Virginia-BC connection runs deep
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 6, 2005

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting this will be Virginia’s first trip to Massachusetts in 42 years ...
There are several links between UVa and Boston College in this weekend’s trip to Chestnut Hill. Current Cavaliers’ defensive coordinator Al Golden got his first full-time job under coach Tom O’Brien at BC, which could almost be labeled UVa North.
O’Brien is a protégé of former UVa head coach George Welsh and played a key role in helping turn the Cavaliers’ program around. He served for several years as the offensive line coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator.
Known to friends as simply “O.B.,” he hired former UVa assistant Jerry Petercuskie, who is now associate head coach, and lured former UVa defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani away from the CFL to take a similar role for the Eagles. He also hired former UVa graduate assistants Don Horton (offensive line coach) and Jim Bridge (tight ends coach).
But don’t expect O’Brien to be sentimental about facing his old school for the first time.
“I’ve been out of there for nine years, so that’s almost a lifetime for most people,” he said.
BC’s players realize the significance though and will be trying to deliver a win over the Wahoos for all the former Virginia coaches on their staff.
“This is going to be a big one for the coaching staff,” said BC’s star defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who became the school’s all-time sack leader last weekend (31.5 for his career).
Kiwanuka, who measures 6-foot-7, 262, ate up Ball State’s pass protection in getting three of BC’s six sacks.
“Ball State was playing with two freshmen tackles, so it’s not a fair fight,” O’Brien said of his prized defensive end consistently adding pressure.
Knows the drill
N.C. State head coach Chuck Amato, taking an immense amount of heat for his team’s poor start (1-2 overall, 0-2 ACC), is paying the price just like his players.
Amato normally requires his players to do “up-downs,” which is to run in place, hit the ground, bounce up and run in place again, as sort of a punishment for making mistakes in games. Well, this week, Amato joined in on the drill.
It was the Wolfpack coach’s way of admitting he had made some mistakes in State’s loss to rival North Carolina.
“I did 730 of them,” Amato said of the up-downs. “And I did them the right way.”
Still, if the criticism coming from State alumni is getting to Amato, it isn’t showing.
“Consider the source,” Amato said. “Losing is frustrating if you’ve never put a jock strap on in your life. But for people that compete and know how to win and know what this game is all about, it’s not hard. It can be if you don’t have character, if you don’t have a winning attitude. But if you’re a winner, let’s live to fight another battle.”
Squeaky wheel. When Florida State backup QB Xavier Lee complained last week about a lack of playing time, the Seminole coaches responded.
During last Friday night’s strategy meeting, Coach Bobby Bowden asked QB coach Daryl Dickey when he wanted Lee to play in the Syracuse game. Dickey said as early as possible.
“The kid deserves to play some quality minutes and not just mop-up duty,” Dickey said. “He’s earned that right. But at quarterback it’s a lot different than other positions. You have continuity issues. You don’t want to do something that negatively will affect him.”
Starter Drew Weatherford passed for 234 yards and three TDs and is making it a hard act to follow for Lee because Weatherford has completed
62 percent of his passes and leads all freshmen nationally in passing yards.

The doomsayers. Maryland believed the Virginia game was a “must win” situation and with good reason. The Terps (3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC) realized they could be 4-2 after this weekend’s game with hapless Temple.
After that, things get a little sticky as they play No. 3 Virginia Tech, No. 4 FSU, then travel to UNC and N.C. State along with hosting No. 18 Boston College. That leaves little room for error.
Coach Ralph Friedgen said that if his team had lost to Virginia, the Terps’ bowl hopes would have taken a down turn. However, he still believes his team could have bounced back.
“A lot of you [media] guys are all doomsayers,” Friedgen said. “It’s not one game that’s going to determine the success of this program. We’re going to be a success here, I promise you that. We’re going to win ACC Championships and we’re going to win National Championships before it’s all over.”

