U.Va. to sit Lalich
QB won't travel to Connecticut; Verica is given starting role
Thursday, Sep 11, 2008 - 12:07 AM 
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Beleaguered quarterback Peter Lalich's football career at the University of Virginia is on hold.

An announcement some thought might have come last week came, unexpectedly, last night. In a news release, coach Al Groh said that Lalich, a sophomore from Springfield, "will not be with the team" when Virginia (1-1) plays Saturday night at Connecticut (2-0).

Lalich started U.Va.'s first two games, including its 16-0 win over Richmond last weekend.

Marc Verica, a seldom-used sophomore from Landsdowne, Pa., will start in Lalich's place against the Huskies.

"We stand by Peter, and in talking with him have made a decision which is best in the short term for him, the team and our university," Groh said in a statement. "We have a strong set of standards and values on our team that reflect those of the university, and we do not compromise those values to win football games."

Lalich, however, went the whole way against UR on Saturday. That game was two days after Lalich, 20, was cited for violating the terms of the probation he'd begun July 21.

The Daily Progress, citing documents the newspaper obtained last week, reported Friday that Lalich had admitted to using marijuana and alcohol while on supervised probation. But Groh defended his quarterback in his postgame comments Saturday and again on his radio show Monday night, saying the reports weren't correct.

Lalich and Groh met separately with the news media Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena. Lalich told reporters, "I have not smoked or done any drugs while on my probation," and neither he nor Groh gave any indication that Lalich might not play this weekend. On the depth chart for the UConn game, Lalich was listed as the starting quarterback.

In the release last night, however, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said that over "the past 24 hours I've had conversations with both Peter and Coach Groh. The focus of our discussions shifted from due process and fairness and moved toward what would be best for Peter and the team, at least until such time that matters were cleared up about his probation status."

Lalich was charged in July with unlawful purchase and possession of alcohol, a misdemeanor. Had he met the conditions of his probation for the next 12 months, the charge would have been dropped July 21, 2009.

After playing UConn tomorrow, U.Va. is off Sept. 20. Virginia visits Duke on Sept. 27, by which time Lalich's legal status should be clearer.

His father, Todd, declined to comment when reached by phone last night, except to say, "We have great faith."

In a statement, Lalich said, "I love my team and my teammates and the way they have let me know that they trust me and have my back. Because I care so much about our team, it is best for me to step back temporarily from my starting position so that my teammates can focus 100 percent on getting ready for the game . . . I appreciate that Coach sees me first as a person, then as a quarterback. I make mistakes like everyone, but I have followed the terms of my probation and I am committed to our team and the University of Virginia."

There have been no reports that Lalich has tested positive for alcohol or drugs while on probation.

 

Lalich out, Verica in against UConn
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 10, 2008

During a teleconference Wednesday, Virginia coach Al Groh was asked if it would be beneficial to log additional playing time for his reserve quarterbacks.

“That would be nice if the circumstance presents itself,” Groh said.

Apparently, that “circumstance” has presented itself.

Through a university-issued press release Wednesday evening, Groh announced that embattled starting quarterback Pete Lalich would not travel to Saturday’s game at Connecticut and would be replaced by sophomore Marc Verica.

Oddly enough, the new development comes just over 24 hours after the coach defended Lalich and said “there was a rush to pile on” the quarterback.

“We stand by Peter and in talking with him have made a decision which is best in the short term for him, the team, and our University,” Groh said in the press release. “We have a strong set of standards and values on our team that reflect those of the university and we do not compromise those values to win football games.”

Lalich, a sophomore, faces a charge of failure to obey a court order while on probation. A document reviewed by The Daily Progress in Charlottesville General District Court showed that the charge is based on his admission to violating a requirement that he not consume alcohol or other drugs.

On Sept. 26, Lalich will have a hearing on the matter in Charlottesville General District Court at 11 a.m., records show.

Lalich was given a summons for possession or purchase of alcohol while being underage on July 13. Eight days later in General District Court, the 20-year-old was given deferred judgment on the charge, providing he completed supervised probation. Court records also showed that he had his driver’s license suspended until Aug. 8, 2009.

