Snap decision pays off
Tyrus Gardner chooses to go to UVa without a scholarship and follow a line of Southwest Virginia long-snappers.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Somewhere in a place like Riner or Ridgeway or Meadows of Dan, an eighth- or ninth-grader is learning a craft that one day could give him an upside-down look at Virginia's Scott Stadium.

Southwest Virginia has become a cradle of Cavalier long-snappers, with Shawsville's Ryan Childress having passed the torch to Wytheville's Tyrus Gardner. Gardner was a first-team All-Group A linebacker and the Region C Defensive Player of the Year at George Wythe High School in 2002. He had 187 tackles but did not gain a Division I-A scholarship offer or the hint of much I-AA money.

Because Gardner also had the ability to snap for punts and field goals, he drew the nonscholarship interest of Virginia and Virginia Tech.

"It was a toss-up between [UVa] and Tech," Gardner said. "We're a lot closer to Tech [geographically]. I grew up watching and being around Hokies."

Gardner's mother played in the band at Tech and a younger brother, Jacob, is a walk-on freshman football player for the Hokies.

"My dad liked UVa," Gardner said, "but he didn't really favor Tech or UVa."

As a redshirt, Gardner worked with the Virginia linebackers last year before switching to fullback, catching a pass for 10 yards in UVa's spring game.

"When I first came here as an outside linebacker, I learned the whole defense," said Gardner, a 6-foot-2, 235-pounder. "Then, my second week, when they asked me to move to fullback, I learned the whole offense."

Gardner lifts weights with the UVa fullbacks and linebackers and has seen a dramatic increase in his strength, "but, even if he was in line to play another position, I know they don't want to see him get hurt," George Wythe coach Donnie Pruitt said Tuesday.

Gardner did not go to UVa with any promises and there was stiff competition for the long-snapping job between Gardner, senior Justin Markey and another Southwest Virginian, walk-on freshman Jackson Andrews from North Cross.

Zac Yabrough, who snaps for field goals and extra points, was another possibility. However, Yarbrough also starts at center for the Cavaliers and his fingers and hands frequently require taping.

The competition came down to Gardner and Markey "and Gardner was a little faster," UVa coach Al Groh said. "When Justin started to get the ball back there a little faster, Tyrus rose to the challenge."

Gardner's father, Joe, has been the George Wythe offensive coordinator since the late 1970s ("I don't touch the offense," Pruitt said) and started to work with Tyrus as a deep-snapper in the ninth grade. By the next season, he was a regular.

"I knew it would get me a job," Tyrus said.

When Gardner came to UVa for a visit, he was escorted by star tight end Heath Miller from Honaker, another Group A outpost.

"It's every single-A coach's dream to have a kid play at that level," Pruitt said. "He could be doing that for four years."

Pruitt had been to all of Virginia's home games before the Cavaliers played Clemson on Thursday night, and Tyrus' dad went to UVa's lone road game, at Temple. Even Kathy Gardner, who has battled cancer on and off since her boys were in high school, has found the strength to attend several UVa games.

"I'm sure it's on their minds a lot," Pruitt said. "It's on everybody's up here."

Virginia's offensive dominance in its first five games has been a good news-bad news situation for Gardner and his Wythe County support team. UVa is tied for third among 118 Division I-A teams with fewest punts attempted, 12, and no team has had fewer punts returned, one.

As he continues to point toward his first tackle, Gardner can take small satisfaction in having downed a punt against Akron.

"We had five or six punts against Akron, so I was on the field a lot," Gardner said, "but, really, it's best if you're not punting."

Not if you're a fan of the long-snapper.

This time, Haley will play
UVa football
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - An impending visit to Florida State shows how far Virginia football player Dennis Haley has come in his career and not just because, at 831 miles, it's the longest trip on the Cavaliers' schedule.

On his only previous trip to Florida State, Haley was getting off the bus outside Doak Campbell Stadium when he was told that he was academically ineligible. Haley, who had started against Colorado State in the opening game of the 2002 season, did not come off suspension until the second game of the 2003 season.

"I was ready to play at Florida State; it was only about 30 minutes before we took the field," said Haley, a fifth-year linebacker from Salem High School. "Whatever you could imagine my reaction was, that's what it was.

"That was the best thing and the worst thing to happen to me. The worst thing was that I couldn't play football. The best thing was that I had a year to sit back and look at what I needed to do to get straightened out."

Haley regained his eligibility, graduated in four years and has become a full-time starter for the first time.

Last Thursday night, Haley had a team-high nine tackles - nobody else had more than five - in the Cavaliers' 30-10 victory over Clemson.

"That was my best one," said Haley, who ranks third on the team in tackles, trailing only Ahmad Brooks and an injured Chris Canty. "Early in the week, Coach [Al] Groh said he had expectations for everybody on the team and he wanted me to raise my game. I told him that I would. I saw it as a time for me to step up."

Haley also had two pass breakups, although Groh said one of them could have yielded an interception.

"He hadn't mentioned that to me," Haley said, "but I think he's on the same page that I'm on. A breakup was good, but a turnover would have been even better."

Then-freshman Darryl Blackstock took over for Haley in 2002, with Haley not regaining a starting job until he stepped in this year for Raymond Mann, a senior on the 2003 team.

"Dennis did a nice job the other night," Groh said. "He was around the ball quite a bit. He had a real good breakup. If he had made an interception, it would have been a dramatic one, with a lot of runback attached to it.

"It was real good play, not to minimize it, but it was not a great play. We're going to need some great plays in this stretch coming up. Certainly, this is the most minutes he's gotten and he's had five good, solid games. It should give him a lot of confidence."

