Cavaliers Play Host to No. 16 TCU at 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/08/2009

Game 2 • Sept. 12 • 3:30 p.m.
David A. Harrison Field at Scott Stadium
Game Details
Playing Surface: Grass
Series vs. TCU: UVa leads, 1-0
In Charlottesville: First Meeting
Last Meeting: 1994 Independence Bowl (UVa 20-10)
Television: ESPNU
P-b-P: Todd Harris
Analyst: Charles Arbuckle
Radio: Virginia Sports Network (affiliates)
P-b-P: Dave Koehn
Analyst: Frank Quayle
Sidelines: Chris Slade
National Radio: Westwood One
Satellite Radio: XM Radio 193, Sirius 217
Live Stats: Click here for the link to the LiveStats page. Note: Allow 1-2 minutes for it to load at the start.
Rosters: Virginia TCU
Game Notes: Virginia TCU

Virginia, TCU Meet for First Time in Regular Season
• Virginia and TCU are playing for just the second time.
• The programs faced off in the 1994 Independence Bowl, a 20-10 UVa win.
• The teams are slated to play the second game of the home-and-home series in 2012 in Fort Worth.
• UVa previously has played host to just one team from the state of Texas - a 37-13 win over Texas in 1996.
Welcome to Virginia
• TCU will be playing its first game ever in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• It is the Horned Frogs' first game in an ACC stadium since 1994 at UNC.
UVa Against the Mountain West
• Virginia is 2-3 against teams from the Mountain West Conference. The MWC started competition in 1999.
• UVa split previous home-and-homes with Wyoming and BYU and lost at home to Colorado State in the 2002 season opener.
Virginia All-Time vs. Mountain West
Brigham Young (1-1)
1999 W, 45-40 (Provo, Utah)
2000 L, 35-38 (Charlottesville)
Colorado State (0-1)
2002 L, 29-35 (Charlottesville)
Wyoming (1-1)
2006 W, 13-12 (Charlottesville)
2007 L, 3-23 (Laramie, Wyo.)
UVa vs. Ranked Teams
• TCU is ranked 16th nationally this week in the AP and Coaches polls.
• Virginia went 2-1 against ranked teams last year (wins vs. North Carolina, Georgia Tech; loss to USC).
• Virginia is 12-17 against ranked teams under head coach Al Groh (since 2001).
• The Cavaliers are 9-7 at home vs. ranked teams under Groh.
• The Horned Frogs are the first of five ranked opponents currently on the UVa schedule (North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia Tech).
A Sign of Things to Come?
• Virginia has lost its last four season openers.
• In each of the previous three instances, Virginia rebounded to win its second game.
• UVa last lost two in a row to start the season in 2002 (Colorado State, Florida State).
• Virginia has suffered 11 season-opening losses in the last 21 years; UVa rebounded to win in all but one of the next games.
Non-Conference Home Games
• Virginia has won 13 of its last 16 non-conference home games since 2002 and 38 of 49 since 1987.
• Under Al Groh Virginia is 15-5 at home in non-conference games and 38-14 in all home games.
Sixteen Cavaliers Get First Playing Time
• Sixteen Virginia players, including 13 freshmen, earned their first game action last week against William & Mary:
• True freshmen (4): Will Hill, Quintin Hunter, Tim Smith and Dominique Wallace
• Redshirt freshmen (9): Landon Bradley, Javaris Brown, Steve Greer, Torrey Mack, Matt Mihalik, Aaron Van Kuiken, Colter Phillips, Ausar Walcott, Devin Wallace.
• Others (3): sophomore Matt Snyder, juniors Patch Duda and Daniel Childress.
Six Cavaliers Make First Starts
• Six Cavaliers made the first start of their careers vs. William & Mary:
• ILB Steve Greer, WR Kris Burd, OT Landon Bradley, S Rodney McLeod, WR Javaris Brown and WR Matt Snyder.

 

TCU Coach Says All The Right Things
Sept. 8, 2009
3:55 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Coaching protocol being what it is, it would have been shocking had Gary Patterson not spoken highly of his football team's next opponent. The head of the highly successful program at Texas Christian University did not disappoint this afternoon.

"We understand Virginia is a lot better football team than what we saw on TV," Patterson said on on the weekly Mountain West Conference coaches' teleconference.

TCU was one of only two teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision not to have played a game yet. The No. 16 Horned Frogs open the season Saturday at Scott Stadium. ESPNU will televise the 3:30 p.m. game.

Scott Stadium also was the site of the Wahoos' first game, a stunning 24-16 loss to William and Mary. The defeat was the fourth straight on opening day for Al Groh and his first to a Football Championship Subdivision opponent as UVa's coach.

The Cavaliers turned the ball over seven times -- six times in their new spread offense and once on special teams.

"It looked to me like they were trying too hard ... and sometimes when you do that, you make mistakes," Patterson said. "Everybody was trying to do too much, and I don't think Coach Groh and his staff -- Coach Groh and I are good friends -- will let those mistakes happen again, and I think they'll settle down and do the things they need to to try to win a ballgame.

"I expect a lot better Virginia team this week on offense than the mistakes that they made a week ago .... I think that's a good football team in waiting."

Patterson, like Groh at UVa, is in ninth season at TCU. Groh's record at his alma mater is 56-45. Patterson is 73-27 with the Horned Frogs, who have won 11 games in four of the past six seasons.

-- Jeff White

 

More on UVa-TCU
Sept. 8, 2009
4:28 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The first regular-season football game between UVa and Texas Christian University takes place Saturday at Scott Stadium.

