Golden opportunity slips away for Cavs
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 24, 2005

Perhaps it took three games, or maybe it took just three hours, but nevertheless Virginia watched its chances of playing in a BCS bowl game get put on ice for a year on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

Fresh off one of the biggest wins in school history - a 26-21 victory over then-No. 4 Florida State - the Cavaliers dropped the ball.

North Carolina, a 69-14 loser to Louisville in its prior game, managed just one touchdown. Still, the Tar Heels found a way to ride those points to a 2-point win over a Virginia team that found little to play for.

UVa coach Al Groh preached all week about avoiding a letdown against the Tar Heels. The win over the Seminoles would mean little if the Cavaliers lost to UNC he had said.

Perhaps he didn't preach enough.

After losing by a baseball score, 7 to 5, Groh said: "From top to bottom, we just didn't do quite enough."

Virginia's fifth-year coach couldn't have said it better. Truly, from top to bottom, from the coaches to players, Virginia let a golden opportunity slip away.

And they wake up today in fifth place in the ACC's Coastal Division and in serious jeopardy of missing the postseason because of it.

"Winning this game would have done us a lot of good," Groh added. "But, I'm consistent in my thinking that they're all one. They don't build. They don't build and they don't subtract. Each week is its own challenge. This week was just a particular challenge. We were just a couple points short on meeting the challenge.

"We had our chances."

Yes, they did.

North Carolina entered the game with one of the worst rushing offenses in the country, ranked 110th nationally, yet they managed to keep Virginia's defense on the field for lengthy periods of time as they churned out a season-high 172 yards.

Offensively, Virginia failed to reach the end zone. The suddenly developing theme came against a defense that allowed Louisville 451 total yards.

Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, troubled by a hamstring injury suffered against FSU, could not get in a rhythm. Seven days after his best collegiate performance under center, Hagans limped, hobbled and staggered his way to a 14-for-28 showing for 109 passing yards.

And at no point did backup quarterback Christian Olsen warm-up.

It was Hagans' game to lose and he helped accomplish that by throwing an interception in the fourth quarter with the Cavaliers nearing range for a field goal attempt by Connor Hughes.

When the dust settled, Virginia walked away with a safety, a field goal and hundreds of questions to ponder during its second bye week of the season.

Virginia (4-3) plays again on Nov. 2 against Temple.

"Every play it seemed like that one or two guys were not mentally executing and that hurt us in the end," said offensive lineman Brad Butler. "When we watch the film [today] it is going to be clear that it wasn't the physical parts of the game that beat us. It was the mental execution.

"[North Carolina was] more mentally into the game and we just sat there and made mental mistake after mental mistake and that cost us."

It wasn't supposed to be that hard for the Cavaliers.

"We thought that we were going to come in here, and I guess blow them out," said UVa linebacker Ahmad Brooks. "It didn't go in that direction. There were times out there that we could have capitalized on our defensive stops but it just didn't happen.

"The intensity level wasn't there like [against FSU]. It seemed like they wanted it more. They were more excited. It seemed like everybody was kind of sluggish."

Notes. Thanks to a much-needed bye week, Groh said the team would take some time off. They will return to practice on Thursday and Friday ? Outside linebacker Jermaine Dias (sprained foot) and reserve linebacker Aaron Clark (internal bruising) hopefully will be ready to practice at that time, Groh said. Dias has been sidelined since the team played Duke on Sept. 24. Clark's symptons kept him from traveling to the UNC game.

 

Running No. 1 on Cavs list
Having watched its running game hit rock bottom at North Carolina, Virginia gets an extra week to fix its problems.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 24, 2005

After one of the more devastating letdown losses you'll ever see - and, yes, this absolutely was a letdown - Virginia coach Al Groh will give his players today, Tuesday and Wednesday off. The Cavaliers have a bye week before hosting Temple on Nov. 5.

When they resume practice on Thursday, the team will focus on some glaring issues for two days, then start preparing for the Owls next Monday. Glaring issues such as ...

"I'll let you make your own list," Groh said. "We have a number of things that we're going to work on."

OK, here's one: the running game. And another: the running game. Also, the Cavs might want to work on their running game.

