Blue Devils can't stop Cavs
UVa capitalizes on several Duke miscues en route to shutout
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 1, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. - Late in the fourth quarter, the Duke Blue Devil mascot pointed at a sign that said “Field Closed” in the direction of the home stands.

The attempt to ensure that the fans in attendance would not storm the field was of no true consequence. In fact, given the numbers on the scoreboard, the mascot would have been better served showing it to the Wahoo faithful at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Virginia raced out to a 17-point lead just nine minutes into the game and rumbled past Duke, 37-0, in front of a sparse crowd of 19,241. The loss not only leaves the Blue Devils (0-4, 0-3 ACC) scoreless on season against teams from the Commonwealth - they lost 13-0 to Richmond and 36-0 to Virginia Tech - but also pushed their current losing streak to 12 games.

The Cavaliers (2-3, 1-1) won for the first time on the road in six tries and registered the first shutout away from Scott Stadium since blanking Duke in 1998 (24-0).

“I think most of the things you learn, you learn from winning,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “Most people think you learn a lot from losing. I think what you learn is you learn how to lose, and when you win, you learn how to win.

“The players have something to build on right now, but this wasn’t for the world championship and we have a lot of work to do.”

Like Virginia’s opponents had done throughout the first four games of the season, the Cavaliers capitalized on Duke miscues. UVa scored three touchdowns, including twice in the second half, off five Blue Devils’ turnovers.

The first touchdown of the game almost came by virtue of a turnover as well, but what was initially ruled as a third-down interception for Byron Glaspy at the Duke 27 was overturned in the replay booth.

It mattered little after sophomore Mike Brown scooted 22 yards back to the Duke 27 on the first punt return of his career. Four plays later, wide receiver Emmanuel Byers ran to his right from the slot toward quarterback Jameel Sewell, took the handoff and danced right into the flat before floating a 20-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Fontel Mines.

The play was almost nixed.

“I was excited they called it,” said Byers, who now has two career TD passes. “The call came in from the sidelines and Coach Groh, I don’t think he wanted to stay with it, but I’m glad he did. We got six points out of it.”

On Duke’s next possession, despite facing a fourth-and-inches at its own 29, the Blue Devils went for broke. That move also backfired as Lewis fumbled the snap only to have running back Justin Boyle fall on it shy of the first down.

“I didn’t think we had anything to lose. We’ve got to take some risks,” Roof said. “When we need 6 inches, we’ve got to be able to get 6 inches and we didn’t. In hindsight looking back, do I wish I had punted? Yes.

“We needed a spark. We needed something to get us untracked offensively.”

Six plays later, Virginia turned the blunder into points - junior Chris Gould nailed a 31-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

After its next drive stalled as well, Duke elected to punt the ball. Those plans were spoiled when junior Josh Zidenberg blocked a would-be punt by Alex Feinberg and it was recovered at the Duke 1.

Groh admitted that he could not remember the last time a drive started with such great field position.

“I am sure it has been quite some time,” Groh said with a rare smile.

Tailback Jason Snelling took the ensuing handoff and slipped into the end zone.

The rout was on and Virginia was able to shift to a conservative offensive game plan while allowing its defense to pound Lewis to the tune of eight sacks.

One of the sacks turned into points as UVa linebacker Clint Sintim drilled Lewis, forcing a fumble that was eventually recovered by defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

The 280-pounder scooted as fast as his body would allow him into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.

“I had to make the play on the ball,” said Fitzgerald, who was aware he would have drawn the wrath of Groh had he failed to corral the fumble. “That kind of gave me more incentive to pick up the ball.”

Fitzgerald was not done.

On the last play of the third quarter, cornerback Marcus Hamilton leveled Lewis as he was looking for an open receiver and the ball soared into the air and into Fitzgerald’s hands for his first career interception.

“That’s a great feeling,” the redshirt freshman said. “I always talk about it in practice with my teammates just jokingly. Fortunately, I got it. Now, next time, I am going to try to go to the end zone with it.”

For good measure, Virginia added two more touchdowns - Sewell bootlegged and connected with Tom Santi on a 12-yard touchdown pass and redshirt freshman Mikell Simpson scored on a 2-yard run with 28 seconds left.

For the game, Virginia finished with only 13 first downs and 253 total yards of offense. That total included a season-high 92 rushing yards from Snelling on 18 carries.

The story, however, remained the defense. The Cavaliers held Duke to just eight first downs and 100 yards on 61 plays.

