Groh, Hagans show their mettle
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Sports Editor
October 18, 2005

Sportswriters are natural conduits for fans’ beefs about coaches and athletes. Like anything else, some have merit, while some make you wonder if the person missed their meds.
Usually when I receive a complaint, no matter how absurd, I just go back in my time machine to Jan. 6, 1965 when a bus carrying the North Carolina basketball team returned home from a road trip to Wake Forest.
As the players filed off the bus they saw something in a tree in front of Woollen Gym. As they drew closer they realized the object was Dean Smith hanging in effigy.
Fast forward to the early ‘70s in Morgantown, W.Va., and repeat the scenario above. Mountaineer fans had hanged Bobby Bowden in effigy.
I don’t know about you, but that’s all I need to know about fans. If they will hang the winningest basketball coach in major college history and the winningest football coach in major college history, then none of the other coaches have a chance.
On the attack
I’ve heard and received so much bunk from Virginia fans in recent weeks about coach Al Groh and quarterback Marques Hagans, it bordered on ridiculous. Not all fans, mind you, but a certain segment.
One bold “Virginia fan for life,” proclaimed: “Groh can’t coach on this level ... it’s time for him to pack his bags.”
Another said: “It’s time for Groh to go to another quarterback. Virginia will never win a big game with Hagans at quarterback.”
Geez, I wonder what those people and many like them were saying Sunday morning?
Giving deserved credit
While Saturday night’s 26-21 upset win over No. 4 Florida State was a total team effort, give Groh credit for putting together a brilliant game plan. It was wide open, it was bold and it was daring on both sides of the ball.
“Al Groh, you’ve got to give him credit,” said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who bounced back magnificently from that “tree incident” in Morgantown. “I kept waiting for [Groh] to quit throwing. When’s he going to quit throwing? When’s he going to quit making that quarterback throw? When’s he going to hand off the ball, and somebody’s going to run? Al wouldn’t do it because the kid was as hot as a firecracker.”
Bowden, of course, was referring to Hagans, who became the first quarterback this season to throw for more than 300 yards and for more than one TD against the previously unbeaten Seminoles. Hagans was 27 of 36 for 306 yards, two TDs, no interceptions. For his effort, he was named ACC Offensive Back of the Week.
“We couldn’t stop number 18,” Bowden said. “I’ve never seen a quarterback make as many one-man plays as he
made. But we couldn’t stop that dadgum number 18. All I want to say, you can’t print.”

More praise for Hagans

Even Hokies coach Frank Beamer found time to praise Hagans, complimenting the quarterback’s play on his weekly radio show.
Indeed, all hats should be tipped to Biscuit, the affectionate nickname that Hagans brought with him from his childhood in Hampton. He proved his critics wrong. You don’t have to be 6-foot-5 to be able to throw the ball effectively.
In fact, it was Hagans’ mobility, his God-given ability to move, dart, dodge, run and throw on the run that drove Bowden and the Seminoles crazy.
Groh and his offensive coaching staff realized that Florida State was going to attempt to put a lot of pressure on Hagans, particularly with starting right tackle Brad Butler sitting out a one-game suspension. Had left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson not exhibited the guts he did and played as much as he could even though he wasn’t 100 percent, who knows what may have happened.
His backup was true freshman Eugene Monroe, who is developing nicely, but isn’t nearly in the same league as The Brick at this point of his career.
“We tried to change the schemes up but [Florida State] was putting a lot of pressure on us,” Groh said afterward. “They were running a lot of linebacker blitzes as the game progressed. We tried to change up our protections because [the Seminoles] were coming at a fairly consistent basis. At least they couldn’t zero in on the protection. That slowed it down a little bit, but it was still pretty intense.”
That’s where Hagans’ creative ability came into play. Had he been an immobile quarterback, he would have been seeing stars both literally and figuratively by night’s end.
Time and again, Hagans sprinted out, ducked out of mitts of a charging pass rusher, ran, found an open receiver and drilled it to where only the receiver could catch it.
“Marques has a lot of tremendous attributes, but guts is high up on the list,” Groh said of his quarterback. “He’s got a tremendous heart and a great will to win for his team. He takes it very personally.”
My mother, Virginia Lee, has this expression she has always used to describe an aggravation that won’t go away.
“Well, that would make a preacher cuss,” she has recited about a million times.
That’s probably what Bowden was thinking every time the elusive Hagans slipped free and jabbed another dagger into the Seminoles’ midsection Saturday night.
How better to honor the 1995 team, the first in the ACC to hand FSU a loss, which was conducting its 10th anniversary reunion at the game, than to do it again.
It was a rare feat. Since joining the league in 1992, Florida State has a record of 99-9 against the ACC. Only six of the 11 teams has beaten them and only two programs have managed to beat the Seminoles more than once, N.C. State (‘98, ‘01, and ‘02), and Virginia (‘95 and ‘05).
Seven of those nine losses have come over the last four-and-a-half seasons.
That’s enough to make a whole bunch of coaches cuss for sure.

