White: Groh Reflects On W&M Game
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/06/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Al Groh has said repeatedly over the years that quarterback is the most important position in football, and his point was driven home again Saturday night in UVa's season-opener.
In the 26-14 loss to William and Mary, Groh and offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon used three quarterbacks -- starter Vic Hall, Jameel Sewell and, in the fourth quarter, Marc Verica. None distinguished himself against a defense to which Virginia was thought to be superior athletically.
Hall, a graduate student, had a 34-yard touchdown run but otherwise gained only 20 yards on seven carries. He was 2 for 5 passing, for 7 yards, and lost a fumble.
Sewell, a fifth-year senior, had an 8-yard TD run but threw for only 80 yards, on 9 for 17 passing, and was intercepted three times. His third pick was returned 50 yards for a TD with 2:39 remaining, sending most of the UVa fans who remained at Scott Stadium to the exits.
Verica, a junior, was 7 for 11 for 50 yards, but he lost control of the ball early in another pass attempt, and W&M recovered the fumble with 5:46 left.
It's tough enough for a team when one QB struggles. "When you have to say it about three, that makes it an overly tough situation for the overall team," Groh said on his Sunday night teleconference with reporters. "We have a lot of plays there at that position that we need to improve upon."
That Hall and Sewell would play against the Tribe was determined before the opener. Verica was the third option and, had the offense not sputtered, might not have played.
Groh said he envisioned rotating Hall and Sewell the way some teams use two tailbacks. The hope was that both would be "able to get into a nice rhythm and be productive ... What the total play count would be would, of course, be determined by circumstances and maybe who had the particularly hot hand. But as you could see, nobody had a particularly hot hand last night."
Hall and Sewell were more effective running the ball than passing, and they ran a lot. Maybe too much, Groh said.
Of the Cavaliers' 39 carries, Sewell had 13 and Hall eight. (Verica had another seven, for minus-9 yards.) Tailbacks Mikell Simpson, Torrey Mack and Dominique Wallace, by contrast, combined for only 10 carries.
"We certainly didn't anticipate that, and I didn't have a full sense of that during the course of the game, although clearly it was apparent that the quarterbacks had quite a few carries and were fairly effective in doing it," Groh said.
"The fact that both touchdowns came on excellent runs by the quarterbacks does point out their capability of doing such, but we don't want it to evolve into where they're the primary runners, no."
It was a painful evening in several respects for Hall, who hurt his hip late in the first half and took no snaps after intermission. His most memorable second-half play was a muffed punt that William and Mary recovered at the UVa 9-yard line.
"There's nobody who takes it more personally than Vic," Groh said. "So I'd say that he and I are pretty much kindred spirits today."
As for Hall's health, Groh said, "He's a little sore like a lot of [UVa players], but after a game we got a lot of guys with bumps and bruises."
No. 17 Texas Christian visits Scott Stadium this weekend. The 'Hoos haven't started a season 0-2 since 2002, when they rebounded to win nine games. In 2007, Virginia opened with an embarrassing loss at Wyoming, then won seven straight.
"A lot of it has to do with the resolve of the players, the resolve of the players to fix the things that led to a less-than-desirable start," Groh said. "Clearly those teams had a lot of resolve to do so, as well as having the personnel on hand to execute and make things better."
* * * * * *
Four true freshmen played against W&M: Wallace, wide receivers Tim Smith and Quintin Hunter and defensive end Will Hill.
Wallace carried two times for 7 yards. Neither Smith nor Hunter had a pass thrown his way, and Hill didn't make a tackle.
Other Cavaliers who made their college debuts Saturday: Mack, Devin Wallace (no relation to Dominique), Matt Mihalik, Aaron Van Kuiken, Colter Phillips, Patch Duda, Zach Mendez-Zfass, Matt Snyder, Ausar Walcott and Daniel Childress.
* * * * * *
Not everyone played poorly for the Cavaliers in the opener, Groh said. Case in point: Steve Greer, a redshirt freshman from the Cleveland area.
Greer started at inside linebacker and led the team in tackles.
"For a rookie that never has been in a game to step in and to make 12 tackles in the game is a pretty significant number," Groh said. "In fact, he was the staff choice as the defensive player of the game."
* * * * * *
Groh was asked about reserve tailback Keith Payne's decision last week to quit the football team. Payne, who would have been a redshirt junior for the Cavaliers this season, plans to remain at the University and finish work on his degree.
Once Payne graduates, he hopes to transfer to another school for his final season of football eligibility.
"Keith wasn't satisfied with his role on the team," Groh said, "and we discussed it with him, and we agreed that he either had to be in with both feet -- can't be in with one foot and out with the other. You have to be accepting of your role and understand what it is and try to do the very best job you can with it, or else perhaps something else is a better alternative."
 