Virginia’s players admitted that registering a shutout was icing on the cake.

“They don’t come along often and that’s why it is very special to us,” said UVa defensive end Chris Long. “It is special to our defense because we have been building something, but we have been making some small mistakes that have really cost us. We feel like we are a good defense and we are just trying to show that week-in and week-out.

“This game just gets us a step closer.”

Sewell finished 14 of 20 for 105 yards and one score but was sacked five times.

Groh said the redshirt freshman was “spotty” but delivered in the most important column: the win column.

“He had to handle some circumstances,” Groh said, “and some he did well, some he can learn from.”

The next chance comes again in the Tar Heel state next weekend as the Cavs travel to East Carolina for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday. Duke plays at Alabama at 7 p.m.

 

Defense carries Cavs past Duke
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 1, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. -- One of Virginia coaching legend George Welsh’s favorite expressions used to be that there was more than one way to skin a cat, meaning there was also more than one way to win a football game.

That’s what Welsh’s successor, coach Al Groh, had been trying to get through to his young players through the early weeks of this season. On Saturday, they finally got the message.

Getting defensive

Shackled by an unproductive offense throughout the first four games, Groh had hoped the Cavaliers’ defense would make something happen.

How does three interceptions, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries sound?

Pretty good if you’re a Wahoo celebrating a 37-0 whooping of winless Duke, the first shutout by a UVa team since a whitewash against Maryland in late 2004. Not so good if you were counting on the host Blue Devils to pull off an upset and screech the brakes on a now 12-game losing streak and a 12-game skid against ACC teams.

“I don’t think we, whatever the circumstances over the years, have had an effort like that in terms of takeaways and what those takeaways became,” said Groh, whose Cavaliers are 17-5 in games they have created at least three turnovers during his six seasons. “[Virginia’s defense] was very aggressive. They really matched everything well that we have practiced against, and [our] preparation really showed in terms of some of the sacks that we got.”

Eight of ’em - count ’em, eight sacks - the most by a Virginia defense in 10 years, had Duke’s rookie quarterback Thaddeus Lewis on the run all day. That was also significant because Groh’s teams are 21-4 when getting at least three sacks in a game.

Sack it to ’em

We hate to bombard you with statistics, but that also impacted Duke’s inability to move the ball. The Blue Devils managed only 100 yards of total offense (the least against a UVa team since Akron’s 84 in ’04), and an embarrassing minus 21 yards rushing against the Wahoos, thanks mostly to the sacks that accounted for minus 63 yards on the ground (the fewest yards rushing against Virginia since the Cavs held Wake to a record minus 45 in 1996).

“It was a real team effort and what we’ve been looking for,” said junior defensive end Chris Long, who had three tackles and drew two holding calls from his opponent, which were as good as two more sacks. “Coach Groh talks about great teams can score on all three units. That’s what we really wanted to do.”

Sprinting out of the gates

Leading 7-0 after a trick-play pass from wide receiver Emmanuel Byers to wide receiver Fontel Mines, the Cavs benefited from a fumble recovery by defensive back Byron Glaspy at the Duke 28, which led to a Chris Gould field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Special teams got into the act moments later when Josh Zidenberg blocked a Devils’ punt and Jamaal Jackson recovered at the Duke 1, leading to an ensuing TD.

Then freshman defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who doesn’t play like a freshman, made two more huge plays. One came late in the first half when linebacker Clint Sintim blindsided Lewis, who coughed up the ball. Big ole’ Fitzgerald scooped it up and lumbered his 280-pound frame 23 yards for a 24-0 lead.

“It’s been awhile since I had the football in my hands, so I just wanted to do the best I could,” said Fitzgerald, who hadn’t scored since his junior year at Hermitage High in Richmond. “Fortunately, I ended up in the end zone.”

His touchdown was the first time a UVa defensive lineman had scored since defensive end Antonio Dingle returned a Maryland interception 10 yards a decade ago.

The Cavs’ defense wasn’t through as blitzing corner Marcus Hamilton delivered a ferocious blow on Lewis, the ball popping into the air. Along came Fitzgerald again. He intercepted the ball and took it three yards to Duke’s 8-yard line and eventually a 30-zip advantage.

Fitzgerald has built a reputation on tackling the opponent, having led all ACC linemen in tackles and tackles for loss coming into historic Wallace Wade Stadium. However, this time he expanded his game and picked up his first career interception.