Snelling out

Groh said that No. 1 fullback Jason Snelling is unlikely to play in the near future as the result of an ankle injury suffered early Thursday, which leaves fifth-year senior Brandon Isaiah as the starter and true freshman Kevin Bradley as the backup. Bradley has not played to date.

It will be the first career start for Isaiah, who has enjoyed his best season, according to Groh.

Quote-unquote

Groh on a five-catch, 83-yard night by sophomore wide receiver Deyon Williams: "He had a very good week of practice. He's starting to get a little picture of what might be out there for him. He can get a lot done. He's a size, speed guy who's got toughness [and] wants the ball."

Odds and ends

Freshman defensive end Chris Long, slated for increased playing time after Canty's injury, did not dress Thursday as the result of mononucleosis. ... Game time for the Cavaliers' game Oct. 23 at Duke has been set for 1 p.m. The game won't be televised.

Perspective Piece ... Virginia vs. Florida State
By Matthew Zemek | Virginia | Florida State

This Saturday, there’s a showdown at the Doak Campbell Corral. A gunslinger named Wyatt (no, not Earp; Sexton) will stare down this ACC bad boy coming its way: the Virginia Cavaliers.

Wisconsin-Purdue will be a huge collision of unbeatens, and Arizona State’s foray to LA has more than a little intrigue, but this tussle in Tallahassee has that grim, nasty edge that makes it the game of the week in college football.

Like any showdown Wyatt Earp faced in the tumbleweeds of the Old Southwest—dramatized in more than a few Westerns over the years—this game between the Hoos and the Noles has that bitter quality to it, spiced with some history, that makes it a particularly fascinating attraction. Any meeting between two battle-scarred cowboys is all about respect and dignity, a deathmatch that maximizes manhood for the winner.

Ladies and gents, we have that kind of matchup in Virginia-Florida State.

For the visiting Cavaliers, a lofty ranking and ample buzz—entities that existed plentifully last year, before it went belly-up—accompany Al Groh’s team into the Florida panhandle. But with the positive publicity comes the ever-present reality that a loss will pop the balloon and release all the old demons out of a pigskin pandora’s box. After punting last year in Charlottesville on 4th and 2 from the Seminole 39 in the middle of a tight game, Groh might have learned something about the dangers of eschewing risk-taking. In Tallahassee, Groh will need to bring his A-game to the sidelines if he and his hyped Hoos expect to win in a place where the Cavs have never excelled since FSU joined the ACC.
But this, of all years, might be the perfect time for the visitors to win in Doak Campbell. Florida State is not the Florida State the college football world is used to seeing. Quarterbacking has been a disaster for the Bowden family this year (Bobby and Jeff have seen the position consistently deteriorate, year by year, since Chris Weinke’s departure), as the Noles’ firepower has been so thoroughly crippled that a lousy (though gallant) Syracuse team outplayed and nearly beat FSU last weekend in upstate New York. With the Noles so totally paralyzed and limited on offense, Virginia might believe in Santa Claus once Wyatt (or maybe Chris Rix?) steps onto the field with a pop gun instead of a powerful pistol worthy of a real and rugged collegiate cowboy.

There’s reason for each team to project an air of both dismissiveness and fear going into this game, the very blend of feelings that occupy the minds of gunslingers when they lock eyes in a pre-death staredown.

In terms of dismissiveness, Virginia might inwardly sneer when contemplating FSU’s quarterbacks; FSU might derisively snort when reading about the Cavs’ yet-undeserved adulation from the national media.

And as for the “fear factor” in this contest, Virginia might very well fear the ghosts of Doak Campbell Stadium and an intimidating and jacked-up road environment; FSU, on the other hand, might fear the ferocity of a Virginia defense that could make this game a bloodbath favoring the visitors.

Cue up the Ennio Morricone theme music, folks: it’s a nasty Atlantic Coast showdown that’s Southwestern in flavor. We have a Wyatt with a gun, a lot of nastiness in the air, reputations and manhood squarely on the line, and a lot of fear and doubt behind it all.

Virginia-Florida State. Let the staredown begin.

Cavaliers think they can
Two years ago, Virginia was no match for Florida State. But the Cavaliers believe they are a different team now.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published October 13, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It was over long before Chief Osceola planted his flaming spear into Doak Campbell Stadium's turf, the traditional signal that gametime has arrived. Florida State, its roster stockpiled with strength and speed, was a contender. Virginia, with 19 freshmen on its two-deep, was in the toddler stages of the Al Groh Era.

The final score: Florida State 40, Virginia 19. Even that 21-point margin didn't reflect the Seminoles' domination in a game they led 33-0 entering the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers were manhandled. Twelve players left the game with injuries. Two were lost for the season.

"When we went down there two years ago, they were just too much for us," running back Alvin Pearman said. "They were too big, too strong and too fast."

That day, Aug. 31, 2002, served as a Welcome to College Football Moment for a good number of Groh's players. And two years later, Virginia has transformed itself. Going into Saturday night's showdown at Doak Campbell, the No. 6 Cavaliers (5-0, 2-0 ACC) are the higher-ranked team. True, No. 7 FSU (4-1, 2-1) hasn't fallen off the college football map. But the gap between the programs isn't what it used to be.

Back then, Virginia was no match on either side of the ball. FSU's offensive line started four seniors and averaged 318 pounds a man. The Cavs' three-man front had two freshmen and a sophomore. If there was a single moment that typified the Seminoles' authority, it came when 250-pound running back Greg Jones flattened 226-pound rookie linebacker Darryl Blackstock on a sweep.

