Al Groh has made no secret he prefers tight ends that can become playmakers in his pro-style offense. On Tuesday, Groh’s Virginia program went out and got another one.
The Cavaliers plucked one of the top 20 tight ends in the country from the heart of SEC country by gaining a commitment from Tom Santi, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder from Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tenn. Santi chose UVa over LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Iowa, Georgia Tech, Stanford and Colorado.
Meanwhile, Virginia reportedly added a commitment from Jamal Jackson, a 6-3, 200 wide receiver/defensive back from Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake. However, when reached Wednesday afternoon, Deep Creek coach David Cox said he could not confirm the commitment.
Santi is ranked the fourth-best tight end in the nation by SuperPrep, which rated him as a preseason all-America candidate. Rivals currently ranks him No. 17 among the country’s top tight ends.
“Tom can run, a guy that you can move around and line up on the inside or the outside and really stretch the defense,” said Jeff Rutledge, the coach at Montgomery Bell. “We throw the ball a lot around here and we motion him a lot and take advantage of getting mismatches. He is a good playmaker with good hands.”
Not only that, but Rutledge said one of the best things about Santi is what he does with the ball after he catches it. The big tight end, who has 4.55 speed, has the ability to run well and gain yards after the catch.
Rutledge knows a few things about the passing game. The former University of Alabama quarterback played in the NFL, where he met Groh, who was an assistant with the New York Giants. In fact, Groh tried to hired Rutledge as his offensive coordinator when he took the UVa job.
Rutledge said when he found out that academics were extremely important to Santi, who was interested in Stanford and UVa, he told the tight end that he knew Groh. The coach sent a tape to Groh and soon, UVa assistant coach Andy Heck was on a plane to Nashville to see Santi in person.
“Tom is just a great person,” said Rutledge. “He’s a good athlete who plays three sports [including centerfield in basebal]. He’s football smart and academically smart [more than 1400 on his SAT]. He comes from a great family.”
Rutledge said that he knew Santi would like UVa once he visited the campus.
“Once he met Coach Groh, I think that sealed it,” Rutledge said.
Santi cannot officially sign until February.
Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that if the BCS computers
are right and TCU is the 14th-best team in the country, then I’ll eat the
paper this column is written on …
Meanwhile, Florida State’s coaching staff is still feeling lucky that the
Seminoles escaped Charlottesville with a win last weekend, a 19-14 thriller-diller.
“I’m not sure our players understood how big that game was,” said FSU
defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews. “You probably had more coaches excited
about that win than some of our players.”
Virginia’s coaching staff stunned FSU’s coaches who had prepared all week to
stop the Cavaliers’ running game. UVa coach Al Groh had noticed how Miami
couldn’t run against FSU and figured the best way to move the ball against the
Seminoles was to use a stream of horizontal passes – screens and short passes
– against the nation’s then top-ranked defense.
“Their running plays were evidently those flare passes and what we call dart
passes or angle passes where the running back starts in the flats and breaks
over the middle,” said Andrews. “Their whole thing was like, ‘We’re going to
isolate and attack the linebackers in man or zone.”
It took FSU’s coaches a long time to make adjustments but held UVa down the
last quarter and a half, although he admitted an untimely bad snap could have
changed things at the end.
UVa prepared a brilliant game plan that caught the Seminoles out of position
most of the game, a plan that Andrews said future FSU opponents will likely
borrow from Virginia’s playbook.
No huddle disappeared. Florida State went heavy with the I-formation
instead of its famous, no-huddle, shotgun formation against Virginia. No, the
Seminoles weren’t concerned that the Cavaliers were stealing their plays, as
they did against Clemson.
Instead, Bowden felt that was the best way for his offense to move.
“A lot of it is we can’t hear very well,” Bobby Bowden said to being on the
road, particularly at a noisy environment like a cranked-up Scott Stadium.
“And of course, at the end we were trying to run down the clock.
“We felt like it was the best way to move … Virginia was determined not to let
us throw deep,” Bowden said. “They’re stubborn on that, which enabled us to
run the ball more.”
World traveler
N.C. State AD Lee Fowler said that adding Boston to the ACC will be a nice
cultural addition to the league. Fowler added a story about his first trip to
Boston as an 18-year-old athlete in the 1970s to show how the travel can add
to a youngster’s education.
“I was not well-traveled at that point of my life,” Fowler said. “I was eating
breakfast and I asked a waitress in Boston if I could have country ham. She
wanted to know what country I wanted it from.