William and Mary Game Revisited
Sept. 6, 2009
12:18 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- UVa's defense did not embarrass itself Saturday night at Scott Stadium. Because of turnovers committed on offense and special teams, the defense spent a lot time on the field -- William and Mary's time of possession was 35:36 in the 60-minute game -- and some lapses were inevitable.

The absence of a serious pass rush, however, was troubling. Since the final game of the 2007 season, UVa has lost three superior pass-rushers -- Chris Long, Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Clint Sintim -- and it's not clear who, if anyone, will emerge as a sack specialist this year.

In the 26-14 loss to W&M, Virginia was credited with only one sack, and that came early in the fourth quarter when outside linebacker Denzel Burrell forced quarterback R.J. Archer out of bounds for a 4-yard loss.

Archer completed 23 of 44 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown, with one interception. Asked about his team's inability to consistently pressure the former Albemarle High School standout, UVa coach Al Groh said the "game that we had to play on defense was pretty close to what we expected it would be. Which was, on William and Mary's part, well thought out.

"We've played against those type of plans in the past: run straight ahead, don't take any negative plays, throw the ball as quick as you can. Throw short passes real quick before the rush can get you, and hope that the runner can break a tackle and run for some yardage."

Archer had a 48-yard completion to Ryan Moody and a 27-yarder to D.J. McAulay. Otherwise, Archer averaged 5.2 yards per completion.

Burrell, a fifth-year senior, said the Tribe recognized "some of our schemes and realized that they would need to go to quick passes and draws to kind of throw off the rushers and really get us going upfield so they could run the ball on us.

"It was definitely a change that we had predicted may happen, and they ended up doing it, which led to much less pressure on the quarterback."

-- Jeff White


 

Cavs undone by flubbing fundamentals
By Michael Phillips
Published: September 7, 2009

As the Virginia coaching staff begins to sort through Saturday's 26-14 loss to William and Mary, this is what they'll find:

•U.Va. was caught off guard with personnel on special teams twice. Both times, the player missing his assignment was a captain. Linebacker Aaron Clark arrived late to a punting situation, and later in the game Nate Collins had to run off the field to avoid being the 12th man.

•A secondary that arrived with high expectations left with hand imprints of two footballs that could have been game-changing interceptions. Both were dropped.

•Of the team's three quarterback options, none could avoid producing multiple turnovers. Jameel Sewell threw two interceptions, Vic Hall fumbled twice and Marc Verica mixed it up with one of each.
Coach Al Groh singled out some of those plays as game-changers when he conducted a 75-minute practice with the team yesterday evening.

"It really takes a lot to win a football game, it takes very little to lose one," he said. "It was a small number of plays that turned the game the wrong way."

He cited 14 in particular that contributed to the end result, while saying that not all was bleak for the Cavs.

"There were a number of players that we could say, keep at it for the next 11 weeks and you'll have a good season," he said. "It's just unfortunate that a few plays ruined the outcome for a lot of players."

That is, of course, where the focus lies, specifically with the quarterbacks. With none of the three quarterbacks distinguishing himself, it looks like the split-snaps policy will remain in place for at least another week.

After the game, Verica compared the loss to one suffered by U.Va. two years ago at Wyoming, another first-game setback. That year's team bounced back and ultimately finished the season in a Jan. 1 bowl game.

Groh is no stranger to first-game setbacks. He's 3-6 in openers while at Virginia, including some seasons that ended well and some that finished poorly. He said there was one theme among the groups that were able to turn it around.

"A lot of it has to do with the resolve of the players to fix the things that led to a less-than-desirable start," he said. "Clearly those teams had a lot of resolve to do so."

On the defensive side of the ball, it was a little easier to get a look at what was needed, if only because the Tribe offense was out on the field for so long.

The Hoos will have to find a pass rusher capable of applying pressure -- the defensive line was unable to rattle Tribe quarterback R.J. Archer, save for a handful of safety blitzes. They'll also have to get Ras-I Dowling back into game shape. The cornerback, who was a solid producer last year, had a rough opening night that ended with Archer throwing at him repeatedly.

"I'm sure that he would confirm that he was hoping for a little bit more than what was the case [Saturday] night," Groh said.

On the other hand, freshman linebacker Steve Greer had a standout game that included 12 tackles. The staff tabbed him as the player of the game on that side of the ball.