On offense, Virginia started five freshmen and two sophomores. Quarterback Marques Hagans, a redshirt freshman, was making his first start. FSU countered with a defense that started nine juniors and seniors, including current NFL players Michael Boulware and Darnell Dockett.

"On that particular day, Florida State was significantly bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced," Groh said. "By way of example, Brennan Schmidt, Darryl Blackstock, Kwakou Robinson, Wali Lundy and D'Brickashaw Ferguson - five (true) freshmen - were starting in that game. All of them will be starting again on Saturday significantly more developed than they were at that particular time."

Ferguson is the perfect example. Two years ago, he was a 265-pound rookie playing in his second game. Saturday, he will be a 295-pound junior starting his 33rd consecutive game. Blackstock goes 240 now, and he hasn't been leveled by a running back since.

And there's Hagans, who after outplaying Matt Schaub in the '02 season opener was moved to first team against FSU. Facing a defense that was far stronger and quicker than any he saw at Hampton High or Fork Union, Hagans completed only a 4-yard screen pass in seven attempts. He lasted six series before Schaub relieved him.

Today, Hagans is completing 70 percent of his throws and is fourth nationally in pass efficiency.

"He's doing a little bit better now than he did that day," Groh said.

Florida State's dominance up front against Virginia can be reflected by each team's rushing numbers. In their last three games against FSU, the Cavaliers have been outrushed 896-91, or 299-30 per game.

In last year's 19-14 loss in Charlottesville, the Cavs all but abandoned the run.

Of their 63 plays from scrimmage, seven were called runs (another two were sacks). U.Va. threw 54 passes, five short of the school record.

Virginia will at least begin Saturday night's game with a different philosophy. Behind a line that has a combined 123 starts, the Cavs' running game is ranked fifth nationally at 275 yards per game. No, Virginia hasn't faced a defense nearly as good as that of FSU, which is third against the run at 65.6 yards per game. But this time, the Cavs believe they're on equal footing.

"Within the last two years, whether through recruiting or development of the players we had, we've become a strong, physical, fast football team," Pearman said. "And we feel like we can compete with anybody right now."

Florida State still has its share of players who ran run. Tailbacks Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker have speed along the lines of Warrick Dunn. The runt of FSU's offensive line is 6-3, 299-pound tackle Bobby Meeks. The defense starts six seniors.

"The other team still looks big, fast, strong and experienced to me," Groh said. "That's the constant."

History isn't on Virginia's side.

The Cavs are 1-11 against FSU, its lone win coming in 1995. Virginia is 0-6 at Doak Campbell, where Florida State is 48-1 in ACC games. The Seminoles still have an aura that builds during pregame, peaks when Osceola buries his spear and continues for the next 31/2 hours.

But for Virginia, this is a new year.

"We were always kind of intimidated when we played them in the past," said center Zac Yarbrough, born and raised near Orlando.

"But we're trying to be of those teams now that everybody is intimidated by."

Zook, frat members in verbal spat
Knight Ridder News Service
Published on: 10/13/04
GAINESVILLE, Fla. —

Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley described a Sept. 16 incident involving Coach Ron Zook and several fraternity members as "unacceptable" on Tuesday.

According to a police report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, Zook was present at a confrontation between several football players and members of Pi Kappa Phi, who were arguing about a fight that occurred at 2 a.m.

The report provides witness testimony, which indicates Zook argued with members of the fraternity. Statements given by Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life Christopher Bullins, who witnessed the incident, are prominently mentioned in the report.

Zook denies making any threats.

"The whole situation is unacceptable," Foley told the Sentinel, adding he has dealt with the matter internally. "We've discussed that, and Coach Zook knows that. He shouldn't have had any conversations with anybody down there."

Police officers responded to a disturbance at Pi Kappa Phi at 9:45 p.m., two days before Florida played at Tennessee. The report states that the responding officer arrived at the house, where Zook, along with 10 to 15 football players, was discussing with fraternity members a fight that occurred early that morning.

Witnesses, including Bullins, said Zook made threatening comments about getting the fraternity kicked off campus, the report said. Bullins oversees the operations of 54 fraternities and sororities at Florida.

"I'm not going to let you take the (expletive) football team down," Zook told the frat members, according to a statement in the report provided by Bullins.

Zook, according to the statement, added, "I will do anything in my power to take this house down."

On Tuesday, Zook told the Sentinel he was not confrontational, and he never threatened any students.

"That's a bald-face lie," Zook told the Sentinel, who previously added that he warned his players to stay away from Pi Kappa Phi. "I'm not stupid. I didn't threaten anybody, and I wasn't confrontational. I was there to keep it from becoming confrontational."

The most recent incident took place as a result of the fight that occurred less than 24 hours before when three members of the fraternity were issued sworn complaints of disorderly conduct for their involvement in a scuffle with three football players outside the same fraternity house.

The football players — offensive linemen Steve Rissler, Billy Griffin and Drew Miller — were not charged.

"Sgt. (William) Ledger (the responding officer) informed me that Coach Zook and 10 to 15 football players came to Fraternity house and were discussing the events of the previous night," said the report, which was written by Officer Christopher Latimer.

Bullins, who told the officers he thought the situation was getting out of control, asked Zook and his players to leave, the report said. Bullins said Zook and his players started to comply when one of the players pointed out Jason Bailey, who was one of the fraternity members who was issued a sworn complaint the night before.

Mike Spiegler, the assistant athletics director of compliance, told police that Zook did not initiate the incident. Spiegler also said the conversation became very loud and everyone began to argue about the situation, the report said.

The report concludes by noting Zook did not commit any criminal acts outside the fraternity house.

