Redshirting a non-issue for Cavaliers
Groh speaks on Butler
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

One of the most curious aspects of prospect Chris Bell’s decision not to play football for Virginia was his statement that the Cavaliers wouldn’t promise him that he would play as a freshman.

Now, if Bell is under the impression that Virginia made such a promise and then reneged on its promise, that’s one thing, but was Bell paying attention Saturday night when the Cavaliers played host to Florida State?

Maybe Joe Paterno is in the habit of promising immediate time at Bell’s choice, Penn State, though I tend to doubt it. But, how much more evidence does Bell need that Virginia is willing to play true freshmen?

If you ask me, UVa coach Al Groh is a little nutty the way he has been throwing some of these true freshmen into action, but he has been steadfast in his philosophy of “when they’re ready, we’re ready.”

I’m not sure how that philosophy evolved because in Groh’s first year, 2001, one of the smartest things he did was to hold nose tackle Andrew Hoffman out of action. In 2000, Hoffman had played less than 100 plays under former coach George Welsh, whose propensity for burning redshirt years was legendary.

(I’m still not sure if ex-UVa quarterback Dan Ellis has ever forgiven Welsh for playing him as a redshirt freshman in 1997).

In any case, Hoffman sat out the 2001 season while learning the nuances of the nose tackle position in Groh’s 3-4 and ended up as a three-year starter and an NFL draft pick.

I look at current players like Aaron Clark, who played a total of 48 plays in the first three games and hasn’t played since, and wonder if he would have been better-served by a fifth season of eligibility in 2009. True freshman John Phillips caught a touchdown pass against Duke but he hasn’t been getting a lot of playing time either.

After sitting out the first five games, true freshman defensive end Alex Field made his season’s debut against Florida State and was on the field for three plays. Groh also used wide receivers Maurice Covington and Kevin Ogletree for the first time; I noticed Covington out there, particulary since he caught a pass, but only learned about Field and Ogletree later.

Groh said the word “redshirt” never comes up.

“I was talking with coach [Bobby] Bowden before the game,” Groh said. “Something led into the conversation and he just made the point. He says, ‘We use everybody we’ve got.’ I noticed that [true freshman] Michael Ray Garvin, who’s a good player, just played his five or six kickoffs.”

In fact, Groh and one of his players, true freshman cornerback Mike Brown, had a brief exchange in which Garvin’s name came up during the game.

“In the league that [Brown] played in up in New Jersey, [Garvin] was a very highly rated player for Don Bosco. He’s No. 29 and Mike’s No. 28. Same type of background, same type of circumstance. Mike played 55 plays and Michael Ray just had to cover a few kickoffs.”

Brown started the Florida State game in place of another true freshman, Chris Cook, who had started the previous week at Boston College and suffered a broken leg. With Cook out, there was a third true freshman in the mix last week, erstwhile quarterback Vic Hall.

Junior Marcus Hamilton starts on one side, and it’s Brown and sophomore Chris Gorham on the other. Presumably, if something happens to them, Hall will go in the game – at the expense of the redshirt year for which he remains eligible.

Hall will remain at corner “for right now,” Groh said. “The need still exists there. You want to be prepared for any eventuality. You want to do it in the long range, rather than having to do it in the immediacy.

“He’s really shown a very quick aptitude to pick things up and is very explosive. It appears, just with our short exposure to him, that whatever you ask Vic Hall to do athletically, he’s still Vic Hall. He’s got that ‘whatever’ to him.”

Nobody can blame Groh for listening to Bowden, who already has used 11 true freshman – same as Virginia – this season. But, not all elite programs operate that way. Virginia Tech, undefeated and ranked third in the country, has used one true freshman, defensive back Victor “Macho” Harris.

At the time the ACC Sports Journal printed its most recent issue, Duke had used 14 true freshmen, with Florida State and Virginia tied for second on that list. Boston College had used two, followed by the Hokies and Wake Forest at one.

It was refreshing, however, to hear that Groh was listening to Bowden and wasn’t spreading the gospel according to Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.

The truth be known, Groh has been following his own history on this one.

Last year, when the Cavaliers were pulverized by Florida State 36-3 in Tallahassee, Fla., Groh took the redshirts off defensive back Chris Gorham and special-teams demon Kevin Bradley in Week 7.

When poor punting contributed to a 31-21 loss to Miami, Groh took the redshirt off punter Chris Gould in Week 9.

