Monroe's strong game dampened by injury
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Two weeks ago, it was Virginia wide receiver Maurice Covington. Last Saturday, it was Cavaliers' offensive tackle Eugene Monroe.

Like Covington before him, Monroe's injury -- which occurred to his knee -- came so late in UVa's 28-23 victory over Georgia Tech that few people noticed.

"It was the second- or third-to-last play, typical of the way these things happen," Virginia coach Al Groh said Tuesday. "So many players [were] around the pile and an opposing player fell down and landed on him."

Covington injured a wrist in the final 5-6 minutes of a 22-20 Virginia win at North Carolina the previous week and "won't be with us a while," Groh said.

The prognosis is a little brighter for Monroe, named ACC offensive lineman of the week for his play against UNC.

"That's the way we feel," Groh said. "We're just going day-to-day on that one and he's doing everything he can to get back as quickly as he can."

It would have been natural for Monroe to experience a flashback to the spring of 2006, when he suffered a dislocated kneecap that required surgery. Monroe did not miss a game during the 2006 season, but it was the final month before he started to look like the player who was one publication's choice as the No. 1 prospect in the country.

"Frustration is not a medicine that is prescribed by any doctor," said Groh of a conversation he had with Monroe on Monday. "It's not going to make him heal any faster.

"We feel it for him and we feel it for us. He's just got to keep a positive attitude. He's been through it before. That certainly was a much, much greater long-term situation than this one."

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Monroe is the only offensive lineman with an experienced back-up. Zak Stair, a 6-foot-6, 299-pound junior, moved ahead of Monroe early in the 2006 season and started seven games before Monroe reclaimed the job.

"Eugene's my housemate," guard Ian-Yates Cunningham said, "and when it occurred, you would have thought nothing happened. He was just happy we won."

Promoting Pitt

Pittsburgh (2-2) comes to Scott Stadium for a 7 p.m. game Saturday as a seven-point underdog. Groh has urged his team not to be misled by the results of the Panthers' latest outing, a 34-14 home loss to Connecticut.

The Panthers outgained the Huskies 349-289 but had six turnovers, including four interceptions. Three were yielded by true freshman quarterback Pat Bostick, who was named starter this week after going 27-of-41 for 230 yards.

Bostick did not enter the game until the third quarter, and the Panthers attempted 51 passes as a team.

One week earlier, the Panthers lost 17-13 at Michigan State, currently ranked 23rd in the USA Today coaches' poll. Pitt is ranked in the top 25 in Division I-A in six defensive categories but is 109th out of 119 teams in turnover margin.

"Seventy-five percent of the points against Pitt have been related to turnovers," Groh said. "There hasn't been a game yet when they've given up multiple long drives for touchdowns."

By the numbers

Virginia senior Ryan Weigand leads the ACC and is second nationally in punting with a 48.6-yard average, but the Cavaliers have given up 163 yards in returns. No other ACC team has allowed more than 87 yards on punt returns. ... UVa tailback Cedric Peerman is 16th in Division I-A in rushing following three straight 100-yard games, but the Cavaliers are 91st in rushing offense, 101st in passing offense, 111th in total offense and 102nd in scoring offense. ... The Cavaliers (3-1 overall, 3-0 ACC) have been outscored 79-77 for the season.

Odds 'n' ends

UVa starting quarterback Jameel Sewell has not been intercepted since his final attempt in the season's opener at Wyoming, a streak of 56 passes without a pick. He had two separate streaks of 66 attempts without an interception last year. ... Sewell also executed a rare UVa quarterback sneak against Georgia Tech, when he picked up the necessary yardage on a fourth-and-1 from the UVa 44-yard line. It was critical in a 14-play, 94-yard touchdown drive, longest for the Cavaliers this season.
 

Monroe 'day-to-day' with leg injury
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 26, 2007

Ian-Yates Cunningham has a better perspective than most on injuries.

Virginia’s fifth-year offensive lineman was forced to watch in street clothes during his second year with the program after offseason back surgery.

His uphill battle back into the playing rotation took patience. Luckily, left tackle Eugene Monroe can lean on Cunningham, his roommate, for support.

In the game’s waning moments of Saturday’s game, a player from Georgia Tech slammed into Monroe’s leg, forcing the junior to limp, with help, off the field.

For now, Virginia coach Al Groh is merely classifying Monroe’s status as “day-to-day,” although others have said it seems unlikely that he would play on Saturday night at 7 against Pittsburgh (2-2) at Scott Stadium.

Cunningham said on Tuesday that he expects a quick return for Monroe.

“This is just one of those bumps in the road that he has to overcome,” Cunningham said. “When it occurred you would have thought that nothing happened because he was excited because we won.”

Groh added: “He is doing everything that he can to get back as quickly as he can and we will just see.”

It is not the first time Monroe has dealt with a knee injury - during spring practice in 2006, the New York native dislocated the kneecap on his left leg.

He returned in time for the season, but it took several weeks and temporary removal from the starting lineup before Monroe approached his true potential.