Virginia's 1-2-3 punch
Lundy, Johnson and Pearman (nation's No.5 rush offense) vs. FSU (No.3 run defense)
By Jack Corcoran
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Nearly four years after leaving the New York Jets, Al Groh has Virginia on the verge of the school's best winning streak since 1952.

"The Jets can't afford to have two Curtis Martins on their team," Groh said. "It would be prohibited financially."

But Groh has been able to stockpile talent in the backfield at No.6 Virginia. Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman and Michael Johnson have shared the carries for the Cavaliers, who rank fifth in the country in rushing heading into Saturday's showdown at No.7 Florida State.

Virginia will be facing a ranked opponent for the first time this season. Temple, North Carolina, Akron, Syracuse and Clemson were each shredded on the ground by the Cavaliers, who have rushed for at least 225 yards in all five games while extending their overall winning streak to eight games. They are averaging 275 yards rushing per game.

Lundy has done much of the damage. He's rolled up 484 yards on 96 carries. Pearman and Johnson have combined for 540 yards on 89 attempts.

There's been enough carries to go around.

"First off, we're all extremely, extremely competitive athletes," Pearman said. "At the same time, we're very good friends. So with those things kind of mixed in together, literally every day we compete with each other and every day we push each other and, really, every day we get better.

"I remember in high school I could kind of take practices off and stuff like that. But now it's the kind of thing where we go hard every day."

Virginia's tremendous running game has helped Marques Hagans make an exceptional transition at quarterback.

Lundy, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, has already scored 10 touchdowns. The Cavaliers lead the nation with 21 rushing touchdowns. Johnson has gained 296 yards on the ground, leading the team with 6.7 yards per attempt. Pearman has picked up five touchdowns and 244 yards.

"I just think we complement each other," Lundy said.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden agreed.

"One of them might pop it outside better than the other; the other might go inside better than the other," Bowden said.

"They not only have good players, they got good depth," added FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

An offensive line that averages 298.6 pounds has helped pave the way for Virginia's deep backfield.

Groh said divvying up the workload at tailback has several advantages.

"It's good for the morale of the position," said Groh, whose team has lost just one fumble this season. "It's good for the long run for them to keep their legs a little bit. It's good in practice, too. If only one guy's going to play in the game, he has to take all the turns. Otherwise, it's just a waste of a turn. Most of the teams I watch - USC's doing it, Oklahoma's doing it. They have two pretty good backs. It seems to be happening in most cases."

Virginia abandoned the run last season against FSU. With Lundy out with an injury, Groh went almost exclusively to the air. The strategy nearly worked. Matt Schaub passed for 326 yards but the Seminoles were able to run out the clock for a 19-14 victory in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers had nine rushes for minus-5 yards. Pearman rushed for just 24 yards but caught a school-record 16 passes for 134 yards.

"Actually, our plan was to move the ball by throwing it," Groh said. "It wasn't to throw it to the backs. The ball went to the backs based on what the quarterback saw."

Only Rice, Texas, Minnesota and Oklahoma State rank ahead of Virginia in rushing offense. But FSU's run defense has been stout as well. The Seminoles have the nation's No.3 run defense at 65.6 yards per game.

"We know they're the strongest front that we've faced all year," Pearman said. "They're a very talented bunch. At the same time, we're confident in our running game. We're confident in where it's come and where it's at. We're not going to try to do anything crazy, anything really different."

Virginia's defense often overlooked
By Steve Ellis
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Virginia's ground game and quarterback Marques Hagans have created quite a buzz in Charlottesville. But Virginia's defense also has been outstanding. The Cavaliers rank seventh nationally in scoring defense and 16th in passing defense.

FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden said it is especially difficult to go deep on Virginia.

"They'll play their two-deep umbrella," Bowden said. "They'll allow safeties to come up. They'll try to screw around with your checkoffs by showing a safety down or running him back. Or showing both down and running them both back.

"But for the most part they like to keep everything underneath. We hit a deep ball on them last year early in the game. And they know that shouldn't have happened. Chris (Rix) made a great throw and Craphonso (Thorpe) beat a safety. Nine out of 10 times that doesn't happen. There are several NFL players on that defense. It's going to be a great test because their defense is very solid. The way they shut down Clemson, that surprised me. I thought if anybody could open it up, I thought Clemson would."

Virginia's cornerbacks have just two interceptions.

"I have a hard time evaluating corners when they are not put in a whole lot of one-on-one situations," Bowden said. "And they are not put in a whole lot of one-on-one situations."

So how does Bowden, who said he wants to be more successful in hitting deep routes, accomplish that?

"Run the ball," Bowden replied. "Make them bring a safety down and play some one-on-one coverage and then we'll have to find out how good they are. That's why it's important to run the ball.

"This test is going to be a little bigger test. I don't know if they are Miami, but they are sure closer to a Miami-type of defense."

Barron of the ground game

Leon Washington became the 12th FSU player to rush for 100 yards at least five times in his career. And Washington was quick to note he couldn't do it without his offensive line. While Bobby Meeks and Ray Willis were cited by Jeff Bowden for having their best efforts of the season against Syracuse, Alex Barron continues to dominate. The All-American tackle graded out at 91 percent with five pancake blocks. He allowed no sacks or pressures and was not called for a penalty.

Hagans impresses Andrews

FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews didn't even have to look at film to be impressed with Marques Hagans. Two statistics did that: the junior quarterback has completed 70.1 percent of his passes to rank fifth nationally, and he has thrown one interception in 97 attempts.