Over the next week, Groh will look to encourage performances like Greer's, while cutting down on the mistakes that made Saturday night a long one for Cavs fans.
 

Following up on William and Mary beating U.Va.
Michael Phillips
Sep 06, 2009

Maybe the losses weren’t of this magnitude, but Al Groh has made a habit of digging himself a hole early - dropping the season opener in six of his nine seasons.

The only other game that approaches this magnitude was a loss in Wyoming two years ago, which Marc Verica alluded to last night.

“All we can really do is stick together,“ he said. “It’s a tough loss, but we had one of our best seasons ever when we played at Laramie (Wyoming) a couple years ago. There will be a lot of negativity, but it’s important we don’t point fingers and correct the things that cause us to lose, and simply move forward.“

Whether the team can rebound will determine exactly what the future holds for Groh. We’ll monitor the situation all week, and of course bring updates to you on the blog. Expect another update later tonight, and a handful tomorrow, then we’ll pick back up the usual frantic schedule on Tuesday.
 

U.Va. true freshman update
Michael Phillips
Sep 06, 2009

For the truly brave (or sadistic), espn360.com has a replay up of last night’s game to check out.

Moving on, one of the standard things to watch in a first game is which true freshmen see the field. Once you participate in a game, you can’t redshirt for the year, so those players are now a full part of the roster. The others remain eligible for a redshirt - or they could be played at any point this season. It’s all at the coach’s discretion.

Three true freshmen found their way into the game last night. Wide receiver Quintin Hunter, running back Dominique Wallace and defensive end Will Hill. Of the three, Hill is the only one likely to receive non-special teams time in the immediate future.

Two interesting non-starters were offensive lineman Oday Aboushi and defensive end Jake Snyder (Deep Run). We’ll look into what the plans are for these guys going forward. Also not playing was quarterback Ross Metheny, but with three signal-callers already in the mix, it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll take the field this year.

U.Va.‘s media relations department also released a list of players seeing their first game action (not necessarily freshmen). Here’s the full rundown:

38 WR Patch Duda, 23 WR Zach Mendez-Zfass, 14 WR Matt Snyder, 30 S Ausar Walcott, 27 LB Daniel Childress, 15 WR Quintin Hunter, 25 TB Torrey Mack, 42 TB Devin Wallace, 71 OT Matt Mihalik, 77 OT Aaron Van Kuiken, 89 TE Colter Phillips, 93 DE Will Hill, 37 DB LoVante Battle and 21 TB Dominique Wallace.
 

Sunday Al Groh update
Michael Phillips
Sep 06, 2009

Groh ran a 75-minute practice tonight, then chatted about the need to cut down on game-changing plays. Here are a few other observations he had:

—QB Vic Hall is banged up a little, but nothing too serious.

—On cornerback Ras-I Dowling’s night: “I’m sure that he would confirm that he was hoping for a little bit more than what was the case last night.“

—And on the flip side, linebacker Steve Greer: “For a rookie that had never been in a game to step in and make 12 tackes is a pretty significant number, and he was the staff choice for defensive player of the game.“

—On the two dropped interceptions: “Both those passes should have been easy catches.“

—QB scrambles by Hall and Sewell: “The fact that both TD’s came on excellent runs by the quarterbacks shows that they’re capable of doing such, but we don’t want them to evolve into the primary runners.“

—He also confirmed that Nick Jenkins was the player who blocked a first-half field goal.
 

Groh puts a spin on upset
The veteran Virginia coach says "a number" of players had one of their "better performances."
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As of late Sunday afternoon, there was no word of a new paint job at Beta Bridge, the University of Virginia landmark that frequently serves as a barometer of student opinion.

When Virginia's football team lost at Wyoming in the 2007 opener, 23-3, the Cavaliers had not arrived back in Charlottesville before a freshly painted "Groh Must Go" adorned the main thoroughfare between Rugby Road and the Rotunda.

That Cavalier team proceeded to win its next seven games and ultimately earn a Gator Bowl berth, but not all opening game failures have been followed by quick turnarounds.

That's not a good sign with 17th-ranked Texas Christian coming to Scott Stadium next week. The Horned Frogs won 11 games last season.

In a Sunday teleconference, Groh took the most positive tack he could.

"Through the collective disappointment that we feel, there are some players who should have come out of [Saturday's] game with confidence about the way their game's going," said Groh of a 26-14 loss to William and Mary.

