U.Va. linebackers a case of mutual support
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VIRGINIA AT NORTH CAROLINA
Saturday:Noon
On the air: TV -- Fox; radio -- WRVA (1140), WINA (1070), 11 a.m.
By Michael Phillips
Published: September 30, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE It's not the ending they imagined, but it's a satisfying one for two Virginia linebackers.

Aaron Clark and Denzel Burrell, who are friends off the field, were planning on sharing snaps at linebacker last year. That was undone in the first game, when Clark, a senior, suffered a season-ending knee injury against Southern California.

That meant Clark would redshirt for the season, Burrell, then a junior, would get the starts, and the two would return this year to play their senior seasons together.

But even after Clark's season ended, Burrell was there for him.

"He was real big in my recovery," Clark said. "There's the physical part, but there's also the mental part when you can't be out there. Every time I would see him or talk to him, he was always positive and helped motivate me to get back."

Now they're getting a chance to help lead the Virginia defense, which has been the team's strong point through an 0-3 start.

In the 3-4 defense, the two serve as the outside linebackers. Burrell gets most of playing time, while Clark splits snaps with up-and-coming sophomore Cam Johnson.

Clark is aiming for something he's done only once in his collegiate career -- record a sack. That one came against Miami in 2007.

"The more games you play in, the better you'll get naturally, just from seeing all those situations," he said. "So I'm excited to see if that will happen for me this year."

He's blended nicely with Burrell. The two share an easy chemistry and seek each other in practice to celebrate big plays.

Clark said that since Burrell played a full season last year, Burrell will anchor the linebacking corps this year. His 15 tackles and one sack put him ahead of the other two outside linebackers.

Burrell also has been able to help Johnson, a rising star who was rewarded for his strong play with a starting nod against Southern Miss.

"That position for us, the way we use it, there's a lot of versatility," coach Al Groh said.

He's been pleased with Burrell's play so far, noting after the William and Mary game that it was the "best he has played at Virginia."

As Burrell and Clark prepare for the ACC season, they're thrilled to be playing their senior seasons together, even if the circumstances surrounding that weren't ideal.

"This past 12 months has really brought us together on and off the field," Burrell said. "It's going to lead to an even better relationship than in the past."




 

Younger Keys turns UVa into family tradition
Ray Keys made history by playing Saturday. He and his father are the first black father/son to play at Virginia.
Doug Doughty I doug.doughty@roanoke.com I 981-3129

Virginia's recent visit to Southern Mississippi was full of personal milestones for Ray Keys, a walk-on wide receiver from Franklin County.

Little did Keys know that he also was a part of Cavaliers' history.

Keys' father, Raymond Sr., also played football for Virginia after arriving in Charlottesville in the early 1970s as one of UVa's first black student-athletes.

When son Raymond II played on special teams at Southern Miss, they became the first black father and son to play for the Cavaliers.

n n n

"That's great," said Raymond II, who goes by Ray. "Wow! I had no idea."

It has been a long time since integration was a story, but Virginia did not award an athletic scholarship to a black student until 1970. Raymond Keys, from Franklin County, was part of a 1972 incoming class that included running back Mike Dowe from William Fleming in Roanoke.

"I never thought anything about it," said Raymond Keys of his trail-blazer role. "I came from a small-town environment. That was the only thing that concerned me, fitting in at a large state university.

"I didn't face any obstacles. I found it to be a pretty diverse environment at the time. I had a very positive feel from the moment I got up there. I didn't have a problem."

His only issues were with Sonny Randle, named head coach after the older Keys had spent his first two years under Don Lawrence. Keys did not play football during the 1975-76 seasons but returned as a fifth-year senior under Dick Bestwick in 1976 and led the team in rushing.

Raymond Keys left with a positive outlook on his college experience and even worked for a time in the UVa admissions office under then-dean of admissions John Casteen.

Keys was more than happy to have his son follow in his academic footsteps, but athletics was another matter.

"I was always one of the smallest kids in my class," said Ray, who never played sandlot football. "My dad wanted me to stay healthy for basketball, so he didn't want me to risk getting hurt. In the eighth grade, in his first game at running back, he broke his leg.

"That was always a fear he had in letting me play football because basketball was my main focus."

The younger Keys eventually became a three-sport athlete at Franklin County, but he was cut from the basketball team as a junior, only to try out again as a senior and become a starter.

As a senior, he also qualified for the Group AAA track and field meet as a hurdler.

"The football coach said he was impressed at how I was coming along as an athlete," said Keys, who grew to 6 foot 1 by the time of his Franklin County graduation. "So he asked me to try a couple of routes after track practice my junior year."

Several schools expressed interest but none offered the kind of money that would have dissuaded Keys from enrolling at UVa. The Cavaliers may have known about him, but he was not an "invited" walk-on, waiting to join the team until the second semester of his freshman year in 2007-08.

He was in uniform for several home games in the 2008 season and early this season but had not seen any playing time. An outsider would not have considered him a candidate for the Southern Miss dress list.

"He's had some positive plays in practice on special teams and we're not satisfied with what we're getting there," Virginia coach Al Groh said after the trip to Hattiesburg, Miss. "We keep looking for guys who have passion and energy. It was a very quick audition, but we'll probably stay with him and give him a few more looks.

"He did a very good job on our offensive scout team. He's one of those kids who's important for a team."

When the alternative is staying at home, making the traveling list is a big deal.

"It was sort of a surprise when I came in Thursday [before the game] and found out that I was on the list," Keys said, "but I knew I was in contention for it. Even getting ready to travel was a thrill, whether I had played or not.

"You're getting on the plane, you're dressing in a suit, you're walking the field before warm-ups, you're staying in a hotel. It's first-class."

Keys was not on the first unit on any of the special teams, but, through injuries and fatigue, got on the field for several plays "mostly at positions I wasn't trained for," he said.

Back in Franklin County, his family couldn't find the game on television and was awaiting a postgame call. Mom, Cecelia, is a teacher at Ben Franklin Middle School and 15-year-old brother Alexander is a sophomore at Franklin County High School, where he starts at wide receiver on the varsity.

"I'm very proud of what Ray's accomplished," said his father, now employed in the pharmaceutical field, "and the fact that he's done it without a scholarship speaks volumes about the type of son he is.

"I understand there's other guys who have stuck it out. But, it takes a special type of individual to go out there day in and day out and take the beating and the pounding, and he's not one of the stars. He's been a very good role model for his younger brother."

"That's great," said Raymond II, who goes by Ray. "Wow! I had no idea."

It has been a long time since integration was a story, but Virginia did not award an athletic scholarship to a black student until 1970. Raymond Keys, from Franklin County, was part of a 1972 incoming class that included running back Mike Dowe from William Fleming in Roanoke.

"I never thought anything about it," said Raymond Keys of his trail-blazer role. "I came from a small-town environment. That was the only thing that concerned me, fitting in at a large state university.

"I didn't face any obstacles. I found it to be a pretty diverse environment at the time. I had a very positive feel from the moment I got up there. I didn't have a problem."

His only issues were with Sonny Randle, named head coach after the older Keys had spent his first two years under Don Lawrence. Keys did not play football during the 1975-76 seasons but returned as a fifth-year senior under Dick Bestwick in 1976 and led the team in rushing.

Raymond Keys left with a positive outlook on his college experience and even worked for a time in the UVa admissions office under then-dean of admissions John Casteen.