"You complete 70 percent of your passes and he's the only one I'm aware of in the country doing it," Andrews said. " He's not doing things to beat them but he's getting the ball to his people. The thing that makes him equally dangerous is that he can bust you running the football. He's very good escaping rushers and finding receivers open and getting them the ball on a scramble. He's got a strong arm."

Hagans has been sacked just twice and he has run for 165 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown against Syracuse.

Noteworthy

• FSU defensive tackle Travis Johnson is fourth on FSU's all-time list in career tackles for loss with 34.

• Virginia left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson plays the saxophone and has a black belt in karate. He has started 32 consecutive games for the Cavaliers.

Trip down memory lane
Haley returns to site where his UVa career changed
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 13, 2004

Dennis Haley probably wishes he never got off the bus.
When he did, his life changed forever.
As Haley and his teammates got off the bus outside Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., on the last day of August in 2002, an official from Virginia’s athletic department approached him.
What he heard was painful - very painful.
Haley was ineligible to play against Florida State, a game that was just hours away.
The news came just nine days after he started the first game of his college career against Colorado State.
With Haley relegated to a sweat suit, he watched from the sidelines as the fifth-ranked Seminoles pounded Virginia, 40-19.
Haley was at a crossroads. Not just in football, but in life.
“That was the worst and the best thing that could have happened to me,” Haley said. “The worst being that I couldn’t play football, but the best was that I had a whole year to sit out of football and look upon what I needed to do to get straight.”
He did just that. And last spring, Haley graduated with a degree in anthropology.
He is now enrolled in graduate school in the Virginia Curry School, for education.
Haley has been focused on football as well.
Last week against Clemson, Haley was outstanding.
Haley led the team with nine tackles, seven of which were solo tackles. He also had a pair of pass breakups.
“Dennis did a nice job [against Clemson]. He was around the ball quite a bit,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “Dennis’ play was good the other night and continues to be.”
Haley was pleased with his performance as well.
Haley said: “I kind of felt like a DB back there playing all that pass coverage. It was kind of fun. I think that was my best game as a Cavalier - period.”
It was the fifth straight start for Haley, who played in every game last season after missing the season-opener against Duke.
For the season, Haley was in on 331 plays, made 36 tackles and sacked Western Michigan quarterback Jon Drach in the fourth quarter, forcing the signal-caller to fumble the ball.
Groh has been pleased with Haley’s progression.
“I’d say that gives him five good, solid games,” Groh said. “Certainly this is the most minutes he’s ever played. That’s a first-time occurrence in order to give him a lot of confidence. It certainly seems that it has.”
As Groh says for every player, there remains room for improvement.
One of Haley’s pass break-ups against Clemson could have easily been picked off.
“He had two pass break-ups, one of which is kind of significant. For us to progress, that break-up has to be an interception,” Groh said. “The interception that would have been had a chance to be a dramatic one. Not to minimize it all, it was a real good play. It wasn’t a great play.
“We’re going to need some great plays now as we get into this stretch.”
That stretch that Groh is speaking of starts with a date at Florida State and in the same place that Haley’s college football life starting spinning two years ago.
Haley would like nothing better than to make up for lost time against the Seminoles.
“I’ve had some up and down years here at UVa,” Haley said. “This being my last year, I don’t have [anything] to come back to and I have to give it all I’ve got every single play every game.”
Haley knows that it will be a tough test playing on the road against the seventh-ranked team in the country.
“The competition is going to step up and we are going to have to get physical,” Haley said. “They have a thing where they try to intimidate teams. We want to be the intimidator this time. We want to go down there and play smart, tough and we want to be focused.”
Haley is confident that his defensive unit can handle any curveballs that FSU throws its way.
“Whatever happens is going to happen. We’re not going to get rattled by whatever they try because I am sure they are going to try some different things that we haven’t seen,” Haley said. “Our defense is going to have to step up and play smart the whole game.”
Regardless of the outcome, Haley knows that it will be a lot more fun from the field than watching on the sidelines.

Putting it behind him. When Virginia tailback Wali Lundy fumbled in the second half against Clemson, it was the first lost fumble of the season for the team.
Lundy took it personal.
“It was a shock. It hurt me. I was so frustrated from it. I didn’t really get over it until a day or two ago but things like that happen,” Lundy said. “The best fumble. I got to look at things I did right, did well in the game and try not to focus on that too much but I know I have to hold onto the ball.”
Lundy said he studied the fumble to try and get a better answer as to how it happened.
“I looked at the play a lot. I had the ball high and tight up on my chest and the guy just came down when I was coming down and hit it at the right time and it came out. He made a great play on the ball.”

News and Notes. Groh had a special caller during his weekly radio show. His wife, Anne, called in indicating that it was her first time calling but that she had the number for 35 years, which is how long the couple has been married after their recent anniversary. … Reporters tried to get quarterback Marques Hagans to disclose how he got the nickname “Biscuit” during an interview session Tuesday night. Hagans declined but said he would reveal it if he writes a book.

Groh not called for anniversary foul
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Oct 13, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Some romantic, that Al Groh. On his 35th wedding anniversary, Groh spent virtually every wak- Ing hour preparing for one of the most-hyped football games in University of Virginia history.

That was fine with his wife, Anne, who knows the demands placed on coaches and who phoned the Cavalier Call-in radio show Monday. The show's host, Mac McDonald, who'd help arrange the call, told Groh that "Anne in Virginia Beach" was on the line.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy anniversary and to let you know that you've got a free pass. . . . You and the coaches need to do all you can do tonight to beat Florida State on Saturday night," the former Anne Stahle told her husband.

Groh, who didn't seem surprised by the call, responded, "I appreciate it, I appreciate the previous 35 years, and I love you."
Click here to visit ChesterfieldDodge.com.