“It was difficult playing injured,” Monroe told reporters last week. “I had to play, so I was out there trying to figure out a way to get it done.”

Overcoming that adversity should help, Cunningham pointed out.

“He has dealt with an injury in the past. He knows how to deal with injuries and what to expect,” Cunningham said. “He is very positive on his outlook, not just with athletics but with life.

“I think he is approaching it that way and he is very optimistic.”

Groh said the injury to Monroe does not have the same long-term impact as the wrist injury suffered by wideout Maurice Covington.

“That’s the report on [Monroe] and that’s the way we feel about it,” the coach said.

Groh said he spoke with Monroe on Monday to remind the left tackle to remain upbeat.

“Frustration is not a medicine prescribed by any doctor,” Groh said. “It is not going to make him heal any faster. He has been through these issues before. We feel for him and feel for us, but we will just keep a positive attitude for it.”

In his stead, Virginia would likely start Zak Stair. The junior started seven games last year for Monroe.

Stair, coined “One-A-Day” last year in training camp after issues with penalties, has improved in that regard, Groh said.

Not so fast

With Covington sidelined for the immediate future, the debate has slowly intensified on message boards about the potential return of wide receiver Kevin Ogletree.

The junior underwent surgery after partially tearing his ACL in March.

When asked about Ogletree on Tuesday, Groh said it is a “non-issue” and did not elaborate.

Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell offered a lengthier opinion on the matter after Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech.

“It would be great to have him back 100 percent, but I think if he were to come back now he wouldn’t be 100 percent,” Sewell said. “He doesn’t need to risk it.

“I just want him to play it on the safe side. He’s a big player. I don’t want him to go out there and something gets tweaked on the same knee - just unnecessary things. If he is not ready to go and 100 percent he doesn’t need to come out.”

The one that got away

Having won three straight games, questions have intensified for the players and Groh about what went so wrong against Wyoming.

In that 20-point loss, the Cavaliers ran the football 18 times for minus-3 yards, and the defense struggled mightily on third-down conversions.

Groh was asked on Tuesday if it was possible that something positive came from the contest.

“I certainly didn’t feel that way or sense it with anybody,” the coach said. “Whatever type of shock was there, we got plenty of that in ’06. I don’t think we needed anymore of it to get our attention.

“We just didn’t play well. We have played better since.”

Flip a coin?

For the past four games, Virginia defensive end Chris Long has drawn praise from every direction.

Last week against Georgia Tech, Long continued his positive season, making nine tackles, recording a pivotal fourth-quarter sack and helping tip a pass that turned into a touchdown for fellow defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

Those results produced a head-scratching decision for Groh: who should be nominated for ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week?

Groh eventually went with Fitzgerald, citing the touchdown as the tiebreaker.

“We could put Chris up there every week,” Groh said. “It is hard to imagine many players around the country playing better games than Chris is playing, but sometimes when you have a player that makes a singularly significant play as Jeffrey did, knowing how these things get selected, we have an idea of who has the best chance of getting selected.”

The move paid off - Fitzgerald won the award.

Staying with the ‘Pistol’

Despite limited success against Georgia Tech and a poor read on a play that led to his first career interception, Peter Lalich should see some time against Pittsburgh.

The quarterback, Groh said, would not be used solely to prepare the rookie for the future.

“We are interested in winning games,” Groh said. “Anybody we put in the game, we put them in for win-the-game purposes.

“It is not a developmental thing. It is a win-the-game thing.”

Lalich, who is 27-for-43 passing for 260 yards and a touchdown, has a pass efficiency rating of 116.8.

Extra points …

… The gap between the first-team linebackers and their counterparts on the second team is bigger than at any other position on the team, Groh said. …

Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman has had 58 carries through the past two games. Due to that increased workload, Groh said Andrew Pearman and Keith Payne handle a majority of the practice reps. ... Virginia has played five true freshmen thus far and Groh has not ruled out using more. Wideout Jared Green could be a candidate, and Groh compared the late-season usage to another type of call-up. “Sometimes we see some of those Major League Baseball teams look for a late-season pickup to give them a little surge,” Groh said. “We are coaching all of these first-year players from that standpoint that maybe their development might be such that towards the latter part of the season they can give us a little bit of surge or a little bit more power if we need it.”

Green does not appear on the depth chart - for now. “His progress has been decent, but it has a way to go,” Groh said. “[He has a] good deal of development in front of him. He was not in a pass-oriented system in high school, so his orientation to that continues before development can begin to take on.”

... Redshirt freshman receiver Chris Dalton does not appear to be pushing for immediate playing time. “His progress kind of stalled,” Groh said. “The next move is really up to him.”

 

Young Guns to Start for Pitt Panthers
by Tyler Long (Contributor) 0 comments
Filed Under: Pitt Football, College Football

All eyes will be on the Panther’s backfield on Saturday when they travel to clash with the Virginia Cavaliers.

That’s because the announced starting backfield for Pitt will give everyone a glimpse of what can still be a promising future for the Panthers.

LeSean McCoy will make his first start against Virginia, Wannstedt announced at his Monday press conference, a decision that has been predicted for weeks by McCoy’s performances against Grambling and Michigan State.