Short yardage. UNC may get starting tailback Ronnie McGill back this week, having nearly fully recovered from surgery to repair a torn chest muscle from lifting weights last June. ... Georgia Tech’s offensive line spent its off week dissecting its 18 breakdowns against Virginia Tech that resulted in two sacks and 16 quarterback hurries. ...
Speaking of the Hokies, the school said it will not discipline QB Marcus Vick for an obscene gesture he made to the West Virginia crowd during last Saturday’s game. ...
While the WVU crowd was its usual nasty self, there weren’t too many incidents, although Tech linebacker Vince Hall said: “Before the game [the crowd] was talking all this and flicking everybody off. I was just like, ‘Y’all need to sit down. There’s no reason to talk now.’ I just told them to sit down and shut up.” ...
Virginia tailback Michael Johnson is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and is ninth in the nation in kickoff returns with a 31.8 average. ...
Boston College has allowed only two of 25 third-down conversions over the last two games. ...
BC’s Will Blackmon is the No. 1 active career kickoff return man in major college football with 2,310 yards. ...
Virginia Tech has turned the ball over only once this season. ...
Miami leads the nation in passing efficiency defense. ...
Clemson’s James Davis leads the ACC’s freshmen class in rushing with 290 yards.

The picks. Last week: 6-2. To date: 27-12. This week: Georgia Tech 31, N.C. State 27; Florida State 28, Wake Forest 21; Virginia Tech 42, Marshall 10; Maryland 54, Temple 9; Miami 48, Duke 7; Louisville 36, UNC 30; Boston College 35, Virginia 24.

 

Cavs' Lundy ready to prove his worth
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 6, 2005

Will Blackmon might want to make sure that Virginia tailback Wali Lundy is on his Christmas list.

Why? Well, considering how peculiar players are about the jersey numbers that they wear, Blackmon, an All-American candidate, would have never worn No. 1 at Boston College if not for a decision that Lundy made.

After getting numerous offers, Lundy narrowed his choices down to two schools - Boston College and Virginia.

During his final visit to Boston, Lundy walked into the locker room at the Eagles' Alumni Stadium only to find a jersey with his name on it waiting for him. The number? No. 1.

"That was pretty exciting," Lundy said. "To see my jersey hanging there."

Lundy admitted that he felt comfortable with BC coach Tom O'Brien and his staff, but knew that Virginia was a better fit.

This weekend, Lundy makes a return trip to Boston College, this time with aspirations of proving to the Eagles why they recruited him in the first place. Virginia (3-1, 1-1 ACC) plays at BC (4-1, 1-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, in a game that will be televised regionally by ABC.

Lundy will also be out to prove himself to Virginia fans.

Through the Cavaliers' first four games, Lundy has carried the football just 18 times for 67 yards. His longest run? It was a 28-yard carry against Western Michigan in the season opener.

It was during that play that Lundy's senior season at Virginia took a detour.

After gaining more than the yardage needed for a first down, Lundy pulled up limp, having sprained his ankle. After sitting out the contest at Syracuse, a game he dressed out for, Lundy has been slow to regain the form that he displayed while running for an average of 68.9 yards per game in his first 38 games at UVa.

Statistically speaking, only six players can stake claim to having rushed for more yards at UVa during their career than Lundy.

Has the process been tough on the New Jersey native? You bet. He entered the season as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the top running back in the country, and watched his team lose on Saturday against its border rival, Maryland (45-33).

Instead of breaking tackles, Lundy has spent the fourth quarter of the past three games perfecting impersonations of UVa's cheerleaders.

Virginia coach Al Groh is among the many feeling sorry for Lundy, knowing what could have been.

"He's put a lot into getting ready for this season, and I feel for him," Groh said. "I feel for him and his circumstances. What he's looking at, at the best set of circumstances, is a half a season, basically. But, that's life.

"That's the way things go. We all suffer setbacks and disappointments. Whether your team falls behind at the half, or your season doesn't get started until the half, that's just the way it goes."

Lundy has battled through adversity before.

His father died from a stroke. His mother lost a bout to breast cancer. By the time Lundy turned 7, both of his parents had been taken from his world.

And then when Lundy was 13, he was diagnosed with an intestinal disorder that doctors feared could prove fatal.

But, throughout it all, Lundy has tried to remain upbeat, leaning on his faith.

"It's disappointing, but you've got to learn to stay encouraged with things like this," Lundy said. "Stuff happens to people all the time. It could be a lot worse for me. I figure I'm going through this for a reason, and God's going to bring me out of it."

 

Tucker commits to Cavs
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
October 6, 2005

Two down. With a little luck, a few more to come.

