No. 4 Florida State rolls into town
Hoping for deja vu: UVa knocked off 'Noles 10 years ago at Scott Stadium
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 15, 2005

There will be close to 60 players at Scott Stadium tonight that can stake claim to having beaten Florida State at Scott Stadium.

Unfortunately for Virginia coach Al Groh, they will not be in uniform, instead returning to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Virginia’s thrilling win over the Seminoles on Nov. 2, 1995.

Like tonight’s game, there was a national television audience watching on ESPN. What they saw was previously unimaginable - Florida State lost its first Atlantic Coast Conference football game that night.

Having lost back-to-back games in the last two weekends, Virginia (3-2, 1-2 ACC) tries tonight to win another improbable game. The Cavaliers’ dim hopes of winning a conference championship hangs in the balance, while the 2005 version of the Seminoles (5-0, 3-0) are No. 4 and striving for two titles - one from the ACC, the other from the NCAA.

Virginia could make a national statement by repeating history, but Groh doesn’t see it that way.

“I have said this before. I think you make statements with your final record,” said Groh, who is 0-4 against the ‘Noles. “We’ve had a couple evidences in the last few years of teams that beat Miami or Florida State, so everybody claimed it was a statement, whether it was the press or the players or whatever.

“Then [those teams] lost the next weekend and it was a pretty hollow statement, so what did the statement accomplish? I think it’s where you finish in your league standings that determine what kind of statement you make.”

One of Groh’s wide receivers - junior Fontel Mines - has a different view of the opportunity.

“I think it is time for us to beat a good team - to beat a nationally ranked team,” Mines said referring to Virginia’s failure to beat a team ranked higher than 15th under Groh. “This is as big a game as any for us because it’s a conference game and … we haven’t beaten them in 10 years.”

To Virginia’s credit, Florida State will be playing in its toughest road game to date. The Seminoles have played one road game all season. The crowd for that game, around 40,000 at Boston College, dwarfs in comparison to the sellout crowd of 62,000-plus that Virginia will pack into Scott Stadium tonight.

And despite having a freshman quarterback - Drew Weatherford - Florida State coach Bobby Bowden is confident his team will overcome the challenge of playing away from home.

“When you go to Boston College it’s all unknown as to how this team will respond,” Bowden said. “Now you come out with a win when you were behind. Now you go to the [Virginia] game knowing that you have done that so you feel like you’re not going to faint when you walk out there and that crowd’s for them.

“That was a great experience that we’re going to face again [tonight].”

Some of Florida State’s players have played in Charlottesville and have been quick to tell their teammates of what to expect.

“We’re playing against a team that we know is going to talk trash,” FSU tailback Leon Washington told reporters. “I remember the last time we went up there [in 2003], the fans were throwing stuff onto the sidelines, stuff like that. This is going to be one of those games where they’re going to try and get you out of your mind frame.”

Both teams enter the contest without a number of would-be starters available and others at less than full speed.

Florida State will be missing defensive end Darrell Burston (shoulder) and several other players - CB Trevor Ford, LB Ernie Sims and OL Anthony Kelly - are nursing injuries.

Groh hopes to have his left tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson (knee), and inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (ankle) back for tonight’s game. On Thursday, he said both players are “probable.”

Getting Ferguson back would help an offensive line, which will be without tackle Brad Butler (one-game suspension), that gets the chance to face a Seminole defense that leads the ACC and ranks fourth nationally with 21 sacks.

Brooks, a junior, played three quarters against Maryland on Oct. 1, but missed Virginia’s loss at Boston College last weekend. His return could help bolster a Cavalier defense that has allowed 1,077 yards, 57 first downs and 77 points in the past two weeks.

That group is in for yet another test. FSU leads the ACC in total offense and ranks second in scoring offense.

“They’re kind of back to that old Florida State NASCAR offense … ‘Gentlemen, start your engines,’” Groh said.

 

All Cav fans remember the upset
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 15, 2005

Forever frozen in the souls of every Wahoo football fan was one single moment on the evening of Nov. 2, 1995, when Virginia upset second-ranked Florida State.

The score 33-28 still burns brightly in the memory of those who packed Scott Stadium that chilly autumn night, which marked the first loss by the Seminoles in ACC play. While nearly a decade has passed, just the mention of that game brings a smile to fans who watched the classic offensive struggle that was decided by a dramatic goal-line stand.

Who will ever forget Florida State tailback Warrick Dunn, the Seminoles’ most lethal weapon that season, sprawled flat on his belly in disbelief only inches from the goal line as the game ended. Dunn still calls it the most memorable play of his entire football career, pro or college.

The aftermath

The stirring upset launched a wild celebration that extended deep into the Charlottesville night, with fragments of torn down goalposts eventually coming to rest beneath the feet of Thomas Jefferson’s statue at The Rotunda.

It is only fitting that Virginia honors the 1995 team this weekend, the 10th anniversary of the upset by one of the school’s greatest teams. The Cavaliers were ACC co-champions with Florida State that season, finishing 9-4, including a last-second, 18-17 loss to No. 14 Michigan at the Big House to open the season, and a last-second, 17-16 loss at No. 16 Texas on a 50-yard field goal into the wind.

As some of the coaches and players assembled at the stadium last night for a reception, they looked out over the lighted gridiron, and allowed their minds to drift back.

Several of the Virginia players specifically remembered Friday night that when they arrived at the stadium an hour-and-a-half before the game, the student section and the “hill” were already jam-packed, something they had never seen before.

Skeet’s take

“The most important thing that whole night was when we came here early, there was about 15,000 people already here,” Skeet Jones said during last night’s reception. “That pumped us up in the locker room and when we came out on the field. That’s the way it should be for every big game here.”

It was a wild game, with an explosive Florida State offense piling up 546 yards of total offense. Virginia matched score for score with big plays from quarterback Mike Groh, tailback Tiki Barber, four field goals by Rafael Garcia, catches by Bryan Owen and Pete Allen, big defensive stops when they mattered, and the punting of Will Brice, who kept the Noles pinned down. Five times, FSU started drives within seven yards of its goal line thanks to Brice’s kicks.

But “The Stop” was the play everyone remembers. FSU was facing a second-and-goal at the UVa 6-yard line with only seconds remaining when coach Bobby Bowden called for a direct snap to Dunn, hoping to catch Virginia’s defense by surprise.

Defensive coordinator Rick Lantz, who came up with a ploy to go with a 3-4 alignment against one of the most prolific offenses in college history, will never forget that play. He spent days studying FSU’s offense, trying to come up with a way to slow it down.

Lantz had his team practicing all week for a draw to Dunn in an end-game scenario and, even though it was a direct snap rather than a draw, Virginia’s defense couldn’t have been more prepared for the Seminoles’ last-ditch attempt. That is thanks to linebacker Skeet Jones.

“Skeet Jones never got the credit, but he’s the guy who sounded off and said, ‘Warrick’s looking at the ball, he’s getting’ the ball,’” Lantz remembered Friday night, sitting above the opposite end zone of where the fabled play took place.