Keys was more than happy to have his son follow in his academic footsteps, but athletics was another matter.

"I was always one of the smallest kids in my class," said Ray, who never played sandlot football. "My dad wanted me to stay healthy for basketball, so he didn't want me to risk getting hurt. In the eighth grade, in his first game at running back, he broke his leg.

"That was always a fear he had in letting me play football because basketball was my main focus."

The younger Keys eventually became a three-sport athlete at Franklin County, but he was cut from the basketball team as a junior, only to try out again as a senior and become a starter.

As a senior, he also qualified for the Group AAA track and field meet as a hurdler.

"The football coach said he was impressed at how I was coming along as an athlete," said Keys, who grew to 6 foot 1 by the time of his Franklin County graduation. "So he asked me to try a couple of routes after track practice my junior year."

Several schools expressed interest but none offered the kind of money that would have dissuaded Keys from enrolling at UVa. The Cavaliers may have known about him, but he was not an "invited" walk-on, waiting to join the team until the second semester of his freshman year in 2007-08.

He was in uniform for several home games in the 2008 season and early this season but had not seen any playing time. An outsider would not have considered him a candidate for the Southern Miss dress list.

"He's had some positive plays in practice on special teams and we're not satisfied with what we're getting there," Virginia coach Al Groh said after the trip to Hattiesburg, Miss. "We keep looking for guys who have passion and energy. It was a very quick audition, but we'll probably stay with him and give him a few more looks.

"He did a very good job on our offensive scout team. He's one of those kids who's important for a team."

When the alternative is staying at home, making the traveling list is a big deal.

"It was sort of a surprise when I came in Thursday [before the game] and found out that I was on the list," Keys said, "but I knew I was in contention for it. Even getting ready to travel was a thrill, whether I had played or not.

"You're getting on the plane, you're dressing in a suit, you're walking the field before warm-ups, you're staying in a hotel. It's first-class."

Keys was not on the first unit on any of the special teams, but, through injuries and fatigue, got on the field for several plays "mostly at positions I wasn't trained for," he said.

Back in Franklin County, his family couldn't find the game on television and was awaiting a postgame call. Mom, Cecelia, is a teacher at Ben Franklin Middle School and 15-year-old brother Alexander is a sophomore at Franklin County High School, where he starts at wide receiver on the varsity.

"I'm very proud of what Ray's accomplished," said his father, now employed in the pharmaceutical field, "and the fact that he's done it without a scholarship speaks volumes about the type of son he is.

"I understand there's other guys who have stuck it out. But, it takes a special type of individual to go out there day in and day out and take the beating and the pounding, and he's not one of the stars. He's been a very good role model for his younger brother."
 

White: Behind the Scenes with ... Kelli Pugh
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/29/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- VirginiaSports.com regularly checks in with members of the UVa athletics department who play vital roles but generally operate outside of the public eye.
One such person is Kelli Pugh, a UVa alumna who's a fixture on the sidelines during football practices and games -- and in the McCue Center training room. Here's some of her story:
Title: Associate athletic trainer for football
Age: 31 years old
Hometown: Born and raised in Fairfax County, Pugh preferred dancing to playing sports. As for football, "I grew up watching my parents watching the Redskins, but we never watched much college football," she says. "Now they love it. My parents come to the games, and they've become die-hard UVa fans."
Family: Pugh and her husband, Gary Michael Pugh, are expecting their first child. The baby is due in March. "I'll probably miss spring football, but I should be back in time for summer workouts in June," Pugh says.
Education: A 1996 graduate of Hayfield High School, Pugh earned a bachelor's of science in kinesiology, with a concentration in sports medicine, from UVa in 2000, and a master's in athletic training from the University of Florida in 2002. She's also a graduate of the SunCoast School of Massage Therapy in Tampa, Fla.
Back in the day: As an undergraduate at UVa, Pugh worked as a volunteer in the athletic training room. She helped with the football team in 1998 and '99, when George Welsh was the Cavaliers' coach. She considered a career in physical therapy before opting for athletic training. "Physical therapy is clinic- or hospital-based," Pugh says. "Athletic training focuses more on active people, and you're out in the field and get to do a little more emergency management, because we're the first responders on the scene."
Gator country: While pursuing her master's at Florida, Pugh worked as a graduate assistant with the school's football and golf teams. She was there for two seasons with Steve Spurrier -- his final two in Gainesvile -- and one spring practice with the Ol' Ball Coach's successor, Ron Zook. "I loved my time at Florida," Pugh says. "Coach Spurrier gets a lot of flak from the press for throwing his visor, but he's really a nice family man ... It was a real shock to the whole town when Coach Spurrier left. People were almost in mourning."
Homecoming: Pugh went looking for full-time employment after earning her master's. She found it at her alma mater, working for head athletic trainer Ethan Saliba as an assistant trainer for football. "I love football, but I didn't really expect to get a Division I job out of college, especially being a female," Pugh says. "But when the opportunity presented itself [at UVa], it was a no-brainer, especially to come home." Her parents still live in Northern Virginia, and she has a brother who's a junior at Christopher Newport University and a sister who lives in Raleigh, N.C.
Promotion: In the spring of 2008, Pugh took over as UVa's primary trainer for football. "We had some staff changes and shuffled some things," she says. "The opportunity presented itself. I went to Ethan and told him, 'If you think I'm ready, and the coaches think I'm ready, I'd like the challenge.' But it's not like Ethan isn't involved." Pugh calls Saliba and Chris Patrick, Florida's assistant athletics director for sports health, "by far my two greatest mentors."
Pioneer of sorts: As a profession, athletic training is becoming increasingly dominated by women, Pugh says. In major-college football, however, very few women are head trainers for football. "I'd say less than five," Pugh says. But the Wahoos' coaching staff has been supportive, she says, and it's not a big deal with the players, because "most athletic trainers at the high school level are women."
New role: Pugh meets daily with Al Groh. "I think that the was the biggest change, the interaction with the coaching staff," she says. "Before, Ethan did most of that." Pugh oversees a staff of about a dozen, including Andy Baker, the assistant athletic trainer for football, three master's candidates who are certified athletic trainers, and students who help keep players hydrated during practices, games and workouts.
On the clock: Most days, Pugh doesn't leave the McCue Center until 8 p.m. She's usually at work no later than 8 a.m., but her starting time varies. On the day of this interview she'd arrived at the McCue Center at 5:30 a.m. On Sundays during the season, she works from 1 to 8 p.m. After a road trip, her day isn't done when the team bus pulls up to the McCue Center. Pugh and Baker head to the training room, where they re-evaluate players who were injured in the game and make sure they're comfortable for the evening before sending them home.
On the job: Pugh has an excellent perspective during the games. "Andy has the hard job," she says. "He's back on the bench dealing with injuries and letting me know who can play and who can't. I'm on the sideline looking for injuries as they occur, so I get to actually watch the game. I have the easy part on Saturdays."
-- Jeff White
 

Special-Teams Upgrade Needed
Sept. 29, 2009
9:18 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision consists of 120 teams. Of those 120, few have struggled more than UVa on special teams this season.

The Cavaliers rank 120th nationally in kickoff-return defense, 119th in kickoff returns, 74th in punt returns and 44th in punt-return defense. Virginia's best showing has been in net punting, where its average of 38.5 yards ranks 28th in the FBS.