 

It's not lights out just yet for U.Va.
After finally winning the big game, Virginia turns its focus to the second half of its season.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 18, 2005
The CEO did not smile.

OK, maybe he smiled on the inside. Maybe he let himself relish this victory - if only for a second.

He had just won, arguably, the biggest game of his head-coaching career. But Al Groh's business-like mind and mouth - the self-appointed Voice of Virginia Football - publicly allowed neither pomp nor proclamation.

"I think it's a very good win for us," the U.Va. coach said early Sunday morning after his team's 26-21 win over No. 4 Florida State. "We've got another challenge coming up next week, and if we're not successful at that, then all of a sudden, this win will seem very hollow."

That challenge is Saturday's noon game at North Carolina (2-3, 1-1 ACC).

Meanwhile, Virginia's upset boosted it to No. 23 in The Associated Press top 25, though the Cavs weren't in the Bowl Championship Series top 25.

For this season, the win put Virginia (4-2, 2-2) back on track for a bowl game. And three Cavaliers earned ACC Player of the Week honors: quarterback Marques Hagans (offensive back), inside linebacker Kai Parham (defensive lineman) and kicker Connor Hughes (special teams).

For the larger picture, Saturday brought a big-game win the program lacked in Groh's four-plus seasons. Under Groh, the Cavs were 7-12 against ranked teams before Saturday and had five-game losing streaks against top-5 and top-10 teams. The highest-ranked team they'd previously beaten was No. 15 West Virginia in 2002.

"The significance to everybody on the outside really wasn't as significant to us," Parham said. "We just wanted to win."

Other Cavs reflected more on program clearing its biggest obstacle, the most pointed criticism people lobbed in August when U.Va. gave Groh a six-season contract that pays him $1.7 million this fall.

"This is the type of game that we hadn't won since we've been here - the big game," senior running back Wali Lundy said.

HOW MUCH DID THE RETURN OF LEFT TACKLE D'BRICKASHAW FERGUSON HELP ON SATURDAY?

Groh said Sunday that Ferguson and center Brian Barthelmes, both seniors, helped restore U.Va.'s offensive line. The Cavs had five false-start or illegal-procedure penalties two weeks ago at Boston College but just three on Saturday.

Ferguson missed the previous two games with a sprained left knee, while a sprained left ankle has slowed Barthelmes.

Ferguson, one of the nation's best offensive linemen, cautiously approached his return. "I was a little skeptical," he said. "Like, 'I don't know what's gonna happen.' When I got out there, and I started playing, I felt good."

WHAT'S THE STATUS OF U.VA.'S RUNNING GAME?

The Cavaliers' running backs rushed 16 times for 38 yards against Florida State. Groh avoided the run because FSU's defensive linemen are so good.

But Groh said last week that the running game looked out of synch. Running backs Lundy, Michael Johnson, Cedric Peerman and Jason Snelling have five touchdowns and combine to run for 140 yards per game.

HOW DID CORNERBACKS CHRIS GORHAM AND MIKE BROWN PLAY AGAINST FSU?

The best they have this season, Groh said, but he'd still like to see improvement.

Brown, a true freshman, got beat several times. His playing time increased because fellow true freshman Chris Cook is out for the regular season with a broken right leg.

True freshman quarterback Vic Hall, Cook's cousin, has worked out at cornerback to add depth. The 5-foot-9, 168-pound Hall torched Poquoson High in last year's Group AA Division 3 state title game.