“Warrick was always up there looking for who he might have to block. But this time he was looking at the center snap,” Lantz said. “Skeet never, ever got the credit, nor did [linebacker] Jamie Sharper, who, when the guard pulled, went in the backside and he grabbed the left thigh of Warrick Dunn and Warrick never got his hands solidly on the ball.”

Adrian Burnim and Anthony Poindexter (who had been moved from his normal safety position to an outside linebacker’s spot), stonewalled Dunn as he lunged toward the goal line.

Lantz’s plan to put Poindexter outside to stop short passes to Dunn bordered on brilliant.

“If you could pick a guy all the years of Virginia football who you think you could keep unblocked ... Poindexter would be the guy,” Lantz said. “We didn’t shut them down. We just slowed them down. Every single series they had to fight like heck to get something, then we answered on offense. It was a complete, complete team victory.”

Hall of Fame coach George Welsh said Friday night that he was so proud of that ’95 team for its resiliency in bouncing back from heartbreaking losses and finishing strong, including a last-second win over Georgia in the Peach Bowl.

Because UVa had extra time to prepare for the Thursday night ESPN game (still the highest-rated game in network history), Welsh sent all of his coaches on the road recruiting. He decided to keep Lantz at home to study FSU’s offense, while Welsh delved into the film to dissect the Seminoles’ defense.

“Two inches, right?” Welsh said Friday night of that final play.

He remembered thinking before Florida State lined up that the Seminoles would throw it up to one of their wide receivers.

But instead, when Dunn reached for the end zone, no one from the sideline could see where the ball was. Fans in the stands, reporters in the press box couldn’t tell whether Dunn was in or out until officials ruled him down.

“I just had a feeling of relief,” said Jones, who knew Dunn was short when he saw Burnim and Poindexter leap into the air.

Welsh said immediately after the game that night, “I thought for sure we were going to lose it ... honest to God, I did.”

Even minutes after the game was over, Welsh admitted that at the time, without being able to see where the ball came to rest, that Dunn had scored.

Things have changed over the last 10 years. Last night, Welsh had no doubts.

“I was with a couple of guys the other day and they said, ‘No, he was in,’” Welsh noted. “I said, ‘the hell he was.’”

 

UVa football program hosting bevy of recruits
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 15, 2005

A Florida State home game means a lot of things, but one in particular: a big football recruiting weekend. Virginia will host a ton of talented prospects tonight, including several players already committed to the Cavaliers, some big-time uncommitted players and a host of talented juniors.

A trio of four-star prospects, including two wide receivers from Virginia, head the list.

Chris Bell, a wide receiver from Granby High in Norfolk, is the highest-rated prospect on campus this weekend. Bell, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete, ranked among the top 50 prospects in the nation, has a lot of offers from the likes of Virginia, Penn State, Miami, LSU, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Florida and others.

Bell narrowed his list last week to UVa, Penn State and Florida, though he is reportedly leaning toward 78-year-old Joe Paterno’s revived program. Bell is exactly the type of receiver Virginia has been attempting to sign to help take its passing game to a higher level.

Brent Vinson, a 6-2, 180-pounder from Phoebus High in Hampton, is another wide receiver the Cavs are pursuing. Ranked among the state’s top 15 prospects by Rivals, Vinson is making an unofficial visit to UVa this weekend and has five official visits set to Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan State and possibly Georgia.

He told Rivals’ Mike Farrell that he wanted to see how well the Cavaliers could compete against FSU.

The other four-star prospect on campus is Jared Odrick, a two-way tackle from Lebanon, Pa. The 6-5, 303-pound Odrick is coming off an impressive unofficial visit to Penn State, which is one of several schools to offer him, including UVa, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Florida.

“[Penn State] was a wonderful atmosphere because of the fans,” Odrick told Farrell. “[The visiting recruits] came out into the stadium before the game and the whole student section cheered for us and chanted come to Penn State. It was an amazing thing to see.”

At least three more senior prospects will be visiting, including Darius Smith, an inside linebacker from Metarie, La., whose family relocated to Maryland because of Hurricane Katrina. Smith’s uncle, Otis Smith, played for UVa coach Al Groh with the New England Patriots and New York Jets.

Big John Moffitt, a 6-4, 290, two-way lineman from West Haven, Conn., is in the group. He has been offered by UVa, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Rutgers.

Jacoby Ford, a wide receiver, cornerback from West Palm Beach, Fla., is also visiting, but his trip is a little closer than his permanent address. Ford attends nearby Fork Union Military Academy and plays for coach John Shuman.

Ford, the state of Florida’s state champion in the 100 (10.32 seconds) and 200 meters last spring, has been at FUMA working on qualifying academically.

Among the juniors visiting are:Pete Lalich, 6-5, 235, pro-style quarterback from West Springfield High in Springfield, who has already been offered by the Cavaliers. He is one of the top 100 juniors to watch in the nation according to Rivals. Lalich said UVa is easily his No. 1 school.

Nathan Stupar, the younger brother of UVa tight end Jon Stupar, is visiting. The 6-1, 215 junior is listed as an athlete and has been offered by the Cavs.

Tyrod Taylor, a 6-1, 193 dual-threat quarterback from Hampton, has been offered by Virginia Tech and UNC, but is on the Wahoo campus this weekend. He has also drawn attention from FSU.

Lamar Milstead, a 6-5, 290 offensive tackle from Washington, D.C. (Coolidge) has been offered by Virginia and Georgia, while another D.C. Coolidge player, Marvin Austin, a 6-2, 299, defensive tackle, has also been offered by the Cavaliers, Bulldogs and N.C. State.

 

Cavaliers hoping to repeat history vs. No. 4 Seminoles
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- As anniversaries go, this one is surely one of the favorites in Virginia's football histoy. It was 10 years ago, a Thursday night, all eyes on Scott Stadium as George Welsh's Cavaliers beat No. 2 Florida State, 33-28.

Memories of that game still warm the hearts of Virginia fans everywhere, and even of their coach, Al Groh, who was an assistant with the NFL's New England Patriots at the time and got to watch his son Mike quarterback the Cavaliers to the victory.

But with the No. 4 Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) coming back to Scott Stadium on Saturday night for another nationally televised game, Groh's Cavaliers are badly in need of another stunning upset to get their season back on track.

"What we really need from an overall personnel standpoint is we need our veteran players to play better and we need our younger players to step up," Groh said.

The Cavaliers (3-2, 1-2) are coming off back-to-back losses - 45-33 at Maryland and 28-17 at Boston College - in which the defense allowed an average of well over 500 yards per game, making the arrival of the explosive Seminoles a scary proposition.

"They're kind of back to that old Florida State NASCAR offense - Gentlemen, start your engines," Groh said, complimenting the improved play of Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford and a stable of fast wide receivers that goes eight or nine deep.

The 1995 Cavaliers were the first team from the ACC to beat Florida State, but the series has been lopsided since, with the Seminoles usually winning comfortably.

Last season, Virginia was 5-0 when it went to Tallahassee hoping to take over first place in the league. The Seminoles brushed them aside, winning 36-3.

