background and made his mark throwing the ball. Certainly, Jameel has demonstrated on occasion his ability to be effective as a runner.

“I’m not saying that we have fallen into that type of cycle or that type of moment, but it presents that possibility.”

Lalich, who went 3-of-5 passing for 16 yards during his only series, was not a sure-fire lock to play this season, Groh said.

“We didn’t have any idea about that on Aug. 6,” the coach said. “We said that we were certainly going to have to make a decision about this at a certain point as he progressed throughout training camp and we got closer to the [Wyoming] game.

“We decided that was a possibility that we would do that. We didn’t say we are going to do this for sure.”

With the exception of proclaiming Sewell the starter, Groh did not tip his hand on how Lalich would be used against Duke (0-1) on Saturday at Scott Stadium.

“I don’t know that this week is any different than last week,” Groh said. “We’re interested in progressing both of the players.”

The biggest focus, whether it is with Lalich or Sewell, remains getting the passing game on track. Through the past six games, Virginia has tossed five interceptions without a single touchdown pass and the Cavaliers were ranked 104th in passing offense before Monday’s games.

“Obviously, production in the passing game has been the central issue with the team for 13 games now,” Groh said. “That’s where a lot of your point production comes from.
“Whatever steps that we might be able to take to put some more production into that position is vital to getting the ball moved.”

Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman said the team remains loyal to Sewell.

“Jameel’s going to bounce back,” Peerman said. “We’re still very confident in him.”

The blame is not isolated to the quarterbacks. Against Wyoming, the wide receivers were far from perfect.

“I don’t think we got what we needed from that position,” Groh said. “I think quite a few routes were run shorter than the designated distance.

“It’s very, very important if you are going to have precision in the passing game and those are going to be at the level at which the quarterback expects them to be.”

Groh singled out junior Maurice Covington, who had four catches for 20 yards, as an example.

“We had a third-down ball where [Sewell] overthrew Covington,” Groh said. “Covington was a little short on the route. Had he been at the proper depth, probably the ball would have been a little more accurately thrown.”

Burrell to get the start?

Barring a miraculous healing process with Jermaine Dias’ ankle, sophomore Denzel Burrell is slated to make his first start at outside linebacker.

Burrell played as a reserve against Wyoming and assisted on one tackle and Groh said it was “fairly positive.”

“He did a fairly decent job on [the dime] and deflected the pass that Jeffrey [Fitzgerald] intercepted,” Groh said.

It was another setback for Dias, who made three tackles against the Cowboys, but has been plagued with injuries during his four-year career.

“I’m disappointed for him,” Groh said. “He was playing very well in the game. He was off to a really good start with the year, but now this is the third year out of four that he has been hurt early in the season with an ankle.

“I’m sure it’s disappointing for him and we’re disappointed for him.”

Help could be on the way for the linebackers.
Redshirt freshman John Bivens returned to practice on Monday after missing the Wyoming game.

However, Darnell Carter (foot) is not expected to play against the Blue Devils.

A positive performance

Lost in the shuffle of the loss on Saturday was the improved play of defensive end Alex Field.

The junior registered three tackles in reserve duty.
“Alex played well,” Groh said.

Field also gives Virginia flexibility in that he can replace Chris Long or Fitzgerald.

“He played at both spots, and at this stage for a player getting his reads and his techniques down when he comes in, whether it is on offense or defense, we kind of like to put them at one place and leave them there,” Groh said. “As a player gets a little further in his career they find it easier to swing and he is now in that stage.

“He appears to be equally comfortable on either side and played on both sides [against Wyoming] and most likely will continue to do that.”

Extra points

Virginia punter Ryan Weigand is ranked as the nation’s top punter with an average of 51.4 yards per kick. …

Andrew Pearman, a junior, enjoyed a solid day in Virginia’s return game. Thanks to a 67-yard kickoff return, Pearman is averaging 37.7 yards per return. It may also force teams to pick their poison - Pearman or Peerman. “It certainly shows we have good balance back there between Big P and Little P,” Groh said. …

Mike Groh, Virginia’s offensive coordinator, has drawn heat from fans this week. Through 13 games as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Cavaliers have scored 184 points, six of which came against Duke last year on an interception return by Fitzgerald. “He certainly feels the way that all of us do,” Al Groh said. “He’s troubled by the results. We’re not getting the production out of both the players and the schemes that we have.” …

Inside linebacker Darren Childs made his debut on the team’s depth chart. Childs is listed as the backup behind Antonio Appleby. Another linebacker, John-Kevin Dolce, is not listed and did not travel to Wyoming, but Groh said he is in the mix for playing time. …

Duke allowed 45 points and 487 yards of total offense in a lopsided loss to Connecticut on Saturday. The Blue Devils rank 99th in total defense.