Nine days after securing point guard Sam Zeglinski - the first recruit of his tenure - for the 2007 class, University of Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao has landed his second.

On Wednesday night, Leitao and staff received a verbal commitment from Jamil Tucker, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward out of Indiana’s Gary West High School.

Tucker, a senior who was also being recruited by Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Kent, will be part of Leitao’s 2006 class.

The California native is considered a combo forward, capable of playing both spots. However, in high school he’s shown even more versatility, logging some minutes at point guard.

By adding Tucker, the Cavaliers have taken a baby step toward their goal of adding more size. While Tucker doesn’t appear to be a banger, he’s long, athletic and possesses a nice outside shot. He’ll likely add more muscle once he gets into the Cavs’ weight training program, and could eventually develop into a post presence.

Rivals.com ranks Tucker as the 18th best small forward in the country among high school seniors.

 

Eagles' coach found perfect spot
As it turned out, No. 18 Boston College was the benefactor when former employers UVa and Navy passed on the longtime assistant.
Doug Doughty
The Roanoke Times

Tom O'Brien never saw the Sports Illustrated online piece that called him "a star on the rise" among ACC football coaches, not that he would have endorsed it.

O'Brien has had a star in the college football sky for a long time. Maybe it was like one of those stars that are best detected at dusk or dawn, but it was out there.

In its game notes for Saturday's game with Virginia, Boston College says that O'Brien is 55, "but that's not right," O'Brien said this week. "I'll be 57 on Wednesday."

Some schools, when a coach reaches a certain age, stop noting his age or publishing his birth date in the media guide. If O'Brien has his vices, vanity is not among them.

Among his virtues, a self-deprecating sense of humor is near the top.

"I've been here nine years and people still say to me, 'Hey, coach, you're doing a great job so far,'" said O'Brien, whose Boston College teams have won at least seven games in each of the past six seasons. "In Boston, you're only as good as your last game."

O'Brien was 48 when he was hired by Boston College in December 1996 and had been an assistant coach for 22 years under George Welsh, the last 15 at Virginia.

"Whenever it was that we were in the Citrus Bowl [in 1989] and played Illinois, that's when I had my first opportunity to interview," O'Brien said. "I must have interviewed every year for about six or seven years at different programs."

A lot of the interviews were with Division I-AA programs, but O'Brien also spoke twice with Navy, his alma mater.

"The only place I ever wanted to coach was Navy -- as a head coach," O'Brien said, "and they never wanted me. I was disappointed."

The year Boston College hired O'Brien, he also spoke to SMU, where former Virginia athletic director Jim Copeland had landed. In 1995, he was interviewed by Marshall.

Of all the places where he was interviewed, the best job was the one he got.

"It was a tremendous stroke of good fortune," O'Brien said. "I couldn't have been any luckier than to have ended up at BC. My three children have all graduated from here. It's a great school. It's a great city."

At one point, O'Brien might have been considered the leading candidate to replace Welsh as UVa coach. That was Welsh's recommendation when he stepped down in 2000.

"If he had stayed here with me, maybe they would have hired him," Welsh said Wednesday, "but I wouldn't have bet the farm on it. You know, there was something at the end here about me and maybe O'Brien, that they didn't want another Welsh clone, that they wanted somebody different.

"I really mean that, not that he would have been a Welsh clone, but he was tied to me for 20-some years. I don't even think they considered him, which was shocking. They had their reasons, but why would you go out and look at [ex-Penn State assistant] Jerry Sandusky, who had never been a head coach, and not consider Tom O'Brien?"

O'Brien would not say if he spoke to then-Virginia athletic director Terry Holland in 2000.

"It's not relevant," O'Brien said. "It's not important, but I can say it wasn't real comfortable being in Hawaii at that point."

That was the year that Virginia and Georgia played in the Jeep Oahu Bowl and Boston College met Arizona State in the Jeep Aloha Bowl.

"It was strange," O'Brien said. "Arizona State [coach Bruce Snyder], he was gone. Georgia [coach Jim Donnan], he was gone. George was leaving. I was the only guy who had a job."

Questions about the Virginia job were "endless," O'Brien continued.

"Obviously, George didn't have the power of a Joe Paterno at that point -- to last forever -- because I guess people wanted him out, from the way I understand it went down.