After the 2008 season, Ron Prince was hired to turn around an underachieving special-teams operation at UVa. But Prince's second stint as a Virginia assistant -- his first as special-teams coordinator -- has yet to produce the desired improvement.

Al Groh was asked Monday if he plans to devote more practice time to special teams.

"One part of my answer would be to myself, no matter how much we're discussing practicing them, we should do it more," Groh said.

"By the same token, I also think to do more would almost say that we would abandon practicing on offense and defense. I mean, to one-third of the operation, we devote four significant periods a day to it now ... On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we devote four periods to it, and on Sundays we devote 40 minutes to it, more than half of the practice, and on Thursdays we devote 28 minutes to it.

"So we're pretty heavy in the time devoted to it. So with that, sometimes you've just got to get better execution, or demand better than what we are getting."

In the Wahoos' most recent game, a 37-34 loss at Southern Mississippi on Sept. 19, their special-teams breakdowns in the second half cost them the victory. Southern Miss opened the third quarter with a 68-yard kickoff return and later ran one back 100 yards for a TD. The Cavaliers also allowed second-half punt returns of 15 and 22 yards.

Part of the problem, Groh said, was that UVa's coverage units were missing several key members, because of injuries, in the second half.

"So we hope to be able to get some of the people who were absent on some of those back into the lineup," he said, "as well as look at somewhere we think we could improve that performance."

-- Jeff White

 

Reasons Cavs can find hope after all
David Teel
September 30, 2009

His program mired in its longest losing streak since 1982, Virginia football coach Al Groh spent part of Saturday searching for life rafts.

Lo and behold, he found two that just might float.

First, the three teams that have beaten the Cavaliers this season continued to impress. Second, alleged heavyweights stumbled while bantamweights stood tall.

Does this mean Virginia, idle last week and headed to North Carolina this week, will pull a 180? Might we see the perpetually maligned Groh locking arms with his critics at season's end for a chorus of "The Good Old Song"?

Let's not get carried away, but let's also inspect these rafts.

The Cavaliers' 2009 conquerors — William and Mary, Texas Christian and Southern Mississippi — are a combined 10-1, the lone defeat Southern Miss' at No. 18 Kansas. TCU won at Clemson on Saturday, while W&M handled visiting Delaware.

Not to excuse Virginia's opening face-plant against the Tribe. Bowl Subdivision programs should not lose to their more-enlightened, lesser-financed playoff brethren — last year's Cavaliers shut out eventual national champion Richmond, you'll recall.

But Virginia, at least on offense, was much-improved in the 37-34 loss at Southern Miss as Groh and staff shelved the trendy spread alignment for more conventional formations.

(Quick diversion: Imagine yourself a Cavaliers fan Saturday before last. As your guys are dusting Southern Miss midway through the third quarter, the enemy to the southwest is sucking wind against Nebraska. Party time on Rugby Road, right? Not quite. Two crazy comebacks later, the day was doomed.)

Intentionally or not, Groh foreshadowed the Cavaliers' early struggles. During preseason gabfests with his media pals, he said TCU of the Mountain West Conference — the Horned Frogs are ranked 11th this week — was every bit as good as the ACC's upper crust, and that Southern Miss wasn't far behind.

Prescient or CYA, Groh's evaluations appear spot-on.

"We have had to go up against that type of competition, and we can … look at the positive side of it," Groh said Monday, "and hope that the lessons are what level (our) team has to perform to go against those kind of teams."

Similar opponents loom the next two weeks. North Carolina opened solidly at 3-0 before falling at Georgia Tech on Saturday, while Indiana, also 3-1, showed surprising resolve in a 36-33 defeat at No. 22 Michigan.

Hardly the ideal tonic for Virginia. Dating to last season, the Cavaliers have lost seven consecutive games, the longest current streak among the 65 teams belonging to the Bowl Championship Series' major conferences.

The last time Virginia endured this prolonged a drought was the final three games of 1981 and the first five of '82.

But as Groh's television gazing last week showed, September is far too early for conclusions. Previously undefeated and acclaimed Miami and California were not only beaten Saturday but also humbled, the Hurricanes 31-7 at Virginia Tech, the Golden Bears 42-3 at Oregon.

Two nights earlier, fourth-ranked and Southeastern Conference flavor du jour Mississippi lost at South Carolina 16-10. Rebels quarterback Jevan Snead, heralded as a cross between Mannings Archie and Eli, completed 7 of 21 passes.

"It certainly revealed that there's probably far too many teams and players that are anointed way too early in the season," Groh said, "and far too many teams and players that are condemned too early in the season."

Groh continued: "It also looks like there are an awful lot of teams this year that are essentially the same teams, an awful lot, certainly more than a Top 25 poll would be able to encompass; and that there are a few teams that are clearly superior, and that outside of that, it's a pretty good battle every week to see who comes out with it."

Indeed, after Florida, Alabama and perhaps Texas, college football's landscape is as abstract as Jackson Pollock.

Southern California falls at Washington, which then loses at Stanford? Florida State routs No. 7 Brigham Young on the road and then flops at home against unranked South Florida?

Washington, by the way, was 0-12 last season, and South Florida was playing a backup quarterback.

It's enough to make you think Virginia has a shot Saturday.

 

Virginia's kick return game not very helpful
By Norm Wood
247-4642
September 30, 2009

Considering Virginia's defensive and offensive units have struggled mightily in the first three games of the season, any advantage the Cavaliers can gain in terms of field position on kickoffs has been a welcome sight.

Unfortunately for U.Va., special teams advantages haven't been plentiful. It hasn't been the kind of return to Charlottesville hoped for by special teams coordinator Ron Prince, who is back on U.Va.'s coaching staff after spending the last three seasons as Kansas State's coach.

The Cavaliers (0-3) are last in the country among 120 Football Bowl Subdivision programs in kickoff return yardage defense, giving up an average of 34 yards per return. They're also second-to-last on their own kickoff returns, averaging just 15.2 yards per return.

U.Va.'s kickoff return yardage defense numbers are a bit skewed due to wretched coverage Sept. 19 in a 37-34 loss at Southern Miss. U.Va. gave up a 100-yard touchdown return, and 68 yards on a wacky return at the start of the second half.

U.Va. has 10 players credited with some kind of return yardage, but only one is averaging more than 20 yards per return (Chris Cook at 20.2 yards on five kick returns).

Injuries have played a role in having inconsistent personnel groupings on U.Va.'s coverage and return units. U.Va. coach Al Groh said he and his staff spent time in practice, including last week's bye, trying to get some consistency from his kickoff return personnel.

"One of the issues with those coverage teams in the second half (against Southern Miss) is that they were already looking different; that players who were not on the first half coverage teams who were ... on the first half coverage teams, because of injury or whatever, were not on the second half coverage teams," Groh said. "We wore thin and wore out. Clearly, our performance in all three phases was not as strong at the latter part of the game as it was early, and that was definitely the case in terms of coverage. So, we hope to be able to get some of the people who were absent on some of those (coverage and return teams) back into the lineup, as well as look at somewhere we think we could improve that performance."

Storylines
NO SURGERY

FOR HALL

Though Vic Hall hasn't played quarterback in U.Va.'s last 21/2 games due to a hip injury, Groh's response this week to speculation Hall might need surgery was "not at the present time."