“It was at that time that I discovered I needed to learn more about America,
and I think our student-athletes are going to do that.”
In the wings. Groh said that even though there’s a logjam
of hopeful quarterbacks waiting in the wings behind Matt Schaub, that they’re
getting plenty of work during practice.
Sophomore Marques Hagans, Schaub’s backup, naturally gets work in case he has
to fill in for the starter. But how about redshirt freshman Anthony Martinez,
true freshman Kevin McCabe, and sophomore transfer Chris Olsen?
“There’s plenty to go around for all of them plus there’s drill work,” Groh
said during the ACC coaches teleconference on Wednesday. “We coach every
player from the bottom of the roster on up as if he’s going to play in the
game on Saturday. That’s player development.”
Olsen, of course, is the latest addition to the QB position. He transferred to
UVa from Notre Dame just prior to the season. So, how is the former Irish QB?
“I think he will be a very viable contender for the job [next season],” Groh
said. “He has field awareness and plenty of steam on the ball. He will be a
third year player, so should have plenty of maturity.”
Catching JoePa. Penn State coach Joe Paterno sent Bowden a
letter of congratulations when the FSU coach garnered his 300th career win.
Now that Bowden has caught Paterno in the race for the most Division I-A wins
in history, Bowden may send JoePa another letter.
“The fact I have tied Joe, I don’t get excited about that,” Bowden said.
“That’s not a big deal to me. I’m thrilled to be with Joe. I’ll probably write
Joe a note or something.”
Short yardage. …Virginia’s Tony Franklin is currently
ranked No. 8 nationally in kickoff returns after his performance against
Florida State (four returns, 114 yards, including a 43-yarder). …Incidentally,
Groh said he has no intentions of moving Franklin, an up and coming
cornerback, to another position and loves the way the Ohio speedster has the
courage to return kickoffs: “Some guys aren’t willing to run the ball full
speed into the briar patch,” Groh said.
… Asked by a caller during his weekly radio show why fans wearing neckties to
the games don’t yell as loud as people who don’t, Groh responded: “Pavlov
identification with the necktie.” …The Wahoos, by the way, are ranked No. 53
in the Colley Rankings (a BCS-style computer poll), 13 spots ahead of Troy
State. …N.C. State’s Phillip Rivers is 361 yards shy of becoming the first
player in ACC history to post three seasons of 3,000 (or more) passing yards.
…Wake threw only four passes against Duke in last week’s 42-13 win, the fewest
by the Deacs since a three-pass game vs. Carolina in 1971. …UVa’s two TDs
against FSU were among only six scored against the Seminoles’ defense in seven
games this season. …Over the Noles’ last four games, wide receiver Craphonso
Thorpe is averaging 30.8 yards per catch, and by the way, who would name their
son Craphonso?
…If Schaub were eligible, he would rank No. 2 in the ACC in passing efficiency
with a 143.01 mark (No. 24 nationally), and has thrown for 1,207 yards in his
last four games. Schaub will become eligible statistically after this
weekend’s game. …Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen has tied former N.C. State
coach Lou Holtz and former Clemson coach Danny Ford for the most wins by an
ACC coach in their third season with 26, and will subsequently break that
record with the Terps’ next win.
…UVa’s Heath Miller is currently second in the nation among tight ends with
catches (39) and third in yards (387). …N.C. State’s T.A. McClendon is
practicing after getting work on his knee earlier this week and it could be a
game-time decision if he plays this week against Duke. …Meanwhile, Wolfpack
backup offensive guard Ashley Wingate is out for the rest of the season after
breaking his leg in a wreck last Friday night. …Georgia Tech has finished its
11-game schedule for next year, adding Div. I-AA Samford to go with UConn and
Georgia as its nonconference foes. …Tech’s game with Maryland tonight will
mark the Jackets’ 16th game on ESPN’s Thursday night’s showcase (the most by
any school)…Their record? 7-8.
The picks. Last week: 3-1. To date: 34-12. This week: Clemson 33, UNC 14; N.C. State 36, Duke 10; Florida State 37, Wake 13; Maryland 28, Georgia Tech 23; Virginia 42, Troy State 10 … Bonus picks, the “new” ACC: Virginia Tech 28, WVU 14; Notre Dame 27, BC 24.
Mountaineers, fans make loud statement
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - As their fans chanted "ACC" and several derivatives, the last thing West Virginia's football players had on their minds late Wednesday night was conference affiliation.
"That has nothing to do with us," said senior tailback Quincy Wilson after the Mountaineers' 28-7 upset of third-ranked Virginia Tech. "We just play who's on our schedule. I see where they're on the schedule for the next two years and it's not like we're not ever, ever going to play them again.