"The way it ended up, it was a good thing I wasn't there because I don't think I would have been the guy to get the job. It got to the point where you want to go out and do your own thing. I never wanted to follow George. Hopefully, someday, somebody was going to give me a chance."

Some perspective is necessary. At the end of the 2000 regular season, O'Brien had a four-year record of 22-23. Since then, the Eagles are 38-17 and have won five straight bowl games, starting with a 31-17 victory over Arizona State in Honolulu.

"I didn't know he had been that successful," Welsh said.

As for the Welsh factor, his final Virginia team finished 6-6, ending a string of 13 consecutive seasons with seven or more victories.

"The only reason to hire O'B at that stage was because you knew him and you knew good things about him," said Holland, now the athletic director at East Carolina, "but you were going to have a sell because he hadn't exactly lit up the sky."

The temptation is to think there are other Tom O'Briens in the college football world, lifetime assistants waiting to get a chance, but maybe they have.

"Look at this league," said O'Brien, an ACC head coach for the first time after eight years in the Big East. "Larry Coker [at Miami] is a similar guy. Ralph Friedgen [at Maryland] is a similar guy. Chuck Amato. Those guys were longtime assistants for good head coaches."

When Welsh left Navy following the 1981 season, he was succeeded by then-West Virginia assistant Gary Tranquill. Had Welsh stayed at Navy a little longer and O'Brien been a little older, Welsh thinks the Midshipmen would have been more inclined to elevate O'Brien.

However, Welsh thinks there was no excuse for Navy not hiring O'Brien off the UVa staff.

"I knew he would be a good head coach," Welsh said. "I'd been around him for 20 years. The ADs who make these decisions, I don't know what they go on. I think they get influenced by alumni and donors and dazzling personalities. O'B would not dazzle you with his personality.

O'Brien can't remember the last time he spoke with Welsh -- "no one talks to George," he said -- but says he's proud to hear people refer to him as a Welsh "guy." Welsh will not be at the game this week and Boston College, which is in the ACC's Atlantic Division, will not visit Coastal Division member Virginia next year.

"Nine years is a long time to be gone," said O'Brien, who doesn't expect any unusual feelings this week. "When we finally do play down there, that will be much different than this, but not nearly as different as it would be to go against George."

 

U.Va.'s Brooks glad to be back after months of frustration
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 6, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Ahmad Brooks appreciates the interest. He really does. It’s nice to know so many people are concerned.

After awhile, though, the questions that came at Brooks wherever he went in this college town got to be a bit much.

“Every day,” he said. “Everybody I (saw) asked me if I was coming back. It was kind of frustrating that everybody was asking me that; you know what I’m saying? It wasn’t a big deal. I still answered them.

“It was kind of flattering. But then again, it started messing with me, you know? Like, 'Stop asking.’”

They have. Brooks, Virginia’s All-American linebacker, answered the biggest question hanging over the team this year when he finally was able to return to action Saturday against Maryland, seven long months after undergoing off-season knee surgery.

Brooks played just 36 snaps, assisting on two tackles. And he rolled his left ankle, missing most of the second half.

But Brooks said Tuesday that his knee and ankle are fine and that he’ll play Saturday when Virginia travels to No. 18 Boston College.

“I’m just making sure everything’s all right,” he said after sitting out Tuesday’s practice as a precaution. He expected to practice Wednesday, he said.

It’s not hard to see why interest in Brooks’ health runs so high. The junior from Woodbridge is one of the most dynamic athletes in college football.

Tattooed on Brooks’ left arm are the words “Freak of Nature” — and that just about sums up his athletic gifts. At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, he’s as big as many defensive ends. Yet he’s been clocked in under 4.5 seconds in the 40, making him faster than many safeties.

Brooks led Virginia in tackles each of the last two seasons. As a sophomore, he was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker.

Brooks began experiencing discomfort in his right knee after the season, he said. The problem wasn’t football-related. He noticed that after he drove his car, his knee would stiffen and swell.

An MRI revealed that Brooks had a cyst on his knee. Doctors told him it was caused by the way his bones had grown.

“It kind of made my knee deformed somehow,” he said.

Doctors performed surgery to remove the cyst, “clean out” the knee and stimulate bone growth. Brooks began a recovery process that stretched through the spring and summer. He missed spring practice, off-season conditioning workouts and the start of training camp.