Gould may have helped the Cavaliers beat Georgia Tech in Week 10, but you have to wonder what was gained by using Gorham for 20 plays over a four-game span.

The decision to use Covington, Field and Ogletree followed a 28-17 loss at Boston College, where, in a repeat of previous games, the Cavaliers faded in the fourth quarter.

If the true freshmen are ready, “that’s beneficial for the team,” Groh said. “You’ve got more competition for playing time. You’ve got a different energy on the field because you’ve got more guys knowing they’re going to be playing in the game. You’ve got more rested players during the course of the game.

“So, it’s just an individual thing. All of those (11) players have progressed to the point where it looked like they could get in there and hold their own for a little period of time. Hopefully, that will get them started to where they’ll progress and be able to do some things to influence the game.”

He has a point, but if there’s any chance that Hall will be the next Hagans, described as “a magician” this week by North Carolina coach John Bunting, who wouldn’t want him around for a fifth year?

IN LISTENING TO GROH this week, it was even more obvious that he didn’t make the call to suspend offensive tackle Brad Butler – a decision that may have come from the office of UVa President John Casteen.

Butler will start against North Carolina this Saturday after he was suspended for the Florida State game as the result of a low blow against Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka.

“We’ve tried to embrace [Butler] for who we know he is and tried to be very supportive,” Groh said. “We’ve let him know, if others wanted to distance themselves from him, it certainly wasn’t going to be the team.”

Groh didn’t complain to the league because “we’re not interested in eye-for-an-eye justice,” he said. “But, there have been some similar plays in many games that have been conducted this year and, despite the strident commentary from certain people, our only question was, ‘What makes this one different?’

“You could probably put together a tape that has a score of them on it. They don’t bother me. They happen. So, since we’re trying to put this thing to rest, I think we’ve gone far enough with that.”

 

U.Va. uses its bench to beat Florida State
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 19, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A strange thing happened early Sunday morning after Virginia's marathon upset of Florida State, a physically and mentally exhausting 26-21 win that lasted 4 hours, 7 minutes.

Some players told U.Va. coach Al Groh they felt fresh.

Fresh? After such a taxing game?

Attribute the feeling to Virginia playing more guys, adding depth that Groh has long craved.

Three true freshmen played for the first time: defensive end Alex Field and wide receivers Kevin Ogletree and Maurice Covington.

Sophomore defensive end Vince Redd, a converted linebacker, also saw time on U.Va.'s four-man pass rush. And true freshman linebacker Antonio Appleby played well in relieving Ahmad Brooks, Groh said.

Because of injuries and true freshmen not being ready during the early part of the season, Groh said the Cavs were playing like they had in the past.

"A lot of guys having to carry the whole load or a major part of the load," he said. "It's critical that we find out now that (the depth) wasn't just a one-game deal, that we can get that kind of performance, that kind of help, every week."

INJURY UPDATE

Outside linebacker Jermaine Dias will not play Saturday at North Carolina. He's missed the past three games with a sprained foot. The injury appears to be more serious than running back Wali Lundy's sprained foot, which kept him out just one game.

"Certainly the period of rehab would indicate that," Groh said. "Sometimes, these sprains of ankles and feet take longer than breaks do. When you hear that a guy's got a sprain instead of a break, that's not necessarily good news."

Quarterback Marques Hagans did not practice Monday, resting the right hamstring he tweaked last Saturday. Groh was optimistic about Hagans playing at UNC.

BUTLER BACK

Right tackle Brad Butler will return this week after serving a one-game suspension for a late hit on Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. Butler was allowed to be on the sideline against FSU, but he wasn't there.

Groh decided not to appeal any plays by BC that he initially said were probably too rough.

"We're not interested in eye-for-an-eye justice," he said. "There have been some similar plays in many games that have been conducted this year. ... They don't bother me. They happen."

FORMER RECRUITS

Virginia recruited UNC starting quarterback Matt Baker and wide receiver Jesse Holley, who leads the Tar Heels with 261 receiving yards.

Groh didn't offer a scholarship to Baker, who visited U.Va., because the Cavaliers had already landed Hagans.

Looking back, Groh said he probably would've tried to pursue Holley more aggressively at the end of the recruiting process.

THIS AND THAT

Temple returned several hundred tickets from its allotment for the Nov. 5 game at Scott Stadium. They'll be on sale starting today for $30 each. A game time hasn't been announced, but Groh said if the game isn't televised, it will likely start at 3 or 3:30 p.m. ... Kicker Connor Hughes has 291 points, two shy of tying Gene Mayer's school record. It's U.Va.'s oldest record. Mayer, a Norfolk native, played from 1912 to 1915 and had 46 touchdowns and 17 extra points.
 