"There were a number of them who you could tell, 'Boy, that was one of your better performances.' "

If there is a UVa game that resembled Saturday's 26-14 loss to the Tribe, it was the Cavaliers' 2008 Duke game, when the Blue Devils ended a 25-game losing streak when it was outgained 304-258 but benefitted from six UVa turnovers.

Virginia had seven turnovers Saturday. That was the high for a UVa team since the Cavaliers committed eight turnovers against Clemson in 1994.

A William and Mary interception in the first quarter gave the Tribe possession at their 43. The next five turnovers allowed William and Mary to take possession in UVa territory, followed by a B.R. Webb interception return for a touchdown.

"It's unfortunate that a few plays ruined the outcome for a lot of people," Groh said Sunday. "The other team had 10 possessions of three [downs] and out. That's a very high number."

Vic Hall started at quarterback and was responsible for two fumbles, one on a muffed punt that enabled William and Mary to take possession at the UVa 9. Three plays later, a 24-yard Brian Pate field goal gave the Tribe a lead that it would not relinquish, 16-14.

"There wasn't very good technique involved in the catching of the kick," Groh said. "The spot would have been acceptable had he caught it correctly.

"There's nobody who takes it more personally than Vic. I'd say that he and I are pretty much kindred spirits today."

Hall had taken a blow to the hip while scrambling to recover a first-quarter fumble and was replaced by fellow fifth-year senior Jameel Sewell. Sewell, who missed the 2008 season while on academic suspension, was intercepted three times.

"Clearly, we need better performance than we got from that position," Groh said.

Groh said it will take some time to tell if Sewell was feeling the effects of his inactivity.

"It would be in denial to say those factors aren't somewhat in place," Groh said. "By the same token, that's [inconsistency] the way it was sometimes in 2007."

Notes

Groh confirmed that junior running back Keith Payne expressed disappointment in his role and has left the team, although he was still in school as of Friday. ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Steve Greer, credited with 12 tackles by the coaches and 10 by the UVa stat crew, was the staff's choice as defensive player of the week ... True freshmen who saw action were wide receivers Tim Smith and Quintin Hunter, running back Dominique Wallace and defensive end Will Hill. Hill went through spring practice after his early graduation from Lafayette High School in Williamsburg.
 

UVa analysis, sort of
As I was watching the players come off the field Saturday at Scott Stadium, another reporter asked if I could remember a worse Virginia loss.

There have been more painful losses -- think Georgia Tech, 1990 -- and it may be some time before Saturday's 26-14 loss to William and Mary can be put in historical context.

Eventually, it may be viewed as the game that costs nine-year UVa head coach Al Groh his job, but he's had plenty of bad losses. It was Groh's first loss to a Division i-AA team, but not Virginia's first. I was there when the Tribe beat George Welsh's 1986 team 41-37. I saw Gary Clark and his JMU cohorts win in Charlottesville. I've even seen VMI beat UVa, more than once if I'm not mistaken.

(A check of the records shows that VMI beat UVa three years in a row between 1976-78).

As far as poor play, Virginia's performance Saturday wasn't much worse than it was in last year's trip to Duke, where the Cavaliers had six turnovers and lost 31-3 to a Blue Devils team that had lost 25 consecutive ACC games.

That Virginia team won its next four games, but it had three players who stand to make opening-day NFL rosters, including first-round draft pick Eugene Monroe at left tackle. Where's the talent on this year's team? Maybe in the secondary, although the UVa defensive backs had their problems Saturday night, particularly preseason ACC pick Ras-I Dowling.

"He had lapses," Groh said Sunday in a teleconference.

The quarterback play Saturday was terrible -- everybody knows that -- but I wasn't impressed with the offensive line's ability to protect the QBs or the wide receivers' ability to get open.

Normally, I like to pick Virginia at home, even against nationally ranked opponents like TCU, but I just don't think the material is there to get it done.

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Posted at 09:57 by Doug Doughty
 

Loss to W&M turns Groh's hot seat into an inferno
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot sports columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 7, 2009

 The fallout from Virginia's mortifying first football loss of the season is descending like acid rain on what's left of Al Groh's career in Charlottesville.

I make it a policy not to join ranks with the angry hordes carrying torches and pitchforks, but it's hard to rationalize how U.Va. could be so ill-prepared for its season opener in front of its home crowd.

If we didn't know it before, we do now: this season is Groh's swan song.

There's another side to the story, of course. A mystifying and discouraging defeat for one school represented an inspired effort by another.

Give William and Mary its due. If you're just tuning in, Jimmye Laycock is a helluva coach.