"And I love you, too," his wife said.

They were married Oct. 11, 1969, when Groh was defensive coach for the plebe team at the U.S. Military Academy. The Grohs have two sons and a daughter. Their older son, Mike, coaches U.Va.'s quarterbacks. - Jeff White

Ineligibility a blessing?
Virginia linebacker bounced back from time away from game
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Oct 13, 2004
VIRGINIA AT FSU
SATURDAY: 7:45 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV - ESPN; Radio - WRVA (1140), 7

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When he got the bad news, linebacker Dennis Haley had just stepped off the team bus at Doak Campbell Stadium and was about to start donning his football uniform. It was Aug, 31, 2002, and the Virginia Cavaliers were in Tallahassee, Fla., to face ACC power Florida State.

A U.Va. official informed Haley, who had started nine days early in the opener against Colorado State, that he'd been declared academically ineligible. Stunned and shaken, Haley stood on the sideline in sweat clothes that afternoon and watched FSU pound Virginia 40-19.

Haley, who helped Salem High win three state Group AA, Division 4 titles, continued to practice with the Cavaliers that season, but he wouldn't play again until Sept. 6, 2003. He didn't regain his starting job until this season.

"That was the worst and the best thing that could have happened to me," Haley said of his ineligibility. "The worst being that I couldn't play football, but the best was that I had a whole year to sit out of football and look upon what I needed to do to get straight."
Click here to visit ChesterfieldDodge.com.

Haley, 22, graduated with his class last spring, earning an anthropology degree, and is now doing graduate work in U.Va.'s education school.

He's the least heralded of the linebackers who start in Virginia's 3-4 scheme, but the 6-1 247-pounder is having a fine season. Haley ranks third on the team in tackles, with 26, and he recorded a team-high nine stops and broke up two passes in the Cavaliers' 30-10 win over Clemson last week.

"I'd say that gives him five good, solid games," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "Certainly this is the most minutes that he's ever played . . . and it ought to give him a lot of confidence. It certainly seems that it is."

If Haley seems especially happy to be playing, there's a reason. He redshirted in 2000, which means he's spent two seasons on the sideline.

Virginia returns to Tallahassee this weekend for the first time since the day in 2002 when Haley's career was put on hold. Sixth-ranked U.Va. (2-0, 5-0) meets No. 7 FSU (2-1, 4-1) on Saturday night at Doak Campbell.

 

Sims confident he'll stop Virginia tight end Miller
By Josh Robbins | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 13, 2004

Saturday's game between No. 6 Virginia and No. 7 Florida State will provide many intriguing matchups, but few of them are more interesting than the one between Cavaliers TE Heath Miller and Seminoles LB Ernie Sims.

Miller excels at catching passes. Now in his third season, Miller has caught 117 passes for 1,370 yards and 19 touchdowns . Scouts Inc. ranks Miller, a 6-foot-5, 255-pounder, as the 23rd-best prospect for the 2005 NFL draft.

Sims, FSU's starting strongside linebacker, was one of the nation's most sought-after high school seniors in 2003, and he is widely regarded as the Seminoles' best athlete.

Sims and his backup, Ray Piquion, likely will cover Miller when Miller runs routes. Miller also will have to block Sims on running plays.

"Going into this game, I hear all this hype about how good he is," Sims said. "It gives me a chance to show who I am. If Ernie Sims shuts him out and he gets no passing yards and I dominate him on the line of scrimmage, that puts me on the map. It's a great chance for me and Ray to put ourselves on the map and just to basically whip him and put him in the dirt.

"As far that goes, I just think if I have my man and I do what I need to do, [No.] 89 [Miller] won't gain anything. He won't get any passing yards or anything. He can't block me."

When asked about Sims' comments, Cavaliers RB Alvin Pearman had a simple response.

"Good luck," Pearman said.

It's a milestone game

The Virginia-FSU matchup will be only the sixth time in Atlantic Coast Conference history that two top-10 ACC teams have played against each other. The fifth such matchup occurred earlier this season when No. 4 FSU played No. 5 Miami on Sept. 10.

In addition to Miller, Saturday night's game features three other players ranked among the top 32 prospects for the 2005 draft as rated by Scouts Inc.: FSU OT Alex Barron (3rd), Virginia G Elton Brown (21st) and FSU WR Craphonso Thorpe (29th).

Bunkley hopeful of playing

Brodrick Bunkley, FSU's starting nose guard, said there's a "very good" chance that his sprained left ankle will heal sufficiently for him to play against the Cavs.

"It's still bugging me a little bit, but hopefully as the week goes on, it improves," Bunkley said.

Etc.

Seminoles Coach Bobby Bowden said reserve OT Mario Henderson will be used as a tight end in blocking situations if one of FSU's two healthy tight ends, Paul Irons and Matt Root, gets hurt. . . . WR Willie Reid (strained hamstring) isn't sure if he'll be able to play Saturday.

FSU's Rix Is Out, Not Forgotten
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 13, 2004; Page D03

Florida State football fans will tell you the best thing about the Seminoles' last two games was that quarterback Chris Rix wasn't around to mess them up. Much to the fans' chagrin, FSU Coach Bobby Bowden said if Rix had been healthy, the much-maligned senior would have played in the Seminoles' lackluster 17-13 victory at Syracuse last week.

But with Rix still recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered against Clemson on Sept. 25, sophomore quarterback Wyatt Sexton has taken nearly all the snaps in the Seminoles' past two games, a 38-16 win over North Carolina and against Syracuse. But while Sexton was struggling in his first road game against the Orange in the Carrier Dome, Bowden admits he was looking for Rix, who was standing on the sideline.