The Cavaliers had two other chances to play their way back into the race last year, but lost at home to No. 18 Miami and on the road against No. 11 Virginia Tech.

Losing in big games is a habit they'd very much like to break.

"I think it's time for us to beat a good team, to beat a nationally ranked team," wide receiver Fontel Mines said. "This is as big a game as any for us because it's a conference game and they're on our side and we haven't beaten them in 10 years."

Being at home again, especially after losing two in a row on the road, should help the Cavaliers, as should the presence of many players from the 1995 team, which will be honored at halftime. Two of them, Mike Groh and Anthony Poindexter, are assistants.

It won't help that Virginia could send a makeshift offensive line onto the field. Tackle Brad Butler will serve a one-game suspension for a cheap shot he took at Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka last week, and the status of All-ACC tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was to be determined Saturday. He sat out the game against the Eagles.

The Seminoles could also be without several defenders. Defensive end Darrell Burston won't play because of a shoulder injury, and defensive lineman Anthony Kelly, cornerback Trevor Ford and linebacker Ernie Sims are also banged up.

Despite the praise heaped on Weatherford by Groh, this week's game will be only his second start on the road. Coach Bobby Bowden said his young team still has much to prove, especially away from the comfort of 80,000 fans in Doak Campbell Stadium.

"It's one of those things you have to do sooner or later and we can't wait any later," the career victory leader among college coaches said. "So I think we're about as well prepared as we've been. We know it's going to be difficult. We know we're going to have to play better on the road because home-field advantage means something."

His players, however, already know to look beyond Virginia's record.

"I think that their potential scares us the most," defensive end Kamerion Wimbley said, adding that the Seminoles are preparing like they would for a top-ranked rival.

"Just because they have lost a couple of games, I still think they have the talent to be one of the top teams in the nation," Wimbley, a senior, said. "We don't want to go up there and have them sneak up on us like some teams have in the past."

Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m.

 

Stands the test of time
UVa's '95 win over FSU remains a classic
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

When members of Virginia's 1995 football team assemble at midfield tonight, nobody should expect perfect attendance.

Seven members of that team play for NFL teams that will have games on Sunday. Two other prominent players, quarterback Mike Groh and linebacker Anthony Poindexter, are on the UVa coaching staff and may have other responsibilities at halftime.

The 1995 team, arguably the best in school history, will be honored at least partly for its ACC co-championship -- the second of two shared ACC football titles -- but nobody should have to wonder about the timing.

Florida State is in town and ceremonies will coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the 1995 game between the teams, won by the Cavaliers 33-28 as the Seminoles lost to an ACC team for the first time since joining the league in 1992.

Groh passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns, Poindexter was involved in a game-saving stop on the final play and current New York Giants running back Tiki Barber rushed for a career-high 193 yards, but there were some memorable performances by some less-memorable players, guys like Bryan Owen.

Owen, a walk-on who originally joined the program as a place-kicking candidate, led UVa in receptions that night.

"No way!" George Welsh, the Cavaliers' head coach from 1982-2000, said Friday.

Welsh said he would have thought Demetrius "Pete" Allen led the team in receiving that night. Allen had four catches for 109 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown reception.

Owen had five receptions for 72 yards and also had a 13-yard return on a punt blocked by James "Pottsy" Farrior, now a Pro Bowl linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I remember that I totally missed my assignment," said Owen, who had played soccer and not football at Cedar Cliff High in Camp Hill, Pa. "I was supposed to block my man and run downfield with him, but I saw that Pottsy was probably going to block the punt, so I didn't follow my guy.

"Fortunately, he did block it and all I could think of was, I didn't want to fumble."

He doesn't remember all of his receptions, "but, the first one, I do," said Owen, who has three UVa degrees and works in Web design and development in Falls Church. "It was our first offensive play of the game. I was in the slot and came across and they just didn't cover me at all."

Owen went on to enjoy a nice career, starting for 112 seasons and catching 43 passes, but nothing like the 15 or so teammates who went on to play in the NFL. One of them, wide receiver Patrick Jeffers, missed the 1995 Florida State game with an injury, giving Owen his big opportunity.

One of Owen's roommates was Walt Derey, a tight end from Northside High School, who was a starter in the 1995 UVa-FSU game.

"I think I had one pass attempt come my way," said Derey, a Roanoke contractor. "The thing I remember most was the atmosphere -- during the game and all day leading up to the game. I've never seen Scott Stadium so electric."

Derey is a UVa season ticket-holder and has seats and parking places next to former teammates Doug Karczewski and Matt Link. He corresponds via e-mail with Owen. Owen corresponds with Rafael Garcia, who will be returning from his native Spain for the occasion.

On a night when Florida State's Scott Bentley did not attempt a field goal, Garcia was 4-for-4.

Welsh said he reached into the vault and watched a film of the game not long after his retirement in 2000, but he has never seen the abbreviated version that regularly airs on ESPN Classic.

"They tell me it's one of the most-watched games they've got," he said.

That's no surprise, given the non-stop action on a night when Florida State had an almost unheard-of 92 plays and Virginia had 86.

Despite giving up 547 yards, Virginia had no shortage of defensive standouts, including safety Percy Ellsworth, who had two interceptions; cornerback Ronde Barber, with three passes broken up; tackle Antonio Dingle, who had two sacks; and Poindexter, later a safety, who had a team-high 11 tackles.

Nobody could top Farrior's numbers: 10 tackles, a sack, an interception and a blocked punt.

"Not a bad night!" Welsh marvelled.

A talented Florida State roster featured tailback Warrick Dunn, but the Seminoles were no more talented than Virginia, which had three future NFL players on the bench -- defensive end Patrick Kerney and linebacker Wali Rainer, both of whom played, and quarterback Aaron Brooks.

Current NFL players who started for Virginia that day were Tiki and Ronde Barber, Farrior and fellow linebacker Jamie Sharper.

All of those players came back in 1996, when some people felt the Cavaliers were even more talented, but they struggled to replace Groh at quarterback and finished 7-5.

For all of its accomplishments, the 1995 team was 9-4, including a pair of one-point road losses and a 36-29 home loss to Virginia Tech, which overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the final quarter.

"We should have won two more games," Welsh said. "If we'd coached them a little smarter, we could have won a couple of those, but it was just a really special team in a lot of ways."

1. Mount a pass rush. Inside linebacker Kai Parham has more sacks after five games (six) than the rest of the team combined (four). If the Cavaliers don't put any pressure on QB Drew Weatherford, the secondary can't hold up in coverage.


2. Get production out of its backs. Wake Forest showed last week that FSU is somewhat vulnerable to the run, but some running backs get more yards in a game than Virginia's featured tailback, Wali Lundy, has for the season (105).


3. Win the field-position battle. This comes down to special teams. Five of Chris Gould's 20 punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line, three inside the 10 and two inside the five. UVa hasn't blocked a kick all season; tonight would be a good time to start.

 

Hokies showed eye for talent
McCargo a find for Wolfpack
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Just how good would Virginia Tech be at running back if the Hokies had signed James Davis, who went down to the wire between Tech and Clemson last year before signing with the Tigers?