The rematch will be in September 2012 at Fort Worth, Texas.

These teams don't run into each other often. Their first and, to this point, only meeting came in Shreveport, La., where Virginia beat TCU 20-10 in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 28, 1994.

Of the teams' upcoming two-game series, Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson said, "We're always looking for home and homes ... A lot of teams we play, like with the Clemson game, we'll get paid a lot of money, and we'll go there one time. But we were looking for a home and home.

"I was excited about it. Not that I was excited about playing Virginia as a whole, because I know the kind of coach Al Groh is, and the kind of players there have there. But just to be able to go on the East Coast and get in front of more TV sets, I think that's the biggest thing. The East has a lot more TV sets ... a lot more people get a chance to see the ball game."

TCU, whose record under Patterson is 73-27, visits Clemson on Sept. 26. No return game is scheduled for Fort Worth.

"For us, you're always still building your reputation, and Virginia and a Clemson are two teams that I think are very good programs, very storied programs," Patterson said, "and you gotta go play your best ball game to have a chance to win."

-- Jeff White

Tribe’s Webb receives national honor
By Staff Reports
Published: September 8, 2009

William and Mary redshirt freshman cornerback B.W. Webb was selected as the national defensive player of the week by the Sports Network for three interceptions in the Tribe's 26-14 victory over Virginia on Saturday.

Webb returned his last interception 50 yards for a fourth-quarter score that sealed the Tribe's win.

He also was chosen as a national all-star by College Sporting News and the CAA defensive player of the week.
 

Groh's job teetering
David Teel
September 9, 2009

If past is prelude, the University of Virginia should brace for a miserable football season. And we all know what that would mean.

Summon the hangman for the head man.

Not to give Al Groh the bum's rush a mere one game into his ninth season as coach. He and his Cavaliers proved remarkably resilient in 2007 and '08 after troubling defeats at Wyoming and Duke.

Still, Saturday's 26-14 loss to William and Mary bodes ill for Virginia and Groh on several fronts.

First, karma. With losing seasons in 2006 and '08 clearly and properly clouding Groh's future, the Cavaliers needed an upbeat start.

Saturday was anything but. The Cavaliers lost to a Football Championship Subdivision team for the first time in 23 years, at home no less, and looked awful in the process with seven turnovers.

Founded in 1978 as Division I-AA, FCS programs award 22 fewer scholarships than the I-A big dogs and operate on comparatively shoestring budgets. The talent disparity between the divisions? Try Montreal Alouettes versus the New England Patriots.

Think that's a stretch? Consider these numbers.

Last season, teams from the six Bowl Championship Series conferences were 51-0 against I-AAs. From 2000-08, BCS teams were 270-13 against I-AAs.

A quick ACC aside: Saturday marked the first time the conference has lost two games to I-AAs on the same day — Duke bowing to Richmond was the other.

The only other complete season in which the ACC dropped two I-AA games was 1983: Georgia Tech to Furman, and Wake Forest, then coached by Groh, to Appalachian State.

As you might expect, I-As that lose to I-AAs tend to struggle throughout the season. Case in point the ACC.

From 1978-2008, the conference lost 14 games to I-AAs. None of those 14 ACC teams finished better than 4-7.

When Virginia lost to James Madison in 1982, the Cavaliers went 2-9. When Virginia lost to William and Mary in '86, the final record was 3-8.

A similar result this season would translate to curtains for Groh, and defying that trend will be difficult.

The Cavaliers' next three opponents — Texas Christian, Southern Mississippi and North Carolina — played in bowls last season and have credible aspirations of upgrading in 2009. Road games at Miami and Clemson will be bears; ditto home tests against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Virginia hasn't started a season 0-4 since 1982, when George Welsh's first Cavaliers team went 2-9. An 0-4 face-plant this season would prompt two questions.

How many folks would bother attending the Oct. 10 home game against Indiana? Would athletic director Craig Littlepage contemplate an in-season coaching change?

Clemson, you'll recall, parted ways with Tommy Bowden last October with the Tigers 3-3 and reeling from consecutive losses to Maryland and Wake Forest. In 2006, North Carolina announced John Bunting's exit in October, though Bunting completed the season.

Still, the guess on Littlepage is no. He's just not that cut-throat.

Littlepage might stray from his nature if Groh loses the locker room. But despite all the challenges of the last few years, Virginia's players have appeared admirably loyal to Groh, and vice-versa by the way.

"One of the things we tell (players) before the season ever starts," Groh said Monday, "is a team collectively, and the players individually, have to be prepared to handle both the love and the hate, because both of them come during the course of the season. …

"Every week the team is going to get one or the other. Every week. If you're 12-0, the team has to be able to tune out the love, and if you're 0-12, a team has to be able to tune out the hate."

Suffice to say, there's little love surrounding the Cavaliers and their head coach this week. And as Groh conceded, much of the negativity is deserved.

But there are beacons of hope. Sort of.

Three weeks after falling to I-AA Furman in 1984, North Carolina State won at 12th-ranked Georgia Tech. Alas, the Wolfpack promptly lost its final six games.

After dropping its 2007 opener to Appalachian State, Michigan rebounded to share second place in the Big Ten and defeat Florida in the Capital One Bowl. The Wolverines finished 9-4 to become the only BCS team this decade to fashion a winning record despite a I-AA loss.

Coach Lloyd Carr's reward for that reversal? A retirement party.


 

Groh and the Cavaliers trying to stay positive after stunning loss
By Norm Wood
247-4642
10:11 p.m. EDT, September 8, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As much as correcting the plague of miscues that troubled Virginia last Saturday in its 26-14 loss to William and Mary is of paramount concern to coach Al Groh, he also realizes the need to instill hope in his players.