Seminoles sophomore Wyatt Sexton, the son of assistant head coach Billy Sexton, has filled in for Chris Rix. (Phil Coale -- AP)

"If Chris had been completely healthy, somewhere in the middle of the second quarter I probably would have put Chris in there to see if he could get something going," Bowden said. "When Chris is hot, you aren't going to beat him. The only thing is he has those bad days, too."

Unfortunately for Bowden, Rix has endured too many bad days during his tumultuous four-year career in Tallahassee. So even as Rix returns to health, Bowden will again start Sexton, the son of Seminoles assistant head coach Billy Sexton, in Saturday night's game against sixth-ranked Virginia at Doak Campbell Stadium. The seventh-ranked Seminoles have beaten the Cavaliers in 11 of 12 meetings since 1992, and they've never lost to Virginia at home.

Rix, who has a 26-11 record as a starter, "won't start until I am sure he is well," Bowden said. "Just because he can move around out there without any contact and throw the ball, that doesn't mean he is well. I don't want to put him in a situation where he hurts that ankle and now we'll wait two or three more weeks to get him well."

Sexton, 6 feet 3 and 206 pounds, has played reasonably well since replacing Rix late in the first quarter of the Seminoles' 41-22 win over Clemson. In the past three games, all victories, Sexton has completed 63 percent of his passes for 524 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions. In 2 1/2 games, Rix completed only 50.8 percent of his passes for 321 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

But against Syracuse, which lost to Virginia, 31-10, on Sept. 25, Sexton threw for 75 yards in the first half, and the Seminoles trailed 10-3 at halftime. Sexton, who had attempted only 14 passes at FSU before he replaced Rix, finally seemed overwhelmed by his surroundings. He struggled reading signals from the sideline, misfired on several passes and didn't manage the clock very well.

"He was a little unsure of himself," Bowden said. "He didn't throw with authority at the first of the game. We had a guy coming across the middle, and he threw behind him. We had another guy coming across and he threw too far ahead of him. And so he just wasn't as sure of himself."

While Bowden said he would have pulled Sexton if he'd had another quarterback available (the Seminoles want to redshirt freshman Xavier Lee, and freshman Drew Weatherford has a badly sprained ankle), his son, offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, said he would have been more patient.

"I don't know, that's Dad," Jeff Bowden said. "I didn't feel that way. I felt like it wasn't the time. There were a lot of feelings about spreading it around and, 'Let's start throwing,' but I felt like we were fine in the I-formation and we were moving the ball."

While Florida State has one of the nation's top running games -- the Seminoles ran for a season-high 258 yards against Syracuse, and their season average of 200.2 rushing yards per game is their highest since 1995 -- the coaches have tried to remain balanced on offense, even with the inexperienced Sexton under center. Junior Leon Washington has run for 150 yards or more two games in a row, and sophomore Lorenzo Booker has run for at least 70 yards in four consecutive games. Still, Wyatt opened the North Carolina game by throwing eight consecutive passes, and nine of FSU's first 14 plays against Syracuse were passes.

"So from that you would deduce that they felt pretty comfortable in really throwing him out there and letting him go right away," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "It wasn't, 'We're going to ease him into it and use the running game and try to get ahead and then we'll get him some passes.' I'd say their mentality, which it has been over the years, is there's a way that we play and whoever is our quarterback has been . . . groomed to do that."
 

Tuesday, October 12, 2004
By Doug Carlson
Special to ESPN.com

For years, the Atlantic Coast Conference longed to shed its image of being Florida State and the rest. Improvement comes in increments, and Year One of the expanded ACC is no exception.

Though better from top-to-bottom than ever before and currently flashing three teams in the top 10, the ACC's bold post-expansion claims of zooming past the SEC, the Big 12 and the Big 10 to become the best conference in the land appears to have been a bit premature.

Take a team-by-team midseason look at the ACC. From what's happened so far to what's next to midseason MVPs, it's all covered in the ACC notebook.
# Inside the ACC
Become an Insider
The surprising struggles at Clemson and a bit of a down year for both Virginia Tech and Maryland means the ACC, as a group, is in roughly the same position now as it was before adding the Hokies and Miami Hurricanes. Only the top-10 trio of Miami, Virginia and Florida State appear anywhere in the Top 25 for the ACC. A season ago, three ACC teams (FSU, Maryland and Clemson) made the final rankings.

The difference is that at the midway point of the 2004 season, the Hurricanes, Cavaliers and Seminoles all remain in position to challenge for a BCS bowl bid. In past ACC years, Florida State was alone in that quest.

Since the advent of the BCS system in '98, the ACC is the only BCS league not to have placed two teams in a BCS bowl in the same season. The thinking was that Miami and Florida State would change all that, especially by having them play in the season-opening game.

The hope didn't take into account this weekend's Virginia-Florida State game or a Nov. 13 showdown between Miami and Virginia at Charlottesville. Those games will reshape the ACC's upper echelon and leave the league leaders vulnerable to late-season matchups including Florida State's trip to North Carolina State (Nov. 11) and a pair of games involving Virginia Tech (the Hokies play Virginia and Miami on consecutive weekends to close the season).

Is the ACC better than it was before expansion? No question. Is the league now the best in the country? That's a hard sell, considering such non-conference disappointments as NC State's home-field loss to Ohio State, Clemson's lopsided loss at Texas A&M and Florida State's narrow escape at Syracuse, to an Orange team that had been defeated 51-0 by Purdue a month earlier.

Biggest Surprise
Barely a month ago, Virginia was ranked 20th in the nation and the Cavaliers weren't considered a possible BCS championship contender, primarily because new quarterback Marques Hagans couldn't possibly be that good in his first season as the full-time starter.