Hamilton, who now stands fifth in UVa annals in interceptions with 13, added two to his collection Saturday (five of them have come courtesy of Blue Devils quarterbacks). Not bad considering that Duke was one of only four teams in the nation that hadn’t been intercepted until the Wahoos got a hold of ’em.

Hamilton’s first came when Duke was attempting to rally. Down 17-0, the Devils recovered a fumbled Mike Brown punt return inside Cavalier territory. On the very next play, Hamilton jumped in front of Duke’s Raphael Chestnut and picked him clean at the Virginia 6, thwarting a devilish threat.

“I knew I had safety help behind me, so I could be a little aggressive going up for the ball,” said Hamilton, who ended the game with the second-most career interceptions of any active Division I-A player in the country (behind Utah’s Eric Weddle with 14). “It’s a little bit different [aggressive] game plan, but the guys on defense are flying around and having fun. That’s what makes it look so aggressive on top of the calls being aggressive.”

But that’s what Groh and defensive coordinator Mike London are banking on.

“We tried to come from as many angles as possible,” Long said about the blitzing and aggressive attitudes. “That’s a credit to Coach London’s and Coach Groh’s game plan.”

Linebacker Jon Copper, who led the Wahoo defense with seven tackles, including two of the eight sacks, said the defense is moving in the right direction.

“Coach London brings aggression to the table and Coach Groh is right on board with it,” Copper said. “We’ve got guys like Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Clint Sintim who are explosive and can make plays.”

For Duke coach Ted Roof, it was another frustrating afternoon as his team lost for the third time this season to a team from the state of Virginia (13-0 to Richmond and 36-0 to Virginia Tech).

“Of Virginia’s six scoring drives, there were a total of 97 yards, so that is about 16 yards a scoring drive,” lamented the Blue Devils coach.

Actually that was on five drives (the other being the return of a fumble recovery), but until backup quarterback Christian Olsen led the Cavs to a late, 46-yard scoring march, the longest of the other four drives had only been 27 yards. The others were 15, 1, and 8 yards long, which doesn’t make Virginia an offensive juggernaut by any means.

But who says you have to do it all on offense. Hasn’t Virginia Tech, Miami and other teams made a living off strong defensive play, turnovers and special teams for years now?

Isn’t that what Welsh was talking about when he used his skinning the cat line?

“Even when the offense catches up, we want to play great defense,” said Hamilton.

Keeping everything in perspective, remember all this happened against Duke, the Sad Sacks of the ACC. Virginia will still go into next Saturday’s game at East Carolina as an underdog (one service rates Virginia losing to ECU as an 81 percent probability).

“Now this wasn’t for the world championship,” said Groh, adding a dose of reality to the big picture. “We have a lot of work to do. We play a team next week that I think is more talented than [Duke] and has had extra time to get ready for us. So, the challenges keep coming.

“But for right now, our players have something to feel good about and something to build on.”

That’s really all the Cavaliers wanted out of this week, something to build on.

 

Williams ready to bolster passing game
Senior WR tallies one catch in first game back from surgery
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 1, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. - Sure, it was just one catch for a measly four yards. But for Deyon Williams, Saturday’s simple pass play meant the world.

The Cavalier senior wide receiver and co-captain had been sidelined for the past seven weeks after he suffered a stress fracture in his foot during training camp. While coach Al Groh had said time and again that he wasn’t sure Williams would return this season, the 6-foot-3 native of Upper Marlboro, Md., never gave up hope.

After he showed up in uniform on the sidelines at last week’s Georgia Tech game in Atlanta and even ran some pregame wind sprints to test his leg, fans, teammates and coaches were encouraged that the big receiver would soon return to the mix.

“I’ve been real anxious to get back,” said Williams after Saturday’s 37-0 win at Duke. “It was up in the air as to whether I was going to come back at Georgia Tech. I didn’t want to rush it. I just listened to what the doctors said.”

Williams felt he had performed well in practice and felt good prior to the Georgia Tech game. He even told assistant coach John Garrett that he was there if the coach needed him.

Apparently UVa medical staff didn’t think he was ready for action in that outing and delayed giving him the greenlight until this week.

Groh said after Saturday’s game that he just found out Thursday afternoon that Williams had been given the medical clearance to play against Duke.

“We talked about what our plan would be,” Groh said. “It’s a low volume plan, both in practice and in games. We figured we just might as well get started and let him see game speed to start with and hopefully some positive things would occur for him.”

