South's oldest rivalry plays today
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 22, 2005

It has been called the South’s oldest rivalry - Virginia and North Carolina.

When the two schools meet today on the gridiron at noon, it will mark the 110th meeting. The series has been played at different times, in different places, has provided different heroic performances and has been held every year since 1919.

The momentum in the match-up has seesawed back and forth through the years. From 1969 to 1981, UNC dominated the affair - winning 12 of 13. Things shifted in favor of the northernmost school when former UVa coach George Welsh arrived in 1981 - the Cavaliers are 16-6-1 against UNC since.

Virginia (4-2, 2-2 ACC) looks to continue that trend today at Kenan Stadium against the Tar Heels (2-3, 1-1).

The 23rd-ranked Cavaliers essentially saved their season last Saturday with an upset win, 26-21, over previously unbeaten Florida State.

The historic win will mean little if UVa doesn’t find a way to beat UNC today. And Virginia coach Al Groh let his team know just that before and after they dethroned the Seminoles at Scott Stadium.

“What we talked about last week is that we didn’t really care what anybody said about us, and we don’t really care this week,” Groh said. “We just know what we have to do this week to keep it going. What we care about is winning and losing and staying together as a team and trying to play the kind of sound, solid, tough, aggressive ball that we like to think is our trademark.”

Groh knows a lot can change over the final five regular-season games, a schedule that includes No. 6 Miami and No. 3 Virginia Tech.

“The season was pretty early still last week at that stage,” Groh said. “It’s really still pretty early - we’re only at the halfway mark. And, I think at that stage it’s too early to get hyped up about if you’ve got a great team, and it’s a little pre-mature to be running around like Chicken Little saying, ‘The sky is falling.’”

North Carolina enters the showdown on the opposite end of the spectrum. In its last game, UNC watched Louisville drop 69 points, the most ever allowed by the Tar Heels.

Prior to the rout, UNC had beaten its main rival, North Carolina State, and knocked off Utah. They also lost two close games against Wisconsin and at Georgia Tech.

North Carolina coach John Bunting hopes that his team today proves that the Louisville game was a fluke.

“It’s the beginning of a big stretch run,” Bunting said. “I want our team to show our fans again that we’re for real, we can play, we can compete.”

Thanks to a bye week, the Tar Heels got an extra week to heal from the demoralizing loss.

History is on Bunting’s side. UNC bounced back to win three of its final four games last year after a bye week. That run pushed the Tar Heels into the postseason, the Continental Tire Bowl, for the first time since 2001.

To follow that blueprint, Bunting will ask his defense to try and contain Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans.

Hagans was magical last weekend against FSU, completing 27 of 36 passes for two touchdowns and a career-high 306 yards.

North Carolina’s defense has struggled all season on third down and ranks 10th in total defense (375.6 ypg allowed) and 10th in pass defense (253.2 ypg allowed).

Hagans has completed 62.4 percent of his passes this year for 10 TDs and 1,342 yards.

“[Hagans] is accurate in the pocket and out of the pocket,” Bunting said. “He’s done it before, but you’d have to ask him if he’s ever had a day like [he had against FSU] where he made so many incredible throws from upside down, sideways, going down, getting hit and getting smashed. He was absolutely phenomenal.”

The Seminoles tried to slow Hagans by having a defender track his every move and since it did not work, Bunting said UNC might avoid that strategy.

”Florida State had the proverbial ‘spy’ on him. They had a spy on him, and that spy couldn’t catch him,” Bunting said. “Now if their spy can’t catch him, I’m not sure if our spies will catch him. [Florida State’s] spy is pretty fast. It really takes a very well orchestrated defensive front to get him on the ground.”

Hagans will also get a boost from the return of right tackle Brad Butler. The senior missed the FSU game, serving a one-game suspension for a late block against Boston College.

In fact, with Butler back and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson expected to play for the second straight week, Hagans should have his offensive line intact for the first time since the opening quarter of the Duke game (Sept. 24).