In a 7-5 loss on Saturday at North Carolina - some follow-up to the upset of Florida State - running backs Wali Lundy and Cedric Peerman carried 29 times for 64 yards. Ten of those runs yielded zero or negative yardage. Three more produced 1 yard. Six of Peerman's 11 carries went for zero or negative yardage. Peerman finished with 4 yards - and a whopping 0.4 of a yard per carry.

Many of Virginia's rushing plays were outside runs, as Lundy and Peerman tried to burst around the ends and avoid the UNC defensive front four, a group that concerned Groh. Heading into the game, the Tar Heels had allowed 122.4 rushing yards per game - sixth of 12 Atlantic Coast Conference teams.

Groh's assessment of those outside runs: "I think it was sporadic in each case."

Which is a long way of saying the plays failed.

The running backs may be partly to blame. Lundy, a senior, has rarely shown breakaway speed - a major knock on his NFL potential.

Fault the offensive line, too. Lineman Brad Butler did. Butler moved to right guard in the first quarter after starter Marshal Ausberry exited with a left ankle injury. Butler, a senior, normally plays right tackle, a position catered more toward pass blocking than run blocking. He last played right guard as a true freshman.

On those outside runs, Groh said two linemen pull off the line of scrimmage as open-field blockers. Elton Brown, U.Va.'s former right guard, mastered pulling. The Cavaliers clearly struggled with it on Saturday.

"I would say those mistakes came as a result of sometimes not making the right call," Groh said. "There's a lot of blocking calls that have to be made at the line of scrimmage based on the positioning of the linebackers."

The running backs' poor performance this season is one reason why a game like Saturday's was inevitable. A game in which Virginia's offense scored three points and went three plays and out on five of 11 drives - including its first four.

The Cavs' running backs are rushing for 109 yards per game this season. But the most stunning stats are Lundy's: 191 yards and no touchdowns in six games. A year ago, he had more than 191 yards halfway through the third game.

Yes, he's struggled with a sprained left foot. But now that he's almost fully recovered - or so he said after the FSU game - Cavs fans ought to cringe at another injury: quarterback Marques Hagans' sore right hamstring.

He tweaked it against FSU, a game in which he carried U.Va., and struggled with it on Saturday, when he could barely carry himself.

His postgame condition was unknown because he no-showed for media interviews - the second time he's done that after a loss this season.

With Hagans slowed, it's clear the Cavs' offense is a one-man show. Yet the curtain never opened in Chapel Hill. "I thought we were lacking in every area," Groh said.

Better get started on that list.

Low five for road worriers
Virginia's offense falters as the Cavaliers again struggle in the fourth quarter and lose to North Carolina.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 23, 2005

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- A week after the dream victory, Virginia crashed back to reality: an offense that sputters in the fourth quarter, a running game that sputters period, an inexplicable inability to win on the road.

The Cavaliers walked into Kenan Stadium on Saturday morning to play North Carolina, seven days after beating No. 4 Florida State. Though the U.Va. roster listed the same names as a week ago, the Cavs couldn't have played more differently.

No. 23 Virginia bungled three promising fourth-quarter scoring chances and lost 7-5.

Five points. Against a UNC team that allowed 25.5 per game coming in.

Five points. From a U.Va. group that averaged 28.5 before Saturday and scored 26 last week against FSU.

Five points. In a game the Cavs needed to buoy their bowl-game hopes.

"We were soft, man," inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks said. "We were soft.

"I guess we just probably said (that) since we beat Florida State, we could probably come out here and just blow out UNC."

Instead, they blew up.

Long-term, the Cavs complicated their bowl chances. They're 4-3, 2-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Assuming a victory over Temple, they must beat Georgia Tech, Miami or Virginia Tech to be bowl-eligible.

And the Cavs supported their reputation as a bad road team. They're 9-17 in road games under coach Al Groh and 1-3 this season.

Short-term, their offensive worries got worse.

After scoring three points in the fourth quarter Saturday, they've been outscored 56-27 this season in the fourth. (That's 3.9 points per fourth.) They've twice scored zero fourth-quarter points.

The Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1) led 7-2 on Saturday heading into the fourth.