There isn't an abundance of optimism in Cavalier circles after the team suffered its first loss to a Football Championship Subdivision program since 1986, when the Tribe handed the Cavaliers a 41-37 loss. Gaining some stability at quarterback is one of several jobs confronting Groh this week, but his first task of the week came Sunday when he met with his downtrodden team.

Groh talked to his team about the 2002 and '07 seasons. In '02, U.Va. started 0-2, but followed with a seven-game winning streak and finished 9-5, capped by a victory against No. 15 West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl.

After starting the '07 season with a 23-3 loss at Wyoming, U.Va. again answered by reeling off a seven-game winning streak and went on to finish 9-4 with a loss to Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl.

"That history doesn't mean that that's a resource other than to point out that this has been done," said Groh on Monday of the turnarounds in '02 and '07. "It can be done."

Of course, there were big differences in the '02 and '07 teams and this year's team. The first two losses in '02 were to Colorado State and No. 5 Florida State — not an FCS school like W&M.

The '02 team also featured an ACC-best passing effort of 2,976 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions from quarterback Matt Schaub — not a trio of quarterbacks trying to work their way through the various stages of installing the no-huddle, shotgun spread offense.

The '07 team was led by 19 returning starters, including first-round draft picks on either side of the ball in defensive end Chris Long and offensive guard Branden Albert — not this season's 11 returnees.

Jameel Sewell was the quarterback on that '07 team, and he's joining Vic Hall and Marc Verica in U.Va.'s spread offense this season. Act one of the spread era left a lot to be desired.

The quarterbacks, who combined to complete 18 of 33 passes for 137 yards, were responsible for five of U.Va.'s seven turnovers against W&M. Hall had another turnover in the game when he muffed a punt on a return. Sewell threw three interceptions, Hall had the muff and a fumble and Verica had a ball slip out of his hand for a lost fumble just before he started his throwing motion. Center Jack Shields was responsible for the other turnover on a botched snap.

Despite the problems, Verica was certain U.Va. (0-1) could fix them before Saturday's home game against No. 17 Texas Christian. TCU, a Mountain West Conference representative that will be playing its season opener, finished first in the nation last season in total defense (218 yards per game), rushing defense (47 yards per game) and time of possession (average of 35 minutes and 10 seconds per game), and second in scoring defense (11.3 points per game) and sacks (43).

"I wouldn't say this offense is too complex to run," Verica said. "I wouldn't use that as an excuse for how we performed the other night, because the reason we lost is just because we didn't take care of the ball — fumbles, interceptions, bad snaps, things like that. That's not the offensive scheme, that's just fundamental football."

All three quarterbacks have good mobility, especially Hall and Sewell. Yet, they combined to have 28 carries for just 85 of U.Va.'s 131 rushing yards against a W&M defense that gave up an average of 155 rushing yards last season while playing a schedule that included 10 FCS opponents.

As hard as it must be for a coach who is feeling pressure to win from virtually an entire fan base, Groh has vowed not to hit the panic button. He has been in similar positions, and survived to tell about it.

"I told myself in the beginning that there was a degree of patience that was going to have to be exercised, and along with that patience, there is going to have to be my part positively reinforcing the plays," Groh said.

"There are certain things that transcend any system that you're in — being able to snap the ball properly, carrying the ball high and tight so you don't fumble it, catching punts properly … doesn't make any difference what your system is. You did that in the previous system, and we ran hundreds of snaps in the shotgun in previous years."
 

Virginia's QBs can run, too
By Norm Wood
247-4642
September 9, 2009

As offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon mentioned in the preseason, one of the primary ingredients he prefers to incorporate to make his spread offense go is a mobile quarterback.

Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell displayed that Saturday in U.Va.'s 26-14 loss to William and Mary. Sewell had a team-high 13 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown, and Hall added eight carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. Their rushes represented the bulk of U.Va.'s 39 carries, which isn't exactly what coach Al Groh is looking for down the road, but he wasn't displeased with what he saw.

"They are two of the better runners on the team," Groh said. "Clearly, they had two excellent runs for touchdowns. So, in terms of allowing the playmakers to make plays, to inhibit them from doing such would be taking the ball out of their hands in a way the defense would have difficulty doing so. Some of those runs came on scrambles that you add to the total, but I would say it's unlikely that we will see a number that high in the future."

On U.Va.'s second scoring drive, Hall and Sewell combined for 42 yards rushing, including 39 from Sewell. After that drive, neither quarterback would run for more than 15 yards during any single drive.

While Hall and Sewell looked solid running with the ball, the rest of U.Va.'s running game was abysmal. Running back Mikell Simpson had five carries for 32 yards, while Torrey Mack and freshman Dominique Wallace contributed 7 yards each on three and two carries, respectively.

U.Va.'s backfield got a little thinner last week with the departure of third-string running back Keith Payne, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior. Payne wasn't pleased with his role on the team, according to Groh.

Storylines
MOUNTAIN WEST WOES

Though U.Va. (0-1) will be playing Mountain West Conference foe Texas Christian on Saturday for the first time, U.Va.'s recent results against MWC teams have been mixed. The Cavaliers are 2-3 against MWC foes, splitting home-and- home games against Brigham Young and Wyoming, and losing to Colorado State in the 2002 opener. TCU, which will be playing its first game this weekend, is ranked No. 16.