Last exam does wonders for Cavaliers
Virginia boosts its midterm grades with an upset of Florida State, but the Cavaliers still have some work to do.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 19 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Dawn cracked the horizon on Sunday before Emmanuel Byers went to sleep. He and about 10 teammates stayed up until 6:30 a.m., watching Virginia's 26-21 upset of Florida State, which they recorded with TiVo. Byers, Michael Johnson, Tony Franklin and Marques Hagans - among others - sat around the television, celebrating the win that saved their season.

Six games into an 11-game schedule, Virginia is 4-2, 2-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers need two wins to become bowl eligible. Just one, really, because the Temple game is a sure blowout.

After beating No. 4 Florida State, though, their aspirations are greater than six wins. "We believe that we can beat anybody," Byers said.

For bravado, then, they'd earn an A-plus. Here's how the Cavs' other parts rate, just past midseason.

QUARTERBACK

Marques Hagans carried Virginia's running game when it sagged. And his passing precision has improved throughout the season. He has completed 111 of 178 passes for 1,342 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Grade: A

RUNNING BACKS

Hampered early by a sprained left foot, Wali Lundy is on track for the worst season of his career. He has 131 rushing yards in five games. But he showed promise against Florida State, catching a touchdown pass. Hagans has three of U.Va.'s eight rushing touchdowns.

Grade: C-

WIDE RECEIVERS

Deyon Williams is the Cavs' top wideout (29 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns). Tight ends Tom Santi and Jonathan Stupar have performed admirably as Heath Miller's replacements. They've combined for 334 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If the Cavs involve Fontel Mines more, which they've done lately, this group will add to U.Va.'s versatility.

Grade: B+

OFFENSIVE LINE

Virginia has given up 19 sacks, 10th of 12 ACC teams. Some of those happen because Hagans is a scrambling quarterback who can get caught trying to do too much. The line hasn't shown its potential because three of five starters have missed games. This is the first week since the second game that the unit is intact.

Grade: B

DEFENSIVE LINE

The pass rush was better against FSU, but Virginia coach Al Groh wants improvement. The Cavs focused during Monday's practice on pass rush. They rank ninth in the ACC with 11 sacks. Linebacker Kai Parham has seven of those. The nose-tackle trio of Ron Darden, Kwakou Robinson and Keenan Carter struggled in a loss to Maryland and must perform better.

Grade: C

LINEBACKERS

With inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks out because of injuries, Parham has shined. He's fourth in the ACC with 55 tackles, and his sacks are tied for the league lead. The 6-foot, 224-pound Mark Miller was gutsy, but too small, as Brooks' replacement inside. With Brooks back, Miller is now outside, occupying the injured Jermaine Dias' spot.

Grade: B+

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Though U.Va.'s pass defense ranks second worst in the ACC (258.2 yards per game), juniors Marcus Hamilton and Tony Franklin are better than the ranking. Hamilton, a cornerback, has four interceptions. Franklin, a safety, has two. True freshman corner Mike Brown must improve. "It's more a case of we've been carrying Mike than he's been helping us," Groh said.

Grade: C

SPECIAL TEAMS

Connor Hughes is 13 of 15 on field goals. Chalk up part of his success to Kurt Smith handling kickoffs, giving Hughes a rest. The Cavs have the ACC's fourth-best kickoff coverage unit, and redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman ranks fourth in the league in kickoff returns (28.2 yards per return).

Grade: A

COACHING

Credit Groh for winning perhaps the biggest game of his college career against Florida State. Still, he and defensive coordinator Al Golden struggled to find solutions to the draw and option plays Maryland repeatedly ran - though injuries and inferior personnel are partially to blame. With almost all of his injured players back, it'll be interesting to see how Groh handles a five-game homestretch in which just one game, Temple, is a definite win.

Grade: B+

OVERALL

The Cavs get brownie points for the Florida State victory - one of college football's biggest upsets this season. But it's clear they must remain healthy to succeed. Their backups have struggled. If Virginia beats North Carolina on Saturday and, after a bye week, crushes Temple, the Cavs will be 6-2 heading into their three final (and most intriguing) games: Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami.