STOUT COMPETITION

After last Saturday's games, U.Va.'s first three opponents — William & Mary, Texas Christian and Southern Miss — had compiled a combined 10-1 record.

RUNNING BACK SHUFFLE

Groh said freshman running back Dominique Wallace's season-ending surgery was for a Lisfranc fracture – a mid-foot dislocation that was also suffered by former U.Va. running backs Wali Lundy and Cedric Peerman. With Wallace out, Groh confirmed redshirt freshman Torrey Mack would get the chance to carry the ball more along with senior Mikell Simpson.

BIG NUMBER

100 Percentage of scoring drives (tied for first in nation) when U.Va. has gotten in to the opponents' red zone, but the Cavaliers have only made five trips in to the red zone — fewest in the nation.
 

Heels' Quinn makes most of second chance
BY J.P. GIGLIO - staff writer
Tags: college | football | sports | unc

CHAPEL HILL -- If you want to know how good North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn is, ask his coach or teammates. Better yet, ask an opposing coach or a quarterback he has chased down, but whatever you do, don't ask Quinn.
The humble sophomore has an unusual combination of size and speed, and unique perspective on life, but he has no ego.
Quinn, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound end from Ladson, S.C., could brag about the career-best 10 tackles against Georgia Tech, or the sack and forced fumble against The Citadel, or the holding penalty he drew in the end zone for the winning safety against Connecticut, or any of the game-changing plays against East Carolina that inspired an unofficial record for compliments from an in-state rival. But he doesn't.
Quinn won't boast, but everyone else will.
"I think he is a pro right now," ECU coach Skip Holtz said after UNC's 31-17 win on Sept. 19.
Asked ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney, who spent the better part of the game sharing the backfield with Quinn: "He's only a sophomore?"
UNC coach Butch Davis simply calls Quinn a "beast," and safety Deunta Williams has nicknamed him "Hercules."
"He's amazing," Williams said. "The guy's 270, he runs a 4.5 and he's chiseled up like a Greek god."
All the attention, especially from the opposing team, leaves Quinn appreciative but speechless.
"I don't know what to say," Quinn said. "I'm not trying to brag on me, but apparently they thought I was pretty good."
Pretty good? That qualifies as chest-thumping for Quinn, who's not in the business of self-promotion because of what he calls a "second chance at life."
As a senior in high school, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor, which is still in Quinn's skull, is benign. He had surgery in October 2007 to reduce the size and remove excess fluid around it, which was causing swelling of his brain.
Two months after the surgery, Quinn resumed his athletic career on his high school wrestling team, where he was a two-time state champion. The next fall, he returned to the football field with an appreciation for life's most basic activities.
"I just look at like a second chance at life," Quinn said.
Quinn has made the most of his second chance. He earned a starting job in the second game of his freshman season and finished with 34 tackles and two sacks. He wanted more. He worked this summer to take a step forward.
That work was evident on UNC's testing day in the spring. His 40-yard dash time, 4.51 seconds, eclipsed the position-record held by Julius Peppers, the Carolina Panthers' All-Pro defensive end. In the weight room, he owns the school record for the power clean at 366 pounds and can bench-press 380 pounds. For good measure, he has a 32-inch vertical leap.
Davis is just as impressed with Quinn's personality and work ethic as with his athletic gifts.
"He's truly a humble kid," Davis said. "He was worked extremely hard for everything he has ever gotten."
By any standard, the first four games have been remarkable. Quinn said he's smarter, more experienced in his second season.
"I'm not trying to learn and play at the same time," Quinn said.
Quinn added he felt faster this season, which is a scary thought, Williams said.
"He sacked Pinkney so fast," Williams said, "I thought somebody jumped offsides. I thought the play was whistled dead."
Holtz said Quinn was faster than he looked on film.
"We didn't do a very good job of evaluating his speed," Holtz said after he proclaimed Quinn ready for the NFL at age 19.
The NFL's on Quinn's radar, but he's not consumed by the pursuit. Typical of his personality, he's not even sure he wants to be a part of the bright lights that come with professional football.
"I think about the NFL, but then sometimes I want to live a normal life," Quinn said. "I'm an old country boy, I don't need much to make me happy. Millions sounds nice, but I don't need the whole world to make me happy."
Who needs the world when you've been given a second chance at life?

 

Hate mail
Dan Stalcup, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Sports
September 30, 2009 0

When I wrote a column last week called “Hokie for a weekend” about how great I found the Virginia Tech football atmosphere to be during its home game against Nebraska — even confessing that I rushed the field with my friends — I expected a bit of backlash. In no way did I expect the level of reaction I’ve received: Hundreds have chimed in through comments on The Cavalier Daily Web site, e-mails to me, letters to the editor and even a few response articles online.

Because this is the first time I’ve ever received a substantial amount of feedback about my writing — and probably the last — I’ve decided to be slightly self-indulgent, dedicating a column to responding to some of the criticism.

“Go back to Virginia Tech, no one appreciates your point of view here.” — John

I’m sorry I don’t always write exactly what people want to hear. I understand some desire to banish me after I praised the Hokie football experience while Wahoos are at an all-time low, but I call it as I see it.

“Thanks for this, Dan. I would love to see you guys become a great football atmosphere and program… it would make this whole rivalry thing a lot more fun.” — Amy (VT ‘09)

I completely agree. It’s both sad and impressive how hyped Wahoos get for the Virginia Tech games when it seems inevitable that we lose, year in, year out. But I won’t quit believing. Maybe this is the year.

“I would like to call for your immediate resignation from this paper. After reading this article I was disgusted at what I saw the Cavalier Daily become.” — UVA 2010

I’ll quit writing columns if you quit making harsh, extreme judgments against those who have differing opinions and if you stop hiding behind a vague pseudonym.

“There is way too much band-geekery plaguing this aborted fetus of an article.” — PIEDMONT CC 2009

The first half of that statement has some merit: As a former marcher myself, I tend to give a lot of credit to bands for helping create a game’s atmosphere, and it showed in my writing. The second half of that statement … Well, I won’t go there.

“God, I wish they would just can me already. I have to be the worst coach ever. William & Mary!?!? Are you serious?!!?” — Al Groh

On the off-chance that the real coach Al Groh wrote this, I’d like to thank you for reading my column, and I invite you to do an interview with me about just how awful you think you are.

“taaaake it easy everybody…im from cville and went to tech so i know both fanbases well…and all i have to say is cant we all just get drunk and thank god we arent wvu or maryland??” — cvillehokie

A lot of comments made me laugh, but none more than this one.

“People in the land of the blue and orange may not mind what you have to say when you’re winning. But in the midst of a terrible season … people won’t want to hear it.” — Hennessey Green

This is a very valid point and probably the most constructive criticism I received. As a transfer student, I think I failed to recognize how emotionally sensitive some Virginia fans are to the success of the football team. I should have picked a less delicate time or a more tempered way to recount what I observed.

“What this CavDaily columnist did was basically justify cheating on a spouse. Imagine if a father approached his family the way that this columnist approaches VaTech: Home life has been difficult the past year or so … So you decide to go on a date with the young and attractive secretary. After dinner you end up having the wildest sexual experience of your life, with no desire to go back to your wife and kids.” — Chris Sill

After reading this, I forwarded it to my girlfriend of four years and asked her if she wanted to break up with me. She said no.