GREER STEPS UP

For a guy playing in his first college game, redshirt freshman linebacker Steve Greer looked comfortable against W&M, logging a team-high 10 tackles. He became the first U.Va. freshman to have 10 tackles since Antonio Appleby in 2005.

FOLLOW THE TREND

In the last 21 years, U.Va. has lost its season-opener 11 times. It came back to win its second game in all but one of those seasons. The Cavaliers, however, are 12-17 against ranked opponents under Groh.

BIG NUMBER

94
U.Va.'s rank in total offense, which is the lowest in the nation for any Football Bowl Subdivision team that opened its schedule against a Football Championship Subdivision program.


 

Cavs aim to block out the distractions
September 8, 2009 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

When the University of Virginia begins preparation for a new football season, head coach Al Groh doesn't just stress to his players what to expect on the field. He also talks about how to handle outside distractions.

One game into the season, Groh is already putting those lessons to use.

After the Cavaliers stumbled around the field in an opening 26-14 loss to William & Mary on Saturday, some fans are calling for his dismissal.

They're not pleased with the Cavaliers' new spread offense that committed six of the team's seven turnovers against the Tribe and they have little hope for an immediate turnaround because No. 17 Texas Christian is visiting Scott Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

This week, Groh's reiterating those preseason lessons. He said whether a team wins or loses, it has to block out outside influences because it affects how players perform on the field.

"One of the things that we tell them before the season ever starts is a team has to be prepared to handle both the love and the hate, because both of them come during the course of the season," Groh said. "Everybody needs to talk to themselves and the team needs to talk to itself because every week the team is going to get one or the other."

There certainly isn't much love coming the Cavaliers' way. Still, Groh is putting on a brave face.

He said 13 or 14 plays changed the course of the William & Mary game. He said it wasn't new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon's system that caused six turnovers from the team's three quarterbacks.

He also said Virginia simply needs to be patient because it has new schemes on offense and special teams.

That's why he told himself at the beginning of the season, he has to use positive reinforcement with this team.

"Two of the three systems on our team, that's the first time our players have ever been in a competitive situation with them," Groh said. "I told myself at the beginning that there was a degree of patience that was going to have to be exercised."

Groh's patience could be tested if the Cavaliers continue to make the blunders they did on Saturday.

There were bad snaps, and mishandled snaps. There was a muffed punt. There were costly penalties and three interceptions.

Groh said when quarterback Jameel Sewell received a 15-yard celebration penalty for making a diamond-cutter hand-signal after a second-quarter rushing touchdown it was "a very foolish mental error" that gave William & Mary good field position on its ensuing possession.

Sewell wasn't alone in that category.

Quarterback Marc Verica, the third signal-caller used in the game, inexplicably lost the ball as he dropped back for a fourth-quarter pass.

"That's not on the scheme," Verica said. "That's just fundamental football."

Said Groh: "There are certain things that transcend any system that you're in--being able to snap the ball properly, carrying the ball high and tight so you don't fumble and catching punts properly."

Virginia did none of the above on Saturday. It'll have a chance to make up for it against the Horned Frogs, but Groh said significant improvement must take place this week.

He's reaching back to his 2002 and 2007 teams for inspiration. Each team won nine games after losing its season-opener.

"It's probably unlikely that from outside the walls of the building that those two teams [heard] a great deal of positive reinforcement," Groh said. "But they got to where it was necessary and that was through the relationships they had with each other and the confidence they had in themselves."

 

Cavs search for answers
September 7, 2009 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--Virginia quarterback Vic Hall wasn't interested in talking about his one bright moment in the Cavaliers' embarrassing 26-14 loss to William & Mary on Saturday in Scott Stadium.

Hall scored on a 34-yard run on the team's third play from scrimmage to give the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead.

It appeared to foreshadow a big day for Hall and his teammates.

Instead, Virginia experienced a colossal meltdown in the form of seven turnovers and its first loss to a Division I-AA team since 1986.

"It doesn't matter. We didn't win the game," Hall said of his scoring run. "If one of us dies, we all die. Mistakes overshadow plays like that."

The Cavaliers (0-1) hope to bounce back on Saturday when they host No. 17 Texas Christian at 3:30 p.m.

If many of their fans have their way, they'll do so under the leadership of a different coach.

Virginia head coach Al Groh entered the season under intense scrutiny. The university opted not to exercise the option to extend his contract another season at the end of a 5-7 2008 campaign.

Toward the end of the William & Mary game, some fans chanted "Groh Must Go."

The atmosphere surrounding the program is even more tumultuous than it was following a season-opening 23-3 loss to Wyoming two years ago.

After someone painted "Groh Must Go" on a bridge in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers rallied to finish 9-4 and earn a trip to the Gator Bowl that season.

Some holdover players are leaning on 2007 for inspiration.

"All we can really do is stick together," junior quarterback Marc Verica said. "It's a tough loss, but we had one of our best seasons ever when we played at [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."

Moving on may not be that easy.

The Cavaliers have yet to figure out their quarterback situation, and that was a key reason for the confusion against the Tribe.

Hall started the game, but lost two fumbles as a quarterback and one as a punt returner. Jameel Sewell served as his backup, but threw three interceptions. Verica had a ball slip out of his hands as he was dropping back to throw, losing the team's fourth fumble of the game.

"Look, I'm not stuck for answers," Groh said. "I'm sure you all are stuck for questions. What more questions need to be asked after you turn the ball over [seven] times? That's pretty much the question. After that, there's not any coaching questions or any answers that are necessary."

Still, it doesn't get any easier.

William & Mary was supposed to provide a safe launching pad for a season littered with question marks about Groh, the quarterback situation and the newly installed spread offense.