Grade: B+

Hughes toe-to-toe with U.Va.'s finest
Former walk-on needs three points to break school scoring record
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 21, 2005
VIRGINIA AT UNC
TODAY: Noon ON THE AIR: TV WTVR-6; Radio WRVA (1430), 11:30 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE Virginia Tech offered him a partial scholarship in soccer, and he might have ended up playing football for the Hokies, too. In the end, though, Connor Hughes stowed his soccer cleats and enrolled at Virginia.

That meant a larger financial burden for his family, but Hughes trusted his instincts.

"I guess I just felt like God was leading me here to play football," he said.

To that, U.Va. fans say this: hallelujah.

A graduate of Williamsburg's Lafayette High, where he started at kicker and quarterback on the team that won the state Group AA, Division 4 title in 2001, Hughes joined Cavaliers coach Al Groh's program as a recruited walk-on in'02. He took over as Virginia's kicker on extra points and field goals with five games remaining that season and has never relinquished the job.

On the eve of Hughes' sophomore season, Groh awarded him a scholarship. The Cavaliers never have regretted that decision. The 5-10, 172-pound senior needs only one field goal -- or three extra points -- tomorrow at North Carolina to break U.Va.'s career scoring record, a mark that has stood since 1915.

Hughes' next three-pointer will give him the school record for career field goals, too. He and former great Rafael Garcia are tied with 58 apiece.

"It's a great mark to achieve," said Hughes, a soft-spoken religious-studies major who is quick to credit his teammates, his coaches and his faith for his success.

After a sophomore season in which he was 40 for 40 on PATs and 23 of 25 on field goals (with a long of 53 yards) and made the all-ACC second team, Hughes encounted unexpected adversity in 2004. He had a new snapper (Zac Yarbrough) and a new holder (reserve quarterback John Phillips), and the three-man operation struggled at times.

Hughes' numbers weren't bad -- 42 of 45 on extra points, 17 of 24 on field goals -- but they didn't meet the standard he set in 2003. He said this week that he had become "lackadaisical" and lost his focus.

"It was a trying time," said Hughes, whose father, Brent, is the head tennis pro at Kingsmill Resort. "It seemed like my sophomore year, when it was close I made it by a couple of inches. Last year, when it was close I missed it by a couple of inches."

He never worried that his skills had deserted him, said Hughes, whose friend Kurt Smith kicks off for the Cavaliers.

"Sometimes things just don't go your way, but I knew I'd get it if I just stuck with it," Hughes said. "I'm a lot stronger for it."

This season has been a reprise of 2003 for Hughes, whose snapper is now Tyrus Gardner. (Phillips is still the holder.) Hughes missed from 37 yards in the Sept.3 opener against Western Michigan and from 52 against Duke on Sept.24 but otherwise has been perfect.

In U.Va.'s 26-21 upset of then-No.4 Florida State last weekend, Hughes connected from 50, 37, 35 and 45 yards. He's made his past nine field goal attempts.

"Obviously, in his case he's got range and he's got excellent accuracy," Groh said. "What was very significant about how well he's hitting the ball is on his two longest kicks, the 50- and 45-yarder, each kick was just straight as a line. There was no movement, no wavering of the ball."

 

Hagans poses a problem
By NOLAN HAYES : The Herald-Sun
nhayes@heraldsun.com
Oct 21, 2005 : 12:21 am ET

CHAPEL HILL -- With no game last week, North Carolina's players had a chance to watch some football during the weekend.

Many settled down to watch Virginia play Florida State on Saturday night, knowing that their next game was against the Cavaliers. All who did came away impressed by Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, who led his team to a 26-21 victory.

"He played like a guy -- I can't even say how he played -- he played like a Heisman," UNC defensive tackle Kyndraus Guy said. "I don't want to really give him that title because we've got to play him, but he played very, very well."

Hagans, a 5-10, 209-pound senior, had the best game of his career against the Seminoles. He completed 27 of 36 passes for a career-high 306 yards and two touchdowns, fitting in many of his throws while scrambling away from Florida State's fierce pass rush.

Hagans played much of the game with a strained hamstring, so he wasn't running any faster than he had been in the past. Nor were the Seminoles moving more slowly -- it just seemed that way to Hagans.

Hagans, who was a backup quarterback his first season and played wide receiver as a sophomore, has gained enough experience behind center that he feels comfortable. The mass confusion that young quarterbacks see as soon as the ball is snapped has become organized chaos in Hagans' eyes.