 

Exit sign for coach
Fans want Groh out after Saturday's loss, but he shares their concern
Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007 - 12:06 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE The declaration painted Saturday on Beta Bridge -- GROH MUST GO! -- is no long visible on that Rugby Road landmark at the University of Virginia.

It's been replaced by a message unrelated to football. That doesn't mean U.Va. fans are any happier with seventh-year coach Al Groh than they were after his team lost 23-3 at Wyoming on opening day.

On Groh's radio show Monday night, a caller identified as "Clyde from Forest" didn't mince words.

"All I want to say is, I was embarrassed Saturday, as many Virginia fans were," Clyde said. "The best way Coach Groh could help this program would be to resign."

As Groh, a 1967 graduate of U.Va., does each Tuesday during the season, he met yesterday with reporters. He was asked about the criticism. Virginia closed with 2005 season with a win over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl. Since then, however, the Cavaliers have lost eight of 13 games.

U.Va. returned eight starters on offense and 10 on defense from its 2006 team, and expectations were high heading into the season. The debacle in Laramie prompted scores of message-board posters to call for a coaching change.

Groh said yesterday that he wasn't aware of the Beta Bridge artwork, but he didn't seem shocked when apprised of it.

"When you're the head coach, you know by the nature of the position that you're going to take your hits. So that's just the way it goes," Groh said. "It's like playing quarterback. You know you're going to get hit. Whether it's on the field or off the field, it's just part of the position. If you can't get hit and get back up, you can't play the position."

For many fans, it wasn't so much that the Cavaliers lost the opener, but how they lost it. Wyoming, which entered as an underdog, outgained Virginia 410 yards to 110. The Wahoos managed only five first downs, and the Cowboys' margin of victory easily could have been greater.

"Look, I'm troubled by the game. I don't know why anybody else wouldn't be, either," said Groh, whose record at U.Va. is 42-34.

"But I also understand that we have a lot of games to play. In '02 we had an 0-2 team that won nine games, and I happened to be on a team one year that lost its first two games and went to the Super Bowl. If you're going to get anything done in athletics, you're wise not to cash your chips in too soon."

The Cavaliers host hapless Duke (0-1) on Saturday in an ACC game they're expected to win easily. A week later, though, Virginia plays at North Carolina. Its record in road games under Groh is 10-24.

Asked about the criticism of Groh, senior punter Ryan Weigand said: "I don't think it affects us at all. Yeah, we see it. But Coach Groh puts us in the position to make plays. We still have to execute."

Virginia won nine games in 2002, eight in '03, eight in '04 and seven in '05. Groh, who spent more than a decade on NFL coaching staffs, said he remains confident that his philosophy is sound and that he can revive the flagging program at his alma mater. But he acknowledged that these are tough times for the Wahoos.

"Anytime you don't get the results you want, it'd be arrogant to say that you think everything's perfect," Groh said. "One thing we try to avoid is that. Arrogance is one of the first steps toward failure."

 

UVa fans give grief to Groh
The Cavaliers' football coach tells irate backers that he is also 'troubled' after losing at Wyoming.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- By the time Virginia football coach Al Groh met with the media Tuesday, UVa's Beta Bridge had been painted over and there was no sign of the "Groh Must Go!" message that had greeted passers-by for 48 hours.

"I'm not familiar with the painting of Beta Bridge," Groh said.

If his players hadn't seen it, at least they were aware of it.

"I'm a graduate student now, so I don't go on campus that frequently," said Jordy Lipsey, the Cavaliers' starting center, "but I heard about it. I think it was painted while we were on the plane."

The Cavaliers returned home Saturday night after a 23-3 road loss to the University of Wyoming.

"I'm surprised that someone had the audacity to do that in broad daylight," Lipsey said. "Supposedly, it was up by the time we got home from Wyoming.

"Beta Bridge is [on] a very popular street. A lot of people travel on it and go by it. So, obviously, if someone's painting it and it's not 2 a.m., they're going to be seen by other people."

Apparently, the painters did not meet with much resistance.

Disenchantment with Groh was also evident Monday on his weekly radio show, Cavalier Call-In. A previous Groh adversary, Clyde from Forest, was the most vehement.

"I was embarrassed Saturday, as many Virginia fans were," Clyde said. "We weren't prepared. We looked like a little-league football team.

"I go to everything they got up there. The best way Coach Groh can help this program is to resign. That's the best thing he can do for us."

Before Clyde could continue or Groh could respond, host Mac McDonald jumped in.

"Clyde, you're done," McDonald said. "We appreciate your comments."

McDonald told print reporters Tuesday that he no longer would accept calls from Clyde from Forest, then later said that nobody would be turned down.

Groh took approximately 10 calls before the Roanoke station that carries Cavalier Call-In, WZZI (101.5 FM), went dead with 10 minutes remaining in the show.

Many of the early calls were from the Salem-Roanoke area.

The call that got the most heartfelt response from Groh was from a Norfolk caller who identified himself as a UVa graduate with two degrees.