Williams saw limited action against the Blue Devils. Three passes were thrown in his direction, but the only one he had any chance to catch was the first one.

His return should help an offense that struggled to move the ball in the first four games of the season. The Cavs piled up their most points and offense against Duke but will need more production to beat tougher opponents the rest of the way.

In Williams’ absence, sophomore wide receiver Kevin Ogletree had developed into the “go-to-guy” in Virginia’s passing game. Ogletree entered Saturday’s game tied for the ACC lead in receptions with 21, and caught four more for 35 yards against Duke.

However, Williams is an experienced receiver, UVa’s leading returning pass catcher, who hauled in 58 passes for 767 yards last season, the most by a Cavalier wide receiver since Billy McMullen’s 69 for 894 in 2002. He also represents a serious deep threat to opposing secondaries.

Without him in the lineup, Virginia had completed only four passes of 20 or more yards this season, the longest being a 34-yarder to tight end Tom Santi. Even against Duke, UVa’s longest pass play covered 21 yards.

Williams had at least one reception for 21 or more yards in nine of UVa’s 12 games last season, including a 90-yarder against Miami.

“He really hasn’t played football since April,” said Groh about Williams in spring practice. “He had three no-pad practices [in August], so he’s got some catching up to do in terms of getting his game in shape.”

Groh had established a point of no return for Williams this season, the Oct. 14 home game against Maryland, the Cavaliers’ seventh game of the season. Had he not recovered enough to play effectively by that date, it had already been determined that Williams would redshirt and return next season.

“I was very anxious to come out here today and play with my teammates,” said Williams, who wanted to come back this season. “Getting back [to practice] the past few weeks made me realize just how much I missed it.”

Williams said that he hopes his reps will increase each week.

“My foot is doing great,” he said. “I don’t feel any pain. I feel like I’m almost 100 percent.”

For now, he wears a custom-made shell and brace for his shoe to protect his foot.

For now, that’s good enough.

 

Brown steps up for UVa
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 1, 2006

NEW BEGINNINGS

DURHAM, N.C. -- Virginia sophomore Mike Brown was called upon to return punts for the Cavaliers, and, despite a rocky day that included a muffed attempt that ended in a turnover, he finished with 39 yards on three returns.

Brown, who turned in a team-best 22-yard return on his first attempt, drew praise from Coach Al Groh.

“That was real good for Mike,’ Groh said. “He kinda got spooked there for the one he dropped and he let a couple hit that maybe we should have caught, but we liked what we got.”

Brown was given the opportunity after sophomore Andrew Pearman injured his knee in the Georgia Tech and did not travel with the team.

“We were intent all week long to use [Brown] on punt returns and he gave us a little juice there,” said Groh, while pointing out that it is unclear the severity of Pearman’s injury.

DOING IT AND DOING IT WELL

UVa wide receiver Emmanuel Byers has made a name for himself during his career throwing passes. The junior connected with Fontel Mines on a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter for the first score of the game.

It marked the third completion for Byers and the second TD pass. The previous scoring strike came last year at Miami on a 90-yard pass to Deyon Williams.

Byers, a North Carolina native, also finished with four receptions for a team-high 37 receiving yards. He said he enjoys playing in the Tar Heel State.

“I was happy to be here in front of my family and fans,” Byers said.

With Virginia playing next week at East Carolina, could Byers have more magic up his sleeve?

“I don’t want to jinx myself,” said Byers, who added that he had 15 family and friends in attendance.

BLOCK THAT KICK

Josh Zidenberg is proving that he has a knack for getting to punters. The junior blocked his second punt of the season in the opening quarter, setting up a 1-yard touchdown drive.

After the game, Groh praised special teams coordinator Bob Diaco and pointed out that his program blocked a kick in its last trip to Duke. Former Cavalier linebacker Jon Thompson made that block in ’04.

“I am sure Jon will appreciate that shout-out from history,” Groh chuckled. “It was much the same thing here. Bobby had a good idea of what to do against it and Josh is one of those players … he is not flashy, but he’s dependable.

“Whatever job he is given, he will do it as well as he can do it. He certainly did that on that play.”

Zidenberg is the first Cavalier to block two punts in a season since 1996 when current assistant coach Anthony Poindexter blocked three (Central Michigan, N.C. State and Miami).