The quarterback denied that he had used drugs during his probation Tuesday, and he indicated that he had followed all requirements of his probation in Wednesday’s press release.

“I love my team and my teammates and the way they have let me know that they trust me and have my back,” Lalich said in the release. “Because I care so much about our team, it is best for me to step back temporarily from my starting position so that my teammates can focus 100 percent on getting ready for the game.

“Coach Groh and I have frequent conversations and we agree on this. I appreciate that Coach sees me first as a person, then as a quarterback. I make mistakes like everyone, but I have followed the terms of my probation and I am committed to our team and the University of Virginia.”

Based on the comments issued by Groh and Lalich on Tuesday, the development appears forced from outside the program, but Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage said the coach and quarterback “came to a decision.”

“Over the past 24 hours I’ve had conversations with both Peter and Coach Groh,” Littlepage said. “The focus of our discussions shifted from due process and fairness and moved toward what would be best for Peter and the team, at least until such time that matters were cleared up about his probation status.”

A timetable was not given for Lalich’s return, but after playing UConn, Virginia has a well-timed bye week. The Cavaliers will return to action at Duke on Sept. 27, the day after Lalich appears in court.

Verica, who made his Virginia debut against Southern California in the fourth quarter, will become that fifth starting quarterback for Virginia since the season opener in 2006.

 

Cavs QB won't go with team to UConn
Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich is out for Saturday's game, while Marc Verica is in.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Just when it appeared as if Virginia was moving on with Peter Lalich as its starting quarterback, there was a change in direction Wednesday.

UVa announced in a news release distributed at 6:38 p.m. that Lalich would not be with the Cavaliers on Saturday for their game at Connecticut.

Sophomore Marc Verica, who has played in one game in his college career and has not thrown a pass, will take Lalich's place in the starting lineup.

Lalich was charged with a probation violation last week in connection with an earlier citation for underage alcohol possession, but that didn't prevent him from playing last Saturday in a 16-0 victory over Richmond.

"We stand by Peter and in talking with him have made a decision which is best in the short term for him, the team and the university," UVa coach Al Groh said in a prepared statement.

"We have a strong set of standards and values on our team that reflect those of the university and we do not compromise those values to win football games."

In a story posted online by the Charlottesville Daily Progress, it was reported that Lalich had told a probation officer that he had smoked marijuana while on probation, according to court documents.

"I have not smoked or done any drugs while on my probation," Lalich said Tuesday at a weekly football news conference.

Teammate John Phillips said, "From what I know, it might have been a misunderstanding. He's gone to every meeting, took every [drug] test, done everything they've asked him to do."

There was no word of any transgression that might have occurred overnight.

"Over the past 24 hours, I've had conversations with both Peter and coach Groh," UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said.

"The focus of our discussions shifted from due process and fairness and moved toward what would be best for our team, at least until such time that matters were cleared up about his probationary status."

Lalich is scheduled for a hearing in Charlottesville General District Court on Sept. 26, one day before the Cavaliers play at Duke. Virginia has an open date Sept. 19.

"I love my team and my teammates and the way they have let me know that they trust me and have my back," Lalich said in a statement.

"Because I care so much about our team, it is best for me to step back temporarily.

"I make mistakes like everyone, but I have followed the terms of my probation and I am committed to our team and the University of Virginia."
 