“It was going to take a long time for the process to go through, the recovery,” he said. “The trainer said I was on time with everything, as far as recovering. If it took seven months, if it took 10 months, that’s how long it was going to take.”

For his part, Brooks said he was not going to return until his knee was “at least 95” percent healthy. His father, Perry, a former NFL player, told Brooks not to return before he was fully recovered, he said.

“Football’s a dangerous sport,” he said. “I just wanted to be well-recovered before I got back on the field.”

Brooks began practicing about a month ago and made steady improvement. Coach Al Groh said he approached Brooks last week and asked if he was ready to begin preparing to play at Maryland.

“He just stood there with a big, broad smile on his face,” Groh said. “The smile seemed to say everything.”

Brooks started at outside linebacker, instead of his usual inside spot, because starter Jermaine Dias is out with a foot injury. It was a way to ease him back into competition, Groh said. Brooks rotated with freshman Aaron Clark.

“There’s a lot of catching up here to do with Ahmad’s game,” Groh said. “The things he hasn’t done since Aug. 5 to improve and polish his game.”

Brooks felt rusty against Maryland, he said. His level of conditioning is behind the other players’, Groh said.

Maryland ran away from Brooks’ side of the field most of the game.

“There were a few times they ran to my side,” Brooks said. “I didn’t really tackle the player. I really didn’t contribute that much.”

That’s odd to hear from a player with 207 tackles and 12 sacks in two seasons. Brooks expects to return to his usual form soon. Projected as a first-round NFL pick, it was widely assumed that this would be Brooks’ last season at Virginia.

Now, he’ll have to see how the rest of the season goes before deciding on the draft.

“That’s a dream everybody wants to do,” Brooks said of the NFL. “When the opportunity comes, if I’m able to go there I’ll do it. Right now I’m thinking about rehabbing and getting back on the field and doing the things I used to do.”

 

Getting back to where he used to be
A cyst kept Virginia's Ahmad Brooks from playing until last week. As he recovers from a sprained ankle this week, the Cavaliers' defense anticipates his contributions.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 6, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It took Ahmad Brooks less than two minutes to clarify one of the vaguest details of the past two months.

"I had a cyst in my knee," the Virginia inside linebacker said.

Dr. David Diduch, the Cavaliers' orthopedic surgeon, removed the cyst from Brooks' right knee in mid-March. Brooks - a preseason All-American who led U.Va. in tackles the past two years - spent the next seven months recovering.

He played for the first time last Saturday at Maryland, subbing for the injured Jermaine Dias (sprained foot) at outside linebacker. But Brooks sprained his left ankle. He missed Monday's and Tuesday's practices but had hoped to return Wednesday. He said the injury isn't serious. As for the knee, Brooks says he only feels occasional post-practice soreness.

Virginia coach Al Groh indicated Brooks would see limited action on Saturday at Boston College.

Brooks, a junior, said he has practiced at full speed for the past month. Before that, he did drills and agility exercises, he said. Groh closes practices to the media and has refused for weeks to detail Brooks' injury and recovery.

Brooks and his mother, Vergie, said doctors gave them no timetable for Brooks' recovery. "The trainer said I was on time with everything as far as recovering," Brooks said.

Brooks' knee felt stiff in late February whenever he got out of his car. Vergie figured her 6-foot-4, 249-pound son's leg was just resting awkwardly against the center console. About a week later, Brooks attended a basketball game near his home in Woodbridge, and somebody noticed him limping.

So that week, Brooks returned to Charlottesville and told Groh about the soreness. Brooks visited a doctor, who found a cyst behind his knee. The injury was not football-related, Vergie said. After all, Brooks' knee started hurting two months after U.Va.'s season ended.

A cyst is an abnormal sac that contains a liquid, gaseous or semisolid substance. Cysts can occur anywhere on the body and vary in size. Vergie was unsure how large her son's cyst was. The cyst might have formed years ago because of a growth spurt, Vergie said. Doctors removed the cyst because it could cut off blood circulation in Brooks' leg, she said.

Diduch told Brooks to stay off his feet for eight weeks. Vergie spent six weeks after the surgery living at a Charlottesville hotel and helping him. She and Brooks' father, Perry, urged their son not to rush his rehabilitation. Perry played defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins from 1977 to 1985.