"I'll be there Saturday," the caller said of the Cavaliers' home opener against Duke.

"I've got tickets to a bunch of away games. My family largely will organize its fall around Virginia football. A lot of what we're hearing tonight and a lot of what people have felt over the last season is frustration over a lack of excellence.

"We, as a fan base in football, have really been asked to step up to the plate in terms of attendance, enthusiasm at games, taking off coats and ties, all of that stuff, and frankly what is a remarkable, remarkable amount of money that it now takes, especially next year, to have good seats."

Virginia uses the term "uncompromised excellence" in its literature.

"I think the pursuit of excellence is a noble goal," the Norfolk caller said. "When you don't achieve it, I think it's frustrating and I think it's fair to hold people accountable. I'm sure you're doing everything you can but people are getting a little worn down.

"I think the fact that we could take 19 returning starters out to Wyoming and be so statistically manhandled, for me, was the most frustrating point and frankly, the low point, in 20-some years of following Virginia football very passionately."

He got no argument from Groh.

"We're very troubled by it, too," Groh said. "Everybody internally -- coaches and players -- are troubled by it. Nobody could be as troubled as the people here because this is our life. This is all we do. We don't have any outlet other than this.

"From a players' standpoint, we're pleased with the effort, not the performance but the effort. Coaches are here 90 to 100 hours a week. They can't do much more in terms of effort. We're going to fight our way out of this thing and we're confident in the players' attitude and their willingness to go forward."

Groh was not testy at any point in a 45-minute session with reporters Tuesday, even when the "Groh Must Go!" issue was raised.

"When you're the head coach, you know by the nature of the position that you're going to take your hits," said Groh, who came to UVa in 2001 after serving as head coach of the New York Jets for one year. "Any time you don't get the results that you want, it would be arrogant to say that everything is perfect. One thing we try to avoid is that.

"Arrogance is one of the first steps toward failure."
 

Concerns about U. Va. QB's wrist force a backup plan
By ED MILLER , The Virginian-Pilot
© September 5, 2007 | Last updated 9:45 PM Sep. 4

CHARLOTTESVILLE | The surgically repaired left wrist of Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell isn't an issue at the moment and wasn't a factor in his poor performance against Wyoming on Saturday, coach Al Groh said Tuesday.

But that's not to say the wrist won't be an issue in the future, Groh said, and that's the main reason he has decided not to redshirt freshman quarterback Peter Lalich.

"It is a situation that we have been told medically could re-present itself at any time," Groh said. "That being the case, we've also been told that could be in 10 minutes and that could be in 10 years."

With the possibility of re-injury looming, Groh said he and his staff decided it would be best to begin preparing Lalich, a high-school All-American from Springfield. Lalich played in Virginia's final series Saturday, completing 3 of 5 passes for 16 yards.

For the freshman, it was a chance to get a taste of the college game so that in the event something happens to Sewell, it won't be "Wow, (Lalich) has never been in the game before," Groh said.

Sewell played last season with a broken bone in his wrist and had surgery in December. Although he had reportedly looked sharp in practice, he completed just 11 of 23 passes Saturday and threw two interceptions.

Groh said he remains confident in Sewell, who will start against Duke in Saturday's home opener. He didn't say whether Lalich would play but added, "We're interested in progressing both of the players."

Groh also did not rule out playing both players throughout the season - like Florida did last year with starter Chris Leak, a pocket passer, and Tim Tebow, a running specialist.

Sewell and Lalich also have contrasting styles. Sewell is a threat to run, while the 6-foot-5 Lalich is more of a pocket passer.

"I'm not saying we have fallen into that type of cycle," Groh said. "But it presents that possibility."

Another ankle injury will sideline Dias on Saturday

Virginia's lone significant first-week casualty was linebacker Jermaine Dias, who is expected to miss Saturday's game with an ankle injury. Dias was off to a fast start, with three tackles, when he rolled his ankle on the first play of the second quarter.

"It's a little bit of a setback there because Jermaine has really got the position down," Groh said.

It's also the third year of four that Dias has missed time early in the season because of an ankle injury.

Denzel Burrell, who filled in for Dias against Wyoming, will start Saturday. Burrell played in just two games last year before missing the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Although Burrell was credited with just one tackle Saturday, he also deflected a pass that led to an interception.

"He had a fairly positive performance," Groh said, "with a few rough spots in there."

Pick puts Fitzgerald in select company

Jeffrey Fitzgerald's interception Saturday was the third of his career, making the 6- 3, 275-pound defensive end the team's unlikely co-career-leader in that department. Safety Nate Lyles also has three career picks.

Fitzgerald picked off a deflected pass against Duke last season, and also returned a fumble for a touchdown. He correctly anticipated a swing pass and intercepted a Sean Glennon throw against Virginia Tech last season.

Against Wyoming, Burrell tipped a pass high in the air and it dropped into Fitzgerald's hands.