SPEAKING OF TRUE FRESHMEN, HOW MUCH HAS ANTONIO APPLEBY'S PLAYING TIME INCREASED?

A lot. Appleby spelled inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks on Saturday, because Brooks doesn't have enough stamina yet. (He's missed three games because of injuries.)

Groh has said he's committed to playing young players when they're ready - and Appleby seems to be one of the most game-ready true freshmen.

ANY CHANCE FOR A LET DOWN vs. NORTH CAROLINA? Tough to say.

The Tar Heels are an odd bunch. Their first two games, they played Georgia Tech and Wisconsin close, but lost. Then they traveled to N.C. State and beat the Wolfpack. They followed that up with a win over Utah.

But in the Tar Heels' latest game, Louisville torched them 69-14. The same Louisville team that had lost to South Florida and West Virginia.

UNC had a bye week to address its problems, namely an offense that ranks second worst in the ACC with 336.8 yards and 20.4 points per game.

Bowden wants lessons learned from road loss
By Randy Beard
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

All those diamond hand signals lost their market value Saturday.

Florida State's general stock also dropped after Saturday's 26-21 upset loss to Virginia, which had entered the night with a losing record in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

So now that it's clear that the dynasty football years really haven't returned for the Seminoles, what's in store for the rest of this season? Bobby Bowden would like to learn the answer to that question in a hurry, especially since the Seminoles (5-1, 3-1 ACC) still have to close the season by playing three of the next five games on the road.

He said the first thing his young team has to do is learn from their mistakes, especially the 123 yards in penalties against the Cavaliers. One of those flags nullified a 23-yard touchdown run by Leon Washington and another erased an interception by A.J. Nicholson.

"That touchdown alone would have won the game," Bowden said.

The long road back begins Saturday at Duke, and the Seminoles have plenty of room for improvement in every department.

"How do we respond to it? Well, this is the first time this team has (faced adversity), so we'll find out. We'll keep talking to the kids about what we've got to do to try to find our way back."

Discuss the sequence at the end of the first half. After Virginia pinned you at the 1, and Drew Weatherford threw that interception, the game began to get away from you when Virginia scored those 10 points late in the second quarter. A 29-yard punt by Chris Hall didn't help. What were you trying to do on those two possessions?

Bowden: The way they were getting three points every time they got the darn ball, backed up like we were, we felt like we had to move it out of there. I felt that. The first interception we threw, where we threw to (Kenny) O'Neal down the sideline, I called that one myself. Somebody said, 'Why did you put ol' 89 (Greg Carr) in there?' Well, I felt like if we put No.4 in there, they wouldn't suspect us of going deep. He has that great speed. I felt like we could get behind them. So I made them throw that one, and it was an interception, so they got three off it.

Then the next time ... We might could have run some more time off.

Did you believe your defense would have been able to put more pressure on Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans?

Bowden: We were successful the year before defending him, and so we thought we could do it again. He just played super .... He just kept doing it. You'd think, 'Sooner or later he's going to quit this. The kid is going to get tired. He's going to stop it.' But he would just make play after play after play ... I just thought it was a superhuman job out of that quarterback.

Were some real problems exposed with the cornerbacks or was that just a matter of Hagans having so much time and no one was going to be able to cover that long?

Bowden: You can't let the quarterback throw on rhythm. You can't let him buy time and get receivers open. You can't cover them but so long. We aren't going to see a quarterback like that every week, and he's not going to be that hot every week.

You went into the season with the confidence that your defense would limit the opportunities teams got against you, and that hasn't been the case in these last two games. Does that change your preparation the rest of the season?

Bowden: We held Boston College seven times inside the 5. We held Miami three times inside the 2. So, gosh, you think your defense could hold them. But again, it goes back to that quarterback, when he hit that No.33 (Wali Lundy) for a touchdown, I don't know how you defense that.

Are you gradually getting concerned about your team's ability to perform on the road? When you had the dominating teams, the road wasn't much different from playing at home.