McCoy leads the team in rushing, and is the first Pitt freshman to rush for 100-yards in consecutive games since Curtis Martin did it back in 1991. Junior LaRod Stephens-Howling has split carries in with McCoy, but lacks the dynamic element to his game that gets people excited about watching McCoy handle the ball.

The move by Wannstedt was based on performance in the four games so far, and he said he feels that sharing carries is not the way to go.

“I’m not a big fan of that and we’ll share carries more from the standpoint of a guy getting dinged up or needing a breather. I’m not into flipping guys, but we will try to keep them both fresh.”

He also said that they will try to give McCoy 25 to 30 touches every game. So far this season McCoy has rushed for 417 yards, caught 11 balls for 40 yards and has thrown the ball once for 18 yards.

The “Wildcat” offense, which made its debut with Bryant McFadden and Arkansas last season, was used again by the Panthers last week in some capacity to get the ball in McCoy’s hands off the snap rather than taking a hand-off. Last week was the first time McCoy threw out of the formation, and Wannstedt said they would keep adding plays to the formation.

McCoy will share the backfield with fellow freshman Pat Bostick, who was named the starter for the game against Virginia during the post-game press conference following the loss to UCONN.

Bostick replaces Kevin Smith as the Pitt quarterback, who in three starts was a pedestrian 29 for 53 for 334 yards, with one touchdown to go along with four interceptions.

The decision for Wannstedt was made easier when Smith left the game shortly before halftime with a hyper extended elbow. Bostick replaced him in the third quarter, completing 27 of 41 passes, including his first career TD.

“I made that decision with two minutes left in the second quarter, and I was doing that regardless,” Wannstedt said of the decision to play Bostick.


“Pat will start this week, and we’ll give him the opportunity to see if we can get a spark going and see if we can make a few plays.”


Based on the hype that surrounded them in pre-season practice, Pitt fans would like to this of this as having Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino in the same backfield, but both have a long way to go in reality before they can be compared to the former Panther greats.


The odds at this point may be stacked against the “dynamic duo” though.


Much of the hope for the rest of Pitt’s season rests on the team coming home from Charlottesville with a win, because the schedule gets much tougher for the Panthers, including trips to Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia.


Pitt also hosts Cincinnati in the third installment of the “River City Rivalry,” Syracuse and South Florida to round out the home schedule.



 

Gorham, Koch asked to step up
By Andy Bitter
abitter@newsadvance.com
September 26, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - With Maurice Covington's wrist injury expected to keep him out for an extended period of time, Virginia will need somebody to step in at wide receiver. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, there aren't many candidates.
Chris Gorham and Cary Koch are the two receivers at the 'Z' position who will see an increase in snaps in Covington's absence.

Gorham is a converted cornerback who has one offseason of practice at the position. Koch, who transferred from Tulane before last season, has played in one game this year after spraining his knee in the preseason. Neither has caught a pass this season.

As a group, UVa wideouts caught four passes in a 28-23 win over Georgia Tech last week. They also had four drops. The tight ends, by comparison, caught 12 passes.

"We certainly would welcome any production or any firepower we can get there," Virginia head coach Al Groh said. "Obviously, the (touchdown) Staton Jobe came up with the other day highlights what that can do for a team."

Covington wasn't an explosive receiver in the mold of a Kevin Ogletree or Deyon Williams, but his nine receptions led UVa's wideouts. Jobe, the other starter, has eight catches for 104 yards.

Beyond Gorham and Koch, UVa has few options. Promising freshman Dontrelle Inman plays at the 'X' receiver position and is behind Jobe on the depth chart.

At the 'Z,' redshirt freshman Chris Dalton's progress has stalled, according to Groh, and true freshman Jared Green, who came from a run-oriented offense in high school, is not yet ready to contribute in games. Converted tailback Mikell Simpson has worked at all three positions but has only done so since training camp.

Groh cautioned that there is no real way to speed up their progress.

"Other than have doubleheaders out there every afternoon, we can't do much more than what we're doing now," he said.

Monroe 'day-to-day'

Left tackle Eugene Monroe is day-to-day after a Georgia Tech player fell awkwardly on his knee on Virginia's second-to-last drive Saturday. The ACC's lineman of the week two weeks ago, Monroe struggled most of last year after coming back from a dislocated kneecap he suffered in spring practice.

"I'm sure he probably can think of it in terms of, 'If I've been through that one before, I can deal with most anything else,'" Groh said.

If Monroe can't play or is limited, 6-foot-6, 299-pound junior Zak Stair would take his place. Stair is the top backup at both tackle positions. He started seven games last year at left tackle, until Monroe took the job back near the end of the season.

A slam dunk pick

Chris Long isn't the only UVa defensive end wreaking havoc in the ACC. After registering five tackles, a sack, 2 1/2 tackles for a loss and returning an interception 25 yards for a touchdown, Jeffrey Fitzgerald earned ACC defensive lineman of the week honors.