Everything sputtered on Saturday. Groh said that if things don't change in a hurry, the team will remain as unsightly as it was against the Tribe when it hosts a strong TCU team.

"We were looking forward to playing this game to get a sense of what we can do," Groh said of the William & Mary contest. "Clearly, we have a lot more to do if we want to like the team we get to know."

NOTE:

Former Orange High School standout Quintin Hunter made an appearance against the Tribe, meaning he won't redshirt this season.

 

Have we seen the real Virginia?
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: September 9, 2009

Virginia’s coaches believe the real Cavaliers haven’t shown up yet this season. They have company.
TCU coach Gary Patterson is convinced he’ll face a different UVa team this Saturday when his Horned Frogs trek eastward to open their season at Scott Stadium. TCU was one of only two teams in the nation that didn’t start the season last weekend and Patterson is a little leery about catching the Cavaliers coming off an embarrassing loss to William & Mary.
“I expect a better Virginia team this week,” Patterson said Tuesday. “There’s no way I think [Virginia’s] a bad football team. I think it’s a good football team in waiting.”
Some will perceive the Texas Christian coach’s comments as simply coach-speak, telling UVa what it wants to hear. Patterson went on to explain why he believes his first trip to Charlottesville won’t necessarily be the stroll in the park that many predict.
“It looked like to me that [the Cavaliers] were trying too hard,” Patterson said after reviewing film of Virginia’s blunder-filled, 26-14 home loss to FCS opponent William & Mary last Saturday.
“Sometimes when you do that, you make mistakes.”
He pointed out that one of the bad snaps from center Jack Shields to quarterback Vic Hall, the one that hit Shields’ leg and never advanced back to Hall in the shotgun, was one of those “trying too hard plays.”
“On the muffed snap, instead of diving on the ball, the quarterback tried to pick it up,” Patterson said, inferring that Hall felt the pressure and was trying to make something happen.
That was one of seven Wahoo turnovers, four lost fumbles, three interceptions. All in all, it was a night of poor execution by UVa, which was favored to win the game against a very good W&M opponent.
“I think you can see on film that they’re athletes,” the TCU coach said of Virginia. “They have big guys that can move up front, receivers that can get down field, and quarterbacks and running backs that can hurt you. I think it’s a very dangerous offense ... but hopefully it’s not this week.”
TCU is one of the best programs in the country that few east of the Mississippi know about. That’s one of the reasons the Horned Frogs of the Mountain West Conference are coming East.
In fact, two of their first three games are in the Eastern time zone against ACC opponents, UVa this weekend and Clemson Sept. 26 in Death Valley.
“I’m not excited about playing Virginia because I know what kind of coach Al Groh is,” Patterson said. “But I’m excited because by going to the East Coast we get in front of a lot more TV sets.”
Consider that since 2000, TCU has the 10th-most wins by any FBS
program in the country with an 83-23 record, a winning percentage of .748. That’s only six less wins and one less loss than Virginia Tech, friends.
Since ’05, TCU has a better record than the Hokies, with a 41-10 mark. During that same span, the Horned Frogs have the second-most wins of any football program in the state of Texas, behind only Mack Brown’s Longhorns at 45-7.
While Patterson may say that opening up on the road is a challenge, his purple-clad warriors have done a pretty good job on the road during the last six seasons, having posted a 26-13 road record, the eighth-best road mark in the country.
And, of course, there’s always the old BCS chip-on-the-shoulder thing.
Only Utah and Navy have more wins by non-BCS teams over BCS schools since ’03.
Patterson said he believed that Virginia had a chance to get the kinks out in its opener and is hopeful that his team won’t suffer the same type of agony with execution problems and turnovers that the Cavaliers experienced a few days ago.
“They have a game under their belt, can correct the mistakes,” Patterson said. “I’m sure they studied us over the summer, so they have a feel for what we’re going to do.”
Groh said that indeed his coaching staff did a lot of research of TCU during the summer so to be prepared heading into game week.
What weighs in TCU’s favor other than incredible team speed and good toughness is that Patterson has had good success in shutting down spread offenses. Virginia did a good job of stopping itself, shooting itself in the foot over and over last Saturday.
“We have good players, we have guys who can run and I think that helps you against the spread,” Patterson said. “You still have to stop a triple option concept attack, but the five defensive backs we use (4-2-5 defensive scheme, somewhat like Virginia Tech’s), allows us to play base defense and zone blitz.”
Virginia fans are hoping that Patterson is right in his analysis that the real Cavaliers haven’t shown up yet.
Just like the old game show of “What’s My Line?” used to go, Will the Real Virginia Please Stand Up.
 

Howell experiments with sidearm style
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 9, 2009