Bowden: Well, that's probably true, but I bet you most of our losses came on the road ... It's more difficult now. If you are asking me if I've noticed a difference, yes I have. It's different nationally. Didn't Penn State play on the road yesterday? It has really gotten tough with these large stadiums and the crowd really getting into it. We hope we have the same advantage at our place. We are playing in a lot tougher league than we were 12 years ago.
 

FSU's upset loss was anything but a shock
By Steve Ellis
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Everyone should have seen it coming.

But in the wake of a 26-21 defeat to Virginia - Florida State's first of the season - even the players and coaches admitted they did not.

"Not really," rover Kyler Hall said. "We came into the game with a good week of practice, and we were prepared."

Ominous signs in the spring and preseason that pointed to the possibility of three losses for Bobby Bowden had been mostly forgotten in the early-season promise provided by victories over Miami and Boston College.

But FSU still fielded a young quarterback and equally youthful defensive secondary when it faced Virginia. The turnover-free effort against Wake Forest had allowed us to forget that Drew Weatherford remains a quarterback in training.

Three costly interceptions on Saturday night served to remind.

FSU's defense - partly because of that youth - had been bending if not breaking all season. It bent again in a decisive first half that put the Seminoles in a hole and altered FSU's offensive strategy and fueled Virginia's confidence. Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans and Co. smartly took advantage of FSU's defensive speed. That leaves FSU in a fight for the Atlantic Division title with Boston College.

"It has been a long time since I've seen a quarterback do what this one did - drop back, dare you to come after him and, when you come, he takes off and somebody gets open downfield," Bowden said. "It's hard to defend. It's unstructured."

And this was the road - where eight of FSU' nine ACC defeats have occurred since joining the league in 1992.

All those elements came together on Saturday night. FSU's defense was beaten up - especially its reserves - although Bowden quickly dismissed that as a reason for defeat. And the offense likely missed guard Matt Meinrod and receiver De'Cody Fagg although FSU's play-calling was affected more by a presence of a game-long deficit than the absence of those two players.

"The first half we played terrible defensive-wise," Hall said. "It wasn't one person. We knew (Hagans) was going to scramble, and we lost (containment). A lot of guys messed up in their assignments."

FSU's offense was not as conservative as it was in some recent losses. Predictability was another matter as FSU was forced to abandon a running game that appeared promising early against Virginia. FSU threw all but twice in its final 19 plays.

"We were fighting the clock as well as the score," Bowden said. "We had to have two scores. Every time we ran we had 5 yards, but we needed a lot more than that."

What the Seminoles did not expect was the flood of penalties that cost FSU a touchdown and sustained Virginia drives. But this was predictable, too. FSU ranked ninth in the league in averaging 62.6 yards in penalties before Saturday.

Defensive end Kamerion Wimbley is right in saying after the game that people can be deceived by Virginia's 2-2 conference record just as we were by FSU's undefeated record. And now FSU must face a challenge that, really, is surprising they hadn't had earlier this season.

"We've got to learn how to handle this loss," Bowden said. "These young kids haven't had to handle that yet, and it's part of it.

"We still have a lot of ahead of us."


 

'Noles defense shines, struggles
By Steve Ellis
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Florida State defense was a tale of two halves in Saturday's loss to Virginia. With plenty still at stake, the Seminoles defense would best be served by mirroring its play after halftime.

Florida State allowed Virginia no net yardage in the fourth quarter and just three points in the second half of FSU's 26-21 loss to the Cavaliers.

"We looked like a Florida State defense the second half but we just got too far behind in the first half," defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said. "It was the first drive that they got their second-half field goal on and the rest of the time we forced them to punt the football. There are some positive things, some encouraging things."

But in the first half, penalties and other mistakes led to three Virginia field goals that were sandwiched between two touchdown passes from Marques Hagans.

"Probably the most critical was giving up a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the half. Three plays and they get a touchdown," said Andrews of a Virginia drive that followed Chris Hall's 29-yard punt. "That gave them the momentum coming back in the second half plus they had the ball to begin the second half.

"We just gave up too much in the first half. We had some judgment plays that weren't quite what you'd like them to be. But you look at the tape, it wasn't a matter of us not playing hard."

While some public blame has been directed to freshman cornerback Tony Carter and the right defensive-end spot where Darrell Burston usually starts, Andrews said: "We had some breakdowns in more than one position."