Fitzgerald's four career interceptions tied the Virginia record for a defensive lineman, set by Butch Powers (1973-76). Coincidentally, both attended the Hermitage High School.

Coaches and teammates have marveled at Fitzgerald's knack for being around the ball. Part of that might be due to his basketball background. He played in high school and still participates in pick-up games at UVa during the offseason, which Fitzgerald says helps his footwork.

The question is: Can Fitzgerald, who had serious surgeries on both of his knees in high school, still dunk?

"I can still do it, but I usually choose not to," he said. "The knees, as you know, they've been through a lot lately."

 

Fitzgeraldbecoming playmaker
September 26, 2007 12:35 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

CHARLOTTESVILLE--It's not often a defensive lineman is the active career interceptions leader for a college football team.

But that's the case with University of Virginia sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

In 16 career games, Fitzgerald has four interceptions, which is one more than Cavaliers senior safety Nate Lyles.

His two interceptions this season lead the Cavaliers and is tied for fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Fitzgerald returned a fluky interception 25 yards for a touchdown in Virginia's 28-23 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday. It was the second touchdown of Fitzgerald's career and it helped earn him ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Richmond native said he always just happens to be, "at the right place at the right time."

His teammates aren't sure what to make of Fitzgerald's ability to come up with so many big plays, but they hope it continues when the Cavaliers (3-1) host Pittsburgh (2-2) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

"It's amazing," senior nose tackle Allen Billyk said. "You see that interception last year and you're like, 'Wow. That's crazy that happened. That will probably never happen again.' And he gets another one last year. He already had one before [the one against Georgia Tech]. Good for him. He always finds himself in the right place at the right time."

Cavaliers head coach Al Groh said it isn't that simple.

He said from the moment Fitzgerald arrived on campus as a freshman out of Hermitage High School, he was able to digest what coaches were teaching and make it translate onto the field.

Fitzgerald was presented the Rock Weir Award for defense, which is given to the most improved player, in the spring before his breakout redshirt freshman season.

He then went on to lead the Cavaliers in sacks with six en route to being named an unanimous first-team freshman All-American. He's tied with former Virginia defensive end Butch Powers, who played from 1973-76, for the school's all-time record for interceptions by a defensive lineman.

"He's got that capacity to take what he's incurred and move his game forward [without] too much time lapse in there," Groh said.

Fitzgerald said fellow defensive end Chris Long has helped him become a force for the Cavaliers.

Long's reputation as one of the top defensive linemen in the country has caused many Virginia opponents to double-team him, making life easier for Fitzgerald on the other side.

Fitzgerald said Long "took me under his wing since I've been here."

Groh said because Fitzgerald and Long, "have equal athletic ability and game presence," it gives the 3-4 defense balance and makes it easier to call plays.

"[Opponents] scheme against him more so it gives me more of a chance to develop," Fitzgerald said. "I'm playing off him pretty much, and he plays off me some, too."

On Saturday, Fitzgerald's interception return was a perfect example of his ability to combine athletic prowess with a little bit of luck.

Long batted a Taylor Bennett pass in the air. Bennett then tried to it swat to the ground, but unfortunately for him, the ball bounced off Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim's helmet and into the arms of Fitzgerald, who raced untouched to the end zone.

The former high school tight end said the play was the craziest he's ever been involved in.

Even Fitzgerald is surprised by his sudden rise.

He missed his senior season at Hermitage--where he also played basketball, baseball and participated in track and field--with a knee injury.

He credits good coaching from Cavaliers' defensive coordinator Mike London and assistant defensive line coach Levern Belin with his ascension.

Last season, Fitzgerald had a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Duke and his 5.3 tackles per game were the best in the nation for a freshman defensive lineman.

This season, he's picked up right where he left off.

"I didn't expect none of that stuff to happen last year," Fitzgerald said. "Once it did, I was thankful for it. Now I'm just trying to continue on."

Note
Groh said starting junior left tackle Eugene Monroe's status is, "day-to-day."

Monroe sustained a knee injury near the end of the Cavaliers' win over Georgia Tech on Saturday when a Yellow Jackets' player landed on him. If Monroe can't play, 6-foot-6, 296-pound junior Zak Stair, who started seven games last year, will likely take his place.

Monroe suffered a dislocated knee cap before his sophomore season, but this injury doesn't appear to be as serious.

"He's doing everything he can to get back as quickly as he can," Groh said. "We'll just see."

 

Young Cavs are quick learners
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
September 26, 2007

Oh what a difference a year makes, or in Virginia’s case, even a month.

Last season, the Cavaliers started with a 1-3 record en route to their worst campaign since the program’s transition from George Welsh to Al Groh. As aptly pointed out by Groh, Virginia was playing the ’06 season with ’07 players, whom by the way, turned it around and won three of their last five and finished 5-7.

If you’re monitoring the maturation process of a still somewhat young football team (there are only eight senior starters on the offense and defense), then it could be said that Virginia has won six of its last nine games. All three of those losses have been on the road, at Florida State, at Virginia Tech, and at Wyoming.

The first two are understandable. The last one, the hiccup in Laramie, is fairly inexplicable. Then again, what isn’t about college football these days?

