UVa football lands nation's top center
By JERRY RATCLIFFE
/ Daily Progress sports editor
Oct 10, 2002
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Jordy Lipsey has been groomed to become a center all of his life. You
might say it is a Lipsey family tradition to play that position on the
football team. Both of his older brothers, Jason, and Jess, played center
and apparently it rubbed off on Jordy.
That's good news for Virginia, which gained a commitment from the
Altamonte Springs, Fla., lineman late Wednesday night. Lipsey is rated the
No. 1 center prospect in the nation by Rivals 100, rated the No. 2
offensive lineman in the country by SuperPrep and the No. 3 offensive
lineman by Insiders.
"He's just a natural center," said Lake Brantley High School coach
George Clayton, who coached all the Lipsey brothers. "I've had one or
another of the Lipsey's starting for me at center for the last nine
straight years. Virginia is getting a great kid and a great leader."
Both of his brothers went on to play at Washington & Lee, where Jason
was an All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference player, and Jess is currently
the Generals' starting nose tackle.
Jordy, the baby brother, is 6-foot-4, 267 pounds and runs a 4.9 in the
40-yard dash. Already qualified, Lipsey has a 3.7 GPA and has scored
between 1,100 and 1,200 on his SAT.
The big center ultimately chose Virginia over defending national
champion Miami, Tennessee, Stanford and Georgia Tech.
"He was offered by every school in the country," Clayton said. "It came
down to Virginia and Miami, and he was really torn because both schools
offered good football and academics. He visited both schools and liked the
coaches at both places.
"I think it came down to the fact that Virginia is the place where he
felt he would fit in the best," said the Lake Brantley coach. "It got to
the point where he got tired of the recruiting process and wanted to get
it over with. On Saturday, he sat down with his folks and his brothers and
decided Virginia was the place he wanted to go."
It isn't often that UVa beats out the defending national champion for
top-ranked recruits, so don't be surprised if there's a party going on in
the coaching offices over at the McCue Center. Last February, Cavaliers
coach Al Groh said that the place looked like Mardi Gras on the day that
high school All-Americans Ahmad Brooks, Michael Johnson and Kai Parham all
committed to Virginia.
"It was a tough decision because I had a great visit to Miami and
they're obviously the best team in the nation," said Lipsey. "Virginia has
been my favorite for a while. I knew in my heart that I wanted to go to
Virginia."
He informed UVa assistant Andy Heck of his decision on Wednesday
evening.
"Coach Heck and coach [Ron] Prince did a great job of recruiting me,"
Lipsey said. "Coach Heck is a great guy and has been to the NFL."
Heck was a starting offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins
before retiring prior to the 2001 season and joining Groh's staff.
So, what makes Lipsey No. 1?
"The offensive line coach at Miami likes guys who block opponents out
of the picture when they're watching game film," Clayton said. "Jordy does
that."
In fact, it sounds like Lipsey has a little Mark Dixon in him. Dixon, a
former All-ACC pick for the Cavaliers, has been a starter for the Miami
Dolphins for the past three years and is known for his pitbull blocking
style.
"He has quickness, great feet and tenacity," Clayton said. "College
coaches like the fact that he gets out on linebackers and blocks them
until he drives them out of bounds or into the ground."
Lake Brantley runs a wishbone offense and often faces 6-1 defensive
schemes designed to fill the gaps against the run-oriented attack. But
that doesn't stop Lipsey, who is so tenacious that he often flattens the
defender in front on him, then progresses on to bury a linebacker.
"Last year as a junior, his dad took some close-up game film of our
inside game and it was amazing to watch," Clayton said. "Jordy went
against some outstanding people, including a Florida State recruit and
Jordy just hammered him, put him on his back and controlled him. Against
the state 6-A champions, Jordy really shined against a tremendous group of
linebackers."
It didn't used to be that way. Clayton explained that when Lipsey was a
youngster, just learning the position, that he wanted to get his opponent
on the ground so badly that he developed bad techniques. Perhaps that was
a product of feeling the pressure of following in his two brothers'
footsteps. He used to watch film with them, closely observed them and
learned from them.