GETTING A PICK

Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton almost always seems to be in the right place at the right time. The senior intercepted two passes on Saturday against Duke, giving him three multi-interception games in his career and the first since picking off the Blue Devils twice last year.

Groh pointed out after the game that Hamilton was actually involved in three interceptions. In the second quarter, Hamilton blitzed Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and forced the signal-caller to throw an interception with a vicious hit.

“Marcus was involved in three takeaways today,” Groh said. “He got the strip-sack in there. Obviously, when a player is involved in three takeaways it is pretty significant. It is nice to see him have a positive game.”

Hamilton is currently second in the nation among active players with 13 career interceptions, trailing only Utah’s Eric Weddle (14). Hamilton ranks fifth all-time in Virginia’s program history.

EXTRA POINTS …

UVa’s score on its opening drive was the first for the team this year on its first possession of a game. … The Cavaliers’ 1-yard touchdown drive ties the all-time record for shortest drive in a game. Of course, numerous teams at numerous levels of football share the record. … The 17-point scoring spree in the first quarter was more than UVa had scored in any of its previous four games. … True freshman Nate Collins, a nose tackle, registered the first sack of his career in the second quarter. That was one quarter after the rookie was helped off the field on the opening kickoff. Groh said he had his bell rung by a “blindside hit.” … Jeffrey Fitzgerald’s 23-yard fumble return was the first for a Cavalier since Jermaine Hardy went 17 yards for a score against South Carolina in 2002 and the first by a defensive lineman since Antonio Dingle pulled it off in ’96. … The 23-yard rush by Jason Snelling in the third quarter was the longest run of the season for the Cavaliers. That lasted about 15 seconds. On the next play, Snelling rumbled left for 27 yards. … Redshirt freshman Kevin Crawford and wideout Cary Koch made their respective UVa debuts. Koch, a sophomore, played last season at Tulane. … Tom Santi reached the end zone for the first time this season on a 12-yard pass from Jameel Sewell. “That felt great,” Santi said. “It had been awhile since I had been in the end zone.” … Duke finished with minus 21 yards rushing, the lowest total for one of Groh’s opponents at Virginia. … With the win, Virginia must now go 4-3 down the stretch to finish .500 and qualify for the postseason.

 

Hungry Cavs feast on Deviled slam
U.Va. forces five turnovers and blocks a punt; Duke's losing streak reaches 12
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 1, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. - If the Duke Blue Devils aren't the worst team in Division I-A football, they're close. That didn't stop the University of Virginia from savoring its 37-0 romp over the Devils yesterday at Wallace Wade Stadium.

After two straight losses, the Cavaliers desperately needed a victory, and they got one in convincing fashion. Before 19,241 fans, many of whom were orange and blue, Virginia dominated all three phases of this ACC game and extended its winning streak over Duke to seven.

U.Va. (1-1, 2-3) forced five turnovers, blocked a punt and recorded its first shutout since a 16-0 win over Maryland on Nov. 6, 2004.

"The players have something to build on right now," said sixth-year coach Al Groh, whose Wahoos visit East Carolina on Saturday night.

"Now, this wasn't for the world championship, and we got a lot of work to do. We play a team next week that I think is more talented than this team, another team that's had extra time to get ready for us. So the challenges keep coming back, but for right now, they have something they can certainly feel positive about."

Duke (0-3, 0-4) has lost 12 games in a row. The Blue Devils have scored in only one game this season and play Alabama, Florida State and Miami (Fla.), in that order, the next three weekends.

A game against such a hapless foe was exactly what U.Va. needed. Until yesterday, the Cavs hadn't scored more than 13 points in a game this season. They had 17 by the end of the first quarter.

U.Va. went ahead to stay with a trick play on its first possession. Junior wideout Emmanuel Byers took a handoff from redshirt freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell, swept right and then, after pulling up, tossed a perfect pass to senior receiver Fontel Mines, who was uncovered in the end zone.

"He's an athlete," Sewell said of Byers, who also threw a TD pass against Miami at the Orange Bowl last season. "You can put him anywhere on the field, and he's going to make something happen for you."

After stopping Duke on a botched fourth-down sneak, U.Va. answered with a short drive that ended with Chris Gould's 31-yard field goal, which made it 10-0 with 8:09 left in the first quarter. The Devils went backward on their next drive, and it ended in disaster when U.Va.'s Josh Zidenberger burst through the middle to block his second punt of the season.