“What would Jefferson think of this travesty?! I can’t even articulate a full response. The University is shamed by the work of Dan Stalcup. Shamed.” — Matt Hale

I consulted with TJ. Although he’s not a huge fan of the press, apparently he meant it when he said he supports reason and tolerance of others’ views.

“In my view, you definitely aren’t a wahoo. You may get a degree from UVA but I wonder what it will mean to you? I feel a little bit sorry for you.” — David H

Why do you have the authority to define what it means to be a Wahoo at heart? Who said that being a Hoo and liking the Hokies’ football program are mutually exclusive?

I attended Tech for a year so I think that gives me a right to not hate the school and team. My loyalty to Virginia isn’t diminished by my criticism of complacent fans and praise of Hokie gameday, and a degree will mean as much to me as it does to anyone else. Almost every transfer student I’ve talked to said they empathized with how I feel about the two schools.

“If you want to experience a real football game, you should make the trip to Happy Valley for a Penn State Game.” — PSU4LIFE

Fans from Auburn, Florida, Alabama and Penn State all challenged me to visit their stadium for a game if I want to see a ‘real’ gameday. I’d be happy to take any of them up on their offer. Seriously, get me a ticket, and I’ll take a road trip there and might even write about it.

“I am a UVA season ticket holder for 27 years who happens to be married to a Hokie and I also attended the VA Tech-Nebraska game Saturday. It was the first time I had attended a game in Blacksburg for ten years. I was shocked at the differences between attending a UVA game, and a Tech game. As much as I hate to admit it, Tech does everything football wise bigger and better than UVA.” — Steve

See, I’m not the only Wahoo who was there and realized just how far Virginia has to go if it wants to be a true football school.

“Marry me, Dan Stalcup.” — VT 2011

Say what you will about my column, my views and my skills as a writer. But how many times has a sports columnist received a marriage proposal for something he wrote? I wonder what my girlfriend will say when I forward this one to her…
 

Looking for more
By Jay Jenkins
Published: September 30, 2009

What seemed like enough to complete the mission suddenly crumbled in crunch time at Southern Mississippi.

The lone leg that Virginia had to stand on through its first two setbacks was timely defensive strength.

With a bend-but-don’t-break attitude, Virginia (0-3) seemed to manage ill-timed turnovers created by its offense, forcing William & Mary and Texas Christian into attempting 10 combined field goals, seven of which lead to points in the season’s first two games.

Having allowed 93 points thus far in three games, which ranks 100th in the nation thus far, the results appear misleading for the best unit the program has to offer.

In a defense spearheaded by coach Al Groh, one of the issue lies in the results, or lack thereof, relative to what is demanded from the linebackers.

To date, the rotating foursome at Groh’s favorite position has accounted for just two of the team’s five sacks.

The Cavaliers did, however, enter the season needing to replace the production of former outside linebacker Clint Sintim.

“If I have this information correct, he led the country in linebacker sacks last year, and that’s a lot of big plays,” Groh said. “He was really a playmaker linebacker for us.”

Outside of what Sintim accomplished as a wrecking ball for quarterbacks, Virginia boasted mainstays for three years at inside linebacker in Antonio Appleby and Jon Copper.

“In Copper, we had a player who had some really awesome plays during the course of his career, but we can’t check them off as sacks as such, but … One of the things that comes to mind is two years ago, we played Connecticut here and we turned the ball over in the first two possessions and we have a chance to be in the hole 14-0 right away,” Groh said. “And the defense holds both times and they kick field goals and it’s 6-0.

“That’s a tremendous difference. On each one of those plays, Jon makes a third-down stop. One caused a field goal, and at the end of the half, Jon strips a receiver in the red zone on like the last play of the half and we get the ball, so there’s X amount of plays that are not going to show in the national statistics, other than a tackle for Jon. But those were game-changing plays.”

In all, Copper and Sintim accounted for 171 tackles and 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

“Those two players, in particular, contributed to a lot of plays that really changed the course of the game where it helped us manage the game,” Groh said.

Nationally speaking, Virginia enters Saturday’s game at North Carolina (3-1, 0-1 ACC) ranked 25th in passing defense, the sixth-best total in the league. The program sits at No. 102 in rushing defense and has struggled against the run, however, after TCU and Southern Miss used their ground attacks to torture the Cavaliers.

It did not help the Cavaliers that Southern Miss operated fluidly in the Wildcat formation on countless occasions.

Stopping that prior to league play was a point of emphasis during the bye week.

“This week we worked on areas that we thought we didn’t do well on. The Wildcat was definitely something that we needed to improve on so we worked on that a lot,” Virginia sophomore safety Rodney McLeod said. “We just need to stay composed. Everybody sees a running back back there and says, ‘Oh my God, it’s Wildcat.’

“We just have to chill out. It is basically the same play. We just have to work on that, the gaps and where to fill in and stuff.”
 

The Bear’s lesson: Nice costs nuthin’
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: September 30, 2009

A great friend of mine, Bill Millsaps, the retired sports editor and columnist of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and my writing idol while growing up in the business, sent me a terrific story the other day about one of my other idols, Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

I’ve been sitting on a behind-the-scenes story about the human side of coaches that the public doesn’t often see or even hear about, and the piece about the “Bear” prompted me to share a recent situation where Virginia coach Al Groh stepped up to the plate.

No matter what your feelings are about Groh, whether you support him as Virginia’s coach or you don’t, it’s rare that any of us see what coaches do behind the scenes. As everyone knows, this has been a trying time for the UVa coach as he tries to get his football team back on track.

He would probably prefer this story doesn’t get out because he did something out of the good of his heart for someone in the Virginia football family. Groh certainly wasn’t looking for any glory or publicity, but reached out to help a family in a time of need.

But we’ll get back to that in a moment.

The story about Bryant was told at a football banquet and was brought to life years later by Roy Exum. We’ll tell it the way Bryant talked, with his Arkansas drawl.

Bear’s story

“I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player, and I was havin’ trouble finding the place. Getting hungry, I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said ‘Restaurant.’

“I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I’m the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good, so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a T-shirt and cap comes over and says, ‘What do you need?’

“I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, ‘You probably won’t like it here. Today we’re having chitlins, collard greens and black-eyed peas with cornbread. I’ll bet you don’t even know what chitlins (small intestines of hogs prepared as food in the Deep South) are, do you?’

“I looked him square in the eye and said, ‘I’m from Arkansas, I’ve probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I’m in the right place.’ They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, ‘You ain’t from around here, then?’

“I explain I’m the new football coach up in Tuscaloosa at the University and I’m here to find whatever that boy’s name was and he says, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard of him, he’s supposed to be pretty good.’ And he gives me directions to the school so I can meet him and his coach.

“As I’m paying up to leave, I remember my manners and leave a tip, not too big to be flashy, but a good one, and he told me lunch was on him, but I told him for a lunch that good, I felt I should play.

“The big man asked me if I had a photograph or something he could hang up to show I’d been there. I was so new that I didn’t have any yet. It really wasn’t that big a thing back then to be asked for, but I took a napkin and wrote his name and address on it and told him I’d get him one.

“I met the kid I was lookin’ for later that afternoon and I don’t remember his name, but do remember I didn’t think much of him when I met him. I had wasted a day, or so I thought.

“When I got back to Tuscaloosa late that night, I took that napkin from my shirt pocket and put it under my keys so I wouldn’t forget it. Back then I was excited that anybody would want a picture of me. The next day, we found a picture and I wrote on it, ‘Thanks for the best lunch I’ve ever had.’