Green battles for playing time, respect
Spotlight stays on Green after introducing father at NFL Hall of Fame Induction ceremony
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, September 11 2008

Jared Green makes a rare appearance against Wyoming in his redshirt season in 2007. The son of Hall of Fame NFL player Darrell Green made three catches for 40 yards in the 2008 opener against USC. What’s it like to be the son of an NFL Hall of Fame player?
All last year, then-senior Chris Long had to deal with this question. Unbeknownst to many Virginia fans, however, Long was not the only one in that boat. Wide receiver Jared Green, son of recent Hall of Fame inductee and former Washington Redskin Darrell Green, was one of Long’s teammates as a true freshman last season. Now in his redshirt freshman season, Jared Green is fighting for playing time on the field while continuing to vie for a piece of the respect that his father commands off the field.
“You take the highs, and you take the lows,” Jared Green said. “A lot of people ask you stuff, but I love it because it’s a way of paying respect to my father and it’s also an inspiration for my career.”
Green was thrust into the spotlight even before he got to training camp this season. His father, generally considered one of the greatest cornerbacks in the history of football, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Aug. 2, and Jared Green was the presenter. In his speech, Jared Green called his father “a true role model” and, in closing, introduced him as, “my best friend, Darrell Green.”
“Oh man, that was a dream come true,” Jared Green said. “You know it’s coming, and then the day of, you go out there looking at all those people, and you just speak from your heart. Half the stuff from my speech I didn’t write down.”
Moments after Darrell Green reached the podium for his acceptance speech, he said, “You bet your life I’m going to cry. You bet your life, I will. That’s my boy. That’s my boy right there.”
Now, Darrell Green’s boy is right in the thick of one of Virginia’s deepest positions on the field at wide receiver. Listed as second on the depth chart behind junior Kevin Ogletree, the Vienna, Va. native certainly made a splash in his debut, catching three balls for 40 yards in the season opener against now top-ranked USC.
In a game filled with the inherent negatives of a 52-7 score, Virginia coach Al Groh cited Green’s play as a positive.
“What he’s starting to do is use his speed more,” Groh said following the loss to the Trojans. “He is one of the faster players that we’ve had here, but if he doesn’t have his pedal to the floor all the time, then he doesn’t play faster than other guys did, and he’s starting to understand the value of his speed.”
Of course, speed is the characteristic for which Darrell Green was so well-known — Jared Green said in his speech presenting his 48 year-old father at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that “I’ll just say now I’m officially faster than my dad.”
Speed, however, is not the only area where Jared Green hopes to eclipse his father.
“We push each other, him pushing me and me pushing myself to be greater than him,” Jared Green said. “That’s what we strive for in our family, and that’s what I strive for every day.”
It doesn’t hurt that Darrell Green played a position where he learned to be an expert on how to defend a wide receiver. Plus, who knows if the father-son competition would be as healthy if they both played the same position?
“That helps me out a lot,” Jared Green said smiling. “If I was a corner, it would probably be rough every day.”
Even with his father’s urging in the background, Green has plenty of motivation from his fellow receivers. He noted that emulating the two veteran starting wide receivers Ogletree and senior Maurice Covington is a big part of his learning curve.
“Us younger guys, we look to them as fathers,” Green said laughing. “When we’re out here at school, and in different areas, they help us out a lot. I couldn’t ask for better guys ahead of me.”
Green also stressed his development in his season as a redshirt.
“Redshirting is I believe the best thing for a college football player,” he said. “It gets you on top of the books and it also gives you time to work out and get stronger and learn the game.”
Now, with his sights set on earning more time on the field and gaining ground on his father’s legacy, is Green a bit overwhelmed?
“I like a challenge,” Green said.
He certainly has that.

Conrath steps up to line
Matt Conrath picks football over baseball and wins a starting job on UVa's defensive line.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- On a short trip to his Oak Lawn, Ill., home last summer, Virginia football player Matt Conrath picked up a baseball and started throwing with his dad.

"His fastball still had some pop to it," Dave Conrath said. "I told him, 'Hey, if your football gig doesn't work, your arm still looks good.' "

From all indications, it looks like the football gig is going to work.

At 6-foot-7 and nearly 280 pounds, Conrath has a build that might draw some comparisons to his fellow left-handed pitcher, C.C. Sabathia, but he's fitting in nicely as Virginia attempts to rebuild its defensive line after the loss of first-round NFL draft pick Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

Conrath's frame is well-suited to the defensive line, although he's at the tall end of the scale.

"The advantages of height sometimes [become] the disadvantages of getting good leverage," Groh said. "The thing about Matt is, for his size, he's a very flexible kid.