Carter was flagged three times for pass interference and was involved in a 28-yard strike that set up FSU's Virginia's first touchdown.

"One (Virginia) receiver was 6-4 and one was 6-3," Andrews said. "We can't grow a guy past 5-9 if that's what he is. He's trying to play hard and make up some differences. We had a couple of (busted) coverage where it looked like the corner got beat and really it was the safety's job ... What appears to be a situation is not always that."

Andrews also said that FSU's defense must do a better job of forcing turnovers - something it hasn't done in the past two games although it did cause two fumbles it did not recover against Virginia. Andrews said that his defensive backs dropped two Virginia passes that should have been intercepted. An interception by A.J. Nicholson was nullified by a penalty.

 

UVa. responds to pressure with victory
The Insider
Stephen Winslow
vote4chg@yahoo.com

Pressure.

The word can mean many things to many people. And it can result in many different reactions from varying individuals depending on their circumstances.

In ACC football, the word pressure can be used to assess the gravity of the circumstances, the importance of the matchup, the result of a play, or the combination of all the above.

Wake Forest recently responded to the phenomenon of competitive pressure by feeling the need to sing comforting songs to the opponent. Yes, pressure can create strange responses.

When unbeaten Florida State entered Virginia's Scott Stadium on Saturday, the word pressure smoothly, conveniently and effectively entered conversations leading up to, and during, the tussle between these two ACC powers.

On Saturday night, pressure brought out the best in UVa. quarterback Marques Hagans as he flashed brilliance during the biggest game of his college career. He made plays with his arm while using his legs to neutralize the FSU pass rush. Pressure brought out the best in the UVa. special-teams players, especially the kickers, who boomed long field goals and drove the ball through the end zone kickoff after kickoff.

Pressure brought out the best in the Cav defense which brought intense pressure on the Florida State quarterback at critical times, held the Noles' running game in check and even showed the ability to bring the blitz and mix up defensive packages with great success.

Finally, pressure brought out the best in the UVa. faithful. The crowd of 63,106 created an atmosphere thick with anticipation and let FSU know that they were certainly in a hostile arena.

The phenomenon of pressure can take its toll as well. The pressure of being in such an environment can cause you to hesitate. Hesitation in the mind of a young quarterback, like that of freshman signal caller Drew Weatherford, can be disastrous. Where there were three interceptions by the Cavaliers, there could have been six or seven.

Pressure brought out the worst in FSU, causing several personal fouls, mental mistakes and schematic breakdowns that placed the Seminoles on their heels early, and never letting them get into the rhythm that is a staple of their club.

The offenses

Florida State came into the game with arguably the best pure passer in the ACC. Weatherford rode into Scott Stadium on a torrid pace and continued his stellar play for much of the game. However, in critical situations, the pressure of the moment, not to mention the pressure placed on him by the Cavalier defense, caused him to force balls, make poor reads and fall into the trap being set by Al Groh's defensive coaching staff.

The result was a night where Weatherford threw for 377 yards, but tossed three interceptions, the last of which ended his comeback bid with less than a minute to play in this epic contest.

However, Hagans responded differently. The magnitude of the moment seemed to bring out the best in this athlete.

"We couldn't stop that dadgum number 18," said FSU head coach Bobby Bowden, before adding, "I've never seen a player make so many one-man plays."

Hagans, who finished the game with a career-high 306 yards passing, with 27 completions in 36 attempts and two touchdowns with no interceptions, was a quarterback in the truest sense of the word. His athletic ability separated him from everyone on the field. His speed allowed him to avoid the vaunted FSU pass rush, but Hagans refused to simply tuck the ball and run with it. Instead, he made plays with his arm. He put the ball in the hands of his playmakers on the perimeter, and he as a quarterback led his team and kept the FSU defense on their heels for the entire contest.

"Marques was fantastic tonight - incredible playmaking tonight. There probably hasn't been a performance by a Virginia quarterback better than that one tonight. This kid's got a lot of attributes and guts - high on the list, he’s got a tremendous heart," Groh said.

In the pressure of the biggest moment of his college career, Hagans showed off his best attributes by placing the Cavalier team on his back and carrying them to a stunning victory.