In a lot of ways, it was a very good weekend for the Colonial Athletic Association. As W&M outplayed U.Va., defending Football Championship Subdivision champion Richmond took down Duke in Durham, N.C.

While the CAA banner flew high in hostile surroundings, commissioner Tom Yeager was at a packed Foreman Field for ODU's first football game. He had to like what he saw.

The weekend results are another reminder of what the Monarchs face against a full CAA schedule in a couple years. The conference is not for sissies.

But back to Groh. We find him in familiar territory, feet planted firmly in quicksand after U.Va.'s first loss to a lower-division school in 23 years.

For Cavaliers fans looking for new ways to vent, the latest development presents serious challenges.

Painting "Groh Must Go!" on the Rugby Road bridge, as was done two years ago, is just so derivative. But as a reliever of stress for irate fans, kicking in the tail lights on their BMWs wouldn't solve anything, either.

Let's just hope that the disgruntled U.Va. masses didn't take out their anger on their friendly neighborhood baristas Sunday morning.

Any excuses for the Cavaliers? None that hold cappuccino.

When new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon introduced a different look, who could have predicted that it would lead to four lost fumbles and three interceptions?

U.Va.'s spread offense was a resounding success... if it was designed to spread the misery among three quarterbacks.

Come back, Mike Groh. All is forgiven.

But if misery loves company, U.Va. is in the right conference.

North Carolina State lost to South Carolina on Thursday after scoring only three points, and Maryland was soundly beaten at Cal on Saturday night after giving up 52.

Wake Forest was a polite host to Baylor, losing by a field goal, while Virginia Tech was worn down by Alabama on national TV.

Six non-conference losses in all, some of the ugly variety, make for quite an auspicious debut to the ACC's season.

The Hokies came up short again in a big game, but they can't be lumped in with the other ACC losers. It's no disgrace falling to Alabama on a neutral field in the Deep South.

Are the Hokies and their supporters prone to exaggerating the team's presence on the BCS stage? Absolutely. Just as the ACC tries to be something it is not.

Even tonight's televised meeting between Miami and Florida State, once a can't-miss game, has been reduced to a contest for intramural bragging rights between programs with faded reputations.

That's where the ACC finds itself.

Nobody, though, is feeling as much heat as Groh.

The ACC's first-week winners - North Carolina, Boston College, Clemson and Georgia Tech - shrewdly scheduled foot wipes.

U.Va. thought it had, too, then went out and committed seven turnovers.

Maybe the most damaging indictment, though, are reports that W&M was the more physical team. That should never happen.

Afterward, Groh noted the "negativity" that this kind of loss invites, but reminded everyone that "we've got 11 more weeks."

Sounds like a threat.
 

Virginia has plenty of blame to spread around
By Dave Fairbank
247-4637
September 7, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Now the work really starts for Virginia's football team.

The Cavaliers' 26-14 loss to William and Mary on Saturday showcased a team that is miles from offensively productive and just spotty enough on defense to permit receivers to run freely.

Not exactly the sort of unveiling they hoped for in front of 54,000-plus at Scott Stadium and an even larger fan base that expects more from coach Al Groh after two losing seasons in his last three years.

"We've got 11 more weeks to go," Groh said. "There'll be a lot of negativity out there, some of it well-deserved. We can either crack or we can stick together. One thing we haven't ever done around here is crack."

Virginia lost its fourth consecutive season opener, and all displayed their own kind of misery. Two years ago, the Cavaliers were noncompetitive at Wyoming. Last year, they were simply outclassed and out-talented by Southern Cal.

On Saturday, they were beaten by a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team for the first time in 23 years — coincidentally, the last time was against William and Mary, as well — and appeared shaky and uncertain.

"Words can't really describe how high we were before the game, and how we're now in the lowest of the lows," linebacker Denzell Burell said. "We have to have a quick turnaround, make this a 12- to 24-hour turnaround, and approach practice tomorrow and just prepare for the next game. We can't get the game back, we don't play them again this year, so we just have to prepare for TCU."

The Cavaliers' no-huddle, spread offense managed just 268 yards. Virginia committed seven turnovers, the most since a 1994 game against Clemson. Somehow, the Cavs won that one 9-6.

Quarterbacks Vic Hall, Jameel Sewell and Marc Verica all played, though none distinguished himself.

Hall, the converted cornerback, scrambled for an early touchdown, but demonstrated little passing threat. He tweaked his hip late in the first half and was unavailable much of the second half.

He also muffed a punt in the third quarter inside the Virginia 10, which led to a W&M field goal.