On Virginia's first drive, which started in the third quarter, the Cavs faced third and 12 at UNC's 20-yard line. Quarterback Marques Hagans threw to wide receiver Fontel Mines, who dropped the ball inside the 5. The Cavs settled for a 37-yard Connor Hughes field goal, making it 7-5 with 14:12 left.

UNC kicker Connor Barth missed a 54-yarder with 7:50 remaining, and U.Va. got possession at its own 38. Virginia advanced to the UNC 38. The Cavs probably needed just 5 yards to get inside Hughes' range. Instead Hagans threw an incomplete pass. Followed by another incomplete pass. Followed by a sack. Punt.

After another Tar Heels drive ended with a punt, Virginia started at the UNC 38 with 3:40 remaining. Again, the Cavs needed just 5 to get into field goal range. They got 2, before lining up for third and 8. Hagans threw toward receiver Deyon Williams. Safety Trimane Goddard tipped the ball, and cornerback Cedrick Holt intercepted it with 1:23 left.

"There's twice, all we have to do is get the ball to the 30-yard line, and we're probably gonna win the game," Groh said. "So we had our chances. We don't have any complaints."

Oh, except for that running game.

Tailbacks Wali Lundy and Cedric Peerman combined for 29 carries and 64 yards. The Cavaliers' running backs are rushing for 109 yards per game this season.

The backfield was shorthanded Saturday. Michael Johnson turned his right ankle while returning the opening kickoff and did not carry the ball, though Hagans threw to him once. Hagans, who essentially won last week's game by himself, struggled with a sore right hamstring. He ran eight times for 26 yards and completed 14 of 28 passes for 109 yards and an interception.

Though Groh said UNC's defensive front four posed a challenge, he knows his backfield is floundering. "We would expect better," he said. "Obviously, there will be a lot of internal scrutiny of it in the next two weeks."

The Cavs have gone six-plus quarters without scoring a touchdown. Seven points are the fewest they've allowed in a loss since a 3-0 loss to Rutgers in 1981.

"That's purely on us," offensive lineman Brad Butler said. "That's not on the coaching staff, and that's not on the defense. The defense played a good game today. The offense should've been able to create a little bit more today than we did."
 

Leadership traits escape Groh, Cavs
Chad Gallagher, Columnist

This column was not meant to be on the beloved topic of football. I had an interview planned with a self-proclaimed volleyball groupie named Gilbert. A story on a volleyball groupie is just screaming intriguing column material while giving much needed press to a team that does not call U-Hall or Scott Stadium its home. Alas, Gilbert did not have time to talk until later this week, so all you Gilbert fans must wait a week.

In the meantime, the Virginia football team played a game this weekend on Tobacco Road. Emphasis must be placed on the fact that this was a football game -- a game in which Roy Williams, Sean May and Ray Felton do not have any influence on the outcome.

Rather than make up for the drudging Virginia took in basketball, the Wahoos suffered a tough defeat to a very mediocre Tar Heel squad. After the game, I struggled to find the reason the outcome did not favor the Cavaliers. Finally, two days later, while sitting in a mundane interview, it dawned on me in the form of a question ...

"What do you think are essential characteristics of a leader?"

The following articulates each point that I deem to be inherent in the best leaders. These simple elements highlight the facets that I think the Virginia football program does not possess. In a sport that demands a strong leader, the Hoos come up short in each of these important leadership qualities.

Leadership Trait No. 1 -- Use the strengths of others to help the team reach its highest potential.

With Al Groh's rather impressive coaching staff, it would appear that people are in place to teach the various positions on the team. Rather than using these strengths, sources close to the team describe an image of micromanaging the coaches that bottles up the knowledge of these coaches.

When defensive coordinator Al Golden decided to stay at the University of Virginia rather than take a position at Notre Dame, many people assumed this was a confirmation that he was pleased with the Virginia program. Close team sources now refute that claim and point to Golden eyeing a potential opening in a few years at his alma-mater, Penn State.

Leadership trait No. 2 -- Understanding the subject matter that one leads.