"The thing that made us feel positive, besides what we saw on the tape, was that through his junior year in high school he was a pretty good pitcher. To be able to be a good pitcher at that height, obviously, a player has to be able to bend at the hips. Bend in all the joints, the hip joints and the knee joints, bend and get down."

Virginia doesn't often venture into Illinois for recruits and, with the departure of 2007 safety Nate Lyles, Conrath is the Cavaliers' lone scholarship player from that state.

"When we leave the immediate area, we're not really canvassing other areas," Groh said. "We're going to schools where there are odds of us finding kids [for] whom the Virginia circumstance and education is going to be meaningful, where there are people who are familiar with the University of Virginia and say, 'Hey, that's a good school. You ought to consider that.'

"St Rita in Chicago is one of those schools. We were very fortunate when we walked in that particular year, given the way he's going to turn out to be, that there was a tall, lean player who was not being overly recruited."

Conrath ultimately picked Virginia over Vanderbilt, Stanford, Purdue, Miami of Ohio and Illinois, which made a late inquiry. Overall interest from the Big Ten was lukewarm.

"I guess they were all worried that I was going to play college baseball," said Conrath, who had an 87-mph fastball.

That might have been the case if Conrath had not suffered a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder before his senior year.

That injury eventually required surgery, but it didn't stop Conrath from playing football. With a brace keeping the shoulder immobilized, he had 145 tackles as a senior, including 16 sacks.

"The only thing he didn't do was, he didn't lift weights," Conrath's father said. "He was always long and lean and limber."

Conrath raised a few eyebrows when he intercepted a pass in UVa's spring game, but he was still listed behind sophomore Sean Gottschalk when the players arrived for preseason camp. Gottschalk subsequently was sidelined by an undisclosed "personal health" matter and Conrath moved up to the first unit.

"I'm blown away," said Dave Conrath, a 25-year commodities trader who has returned to school at 48 with hopes of becoming a teacher. "My wife and I both said that. He called home during training camp and said, 'I think I have a chance to compete for the starting job.' Then he called and said he was starting against USC and I was like, 'Wow.'

"Even when we were watching the Richmond game last week and he was having a very good game, you sit there and think, 'I can't believe this is happening to us.' These are the things that happens to other families' kids."

Conrath has a team-high three tackles for loss and 1 12 sacks even though he comes out of the game on obvious passing plays.

Conrath didn't know anybody when he got to Virginia and describes it as "a whole different culture that took a lot of getting used to." He has made the adjustment and looks like he could become a fixture.

"He liked baseball, but he always loved football," Dave Conrath said. "I told him, 'Your heart is going to tell you what to do. Whether you play football or baseball, it's going to be harder at the next level, so you better love what you're doing.' "
 

Woe is Virginia football
The quality of the program only intensifies antipathy towards the athletics department
Robby Colby
Published: Thursday, September 11 2008