Early in the 2008 season, Southern Mississippi faced dire circumstances on special teams. The Golden Eagles’ punting game was providing dreadful numbers in terms of net yardage.
Ultimately, the program shifted to something rather unique in college football circles: the rugby-style punt.
Amid the disastrous 26-14 loss to William & Mary on Saturday, it was lost in the shuffle that Virginia employed the same scheme, sending sophomore Jimmy Howell out on the run before drilling a rugby-style punt down the field.
“I thought it worked pretty well,” Howell said. “It was the first time that I had tried that in a game, but the guys blocked well and it turned out pretty good.
“Southern Miss did it last year and it worked out well for them.”
Virginia coach Al Groh noted on Monday that the results that followed the rugby-style punt helped Southern Miss, Virginia’s opponent on Sept. 19, rally to make a bowl game after opening with six losses in their first seven games.
Oddly enough, the Golden Eagles also run a spread offense.
“They actually had quite a bit of difficulty with their punting early in the season,” Groh said. “I think they were another team also with a
similar style (to Virginia’s base look). I hadn’t thought about this, but with a similar style of offense, they were something like 1-5 in their first six games.
“Amongst their issues was very poor punting, and at that particular stage they switched from conventional punt to rugby punt, and while it didn’t look as pretty, it provided a lot better production for them. That, along with
familiarity with the offense and the special teams picked up, was a big factor, and I think they won their last five.”
Southern Miss actually finished 7-6, winning five straight to end the season, but the point was valid.
As odd as the rugby punt looks, one that involves Howell to maintain the
location of defenders before kicking, there are noticeable advantages.
“What [Southern Miss] got is that they got a lot of hit-and-roll plays, which increased dramatically the yardage they were getting on punts,” Groh said. “They were losing a lot of field position on punts, I think had a couple blocked, and when they went to this system, they were able to get the kind of field position that helped them play a lot better in overall team play.”
In addition to the
rugby-style punt, teams have continued to tinker with their looks on special teams units.
“This shield punt is really becoming more and more the norm in college football,” Groh said. “Teams are doing lots of different things with it formation-wise. It’s not a punt formation anymore. It’s almost a single wing, and we’re seeing a lot of teams with the rugby punt.
“It’s causing you more to be well-prepared to know what you’re going to do with your punt rush against the rugby punt, too. Otherwise you’ve got the guy out on the edge there and all your rush is up the middle.”
Extra points …
The only change in Virginia’s depth chart included the disappearance of cornerback Mike Parker’s name from the two-deep. Due to an injury Parker did not play against William & Mary. … TCU is currently an 11-point favorite in Saturday’s game.
 

Cavaliers’ humilation starts with turnover-riddled play
Three interceptions, four fumbles lead to debilitating defeat; three quarterbacks prove equally ineffective in spread attack
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Featured / Football
September 8, 2009 3

Senior quarterback Vic Hall had a hand in Virginia’s 26-14 season-opening loss against William & Mary Saturday. He had two fumbles in the game. The Tribe scored 19 points off Cavalier turnovers. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
“It takes a lot of really good plays to win a game,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “It doesn’t take very many bad plays to lose a game.”
Try seven abysmal plays.
Collectively, the seven turnovers Virginia committed Saturday against William & Mary probably cost the Cavaliers the game. But there is a story behind each one of the carefully crafted fiascoes, and they are worthy of discussion.
Situation: Virginia ball on its own 36-yard line, 4:57 remaining in the first quarter. The score is tied at 7-7.
After two consecutive three-and-outs, Groh pulls senior Vic Hall from the game, inserting senior Jameel Sewell in at quarterback. The drive begins with an ominous bad snap, which Sewell fumbles but eventually recovers for a loss of nine yards. Sewell completes his first pass to sophomore wide receiver Kris Burd down the middle for 25 yards, breaking into Tribe territory. After suffering a sack on first down, Sewell drops back to pass and heaves the ball 27 yards downfield, about five too far for Burd to haul in, but just right for William & Mary cornerback B.W. Webb to grab his first of many interceptions in the game. This mistake is relatively understandable, however, considering this is Sewell’s first series since 2007. The fact that the Tribe failed to translate the turnover into points further diminishes its significance.
Situation: Virginia ball on its own 26-yard line, 5:34 remaining in the second quarter. Virginia leads, 14-7.
In the previous possession, Sewell orchestrated an 84-yard drive which resulted in a Cavalier touchdown, courtesy of an eight-yard rush by the quarterback himself. Eager to move the ball downfield once again, Sewell attempts two passes. The first is completed to Burd for four yards. The second hits senior tight end Joe Torschia in the chest and bounces into the hands of Webb in Cavalier territory, marking his second interception. One minute and 11 seconds later, William & Mary kicker Brian Pate converts a 40-yard field goal. Clearly, this turnover falls on the shoulders — or hands, rather — of Torschia, who simply dropped a very catchable ball.
Situation: Virginia ball on its own 32-yard line, 3:21 left in the second quarter. Virginia leads, 14-10.
Groh pulls Sewell after his second interception and reinserts Hall into the game. The move merely maintains the status quo, resulting in another Virginia turnover of a different variety. On third-and-three, Hall is stripped of the ball and dives forward. He emerges from the fray empty-handed, the memory of his 34-yard touchdown run all but forgotten.
Situation: Virginia ball on its own 25-yard line, 1:12 remaining in the second quarter. Virginia leads, 14-10.
Groh stays with Hall at quarterback, hoping to advance the ball quickly downfield before halftime. Junior Mikell Simpson breaks a 20-yard run to midfield, inching the Cavaliers closer to field goal range. Two plays later though, junior center Jack Shields snaps the ball to the ground, practically handing the ball to the Tribe.
“The … ball never really got off the ground,” Groh said. “How can that happen? It’s as befuddling to me as it is to you. I can see — couldn’t accept it — but could understand maybe snapping it over the quarterback’s head — at least the ball became airborne. It’s hard to understand why the ball didn’t become airborne.”
After a couple completions by quarterback R.J. Archer and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, William & Mary is primed for another score on the Virginia nine-yard line. Pate converts a 26-yard field goal as time expires in the half, narrowing Virginia’s lead to one point.
Quick interlude: The Cavaliers have committed a turnover on three consecutive possessions.
Situation: William & Mary ball on its own 46-yard line, lined up to punt on fourth down. 7:51 remains in the third quarter; Virginia still leads, 14-13.
Senior quarterback Jameel Sewell had a hand in Virginia’s 26-14 season-opening loss against William & Mary Saturday. Sewell threw three interceptions in the game. The Tribe scored 19 points off Cavalier turnovers. Photo by Bennett Sorbo
Hall muffs the punt on the Virginia five-yard line, and the Tribe recovers the ball on the nine.
“We’ve caught hundreds of punts,” Groh said. “We catch ‘em every day in practice; there’s a right way and there’s a dangerous way. It wasn’t where the player caught the ball — it was how the player caught the ball. He caught it in a very dangerous way — that the odds are almost always that something bad is going to happen.”
A couple of reflections: After the game, Hall said the team’s punt return policy allows the returner to catch any ball outside the five-yard line. Even if this is the case — which seems to be a fairly risky policy considering most balls which drop inside the five tend to bounce into the end-zone for a touchback — Hall probably should have called for a fair catch, given the onslaught of Tribe special-teamers closing in on him. In addition to this mental error, it is unclear whether Hall even touched the ball. The play likely warranted a challenge from Groh, as a turnover virtually guaranteed that William & Mary would take the lead, which it did.
Situation: Virginia ball on its own 20-yard line, 8:43 remaining in the fourth quarter. Virginia trails, 16-14.
Newly instated quarterback Marc Verica completes four consecutive passes, advancing the ball to the Virginia 47-yard line. Stranded in an empty backfield, however, the junior is hit from behind and the ball comes loose as he continues his throwing motion.
“It’s just one of those things where you wish you had it back,” Verica said. “There’s nothing really I can do — the ball just slipped out.”
It seemed that Verica was on the cusp of executing a comeback in a scenario few predicted ever would arise. But without a formidable pass-block to protect him from the Tribe pass-rush, Verica was left wondering what-if. With the clock dwindling and another field goal posted by the Tribe, this may have been the Cavaliers’ most crushing turn of fortune.
Situation: Virginia ball on its own 40-yard line, 3:50 remains in the fourth quarter. William & Mary leads, 19-14.
Groh turns to Sewell to answer Virginia’s prayers. Webb has a higher calling. Having apparently foreseen each and every Jameel Sewell muscle movement, Webb flies to the sideline, jumps in front of the Cavalier receiver, and dashes down the field for a touchdown with his third and final, game-sealing interception.
These seven turnovers translated into 19 points for the Tribe, bringing into question the viability of offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon’s new spread offense. Groh insists these problems are entirely independent of the so-called “new system.”
“There are certain things that transcend any system that you’re in,” Groh said. “Being able to snap the ball properly, carrying the ball high and tight so that you don’t fumble it, catching punts properly — those things — it doesn’t make any difference what your system is — you did that in the previous system.”
Whether the turnovers were a product of a team adjusting to new schemes or not, the result — a 26-14 defeat to William & Mary — is cause for concern. The Cavaliers are currently a 12-point underdog to their next opponent, Texas Christian University. In the words of Groh, it will probably take “a lot of good plays” to win that game.
About seven fewer turnovers also might help.
 