“Now let’s go a whole bunch of years down the road. Now we have black players at Alabama and I’m back down in that part of the country scouting an offensive lineman we sure needed. Y’all remember, (and I forget the name, but it’s not important to the story), well anyway, he’s got two friends going to Auburn and he tells me he’s got his heart set on Auburn too, so I leave emptyhanded and go on to see some others while I’m down there.

“Two days later, I’m in my office in Tuscaloosa and the phone rings and it’s this kid who just turned me down, and he says, ‘Coach, do you still want me at Alabama?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I sure do.’ And he says, ‘OK, I’ll come.’ And I say, ‘Well, son, what changed your mind?’

“He said, ‘When my grandpa found out that I had a chance to play for you and said no, he pitched a fit and told me I wasn’t going nowhere but Alabama, and wasn’t playing for nobody but you. He thinks a lot of you and has ever since y’all met.’

“Well, I didn’t know his granddad from Adam’s house cat, so I asked him who his granddaddy was and he said, ‘You probably don’t remember him, but you ate at his restaurant your first year at Alabama and you sent him a picture that he’s had hung in that place ever since. That picture’s his pride and joy and he still tells everybody about the day that Bear Bryant came in and had chitlins with him.’

“My grandpa said that when you left there, he never expected you to remember him or to send him that picture, but you kept your word to him and, to Grandpa, that’s everything. He said you could teach me more than football and I had to play for a man like you, so I guess I’m going to.’

“I was floored. But I learned that the lessons my mama taught me were always right. It don’t cost nuthin’ to be nice. It don’t cost nuthin’ to do the right thing most of the time, and it costs a lot to lose your good name by breakin’ your word to someone.

“When I went back to sign that boy, I looked up his Grandpa and he’s still running that place, but it looks a lot better now; and he didn’t have chitlins that day, but he had some ribs that woulda made Dreamland proud, and I made sure I posed for a lot of pictures; and don’t think I didn’t leave some new ones for him, too, along with a signed football.

“I made it clear to all my assistants to keep this story and these lessons in mind when they’re out on the road. If you don’t remember anything else from me, remember this. It really doesn’t cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable.”

A family member in need

Which brings us to the story of former Virginia football player Chuck Heidel, who played on coach Dick Bestwick’s 1979 team that upset Georgia “Between the Hedges.”

I remember interviewing Vince Dooley in his office at UGA back in the 1980s and him telling me that the ’79 loss to Virginia was the worst loss of his coaching career.

But back to the story. Early this month, Heidel was in a terrible biking accident near his home in Maryland. He was slammed by a car and was paralyzed from the neck down.

He’s a dad of nine children, ages 10 to 24. You can imagine the devastation of that family right now as their dad was transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, which specializes in such injuries and life thereafter.

A good Samaritan from the Charlottesville community who was friends with Heidel at UVa came to Groh and said that it might lift the former Cavalier player’s spirit if maybe Virginia could sent him a signed poster or something.

Groh, just coming off the upset loss to William & Mary, immediately understood the situation. He told the Samaritan, ‘I don’t want to just send a signed poster ... I want to do something much more heartfelt. This family is hurting. Do me a favor, and get the shirt sizes and names of everyone in that family.’

Groh told his team that day after practice that, “Fellas, we don’t know this guy, but we have a saying around here that once you take off the pads, you’re no longer a member of the team, but you will always be a member of the Virginia football family. Let’s reach out to this family member.”

All the team signed a football for Heidel, and a poster. But it didn’t stop there. Once Groh got the names and sizes he requested, he had a Virginia football

T-shirt made up for each person, had their name printed on the back of the shirt, just above the word ‘DAD.’

Then he researched and found Heidel’s old playing number and had the equipment room prepare a special Virginia football jersey with Heidel’s name stitched across the back.

Happiness in sad times

According to the Samaritan, Groh took great pleasure in seeing those finished products before they were shipped off to their injured football family. To say the least, that family, in all their sorrow, was greatly lifted by the kind gesture.

Just remember, Nice Costs Nuthin, and even if it costs a little, it’s worth it.

For those who would like to drop Heidel a line of encouragement, they can write his close friends in Atlanta, who will deliver those messages to him: Lee and Wendy Williams, 5717 Mt. Berry Lane, Norcross, Ga. 30092.

Men's Tennis Team Building Sweat Equity
Sept. 29, 2009
11:18 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The prize that has eluded Virginia in men's tennis -- an NCAA championship -- won't be awarded again until next spring. To Brian Boland, though, this time of year is crucial.

"I think championships are won in the fall, not in the spring," Boland said Monday. "I think a lot of coaches would agree with me that their time in training camp and their ability to have time to work with the players individually and really focus on the skills that each individual player needs to develop, in order to be successful at the highest level, is done on the practice courts and in training camp.

"I'll push my guys much further, in terms of their physical fitness, obviously in September and October than I will in April and May. Because I think that's when you have to start tapering down, so when they go into the NCAA championships at the end of May, they're pretty fit.

"Hopefully, with all that hard work over the course of the season, they're in tip-top shape, and you're able to find your cruise control a little bit at that point, rather than doing what we're doing now, which is really just pushing them to their Nth degree. I think they're very tired and sore all the time. They play a lot of tournaments tired and sore."

This is Boland's eighth year at UVa, and he's built a program with few peers nationally. Under Boland, the Cavaliers are 201-42, and they've advanced at least as far as the NCAA quarterfinals in each of the past five seasons.

Virginia reached the NCAA semifinals in 2007 and '08.

From a team that finished 32-1 in 2009, Boland returned virtually everyone except Dominic Inglot, and the Wahoos added heralded freshman Jarmere Jenkins. Another touted recruit, Julen Uriguen, will start classes at UVa in January.

The 'Hoos hosted the UVa Ranked Plus One Invitational this past weekend, and the core of the team will be in Tulsa, Okla., next week for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's All-American Championships.

Boland's early impression of his 2009-10 team?

"I think we're ahead of schedule in terms of where I thought we would be at this point, and I'm really pleased with the guys' commitment and overall effort, and their focus on developing and not the ultimate results," he said. "I think the results will take care of themselves, and we need to continue to tell ourselves that as we try to improve as players so we're as prepared as we need to be for the spring season.

"And I think that's one of the biggest reasons we're having so much success, because the players really believe that and understand it, and therefore they're ultimately getting excellent results."

­-- Jeff White


 

Agorsor finds net in final minute to break tie, Rams
Cavaliers need all 110 minutes of regulation, double overtime to beat tough VCU squad, improve to 6-2
Nick Eilerson, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Featured / Men's Soccer / Sports
September 30, 2009 0

Sophomore forward Chris Agorsor found a good time to score his first goal of the season against VCU. It prevented a second straight scoreless match for Virginia. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
It did not come easy but it came nevertheless. One minute away from Virginia’s second straight scoreless match, sophomore forward Chris Agorsor scored the game’s only goal to give the No. 12 Cavaliers a hard-fought 1-0 double-overtime victory against a formidable Virginia Commonwealth squad. The win improved the Cavaliers’ record to 6-2, heading into a tough Friday matchup against No. 5 North Carolina.