Now, he is what Clayton terms a great technician.
"Once he lines up on somebody, he locks up and doesn't let them go. He
has such great strength and quickness and technique, I'm telling you he's
a natural," said the coach. "If he misses a block, he'll go get somebody
else and finish them off. He's not satisfied unless he's blocking somebody
to the ground."
Clayton accompanied Lipsey on the visit to Miami and the Hurricanes
rolled out the red, or, er, orange and green carpet for the big-time
center.
"Miami really liked him, really wanted him," Clayton said. "They have
had tremendous success with their offensive line. It seemed like this was
a year where everybody in the country needed a big-time center. Florida's
backup is a walk-on; Miami has a bunch of seniors. Everybody needed one,
but Virginia got one."
Lipsey was reminded of a fellow Floridian who committed early to UVa
last season, then reneged only to sign with the Gators, offensive lineman
Randy Hand. But Lipsey said his commitment to Virginia is solid.
"Virginia is the place for me," said Lipsey. "No doubts in my mind."
|
Virginia eyeing
Pilgrim's progress
Football still
looking for game for 2003
By DOUG
DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays
When basketball recruit J.R.
Reynolds from Roanoke makes his official visit to Virginia next weekend, he
will be accompanied by 6-6 Mike Pilgrim, an athletic small forward from
Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.
It appears likely that the
Cavaliers will offer a scholarship to Pilgrim, a fifth-year player who had
considerable interest from Mid-American Conference schools last year, while he
was in high school in Cincinnati.
Schools like Boston College and
Seton Hall are furnishing the competition for Pilgrim, a smooth left-hander
who seems underrated at No. 179 on Prep Stars' list of the nation's top
prospect.
The Cavaliers already have
received commitments from Reynolds, a 6-2 combination guard who is spending
the 2002-2003 season at Oak Hill Academy, aqnd Gary Forbes, a 6-5 wing player
from Baddeker Academy in Brooklyn. Both have been ranked in the national top
40-60 range by most services.
Pilgrim would become the fifth
player to visit UVa who is currently uncommitted. The others are 6-7 Sudanese
native Luol Deng from the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., 6-8 Terrance
Roberts from St. Anthony's Prep in Jersey City, N.J., 6-7 Sheray Thomas from
Montreal by way of Riverdale Baptist in Upper Marlboro, Md., and 6-8 Ross
Neltner from Fort Thomas (Ky.) Highlands.
Deng, arguably the top prospect
in the country who will go to college, also has Duke high on his list.
However, the Cavaliers will hold a scholarship for him as long as he remains
uncommitted. With its other available scholarship, UVa probably would take the
first player to commit from the group of Roberts, Thomas and Pilgrim.
If they still have a scholarship
available come November, the Cavaliers might take Neltner, but they would like
to see him get stronger and think he could benefit from a year in prep school.
Neltner is visiting Stanford this weekend, however, and may have enough good
offers that even the promise of a UVa scholarship for 2003-2004 would not
convince him to take a postgraduate year.
If the Cavaliers still have a
scholarship after the fall signing, they will make a big push for Linas Kleiza,
a 6-8 Lithuanian who is at Montrose Christian in Riverdale, Md. UVa has
offered a scholarship to Kleiza, all-star game MVP at the Five-Star Camp at
Hampden-Sydney College, but Kleiza has said he will not sign until the spring.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN my impression
that the biggest factor in recruiting is the person doing the recruiting, so
it's worth recognizing two coaches who were instrumental in major commitments
UVa has received in the past 10 days.
Alexis Sherard, elevated to
full-fledged recruiting status after UVa men's basketball assistant Tommy
Herrion was named head coach at Charleston, was the point man on the
Cavaliers' recruiting of Forbes, considered a Georgia Tech "lean" until late
in the recruiting process.