"We don't worry about the off-the-field stuff. We just worry about what's between the white lines."
Nevertheless, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez thought the Mountaineers made a statement for the Big East, which will lose Virginia Tech and Miami after this year and Boston College at some undetermined time.
"I think it helps us from a program standpoint because, with this ACC-Big East thing, there was a thought that there wasn't going to be any good football left when Tech and Miami leave," Rodriguez said.
"I said at the time, 'Well, I think we'll be all right.' And, I think there are going to be some other teams left in our league who can play pretty good football."
West Virginia (3-4, 2-1 Big East) had not played particularly well in its first six games, one reason the Mountaineers were 14-point underdogs against a team they had beaten in Blacksburg last year.
The Mountaineers had showed signs of life in a 22-20 loss at second-ranked Miami, where the Hurricanes kicked a field goal in the final minute. Until Wednesday night, however, they were 0-22 against teams ranked Nos.1, 2 or 3.
Rodriguez thought Tech (6-1, 2-1) might have regained the momentum with a 50-yard fumble return that trimmed WVU's lead to 14-7 at the half, but the Mountaineers enjoyed a dramatic turnaround when Travis Garvin caught a 93-yard touchdown pass from Rasheed Marshall with 10:56 remaining in the third quarter.
From watching film, the WVU coaching staff felt the Hokies might be vulnerable to the long ball.
"They gave us what we wanted," Garvin said. "They had a safety [Michael Crawford] come over the top of me. Usually, when he does that, he's blitzing. This time, he came over the top of me and he was man-up. He didn't have any help.
"Coach Rodriguez told Rasheed, if he saw that, to take a chance. It was there two or three other times. One time the protection broke down or Rasheed just missed it, but we'd been working on it all week and it paid off."
Garvin gave credit to a crowd of 56,319 that was less than capacity but gave the Mountaineers their full attention. Rodriguez said Tech may have fumbled three center-quarterback exchanges because of the crowd noise.
"My ears are still ringing," said Garvin, a senior. "I love the West Virginia fans. They kept us in the game and kept them out of the game."
Turnover turnabout plaguing Cavaliers
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES
CHARLOTTESVILLE - In most cases, three turnovers in two games would not be
considered excessive. Yet, turnovers were on Virginia coach Al Groh's mind after
the Cavaliers' back-to-back losses to Clemson and Florida State.
That's turnovers created, not turnovers committed.
In Groh's first two seasons as Virginia's head football coach, the Cavaliers
forced at least one turnover in 25 of 26 games. Already this season, Virginia
has failed to cause a turnover in two games, including a 19-14 setback Saturday
against Florida State.
Virginia was 15th among 117 Division I-A teams in turnover margin in 2002. This
year, the Cavaliers are 70th, and that includes a 59-16 victory at Western
Michigan, where the Broncos had six turnovers and UVa had none.
In the last four games, Virginia has 10 turnovers, compared to five for the
opposition.
"That's one of the more significant differences in the two seasons," said Groh,
whose team sits at 4-3 after going 9-5 last season. "I hope we can reverse this
trend here as the season goes on, but, the second year we were at New England,
our team rapidly progressed faster than outsiders had expected [as it did at UVa].
"We progressed from a 5-11 year the first year to a playoff team the second
year. That year, we also led the NFL in takeaways. With many of the same players
coming back and the same drills and the same emphasis, our takeaways dropped off
significantly in the third year. That wasn't the only reason we didn't make the
playoffs that year, but it was a contributing factor.
"The fourth year, they went up dramatically and we were in the Super Bowl."
UVa fans thought that Cavaliers' safety Jermaine Hardy had an interception on a
spectacular one-handed catch late in the third quarter Saturday, but it was
ruled that he did not have possession. Instead of taking over at the FSU 33-yard
line, the Cavaliers got the ball at the 46 following a punt and were unable to
pick up a first down.
"If you have a TV copy of the game, why don't you watch it and write what you
think?" Groh said. "He made a heckuva play. If we had gotten that one, we almost
immediately would have been in point-scoring range."
RECRUITING: Groh said that more than 100 prospects attended the game as UVa's
guests, including close to a dozen who were on official visits, a practice that
was frowned upon by predecessor George Welsh.
"Actually, it's a lot easier when you have a night game," Groh said. "There are
plenty of things that are important to the official visit that a night game
gives you the opportunity to do - overall tour of the university; meeting with
the academic people; time spent with players, particularly those who aren't
involved in a game."