"I just happened to in the right place at the right time," he said.

He often is, Groh said.

"They do seem like they've just come to him," Groh said. "But they've just come to him in practice, too. He's got very good ball skills."

 

Loss in opener fuels Groh-ing pains some U.Va. fans are feeling
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 5, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE

IF YOU'RE A football coach, you don't need a name that rhymes with "go." When times get hard, it's too easy for the grumbling Longfellows in your crowd to wax prophetic.

For instance, when was the last time you read a protest sign that said, "Blutarski Must Go!"?

But when your name is Groh, and your team just got bucked clean out of Wyoming in its opener, and you've scored one touchdown in four games dating to last year, and you produce this kind of sickly football for nearly $2 million a year, well, "Groh Must Go!" is low-hanging fruit.

Darned if those magic words didn't appear in Virginia orange paint across a famous local bridge Saturday, sometime after the Cavaliers' ghastly 23-3 rout in Laramie.

They have since been painted over, but the sentiment is nothing coach Al Groh hasn't heard before - which for U.Va. fans is depressing in its own right.

Most coaches have to beat back the posse at some point. Groh, though, is used to dodging pitchforks, and one game into his seventh season is back staring at the frayed, jagged edge of public outrage.

"Look, I'm troubled by the game," Groh said Tuesday. "I don't know why anybody else wouldn't be either."

'Hooville, troubled? Guess we'll see what kind of sound and fury erupts Saturday when Duke's tackling dummies drag their 21-game losing streak into Scott Stadium, presumably just in time.

It's always great to play "where everybody loves you," U.Va. center Jordy Lipsey said. Although, as a grad student, Lipsey admitted he's not actually around much to gauge the love.

"I heard about the bridge," Lipsey said. "I'm surprised someone would have the audacity to do that in broad daylight."

The grizzled Groh, of course, is not. His Cavaliers have deteriorated in broad daylight, declining since 2004 from eight to seven to five victories to getting manhandled by Wyoming - which isn't Appy State over Michigan, but come on.

That, though, only hints at U.Va.'s malaise.

There's the pitiful road record: The Cavs are 2-10 in their past dozen away from home, and those wins are against Syracuse, which stinks, and Duke, which stinks worse.

There are the quarterback issues: Jameel Sewell, coming off wrist surgery, was so shockingly scattershot at Wyoming that Groh burned the redshirt season of touted Peter Lalich in mop-up duty.

(Groh, who says he'll stick with Sewell, repeatedly denied Sewell was still hurt and squashed the suggestion that the sophomore was battling a mental block.)

There's the question of why a decent defense with 10 returning starters couldn't get off the field Saturday. And why an offense orchestrated by Groh's son Mike has produced, Sewell's struggles notwithstanding, just 10 first downs, 222 yards and three points in its past two games.

And then there's the uncertainty over what's become of the physical identity the Cavaliers have sought to cultivate.

One thing is sure: "It would be tough to go back from where we were this past weekend," defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said. "So we have to get better."

Anybody who expects national-championship contention at U.Va. needs to get a grip. That said, the sense of meandering that's settled over Groh's program in his seventh season is disturbing.

It begs an urgent fix that the Cavaliers need to show they have in them.

"Anytime you don't get the results that you want, it would be arrogant to say that you think everything's perfect," Groh said. "Arrogance is one of the first steps toward failure."

The irony, Groh said, "is collectively, we feel that this is really the most complete and most diverse overall scheme that we've had. And yet there are still some issues that prevent us from utilizing a good deal of it."

The longer they linger, the more Groh and the Cavs will be stuck on a graffiti-scarred bridge to nowhere.

 

Fired-up fan paints 'Groh must go'
By Melinda Waldrop | 247-4646
September 5, 2007
 

It's just one game into the season, but when that game ends in a 23-3 loss to a Mountain West Conference team, a head coach already facing job scrutiny might encounter a message like the one awaiting Al Groh on Virginia's return to Charlottesville from Wyoming.

Someone spray-painted the Beta Bridge, a campus landmark often used as a public forum, with the orange-and-blue opinion, "Groh must go," accompanied by "$1.7 million," a reference to Groh's annual salary.

"I'm surprised someone had the audacity to do that in broad daylight," U.Va. center Jordy Lipsey said. "It was up by the time we got home from Wyoming."

The Cavs' season-opening loss fired up online pundits at sites such as GrohsGottaGo.net, where one blogger wrote, "Al is returning from Thin Air to THIN ICE at home if he can't turn this program around," as well as on-campus artists.

"My first year, I learned you really can't pay attention to that stuff," said Lipsey, a senior. "When people have nice things to say, it's awesome to read about it, but then you realize they're also sometimes gonna have negative things to say, and that hurts a little."

Groh said he wasn't aware of the artwork on the bridge, which had been painted over by Tuesday afternoon. But he wasn't surprised by the sentiment.