Sewell was intercepted three times, the last of which Tribe cornerback B.W. Webb, a redshirt freshman from Warwick High, brought back 50 yards for a touchdown and the game-clinching score.

Verica, last year's starter after a battlefield promotion, provided little running threat and botched a snap midway through the fourth quarter that led to a William and Mary field goal.

"Clearly we need some more work on what we're trying to do," Groh said.

"We were hoping that this game would be a lot smoother than it was."

The Cavaliers put together only one sustained offensive drive: an 84-yard touchdown march in the second quarter. None of their other 17 possessions netted more than 39 yards. Only one second-half possession ended in William and Mary territory, that one ending on downs late in the game trailing by 12.

On defense, Virginia gave up only 309 yards, but the Tribe took a mostly conservative offensive approach. W&M was content to play defense and take advantage of field position and opportunities that Virginia presented.

"This is a tough loss to take," Burrell said. "We were home in Charlottesville, had a big home crowd and didn't get the job done. This is definitely a tough pill to swallow."

The Cavaliers host No. 17 Texas Christian next Saturday, a significantly greater challenge, athletically, than a state rival FCS team with a solid game plan.

"We were looking forward to playing this game to get a sense of what we could do," Groh said, "and clearly we have a lot more to do if we want to like the team that we get to know."
 

A season-opening setback
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 7, 2009

It was delivered with a stern look and the urgency of a flash-flood warning.
Moments after being stunned by an opponent that Division I schools pay to play, coach Al Groh relayed a message that he had delivered to his players in a somber locker room.
Damaging words would run rampant on and off campus, he proclaimed, following the seven-turnover debacle that occurred at Scott Stadium in a 26-14 loss to William & Mary on Saturday.
“There will be a lot of negativity out there — some well-deserved,” said Groh, who has now lost 10 of his past 15 games. “We can either crack or we can stick together. One thing we haven’t ever done around here is crack.”
That was the case in 2007 when the Cavaliers
(0-1) were drubbed at Wyoming, 23-3, but the program bounced back to win nine of its following 10 games. The common pattern of losing has followed, which included two losses (Virginia Tech and Texas Tech) to end 2007.
Virginia could not balance the scales in 2001, 2006 or 2008 when season-opening losses served as a footnote in campaigns that did not include postseason berths.
The setbacks to open those seasons did not occur, of course, against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision. Virginia had not lost, in fact, to a Division I-AA team since 1986 when William & Mary pulled off the feat.
“It’s really setting in that this is definitely a big loss,” said linebacker Denzel Burrell. “As a captain, I think it is most important that we need to almost preach to the younger players that this is not what we are about.
“We need to bounce back, and we need to do it now.”
It will not be an effortless project to rebound amid the disapproval rating that the program and its head coach currently maintain. Message board posters were quick to clamor for changes, even offering replacements should Groh not be retained the entire season.
Making matters worse, the schedule makers have left the Cavaliers with
No. 17 Texas Christian, which will open its season Saturday at Scott Stadium at 3:30 p.m.
The Horned Frogs were second nationally in scoring defense, trailing only Southern Cal, as they allowed just 11.3 points per game.
While Virginia’s defense managed to stop William & Mary 15 times on third down Saturday, all eyes will be focused on one part of the Cavaliers’ offense against TCU — the passing game.
Why so?
Last year, the Horned allowed just over 600 yards on the ground the entire season, easily leading the country in that regard.
“It is going to be a challenging game,” said Virginia linebacker Steve Greer. “We just have to worry about the things that we can correct.”
 

Diamond Cavs get their due
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 6, 2009

Thank goodness for the Virginia baseball team.

Just before kickoff, the squad raised the “Power of Orange” flag behind the north end zone. The team, which made it to the College World Series for the first time in school history this past spring, was also honored with a video clip on the stadium’s new video board, as well as an on-the-field tribute at the end of the first quarter.

In what wound up being a shocking home loss to William & Mary, the ovation for the tributes were some of the loudest of the game.

More honors

Virginia coaches Brian O’Connor (baseball), Brian Boland (tennis), Dom Starsia (lacrosse), Jason Vigilante (track and field) and Mark Bernardino (swimming) were all honored for their achievements during a second-quarter timeout. O’Connor was national coach of the year, while the others were ACC coaches of the year.

Local Tribe

William & Mary featured a number of players from the Central Virginia area, including quarterbacks R.J. Archer (Albemarle) and Michael Graham (Monticello); defensive backs Terrell Wells (Louisa County) and Ethan Lee (Buckingham County); linebacker Sheldon Alexander (Woodberry Forest); wide receiver Eric Robertson (Albemarle).