Sherard had been a full-time
member of the UVa staff for the past three seasons but did not have recruiting
responsibilities. Gillen, faced with a choice between Sherard and Scott
Shepherd to replace Herrion on the road, went with Sherard partly out of fear
he might lose him to College of Charleston.
The highest-ranked football
prospect to commit to the Cavaliers for 2003, SuperPrep All-America offensive
lineman Jordy Lipsey from Altamonte Springs, Fla., said Wednesday night that
he had committed to UVa assistant coach Andy Heck earlier in the evening.
Heck joined the Cavaliers' staff
as a graduate assistant in 2001, the year after his retirement from the NFL
after 10 seasons. Heck is not allowed to recruit off campus, but is allowed to
work the phones and speak with prospects when they make their visits.
"He evaluates tape for us in the
office and doesn't have any particular [recruiting] area," Groh said. "He's a
very impressive guy personally. He's a very intelligent guy with a nice
personality. He's an attractive guy.
"This is another of the coaches
who has an extensive background and can talk to things that kids are
interested in: 'What was it like to play against Bruce Smith?' or 'What was it
like to play for this coach?' I think his experiences are interesting and
motivating.' "
Heck recently was cited by
Buffalo Grove, Ill., quarterback Tom Zbikowski, a preseason SuperPrep
All-American, is a diary that runs periodically on ESPN.com. Zbikowski was
talking about the pressure he has been under to make an oral commitment to
Notre Dame.
"It isn't that way with Shoop,"
said Zbikowski, referring to Boston College defensive backs coach Bob Shoop. I
really hit it off well with Lester Erb from Iowa and Dirk Koetter, the head
coach at Arizon a State. Ron Vanderlinden, the linebackers coach at Penn State
and former head coach at Maryland, is one of the nicest guys I've ever spoken
with. ... And Andy Heck, a grad assistant for Virginia who played for the
Chicago Bears from 1994-98, is also great to talk football with.
"But, in each of these
conversations, I try to be careful. Everyone has warned me that coaches will
tell you exactly what you want to hear. But, I don't get that feeling when I
talk to the guys from schools like Virginia, Iowa, Boston College or
Nebraska."
Zbikowski is considered a
prospect at several different positions, which is why Virginia is recruiting
him despite the early commitment it received from highly regarded Pennsylvania
quarterback Kevin McCabe. On the other hand, Zbikowski did not have the
Cavaliers in his top five of Arizona State, Boston College, Iowa, Nebraska and
Notre Dame.
GROH SAID THAT Virginia
accepted a 2-for-1 offer when it agreed to play at Kalamazoo, Mich., next year
in what he understands to be Western Michigan's observance of its 100th year
of football.
Western Michigan will come to
Charlottesville for two later games but the Cavaliers are still looking for a
Division I-A opponent willing to play at Scott Stadium next year. UVa already
has six road games next year, including non-conference foes Western Michigan
and South Carolina.
"If you have ambitions of being
good, I think the only way to verify that is by playing other good teams,"
said Groh, whose non-conference schedule this year is Colorado State, South
Carolina, Akron, Penn State and Virginia Tech. "If you schedule way below
yourself, then that really isn't proving anything.
"I think we'd like to be
aggressive and competitive in our scheduling. That being said, I get reminded
by people in my circle that I shouldn't be overly heroic about this and be one
of the lone voices taking this stance. I have to take that into consideration,
too."
Virginia's rushing attack must improve against tougher opponents
| Matt Trogdon |
| Cavalier Daily Senior
Writer |
DURHAM, N.C.
Alvin Pearman returned to the Cavalier line-up this weekend after missing
the Wake Forest game with a broken hand. He made an immediate impact, scoring
the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter,
putting the game out of reach for the Krzyzewskiville Blue Devils.
While Pearman's touchdown was huge, his contribution was two-fold. On the
afternoon, Virginia gained 2 yards on the ground. Yeah, that's right. Two
yards. Had Pearman not scored his game-winner, Virginia would have finished
the game with zero net rushing yards. Such a fact does not bode well for a
young team looking for success in the improved ACC.