"It's when you feel your leg is better, that's when you hit that field," Vergie said, recounting her advice.

Brooks is considered a likely first-round NFL draft pick, because of his combination of size and speed. He's one of the nation's quickest linebackers and was one of three finalists last year for the Butkus Award, given to the country's best linebacker.

Did he think about his professional future while rehabbing? "I didn't want to jeopardize anything," he said. "I just wanted to make sure everything was 100 percent, at least 95. ... Because anything can happen. Football's a dangerous sport."

Vergie wasn't nervous about the cyst harming Brooks' pro career. "Remember, this is not a football injury," she said. "This is something that people do get. So there is no point in being nervous. Ahmad has a couple years of college football left."

She quickly indicated that Brooks would decide if he wanted to leave early for the NFL. "Everybody thinks about the NFL," he said. "When the opportunity comes, if I'm able to go there, then I'll do it. Right now, I'm just thinking about rehabbing and getting back on the field and doing the things I used to do.

"Some people might say that it might mess up your draft status. ... Whatever I decide to do, I'm capable of getting back to where I used to be."

He wasn't there in a 45-33 loss to Maryland, as the Cavs allowed 570 yards. He played about half the game and had two assisted tackles before spraining his ankle in the third quarter while running toward Terrapins quarterback Sam Hollenbach. "I was like, 'Dang man, nothing's working out for me this year,' " Brooks said.

Even when Brooks played, he was a non-factor on about 95 percent of his plays, Groh said. That's because the Terps ran away from Brooks' side of the field. Groh wants to move Brooks inside soon to involve him more.

"There's a lot of catching up here to do with Ahmad's game, the things that he hasn't done since Aug. 5 (when preseason practice started) to improve and polish his game," Groh said.

Groh put Brooks on the outside to replace Dias and to give Brooks some game action. Brooks had never played outside before and, with just a week to prepare, said he was unsure of some duties.

Brooks' new position and unpolished game frustrated him, but he's glad to be back. "I felt as though I could contribute more than what I did if I was really healthy, if I wasn't rusty," he said.
 

Hughes, special teams shine for Cavaliers
Groza candidate one of rare bright spots against Maryland as battle for field position continues
Eric Kolenich, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

"The hostile environment actually helps me," Virginia senior field goal kicker Connor Hughes said after Saturday's game. "It gets me to focus more, instead of just being really lazy."

Unfortunately, the rest of the Cavaliers did not focus as well as Hughes at Maryland's Byrd Stadium.

The Cavaliers reeled Saturday, falling to Maryland 45-33. While the offense and defense failed to produce, the special teams continued the spectacular performance it has contributed all season. And as always, special teams performed without receiving much recognition.

"This whole idea of field position is something that's really not very interesting to fans," coach Al Groh said. "They just want to know about the plays. It's like talking about tires and batteries. Just talk to me about upholstery and what kind of sound system we have in the car, not the tires and batteries. But that's what field position is."

Even if the Cavaliers couldn't get the motor running against Maryland, at least the tires and batteries are in great condition. Hughes was 4-4 in field goal attempts, and senior kickoff specialist Kurt Smith put six of eight kickoffs in the end zone.

Hughes, a top candidate for the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker, improved to 8-10 in field goal attempts Saturday. His .800 field goal percentage thus far is an improvement over last year, when he recorded a percentage of .708. It looks as if Hughes is returning to the level of play he provided in 2003, when he hit all 40 of his extra point attempts and knocked in 23 of 25 field goal attempts.

"This whole season I've been kicking really well," Hughes said. "I've had two misses and both were within inches."

Still, Hughes succeeds without much credit. He ranks as one of the top place kickers in U.Va. history. In 2003, he set Virginia's school record with 23 field goals, and his career .815 field goal percentage is the highest average in ACC history among kickers with at least 45 attempts.

As Hughes racks up the points, kickoff specialist Kurt Smith controls the field position with his strong leg.

"Since the game is all about ball movement --- where you get it and where you can move it --- our special teams have given us a significant field position advantage in every game," Groh said. "Kurt Smith has obviously been a big factor in that."

With the six he notched Saturday, Smith has 14 touchbacks already, with only 26 all of last season. Like Hughes, Smith is returning to his form of 2003, when he recorded 36 touchbacks. His kickoffs have averaged a stellar 64.4 yards per kick.