Virginia recovered at the Duke 1, and senior Jason Snelling did the rest. Gould's extra point made it 17-0 with 6:07 left in the opening period, and the big question thereafter was where Duke would score.

The Cavaliers' defense refused to cooperate. Virginia finished with eight sacks, its most since 1996. Sophomore linebacker Jon Copper and junior safety Nate Lyles led U.Va. with two apiece. Other standouts for defensive coordinator Mike London included senior cornerback Marcus Hamilton, who intercepted two passes, and redshirt freshman end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, whose impact seems to grow with each game.

Late in the second quarter, the Hermitage High graduate deftly picked up a fumble - caused by sophomore linebacker Clint Sintim's sack of quarterback Thaddeus Lewis - and ran 23 yards for his first touchdown as a Cavalier. Fitzgerald also came up with an interception - his first, he said, at any level - late in the third quarter.

Fitzgerald returned the pickoff 3 yards to the Duke 8, setting up another short TD drive for U.Va. This ended with Sewell's 12-yard pass to junior tight end Tom Santi that made it 30-0 early in the final period.

The final TD came on a 2-yard run by redshirt freshman tailback Mikell Simpson, who carried five times for 25 yards on Virginia's final possession.

Duke finished with minus-21 yards rushing and 100 yards overall. That's the fewest rushing yards U.Va. has allowed under Groh and the least total offense since 2004, when Akron totaled 84 yards.

The Blue Devils couldn't move the ball past Virginia's 41-yard line.

Virginia's offense sputtered at times against an aggressive Duke defense that sacked Sewell five times in his second start. Still, in the Cavaliers' first game since a loss at Georgia Tech in which they gained only 166 yards, their fewest during Groh's tenure, they finished with 253 yesterday.

Snelling carried 18 times for a season-high 92 yards and one touchdown. Sewell, in a solid performance, completed 14 of 20 passes for 105 yards and one TD and wasn't intercepted. Nine players caught at least one pass for U.Va., including senior wideout Deyon Williams, who made his 2006 debut. Williams had been sidelined while recovering from surgery on his right foot.

"This is good for the team and for the morale of the team," Snelling said. "We expect more out of ourselves that we've been [showing] this season, but we tone out what everyone's saying. We just keep working on our game, and it showed up today. We made plays, and we got the win."

 

Cavaliers' defense makes case
JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Oct 1, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. The highest honor available to any citizen of ancient Rome was the triumph awarded a conquering general. The Man of the Hour rode in a gilded chariot and dressed in a purple toga covered with gold and silver stars. He was placed at the end of a parade through the streets, preceded by his troops, his prisoners and the loot he'd appropriated on his campaign.

It was apparently such a head swelling experience that a slave was stationed in the chariot, constantly reminding the day's hero that "You are a mortal, not a god. This is temporary and will soon pass."

Virginia coach Al Groh had a chance to take a cue from history. As U.Va.'s team buses motored north last night, student managers could have been running up and down the aisles reminding all the Cavaliers "It's only Duke, it's only Duke, it's only Duke."

Except that the Cavs (2-3) aren't in position to examine triumphs of any kind too closely. This includes yesterday's 37-0 walkover at Wallace Wade Stadium, the Atlantic Coast Conference's ancient shrine to empty seats and easy road wins.

"Maybe this wasn't for the national championship," allowed Groh, "but it gives our team a chance to feel good about who we are and what we're doing."

Duke (0-4) previously had been shut out at home by Division I-AA Richmond. Against Virginia, the Blue Devils fumbled six times, threw three interceptions and rushed for negative 21 yards.

The Devils' execution was comical and their effort questionable. In the first half, Duke coach Ted Roof gambled on two fourth-and-1 plays. On the first, freshman quarterback Thaddeus Lewis dropped the snap. On the second, Lewis received the snap but fell down while making a handoff.

Before the first half ended, Lewis already had begun dropping into the fetal position at either the sight or the sound of an approaching Cavalier. He was tackled for losses 13 times.

"I thought [Lewis] was playing it smart and avoiding physical damage from the hits," said Jeffrey Fitzgerald, a very promising freshman defensive end from Richmond's Hermitage High. "I can't blame him. We were coming after him hard."

The one thing Virginia may able to take away from yesterday's exercise is the idea that the Cavs may have a defense capable of winning a few games without too much help from a limited-ability offense that had little to do with most of yesterday's points.