The shanks

When William & Mary kicker Brian Pate missed three first-half field goals, nobody was probably more surprised than Pate. The senior from Fredericksburg missed three (in 16 attempts) all of last season.

Butter fingers

Virginia had several opportunities in the first half to make interceptions, but simply could not catch the ball. Chris Cook, Chase Minnifield and Denzel Burrell all dropped passes that seemed catchable.

Last season, Virginia finished with just 11 interceptions, which ranked ninth in the 12-team ACC.

Sultan of swat

Virginia nose tackle Nick Jenkins blocked the second field goal of his career when he deflected Pate’s second-quarter attempt. Jenkins’ other block came last season against Richmond.

Hall highlights

When Virginia starting quarterback Vic Hall completed a pass on the Cavaliers’ opening drive, it marked his first completion since the 2007 game against Connecticut, when he tossed a 35-yard pass to Chris Gorham.

Hall’s first-quarter touchdown run marked the second time in his last two games he has recorded scoring dashes of more than 30 yards. He darted for a 40-yarder against Virginia Tech in the finale last year. He also had a 16-yarder against the Hokies.

Extra points

Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell’s second-quarter rushing TD was his first scoring run since he rushed for a pair of scores against Virginia Tech during the 2007 season. … Four Cavaliers made the first start of their career: linebacker Steve Greer, receivers Kris Burd and Javaris Brown and offensive tackle Landon Bradley. … True freshman Dominique Wallace got the first carry of his career during the third quarter. … Saturday’s game marked the start of the 120th season in Virginia football history.
 

UVa Places 7th in Stroke Play at Match Play Championship
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/06/2009

Daytona Beach, FL - The No. 9 Virginia women's golf team advanced to the championship bracket at the National Golf Coaches Association's Match Play Championships after finishing seventh in the 16-team field after 36 holes of stroke play Sunday. The Cavaliers shot rounds of 16-over 304 and 9-over 297 for a two-round total of 601.
The top eight teams from stroke play will compete in the match play tournament's championship bracket starting Monday. Virginia will be paired against South Carolina in its first 18-hole match play competition. The winner will face off against the winner of the Alabama-Auburn match. Two rounds of match play are slated for Monday and the championship rounds will take place Tuesday.
The other teams finishing in the top eight of stroke play and advancing to the championships bracket are Florida (585), South Carolina (586), Auburn (590), LSU (590), Georgia (592), Alabama (600) and UT Chattanooga (602).
Virginia was led in stroke play by freshman Brittany Altomare, who shot rounds of 76 and 73 for a 36-hole total of 147 in her collegiate debut. She completed stroke play in 18th place. Fellow first year Nicole Agnello tied teammate Whitney Neuhauser for 23rd overall at 150. Agnello shot 74 and 76 and Neuhauser carded rounds of 78 and 72. Calle Nielson was 46th at 154 (78-76) and Joy Kim was 73rd at 163 (78-85).
Live scoring of the tournament is online at Golfstat.com.
NGCA Match Play Championship
LPGA International (Legends Course)
Daytona Beach, FL
Par-72, 6,280 yards
Stroke Play Results
Team Results
1. Florida 293-292-585
2. South Carolina 292-294-586
3. Auburn 294-296-590
3. LSU 299-291-590
5. Georgia 295-297-592
6. Alabama 302-298-600
7. Virginia 304-297-601
8. UT Chattanooga 302-300-602
9. Kent State 303-300-603
10. Duke 303-303-606
11. TCU 304-303-607
11. North Carolina 305-302-607
13. Georgia State 315-295-610
14. Mississippi 300-323-623
15. Colorado 315-309-624
16. UCF 325-310-635
Individual Leaders
1. Cydney Clanton, Auburn 73-69-142
2. Rachel Raastad, TCU 71-72-143
3. Katie Burnett, South Carolina 69-75-144
3. Jaqueline Hedwall, LSU 71-73-144
3. Catherine O'Donnell, North Carolina 72-72-144
3. Milena Savich, Georgia 71-73-144
3. Amanda Strang, South Carolina 72-72-144
8. Sarah Bradley, Kent State 75-70-145
8. Corrine Carr, South Carolina 72-73-145
8. Lindy Duncan, Duke 73-72-145
8. Camilla Lennarth, Alabama 76-69-145
Virginia Results
18. Brittany Altomare 76-73-147
23. Nicole Agnello 74-76-150
23. Whitney Neuhauser 78-72-150
46. Calle Nielson 78-76-154
73. Joy Kim 78-85-163
 

Barlows Overtime Goal Lifts UVa Over Washington, 2-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/06/2009

PORTLAND, Ore. - Virginia senior Neil Barlow (Herndon, Va.) scored the game-winning goal in the 99th minute and the Cavaliers defeated Washington, 2-1, Sunday afternoon in their final game of the Portland Nike Invitational at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex.