In a stroke of irony, one of the spectators in the press box on Saturday
was former Virginia Coach George Welsh. Before retiring after the 2000 season,
Welsh resurrected the Virginia football program and brought it to national
prominence. Much of his success rode on the shoulders of great running backs
such as Terry Kirby, Tiki Barber and Thomas Jones. Welsh's presence at the
game Saturday acted as a reminder of how different things are these days in
Charlottesville.
When Al Groh's coaching tenure at Virginia began last season, the running
game took an immediate hit. In the opener against Wisconsin, star running back
Antwoine Womack was injured and sat out for most of the season. As a
consequence, Virginia's ground game stagnated and Groh was forced to look to
his young quarterbacks to move the team through the air. The same scenario is
beginning to play out again this season.
For the last two weeks, the Virginia running game has been almost
non-existent. Against Wake Forest, freshman Wali Lundy led the Cavaliers with
a mere 25 rushing yards. This week, the rushing output was even worse, barely
residing in the neighborhood of positive yardage.
The Cavalier running game has suffered from injuries again this season.
Freshman tailback Michael Johnson has been out since the South Carolina game
with an ankle injury. More importantly, the offensive line has been hurt all
season and has required Al Groh to play a number of linemen out of position.
Therein may lie the main cause of the running game's problems: Without an
offensive line that can create holes and block as a team, the Virginia running
attack has suffered greatly.
In response to his team's rushing woes, Groh has turned to junior
quarterback Matt Schaub to spark the offense.
Before the Duke game, Schaub led the nation in completion percentage and
was third in passing efficiency. His statistics were so impressive that an
unnamed Cavalier Daily writer hailed him as a "confident gunslinger."
Against the Blue Devils, he struggled for the first three quarters before
getting hot in the fourth and pulling out the win.
Schaub's struggles this past week highlight the importance of a balanced
offensive attack. While he has been on fire for most of the season, his
performance against Duke clearly showed that while he still is the team's
go-to guy, he is only one man.
Football is a team sport, and Schaub will need help from his running back
teammates as the Cavaliers begin another tough stretch in their schedule.
Whatever the problem with the running game is, the Virginia coaches need to
find a solution quickly. In its upcoming game against Clemson, the Cavalier
offense will need to work the clock to give the defense some rest against the
Tigers' high-flying passing attack.
After the Clemson game, Virginia's schedule does not get any easier. In the
upcoming weeks, the Cavaliers will face a number of nationally ranked teams,
including Penn State and Virginia Tech. In order to be competitive in these
contests, Virginia will have to be able to move the ball on the ground.
Virginia has a plethora of talent at the running back position. Groh has
four young tailbacks at his service, all with promising futures. At the
fullback spot, Jason Snelling seems to be the back of the future. For Virginia
to be successful year in and year out in the ACC, they will need to harness
the potential of these and other great backs. For proof, just ask George
Welsh.
Sizeable receiver McKelvey coming up big
By Duane Rankin
CLEMSON BUREAU
drankin@greenvillenews.com
CLEMSON – J.J. McKelvey is earning Clemson University quarterback Willie
Simmons' trust.
"He's probably the closest thing we've had to Rod Gardner since he left, as far
as going up and getting the ball in traffic," Simmons said of McKelvey, a senior
wide receiver. "His confidence is going up more and more. He's really asserting
himself and being the big-play player we need. For me, that just means more
balls will be thrown his way."
In an offense that craves play-makers, Simmons said McKelvey is "making plays."
"In pressure situations, you feel that if you throw it up to J.J.," Simmons
said, "you at least got a 50-50 chance of completing it."
After setting a career high in receiving yards with 123 against Ball State,
McKelvey racked up 117 at No. 9-ranked Florida State. Fifteen of his 22
receptions have come in the last two games.
"I didn't expect to catch as many balls as I've caught so far because of all the
receivers we have," said the low-key McKelvey, wearing a stylish brown Roca-Wear
hat with the brim hanging over his eyes.