Virginia coach Al Groh saw the same thing happen for Matt Schaub, who started ahead of Hagans and now plays in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons.

"I'd say that certainly in their fourth year here, that's when it slowed down for Matt Schaub," Groh said. "All of a sudden, it was just there.

"It was clear, he knew what he was looking for, he recognized it when he saw it, and it registered: 'Do this.'

"And that certainly has been the case, starting in spring practice, for Marques. It's been a progressive thing. Hopefully he'll stay fast, but the game will look slow."

It's UNC's task Saturday to speed up Hagans' surroundings but at the same time avoid letting him speed up his legs. Hagans is one of the most dangerous rushing quarterbacks in the country, and he's a dual threat on every snap.

Many teams use a spy against Hagans on passing plays, keeping a linebacker or defensive lineman reserved to mirror Hagans' movements. The plus of that strategy is that it makes it more difficult for Hagans to escape the pocket for big gains. The minus is that it takes away a pass rusher, which gives Hagans more time to throw. And even if the spy puts the defense in a favorable position, Hagans' athleticism still can foil the espionage.

Time after time against Florida State, Hagans scrambled to his right to complete passes just before -- or even just after -- a defender hit him.

"Let's just put it this way: Florida State had the proverbial spy on him, like everybody likes to talk about," UNC coach John Bunting said, putting quotation marks around the word "spy" with his fingers. "They've got a spy on him. Well, they had a spy on him, and that spy couldn't catch him.

"Now if their spy couldn't catch him, I'm not sure if our spy is going to catch him because their spy is pretty fast. What he did was phenomenal."

Bunting compares Hagans to former Clemson star Woodrow Dantzler, who was the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, with one exception. He believes Hagans is a better passer. Hagans has completed 62.4 percent of his throws this season with 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions.

As special a player as Hagans is, the Tar Heels figure to approach the game in much the same way as they always do. Linebacker Larry Edwards said he doesn't anticipate UNC using a spy on many plays.

Instead, the Tar Heels will mix up their coverages and put their primary emphasis on stopping Virginia's running game. They're hoping to slow down Hagans by speeding him up, but they already know they can't stop him.

"He's a scrambler, and he's a pretty athletic guy," Edwards said. "He's going to make plays. But this defense, with the plays he makes, we've got to make more."


 

When a trick play is needed, Virginia turns to Byers
Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 21, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Emmanuel Byers’ career passer rating took a severe hit last Saturday, dropping over 240 points. Give him a break. He’s a wide receiver.

Byers, a sophomore, threw two incompletions on trick plays in Virginia’s 26-21 upset of Florida State. He was nearly intercepted on the Cavaliers’ first play from scrimmage when he underthrew Deyon Williams. Just before the half, he overthrew a well-covered Ottowa Anderson in the end zone on another failed gadget play.

“I should have thrown it to Deyon earlier,” said Byers, sounding very much like a quarterback in critiquing his play. “But I’m only 5-10. I couldn’t see over the line.”

It’s a rare occasion when Virginia pulls out a trick play, but Byers usually seems to be involved. In last year’s ACC opener against North Carolina, he completed a 32-yard pass to Michael McGrew.

Byers has a very brief history at quarterback. He played there in youth leagues before moving to running back in middle school. At Ragsdale High in High Point, N.C., he played running back but was also the backup quarterback.

That’s enough experience to make him the top passing threat among UVa’s wide receivers, which isn’t saying much.

“Some of them don’t even throw it like football players,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “He does. In that particular group, he clearly distinguished himself in the face of limited competition.”

Don’t expect to see Byers throw many more passes, and it’s not because he didn’t complete either of his two attempts on Saturday.

“All those plays only have a short shelf life,” Groh said. “Once it’s out, it’s out. Somebody says, ‘Well, why don’t you throw that anymore?’ Because everybody you play knows you throw it.”

Butler’s back

Right tackle Brad Butler has quietly resumed practice and will start this week after being suspended for the Florida State game following his late chop block from behind against Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka on Oct. 8.

Though Butler (E.C. Glass) has not commented on the incident other than a brief statement in a press release last week, Groh says he is “very upbeat, very positive.”

“(We’ve tried) to embrace him for who we know he is and be very supportive of him,” Groh said, “and let him know that if others wanted to distance themselves from him, it certainly wasn’t going to be the team.”

Groh had hinted earlier that there were other less-publicized plays from the Boston College game that could have drawn similar criticism. He did not press the issue with the ACC, however, saying, “We’re not interested in eye-for-an-eye justice.”