Hultzen Ready For New Role
Sept. 8, 2009
6:12 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- His first year is behind him, and that makes him something of a veteran on the UVa baseball team.

"Yeah, it's a little different than last year," Danny Hultzen said Monday afternoon at Davenport Field. "Last year I had to adjust to everything. Being a freshman, you don't know what's going on most of the time, especially at the beginning. Now I'm in the position to kind of teach those guys that don't know what's going on, as far as practice goes, and kind of help them through that process."

Hultzen is coming off one of the finest seasons in school history. He was named ACC freshman of the year -- the first Cavalier to be so honored -- and also was chosen for the all-conference first team.

The 6-2 left-hander went 9-1 as a pitcher, with a 2.17 earned-run average, and struck out 107 in 95.1 innings. When Hultzen wasn't on the mound, he usually played first base, and he batted .327 for a team that advanced to the College World Series.

His role is likely to change as a sophomore. Coach Brian O'Connor wants to keep Hultzen off his feet more when he's not pitching. So Hultzen may be used more as a designated hitter in 2010.

"I love playing first base, but in the long run I think that might do some good," Hultzen said, "because during the middle of the season last year, I got kind of tired, just from the grind of playing the field most days and then pitching on top of that. So hopefully with extra rest, then I won't go through that kind-of-tired phase."

Last summer, outfielder Jarrett Parker stayed in town to lift weights and build up his body, with impressive results. Parker gained about 20 pounds and then in 2009 led the 'Hoos with 16 homers.

Hultzen followed a similar regimen this summer.

"I stayed here and took a class and worked out with our strength coach to get stronger and at the same time get some rest," Hultzen said.

He also consulted with Rob Skinner, UVa's director of sports nutrition, who recommended special diets for Hultzen and other baseball players.

"It's a lot of chicken, a lot of lean protein, a lot of milk, and eating five or six times a day," said Hultzen, who added about 15 pounds and now weighs around 200.

"I think everybody who was here put on some weight this summer," he said.