Agorsor’s game-winner came courtesy of a long throw-in by sophomore defender Greg Monaco with one minute remaining in the second overtime period. The Cavaliers struggled all night to take advantage of Monaco’s long throw-ins, but this time, the ball landed right at the feet of Agorsor, who turned and slid a low shot just past the outstretched fingertips of VCU junior goalkeeper Gabriel Rodriguez, prompting shouts of jubilation from the Virginia faithful. It was Agorsor’s first goal of the season.

“It was one of those times where the ball fell to me,” Agorsor said, “and I was able to turn and get a shot off and this one went in the net.”

The goal capped off an otherwise uninspiring night for the Cavalier attack, which increased its intensity as the game wore on but had problems finding the opposing net against a big, physical VCU defense that entered the game allowing just 1.33 goals per contest. Small attackers like 5-foot-8 Neil Barlow and 5-foot-9 Chris Agorsor struggled to get around imposing Ram defenders like 6-foot-4, 200-pound, junior defender James Neighbour.

But even when unimpeded by its bulky adversaries, Virginia still could not convert. One play that drew particularly frustrating groans from the crowd came during the 83rd minute, from a shot by sophomore midfielder Tony Tchani, who got an open look at the goal from the top of the box, collected himself and hit a floater a mile over the crossbar. Senior midfielder Jonathan Villanueva nearly made up for his teammate’s poor effort when — with two seconds left in regulation — he unleashed a shot from 30 yards out that crept inches over the bar.

“VCU’s an ACC-caliber team,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “This is not a game where you say, ‘Hey, you didn’t score goals.’ This is not an easy game to score goals. This was a good team and a good soccer game. It was probably one of the best games in Klöckner this year.”

The first half featured a back-and-forth battle, with both sides getting its share of opportunities but neither able to put away a goal. VCU outshot Virginia 5-3, including two shots from sophomore forward Romario Blandon, who entered the match as the Rams’ leading scorer with five goals and two assists this season. The rest of the match, however, belonged to Virginia, as the Cavaliers outshot the Rams 14-1, including eight shots during the two 10-minute overtime periods. Virginia also held the advantage on corner kicks by a 14-2 margin.

“Our performance in the second half and in the two overtimes was as good as we’ve been all year,” Gelnovatch said. “I felt like we had them on the ropes at the end. I felt like they were just hanging on and we just needed to deliver that knockout punch.”

With little margin for error in a game that was tied throughout, junior goalkeeper Diego Restrepo held his own with his third shutout of the season. Although the Rams were mostly quiet offensively, Restrepo buckled down when Blandon settled a pass with his chest and knocked a volley right at the keeper, who played the correct angle and made the save as the second half began to wind down.

The Cavaliers head to Chapel Hill, N.C. Friday to try to win their second road game against a top-5 opponent.
 

Cavs down in-state rival Rams
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 30, 2009

Last September, Chris Agorsor’s promising freshman year went up in smoke after he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Central Connecticut State.

On Tuesday night at Klockner Stadium, roughly a year later, Agorsor announced his return — in a big way.

Agorsor’s goal with just under a minute remaining in the second overtime gave No. 11 Virginia a much-needed 1-0 double-overtime win over VCU.

“That’s one of the best teams we’ve played all year, I’ll be honest with you,” said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch, whose squad plays at No. 2 North Carolina on Friday night. “That wasn’t a Tuesday night where we were flat … that was a very good team.

“Our second half and both our overtimes were absolutely fantastic. I can’t be more proud of our guys. We were methodical. We were disciplined. I told the guys going into overtime that it was like a boxing match — we had them on the ropes. It was just a matter of time.”

Agorsor’s game-winner came off a long throw-in by Virginia sophomore Greg Monaco that made it all the way into the VCU box.

“The ball just came to me and I was able to turn and get a shot off,” Agorsor explained. “Luckily, it went in.”

Given the arduous rehabiliatation process he went through from a torn ACL, Agorsor said the goal — his first of the season — felt particularly sweet.

“Coach put it on me. He said, ‘It’s about time to get a goal. You’re finally back,’” Agorsor said.

“That’s what I do. I’m a forward. I score goals. That’s probably my main contribution to the team. It’s a nice feeling to get off the mark. Hopefully there’s more to come.”

Gelnovatch said Agorsor had been “working his backside off” throughout the overtimes.

“He was trying to take the team on his shoulders the last couple of plays,” Gelnovatch said. “I’m so happy for him.”

Virginia (6-2-0) nearly won the game at the end of regulation when midfielder Jonathan Villanueva narrowly missed. With under five seconds to play, the senior blasted a shot from way out — about 35 yards — that had VCU goalie Gabriel Rodriguez beaten but grazed over the top of the crossbar.

A frustrated Villanueva buried his head in his hands as time expired.

In overtime, T.J. Cyrus had a great chance to win it. About halfway through the second session, the junior got inside the Rams’ box and knifed a left-footed grounder that appeared headed for the far right corner of the net until Rodriguez made a diving save.

VCU (3-3-1) was coming off a pair of less-than-impressive performances — a loss to George Mason and a tie to Longwood, both at home.
 

Virginia aims for revenge
By Whitey Reid
Published: September 30, 2009

Last season, the Virginia women’s soccer team lost 1-0 to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The memory of that performance is still fairly fresh on the minds of UVa players.

That was pretty evident in the aftermath of No. 18 Virginia’s easy win over Clemson on Sunday when the Cavaliers were asked about tonight’s rematch with the Hokies in Charlottesville at Klockner Stadium.

“We want to [dominate] them,” said Virginia sophomore Lauren Alwine, smiling. “It’s Tech.

“We want revenge from last year, not necessarily revenge, but we want to come back and win it this year. It’s on our field and it should be good since it’s a night game.”

On Sunday, Virginia (6-2-2, 1-1-0 ACC) was able to wash away its most recent bad memory — a loss to N.C. State on the road in its league opener. Against the Tigers, UVa looked more like the squad that had lost just once in its first eight games.

However, finishing still seems to be a bugaboo for coach Steve Swanson’s squad. Swanson attributes part of his team’s inability to put the ball in the net to the ultra-conservative schemes of some of Virginia’s opponents.

“They’ve been dropping a lot of numbers behind the ball,” Swanson said. “We just have to be a little sharper.

“I think our team is capable of scoring on anybody at any given time. We’re capable of putting up numbers.”

Finishing was the issue against Tech last October. Virginia outshot the Hokies 17-5, but wound up losing after a goal off a free kick by Tech in the 48th minute. The loss was UVa’s first conference defeat of the year.

“We just couldn’t get a goal,” Alwine recalled. “We had all the opportunities, but couldn’t make it count. Hopefully [tonight] we’ll be able to make all our opportunities count.”

Virginia Tech also eliminated Virginia from last season’s ACC tournament on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the semifinals.

The Hokies (8-2, 2-0) have won both their ACC games. They’re coming off a 3-0 win over N.C. State on Sunday.
 

Cavs head to Richmond with best start since 1979
Impressive defense helps team to 10-0 start; Spiders 0-3 when playing against top-25 teams
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Field Hockey / Sports
September 30, 2009 0

Sophomore midfielder Paige Selenski was named ACC Player of the Week after scoring three goals against Boston University and Boston College last week. She leads the team with 10 goals and four assists for a total of 24 points on the season. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
Off to its best start since 1979, the No. 3 Virginia field hockey team — now 10-0 — will travel to Richmond tonight for an in-state contest.