"You're the head coach," Groh said. "You know by the nature of the position that you're gonna take your hits. ... If you can't get hit and get back up, then you can't play the position."

SEWELL'S STRUGGLES
The Cavs' offensive problems were myriad, with their running game unable to get any traction and sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell struggling to an 87-yard, two-interception passing performance. Sewell underthrew and threw behind receivers, who Groh said often broke off their routes too early.

"There was a third-down ball where (Sewell) overthrew (Maurice) Covington," Groh said. "Covington was a little short on the route. Had he been at the proper depth, probably the ball would have been a little more accurately thrown."

Covington led U.Va. with four catches for 20 yards. Staton Jobe and Dontrelle Inman each caught two passes, for 27 and 21 yards, respectively.

Sewell, a left-hander, had a broken bone in his left wrist repaired in December.

While the injury didn't bother him Saturday, Groh said: "It is an ongoing situation. It is a situation that we have been told medically could re-present itself at any time. We've also been told that could be in 10 minutes, or it could be in 10 years."

Uncertainty about Sewell's long-term health led the Virginia coaches to see what true freshman Peter Lalich could do, Groh said. Lalich completed three of his five passes in the Cavs' final offensive series against Wyoming and will be used again after burning his redshirt year, but Groh said Sewell remains Virginia's starting quarterback.

"We're interested in progressing both players," Groh said. "Obviously, production in the passing game has been the central issue with the team for 13 games now. That's where the ball gets moved. ... That's where a lot of your point production comes from."

While the Cavs — who averaged an ACC-worst 157 passing yards per game last year — had just 103 against Wyoming, they managed just 7 net yards on the ground.

"There were just a few mental errors," said junior tailback Cedric Peerman, limited to 18 yards on seven carries. "I felt like I missed a few cuts I could have made."

Sewell and the offense will get a chance to rebound Saturday against Duke, which gave up 487 yards to Connecticut in losing its 21st straight game.

ODDS AND ENDS
Senior outside linebacker Jermaine Dias left the Wyoming game with an injured ankle and is not listed on the Cavs' depth chart for Saturday, leaving sophomore Denzel Burrell as a likely starter.

Dias started all 12 games last

season, making 48 tackles, after missing four games in 2005 with a foot injury.

"It's a little bit of a setback there since Jermaine has really got the position down," Groh said. ...

Al isn't the only Groh feeling heat in Charlottesville.

The Cavs averaged 15 points per game last season in Mike Groh's first season as offensive coordinator, ending the 2006 season with 112 yards of offense against Virginia Tech.

U.Va. missed that mark by 2 yards against Wyoming. "He certainly feels the way that all of us do," Al Groh said of his son. "He's troubled by the results. We're not getting the production out of both the players and the schemes that we have."
 

Blue Devils face tougher tests on road
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Sep 5, 2007 : 12:39 am ET

DURHAM -- While football fans everywhere played "Monday morning quarterback" around the water cooler, the Duke Blue Devils were playing a high-stakes version of the game, with the occasional water break.

The Blue Devils had plenty to analyze, and plenty to agonize over, after opening their season with a 45-14 loss to Connecticut that extended the nation's longest losing streak to 21.

"We went back to work. It was good to get back on the practice field and be able to spit some of that out and move forward," Duke coach Ted Roof said. "We have to learn lessons from it, and as coaches, we have to use it as well. There are some things we have to make sure our football team understands.

"Hopefully we've done that the last couple of days and will be ready to play much better against the University of Virginia."

Duke starts a treacherous four-game road trip Saturday (noon, WRAL) against a Virginia team licking similarly deep wounds after a 23-3 loss at Wyoming, but the Blue Devils are first focused on fixing their problems rather than trying to exploit the Cavs' problems.

The first hurdle is a mental one. The Blue Devils went into the opener believing they would snap their skid and actually led 14-11 at halftime, but a disastrous second half certainly shook any confidence the team had built in the offseason.

"Saturday night was a big disappointment, but my mentality and the mentality our team tries to maintain throughout the season is that come Sunday, it's time to watch the film and start learning," senior left guard Zach Maurides said. "Be a man, be an adult and fix what went wrong. You can't wallow in emotion because all that's going to do is you're going to let it screw up the rest of your season. You can't do that.

"I'm not over it in the sense that I've forgotten about it, but I'm over the emotion. I'm ready to come in and analyze my mistakes and come in and try to be a better player so that we can beat Virginia."

Maurides said the team showed resilience when it hit the practice field Monday morning ("They were hooting and hollering and ready to go," he said), but overcoming the emotional letdown might be the easy part of the equation.

The Blue Devils now are trying to figure out what went wrong and more importantly what they must do to right the ship in time for Saturday.

"It wasn't a lack of effort; it was a lack of execution," Roof said. "Football is the ultimate team game. You've got to have 11 guys all doing their job at the same time, and when you don't and there are only 10 of 11 doing it or nine of 11 doing it, then breakdowns occur, and it costs the whole football team.