In all likelihood, Davis, from Douglass High School in Atlanta, would have been redshirted by Tech, as the Hokies have done with signee Elan Lewis from Phoebus High School in Hampton. But, it speaks to Tech’s popularity with recruits, particularly skilled players, that the depth chart doesn’t appear to be an issue.

Davis was seventh in the ACC in rushing (and first among freshmen) even before he carried 11 times for 139 yards in the first half Thursday night in a 28-10 victory at North Carolina State. He suffered a fractured wrist on his only carry of the second half, so who knows when he’ll be back? But he’s for real.

Tech is finding it hard enough to find playing time for Branden Ore, who had a breakout game with Mike Imoh sidelined against Marshall, and fellow redshirt freshman George Bell. An injury to Cedric Humes will give them more opportunities, but to my friends who want to know when Ore and Bell pass the underclassmen, Nappy King tells me “no way.”

King, who covers the Hokies for The Roanoke Times, has become quite the connoisseur since his son, Justin, has been playing for Northside High School. He says that Ore and Bell are unable to pick up blitzes the way the veterans are.

We all thought that Virginia Tech would get one of its toughest tests when it went to North Carolina State in the opening game – and, in hindsight, it has been the Hokies’ toughest test – so I must admit I was somewhat incredulous upon reading that the Wolfpack has lost six straight ACC home games.

I guess that trumps what had been a six-game Clemson losing streak in Thursday night’s game and turns up the heat on sixth-year Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato. When Amato’s face was flashed on the Carter-Finley jumbotron as part of an in-game promotion, there was considerable booing, according to Caulton Tudor’s column in the News and Observer.

It appears that Virginia Tech and Virginia – and, yes, even The Roanoke Times – may have missed out on North Carolina State defensive tackle John McCargo, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound junior from Drake’s Branch, Va., and Randolph Henry High School.

“You hear a lot about their defensive ends (Mario Williams and Manny Lawson] but Mc Cargo is a guy that could possibly go in the first round if he came out early,” said Clemson coach Tommy Bowden before Thursday night’s game.

McCargo, who was not offered by either Tech or UVa, was rated the No. 81 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times in 2002.

“I’ve been coaching the heck out of him; I really have,” Amato said in jest. “Really, he was a fullback in high school and played a little linebacker [and] he thinks he’s a skilled person.

“He’s starting to play with his knees bent and his back flat. He is so quick. His hat speed across the ball is so quick that, when he reads to the football, I just worry that he jumps so fast that we’ll get called for offside and he really isn’t.”

Now that Mathias Kiwanuka has been ruled out of Boston College’s game with Wake Forest on Saturday, his status for the Eagles’ next game – Oct. 27 at Virginia Tech – will receive considerable attention.

“I don’t know if he’s a guarantee to play at Virginia Tech, so we’ll wait and see how he progresses,” BC coach Tom O’Brien told the Boston Globe. “Time is on his side.”

It seems there has been a stigma attached to the term “cut block” but a respected offensive-line coach told me, under the condition of anonymity “that everybody does it; I would assume everybody teaches it.”

I wonder what happened to the old term “clip.” Now, it’s either a block in the back or an illegal block or something of that nature. It appears that what Butler did is, he “clipped” Kiwanuka, and, by any name, that was always a dangerous play,

I had it seconded Friday by somebody in the know that the ACC, while it may have advocated at least a one-game suspension for Butler, was never in a position where it had to talk Virginia into taking action. However, I am hearing that the UVa athletic department may have received instructions from another side of the grounds, namely the president’s office.

Last week's column, with its “lead” on the Rolling Stones, elicited only one e-mail of the “are you nuts?” variety, and prompted several informative responses, one from Julie Cochran in regard to a reference about Crosby, Stills and Nash and the absence of Suite Judy Blue Eyes from its Roanoke Civic Center playlist.

“I attend many CSN concerts and Mr. Stills has not performed "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" in a couple of years,” she wrote. “They took it out of the setlist after 2003 tour. It is my understanding that the range in his voice has changed over the many years.”

I know that I wasn’t at the 2005 show in Roanoke, so based on my trip through the Roanoke Times archives, it must have been the 1990 Roanoke Civic Center show when CSN did not play “Suite Judy Blue Eyes,” but she was right that I should have been more respectful when I made light of Stephen Stills’ intermission activities.

“Mr. Stills is completely sober, content, and the proud father of a little toddler who will be a one year old very soon,” Cochran wrote. “ What does your paper have to gain by slandering the ONE man who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame TWICE? ... Not to mention one of the greatest self-taught guitar players that this country has ever seen.

“In May I attended a fundraiser at "The House of Blues" on Sunset Blvd. at which Stephen (along with CSN and Jackson Browne) raised funds for the ‘The Stephen Stills Children's Music Project.’ That particular night the event was for a school for autistic children. Currently, the CMP is on a instrument drive to support schools damaged in the hurricane on the gulf coast ... you may or may not remember that Mr. Stills is from New Orleans.”

Thanks for the info.

My other mistake this week – and this could be a regular feature of this column – was in a UVa Insider reference to Virginia coach Al Groh’s 250-percent raise from $700,000 last year to $1.7 million. What I meant to say was 150 percent, but reader Mark Mincer said the correct figure is 143 percent.

I don’t think my point changes – that it was a sizable raise.

There was an interesting exchange on Groh’s radio this week when “Joe from Glen Allen” called to recommend the ouster of defensive coordinator Al Golden and then inquired as to why Virginia doesn’t recruit more in-state players, as opposed to its pursuit of players from New Jersey.

Host Mac McDonald said that Golden was one of the top young coaching prospects in the country, but Groh never responded either to Part 1 or Part 2 of the listeners’ two-part question.

My critics can predict what comes next: By not retaining Danny Wilmer off predecessor George Welsh’s staff, UVa lost its greatest in-state recruiting resource. Wilmer and Virginia Tech’s Jim Cavanaugh, who are more similar than either would care to admit, are the two best recruiters in Virginia over the past 25 years.

“I don’t mind being in that company,” Cavanaugh said. “I always thought Danny was a helluva recruiter.”

 

An uphill battle for U.Va. football
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 15, 2005

They’ll march out on the field at halftime, members of the team that made Virginia, and ACC, football history.

They are in their late 20s and early 30s now, most having put football behind them. They’ve got wives, kids, mortgages, careers.

Yes, it’s been that long — 10 years — since Virginia stunned college football with a 33-28 win over No. 2 Florida State at Scott Stadium, the Seminoles’ first ACC loss, the Cavaliers’ only win over a top-5 opponent.

The famous Thursday night win at Scott Stadium is revisited every year when these teams meet, but with the 10-year anniversary at hand, and with Virginia hosting another night game on national TV, the memory has been evoked more often this week.

“I’m glad they’re honoring them,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “They deserve to be honored.”

The team should be honored not just for beating the Seminoles, striking a blow for the entire ACC, but for going on to win the ACC title, Groh said.