But he did seem to question if Butler’s suspension was warranted.

“There have been some similar plays in many games that have been conducted this year,” Groh said, “and despite the strident commentary from certain people, our only question was, ‘What makes this one different?’”

Old reliable

Aside from quarterback Marques Hagans, kicker Connor Hughes might have been Virginia’s most impressive player last Saturday. The senior booted four field goals, connecting from 50, 37, 35 and 45 yards. It’s the second time this year Hughes made four field goals in a game.

“Their field goal kicker, he was good,” Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden said. “I think you could have backed him up another 15 yards and he would have still made them.”

For the season, Hughes is 13 of 15 on field goal attempts and trails only Virginia Tech’s Brandon Pace in points per game (10.3 to 9.7) in the ACC.

Hughes looks a lot like his 2003 self when he made 23 of his 25 field goal attempts. Last season, when he had to deal with a new snapper (Tyrus Gardner) and a new holder (John Phillips), he was 17-for-24.

“While both (Gardner and Phillips) have proven over course of the last 15 or 16 games to be competent with what they’re doing, there’s just a little transition there,” Groh said. “And Connor has said that maybe he tried to make some accommodations in his style to deal with that and he’s kind of gotten back to how he was doing things in the past.”


 

Pollock a familiar nightmare in ACC
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 21, 2005

There are a few players in the Atlantic Coast Conference every year that seem like reoccurring nightmares. Every time you turn around they are there again: year after year and game after game.

Those players seem to have an unlimited supply of eligibility - like Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, Virginia Tech’s defensive end Darryl Tapp and Georgia Tech running back P.J. Daniels.

The same can be said for North Carolina wideout Jarwarski Pollock. And if it seems like he has been at North Carolina for at least five years, it’s because he has.

Pollock, a fifth-year senior, was accepted to UNC in 2001 as a partial qualifier after his test scores failed to meet the minimum requirements for freshman eligibility by the NCAA’s standards.

He was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Tar Heels went 8-5 that season, a campaign that included a win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl.

Once Pollock reached the field in 2002, things soured in Chapel Hill, N.C. The program won just five games in his first two years as it battled injuries and attrition. Improvements were made last year as UNC went 6-6 and earned a bid to play Boston College in the Continental Tire Bowl.

Through it all, Pollock caught on - academically and on the gridiron. He flourished at both and that’s why he has the chance to play for UNC (2-3, 1-1 ACC) against

No. 23 Virginia (4-2, 2-2) on Saturday at noon.

NCAA rules allowed Pollock to regain a year of eligibility for the Tar Heels if, and only if, he graduated in four years. He promised his mother, an elementary school teacher, that he would do just that.

He kept his word.

“To get a degree from here is a great accomplishment,” Pollock said. “It’s a great university. That’s what I set out to do - come here and get a degree and to make my mom proud.”

Pollock has also made UNC fans proud, catching 160 passes for 1,764 yards in his career, which easily makes him the active receiving leader in the ACC.

He owns the school record for receptions in a season - Pollock caught 71 balls in 2003 - and he needs six catches against UVa to break the school record of career receptions, set by Na Brown (1995-98).

The Florida native might have broken the record on Oct. 8 against Louisville, but the 5-foot-8 target had arthroscopic surgery to repair slightly torn cartilage in his left knee.

“The knee’s fine. I’m good to go Saturday,” said Pollock, who also had a bye week to heal. “I’ll just have to wear a knee brace to protect it so that I don’t further injure it.”

Pollock said he plans to wear a new knee brace; one that he hopes provides support and allows him to have full mobility.

“I knew that it was going to be minor [surgery], but when I went in for my pre-op the doctor kind of scared me a little bit, saying that it wasn’t a guarantee that it would be stable by getting the surgery,” Pollock told reporters. “It was just to clean out some cartilage and take the pain away I was having. I didn’t think I would be out that long.”

Pollock would love to get the record against Virginia, a team he has never beaten, and in front of his home fans at Kenan Stadium. To Pollock, setting the record is special “because it just shows that through consistency and hard work that you can achieve anything that you want to achieve.”

North Carolina coach John Bunting hopes getting his wide receiver back will boost the 11th-worst scoring offense in the league (20.4 points per game).

Bunting also knows that Pollock leads by example, something he hopes rubs off on his younger players.