The defenses

The response to pressure on the defensive side of the ball can come out in very different ways. Florida State tried to set the tone very early with an aggressive style of play. Unfortunately, their emotions seemed to get the best of them as they committed foolish mistakes, including multiple personal fouls that extended drives for their opponents and encouraged an already raucous crowd to elevated their volume.

The Seminole defensive players and coaching staff could not seem to decipher the UVa. passing attack, or the play of Hagans, fast enough to make effective adjustments. While the intensity of the game grew, the FSU defense gave up a season-high 26 points and failed to come up with the big play they are notorious for.

Still, Coach Bowden pointed to two primary problems for his defense - "Penalties, and we couldn't stop that dadgum number 18. I don't know if another quarterback could do to them what this one did."

Once again, it was the Cavalier defense that made the early plays for their team. From the opening series, where they were able to intercept a Weatherford pass in the red zone, this defense played with enthusiasm and never wavered no matter how high the stakes rose.

"We were daring. We decided we were going to be bold and aggressive," said Groh, adding that his defense has one primary responsibility. "We say all the time the only thing the defense is out there for is to not give up points. They did a great job of doing that tonight."

Much to the appreciation of UVa. fans, the defense did much more than that. They dictated the game to the FSU offense.

"I don't know if Al Groh has ever done a better job," said Bowden.

The Cavalier defense mixed up coverages, used creative blitzing schemes, constantly confused the FSU freshman quarterback, and when it counted most, it was the UVa. defense that made the big plays.

No play was bigger then the game ending interception by Tony Franklin with 56 seconds left to play in regulation.

The special teams

It would be remiss of anyone discussing this game not to mention the Cavalier kickers. Whether it was the booming kickoffs of Kurt Smith landing out of the end zone, or the season high 50-yard field goal by Conner Hughes, the UVa. kicking game was outstanding.

"That dadgum kicker kept killing us," said Bowden.

Groh consistently emphasizes special teams, and he did not contain his satisfaction with the effort of his kickers.

"They did an outstanding job tonight. They had a lot of thunder in their legs."

The fans

Finally, the fans certainly represented the 12th man for the Cavaliers.

"The fans did a great job. We really appreciate what they did," said Groh, who added with a smile, "I'm sure it wasn't all work for them, though." Indeed, this was a night of pure pride and enthusiasm for an elated crowd hungry for a win over a national power. The victory over FSU represented the first time UVa. has beaten the ACC power since 1995. Ironically, that team was honored at halftime for their improbable win 10 years ago.

The fans, however, focused on the business at hand, and not even a 20-minute delay for a power outage could slow them down. The fans cranked up the volume as the pressure rose.

"They did a great job of setting the atmosphere," said Bowden, who acknowledged the impact the crowd had on his ballclub.

The fans proved that under pressure that they, too, respond with pride and could rise to the magnitude of the moment. It was a game many will not soon forget, but it was an effort that Coach Groh knows he needed to address.

"We owe them one," the coach said.

What's next?

"This victory will seem hollow if we fail to capitalize on it," said Groh, who knows the Cavs have a tough road ahead.

The victory over FSU puts UVa. back in the hunt for a New Year's Day bowl game and maybe more. If they don't have any letdowns, if they continue to play good football, and if they beat Georgia Tech at home, it will set the stage for another epic showdown between the Cavaliers and their archrivals from Blacksburg in November.

Though that is far into the future, the victory over FSU proved to everyone watching that the greater the pressure on this Cavalier team, their coaching staff and their fans the better they perform.




 

Brooks' efforts aided victory
Contributions came as inside linebacker in U.Va.'s 3-4 alignment
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 18, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE Ahmad Brooks was credited with four stops Saturday night, a modest total for an aggressive linebacker who led the University of Virginia football team in tackles in 2003 and again in'04.

Make no mistake, though: Brooks' presence helped U.Va. tremendously in its 26-21 upset of then-No. 4 Florida State at Scott Stadium.

"It's great to look over and see him rushing the passer with me," Cavaliers defensive end Chris Long said. "He's one of those guys who you don't get to play with much in your lifetime. I just feel privileged to be out there on the field with Ahmad."