He leads Clemson in receiving yards (320) and has five catches for 20 yards or
more, a team high. His 59-yard reception against FSU is the Tigers' longest of
the season.
All this by a 6-foot-4 and 210-pounder who began his college career as a
linebacker and is listed as a backup to receivers Kevin Youngblood and Jackie
Robinson.
Like Gardner, who was aggressive and fearless in going after the ball in flight,
McKelvey attacks in similar fashion. Gardner was a first-round NFL draft pick in
2001 by the Washington Redskins.
"Being my size at 6-4, you're not going to find too many DBs (defensive backs)
over six feet," McKelvey said. "You might find one at 6-1, but it's rare. They
are a lot smaller than guys like Kevin and I. You definitely need to go up and
get the ball.
"There shouldn't be any DBs out there that should be able to compete with us
when the ball is in the air. Period. We're too big for that."
Even with his early success, McKelvey is not satisfied with his overall play.
"I did a lot of nice things in the Florida State game, but my blocking was
terrible," McKelvey said. "I have go out and work on that. I think it's holding
me back."
Best trick play could produce big treat
By KEN TYSIAC
Staff Writer
Clemson -- Tommy Bowden uses trick plays to gain momentum for Clemson
and to reinforce his players' belief that their coaches will use every method at
their disposal to defeat a tough opponent.
Virginia coach Al Groh uses trick plays for those reasons and to keep the
chains moving in any way possible.
"If those tactics on occasion will help us move the ball, it's something
we'll embrace," Groh said. "But we're not just doing it for showmanship."
The coach with the best trick Saturday might be the one whose team wins when
the Tigers visit Virginia for a game at noon. In 2000, Clemson used a fake field
goal to gain an early first down after the Cavaliers had scored the game's first
touchdown.
Last season, Clemson took a 7-0 lead when Terrance Huey ran 16 yards for a
touchdown on a "rooskie" misdirection play, only to watch Virginia strike back
with a 17-yard, fullback option pass by Tyree Foreman on the game-winning drive.
Virginia already has scored touchdowns this season on a double pass against
South Carolina and a tailback option pass against Wake Forest.
"If they're successful, it's demoralizing," Bowden said.
Last week at Duke, the Cavaliers used a fleaflicker for a 54-yard gain to set
up their final touchdown. Tailback Alvin Pearman flipped the ball back to
quarterback Matt Schaub, who threw to Michael McGrew for a gain down to the Duke
2-yard line.
Virginia's propensity for trick plays will have free safety Eric Meekins on
his toes as the last line of Clemson's defense.
"You just have to recognize some keys," Meekins said. "Is the running back
running downhill on a halfback pass? On a reverse, is he trying to get upfield
or is he just looking? It's things like that."
Bowden has pulled off his share of tricks this season as well. Wide receiver
Tony Elliott passed 41 yards to J.J. McKelvey on a fake reverse against Florida
State. McKelvey recovered an onside kick on Clemson's first kickoff in that
game.
Against Louisiana Tech, Clemson got a first down when a defender was called
for pass interference on a pass from wide receiver Derrick Hamilton to tight end
Ben Hall.
"It does take some extra time to (practice trick plays), but again, when you
do it, they could be very productive," Bowden said. "They're momentum changers,
too. If you struggle on offense and then you hit one, it's tremendous about
changing momentum sometimes. I think (Groh) realizes that."
Both coaches spend a small amount of practice time each week preparing their
trick plays. Bowden said he might spend five to 10 minutes a day working on
tricks, and his staff takes extra time in film study in attempts to spot
alignments against which their tricks might work.
Some coaches, including former Clemson coach Tommy West, hesitate to use
trick plays because they don't want their players to think they aren't good
enough to line up toe to toe with an opponent and win with the regular game
plan.
But Bowden said trick plays can help an inexperienced or overmatched team
trying to break the momentum of an opponent.