“That’s the statement they really made,” he said.

Whatever the reason for the ceremony, the Cavaliers could use some of that ’95 magic tonight, in a game that could go a long way toward determining how the ’05 team is remembered.

After a 3-0 start, Virginia has dropped two straight and is at risk of falling out of the race for the Coastal Division title. The offensive line is banged up and the defense has been overwhelmed the last two weeks. Need we mention that Virginia Tech and Miami remain on the schedule?

Oddsmakers have made Florida State a seven-point favorite. For the Cavaliers to even stay that close, they’ll need to contain the ACC’s top-rated offense, one that is a throwback to high-octane Seminole teams of the mid- and late-1990s.

“They’re kind of back to that old Florida State, NASCAR offense,” Groh said. “'Gentlemen, start your engines.’ They run four of them down the field as fast as they can run. He throws it up, and one of them makes a play.”

FSU has revived its passing game with freshman quarterback Drew Weatherford and a deep corps of receivers that features four freshmen, including 6-foot-6 Chris Carr. He had three catches for 129 yards vs. Wake Forest last week.

Virginia’s pass defense ranks 10th in the ACC.

The Cavaliers’ run defense ranks eighth. Groh’s concern is that FSU will spread the field with its wide receivers, and then hand off to speedy tailbacks Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker.

Florida State rushed for 192 yards last year against a Virginia defense that was far more experienced than the current unit.

This year, the Cavaliers are searching for ways to shore up a defense that couldn’t slow either Maryland or Boston College, teams that lack FSU’s speed and firepower.

The return of a healthy Ahmad Brooks would help. The All-American linebacker has played just 36 snaps this year and missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. It’s unclear if he’ll play today.

If Brooks can’t go , the Cavaliers will have to go with a makeshift linebacking corps that will feature the undersized Mark Miller on the outside and true freshmen backups at three positions. The secondary, which lost cornerback Chris Cook to a broken leg last week, will also be thin.

Still, FSU coach Bobby Bowden knows anything can happen.

“Every time we go up there, I can remember what can happen to you,” he said.

The memory is growing more distant. This year’s team is eager to make its own.

“We want to emulate what they did,” Groh said. “But that was a different team in a different era.”

 

Schedule getting tougher for U.Va.
Florida State's passing game presents problems for Virginia's thin defensive backfield.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 15, 2005
Both are true freshmen. Injuries forced both into the spotlight.

Other than that, Florida State wide receiver Greg Carr and Virginia cornerback Mike Brown share just one thing: the patch of grass for which they'll compete tonight.

Though Carr and Brown aren't starters, there's a good chance they'll match up - or, more appropriately, mismatch up - when FSU plays U.Va. at Scott Stadium at 7:45.

It's a comparison that surely makes Virginia's coaches cringe: Carr is 6-foot-6 and 196 pounds, while Brown is 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds.

"The list of things that concern me on an ongoing basis is quite long," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "That would certainly be on this particular list."

The matchup is a microcosm of an unsettling issue for the Cavaliers: FSU ranks first in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and 11th in the nation, with 316.2 passing yards per game. U.Va. is 10th of 12 teams in passing defense (234.4 yards per game). "We need this game," Brown said.

Indeed, the Cavaliers (3-2, 1-2 ACC) have lost their past two games, allowing 320 and 301 passing yards. After playing No. 4 FSU (5-0, 3-0), they still must play Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami - three challenging opponents to close the season. If Virginia loses to FSU and drops those three games, it won't qualify for a bowl.

Seven FSU receivers have at least 100 yards this season. Carr is second with 267 yards on nine catches. He's caught five of FSU's 11 touchdown passes. And he's done all that in just three games.

He had no catches in the season opener against Miami, but with senior starter Willie Reid missing the next two games with a sprained knee, Carr caught six passes for 138 yards and four touchdowns. He used his height well in last Saturday's 41-21 win over Wake Forest, out-leaping defenders and making three catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.

While the 5-foot-10 Reid and 6-foot junior Chris Davis are FSU's starting wideouts, the Seminoles would be smart to line up Carr against Brown, who will play more since starting corner Chris Cook broke his right leg last Saturday at Boston College.

Cook, a 6-foot-2 true freshman, had surgery on Monday. His regular season is over. He took the starting job from 6-foot sophomore Chris Gorham for the BC game. Gorham now has his job back and will start opposite 5-foot-11 junior Marcus Hamilton. Brown is the backup at both spots. He's played 85 plays on defense and special teams this season and has six tackles.

"This week, especially, with how deep their receiving corps is, we would need all the help that we could get," Brown said.

Safety Tony Franklin could provide it. He played cornerback last season and practiced there this week.

Brown remains optimistic that U.Va.'s secondary can hold up against the Seminoles. "People underestimate how good Marcus Hamilton is, how good Tony Franklin is, how good I could potentially be," he said.

If Brown faces Carr, the corner said he'd rely on his defensive technique. And Brown doesn't think FSU's wideouts will run away from the Cavaliers' defensive backs.

"I don't think (speed) is an area where we necessarily give away in the defensive backfield," he said, "contrary to what people might believe about a school like Florida State."

New coach and new attitude
Question marks in lineup are certain, but the team likes the structure imposed by Virginia's new coach.
BY MELINDA WALDROP
247-4634
October 14, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Less than two months ago, he was recovering from malaria. Now, he's happily getting up before dawn for 6 a.m. workouts and engaging in "fun runs" around campus.

Tunji Soroye doesn't mind the physical exertion, not if means a bigger role on this season's Virginia basketball team.

"There was no plan for me in the offense last year," said Soroye, a 6-foot-11 center who averaged less than six minutes played in 21 games as a freshman. "It was kind of tough for me to go in there and just do things on my own."

It's a good bet that Soroye, and the rest of a U.Va. frontcourt with no returning starters, will log more court time in Dave Leitao's first season as the Cavs' head coach.

Leitao has just 12 players on his roster - 10 of them scholarship, and eight of those healthy. Junior guard Donte Minter is recovering from offseason knee surgery, while fellow guard T.J. Bannister won't be available when the Cavs begin practice Saturday because of surgery to fix a nagging hip problem.

Soroye isn't in tip-top shape himself. The sophomore center, originally from Nigeria, contracted malaria while visiting his family last summer and lost all of the 20 pounds he had struggled to pack onto his lean frame. He now weighs 218 pounds.

"It was real hard, because during the summer I really worked hard to gain (weight)," Soroye said. "After having malaria, I got depressed again, thinking, how am I going to get it back? But I've been working so hard."

The same can be said for the rest of his Virginia teammates. At Wednesday's basketball press day, the same words kept cropping up: Structure. Discipline. Rules.

Sean Singletary, who averaged 10.5 points per game while dishing out 3.9 assists as the Cavs' freshman point guard last season, describes early-morning team breakfasts and intensive Leitao-run defensive drills with a smile in his voice.

"Coach Leitao has sparked a little fire under our team, and collectively, we're a better team, because everybody's a lot more disciplined," Singletary said. "There's a lot more trust on this team."