What happens in Laramie stays in Laramie

Hordes of UVa fans were predicting doom and gloom after that lopsided opening loss. Granted, the Cavaliers looked about as bad as a football team can.

While everyone else was panicking, Groh didn’t lose sight of his mission. Virginia has won three in a row and sits comfortably atop the ACC’s Coastal Division.

Currently, the Cavaliers are kings of the hill and it’s up to Virginia Tech and Miami to catch them. Heck, no one else in the division has even won an ACC game yet (the Hokies and Hurricanes open league play this weekend).

Groh believes there’s mostly one thing responsible for the three-game winning streak and the six-of-nine thing: player development.

A lot of these Wahoos have brought their games along rather nicely during that span, including Chris Long, Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Allen Billyk, Clint Sintim, Cedric Peerman, the entire offensive line and quarterback Jameel Sewell. If some of their teammates catch up soon, who knows how good this team could turn out to be.

Back in the saddle again

Sewell would be the first to admit that he had his worst day in uniform at Wyoming. Since then, there has been steady improvement. Last weekend against Georgia Tech may have been the redshirt sophomore’s best game (16 of 25 or 64 percent, 177 yards, one touchdown, a 136.67 efficiency rating that is his best of the year, no sacks, no interceptions).

“It’s something that anybody who watched his performance last week can see,” Groh said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “I know that he feels increasingly confident at what he is doing - and should as a result of the performance that he’s able to observe in himself. He’s got a lot of progress to make, but he’s on that road.”

Tailback Cedric Peerman’s emergence into the ACC’s leading rusher behind a much-improved offensive line also speaks volumes about a young team making strides.

Surely there are intangibles that may include the underdog’s role and being written off by many after the opening loss, but most of Virginia’s success is tangible. These young Wahoos are growing up before our very eyes.

Take a look at what the offense has accomplished during its three-game winning streak.

It is putting up 24.7 points a game, while averaging 150.3 yards rushing, 192.3 passing, a 63.8 pass-completion percentage and 342.7 yards of total offense.

One thing that has impressed this columnist is that the team seems to learn from and correct its mistakes. Whether it be a series of high snaps, fumbles, a rash of penalties, Groh and his staff have been able to fix it the following week and there haven’t been any repeat miscues.

“This has been a very responsive group,” Groh said of the Cavaliers. “Responsive to coaching, to themselves, to situations. They have a very good solidarity amongst them and a very good resolve and a sense of purpose.

“For this particular team, that is one of its talents. They understand how to prepare for games and they have a real good toughness about them.”

There wasn’t any excuses for the Wyoming mess. Nobody said that the Cowboys were lucky. Nobody blamed the altitude. Groh said Tuesday that it really wasn’t a wake-up call.

“Whatever type of shock was there, we got plenty of that in ’06,” Groh said. “I don’t think we needed any more of it to get our attention. We just didn’t play well.

“Sometimes we over-analyze a lot of things. We just didn’t play well. We’ve played better since.”

One of his explanations may sound like coach-speak to those who haven’t huddled up before, but it’s real.

The one-game-at-a-time mentality still lives. Ask any coach or any player worth their salt and they’ll agree that it has to be that way.

“People will ask how a team can go to Michigan and beat Michigan and then lose to Wofford,” Groh said. “How can you lose to Appalachian State in your own stadium and then beat an undefeated Penn State team?”

The answer is simple in the coach’s opinion.

There are so many good players out there and good teams that if a team doesn’t feel as if it has something to prove every week and doesn’t prepare correctly and take that into game day, then that team is very susceptible to getting beaten by a lesser team.

Chris Long, the Cavs’ All-American defensive end candidate, calls it “playing angry,” or playing with a chip on the shoulder.

Whatever it is, if a team doesn’t have it, then that team may have lost before it walks out of the locker room.

Now that Virginia has three consecutive non-conference opponents and a chance to reel off an impressive winning streak, critics are wondering if the Cavaliers can keep their focus.

If Groh, who is coming into the office every morning between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m., has anything to do with it, they will.

“Some people say, ‘You’re in a three-game stretch of non-conference games,’” the coach pointed out. “Well, we’ve got a one-game stretch with Pittsburgh. That’s all we’ve got.

“If you ask me what time the game is the week after that, I’d be guessing or I’d be lying because I don’t know what time the next one is,” Groh said.

One game at a time adds up to one win at a time, especially when you’re growing up quickly.

 

Cavs earn some needed rest in shutout
By Drew Hansen / dhansen@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
September 26, 2007

There’s a lot that goes in to fielding a winning soccer team. It’s a combination of several things - finding the right players, developing chemistry and building depth.

Virginia men’s soccer coach George Gelnovatch knows having well-rested players is just as important.

For the second straight mid-week game, Gelnovatch rested his key contributors against a non-conference opponent only to bring them on late to finish off a victory.

Tuesday night’s victim was Mount St. Mary’s, which never mounted much of a threat and fell, 3-0, to the fourth-ranked Cavaliers.