An all-ACC pick and a Butkus Award finalist in 2004, Brooks had knee surgery in March and missed the first three games this season. He returned for the Oct. 1 game at Maryland and started at outside linebacker instead of his customary spot inside in Virginia's 3-4.

The game didn't end happily for the Cavaliers, who lost 45-33, or for Brooks, who sprained his ankle in the third quarter. That injury kept him out of U.Va.'s Oct. 8 loss at Boston College, but the 6-4, 259-pound junior was healthy for the Seminoles' visit and started alongside Kai Parham at inside linebacker.

"That's my home right there," Brooks said. "That's my domain."

U.Va. coach Al Groh's assessment of No. 34's play?

"I thought that execution-wise he did pretty decent for the first time [back inside]," Groh said after the game. "Now his stamina's got a ways to go. But Antonio Appleby did a real nice job taking significant plays tonight so that we could keep Ahmad from ever having to go long stretches at a time, other than the last couple of series when he was in there primarily on the nickel.

"So Antonio really was a big factor in what Ahmad was able to do. That's a big load for a true freshman to carry, to come into a game like this and take as many turns as he did."

The 6-4, 244-pound Appleby, a graduate of Salem High in Virginia Beach, is among the 11 true freshmen who have played for the Cavaliers this season. Three made their college debuts Saturday night: defensive end Alex Field and wideouts Maurice Covington and Kevin Ogletree.

NOTE: Three Cavaliers were named ACC players of the week for their roles in U.Va.'s win over Florida State. Quarterback Marques Hagans (27 of 36, 306 yards, two TDs) was named top back, kicker Connor Hughes (four field goals, including season-long 50-yarder) was selected top special-teams performer and Kai Parham (nine tackles, including a sack) was top defensive lineman.

 

Clutch turnovers key win for Cavaliers
Three interceptions from Franklin, Gorham, Hamilton give Virginia much-needed momentum against FSU
Chris Marsh, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

The Virginia defense was not about to let Marques Hagans' superhuman performance go to waste Saturday, and it proved it with the game on the line.

Even with Virginia's stellar play in the first 59 minutes, one crucial minute remained. Florida State had one last possession to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It was up to the Virginia defense to make one last stop.

Pinned down deep in Florida State territory, Seminole quarterback Drew Weatherford threw a slant pattern to wide receiver Chris Davis. Running right with him, though, was Virginia safety Tony Franklin. Franklin managed to get inside position on Davis and snatch the ball away as Scott Stadium erupted in triumph, the hard-fought win finally secured.

Franklin's interception, along with two earlier picks, disrupted the Seminole offense and held it to only 21 points.

"It was a great feeling to get all the interceptions," Franklin said. "It really gave us a boost and a lot of extra confidence."

The Cavaliers' interceptions were caught in the secondary, but they started up front along the line of scrimmage. The defensive line and linebackers were able to break through the Florida State offensive line and wreak havoc in the backfield. Virginia harassed the freshman Weatherford all night with frequent blitzes and batted balls at the line of scrimmage, resulting in costly turnovers that negated much of his 377 passing yards.

"There were a number of times when we were able to stop multiple completions," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We were able to force the quarterback to move within the pocket, and that seemed to affect his accuracy."

The pressure on Weatherford made the game much easier on a young but athletic Virginia secondary. Florida State ran many multiple-receiver sets and substituted liberally to keep its wideouts fresh. This forced Virginia to look down the depth chart for defensive backs to make sure the team wouldn't tire out from running with the Seminole speedsters. Freshmen Mike Brown and Chris Gorham saw significant playing time at cornerback, and sophomore Nate Lyles saw time at safety. Seldom used players like special-teamer Ryan Best also saw the field and played well spelling the starters.

The Virginia defense, maligned for its youth and inexperience, turned in its finest performance of the season Saturday after giving up 45 points to Maryland and 28 against Boston College.

"We've got some players who have more experience and more confidence, and as a result they've been more aggressive to the ball," Groh said. "They clearly have a better sense of anticipation about where the ball's going as a result of their experience. Their confidence is allowing them to be more aggressive towards the ball."