"When we are able to execute a trick play, a lot of times it gives us a lot
of confidence and motivation," Clemson wide receiver Jackie Robinson said.
"Because a lot of times when you execute a trick play, it's a big gain. So I
think it can do a lot for the team as a whole, and for an opposing team, it can
demoralize them a little bit."
The tricks can make a difference on the scoreboard, too. The past few games
for Virginia and Clemson are evidence of that, and Bowden believes tricks give
his team a psychological lift as well.
"I think the players enjoy them," Bowden said. "I think it shows that you're
going into a game, and not so much that you're trying (not) to lose it, but
you're trying to win it."
Cast call answered
Broken hand no obstacle for Cavaliers' Pearman
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER |
Oct 11, 2002
|
CHARLOTTESVILLE He's the third of five children - "all athletes,"
Alvin Pearman said - and his father was drafted by the Baltimore Colts
after starring at Colgate. The Pearmans of Charlotte, N.C., have been
bumped and bruised and banged up. Yet the family moved into uncharted
territory Sept. 26 when Alvin broke his hand during football practice
at the University of Virginia. "It was the inaugural break in my
family," he said.
Pearman, named a second-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting
News in 2001, reacted with his customary calmness. He didn't curse his
fate, didn't pout, didn't wallow in self-pity.
U.Va. coach Al Groh said Pearman has "been like, 'Hey, look, this
is what happened, but it's not going to ruin my season.'"
The injury kept the 5-10, 194-pound tailback out of the Sept. 28
game at Wake Forest. A week later, though, Pearman returned, with a
cast on his hand, to face Duke in Durham, N.C. At halftime, he had one
carry, for a 2-yard loss, and no receptions. But his role was about to
grow.
Tailback Wali Lundy seemed a step slow, and the Cavaliers and the
Blue Devils were tied. So at halftime, during the long walk from the
visitors' locker room to the field, Groh pulled Pearman aside.
"I said, 'I need you in there. Now, can you handle the ball here
with that thing on? I got a lot of confidence in you, but you got to
tell me the truth,'" Groh recalled. "And he said, 'Coach, I can handle
the ball.'"
Pearman backed up his words, and U.Va. won 27-22. He netted only 11
yards on nine second-half rushes, but he never fumbled, and he scored
Virginia's final touchdown. More important, perhaps, were Pearman's
contributions on two pass plays.
On the first, he caught a short pass from quarterback Matt Schaub
and eluded two would-be tacklers for a 33-yard gain. One play later,
U.Va. scored a touchdown to take the lead for good.
On the second, Pearman took a handoff, started toward the line,
wheeled around and pushed the ball back to Schaub. This flea flicker
calls for an underhanded flip from the tailback, but with a broken
hand, sometimes a guy's got to improvise.
"He made a good chest pass," said Schaub, who caught it and hit
Michael McGrew for a 54-yard gain to the Duke 2. Pearman then
collected his third rushing TD of the season.
Pearman, who with 371 yards was the first true freshman to lead
U.Va. in rushing since 1986, probably expected to be a starter this
season, too. But a hamstring injury slowed him during training camp,
and redshirt sophomore Marquis Weeks got the call against Colorado
State on opening night.
Lundy, a true freshman, replaced Weeks on the second series, and
Pearman didn't get his first carry until the second quarter. Still, he
finished with 54 yards rushing and 60 receiving.
"I know how important it is to have a lot of good tailbacks on your
team that can carry the load," Pearman said.
Lundy was part of a heralded recruiting class that included several
touted tailbacks. Pearman welcomed the influx of talent at his
position, one reason Groh likes him so much.
"I think players clearly realize that if you want to be on a good
team, there are going to be other good players on the team," Groh
said.
Pearman, 20, is the Cavaliers' second-leading rusher, with 205
yards on 44 carries. He also has 10 catches for 117 yards. At the end
of close games, look for No. 21 on the field.
"I have a lot of confidence in Alvin Pearman," Groh said.
Broken hand and all. |
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