Groh said the Cavaliers had received three or four silent commitments, "but I
really don't put much stock in silent commitments. That's like when you call the
hotel ahead of time and guarantee the room with a credit card. It doesn't mean
you're going to stay there."
BY THE NUMBERS: In its three losses, Virginia has been outgained 435-92 in the
fourth quarter, including 289-(minus 11) on the ground. Groh attributed some of
that to the kind of depth that allowed Florida State to sub for its defensive
tackles after every three plays. The two defensive ends in UVa's 3-4 defense,
Chris Canty and Brennan Schmidt, each played 71 of a possible 72 scrimmage
plays.
ODDS 'N' ENDS: Virginia's Nov.1 game at N.C. State will be televised by WSET
with a kickoff of 3:30 p.m. ... Tailback Wali Lundy was walking without great
discomfort after missing the Florida State game with a sprained foot but said he
would prefer to be 100 percent when he returns. ... Tight end Patrick Estes was
wearing a brace on his right knee Monday. Estes' unavailability late Saturday
caused UVa to use Kase Luzar in two-tight end situations, with Brandon Isaiah
taking Luzar's regular spot at fullback. Isaiah had a 12-yard reception on
fourth-and-one prior to UVa's second touchdown. ... Groh said that redshirt
freshman Kenneth Tynes, recently reinstated after a six-game disciplinary
suspension, is getting a crash course at safety. Tynes was an offensive player
exclusively at Centreville High School.
Hokies’ heartbreak will burn in Blacksburg for quite a while
Tom Robinson
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 23, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.
It all disappeared for Virginia Tech on Wednesday, in a town where they light
stuff on fire just to watch it burn.
The Hokies’ aspirations for their first national football championship almost
certainly sit today among the charred furniture that, if West Virginia’s
pyromania majors had anything to say about it, surely smolders in Morgantown’s
streets.
Virginia Tech was soundly whipped Wednesday night by the Mountaineers.
Throttled, by a fearless 2-4 team, to the tune of 28-7, a result that in every
way tells the depths of misery, confusion and frustration that befell the Hokies
on this harshest of nights.
From start to finish, Tech played as off-key as you can imagine a Frank Beamer
team playing with things on the line. Things like its unbeaten season. Its No. 3
ranking. Its return trip to the Sugar Bowl to play for the title that eluded the
Hokies there against Florida State four seasons ago.
The monumental showdown with Miami next weekend in Blacksburg was going to
decide all that. Tech may recover. It may still handle the Hurricanes. But any
trip to N’awlins in the Hokies’ future will be on their own nickel.
The litany of Tech’s mistakes goes on and on, from the fumbled snap on the
game’s first play, to DeAngelo Hall’s frustrated personal foul in the end zone
following West Virginia’s clinching touchdown. It was among Tech’s 13 penalties
for a ridiculous 116 yards.
Quarterback Bryan Randall threw three interceptions, tossed one pitchout behind
running back Kevin Jones and was sacked four times by a defense that overpowered
Tech’s front line.
Meanwhile, the compilation of West Virginia’s stunning excellence, certainly the
fruit of its confidence from a near-miss loss to Miami three weeks ago, goes
equally as far the other way.
West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez emptied his tool box early, unveiling not
only his usual no-huddle stuff, but quick snaps and strange skeleton pass plays,
wherein the Mountaineers linemen froze while their quarterback rolled out and
threw.
Quincy Wilson, the Mountaineers’ cinder block of a running back, tore up the
Hokies for 178 yards on 33 carries. And in a terribly swift blow for Tech,
quarterback Rasheed Marshall, barely a 46-percent passer, hit Travis Garvin in
stride down the middle of Tech’s secondary just after halftime.
It went for a 93-yard scoring play, only the longest in the history of
Mountaineer Stadium. Only a killing big play that quickly rectified the
Mountaineers’ lone mistake — Wilson’s fumble at the end of the first half that
the Hokies returned for their only touchdown.
The tendency is to say Virginia Tech’s soft schedule bit the Hokies where it
hurts on the occasion of their first true test this season. Hokies everywhere
get their backs up at the mention of this, but the fact remains Tech had routed
its first six opponents by an average score of 45-15.
Of course, that was eerily close to the track Tech traveled to the Sugar Bowl at
the end of the ’99 season. After six games that season, the Hokies had trampled
a bevy of toothless opponents by 43-8 on average.