 

Diane, Joseph looking strong
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
October 22, 2005

Freshman Mamadi Diane drove hard to his right during the University of Virginia’s basketball practice on Thursday night. As he eluded the defense, he launched a short shot that was blocked by sophomore teammate Adrian Joseph.

However, Diane didn’t give up on the play.

After the ball caromed off the backboard, Diane gathered the loose ball, posted Joseph up on the right block and hit a nice bank shot over him.

Through almost a week of practices, Diane and Joseph have both looked pretty good, displaying their athleticism.

“They both have some resiliency,” coach Dave Leitao said. “They still have to learn how to play defense, but they have the size, athletic ability and some touch.”

Toward the end of practice, in shooting drills, Diane and Joseph both got into a good groove from behind the 3-point arc, sinking several shots in a row.

Joseph and Diane will most likely receive the majority of their minutes at the “3” position this season, but Leitao said they may occasionally play the “2.”

Dunks. Junior forward Donte Minter, who recently had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, did not attend practice Thursday. Leitao said Minter was giving the knee some rest - and catching up on some studies - following a vigorous rehabilitation … Leitao said junior guard T.J. Bannister is ahead of schedule from his sports hernia/hip surgery. “We’re going to start easing him into some basketball-related drills,” Leitao said. … Junior Matt Deasey and freshman Andrew Shiembob, a pair of walk-ons, practiced with the team. They were selected from a walk-on tryout. Leitao, who only has 10 scholarship players this season, said they haven’t made the team yet. … Leitao, Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds will represent the Cavs at ACC media day in Greensboro on Sunday.

 

Hughes poised for special day
Place-kicker Connor Hughes can break two Virginia career records today against North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Nothing serves a place-kicker better than a short memory, but Virginia senior Connor Hughes might be taking that to an extreme.

Hughes is on the verge of breaking one of UVa's oldest football records, but don't ask him what it is.

"I have no idea," he said this week.

The more appropriate answer would have been, "Which one?"

Hughes, who last week tied the UVa record for field goals in a career with 58, needs three points to break the UVa career scoring record of 293 points that Eugene Mayer has held since 1915.

"I've put the equipment people on the alert to keep the balls," assistant sports information director Mike Colley said Friday.

At Hughes' request?

"Oh, no," Colley said. "He's not thinking about any of this."

As 23rd-ranked Virginia (4-2, 2-2 ACC) visits North Carolina (2-3, 1-1) for a noon kickoff today, Hughes is kicking as well as he has at any point during his career, or at least as well as he did as a sophomore, when he converted 23 of 25 field-goal attempts.

Hughes had two separate streaks when he made 10 straight field goals in 2003, and he's made his last nine this year.

Actually, Hughes has made 10 in a row, but a false start nullified his 49-yard effort before the half last Saturday against Florida State.

"When they pushed us back, I still wanted to kick it," said Hughes, who earlier had kicked his fifth career field goal of 50 yards or more. "I just have a lot of confidence right now, but it [punting] was the right call at the time."

Chris Gould's punt was downed at the 1-yard line, Chris Gorham intercepted Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford one play later and Hughes got his field goal, this time from 35 yards.

Hughes has not made first- or second-team All-ACC during his UVa career, although he was the preseason All-ACC choice this year, ahead of 2004 first-team selection Brandon Pace of Virginia Tech.

"I really didn't think much of it," Hughes said. "I understood from last year that those things don't mean a lot."

Hughes was rated one of the nation's top place-kickers before his junior year and had what many would consider a respectable year, making 17 of 24 field goals, but it wasn't up to his 2003 standards.

"A lot of people wouldn't think it was that bad of a year," said Hughes, who also missed three extra points, "but, to me, it was awful. After a while, it got to my head."

For his first two seasons, Hughes had the same holder (Matt Schaub) and the same snapper (Ryan Childress). When they completed their eligibility, John Phillips (the one from Memphis, not the one from Bath County) and Tyrus Gardner took their respective spots prior to the 2004 season.