"That occurred last Saturday."

The breakdowns at their worst led to big plays for Connecticut, which completed three passes that covered 40-plus yards in the second half, though one was wiped out by a penalty.

More subtly, errors in execution led to consistently poor field position for Duke and put the Huskies in prime position to turn a deficit created by an 80-yard touchdown drive and a 94-yard kickoff return into a runaway victory.

"We came out, and that was as good a drive as we've had since I've been here," Roof said. "We took it right down the field and finished off the drive, and then defensively we were able to force them to attempt field goals. Usually when you can do that and you have a big play in the kicking game, you feel pretty good about things.

"But in the third quarter, they scored on a long pass play where we had a couple of guys run into each other. They got the momentum, and we didn't do anything to swing it back. With the lack of production offensively and the turnovers and the punting game and big plays against the defense, we played the whole second half on a 50-yard football field.

"When you do that, you're not going to win."

The Blue Devils seem to understand what they did wrong, but only time will tell if they understand how to make things right.

"We're still confident," Duke linebacker Vincent Rey said. "We believe we can win this game if we take the proper steps and we focus and don't beat ourselves.

"Monday morning, the mood of the team was excited to get back on the field, to give it another try."

 

Groh receiving heat for loss to Wyoming
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 5, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Beta Bridge serves as a public forum near the University of Virginia campus, a spray-can message board on Rugby Road. Less than 24 hours after Virginia's season-opening 23-3 loss at Wyoming, someone made a bold statement in large, orange letters on a blue backdrop: "$1.7 million, Groh Must Go!"
The message referred to coach Al Groh's salary, which, with escalators, is actually closer to $1.9 million this year, ranking right around the 10th highest in the nation.

It wasn't the only voice of displeasure with the seventh-year coach. On Groh's Monday radio show, a frequent caller identified as Clyde from Forest was blunt in his assessment of Groh.

"The best way for Coach Groh to help this program would be to resign," Clyde said before host Mac McDonald cut him off.

Groh, who is under contract with UVa through the 2010 season, is more than aware of the current problems surrounding the Cavaliers' football program, which is 1-10 in its last 11 road games and has lost to its last three non-BCS conference opponents - Western Michigan, East Carolina and Wyoming.

Saturday's loss to the Cowboys was arguably the worst of those three. The Cavaliers finished with 110 yards of offense, their lowest total in 27 years.

"I'm troubled by the game," Groh said Tuesday. "I don't know why anyone else wouldn't be either. ...

"Any time you don't get the results that you want, it would be arrogant to say that you think everything's perfect. Arrogance is one of the first steps toward failure."

The players claim to be unaffected by the backlash against their coach.

"You really can't pay attention to that stuff," center Jordy Lipsey said. "You get to a point where you say I'm not going to pay attention to the positive or negative. How I feel is how I feel. I'm not going to let other people sway my opinions."

Like he did last year when faced with similar grumblings, Groh cited examples where teams have started slow and turned the season around, namely the 2002 group that started 0-2 and won nine games, the most of any team during his tenure.

"If you're going to get anything done in athletics, you're wise not to cash your chips in too soon," Groh said.

QB times two

Jameel Sewell remains Virginia's starting quarterback, but freshman Peter Lalich is going to get his looks. On the final series of the Wyoming game, the Cavaliers burned the redshirt on Lalich, a highly touted 6-foot-5, 235-pound freshman from West Springfield High.

They did it for a couple of reasons. One, the offense continues to flounder under Sewell. The Cavaliers' two worst offensive performances of the last 27 years have come in their last two games. Sewell, a sophomore who started nine games as a freshman, went 11-for-23 with two interceptions in the opener.

"Production in the passing game has been the central issue with the team for 13 games now," Groh said. "That's where it happens. That's where a lot of your point production comes from."

Secondly, there is the looming issue of Sewell's surgically repaired throwing wrist. While Groh said it's "not an incapacitating issue right now," it could become one. Groh was told by team doctors that there could be a recurrence of the injury "in 10 minutes or 10 years."

Putting Lalich in the game, even for one series, was to get him ready for such an emergency.

Groh, who early in his tenure had a quarterback controversy between Matt Schaub and Bryson Spinner, likened the current situation to the one at Florida last year - with pocket passer Chris Leak and scrambler Tim Tebow - though clearly without the same level of success.

Sewell ran for four touchdowns and 200 yards last season. Lalich is a more traditional drop-back passer.

Groh did not say how many snaps, if any, Lalich would get this week against Duke. The freshman was 3-for-5 for 16 yards in mop-up duty Saturday but has impressed teammates in practice.

"I think he's extremely talented," Lipsey said. "He's an extremely confident kid."