It's fourth quarter of the UNC game, and Virginia is down by two with a minute left on the clock. While UNC has possession of the ball, there is still time for a Virginia comeback. With a choice between third and short or accepting a penalty against the Heels, Groh takes the penalty.

While I would expect my mother to make a similar decision, I screamed at the television as our "leader" allowed the clock to run for another 45 seconds as opposed to declining the penalty and giving Virginia a chance of getting the ball back.

I do not think that it is easy to be a college football coach. Yet when a contract extension places you economically in the elite of all college football coaches, I expect a well-informed decision regarding game tactics. While we may never know if Bobby Bowden or Pete Carroll would make a similar mistake, I have my doubts.

Leadership Trait No. 3 -- A leader must motivate the troops.

Motivation at any coaching level is a delicate balance that few can achieve. To motivate players to play at or close to the top of their ability is a trait that very few coaches, if any, can master. Yet a win over the No. 4 team in the country sandwiched between losses to three mediocre opponents points to a lack of concentration by the players.

Many will argue that playing on the road is tough for any team or that Boston College is not a mediocre team. While these arguments may have some validity, no one can argue that Virginia continually has played at an inconsistent level.

I hate to approach the much maligned discussion, but the FSU victory has eerie similarities to when Pete Gillen led Virginia over a No. 4 Duke basketball squad at U-Hall. Neither Gillen nor Groh had the ability to motivate his team on a weekly basis, which in my humble opinion displays a deeply rooted lack of leadership.

Diehard Groh fans will exist and argue all of the above points. Yet even diehard fans such as Gilbert must admit the leadership of the Virginia football squad must be questioned.
 

Cav offense looks for causes of ineptitude
Virginia manages only five points, fails to replicate offensive success of win over Florida State prior week
Walker Freer, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Maybe Al Groh saw Saturday's 7-5 loss at North Carolina coming before the rest of us.

In his press conference Oct. 18, Groh made a statement that at the time seemed ludicrous but a week later looks prophetic.

"One of the things I've learned is never to gloat over anything like that because you're always just one game away from it happening to you yourself," Groh said, referring to UNC's 69-14 drubbing at the hands of Louisville two weeks ago.

Boy was he right. A week after Virginia completed the unthinkable by knocking off Florida State at home, it did the unthinkable again, going on the road and scoring three points of offense against a defense that hadn't held anyone under 14 points the entire season.

The Cavaliers amassed only 199 yards of total offense, nearly as little as the 118 yards put up by maligned Tar Heel running back Ronnie McGill.

Virginia's offensive struggle can be pinned on many things, one of which was injuries to key starting players. Sophomore offensive guard Marshall Ausberry left early in the game, forcing senior tackle Brad Butler to play right guard for the first time in his career. Quarterback Marques Hagans also still hobbled from a hamstring strain he suffered against Florida State. Hagans didn't practice at 100 percent in the week leading up to Virginia's trip to Chapel Hill, and his mobility was limited on the field against North Carolina.

But while injuries can be blamed for some of the offensive inefficiency, many feel the play-calling could also take the brunt of the blame.

Whether it was Groh, offensive coordinator Ron Prince or quarterbacks coach Mike Groh calling the majority of the offensive plays, the decisions were extremely conservative, with the Cavaliers seemingly running the same slow developing running plays throughout the game. And whether it was a product of coaching or simply receivers dropping balls, Hagans didn't complete a pass of longer than 13 yards on the day.

For Cavalier fans, the play-calling was especially disappointing for a staff that against Florida State spiced up the playbook, calling three trick plays, worked in more innovative downfield passing plays and gave Hagans more freedom to operate in and out of the pocket. Butler placed the loss squarely on the offense's shoulders.

"The whole game you try to keep up and keep things going," Butler said. "We tried that, but nothing seemed to work for us there at the end. Special teams, defense, they did a great job. [The offense] just didn't do our part today."

Groh too placed the blame on the offense, citing its inability to take advantage of field position late in the game as being crucial to the loss.

"Twice, all we have to do is get the ball to the 30-yard line and we're probably going to win the game," Groh said. "In our last three possessions, we had the opportunity to have the ball ... well within Connor's range, so we had our chances. We don't have any complaints."