"While each of them have proven over the last 15 or 16 games to be very competent at what they're doing, Connor may have made some accommodations in his style to deal with that," coach Al Groh said. "He's kind of gotten back to how he was doing things in the past."

Hughes said Gardner is getting the ball back to the holder more quickly and that has made all the difference.

"I'm just a lot more confident that I know where the ball is going to be and I can get a good look at it a lot quicker," said Hughes, who draws on his Christian faith to deal with any confidence issues. "Last year, I felt like I was swinging before the ball was on the ground."

Hughes, whose father is the head tennis professional at the Kingsmill Resort, kicked and played quarterback for Lafayette High School in Williamsburg but was recruited by Virginia Tech for soccer before accepting Virginia's nonscholarship invitation in May 2002.

He was in line for a redshirt season the following year until he made his debut in the Cavaliers' 10th game. He took over for Kurt Smith, who subsequently has concentrated on kickoff duties.

"It's worked out in two respects," Groh said. "As Kurt has demonstrated, he's very good at it. The other benefit Kurt provides us is Connor doesn't have to take all those kicks.

"It's not just the seven kickoffs in the game the other night. It's all the kicks all week that [Hughes] doesn't have to make."

For his part, Hughes thinks that the kickoffs would keep him warmed up, but who's to argue with the arrangement? NFL scouts might want to know if Hughes can get the ball to the end zone, but his credentials speak for themselves.

"I'm sure that they'll inquire about it," Groh said, "but when you see guys kick 50-yard field goals ..."

What more is there to say?

 

Nittany Lions roar again on recruiting trail
Fork Union player “fastest in 25 years.”
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

A commitment to Penn State by Virginia’s No. 3-rated prospect, Chris Bell, has only served to reinforce an opinion I had been forming for several weeks.

In recruiting, Virginia and Virginia Tech are two of the teams most likely to be affected by the Nittany Lions’ resurgence.

Certainly, the Hokies and Cavaliers aren’t alone. Three of the players who have committed to Penn State who were offered by Virginia – Bell, Aaron Maybin and Tom McEowen – also had offers from Florida.

Virginia Tech is listed as having offered Bell, although the Hokies weren’t actively recruiting him at the time of his commitment, but they would have liked Maybin, a 6-foot-3, 211-pound linebacker from Ellicott City, Md.

Scratch the Tech and UVa recruiting lists deeply enough and you’ll find Penn State linked with many of the top prospects, including some who originally were cool to the Nittany Lions.

But, don’t think that PSU wasn’t a factor in recruiting when it had four losing seasons in five years (2000-2004) under an aging coach Joe Paterno. That didn’t prevent the Nittany Lions from landing one of the nation’s premier prospects, Columbia, Md., wide receiver Derrick Williams, in time to enroll for the second semester last January.

FORK UNION MILITARY ACADEMY football coach John Shuman says he has an appointment Monday at 10 a.m., with Virginia coach Al Groh, who will take advantage of an open date to meet with FUMA wide receiver Jacoby Ford.

Shuman said that Ford “is probably our best prospect ever. Ever. This young man, Jacoby Ford, is the fastest human being I’ve seen here in 25 years. We’ve just gone through four weeks of the hardest-hitting teams we play and this kid came out with 12 touchdowns – any and every way possible.”

Ford, from Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., is the younger brother of former Florida State running back Davy Ford. When Davy Ford was working out with Dallas, Cowboys’ linebacker Dexter Coakley, a Fork Union alumnus, recommended that he send younger brother to FUMA.

When Jacoby Ford went to Fork Union for a combine in May, he was timed in 4.19 seconds for 40 yards. Virginia assistants Danny Rocco and John Garrett were on hand for the workout and offered Ford on the spot.

“You should put this in the paper,” Shuman said. “Saturday afternoon we were playing and I told Jacoby, ‘Hey, when you return a punt, you can wave ‘bye’ and just keep on going and watch Florida State play Virginia. We let him go at the end of the second quarter. He was allowed to leave the game to go to UVa.”