By now, it's a little more believable.

Hagans is no Matt Schaub, but he doesn't have to be. His job is to limit the mistakes, distribute the ball and pose just enough of a passing and scrambling threat to distract defenses that want to focus on the powerful Virginia running tandem of Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman.

Hagans has his toughest assignments ahead of him -- namely, Saturday's game at Florida State and the Nov. 13 showdown with Miami. So far, at least, he and his team have provided something the ACC wasn't expecting -- a member school in the top 10 at the halfway mark in addition to FSU and Miami.

Biggest Disappointment
For years now, Tommy Bowden has given us reason to believe he's ready to take Clemson into permanent residence among the top-15 teams in the country. This was supposed to be the year the Tigers moved in.

How could it not be? Clemson won its final four games of '03 by an average margin of 27 points, including victories over a pair of top-10 teams in Florida State and Tennessee.

With seven starters back on both sides of the ball, including ACC Player of the Year candidate Charlie Whitehurst, the Tigers were supposed to join Virginia in giving Miami and Florida State something to think about besides each other.

Instead, Clemson has lost four consecutive games. The Tigers' best performance of the year was against Virginia last week in a game the Cavaliers won by 20 points. BCS bowl? This team is going to have to make dramatic improvements to avoid a losing season.

Midseason MVP
Hagans might not be the only reason Virginia sits at No. 6 in the nation entering Saturday night's tell-all game at Florida State. But he's the best reason they aren't out of the Top 25. The one thing the Cavaliers seemed to be missing entering the season, a reliable quarterback, is instead the primary distribution point in an offense that is scoring 42.4 points a game -- best in the ACC and third-best in the country. And Hagans leads the ACC in total offense, averaging 232 yards a game.

Midseason Coach of the Year
About every third week, Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey or Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe look like they deserve this priceless honor. But fast-talking Al Groh, who left the New York Jets for a team that now has a better defense, gets the nod. He's pushed Virginia from happy-to-win-seven under former coach George Welsh to national championship contender with a mixture of solid recruiting, an NFL-style coaching approach and discipline.

Bowl Bound
Miami, Virginia, Florida State, Virginia Tech, NC State.

Top 10 pressures go pro or con, depends on focus
by Kurt Kragthorpe
Salt Lake Tribune columnist

Dealing with it: Undefeated teams either handle the stress or lose their standings grip
Imagine being the Virginia Cavaliers, ranked No. 6 in the country, visiting No. 7 Florida State this weekend with their hopes of an unbeaten season and a national championship on the line.
They are trying to defend their ranking, live up to suddenly inflated expectations and take advantage of a huge opportunity.
The pressure must be overwhelming for Virginia, as it would be for anybody - including Utah - ranked in the top 10.
Uh, no.
"The pressure is if you're a bottom-10 team, wondering where your next win
is going to come from," said Virginia coach Al Groh. "There's no pressure that comes with the top 10."
Gary Crowton mildly disagrees.
A long, long time ago, in the days when Brigham Young fans were worried Crowton would have so much success that he would leave the school, his Cougars won their first 12 games of 2001 and climbed to No. 7 in the rankings.
"You feel a little pressure to maintain that high level," Crowton said. "At the same time, because of that pressure, it kept [the players] focused."
Crowton quickly warmed to that subject as a nice diversion from what he's going through these days. Clearly, he would rather deal with the heightened demands of trying to remain unbeaten than just fight for a winning record and job security.
Yet he also remembers the weekly challenges of that season and the extra incentive BYU's ranking gave the other guys.
"The one thing was, you'd always get the best game of the opponent," Crowton said.
The Cougars survived several scares in '01. They won four Mountain West Conference games by a total of 18 points, either scoring late or making a defensive stand - or both. BYU also rallied for a three-point win at Mississippi State to go 12-0 before finally losing at Hawaii.
The Utes are sure to be tested that way, one of these weeks.
Utah coach Urban Meyer's strategy is to convince his players that upsets happen when ranked teams are thinking about bigger prizes beyond winning the game of the moment. And after Fresno State coach Pat Hill unabashedly talked about high stakes and crashing the Bowl Championship Series, only to lose to Louisiana Tech and Texas-El Paso the past two weeks, you can bet that Meyer will not be making any poker references.
Instead: archery. Or maybe, this being Utah, it's deer hunting.
"The target better be your next opponent, or you're going to lose," Meyer said.
The Utes this week received only their second top-10 ranking in regular-season history. Their other stay at that level lasted a week in 1994, thanks to a loss at New Mexico.
California is another top-10 newcomer this season, and even though the Bears lost to No. 1 USC last weekend, coach Jeff Tedford is enjoying some benefits.
"The thing I see is when you talk to recruits, they're listening to you and they have legitimate interest in your program," Tedford said. "That's what rankings do for you."
Unlike the average fan, coaches spend little time analyzing the rankings and worrying about week-to-week developments. "The rankings at this point are pretty much irrelevant," Groh said. "As you get to the finish line, we'll have a sense of who the really powerful teams are."
In other words, what happens on the field will determine what happens in the polls. As Fresno State and BYU understand, the lesson is simply to enjoy the wins while they're coming. And a team such as Utah that's just arriving on the national scene should be having the most fun of all.
"You get to a certain level, it's almost like you can't win enough," said Frank Beamer, who built Virginia Tech's program. "When you win, it's a sigh of relief. When you lose, it's devastating."
The Utes are not at that level yet. Maybe someday. Probably never. That's OK. For them, hitting the target every week still feels like an achievement.