As the Cavaliers look forward to their next game Saturday at Boston College, Hughes will have another opportunity to focus in a hostile environment, where he most likely will flourish as he has all season. Perhaps the rest of the team could benefit from Hughes' mentality to prevent another costly ACC loss. One thing is clear: Al Groh would not make a good used-car salesman selling only tires and batteries.

 

Dodging beer cans, taking résumés in College Park
Mickey Could, Colunnist

Last weekend, as I sat in the Virginia section of College Park's Byrd Stadium, one of the country's oddest football stadiums, there was only one thought going through my mind: Wow.

Not because the Cavaliers were "shell-shocked" as the sports page called Saturday's 45-33 loss to the Turtles of Maryland. Not because my seats were four rows from the top of upper deck section 304, one of the steepest inclines in a stadium I've ever seen.

No, my "wow" moment came from the realization of just how deep the Virginia-Maryland rivalry burns in the hearts of Maryland fans.

I was born and raised a Virginia fan by my parents, both of whom are alumni of the University. I consider myself to be somewhat knowledgeable on Virginia sports, past and present. Growing up in North Carolina, however, obviously has blinded me to the amount of contempt that both sides -- Virginia and Maryland -- have for one another. I grew up believing Virginia Tech and North Carolina to be Virginia's two main rivals, and I always perceived Maryland as a rival on par to a N.C. State or Duke -- a neighboring state ACC school that receives attention, but is not the end-all-be-all rivalry. Apparently, in the eyes of most Maryland fans and some Virginia fans, I was wrong.

I am basing this little theory on my experiences this past weekend as a Virginia football fan going into the lion's den at Maryland. Upon deciding to go the game, I had heard the stories of how vicious Maryland fans can be. Many people told me the story of how at a Maryland-Duke basketball game, Maryland fans threw batteries at Shane Battier's mother. Battier was a Duke star, which brought on most of the hate, but he was also known as a generally good guy and not very confrontational to his opponents. So, going in, I knew I would not be the most welcome sight at the game.

Nevertheless, I attended Saturday's game with three buddies, and almost as a joke, almost just to see what kind of response we would get, we played up the Virginia stereotype, wearing button-down shirts, ties and khakis to the game. And if there is anything that will get a rival of Virginia's more riled up, it's seeing a "good ol' boy" at a football game. (I also think it's hilarious that a vast majority of people think that Virginia is the only school where students dress up to go to football games. Check out most any Ole Miss, Georgia and UNC game, and you'll see what I mean.)

Suffice it to say, we were not met in the most welcoming environment by our Maryland brethren. We had a full beer can thrown at us while walking through a parking lot. We were called names I can't print. And we took a lot of the heat for the clothes. Our main response: "We're going to an interview. Submit your résumé anytime."

It was obvious we provoked a lot of the action that Maryland fans took upon us. And looking back, it never amounted to any sort of damage. But the one thing that stuck out in my mind was not the words, actions or insults. It was the hate behind the words that caught me off guard. I had no idea Maryland fans took this game so seriously. Again, apparently I was wrong.

All in all, it was quite an experience. This was only the second Virginia away game I've been to, and the first one was in 2003 at Chapel Hill, where the Cavs destroyed the Heels by a score of about 236-9 (I might be a little off, my memory isn't great). So while this go-round was not what I wanted out of the final score, I can at least say the game and overall atmosphere were a tad more exciting.

I can also tell you that in five to 10 years, I will gladly accept résumés from Maryland grads. I can always use a good right-hand man.

 

Injuries taking toll at UVa
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 6, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Wali Lundy's season was just getting started when he rumbled up the right sideline for 28 yards before being pushed out of bounds on the Western Michigan side of the field.
It looked like vintage Lundy, the kind of way a three-year contributor would like to start his final season.

But as he got up, his foot felt a little strange. No big deal, he thought. He'd walk it off and be out for the next series.

"When it happened, it was kind of like, 'All right, maybe I'll just go to the sideline and it will go away,'" Lundy said.

A month later, he is still waiting for his sprained left foot to feel 100 percent.

Lundy's not alone. A rash of injuries have made the Cavaliers a vastly different team than when the season started.