That includes Singletary's faith in an untested frontcourt that will no doubt increase the pressure on both him and junior guard J.R. Reynolds, U.Va.'s leading returning scorer (10.7 points per game) from last season's 14-15 team.

Soroye's 0.6 points per game in 5.7 minutes make him one of the more experienced members of a frontcourt that also will include freshmen Mamadi Diane (6-5, 185, DeMatha Catholic), Laurynas Mikalauskas (6-8, 241, Blue Ridge School) and Sam Warren (6-10, 235, Cherry Creek).

But the Cavs' big men don't seem low on confidence.

"I think we will surprise a lot of people," Mikalauskas said. "We don't have as much size, (and) strength-wise, we don't have as much balance, but we're gonna be faster than any other big people in the country. We're going to be able to run."

Leitao has been happy with what he's seen in limited workouts from his post players, especially Diane, who averaged 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds at DeMatha.

"He's going to play a lot, and not just because of necessity," Leitao said. "I think if we had a whole team, he would play a lot. I'm very happy with his work ethic. He's a tremendous runner. He's got resiliency that I've seen already. He's got a really good skill package."

There's little standing in Diane's way - or anyone else's on the roster - of making an impact this season.

"Whoever's in the gym will get a shot to play, and I think that's a good thing," Leitao said.

The players on Leitao's roster are buying into the coach's philosophy of building a team through defensive diligence, he said. And they also seem to be relishing a new, lighter atmosphere in the wake of the long-rumored departure of former coach Pete Gillen.

"Nobody wants to go through what (people) went through last year," Leitao said. "That wasn't fun, particularly for the players that went through it, who were asked the questions day in and day out. So there is a rebirth, so to speak, in how they view themselves."

The new attitude has had a ripple effect. Sharnee Zoll, who broke Dawn Staley's freshman assist record last season for the U.Va. women's team, has taken note of the changes at University Hall.

One day, Zoll noticed Leitao working with Singletary, bringing out a punching bag for Singletary to work his way around while putting up shots.

The point: "You're gonna get hit, but you still need to gather yourself and get the shot off, no matter what," said Zoll, who has taken to imitating the drill.

The blows likely will come fast and furious at Singletary and his backcourt buddies, as the Cavs travel to Arizona and Gonzaga before opening the ACC season at Georgia Tech on Dec. 4.

But Singletary doesn't seem worried.

"We don't have much to lose, because everybody's overlooking us," he said. "We realize some people may not be taking us seriously, but good coaches will take us seriously, because it's always the underdog who comes up and bites you."

Bowden: Replay might have saved 'Noles
Dunn's run is just one reason FSU coach backs instant replay
By Randy Beard
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Ten years later, Bobby Bowden remains unconvinced that his first loss in the Atlantic Coast Conference occurred at Virginia.

Officially, it did. But what if the men in stripes had been required to take a second, third, fourth or even a sixth look at Warrick Dunn's dive toward the end zone on the final play of that 1995 game in Charlottesville, Va.? Would they have come to the same conclusion that the Florida State tailback was stopped inches from the goal line, allowing the Cavaliers to escape with a 33-28 victory?

"I'd give anything to get that one on instant replay," Bowden said. "Our film had Warrick going in the end zone and then it showed the ball rolling back out under his arm. Well, if it touched that line, it's a touchdown. But I've never argued it. They won't reverse it. But with instant replay, it would have been reviewed, and that would have been interesting."

It also might have made it easier for Bowden to swallow that first ACC defeat, which didn't come until the Seminoles' fourth season in the conference and 30th league game. After that loss, FSU won another 18 consecutive ACC games before suffering a 24-7 loss at N.C. State in 1998.

"Plays like that, boy, they sure can stick in your craw when you lose," said Bowden, chuckling.

"We shouldn't have let it come down to that one play," added William Floyd, the starting fullback on the 1995 FSU team, which entered that Thursday night game winning by an average of 40 points. "But I'm not sure instant replay would have helped us or not. It probably would have been inconclusive."

The fact that any game can turn on a crucial ruling by an official is why the BigTen sought permission to give instant replay a trial run in 2004. The experiment was such a success that the NCAA rolled out the technology bandwagon this season, and nine of the 11 DivisionI-A conferences jumped on board. Only the Sun Belt and the Western Athletic Conference aren't using it.

Schools from those conferences will have to adjust in the postseason since instant replay will be used in all bowl games, including the Bowl Championship Series matchups.

"It's a fast game," said Tommy Hunt, the ACC's coordinator of football officials. "It has helped us a lot, particularly on fumble plays. We still have to go back to that irrefutable video evidence, but it has helped with those (ball possession) plays. Sometimes an official isn't going to have a clear view, and that's where instant replay can help us make the correct call."

Yet Hunt cautions that instant replay will never be a foolproof system.

"It's only as good as the replays we get from the production truck," Hunt said.

When Lorenzo Booker was stripped of the football inside the 5-yard line at Boston College last month, the officials ruled that the Eagles had recovered in the end zone. Hunt said the replay official, who was reviewing video feeds from ESPN's cameras in the booth at Alumni Stadium, had no reason to reverse the call on the field.

But the next day, when Sun Sports aired its delayed telecast, the regional network's cameras showed the football bouncing off the left leg of B.C.'s Mathias Kiwanuka after he was out of bounds. Judging from that camera angle, FSU should have retained possession at the 2 instead of the Eagles' being awarded the ball at the 20.

"The way they saw it, the officials were correct ... Boy, they're lucky we won that game," quipped Bowden.

Hunt said that because only a live network feed or the in-stadium video is used, a replay official doesn't have access to every camera that could be positioned in a stadium. But FSU athletic director Dave Hart said that including the video from a regional network's delayed telecast should be considered even if it adds time to the review process.

"I'd rather see us exceed our targeted time of no longer than 90 seconds to get it right," Hart said.

Through last weekend's games, ACC replay officials had made 30 reviews with 15 overturns with an average stoppage of 1:43. The Southeastern Conference had 29 reviews with just eight reversals which took an average of 1:47.

SEC coordinator of officials Bobby Gaston said in August that it was his hope that, if anything, instant replay would prove just how good a job referees were doing. "The greatest thing that could happen to me is that we spent all of this money for nothing because every call we make is proper," Gaston said.

So far he has to be pleased even if perfection remains an unreasonable expectation. The SEC's 28percent reversal rate has been better than the national average of 34 percent, and considerably lower than the preseason expectations that were based on the BigTen's percentage of 48percent (21 of 43) last season.

"We'll do nothing but get better," Gaston said. "That's why we've done this."

Hunt said that instant replay has the additional benefit of reducing tensions on the field and in the stands during close games.

"It has given a calmness to the coaches and the fans," Hunt said. "They have confidence that if it's close, we're going to look at it."

Bowden said he initially didn't believe instant replay would work unless coaches had the option of challenging a call on the field. That NFL-like model is being used experimentally by the Mountain West this season, but could be phased in if the NCAA decides that's the way to go.