“He’s a student of the game. I hope other players will follow his method of studying for games and learning the game,” Bunting said. “That’s so important in the passing game, to understand exactly how your routes fit the scheme. He has a really good understanding of that.

“He knows football and I want our other receivers to know football like he does.”

 

Groh, Welsh celebrated in similar ways
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 21, 2005

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wondering what do coaches do to celebrate huge victories? ...

There has been a lot of chatter about how Virginia’s two upset wins over Florida State in 1995 and last Saturday were eerily similar. Well, that goes for celebrations, too.

When the Cavaliers knocked off the No. 2 Seminoles

10 years ago, Coach George Welsh went straight home after the game.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Welsh said. “I finally got to bed around 3:30.”

Because that was a Thursday night game, did Welsh do anything special the next day?

“Yeah, I went into the office and started working on our next game with Maryland,” Welsh said.

Because of the length of Saturday night’s upset, coach Al Groh was understandably exhausted. He went home as well.

The next day, he was in the office working on Saturday’s game at North Carolina.

A basketball state

It used to be that the ACC was known as a basketball league, but that is changing. However, that term could be applied to the “Big Four” schools of North Carolina: Duke, Wake Forest, UNC and N.C. State.

Those four football teams are a combined 7-17 heading into weekend play.

“I certainly can’t speak for any other programs but I think if you look at the league, as far as the scheduling, there’s no room to exhale,” said Duke coach Ted Roof. “There’s not time to come up for air. Every week you’re under the gun. And that’s part of being in this league right now.”

No wonder Duke, Carolina and N.C. State fought expansion.

Quote of the week

By now, just about everybody knows that Virginia sophomore defensive end Chris Long is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Fox NFL analyst Howie Long.

Howie, who has done a ton of Radio Shack commercials, is pretty much a household name around the country these days. Terri Hatcher, now a star in the hit show Desperate Housewives, used to do some of the Radio Shack spots.

We couldn’t help but ask Chris, “So, how many people out there think that Terri Hatcher’s your mom?”

Chris laughed and shook his head.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people have come up to me and thought that was true,” Chris said. “There’s a lot of really dumb people out there.”

Stat of the week

The Associated Press has at one point or the other during past seasons ranked six of the current 12 ACC football teams the No. 1 team in the nation.

Miami actually leads the way, having been ranked No. 1 on 69 occasions. Florida State is next with 60 of the No. 1 rankings over the years.

The next two might surprise: Maryland has been ranked

No. 1 on six occasions, while Virginia is next among all ACC schools with three weeks atop the national rankings. Clemson has been ranked No. 1 two times and UNC once.

AP has never ranked Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Duke No. 1, however Georgia Tech was ranked

No. 1 in the now defunct UPI coaches poll in 1990 when the Yellow Jackets won a split National Championship.

Decent proposal

It appears that somewhere down the road that Virginia Tech and Tennessee are in for a record-breaking payday for a record-breaking crowd.

Bruton Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., is willing to play $20 million each to the Hokies and Vols to play at game at Bristol Motor Speedway, which now seats 160,000 fans.

Apparently both schools are game, but no date has been worked out.

Hurricane proof

Miami didn’t have to twist Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey’s arm too much in order to postpone Saturday’s game at the Orange Bowl because of the threat of Hurricane Wilma.

The Yellow Jackets were hurting after last week’s lopsided win over Duke. Quarterback Reggie Ball is recovering from a hip pointer and jammed finger on his passing hand, while P.J. Daniels is struggling with a shoulder injury.

The team’s best defensive lineman, tackle Joe Anoai, was doubtful for this weekend because of an ankle injury and even defensive end Eric Henderson, who had missed the last four games with an ankle injury, was questionable.

Short yardage ...