Extra points

Outside linebacker Jermaine Dias, who injured his ankle in the second half of the opener, was not on the depth chart released Tuesday and is unlikely to play Saturday. It's the third time in four years that he has injured one of his ankles early in the season. Sophomore Denzel Burrell, who tipped a pass that was intercepted by Jeffrey Fitzgerald against in Wyoming, will start in his place. ? Backup inside linebacker John Bivens (leg) was still not on the depth chart but practiced Monday. Groh said the team will re-assess his status as the week goes on. ? Ryan Weigand punted nine times at Wyoming with a 51.6-yard average, tops nationally after one week.


 

Week one done -- who needs therapy?
Ernie Washington, Cavalier Daily Columnist

I am sure you all will read plenty of these types of articles in the coming weeks. I'm almost certain you have read one of these by now. After witnessing the most depressing moment in my two-plus years here at U.Va. Saturday afternoon as the Cavaliers fell to Wyoming (yes, even worse than Virginia's second-round loss to Tennessee in the 2006 NCAA basketball tournament), the direction of the football team heavily needs to be questioned.

Virginia had months to prepare for the game against Wyoming. After Saturday's embarrassment, it looked as if they only had a day. It is one thing to lose while playing valiantly, but their 23-3 was humiliating and hard to stomach.

Unfortunately, we have to start with an anemic offense. It doesn't take Sesame Street's Elmo to count Virginia's sub-par offensive numbers. The Cavaliers mustered just five first downs and a pathetic -3 net rushing yards. In total, Virginia had 10 total yards of offense that wouldn't get the job done against Charlottesville High School. Most, if not all, of the blame needs to be put on Al Groh.

An offensive line with Eugene Monroe, the number three-ranked prospect in the nation in 2005, four-star recruits Ian-Yates Cunningham, Jordy Lipsey, Branden Albert, and a solid lineman in Will Barker should be performing much better. Offensive line coach Dave Borbely is not getting the job done, as evidenced by a horrendous 2006 season -- Groh clearly picked the wrong man to replace Ron Prince as coach of the O-line.

Then there's the issue of Al's son Mike calling the plays. Sitting with my friends watching the game, we could accurately predict what Virginia was running. The offense clearly lacks innovation, and the numbers showed. I honestly do not know if Mike or Al is calling the plays, but I'm sure I could get Sanford and Son to come in and do a better job.

Now there is the issue of the alumni and season ticket holders, who expected the team to compete for a top-three spot in the Coastal Division. If I had season tickets, I would be compelled to either sell or burn them now.

The students have shown frustration with Groh's team, as well. Aside from not producing a winner, Groh has sent the student section into a state of utter confusion as what is considered appropriate game attire. The Sea of Orange will go down as one of the biggest blunders of Groh's Virginia coaching campaign.

Dress doesn't dictate fan support -- the fans themselves do. If all of the Virginia Tech students went to the game in clown costumes, they would still be regarded as one of the best student sections in the nation. Do Georgia, Alabama and Auburn have problems winning championships while their students sport the latest in Brooks Brothers, Polo and Lilly Pulitzer?

If the message -- "1.7 million Groh must go!" -- at Beta Bridge this past weekend doesn't summarize the feelings of the student body, I don't know what does.

Oh, wait, I do know -- absolutely not giving a hoot about this weekend's game against Duke. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case for a lot of Virginia students right now.

 

Cavs coming home to right the ship
Duke has lost 21 straight games
The Associated Press

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Virginia could hardly have looked more inept in its season-opening 23-3 loss at Wyoming, lending unexpected intrigue to this week’s game against an ACC rival that will arrive having lost 21 games in a row: Duke.

But the Cavaliers say the past is the past and it’s time to look ahead.

“It was a tough loss, but in my opinion, it’s already behind me,” defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said. “I’m focusing on Duke, worrying about getting that game.”

Virginia gained 110 yards, including just 7 rushing, against the Cowboys, while the Cavaliers’ highly regarded defense wore down, allowing 471 yards to the home team.

“We know we’re a lot more capable than what we showed this weekend. We’re just looking forward to showing it,” he said, while rejecting the notion that being on the field for 88 plays was a viable reason for that. “That was kind of our fault.”

The result quickly invigorated the segment of Cavaliers fans that have lost faith in head coach Al Groh, with some already calling for his ouster. A bridge in Charlottesville often painted with messages read “Groh must go,” by Saturday night.

But Groh said he understood fans’ frustration and hopes for their patience, too.

“I’m troubled by the game,” he said. “I don’t know why anybody else wouldn’t be either. But I also understand that we have a lot of games to play.

“In ’02, we had an 0-2 team that won nine games. And I happened to be on a team one year that lost its first two games and went to the Super Bowl. If you’re going to get anything done in athletics, you’re wise not to cash your chips in too soon.”

Otherwise, he said, such talk comes with the job.

“When you are the head coach, you know by the nature of your position that you are going to take your hits, so that’s just the way it goes,” he said.