"My first thinking was, 'Nah, we coaches have got to call it, not somebody we don't even know who is sitting up yonder,"' Bowden said. "But it's working out. There haven't been many flaws.

"I'd say we're better off with (instant replay) than without it."


 

Do-or-die for Cavs
Inside ACC Nation
Chris Graham
chris@augustafreepress.com

Five hundred yards. Forty-five points. Three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Virginia's defense had been its strength in the Cavs' first three games of 2005. Now the D is the question mark on a UVa. team that is suddenly in danger of being rendered irrelevant before the leaves change color.

"There certainly were some match-up issues that we were dealing with. And there were some scheme issues at the same time," Virginia coach Al Groh said, looking back at his team's 45-33 loss at Maryland last weekend.

The Terps had struggled on offense in their first four games - averaging 367 yards and 22 points per game. But that was in September.

"We were trying to apply a number of different solutions at the same time, whether they mere scheme solutions or matchup solutions," Groh said. "Now, with some of the little more veteran players the last couple of times we played against a similar type of scheme, we were able to not have much trouble with it. But, we were playing against different players with different players. Those were the things we were dealing with there. I'm sure that some of those issues might come up, so we're just trying to have better solutions next time."

It might be good to have something more in the way of solutions in the bag as the 'Hoos get ready for another road game - at Boston College, which is leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with 413 yards of total offense a contest.

"It puts their back to the wall," said BC coach Tom O'Brien, a former assistant at Virginia in the administration of Groh's predecessor, George Welsh.

"I think most coaches would take that mentality, that you end up in an almost do-or-die situation, especially going on the road," O'Brien said.

"We were in that situation heading into Clemson. We had to go down there with our backup quarterback, lost a tight end, a couple of other people, heading into Clemson, a very difficult place to play. Our kids rose up and played very well down there. So they keep preaching to our team, look at how you went into Clemson, Virginia is going to be that way, or more so," O'Brien said.

The Eagles may have to go another game without starting quarterback Quinton Porter, who injured his ankle in Boston College's 28-17 loss to Florida State last month.

"There are still some questions about his mobility. We'll just have to see how he is," O'Brien said. "The thing with ankles that you're more concerned with is sometimes how they react the next day after you keep increasing his workload. We'll go through the week and see how he does, and probably make a decision on Saturday at how he is come game time."

Groh said he expects to have linebacker Ahmad Brooks back in the lineup following his first appearance in 2005 against Maryland. Tailback Wali Lundy is also expected to see more playing time - Lundy was injured early in the Cavs' season-opening 31-19 win over Western Michigan on Sept. 3.

For a Virginia team that entered the '05 campaign dreaming of a shot at the ACC title, Saturday's game could be, as O'Brien described, one of a do-or-die nature.

"The players, from the start, have been very alert and very resolute in the fact that part of our formula this year is going to have to be team power. It's not going to be individual or unit brilliance. That's just not the makeup of the team, at least at this present moment," Groh said.

 

Ten years after
Virginia's mission is to recreate the magic of beating FSU in'95
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 15, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The weekend's most compelling college football game will be played today in South Bend, Ind., where Notre Dame takes on top-ranked Southern Cal.

Hundreds of miles away from that raucous scene, the University of Virginia will try to wake up the echoes, too.

U.Va. (1-2, 3-2), beset by injuries and bad press, has an opportunity to produce a memorable, if improbable, victory tonight. Virginia's opponent at sold-out Scott Stadium is fourth-ranked Florida State (3-0, 5-0).

In 13 meetings with the Seminoles, the Cavaliers have won only once -- Nov. 2, 1995, at Scott Stadium. That was FSU's first loss as an ACC member. Virginia, then coached by George Welsh, went on to capture a share of the ACC title that season.

At halftime tonight, members of that Virginia team, whose stars included current U.Va. assistant coaches Mike Groh and Anthony Poindexter, will be recognized. The presence of illustrious alumni may inspire his team, but fifth-year coach Al Groh isn't counting on that bothering the'Noles.

"Unless any of those 55 or 60 choose to join us for this game, I think the impact of that game [on this one] will be negligible," said Groh, whose son Mike was the Cavaliers' starting quarterback in'95.

Still, Groh said, "I'm glad that we're honoring them. They deserve to be honored, not because they won that game . . . [but] because they won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. That's the statement that they really made -- that they were the ACC champions. And so that type of legacy is terrific to have."

For these Cavaliers, little has gone right since their Sept. 24 victory over Duke at Scott Stadium. They lost starting linebacker Jermaine Dias and two starting offensive linemen to injuries in that game, including senior tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who hasn't played since.

A week later, Virginia collapsed late and lost 45-33 at Maryland. Last weekend, U.Va. fell 28-17 at Boston College in a game in which senior offensive tackle Brad Butler gained national notoriety for an illegal block on BC star Mathias Kiwanuka. Moreover, starting cornerback Chris Cook broke his leg against BC and will miss the rest of the regular season.

Butler has been suspended for tonight's game, but Ferguson may play, Groh said Thursday. U.Va.'s defense is likely to get a boost from the return of all-ACC linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who's played in only one game this season.

The Cavaliers will need all the manpower they can muster against an explosive FSU team. The'Noles have two NFL-bound tailbacks in Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker, and redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Weatherford has passed for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns. FSU's corps of gifted wideouts includes 6-6 freshman Greg Carr, who has nine catches for 267 yards and five touchdowns.

The Seminoles lead the ACC in total offense and rank second in scoring offense. That bodes ill for U.Va., eighth among ACC teams in scoring defense.

"They're kind of back to that old Florida State NASCAR offense: 'Gentlemen, start your engines,'" Groh said.

If the Cavaliers lose tonight, they'll probably need to win at North Carolina (1-1, 2-3) next weekend to stay in contention for a bowl bid.

"They're going to be kind of like a wounded tiger," FSU coach Bobby Bowden told reporters. "They're going to fight you like you haven't been fought before."

The Wahoos haven't looked particularly ferocious in either of their past two games -- at least not for the full 60 minutes -- but they'll have more motivation tonight.

"Ten years is a long time not to beat a team," junior wideout Fontel Mines said.

 

UVa hopes to stage another shocker over FSU
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 15, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - It's almost 10 years later and Bobby Bowden still can't forget what happened.
It was Nov. 2, 1995 when Virginia ended heavily favored Florida State's 29-game ACC winning streak, pulling out a 33-28 win when Seminoles tailback Warrick Dunn was stopped short of the goal line on a draw play as time expired before UVa fans stormed the field.

"At that time, we had not lost any conference games and a lot of them thought, 'When will it ever happen?'" Bowden said. "Of course, it did. Every time we go up there, I remember what can happen to you."

That night the Cavaliers proved that the Seminoles weren't invincible. When No. 4 Florida State travels to Charlottesville for a 7:45 p.m. game today, one has to wonder if UVa still believes that is true.

Virginia (3-2, 1-2 ACC), reeling after two straight conference road losses, will have to have a lot of things go right for another shocking win.