Any further plans to copy that blueprint died on the Morgantown turf, where, in
an ugly scene, pepper spray flew long after the game as police defended the goal
posts against the hordes with destructive intent.
“We knew a lot of people were talking about Miami-Virginia Tech, Miami-Virginia
Tech,’’ Rodriguez said. “Somehow, West Virginia was forgotten about a little
bit.’’
No chance of that now. This heartbreak will burn in Blacksburg a long time.
Hokies doomed to repeat history of past Top 10 teams
By David Teel
Published October 23, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Ten times in less than two months. That's not a trend or
pattern. That's an epidemic.
Ten times this college football season an unranked team had defeated a top-10
opponent, confounding pollsters and BCS computers alike. Ten times this season
national-title hopes vanished at the most unexpected times.
Virginia Tech didn't learn. Their minds apparently fixated on a game 10 days
away, the Hokies were completely unprepared Wednesday and paid a fair price.
West Virginia 28, Virginia Tech 7.
Make that 11 crash-and-burns for top-10 squads, and the third-ranked Hokies' may
have been the ugliest.
Botched assignments, uninspired efforts, foolish penalties, frequent turnovers.
So much for that epic encounter Nov. 1 against No. 2 Miami. So much for
national-title hopes.
Instead, a humbling evening. Instead, reminders of 2002's late-season collapse.
Virginia Tech, the Big East's last-penalized team, committed 13 fouls (several
others were declined). West Virginia, the conference's worst pass-rushing team,
sacked Bryan Randall four times and pressured him into four turnovers.
Virginia Tech, the Big East's No. 1 rush defense, allowed 264 yards on the
ground (three times its average) and 11 runs of 10 or more yards. West
Virginia's Rasheed Marshall, the conference bottom feeder in completion
percentage, went 7-for-14 and threw a 93-yard TD pass in the third quarter.
Get the picture? The game mocked expectations.
But just when you were convinced of the Hokies' doom, convinced they would join
Southern California and Michigan as No. 3 teams to lose to unranked opponents
...
Vincent Fuller had just run into kicker Brad Cooper on a failed field-goal
attempt late in the second quarter. The 5-yard mark-off gave the Mountaineers a
first down at Tech's 25, and if they punch one in there, this baby is over.
But on the next snap, Hokies linebacker Vegas Robinson recovered a Quincy Wilson
fumble and rumbled 18 yards to midfield before fumbling himself. Fuller scooped
up the loose ball and sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown that drew Tech within
14-7.
Was Robinson down before fumbling? Did Tech get a gift?
Darn close. Didn't matter.
Lucky to be within seven at the half, the Hokies (6-1) remained in a fog
throughout the second half. Marshall's 93-yarder to Travis Garvin early in the
third quarter was the dagger, after which Tech players began embarrassing
themselves.
Receiver Ernest Wilford committed a personal foul. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall
(talks too much, plays too little) tackled Marshall long after Marshall crossed
the goal line for West Virginia's fourth touchdown, a cheap shot that drew a
flag.
And to think, pregame hype centered on possible nastiness from West Virginia
fans angered by Tech's defection to the ACC. Would they hurl insults or
Duracells?
So concerned were Tech fans that many stayed away. So concerned were West
Virginia officials that they issued a "code of conduct" this week.
Also, the Morgantown Department of Public Works collected couches and other
upholstered furniture from selected front porches, lest they have a repeat of
last season, when students used old couches as kindling for dozens of bonfires
following West Virginia's victory at Virginia Tech.
Well, spectators inside Mountaineer Field appeared to be on their best behavior
- until pouring onto the playing surface as the clock expired. Outside? Here's
guessing a few fires were set.
A few (figurative) fires need to be set inside Tech's locker room. WVU (3-4) may
have extended Miami to the buzzer on the road, but there's no sugarcoating the
Mountaineers' losing record.
Tech rose to No. 3 in the polls last season, too, before losing four of its last
five regular-season games. Is this squad headed for a repeat? Will a closing
stretch of Miami, Pitt, Temple, Boston College and Virginia. relegate the Hokies
to a second-tier bowl and usher them out of the national rankings?
Fair questions after a foul performance.
Hokies can say goodbye to sweet dreams after loss
PAUL WOODY
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Oct 23, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. The Virginia Tech Hokies had planned to go to bed with visions
of the Sugar Bowl dancing in their heads. Now, it looks like the Orange or Gator
bowl instead.
If things don't get worse before they get better.