ANOTHER OF SHUMAN’S wide receivers, Todd Nolen, signed with Virginia Tech as a senior last year at Hampton High School and remains committed to the Hokies.

“Todd Nolen is getting better every day,” Shuman said. “Same as with Biscuit [Marques Hagans] and Muffin [Curry], he had a major, major anxiety attack when he was thrown to the military in the barracks, trying to clean up.

“He had to battle through being disciplined and doing what he was told. He’s settled in and started to progress nicely. Academically, we’re waiting on scores [and] waiting on grades. He’s got a couple of catches, so, so far, we’re pleased with Todd Nolen.”

HARGRAVE MILITARY ACADEMY basketball coach Kevin Keatts said that 6-7 Tyler Smith, mentioned in a recent column as a likely Virginia visitor, will not be making a decision this fall.

“He just recently had been released from his [letter-of-intent] to Tennessee and, without being recruited this summer, he just wanted to take it a little bit slower,” Keatts said. “Until he was deemed a non-qualifier, he had to come here first and go through the clearinghouse.

Keatts said that 6-4 Stephen Kendall from Charlottesville is hearing from a range of schools from West Virginia and the Big East to mid-major programs in the Colonial Athletic Association. Kendall, who committed to UVa before the Cavaliers’ coaching change, has a 3.5 GPA and 1260 SAT that have gotten the attention of Stanford among others.

“Very bright student; he’s in the highest classes we’ve got here,” said Keatts, who said Virginia is not involved with Kendall. “I think both parties are going to move in a different direction.”

WITH ROANOKE TIMES reporter Randy King on the road, yours truly had to take over Friday when Boston College football coach Tom O’Brien did a conference call in advance of next Thursday’s game with Virginia Tech.

There was some suspicion that King ducked the conference call because he once spilled wine on O’Brien.

“Yes, he did,” O’Brien said.

There wasn’t much new since O’Brien spoke Wednesday on the ACC coaches’ teleconference, but he did have a statement on injured defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, the preseason ACC player of the year.

Kiwanuka missed the Eagles’ game last Saturday with visiting Boston College, won by the Eagles 35-30.

“I’ve got my fingers crossed but I don’t know if he’ll make it on Thursday night,” O’Brien said.

THIS COLUMN HAS never shied away from musical topics (some readers wish it would) and neither have a lot of sports-talk programs in light of the selection of “Don’t Stop Believing” as the Chicago White Sox’ playoff theme song.

Frankly, I keep getting “Don’t Stop Believing” confused with “Don’t Stop,” the Fleetwood Mac song adopted by Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton in 1992, but that’s why I’ve got musical advisors.

Roanoke Times music critic Ralph Berrier is a former sportswriting colleague, but, while I have great respect for Berrier’s views on the New York Yankees, he’s way too bluegrass for me. Plus, he either lost – or destroyed – a rock music CD that I gave him last month.

No, for my musical conscience, I turn to former Lynchburg sports writer (during the “Golden Age” of Lynchburg sportswriting) Tim Hall. Hall, a former Bassett High School golf coach, is the deputy county administrator for Henry County.

(I don’t know why I’m reminded of the sitcom, “Green Acres,” but Hall’s title is not be confused with the position of county agent filled by Hank Kimball.).

In a recent e-mail, Hall expressed surprise that I had not listed Don Henley among the best concerts I had ever attended.

On the night before we covered the 1989 Kickoff Classic at the Meadowlands, Hall and I snuck down to Atlantic City to see Henley, whose warmup act was Edie Brickell (now Mrs. Paul Simon).

“In case you don't remember, Mary and I were on our honeymoon and I was too cheap to fully pay for a honeymoon,” Hall said, “so I used the football game to get the News and Advance to pay for part of the trip.

“You said Atlantic City was just 30 minutes from NYC - then about 90 minutes later, we were looking desperately for a gas station before that great Roanoke Times company car died on the New Jersey Turnpike.”

(“It didn't, but it was on fumes,” Hall said as a matter of clarification Friday).