The Seminoles haven't just won the last nine games in the series since that fateful night in 1995, they've dominated them. FSU has won by an average of 24.2 points per game, winning seven of the last eight games by 21 points or more.

Making matters worse, this appears to be Bowden's best team in years. At 5-0 (3-0 in the ACC), the Seminoles are in the driver's seat of the Atlantic Division and should vie for their 12th conference championship in 14 years in the league.

One of the biggest reasons is the play of quarterback Drew Weatherford, a redshirt freshman who has looked anything but. Weatherford leads all freshmen nationally in passing yards (1,225), touchdown passes (10) and total offense (1,194) and is fourth in the ACC in passing efficiency.

"For it being his fourth or fifth start, somebody would have to tell you that he's a redshirt freshman," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

Weatherford is just part of a well-oiled Florida State offensive machine. The Seminoles go six or seven receivers deep. Of 6-foot-6 freshman wideout Greg Carr's nine receptions, five have been for touchdowns. And he's a backup.

De'Cody Fagg and Chris Davis lead the team with 21 and 19 receptions, respectively.

Add tailbacks Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker, who last year combined to rush for 1,838 yards and 11 touchdowns, and this is an FSU offense that matches up favorably with those from Bowden's heyday.

"They're kind of back to that old Florida State NASCAR offense," Groh said. "Gentleman, start your engines."

While FSU enters the game flying high, Virginia goes in on an opposite note. After two straight road losses in which their defense was run over, the Cavaliers need a win in the worst way.

Despite giving up 570 yards in a loss to Maryland two weeks ago and 497 to Boston College last week, UVa players claim they're not getting down on themselves, even with a juggernaut FSU squad coming into town.

"If we don't relish the (challenge), we'll go out there with a defeatist attitude and get beat," freshman cornerback Mike Brown said. "We have to come out with a positive attitude and be ready to play."

The Cavaliers will be short-handed come game time. Right tackle Brad Butler's one-game suspension for a late chop block against Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka last week weakens an already shaky offensive line. Preseason All-American left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson's status remains uncertain, though he was able to test his sprained left knee during practice this week, something he wasn't able to do in previous weeks.

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who missed the first three games of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery only to miss last week after spraining an ankle in his first game back, was not listed on the depth chart and his role is unknown.

That will make things considerably harder for Groh, who is 0-4 against Florida State in his time at UVa and 1-8 against the ACC's big three of FSU, Miami and Virginia Tech.

Could a win be a statement for a program trying to get over the hump of being in the middle of the conference's pack?

"I think you make statements by your final record," Groh said. "We had a couple evidences in the last few years of teams that beat Miami or Florida State, so everybody claimed it was a statement, whether it was the press or the players or whatever, and then they lost the next week and it was a pretty hollow statement."

As for harkening back to the 1995 game for motivation, Groh doesn't plan on doing it.

That doesn't mean UVa players aren't familiar with the game. Brown, who grew up in New Jersey, vividly remembers the Cavaliers' famed Thursday night upset. He was 9 years old at the time.

"I think a lot of guys remember," Brown said, "and hope to repeat it."

 

In Weatherford, Seminoles Trust
FSU's Freshman Quarterback Is Growing Into Role as Starter
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 15, 2005; Page E12

During No. 4 Florida State's Sept. 5 opener against Miami, Seminoles offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden's advice to quarterback Drew Weatherford went something like this: "Calm down. Don't make a mistake. We're all right."

But as Weatherford has gained confidence during the Seminoles' surprising 5-0 start, Bowden, the youngest son of Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, has changed his tone with his freshman quarterback.

"It has changed dramatically," Weatherford said this week. "Now it's, 'You've got to make something happen. You've got to make a play! Do something now!' "

Weatherford could have more than a few chances to make big passing plays in tonight's game against Virginia at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers' secondary has been depleted by injuries, and it ranks 10th in the ACC in pass defense (234.4 yards per game) and 11th in total defense (378.2 yards per game).

Virginia has only three scholarship cornerbacks available after freshman Chris Cook broke his leg during last week's 28-17 loss at Boston College. The Cavaliers are so thin in the secondary that junior Tony Franklin, who moved from cornerback to safety before the season, worked at both positions during practice this week.

Virginia will try to avoid its first three-game losing streak since Coach Al Groh's first season at his alma mater in 2001, when the Cavaliers lost five games in a row and finished 5-7. Virginia hasn't beaten Florida State since a 33-28 upset of the then-No. 2 Seminoles on Nov. 2, 1995, losing nine consecutive games by an average of more than 24 points. The Cavaliers were undefeated when Florida State won, 36-3, last season in Tallahassee.

The Cavaliers haven't beaten an opponent ranked in the top 10 during Groh's five seasons, and with a remaining schedule that includes road games at North Carolina and Miami and home games against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, they perhaps need a big victory like never before.

"I've said this before -- I think you make statements with your final record," Groh said, during his news conference in Charlottesville earlier this week. "We've had a couple of evidences in the last few years of teams that beat Miami or Florida State, so everybody claimed it was a statement. Then they lost the next weekend and it was a pretty hollow statement, so what did the statement accomplish? I think it's where you finish in your league standings that determines what kind of statement you make."

Florida State could be well on its way to making quite a statement in the ACC race, as well as the national championship race. After the Seminoles lost 15 games the past four seasons, as many as they lost in the previous 11 seasons combined, they entered this season to mixed expectations.

Junior Wyatt Sexton had Lyme disease diagnosed during the summer, so the Seminoles were forced to start a freshman quarterback, something Bowden has rarely done during his 29 previous seasons at Florida State.

On top of that, not even Bowden thought Weatherford would win the starting job. Freshman Xavier Lee was more highly regarded coming out of Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Fla., had a stronger arm than Weatherford and was more athletic.

"Lee's reputation was probably more heralded than the other guy in the state," Bobby Bowden said. "But Weatherford made the best of it."

Both quarterbacks played poorly in the Seminoles' 10-7 win over the Hurricanes. Weatherford completed only 7 of 24 passes for 67 yards with one interception and was pulled early in the fourth quarter; Lee was 1 for 2 for 7 yards and fumbled a snap after replacing him.

But as poorly as Weatherford played against Miami's speedy defense, Seminoles center David Castillo said he earned the respect of his teammates for keeping his composure and helping the team end a six-game losing streak to the Hurricanes.

"Drew is always his harshest critic," Castillo said. "Out of 80 snaps, he could have 60 good plays and 20 bad plays, and he'd beat himself up about the 20 bad ones. But he got something done that a quarterback hasn't gotten done here in a long time, and that's beat Miami."

Florida State's coaches altered the offense to more of a spread set with four wideouts, allowing Weatherford to take more snaps from the shotgun so he could see the field more easily.

Weatherford responded well to the changes and additional responsibilities, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-10 blowout of the Citadel in his second start. He was just as impressive in his first road start, a 28-17 win at then-No. 17 Boston College, throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and he threw six touchdowns and ran for two more in victories over Syracuse and Wake Forest the past two weeks.

"I feel like they expect the quarterback at Florida State to do something," Weatherford said. "It hasn't been that way the last couple of years."