A major reason for Virginia’s difficulty in moving the ball seemed to rest with second-year starting quarterback Jameel Sewell, who completed just 11 of 23 passes.

But Groh said much of the misfiring was not just Sewell’s responsibility because his wide receivers often ran routes at shorter depths than the plays called for.

Sewell threw two interceptions and played into the fourth quarter before being replaced by freshman Peter Lalich, who completed 3 of 5 passes for 16 yards.

Groh said that with Sewell rehabbing an injury to his throwing wrist, and with doctors saying it could recur at any time, the coaches figured it would be better to get Lalich’s feet wet than to suddenly find themselves forced to put him in a game.

The team’s inability to get anything going offensively didn’t hurt, either.

“We’re interested in progressing both of the players,” he said. “Obviously, production in the passing game has been the central issue with the team for 13 games now.

That’s where the ball gets moved. In the long run, ball movement of consequence against our defense last week was as a result of passing plays. Lack of ball movement on our part, or big ball movement, came out of a lack of major passing plays.”

And so, after a month of practice left the Cavaliers chomping at the bit to start hitting someone else, and optimistic about the season at hand, they now look ahead to getting it right against Duke, which hasn’t beaten a major college team since 2004.

The Blue Devils’ last victory came against VMI two years ago.


 

Embattled Groh, Cavs keep a stiff upper lip
September 5, 2007 12:35 am
Virginia is hoping QB Jameel Sewell, who lost the ball on this hit by Weston Johnson, hasn't lost confidence.
Click for larger photo and to order reprints
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

CHARLOTTESVILLE--Meltdown. Panic. Troubled.

Those are the words that have been associated with the University of Virginia football team's fan base since the Cavaliers were whipped 23-3 at Wyoming on Saturday.

The only group that seems happy with Cavaliers head coach Al Groh's performance is rival Virginia Tech fans, who have started the Web site dontfirealgroh.com.

The phrase "Groh Must Go" was painted on the Beta Bridge in Charlottesville, but later covered.

"I'm surprised somebody had the audacity to do that in broad daylight," Cavaliers senior center Jordy Lipsey said.

That's not all Virginia fans have done.

All over Cavaliers message boards, fans have talked about showing up to Saturday's home opener against Duke (0-1) wearing anti-Groh T-shirts and perhaps donning a paper bag over their heads.

They inundated Groh with tough questions on his weekly call-in radio show on Monday.

But even with all the chaos going on with the fans, Groh and his players have remained a single-minded group.

They said the Wyoming loss is in the past. Junior running back Cedric Peerman said point-blank, "We will get better."

His teammates agreed.

"It was a tough loss, but in my opinion, it's already behind me," sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said. "It wasn't good, but it was out of conference, so I'm just focused on Duke and getting prepared for that game."

Groh said that while he understands fan frustration, there shouldn't be too much emphasis placed on one game.

He recalled his 2002 team that started 0-2 before finishing 9-5.

He also defended his coaching philosophy, saying, "We feel that we've got a well-thought-out plan."

"I'm troubled by the [Wyoming] game," Groh said. "I don't know why anybody else wouldn't be, either. But I also understand that we've got a lot of games to play."

The fan reaction isn't based solely on the loss to Wyoming, but also on the high expectations the Cavaliers (0-1) brought into this season after a 5-7 campaign.

Eighteen starters are back, including 10 on a standout defense.

Quarterback Jameel Sewell started the final nine games last year and was viewed as a player who could lead the team all season.

None of that materialized against the Cowboys.

The defense gave up 471 total yards and Sewell played like a rookie all over again, and was eventually taken out in favor of true freshman Peter Lalich.

Sewell is expected to start against Duke, but his performance (11-of-23 for 87 yards and two interceptions) has Virginia coaches examining everything, including his ability to handle the mental aspect of playing the position.

Groh said because Sewell struggled so badly, he didn't feel it was necessary to remind him of his poor play.

"It's human nature that it's more difficult for athletes to bounce back if they keep being told that they're lousy," Groh said.

Offensive production has been the steady malfunction for the Cavaliers in the past 13 games.

Virginia was ranked 113th out of 119 teams in Division I-A last season and it started this season with a miserable 110-yard showing.

The passing game has been particularly bothersome to Groh who said it "has been the central issue with the team for 13 games now."

"The lack of ball movement came out of a lack of major passing plays," Groh said of the struggles against the Cowboys.

If nothing changes on Saturday, Groh is prepared to hear the reaction of thousands of unsatisfied fans in Scott Stadium.

He doesn't expect anything less.

"When you're the head coach, [it's the nature of the position] that you're going to take your hits," Groh said. "It's like playing quarterback. You know you're going to get hit. If you can't get hit and get back up, then you can't play the position."

Note
Cavaliers senior starting outside linebacker Jermaine Dias suffered an injured ankle against the Cowboys, and isn't likely to play on Saturday. Sophomore Denzel Burrell will take Dias' place.