But, back to “Don’t Stop Believing,” a 1981 hit by Journey.

“I'm man enough to admit that I liked Journey during the Steve Perry days and occasionally still listen to their CDs,” Hall wrote. “Surprised that the White Sox would latch onto that tune these days though. Maybe it can become the official song of the NBA, as part of their new dress code.”

 

U.Va. not getting ahead of itself
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 22, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Win over Florida State?

What win over Florida State?

The Virginia Cavaliers say they have put last week’s potentially season-salvaging upset of the Seminoles behind them. They began doing so in the locker room following the game last Saturday night.

“After each week, you start all over again,” tight end Jonathan Stupar said, just minutes after the 26-21 win.

“It’s a good win, if you don’t get caught up in it,” guard Brian Barthelmes cautioned.

The Cavaliers, who travel to face North Carolina today, know that a “statement” win can turn hollow in a hurry if it is followed by a deflating loss. Just ask Maryland, which upset Florida State last year, only to lose its next two games. Or Clemson, which stunned Miami, then lost to Duke.

“It’s a statement where you finish at the end of the season,” Stupar said.

Suddenly, Virginia’s chances of finishing near the top of the Coastal Division are much improved. Instead of sitting at 3-3 after three straight defeats, the Cavaliers are 4-2 and 2-2 in the division. A win today would give them a boost heading into an open week. The Cavaliers play three of their final four games at home, and one of those opponents is winless Temple.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The same way some people did last week, when it appeared Virginia’s season was heading nowhere.

“What we talked about last week is that we didn’t really care what anybody said about us, and we don’t really care this week,” coach Al Groh said. “We know what we have to do this week to keep it going.”

Groh said the season was too young to characterize Virginia as a disappointment — or anything else, for that matter.

“It’s really still pretty early,” he said. “We’re only at the halfway mark. And I think at that stage, it’s too early to get hyped up about if you’ve got a great team, and it’s a little premature to be running around like Chicken Little, saying, 'The sky is falling.’ ”

If there was a silver lining to Virginia’s early struggles, it was that injuries forced more players into the lineup, building depth on the offensive line, at running back and at linebacker, in particular.

When the season began, Virginia had two offensive tackles with game experience — D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Brad Butler. Now, the Cavaliers have four. Sophomore Eddie Pinigis started three games and true freshman Eugene Monroe has played extensively.

Tailback Wali Lundy’s foot injury allowed Michael Johnson and Cedric Peerman to gain experience and confidence. Injuries to linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Jermaine Dias got Mark Miller, Aaron Clark, Antonio Appleby and Olu Hall into the lineup.

The depth paid off against Florida State.

“A number of them remarked, following the game, how fresh they felt at the end, because they were able to get a break,” Groh said. “It’s critical that we find out now that that wasn’t a one-game deal, that we can get that kind of performance, that kind of help, every week.”

Ensuring that the performance against Florida State was not a one-game deal will be the theme from here on out.

Putting it in the rear view mirror is the best way to do that, quarterback Marques Hagans said.

“We can’t indulge in the win,” Hagans said. “This game can’t define our season.”

 

Hagans, receivers make a connection
Virginia's wide receivers emerged in a pass-oriented win over Florida State - something the wideouts hope will add to the Cavaliers' unpredictability.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 21, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- During spring practices, Virginia wide receivers coach John Garrett handed his players some pens and paper. Then he gave them an assignment: Examine film from 2004 and chart the techniques each defensive back used against the Cavaliers' alignments.

"I probably wrote more in the spring (practices) than I did all semester," wideout Emmanuel Byers said.

Now, the Cavaliers' wideouts hope that preparation turns into unpredictability. "It's kinda tough when every team who plays you knows you're gonna run the ball a lot more than passing," Byers said. "People know we're more balanced (this season). They can't predict what we're gonna do, like they did last year."