LAST WEEKEND’S football game against Richmond saw a strong reaction against the athletic department’s no-sign policy, with hundreds, even thousands, of students showing up to the game with smuggled-in contraband in the form of blank pieces of paper. Unfortunately, the contest also featured a lackluster effort throughout which the Cavaliers (particularly on the offensive side of the ball) failed to wow the faithful and during which Al Groh’s coaching decisions elicited frequent derision from the crowd. In many ways, this points to the true heart of the battle of the signs; although the student outrage stems in large part from the oppressive nature of the policy, it is also heavily based in the quality of the product that is Virginia football.
In a now well-cited column written for ESPN, Rick Reilly, one of the biggest names in sports writing, compared the Virginia athletics department to the authoritarian Chinese regime that sought to script the Olympics these past few weeks, running roughshod over human rights to create a sort of national theatre, international outcry be damned. And while the crimes of Beijing far outstrip those of Bryant Hall, the comparison has a ring of truth.
The difference lies largely in the fact that the Chinese essentially succeeded in their quest. For all problems that Beijing’s naysayers suggested were eminent, the Olympics actually came off fairly smoothly. The Chinese government produced an Olympics that, while devoid of true freedoms of speech and press, certainly were not lacking in spectacle. From the unprecedented distance of the Olympic torch relay, to the staggering opening ceremony, even to the fortunately cooperative weather, the Chinese executed their pageant nearly to perfection. In doing so they put stars in the eyes of much of the media (especially the remarkably tame and frequently fawning NBC), and were able to skirt the issue of rights entirely. When the Beijing government flexed its muscles, it awed and impressed its own people and the world, giving them a shiny toy around which to rally national pride and to distract them from the repressive nature of the government.
The Virginia Athletic Department does not currently have that luxury, nor are they likely to acquire it. Last year, after a debacle of a loss to Wyoming in the season opener, a student had a “Fire Groh” sign confiscated at the first home game. While that story generated enough attention that most people who were a part of the University community at the time remember it, that story soon came to play second fiddle to the remarkable ability the Cavaliers showed to win games throughout the rest of the season. Al Groh came back from that loss to win the ACC Coach of the Year award, the football team played in a New Years Day bowl game, and the sign story simply got lost in the excitement over the success of the team. Added to the fact that the repression was not then systematic, the achievements of the program bought off the student body and won a contract extension for the coach.
This year may well be different, although the opportunity remains for Groh and his colleagues in the athletic department to save some face. The season kicked off with a loss to USC best described as embarrassing and left at that. I would argue, however, that had we been competitive in that game, the student ire would have been far less. In an email, ‘Hoo Crew President Kevin Dowlen was not inclined to attribute all of the controversy to the team’s failings, but did say “I do think the controversy would be reduced in light of a better team, but it would definitely still be there.” Were Virginia football competitive, students would be far less inclined to call into question the abilities of our football commander-in-chief.
Combined with the inability to publicly express approbation, disapproval, or even try to get on TV with a clever acronym, however, the repression and depression create an explosive mixture. Following a humiliating loss with an underwhelming performance significantly added fuel to the fire. Had Virginia beaten Richmond 48-0, there might have been a chance of stifling at least some of the anger. But if the season continues, and the athletic department holds its hard line, then the unhappiness will simply fester.
There is still time to right the ship, and precedent for it happening. Much like this season, last year we followed a bad loss with a narrow win over an inferior opponent at home, as we nearly allowed Duke to beat us (insert collective shudder). If Groh and the Cavs can reel off several wins in a row, on the road, perhaps they can douse the unhappiness with a little spectacle. At this point, even that may not be enough. But if they fail to provide even a little to excite students about the program, the discontent will simply continue to grow and find more creative and more embarrassing outlets.
Robby Colby’s column appears Thursday in The Cavalier Daily.

Hurricanes, Seminoles could be on the rise
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: September 10, 2008

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that the rest of the league better watch out for Florida State and Miami ...

The last couple of years haven’t been too kind to the former national powerhouses, but early glimpses of the Seminoles and Hurricanes hints that the two young teams are on their way back.

Yes, FSU pummeled hapless FCS member Western Carolina 69-0, but one must look deeper than the score to discover what’s really going on in Tallahassee.

“I know the opponent was Division I-AA [now FCS], but it seems like the last couple of years when we won [over FCS teams], it was close,” said Coach Bobby Bowden. “We have a lot of young guys. You got to feed them baby food before you give them steaks.”

Bowden played 22 true freshmen in the game, while 39 players made college debuts. By contrast, the Seminoles played a combined total of only 21 true freshmen in the openers in the previous four years.

Miami, which gave No. 5 Florida a decent battle until the veteran Gators pulled away late in the game, is also playing a lot of freshmen, including quarterbacks Robert Marve and Jacory Harris. The QB duo are the first freshmen to start the season for the ’Canes since Bernie Kosar in 1983.

FSU split time between two redshirt sophomore QBs in Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson, who together accounted for six touchdowns rushing and passing against the Catamounts.