Although the Spiders (4-5) are coming off a 3-1 win against William & Mary — a team Virginia also defeated — they have lost all three of the games they have played against nationally ranked opponents.

Richmond — led by senior back Sarah Blythe-Wood and her eight goals this season — has scored 25 goals to just 19 from its opponents, yet only averages 12.8 shots per game. Compared to Virginia’s average of 18.3 shots per game, 35 total scores and a 138-49 shooting edge against its opponents, the Spiders face a daunting task in the form of stopping the Cavaliers’ attack.

“We have strengths everywhere,” said sophomore midfielder Paige Selenski, who scored her 10th goal against No. 9 Boston College at home Sunday.

Selenski has amassed 24 points this season and, after tallying three goals against Boston University and Boston College last weekend, was named ACC Player of the Week. Her high school teammate, freshman midfielder Tara Puffenberger, has contributed seven goals and two assists, while sophomore midfielders Inga Stockel and Michelle Vittese, as well as back Floor Vogels, have three goals each.

Virginia claimed its first ACC victory against the Eagles this past weekend. Although the Cavaliers did not score until the second half, the 2-0 victory marked their seventh defensive shutout.

“We knew they were going to come out hard against us and we started out a little sluggish, but I think we got our rhythm together,” Selenski said. “We started playing together and getting some passing combinations going — that is where the goals came from.”

Virginia’s offensive success may very much be an extension of a fortified defensive front.

“Our defense has been phenomenal,” Selenski said. “They have saved [the attack] so many times. Our corner defense has been awesome; every one of them has put in a tremendous amount of effort into getting the ball out and into our attack. Without them, our attack wouldn’t be able to work.”

A staple of Virginia’s effective defense has been junior goalkeeper Kim Kastuk, who boasts a near perfect .941 save percentage in 610 minutes of play.

“[Kim] loves playing goalkeeper,” coach Michele Madison said. “She is what a goalkeeper is all about. She keeps it simple.”

The Cavaliers’ defensive unit has not allowed any penalty strokes thus far this season and has been successful in clearing the circle effectively. By contrast, the Spiders have yielded goals on each of the two penalty strokes they have incurred.

“It is always more fun when you are winning games,” Kastuk said. “It has been a great start, but we are looking to keep building from here. It is big momentum for us moving forward.”
 

Baseball to Hold Celebration of 2009 Team, Ring Ceremony Oct. 16
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/29/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia will hold a celebration of the 2009 UVa baseball team at 6 p.m. Oct. 16 at Davenport Field prior to the start of Game 6 of the Orange and Blue World Series. Virginia will conduct its College World Series and ACC Championship ring ceremony at that time.
There will be a video presentation featuring highlights of the 2009 team's historic season as part of the presentation. Admission for the evening is free of charge.
Virginia posted a 49-15-1 record last year and advanced to the College World Series for the first time in program history. The Cavaliers also won the ACC Baseball Championship and set a single-season school record for victories.
UVa notched its sixth-consecutive NCAA tournament bid under head coach Brian O'Connor, who earned National Coach of the Year honors. He led the Cavaliers across the country to compete as the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Irvine Regional, where they defeated San Diego State and then host and No. 6 national seed UC Irvine twice to advance to the first NCAA Super Regional in school history. 


UVa then won two of three games in the NCAA Oxford Super Regional against Mississippi to earn a trip to the College World Series, where the Cavaliers made their first-ever appearance with a loss to eventual national champion LSU, a victory over No. 2 national seed Cal State Fullerton and a 12-inning defeat to Arkansas.
The Cavaliers led the ACC in batting (.327), ERA (3.23) and stolen bases (119), becoming just the second team in league history to lead the conference in all three categories.
Orange & Blue World Series (All games at 6 p.m.)
Game 1: Monday, October 5
Game 2: Tuesday, October 6
Game 3: Thursday, October 8
Game 4: Tuesday, October 13
Game 5: Thursday, October 15
Game 6: Friday, October 16
Game 7: Tuesday, October 20

 

No. 19 Cavalier Golfers Finish Second at VCU Shootout
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 09/29/2009

Richmond, VA - The 19th-ranked Virginia men's golf team finished second at the VCU Shootout held at Hermitage Country Club in Richmond. The Cavaliers shot 8-over 296 during Tuesday's final round to come in five shots behind tournament champion UNC Wilmington. The Seahawks won the event at 8-over 872.
The Cavaliers out-dueled No. 18 Iowa and No. 47 Wake Forest down the stretch for runner-up honors. UVa finished at 877, the Demon Deacons were third at 879 and Iowa tied for fourth at 881. Wake Forest and Iowa were the two other schools in the 14-team field that played in last year's NCAA Championships.
UVa was led by the 10th-place performances of Amory Davis and Ben Kohles. Davis shot 1-over 73 during the final round, Virginia's best score on the day, to finish at 2-over 218. Kohles carded a 76 Tuesday to also complete play at 218.
Will Collins and Bruce Woodall both posted final rounds of 74. Collins was 15th overall at 219 while Woodall was 35th at 223. Woodall ended his round with a birdie to help the Cavaliers secure their second-place finish.
Steven Rojas, the fifth UVa player in the team competition, was 63rd at 231. Cole Willcox, playing as a non-scoring individual, was 42nd at 225. Gregor Orlando, also playing as an individual, was 67th at 232.
Charlotte's Corey Nagy took medalist honors by finishing at 6-under 210, including a final round of 70.
UVa returns to action this weekend when the Cavaliers compete in the Old Memorial Invitational in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 3-4.

VCU Shootout
Par-72, 6,955 yards
Hermitage Country Club
Richmond, Va.

Final Results
1. UNC Wilmington 281-290-301-872
2. Virginia 287-294-296-877
3. Wake Forest 294-286-299-879
4. Iowa 297-291-293-881
4. Virginia Tech 291-294-296-881
4. Penn State 300-288-293-881
7. VCU 298-283-302-883
8. UNC Greensboro 299-293-296-888
9. Charlotte 298-296-296-890
10. East Carolina 297-293-301-891
10. Richmond 299-285-307-891
12. Wichita State 293-300-300-893
13. Maryland 296-306-304-906
14. Mercer 309-298-304-911

Individual Leaders
1. Corey Nagy, Charlotte 69-71-70-210
2. Brendan Gielow, Wake Forest 70-67-75-212
3. Derek Wallace, UNC Wilmington 68-73-75-216
4. Sam Beach, Richmond 71-71-75-217
4. Brad Hopfinger, Iowa 72-72-73-217
4. T.J. Howe, Penn State 73-68-76-217
4. Blake Redmond, Virginia Tech 72-69-76-217
4. Harold Varner, East Carolina 74-72-71-217
4. Taylor Zimmerman, UNC Wilmington 69-73-75-217
10. Evan Boyer, VCU 70-72-76-218
10. Amory Davis, Virginia 70-75-73-218
10. Kevin Foley, Penn State 74-72-72-218
10. Ben Kohles, Virginia 69-73-76-218
10. Vincent Nadeau, VCU 74-68-76-218

Virginia Results
10. Ben Kohles 69-73-76-218
10. Amory Davis 70-75-73-218
15. Will Collins 73-72-74-219
35. Bruce Woodall 75-74-74-223
42. Cole Willcox* 74-74-77-225
63. Steven Rojas 77-79-75-231
67. Gregor Orlando* 78-76-78-232
* Playing as individual