The West Virginia Mountaineers pulled off a stunning trifecta last night. They
severely damaged the national championship aspirations of the Hokies. They
prevented what could have been the biggest game in the history of Virginia
college football (Miami at Virginia Tech, hoping to be ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in
the country on Nov. 2). And they ruined what would have been a ratings bonanza
for ESPN on that first Saturday in November.
The Hokies arrived here ranked third in the polls and in the Bowl Championship
Series ratings. They left badly beaten. In fact, the Mountain- eers looked more
like a top-10 team than the Hokies.
After all, the Mountaineers were the ones with the 93-yard touchdown pass play,
the longest in the history of Mountaineer Field. The Mountaineers were the ones
who forced turnover after turnover. The Mountaineers were the ones who displayed
their special teams expertise, cleverly quick kicking once and ripping off
several long returns. The Mountaineers were the ones who had running back Quincy
Wilson bounce off a tackler and go about 10 yards backwards on the way to a
21-yard gain.
The Hokies were disappointed, but they shouldn't have been completely surprised.
All the signs were there for this outcome.
Before last night, West Virginia held a 27-20-1 advantage in this series. The
Mountaineers won 21-18 last year in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is 8-15 against
the Mountaineers in Morgantown.
Those factors were too much to be overcome by the Hokies' 6-4 record on
Wednesdays and their 23-4 record in games televised by ESPN.
The question of the night wasn't so much how the Hokies had come into the game
6-0 as it was how West Virginia was just 2-4?
The evening started badly for the Hokies when quarterback Bryan Randall fumbled
the first snap of the game. He recovered and even led the Hokies on a 49-yard
drive to the West Virginia 25.
Then, things began to unravel for Virginia Tech. Randall, rolling to his left,
tried to fit a pass into an opening only to experience the worst kind of dej?
vu. Mountaineers cornerback Brian King closed quickly on the ball and made an
interception.
Last year in Blacksburg, King intercepted a Randall pass in the end zone with 12
seconds left to seal the Mountaineers victory.
After that, WVU running backs Wilson and Kay-Jay Harris burst through the line
and broke through Hokies tacklers. The Mountaineers were the ones who protected
quarterback Rasheed Marshall long enough to let him air out a pass about 40
yards and hit a wide-open Travis Garvin in stride. Garvin then outran two Hokies
defenders to complete that 93-yard touchdown play.
For the Hokies, the season could get very difficult now. They have time to
regroup, but the first team they face after the regrouping process is Miami,
currently ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Hurricanes will have had two weeks to
prepare for the Hokies.
Yikes.
After that game, the Hokies travel to Pittsburgh, and few coaches seem to have a
handle on how to handle the Hokies better than the Panthers coach Walt Harris.
Pitt also has a potent passing game, something that seems to cause major
headaches for Virginia Tech.
Hokies coach Frank Beamer celebrated his 57th birthday Saturday. He'd best not
think too long about what happened last night or what awaits the Hokies the next
two weeks. Otherwise, he'll start to feel as if he's about 107.
It's two in hand for Cavs
Highly-touted tight end Tom Santi says he'll play at Virginia
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 23, 2003
The University of Virginia has picked up two more football commitments for 2004,
including one from a player who ranks among the nation's top prep tight ends.
Tom Santi, a 6-5, 220-pound senior at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville,
Tenn., chose U.Va. over Tennessee, Stanford, Iowa, LSU and Auburn. Santi had
scholarship offers from "just about everybody," Montgomery Bell coach Jeff
Rutledge said.
The Cavaliers reportedly also received a commitment from Jamaal Jackson, a 6-3,
200-pound senior who plays safety and split end for Deep Creek High in
Chesapeake.
Jackson, an excellent student who also had an offer from Syracuse, visited U.Va.
last weekend, as did Santi. Jackson had been hoping for an offer from Virginia,
and he got it during his stay in Charlottesville.
Deep Creek coach David Cox said yesterday afternoon, though, that no one from
U.Va. had called him to say Jackson had committed or even received a scholarship
offer.
A former NFL quarterback, Rutledge knows Virginia coach Al Groh well. Rutledge
was a Vanderbilt assistant in January 2001 when he turned down an offer to
become U.Va.'s offensive coordinator.
Santi has a 3.9 grade-point average, Rutledge said, and scored around 1,400 on
the SAT. Rutledge said he called Groh to recommend Santi to the Cavaliers.
"I knew what Tom was looking for in a school, and Virginia was the first one I
thought of," Rutledge said.
Montgomery Bell, which won a state title in 2002, is a perennial power in
Tennessee that is unbeaten and ranked No. 11 nationally this week by USA Today.