The two Southern squads are young but talented and it’s only a matter of time before that kind of talent begins paying dividends.

Bowden noted that FSU’s other quarterbacks, Ponder and veteran Drew Weatherford, are going to be pushed hard by Richardson, who has been tagged “D’Vo” by his teammates.

“D’Vontrey’s almost go so much talent that everybody better watch out,” Bowden said. “Everybody better keep looking over their shoulders ... he’s got a whole lot of talent sitting back there.”

Young Tigers

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden is concerned about his young offensive line and with good reason.

Two of Clemson’s starting linemen, left tackle Chris Hairston and right guard Barry Humphries, are injured, which means the Tigers are starting three redshirt freshmen on the line this week against N.C. State.

“It’s not very often that you start three freshmen on your line,” said Tommy Bowden during Wednesday’s ACC Coaches teleconference.

In fact, it will be the first time since 1943 that a Clemson team will start three freshmen on its offensive line, and that was because the entire junior and senior classes were drafted that year because of World War II.

Bowden is concerned that the Wolfpack’s defensive front could give his young line a lot of trouble and is expected to utilize the quick passing game to offset the lack of experience. Wahoo fans, does that sound familiar?

Hairston, by the way, wasn’t injured in Clemson’s rout over The Citadel last Saturday, but rather later than night when he was involved in a moped accident.

Hide the QB

Al Groh isn’t the only ACC coach to be coy about who his starting quarterback will be. Groh was criticized for that in the preseason when he refused to reveal who would start for the Cavaliers.

For the second straight week in Blacksburg, Frank Beamer has put both his quarterbacks, Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon, off limits from media. Maybe part of that stemmed from Glennon’s dissatisfaction with playing time last week in a win over Furman, that coming a few days after Beamer decided to take the redshirt off Taylor in order to help the Hokies’ anemic running game.

Taylor, by the way, rushed 14 times for 112 yards against the Paladins.

Coach K of USA

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who led the United States to an Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball recently, has recorded a spirited message to kick off the Golf Channel’s Ryder Cup coverage beginning Sept. 16.

“In all my years in sports, representing my country is without a doubt the most important thing I’ve ever done,” Coach K says in the cameo. “I know that feeling when superstar athletes commit to playing for something greater than themselves.”

Whether or not that will inspire American golfers to defeat the Europeans is yet another question.

Stat of the Week

Guess who leads the ACC in rushing?

If you guessed Da’Rel Scott, a sophomore from Maryland, then you were correct.

Scott already has 320 yards rushing, which ranks him atop the ACC and No. 4 nationally with 160 yards per game. In fact, Scott has more yards rushing than 62 other FBS (formerly I-A) teams.

Quote of the Week

Asked who was portraying Navy’s option quarterback Jarod Bryant on Duke’s scout team this week in preparation of Saturday’s clash at Wallace Wade Stadium, Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe had this response:

“They wanted me to do it so they could hit me.”

Bobby & Joe

If you believe all the mumbo jumbo that finishing his career as major college football’s all-time win king doesn’t matter to FSU coach Bobby Bowden, then think again.

After the Seminoles dismantled Western Carolina last Saturday night, Bowden asked FSU play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff a pointed question during the post-game interview.

“Did I catch Joe today?”

Deckerhoff confirmed that Bowden had tied Penn State coach Joe Paterno for the most career victories with 374. JoePa had taken the lead in the race earlier in the day with a win over Oregon State, the first time the PSU coach had owned the lead since Oct. 25, 2003.

Bowden is 79. Paterno is 82. Neither of them seem interested in giving up.

Speaking of retiring ...

College Football Hall of Fame coach George Welsh, who led Virginia for 19 seasons, didn’t seem to care for the school’s new policy of retiring jerseys rather than numbers.

During last week’s game against Richmond, UVa retired the jerseys of five players: Herman Moore, Terry Kirby, Chris Slade, Mark Dixon and Ray Savage. The week before, Ronde Barber had his jersey retired, joining brother, Tiki, who was so honored last season along with Chris Long.