The ACC owned the top two total defenses in the nation heading into last night’s Virginia Tech at Maryland game. Miami is ranked as the No. 1 total defense in the country, followed by the Hokies. ... When Florida State freshman QB Drew Weatherford passed 59 times in the Seminoles loss at Virginia last Saturday night, it wasn’t even close to the school record. The mark was set, actually in the 1995 FSU loss at UVa, when Danny Kanell threw the ball 67 times against the Cavs for 454 yards. ... Wake Forest, at 2-5 overall, must run the table in its final four games (N.C. State, Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami) to avoid a third straight losing season. ... N.C. State has lost eight of its last nine home games against Division I-A opponents and its last six straight home games against ACC foes. ... Making matters worse for the Wolfpack before last Thursday night’s home loss to Clemson, an over zealous fan, not happy over the number of N.C. State penalties in recent weeks, marred the team’s “Walk of Champions” at State’s Murphy Football Center when he threw a yellow flag onto their path. ... Clemson’s star of that game, tailback James Davis (143 yards on 12 carries, the most yards rushing by a Tiger tailback in five years), fractured his left wrist in the game and could be sidelined for a month. ... Boston College’s comeback win over Wake last weekend made the Eagles (6-1) bowl eligible for the seventh consecutive year under coach Tom O’Brien, who said: “We’re still trying to prove to ourselves that we belong and prove to everybody else that we belong in this conference.” ... If you caught the sideline antics of FSU receiver Fred Rouse during last Saturday’s game at Virginia, then you won’t be surprised that Rouse has been suspended for this weekend’s game against Duke. ... FSU will also miss leading receiver De’Cody Fagg, who injured his shoulder in the first quarter against the Cavs. ... If you don’t think height is an advantage in being a wide receiver, think again. FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews is still talking about how Virginia’s tall wide outs exploited smaller Seminole DBs: “One [UVa] 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.”

The picks

Last week: 4-1. To date: 37-14. Saturday: Clemson 56, Temple 10; Florida State 42, Duke 7; N.C. State 26, Wake Forest 23; Virginia 31, UNC 24.
 

Cavaliers aim to soar above .500 in ACC
Virginia turns concentration away from recent win against Florida State, focuses on Saturday's face-off against Tar Heels
Bayless Parsley, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

It's time to get back to work.

Only six days removed from the biggest win of Al Groh's tenure at Virginia, the Cavaliers (4-2, 2-2 ACC) are heading down to Chapel Hill with a chance to get back above .500 in conference play. The Tar Heels (2-3, 1-1) will be ready -- they've had nothing to do but prepare for this game since getting embarrassed at Louisville Nov. 8, 69-14.

"Since 10 o'clock Sunday morning, [UNC] is all I've been looking at," Groh said. "Everybody else is looking in the past, but for the last 50 hours, all we've been looking at is the future. We're very tuned into their team -- with the extra week of preparation, I'm sure that they are too."

Another conference loss would just about put the final nail in the coffin for U.Va.'s chances in the Coastal Division race. Virginia put itself in a hole with two early losses to Maryland and Boston College, and the ACC standings have taken notice.

North Carolina doesn't have much sympathy for the Cavaliers after what happened in Charlottesville last year.

Two games into the 2004 season, Virginia walked all over UNC, piling on 549 yards and 56 points at Scott Stadium. After Wali Lundy's three touchdown runs and Marquis Weeks' 100-yard touchdown kickoff return, the Cavaliers didn't send out the punt team until the start of the fourth quarter.

But Virginia also gave up 434 total yards on defense, 299 of them coming in the air. Even though the Tar Heels lost by 32 points, their quarterback tandem of the now-departed Darian Durant and 2005 starter Matt Baker was able to outgun Marques Hagans by 90 yards.

Baker is all alone behind center now. If his team is going to pull off an upset, it's going to have to be because of his arm -- Carolina only rushes the ball for 91 ypg, dead last in the ACC.

While Baker is third in the conference in passing with 245.8 ypg, he only completes 52.2 percent of his throws. He has more interceptions (8) than touchdown passes (6), and his No. 1 receiver, junior Jesse Holley, only pulls down 52.2 ypg -- tenth-best in the conference.

These kinds of numbers are a welcome relief to a Virginia secondary that picked off FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford twice through the first 59 minutes, and still needed a big play to win the game in the final 60 seconds.

Virginia re-entered the Top 25 this week after a brief absence following the loss at Boston College. Tight end Tom Santi apparently didn't get the memo -- he found out about the team's No. 23 ranking Tuesday afternoon, when asked about it by reporters.

"Are we [ranked]? The rankings don't mean anything, because we still have to go out and play," Santi said. "I personally don't look at them at all, and that's true. As well as you could ever play, or as poor as you could ever play, what other people think can't direct the way you play. We still have to beat North Carolina this weekend to be able to have the kind of season we want to have."

And North Carolina has to beat Virginia to be able to have the kind of season it wants to have. Even though the Tar Heels have a losing record, they only have one loss where it counts: the ACC standings. Virginia is not only a conference game, but more importantly, it's a Coastal Division game.

Already in a deep enough hole, Virginia now has even more of a reason to get back to work.