Virginia threw 39 times, compared to 28 rushing attempts, in last Saturday's 26-21 win over Florida State. Quarterback Marques Hagans passed for a career-high 306 yards. That's mostly because the Seminoles' defensive line is stingy against the run, so Virginia coach Al Groh decided to beat the Seminoles with passes.

The Cavs might try to develop their running game heading into Saturday's noon game at North Carolina. Virginia, which led the Atlantic Coast Conference last season in rushing (242.8 yards per game), ranks seventh this year (145).

The Cavs have run 37 times per game this season, compared to 30.8 pass attempts. Last season, that ratio was 45.8 to 23.7.

Meanwhile, Hagans has harnessed his powerful arm. He threw five interceptions in the first two games and just one in four games since. He tweaked his right hamstring against FSU and has been limited this week in practice.

But Groh said before Thursday's practice that he expected Hagans to take his regular repetitions.

"Unpredictability is clearly something that's advantageous to a team," Groh said. "We're certainly not gonna advocate or try to develop predictability."

It doesn't get any more unpredictable than the play U.Va. called twice in the first half against FSU. The Cavs ran a double reverse to Byers, who threw the ball down field. The ball fell incomplete both times.

The receivers practiced the play throughout the season, auditioning their best passers. Byers won the job, but Groh said he didn't have much competition. "(Byers) always brags about trying to be a college quarterback," receiver Fontel Mines said.

Groh said it's unlikely U.Va. would run the surprise play again because, well, it's not much of a surprise anymore.

Though Groh said he wants the Cavs' running game to find some rhythm, he's also aware that North Carolina has the third-worst passing defense in the ACC (253.2 yards per game). "We want them to continue to be smarter about their play," UNC coach John Bunting said of his secondary.

Cavaliers, Tar Heels on opposite ends of emotional spectrum
By NOLAN HAYES : The Herald-Sun
nhayes@heraldsun.com
Oct 22, 2005 : 1:26 am ET

CHAPEL HILL -- They're traveling from opposite ends of the road, setting up an interesting head-on collision in the middle today.

No. 23 Virginia is coming off its biggest win of the season, a 26-21 victory over Florida State last week that knocked the Seminoles from the ranks of college football's unbeaten. North Carolina last played Oct. 8, giving up the most points in school history in a 69-14 loss at Louisville.

The team that best shakes off the extreme emotion of its last game will have an advantage in today's game at Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels (2-3, 1-1 ACC), down after their trip to Papa John's Cardinals Stadium, have bounced back with the help of their time off.

"We used our bye week after Louisville to really reassess our goals," junior linebacker Larry Edwards said. "We just made sure that we were all on the right page. We all came up with the decision that we want to go undefeated the second half of the season, so we're going to do everything we can to achieve that goal."

While the Tar Heels have had two weeks to think about a 55-point loss, the Cavaliers (4-2, 2-2) have been showered with praise after beating a top-five team for the second time in school history. Today's game -- on the road against a team that played poorly in its last game and has had two weeks to prepare -- is the perfect setup for a letdown.

But of all the things Virginia coach Al Groh can do well, perhaps he's best at not getting too excited after a win. He has made his wish to go on to the next game clear to his players all week.

"The team has responded really well in practice," Groh said. "Everybody here is well aware of the long-term nature of this rivalry and that this game means a lot to people associated with both schools."

The game is especially meaningful for the Tar Heels, who are viewing it as the opener to the second half of their season. At this point, no one -- not even players and coaches -- can be sure what kind of team UNC is.

The Tar Heels had built some momentum before their trip to Louisville, having won two consecutive games and showing consistent week-to-week improvement. UNC seemed poised to continue that trend, leaving players, coaches, fans and reporters scratching their heads after the blowout.

"The Louisville game confused everything," UNC coach John Bunting said. "The first four games, I thought we were coming along really well. The Louisville game put a big damper on that. But just like the players, the coaches have got to get over it. And I have. I have high expectations."

Bunting's refusal to panic has rubbed off on his team. The coach could have punished his players during the open week for their performance at Louisville, but he gave them Friday, Saturday and Sunday off after light practices Wednesday and Thursday.