That’s eight recent retired jerseys as opposed to six all-time retired UVa numbers.

“I don’t believe in that though,” Welsh said. “If somebody’s that great, you retire the number. If we’re going to get into retiring jerseys, it’s going to go on and on and on.”

Personally, I can see it either way. If you retire too many numbers, you won’t have any left for future players. Seems to me, you can have your number retired, but still allow outstanding players to use it.

The recent flurry of retired jerseys, all to deserving players, honored the 1989 team. Many of those players started a run midway through the ‘89 season that stretched to the showdown with Georgia Tech in 1990 when UVa was ranked No. 1 in the nation. During that string of games, Virginia went 22-3.

Short yardage

Virginia left offensive tackle Eugene Monroe hasn’t given up a sack going back to sometime during the 2006 season, not even against powerful Southern California. ... The Miami game at Florida last week attracted the third-highest ratings of any regular season game in ESPN history, behind only a pair of Miami vs. FSU games in 1994 and 2006. ... If Virginia can hold UConn to less than 100 yards rushing come Saturday night, the Wahoos stand a good chance to pull off the upset on the road. The last 19 times UVa had held foes to less than 100, the Cavs have won 17 times (the only exceptions coming last season against N.C. State and Texas Tech). ... Former UVa defensive coach Mike Archer, now on Tom O’Brien’s staff in Raleigh, must be beaming over the fact that his Wolfpack defense leads the nation in interceptions with six. ... What does a coach do with an open date? Wake’s Jim Grobe, a UVa alum, flew up to ESPN in Bristol, Conn., where he made live appearances on three shows, taped another and did a podcast interview and answered 200 questions during a live online chat. ... Clemson QB Cullen Harper has been suffering from shoulder fatigue and it’s easy to see why. He has completed 65.4 percent of his passes in two games. ... BC fans weren’t real happy with Matt Ryan’s successor, Chris Crane, last week when he was 18 of 35 with two interceptions, a fumble and a safety in a loss to visiting Georgia Tech.

The picks

Last week: 9-1. To date: 19-2. Tonight: Rutgers 24, North Carolina 20. Saturday: Clemson 20, N.C. State 13; California 30, Maryland 10; Navy 33, Duke 27; Florida State 50, Chattanooga 10; Georgia Tech 27, Virginia Tech 20; UConn 30, Virginia 10.

 

QB talk
Jeff White
Sep 10, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Among reporters who cover University of Virginia football, Peter Lalich is not considered a great interview. When talking to the media, Lalich often avoids making eye contact and generally looks like he’d rather be someplace else.

But the sophomore quarterback surprised us yesterday morning by showing up to take questions at John Paul Jones Arena, and he appeared to grow more comfortable as the session went on.

Want to see Lalich get animated? Ask him about X’s and O’s and his education as a college QB. Or ask him which quarterbacks he follows.

“My favorite quarterback is Colt Brennan, and I think he should start for the Redskins,” Lalich said. “I think he’s the man.”

Lalich is not The Man yet at U.Va., and he knows it. He realizes he must learn to work through his progressions and sometimes take the high-percentage, shorter pass. The longer pass isn’t always the better one.

He cited U.Va.’s first series against Richmond on Saturday. Lalich threw an 11-yard completion to wideout Kevin Ogletree, who got pushed out at the Spiders’ 1.

“I probably could have thrown it in the flat to [tailback Mikell Simpson], and he might have scored,” Lalich said. “Sometimes if you throw the ball down the field you won’t get as many yards as if you take the checkdown, because a lot of times with the checkdown the guy can run with the ball.”

In the second half against UR, Lalich’s effectiveness as a passer dipped, in part, he said, because he was frustrated at Virginia’s inability to score. He tried to take over the game, as he’d routinely done as a schoolboy star.

“I think started going back to my old gunslinger, just-throw-it-deep kind of thing, instead of being patient in the offense,” he said. “And that’s just something I’m working on right now, and I’ll be able to be more disciplined.”

Tight end John Phillips said that gunslinger mentality is part of Lalich’s personality.