“[We wanted] to give some guys some rest. It’s been a tough stretch of two weeks,” Gelnovatch said. “But also, the guys that are getting little time, or in some cases no time or no start, it’s interesting to see. Some guys are making some progress. Some first-year guys and some second-year guys are making some real progress and along the way helping us.

“At the very least, it just makes us deeper.”

Sophomore Ross LaBauex put UVa (6-1-1) on the board in the 37th minute, taking a pass from Neil Barlow following a free kick. Barlow snuck loose to field the set kick on the left flank, then crossed the ball to LaBauex in the middle of the box.

The Chicago native - making his second start of the season - made some space for himself by backpedaling away from a trio of Mountaineer defenders before punching a low shot past goalkeeper Chris Davis.

“Those little plays, we did a lot of those in the preseason, where we have the two-on-one situation,” Gelnovatch said of Barlow’s move to get open. “We have some guys that are pretty technical and we ask them to size-up the situation. It’s not for every play, but those guys do a particularly good job, particularly Neil, of being sneaky about it. And Neil did a good job of crossing that ball.

“Then Ross, he didn’t have a first shot and he had to dig it out a little bit. He did a really good job of digging it out and finishing it.”

Play labored in the midfield for the first 20 minutes as both teams failed to make many serious threats. Virginia had several other chances throughout the opening half, but couldn’t find the net despite controlling the pace of the game.

In the second half, the Cavs reloaded with its regular starters. Jonathan Villanueva, Yannick Reyering and Jeremy Barlow all took the pitch and helped the UVa net a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Neil Barlow sent a pass to Villanueva into space on the left flank in the 86th minute. Villanueva used his speed to get around a defender and then sent a low cross to Reyering, who tipped it home for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

In the 90th minute, senior midfielder Will Hall scored on a penalty to account for the final margin.

“I think Will is the type of guy that is most rewarded with winning,” Gelnovatch said. “It’s nice to give him that penalty kick. He’s gotten more minutes lately and has been doing very well and he’s a real leader for us.”

Virginia opens a stretch of three straight ACC games on Friday when it hosts 16th-ranked Virginia Tech (6-1-1), which beat Richmond, 1-0, on Tuesday night for its first shutout of the season.

“It’s a really big rivalry,” LaBauex said of the Virginia Tech game. “I’m not from here, but I can tell that all the Virginians get up for this. I feel like it will be a packed house. I’m excited for it. We went there last year and pulled off a 3-1 victory there. We just have to make sure we come out hard and get a victory.”

Throw-ins

Virginia goalkeeper Michael Giallombardo (1 save) recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season. … UVa freshmen Colin Givens, Jason Kim and Karter Smith made the first starts of their Virginia careers. … UVa outshot Mt. St. Mary’s, 15-5, and held a 9-3 edge on corner kicks. … UVa’s Friday game against the Hokies is set for a 7 p.m. start. … Mount St. Mary’s, which fell to 2-3-1 on the season, started four internationals: goalkeeper Chris Davis (Australia), defender Steve Walton (England), forward Vinnie Berry (Scotland) and midfielder Steve Cant (England).

 

Offensive coach bemoans mistakes
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh understands the frustration with his unit's lack of production because he is feeling the same way. He said the most frustrating aspect is that the 2-2 Panthers have plenty of playmakers who have not been utilized because of poor quarterback play.

But he also said it goes beyond just quarterback, where Bill Stull has been lost to the Panthers since an injury in the opening game.

Cavanaugh said part of the problem is situations -- such as third-and-long or trying to play catch-up -- have handcuffed his ability to call plays that have a chance to be successful.

"We keep getting these silly penalties and turnovers -- these things we just shoot ourselves in the foot with," he said. "Those things put us behind, put us in bad situations and they crushed us against Connecticut [a 34-14 loss]. It is not just turning the ball over. We've been stopping some drives with penalties and getting big plays called back and the other team has scored on turnovers ...

"Our goal the last two weeks, given our quarterback situation, was to go in, protect the football, keep the game close and then have a chance to win it late in the game, but when we failed to protect the football and fell behind, it changed our game plan dramatically."

Cavanaugh said he wants to simplify the offense for freshman quarterback Pat Bostick, who will make his first career start in place of fellow freshman Kevan Smith. But Cavanaugh is not going to make it so basic the Panthers won't have a chance to score.

Still, he will do everything in his power to try and eliminate the mistakes. If that means handing the ball off every down and punting, that's what he'll do.

"We haven't been successful or productive because our quarterback play has been poor," Cavanaugh said. "And we won't put him in the position where he feels he has to go win the game for us. It is not like we're going to run every down, but we have to be precise with our throws.

"But if it comes down to running the ball every down vs. turning it over six times [as the Panthers did against the Huskies], I'll take the former because our defense and special teams are playing well, but they can't compete if we don't give them a chance."

A big challenge

Pitt's defensive line has been consistently good through four games, but the Panthers will face their biggest challenge to date Saturday at Virginia. Defensive line coach Greg Gattuso said the Cavaliers are big like Michigan State's offensive line, but they also have the added dimension of being very athletic.