-- Jeff White

 

Cavs change formation to accommodate personnel
With myriad talent on frontline, team switches to 4-3-3 scheme; several players move positions
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Women's Soccer
September 9, 2009 0

Junior midfielder Sinead Farrelly, who frequently played at the forward position last year, will lead the midfield in 2009. She was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, given to the nation’s best female college soccer player. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
When the first international soccer game was played in 1872 between England and Scotland, England played using a 1-2-7 formation (one defender, two midfielders and seven forwards) and Scotland played a 2-2-6. Since, then the sport has evolved a great deal. The 4-2-4, a formation made famous by the Brazilian National team, was developed much later to create a balanced attack on defense and offense. The more modern approach has been an increasing tendency toward flexibility — a trend evident in the Virginia women’s soccer team’s shift from a 4-4-2 to the more balanced 4-3-3 this season.
“With three forwards, you always have more room to put more people on attack rather than two forwards,” senior midfielder Jess Rostedt said. “But then with the 4-4-2 you have the outside wingers who can get in on the attack more. I feel like this year will be trying to figure out different formations. We’ll be playing not just one like we usually do, but play multiple throughout the season.”
Personnel considerations and a desire to put more pressure on goal contributed to the change. Last season’s offense was lead principally by sophomore forward Lauren Alwine, who led the ACC with 14 assists and combined with junior forward Meghan Lenczyk for 17 goals. This season, though, the Cavaliers have a higher concentration of talent at the forward position.
Freshman forward Caroline Miller has proved key to Virginia’s frontline. While playing with Alwine and Lenczyk, Miller already has accrued a team-high 10 points.
Rostedt, ostensibly a midfielder, also has played on the front line in the first five games of the season.
“There’s a different mentality,” Rostedt said. “All my life I’ve played forward. The mentality is you look to take people on, you look straight at goal. With midfield, it’s more quick, switch point of attack, quick little 1-2 passes. You have that at forward, but at midfield you’re more prone to distribute the ball more since you’re not close to the goal like a forward would be.”
As Rostedt moves to forward, junior Sinead Farrelly will lead the midfield. Farrelly rounds out the team’s top-five point scorers along with Rostedt, Lenczyk, Alwine and Miller, all of whom will lead the Cavaliers as they adjust to their new schemes against West Virginia and Seton Hall in the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic on Friday in Klöckner. The athletes’ versatility may ease the transition to a new formation as the team simultaneously struggles to fortify its new backline.
“I think … with forwards coming back and playing defense … they have the mindset of a forward, so they understand defending forwards,” Rostedt said. “Sometimes, a forward might not be the best defender but understands what the forward is trying to do.”
 

Virginia solves scoring woes, opens season with 2-0 record
Team prevails in Portland after being outscored 6-1 in preseason, grabs first- place finish with goal in final minute
Nick Eilerson, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Featured / Men's Soccer
September 9, 2009 0

Sophomore midfielder Tony Tchani was named to Soccer America’s Team of the Week after his two-goal performance against Portland last weekend. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
Winning the Portland Nike Invitational might not be most prestigious of trophies, but for the No. 15 Virginia men’s soccer team, it actually meant quite a bit. After struggling through a trying preseason in which they were outscored 6-1 in three exhibitions, the Cavaliers responded with a pair of much-needed victories that has them sitting at 2-0 heading into Friday’s ACC home opener against Duke.
Virginia kicked off the Nike Invitational with a convincing 3-0 win against the tournament hosts, Portland. Sophomore midfielder and Hermann Trophy candidate Tony Tchani netted two goals in the first 15 minutes of play, and freshman forward Will Bates — who entered the game in the second half as a substitute — scored the first goal of his young career in the 48th minute. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Diego Restrepo made one save to preserve the shutout.
Sunday’s match against Washington proved to be a tougher test. After trailing 1-0 at the half, the Cavaliers responded with a header goal in the 74th minute by sophomore defender Greg Monaco, who was assisted by senior midfielder Neil Barlow. It was Monaco’s first career goal. After several tense minutes of play, the score remained knotted at one apiece at the end of regulation. Barlow drilled a shot from the right wing past Washington goalkeeper Rylan Hawkins and into the back of the net to break the tie in the 99th minute, sealing Virginia’s first place finish in the round-robin tournament.
“It’s been a little over a year since I’ve scored a goal,” Barlow said. “So it felt great. I’m glad I could pull it out for my team. We all worked really hard, and anybody on the team could have scored that goal, but luckily it fell to me.”
After a preseason filled with missed goal-scoring opportunities, Virginia’s victory in Portland allowed Cavalier fans to let out a collective sigh of relief. Fans had questioned whether the Cavaliers could pull through with a win in spite of potential injuries, lineup issues and an apparent lack of goal-scoring ability. Virginia, however, left Portland with a sense of renewed confidence, knowing it is capable of finding the back of the net and meeting this year’s high expectations.
“I think a little of that was the formation change,” redshirt sophomore midfielder Jimmy Simpson said. “Also, the hunger that we had to scorea, it hadn’t shown in the preseason so I think we got out there and the competitive spirit came out in all of us. We knew we needed to win games and score goals.”
With the team’s challenging ACC schedule just around the corner, the pair of wins could help set the tone for the season.
“When we went over there as a team we set our goal that we weren’t gonna leave unless we were 2-0,” Barlow said. “It just had to happen. So the whole game we were just working off that, just trying to get both those wins to start off the season really strong. Two wins away on the west coast is a big deal too, especially in terms of rankings.”
Friday’s ACC opener against Duke promises to be a stiff challenge, especially because the No. 29 Blue Devils are riding the momentum of a 3-0 season record. They followed their Sept. 1 2-0 win against James Madison with a 2-1 win against Columbia and a 2-0 victory against Denver this past weekend in the Duke/Nike Classic. Junior midfielder Cole Grossman leads the team with three goals and two assists this season. After a 10-9-2 record last season, Duke was picked to finish seventh out of the nine ACC soccer teams this season.
“I know that they’re a very good team,” Simpson said. “Every ACC match is very, very competitive. This week we’re gonna do our best and prepare for it and hopefully get that win.”