"It's not an easy thing to travel across the country and play two games," Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. "We played two teams that were completely different and presented us with two completely different challenges. Our team responded."

With two victories, including Friday's 3-0 victory over Portland, Virginia won the round-robin tournament. Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) was named the tournament's offensive most valuable player and Ross LaBauex (Chicago, Ill.) was named the tournament's defensive most valuable player.

Barlow's goal, his first of the season and the fourth of his career, gave the Cavaliers the overtime victory and improved their record to 2-0 on the young season. The senior's shot from the far right wing found the back of the net past Washington goalkeeper Rylan Hawkins.

The goal capped off a Cavalier comeback, as UVa trailed 1-0 in the first half after Husky midfielder Matt Van Houten headed in a goal off of a throw-in by Brent Richards in the sixth minute.

In the second half, Virginia battled back and tied the game in the 74th minute on a header goal by Greg Monaco (Virginia Beach, Va.) off of an assist by Barlow. For Monaco, it was the first goal of his career.

Neither team could convert its chances for the rest of the second half and the score remained tied, 1-1, at the end of regulation.

Barlow's 99th-minute goal was the second game-winner of his career.

"There was about one minute left in overtime and we had a substitution ready for Neil," Gelnovatch said. "But with everything he had left he made a great run and drove a ball to score. It was a fantastic shot."

Diego Restrepo had two saves in goal for Virginia.

Virginia returns to action on Friday, Sept. 11 vs. ACC foe Duke. That match at Klöckner Stadium is scheduled to kick off at approximately 8 p.m., following the Virginia women's soccer team's 6 p.m. match vs. West Virginia.

MATCH NOTES: Virginia earned its first overtime victory of the year and its first overtime victory since a 3-2 double-overtime triumph over No. 1 Wake Forest at the 2008 ACC Tournament ... Sophomore Greg Monaco scored his first career goal and had his first career points ... senior Neil Barlow scored his second-career game-winning goal ... Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch posted his 197th career victory, and his overall record at the helm of UVa improved to 197-76-22.
 

Cavalier Womens Soccer Ties Arizona State 1-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/06/2009

TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 11 Virginia women’s soccer team completed its trip to the Southwest with a 1-1 draw at Arizona State in the final game of the Sun Devil Desert Classic. The draw brings the Cavaliers’ record to 3-1-1 on the season.

The Cavaliers took an early lead in the 10th minute of play. Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.) scored her third goal of the season on an assist by Meghan Lenczyk (McLean, Va.). The Sun Devils (3-1-1) answered in the 20th minute as Kiara Williams scored on an assist from Karin Volpe to tie the score at 1-1.

Virginia outshot Arizona State 16-8 in the contest, while both teams had five corner kicks. Chantel Jones (Midlothian, Va,) made two saves in net for the Cavaliers, while Briana Silvestri made six saves for the Sun Devils.

Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.) was named the offensive MVP of the tournament, while Caitlin Miskel (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Emily Carrollo (Sussex, N.J.) were also named to the all-tournament team.

The Cavaliers return home next weekend to host the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic. On Friday, Klöckner Stadium hosts a tripleheader of soccer. Seton Hall and Dartmouth meet in the first game of the tournament at 3 p.m. The Cavalier women’s team meets No. 9 West Virginia at 6 p.m. The nightcap is the Cavalier men’s team’s home opener as they host Duke at 8 p.m.

VIRGINIA 1, ARIZONA STATE 1

#11 Virginia (3-1-1) 1 0 0 0 1
Arizona State (3-1-1) 1 0 0 0 1

Scoring Summary
UVa. Lauren Alwine 3 (Meghan Lenczyk 2) 10’
ASU. Kiara Williams 2 (Karin Volpe 1) 20’

Cautions
UVa: Jess Rostedt (22’), Katie Carr (75’)

Ejections
ASU: Coach (70’)

Shots: UVa 16, ASU 8
Corners: UVa 5, ASU 5
Saves: UVa 2 (Jones 2), ASU 6 (Silvestri 6)
Fouls: UVa 18, ASU 11

Weather: 97 degrees, partly cloudy
Attendance: 377

Game Notes: Emily Carrollo made her first career start.