"They have five linemen and three tight ends that return from last year, so they are not only big and athletic, they are extremely experienced," Gattuso said. "They like to pull and move around some and do a lot of things like that, so they will be one of the best groups we face all year. They do a very nice job of mixing it up, from their powers, to their sweeps, to when they drop back to pass. We have a lot of things we have to worry about.

"I'd compare them size-wise to Michigan State, but Michigan State was trying to just line up and beat you up, where Virginia uses its athleticism, they are agile and they are light on their feet and it is just impressive to me how well they run."

Quick hits

Gattuso said Tommie Duhart is likely to start at defensive tackle Saturday and sophomore John Malecki could make his first start of the season at the other tackle spot, depending on the health of Mick Williams and Rashaad Duncan. Duncan and Williams are expected to be ready by Saturday, but their availability will depend on how much they practice. ... Right tackle Jason Pinkston (shoulder) returned to practice yesterday, but his status for Saturday is still in question.

 

Panthers not doing enough to win games
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Injured quarterback Bill Stull looks as if he might want to avoid talking to unhappy Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt in the second half of Pitt's loss Saturday to Connecticut.Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt knows why the Panthers (2-2) are struggling but said he doesn't believe any good would come from talking about them.

He said the bottom line is winning and Pitt hasn't done enough of it, so to talk about the progress is likely to fall on deaf ears.

That's why he spent much of his weekly news conference yesterday trying to highlight the positives as well as remain optimistic that things will get turned around in time to salvage the season. He said the most encouraging sign was that the Panthers never showed any signs of quitting Saturday at Heinz Field despite being blown out by Connecticut.

"For me to try and sit here and explain the truth and what the facts are, most people don't want to hear that," Wannstedt said. "We just have to be successful on the field and then people will start believing in what we are doing. The tape I showed our team yesterday had six plays from the fourth quarter where guys gave effort. We said, with eight minutes to go in that game, the guys were playing as hard as if we were winning by 20.

"And if we give that effort, we'll get other things squared away as well."

Wannstedt said the Panthers have made too many mistakes over the past two weeks to win games. For example: 9 turnovers, 18 penalties, 8 sacks and, perhaps the most mind-boggling statistic of all, 4 of 29 on third-down conversions, which includes a stretch of 22 consecutive failed third-down conversions.

Wannstedt also said standout freshman running back LeSean McCoy would be featured more in the offense against Virginia. McCoy had only 11 carries Saturday and was not the starter at tailback.

"LeSean McCoy will start at tailback this week," said Wannstedt, who added that the plan was to get McCoy 25 carries last week. "At the same time, other people know that, and if you are playing a freshman quarterback and he comes off a game where he was struggling like we did at Michigan State -- Connecticut had nine guys up at the line, we have to be able to throw the ball to loosen them up.

"But I'm not a big fan of sharing carries with tailbacks other than if a guy gets dinged up or needs a breather. I mean, one of the reasons Ricky Williams retired is he said I handed him the ball too much so I know about one guy carrying the load, trust me."

Wannstedt said the tailback situation should be the least of the team's worries.

Injuries are limiting Wannstedt's ability to look at two trouble spots -- quarterback and the offensive line. And the news for the line just keeps getting worse as it appears right tackle Jason Pinkston's shoulder injury could prevent him from being much of a factor the next few games.

Right tackle Mike McGlynn (shoulder) has struggled because he missed all of training camp and has never really settled in at one spot. He is also not fully recovered from his offseason surgery but, because of a lack of depth on the line, was pushed into the lineup after sophomore right guard Joe Thomas struggled.

Wannstedt said the left side has played well but the right side, starting with center Chris Vangas, has been very inconsistent.

"We should be better [on the offensive line]," Wannstedt said. "We expect to be better and we have to be better if we are going to improve this offense. We just have to keep coaching those guys to get better and they will get better. They are just reaching for some confidence now and the only way they'll get confidence is to get some results."

NOTES -- Wannstedt said fullback Conredge Collins (shoulder) will play Saturday at Virginia. ... Reserve tackle John Bachman has moved to right guard and will back up Thomas. ... Wannstedt was asked who was responsible for some of the personnel decisions made in the game Saturday and answered, "I make all the personnel calls with the staff, the final stop is with me." ... He also reiterated that freshman quarterback Pat Bostick will start.

 

Pitt's QB situation isn't the only area that needs repair
Monday, September 24, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

True freshman Pat Bostick will start at quarterback for Pitt Saturday night at Virginia.Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said he would do some soul searching after a 34-14 loss Saturday night to Connecticut at Heinz Field. That means there could be a number of lineup changes when the Panthers play at Virginia.

"We have to figure out what we have to do as a team," Wannstedt said after the loss. "I'm disappointed in how we played, I thought we had good practices and I thought we had a plan we could execute and obviously we couldn't do that. Now, it is up to me to go back and figure out what we can do. As we stand here, I'm not sure. I know we have some guys who have a lot of talent and we're trying to utilize that talent to the best of our ability.