Saturday's defensive effort saw the manifestation of Groh's philosophy he has tried to instill in the team since the preseason.

"Our last message at halftime was something that we had said early in training camp," Groh said. "We just reminded the players that battles are not won by digging in. If you dig in, you just become a target. Battles are won by attacking. The players did a very good job of that, and they can be proud of themselves."

 

Cav Man reveals all in exclusive interview
Chad Gallagher, Columnist

Last spring, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage had to make a career-defining decision. Growing cries were mounting from an unenthused basketball fan base, while the members of Team Cavalier were dwindling rapidly. A changing of the guard appeared to be a necessity to ensure the Virginia basketball program would once again capture the spirit of the University prior to entering a new arena.

While a growing number of Wahoos blamed the lack of production on the red-haired coach (who insisted after every game that "they played hard, real hard"), a different solution to the basketball epidemic was proposed behind the scenes. While Mr. Gillen's departure stole the spotlight of the press, another cornerstone of the sports program also caught the axe for a fallen program.

This column is devoted to unveiling the undercurrents of the face that remains unknown in Virginia lore. This is the heartbreaking tale from a former Cav Man himself:

(All names are withheld to protect the honor and integrity of Cav Man.)

Q: To begin the sad saga, could you (ex-Cav Man) explain the excruciating tryout regiment that you had to endure to get chosen for this illustrious position?

A: Tryouts were tough; three people showed up, and after 15 minutes, the guy in charge said, "Alright, you guys can all do it."

Q: What was your first experience on a football field like?

A: I remember my first game was the Florida State game [in '04]. Bobby Bowden always stands at the opposite side from where the play is taking place. This is where the Cav Man stands at the game as well. I gotta tell ya, Coach Bowden was nice to Cav Man.

Q: Obviously Cav Man is no walk in the park; what is it like to be the man behind the suit?

A: Kids are the worst when it comes to dealing with Cav Man. They want to rip off the cape. That's just not cool. Or they want to stick their hand up the mask -- they just want to get inside you.

Q: Could you give us an idea of what football games were like?

A: Three guys do each football game consisting of a pre-game walk around, first half and second half. That third guy, it is really awful because they don't wash that suit, so yea, it smells pretty bad.

Q: How freakin' sweet is your job?

A: It is a really lonely job, let me tell you. I'm not building friendships because when the suit is on, you don't talk to anyone. You just walk around and do three things: #1 sign, peace sign or thumbs up. That's it.

Q: Everyone has a horror story, what is yours?

A: At N.C. State, the fans were all throwing things at me. They have two mascots and eight people that rotate through the mascots during the game. By the fourth quarter, they decided to pick a fight with me; it got pretty ugly for Cav Man.

Q: It seems eventually things started to turn for the worse between you and the higher-ups in Virginia sports. Was there a point when you felt the job was too much to handle?

A: At the spring football game, it was getting really hot. All these kids wanted autographs, so I obliged. Then they point out that Cav Man was right-handed last year. How was I supposed to know Cav Man wasn't a southpaw?

Q: You spent a lot of time with some of the coaches at U.Va. How did that go?

A: This one coach, pretty miserable to work with. She is like the attitude and mindset of a middle school cheerleader in a body of a thirty-year-old. Cav Man did not like her.

Q: Those are harsh words from the Cav Man. What was the cause of your bad attitude?

A: I got an e-mail from someone I didn't know that hinted that it might be the end of the road for me. I went to practice, and I didn't even get a handshake. Nothing, no love for Cav Man. After all this blood, sweat and tears, I'm just a nobody to her.

Q: Do you have any parting words for this coach?

A: There's just not much you can say to the coach. Her whole persona, you just can't change it. Maybe making a change at that position, knocking her off her pedestal might do some good for the program.

Q: If you were in charge of recruiting the next Cav Man, what would you look for?

A: You want someone that can dance alright. If you are too good, the coach won't like you. And you can't be a big fan of the game because the mascot doesn't really watch it that much. If you're looking for a mascot, you need someone that is about 5-foot-6-inches, not too built, and doesn't mind getting in other people's sweat. And he can't have a big head.

Q: After everything you've been through, would you take the job over again?

A: It's a tough job, but you're Cav Man. I would do it all over again.