“He’s not the guy to settle for a checkdown route when he feels he can throw that home-run ball,” Phillips said. “That might have been the thing that stood out the most when he first got here. He was always chucking it to the farthest route. He just wanted to show his arm off.”

A 2007 graduate of West Springfield High, Lalich backed up Jameel Sewell last season.

“Last year he was a freshman, so he’s got them little jitters and stuff, maybe a little nervous being out there,” Phillips said. “This year I’d say he’s completely changed. He’s very comfortable in the huddle making the calls, making the reads.”

Al Groh’s assessment of Lalich’s progress?

“Peter’s got quite a bit of development in front of him before he becomes the quarterback that we think he can be,” Groh said on his radio show Monday night, “but we’re pleased with the progress that he’s making and the things that he’s seen on the field and the poise with which he’s playing.”

 

Cavs goalie Miles gets her chance
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 10, 2008

For the past three years, one of Celeste Miles’ most exciting duties on the Virginia women’s soccer team has been serving as a quasi-DJ. Lil’ Wayne and Jay-Z are just a couple of the artists on the mixes that Miles has created for the team’s pregame warm-up music.

Oh, how times have changed.

This year, Miles finds herself smack in the middle of the dance floor.

In the offseason, when Chantel Jones — the team’s incumbent goalie — elected to redshirt and play for the United States under-20 national team, Miles finally had the opportunity she had been working so hard for: a chance to play.

“When I first heard, I had a bunch of different feelings,” said Miles, 21. “It was mostly excitement, but also some nerves. But once you get on the field, the nerves kind of go away and adrenaline takes over.”

It has certainly looked that way so far this season. Miles, a 5-foot-4 Dallas native, has looked anything but jittery.

Heading into this weekend’s Virginia Nike Soccer Classic at Klockner Stadium, the senior has allowed just one goal (on a penalty kick) in five games.

“To not have Chantel was disappointing for all of us,” said Virginia coach Steve Swanson, whose 4-0-1 squad hosts William & Mary Friday night at 7 p.m., “but to have someone like Celeste — who’s not only a very talented goalkeeper but also such a strong leader on the team — it’s as ideal a situation as you could have given the scenario.”

Heading into this season, Miles had appeared in just five games, recording two saves. So far, she already has three saves in five games, including four shutouts.

Luckily, Miles has had an experienced defense in front of her, featuring Nikki Krzysik, Sarah Senty and Alex Singer. The only loss from last year’s unit was team co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn.

“They’ve been a huge help,” Miles said. “They’ve not only helped keep the shots to a minimum, but they’ve communicated with me both on and off the field and have helped make the transition really smooth and enjoyable.”

Having Jones around the team has also been a nice bonus — she doesn’t leave for her national team duties for another few weeks. Jones, according to Miles, has been extremely supportive.

“I ask her questions and she gives me pointers,” Miles said. “Just practicing with her the last three years has pushed me to be a better keeper than I ever would have been.

“Before the season, she was like, ‘I want you to break my shutout record!’ Just the encouragement she’s given has been incredible.”

Jones, who had 13 shutouts as a freshman last season, has a ton of confidence in Miles.

“I just told her that it’s her senior year and to just go for it — there’s nothing holding her back,” Jones said. “Her potential is endless. She can be awesome, and so far she’s really stepped up and I’m really happy for her.”

Swanson says his team has a great amount of respect for Miles and how she’s handled being a backup over the last three years. The team, according to Swanson, also recognizes Miles’ talent and has a lot of confidence in her.

“It’s nice to see someone who has helped be the foundation of our program get the opportunity,” Swanson said, “and she’s been doing well with that opportunity.”

While Miles is still in charge of the team’s warmup music, she seems overjoyed to finally be out on that dance floor.

“The fans at Klockner are great,” she said. “I mean, you can hear them from the bench, but it’s different being on the field and hearing them. It’s reminded me of how much fun soccer is and how much I love it. I’m really glad that I’ve gotten the opportunity.”