And it's safe to say that he knows how to handle a week off. Under Bunting, the Tar Heels twice have bounced back from blowout road losses to win home games against ranked teams. UNC beat No. 6 Florida State 41-9 in 2001 after losing to Texas 44-14 the previous week, and the Tar Heels followed up a 46-16 loss at Utah last season with a 31-28 win over No. 4 Miami.

Players often want to play another game as soon as possible after a bad loss, but a week off after the Louisville game might have been just what the Tar Heels needed.

"It came at the right time for us," said senior wide receiver Jarwarski Pollock, who is expected to play today after missing the Louisville game to have arthroscopic knee surgery. "We played five hard games, and now we've got another six hard games to go. In a way, it came just in time."

More than dividing the season almost in half, the open week also gave the Tar Heels a chance to adjust their focus. With its nonconference schedule finished, UNC has six ACC games left on its schedule. No other team in the league has more than five.

That means despite their 2-3 record, the Tar Heels have plenty of chances to move up in the standings. A win today would put UNC in a tie for second place in the Coastal Division, ahead of Virginia.

"This game is our new beginning," Edwards said. "It's our first game all over again. And how we come out and display our talent, that's going to determine how we do for the rest of the season."


 

Cavaliers prepare to do battle at UNC
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 22, 2005

And now for the hard part - the encore.
Coming off one of the biggest victories in the history of the program, a stunning 26-21 upset over No. 4 Florida State last Saturday, No. 23 Virginia will try not to have a letdown when it travels to Kenan Stadium to take on North Carolina today at noon.

"I think it's easy because we've been thinking (like) that all year with wins or losses," UVa safety Nate Lyles said. "You have to put the game behind you. Monday is another work day to get ready for the next team."

Easier said than done. The 110th matchup in what is the South's oldest rivalry screams trap game. Just look at the variables.

On the heels of an emotional win, Virginia (4-2, 2-2 ACC) must play on the road against a longtime rival with a bye week on the horizon.

North Carolina (2-3, 1-1), meanwhile, has had plenty of time to prepare after a bye last week. The 'Heels should be plenty motivated with a 69-14 drubbing at the hands of Louisville two weeks ago fresh in their minds. And don't think they have forgotten the 56-24 shellacking they took in Charlottesville last year.

That's why Virginia coach Al Groh has tried to keep the praise to a minimum following the Florida State shocker. He was probably the first to move on after the win.

"Since 10 o'clock Sunday morning, (North Carolina is) all I've been looking at," he said.

It would be interesting to hear what kind of conclusions he has drawn. The Tar Heels have looked both good and bad at times this year.

UNC played Georgia Tech tough on the road in a loss and beat rival N.C. State in Raleigh. But it struggled offensively in a non-conference loss to Wisconsin, failing to get in the end zone, and had a defensive meltdown against Louisville, giving up seven touchdowns.

No player has exemplified North Carolina's seesaw ways more than quarterback Matt Baker, a longtime backup to Darian Durant who finally is calling the shots. Baker, a senior, has thrown for 1,229 yards and six touchdowns, but he also has eight interceptions, three of which doomed an upset bid at Georgia Tech.

"I think the quarterback has played extremely well at times," UNC coach John Bunting said. "But he would probably be the first one to say that he's not been as consistent as he'd like to be, and that's something that needs to get better."

He should challenge a Cavaliers secondary that despite having the second most interceptions in the ACC with 10, ranks second to last in pass defense, allowing 258.2 yards per game.

One thing in Virginia's favor is that almost all of its injured players are back. Last week, preseason All-Americans D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Ahmad Brooks played together in the same game for the first time this season.

Ferguson and center Brian Barthelmes seem to be over injuries that kept them out of for the better part of two games, and right tackle Brad Butler returns from a one-game suspension for a late chop block against Boston College, meaning the Cavaliers will have their opening day offensive line intact for the first time since the Duke game on Sept. 24.