"That's kind of where we are at right now. And I hate to say this, but on offense, we're kind of back to the drawing board. We've taken a couple of steps backward, we haven't made the progress we need to make and we've got to be better than that and I know we are."

The biggest change is that true freshman Pat Bostick will start at quarterback ahead of redshirt freshman Kevan Smith at Virginia Saturday night. But that is probably only the beginning.

The Panthers are 2-2 and still have eight games remaining, but clearly have some serious problems on offense. And while the quarterback play has been a big part of the struggles, there are a number of other areas in which they need to improve.

The offensive line.

The wide receivers.

Eliminating mistakes.

Establishing an identity.

Through four games, the offensive line has yet to play well. It has been consistent at three things -- missed blocking assignments, untimely penalties and failure to create openings for the Panthers' running game.

"The seniors on this team have to do a better job, starting with me," offensive tackle Mike McGlynn said. "I have to play a lot better, we all have to step up. You can't have any penalties and you can't turn it over and you can't have sacks and I know I gave up a sack today. It is unacceptable. Our offensive line, for us to have success, we have to establish the run and that's on the front five.

"We have three seniors and a fourth who has been starting for a long time -- we have to get it together, we have to play better, it is on us."

The wide receiver corps has underachieved badly. The unit was supposed to be a strength and was supposed to help carry the young quarterbacks through the early part of the season. Sophomore Oderick Turner was being counted on as the group's leader, but he has dropped a number of key passes and against Connecticut had several ill-timed, pre-snap penalties that killed what seemed to be a promising drive.

Pitt is also mistake-prone. It had six turnovers and eight penalties against Connecticut. The week before, in a 17-13 loss to Michigan State, it had 10 penalties and turned the ball over three times. Overall, the Panthers are a minus-9 in the turnover margin and 34 of the 51 points they have allowed are a direct result of turnovers, including 14 points on two interceptions that have been returned for touchdowns.

"When you turn it over like we have and don't come up with any turnovers, you can't win," Wannstedt said. "We're just not coming up and pressing people and forcing them to make a play in order to have a chance to create turnovers. But when you can't get a lead, you aren't going to be able to do that."

As for the identity problem, Pitt coaches have talked about playing conservative because of the quarterback situation and have wanted to build around a solid ground game. The Panthers have a talented back in freshman LeSean McCoy, but he did not start the Connecticut game and carried only 11 times. Still, he was productive, rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown.

So far, McCoy has 65 carries for 417 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.

He split time with LaRod Stephens-Howling against Connecticut and Wannstedt said the reason was because both players are productive and deserve to play. However, Stephens-Howling has 99 yards on 25 carries, an average of 2.5 yards per carry less than McCoy.

 

Vick supporters turn out for town meeting
The Associated Press
Published on: 09/25/07

Wearing No. 7 jerseys and T-shirts that proclaimed "Free Michael Vick," supporters of the disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback turned out for a town meeting that was supposed to expose the divided feelings over his dogfighting case.

The ESPN-sponsored event came on the same day that Vick was indicted in Virginia on state charges that could land him more time in prison. He already pleaded guilty in a federal case related to a gruesome dogfighting operation found on property he owned in his home state.

Several hundred people turned out for the panel discussion, but that wasn't nearly enough to fill an auditorium at the mammoth Georgia World Congress Center. Half of the lower level was blocked off, and the balcony wasn't even used.

Also, ESPN handlers were still trying to rustle up audience members after the 90-minute event went on the air. Dozens of them wondered in during commercial breaks, apparently lured more by the prospect of getting some face time on the live broadcast rather than their feelings about the Vick case.

The panelists included nationally syndicated radio host Neal Boortz, newspaper columnists Terence Moore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Selena Roberts of The New York Times, and former Falcons players Terrence Mathis and Chuck Smith. John Goodwin, who handles dogfighting cases for the Humane Society of the United States, and R.L. White, president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, spoke from the audience.

It was clearly a pro-Vick crowd. White was cheered when he accused the media of devoting too much coverage to the case.

"At some point, enough is enough," White said. "This is overkill. He's been subjected to every kind of negative press there can be."

Goodwin, on the other hand, was heckled when he defended his group and other animal-rights organizations for taking such a keen interest in the case. He reminded everyone that Vick and his associates admitted to electrocuting, drowning and hanging dogs that lost fights or didn't show enough aggressiveness.

"Talk about overkill," Goodwin said, his voice drowned out by Vick's raucous supporters. "It's overkill to drown an animal because he didn't show enough ability in the fighting pit. We've got to remember the real victims are buried under about 6 feet of dirt in Surry County, Virginia."

Gerald Rose, whose Atlanta-based New Order National Human Rights Organization has held rallies in support of Vick, said the media has a double standard for white and black athletes who run afoul of the law.

"It seems like when African-American athletes and white athletes get in trouble, they're always biased against the African-American athlete," Rose said.

Moore agreed, though he was quick to point out that those disparities don't really apply in the Vick case.

"He confessed," said Moore. "It's not like there's a grassy knoll or a second gunman. There was one gunman in this case. It was Michael Vick."