Three players featured prominently on the cover of the media guide - left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, linebacker Ahmad Brooks and Lundy - have missed time this season.

Lundy's foot sprain has limited him to 18 carries for 67 yards in four games.

Ferguson missed half of the Duke game after spraining his left knee and had his 42-game starting streak snapped at Maryland last week when he did not dress for the game.

Brooks, who had the most talked about offseason knee surgery in school history, had his season debut pushed back to last Saturday, and even then he was limited, playing out of position (outside linebacker) with narrowed responsibilities. He was in for half of the game's snaps before coming out with a sprained ankle.

Two other starters, center Brian Barthelmes (left leg) and linebacker Jermaine Dias (knee), are on the mend as well.

That's enough turnover to redefine any football team. That doesn't mean Virginia is looking to use it as an excuse.

Injuries aren't a topic of discussion at UVa. Nuclear secrets are less guarded than Virginia's injury report. The result has been a contentious relationship between coach Al Groh and the media.

Groh won't budge on the injury issue. He doesn't talk about injuries publicly because he thinks it's a built-in excuse.

"If we get into (injuries), then it's like we're setting a scene for not doing well," Groh said. "We believe in the players and we trust the players we put in the game. ? When you start talking about how badly you miss certain guys, then you're doing a disservice to those kids battling hard for you, as if what they're giving you isn't enough."

That doesn't mean the injuries haven't taken their toll.

The cumulative effect of Ferguson's and Barthelmes' injuries have had the biggest impact. Last season, the Cavaliers had the same five starters on the offensive line for every game, headed by Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner Elton Brown.

This year's group has nowhere near the experience nor the continuity. Against Maryland, Jordy Lipsey and Eddie Pinigis made their first career starts, senior Brad Butler played both left and right tackle and backups Ian-Yates Cunningham and Eugene Monroe played at the same time in the second half at left guard and left tackle, respectively.

The only two players on the line to start every game at the same position are left guard Branden Albert and right guard Marshal Ausberry, and they're both first-year starters.

"There are advantages to having guys playing together," said Barthelmes, whose status remains up in the air this week. "When I played left guard (last year), between me and Brick we just kind of had a non-verbal communication to do things. You build that kind of thing, so you might miss a little bit of that with (less) experience."

Of all the injury situations, however, Lundy's has been the most frustrating.

Coaches marveled at the kind of offseason he had.

After playing second fiddle to Alvin Pearman at the end of last year, Lundy was expecting to have a special finale, one befitting someone who entered the season seventh on the school's all-time rushing list (2,619 yards) and first on the modern-day touchdown list (41).

He hasn't re-injured the foot. It has taken a long time to recover.

From the sounds of it, he might be getting closer to being back. Lundy said he expects to play at full speed Saturday at Boston College and Groh said of Monday's practice, "we started to see the player that we saw in training camp."

"There's no sense of urgency," Lundy said.

"I know what type of player I am when I'm healthy, the type of plays I can make, so when I get back to 100 percent, I feel like I still did everything in the offseason to have a good season.

"I'm just waiting it out."

Virginia is far too familiar with the concept.

 

Indiana hoops star commits to U.Va.
Power forward can 'play five positions' says his prep coach
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 6, 2005

A week after visiting the University of Virginia, basketball standout Jamil Tucker has confirmed his commitment to enroll there in 2006-07.

A 6-9, 215-pound forward, Tucker is a senior at West Side High in Gary, Ind. Before leaving Charlottesville on Friday, Tucker told the U.Va. coaching staff that he wanted to be a Cavalier. The commitment didn't become public, though, until U.Va.'s admissions department finished reviewing Tucker's transcript this week.

Tucker is the first player to commit to U.Va. for 2006-07. New coach Dave Leitao received a commitment for 2007-08 last month from point guard Sam Zeglinski, a junior at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia.

As a junior, Tucker averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for a team that advanced to the semifinals of Indiana's state Class 4A tournament, West Side coach John Boyd said last night. Tucker is a skilled outside shooter and might play on the perimeter at Virginia.

"He's actually a guy who can play five positions," Boyd said.

Tucker attracted interest from Indiana, Purdue, Georgia Tech and Kent State, Boyd said. Rivals.com ranks Tucker No.63 in the nation's Class of 2006. Scout.com has him at No.77. -- Jeff White