Though outside linebacker Jermaine Dias (foot sprain) remains out, Brooks' return to the middle has had a profound effect on Virginia's rush defense. Aside from Lorenzo Booker's 58-yard touchdown run, Florida State ran for 37 yards last week. Maryland and Boston College racked up 446 rushing yards against the Cavaliers during two weeks when Brooks was either extremely limited or didn't play.

Plus, quarterback Marques Hagans is playing his best, turning in a career performance against the Seminoles with 306 passing yards and two touchdowns. UNC, incidentally, has the third worst pass defense in the ACC.

"I anticipate their best game," Bunting said of Virginia. "I think we're getting them at their best."

The Cavaliers aren't hearing it.

"It's still pretty early," Groh said. "We're only at the halfway mark. And I think at that stage it's too early to get hyped up about if you've got a great team and it's a little premature to be running around like Chicken Little saying the sky is falling."
 

Cavaliers facing another challenge
UNC looms as road test for U.Va. following upset victory over Florida State
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 22, 2005

In a span of about four hours last Saturday night, the University of Virginia football team may have turned around its season.

U.Va. stunned then-No. 4 Florida State 26-21 before a raucous crowd at Scott Stadium. With that improbable victory, the Cavaliers snapped a two-game losing streak, quieted their critics and rejuvenated their fan base.

Now comes another challenge. Virginia's players know -- if only because their coaches have pounded home the message since the FSU game ended that a loss today in Chapel Hill, N.C., would negate much of last weekend's accomplishment.

"I think everybody is excited that we beat Florida State," sophomore Tom Santi said. "But at the same time, everybody realizes that this week matters just as much as last week did."

Sophomore wideout Emmanuel Byers said: "We don't want to overshadow that win over Florida State with a loss to North Carolina."

The 110th meeting between U.Va. and UNC comes this afternoon. No. 23 Virginia (2-2, 4-2) won at Kenan Stadium in 2003, but significant road victories have been few and far between in the team's five seasons under coach Al Groh. That's another reason why today's game against the Tar Heels (1-1, 2-3) is so important to the Cavaliers.

"To be a really good team, you gotta win at home and you gotta win on the road, and you gotta win at neutral games," said Santi, who plays tight end and fullback.

UNC hasn't played since Oct. 8, when it suffered a humbling 69-14 loss at Louisville. Until that game, however, the Heels' defense had played well, and the Cavaliers aren't likely to move up and down the field as easily today as they did against UNC last season, when they won 56-24, or in 2003, when they romped 38-13.

Of greater concern to Heels coach John Bunting is his offense. Senior quarterback Matt Baker, a former U.Va. recruiting target, is averaging 245.8 yards passing, and Carolina has a talented corps of receivers led by Mike Mason, Jesse Holley and Jarwarski Pollock. Nonetheless, UNC ranks last among ACC teams in rushing offense and 11th in scoring offense.

"We hope to be a better offensive team in the second half of the season," Bunting said.

Virginia is averaging 28.7 points fourth-most in the ACC -- but Groh has reason to believe his offense will improve. Senior tailback Wali Lundy has recovered from a sprained foot, and the return of senior tackle Brad Butler, who was suspended for the Florida State game, means U.Va. will be able to start its top five offensive linemen for the first time since Sept. 24. Quarterback Marques Hagans hurt a hamstring in the first half against FSU, but that didn't keep him out of the game or stop him from putting on an unforgettable performance.

Hagans' injury bothered him early this week, Groh said, but the 5-10 senior steadily improved and is expected to start today.

The Cavaliers' defense is healthier, too. Outside linebacker Jermaine Dias remains sidelined with a sprained foot, but 6-4, 265-pound junior Ahmad Brooks, who's battled knee and ankle injuries, started at inside linebacker against FSU. His impact was enormous.

"He is certainly a unique player, and we try to take all the advantage of that that we can," Groh said. "I would say still, at this particular time, he's quite a bit away from being either what he's been in the past or what we projected him to be [at this stage of the season] . . . But every day's bringing him a little closer to that."