"We'd playing good as a unit in most of our other games," said Fitzgerald, "but we hadn't made the big plays -- the sacks and the turnovers -- that we made today. That was the next step for us. We can't just be a containment defense. We need to be a scoring defense."

Fitzgerald underlined that concept early in the second quarter, returning a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown. He also intercepted a deflected pass and felt he should have scored on that play, too.

Despite producing a few NFL draftees, the Cavs haven't cultivated much of a reputation for defensive excellence during Groh's six-year tenure. In the recent past, they've been physically equipped to slug it out with opponents but shy on quickness (and, occasionally, toughness) vs. the best teams in the ACC. This year's group is smaller but appears more athletic and possibly a little scrappier.

"We're taking it on ourselves to play a winning game until the offense catches up," said safety Marcus Hamilton, who had two of yesterday's interceptions. "We wanted to dominate this Duke game and we did."

Duke didn't make it past Virginia's 41-yard line. That's never a bad thing.

"Maybe people haven't picked up on the kind of defense we can play yet," Fitzgerald said. "If we keep doing this, everyone will notice."

He and his pals were easy to notice yesterday, even if it was only Duke.

 

UVA NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 1, 2006

REPORTING FOR DUTY: Yesterday's game at Wallace Wade Stadium marked the first appearance of the season for senior Deyon Williams, Virginia's most accomplished wide receiver. Williams had one reception for 4 yards in limited action, but his role figures to grow as his fitness improves.

A season ago, Williams caught 58 passes for 767 yards and seven touchdowns and was named honorable-mention all-ACC. He had surgery Aug. 11 to repair a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

"I just found out Thursday afternoon that he'd been given the medical OK to participate," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "We talked about what our plan would be, and it's a low-volume plan, both in practice and in games."

Williams said: "It's been a long seven weeks. I was very anxious to come out here and play today, just to be with my team. Just sitting back the past few weeks has made me realize how much I really miss the sport of football, how much I miss being out there with my teammates. So today was a big day for me."

His foot is "doing great," Williams said. "I don't feel any pain."

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Heading into this weekend, Utah's Eric Weddle led active players in Division I-A with 14 career interceptions, but U.Va. cornerback Marcus Hamilton isn't fading away.

Hamilton, a senior, picked off two passes yesterday to raise his career total to 13. In the process, he passed Duke cornerback John Talley, who has 12.

The Blue Devils (0-3, 0-4), who threw no interceptions in their first three games, saw three picked off yesterday.

For Hamilton, a second-team all-ACC pick in 2005, it was the third two-interception game of his career. He picked off two against Georgia Tech in 2004 and two against Duke in '05.

Hamilton moved up to fifth on U.Va.'s career list. He trails Keith McMeans (17), Pat Chester (16), Ronde Barber (15) and Kevin Cook (14). Five of Hamilton's interceptions have come against Duke.

BLOCK PARTY: Josh Zidenberg, who blocked a punt Sept. 9 against Wyoming, sparkled on special teams again yesterday for U.Va. The junior from Poquoson smothered a first-quarter punt by Alex Feinberg, and teammate Jamaal Jackson recovered at the Duke 1. Cavaliers tailback Jason Snelling scored on the next play.

"A lot of times I feel confident in my ability to beat the snapper one on one, considering that he has to snap the ball and then try to block," said Zidenberg, who came to U.Va. as a recruited walk-on. "Especially in this game, with that particular punt formation, they didn't have any personal protector or anything back there, so I knew if I beat [the long-snapper] I'd be home free, and that's basically what happened."

The last Cavalier to block more than two punts in a season was former All-American Anthony Poindexter, who had three blocks in 1996. Poindexter now coaches Virginia's running backs.

"He actually said something to me in the locker room," Zidenberg said with a smile, "so, hopefully, I can give him a run for his money."

NOTHING TO IT: At Ragsdale High School in High Point, N.C., Emmanuel Byers starred at wide receiver. He also was his team's backup quarterback, however, and the U.Va. junior's skills at that position were apparent again yesterday.

Byers, who started at slot receiver, took a handoff from quarterback Jameel Sewell in the first quarter and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Fontel Mines, who was wide open in the end zone.

Against Miami at the Orange Bowl last December, on another trick play, Byers passed to Williams for a TD that covered 90 yards. For his college career, Byers is 3 for 5 passing for 145 yards and two TDs.

"I like those numbers," he said.

PANTHER POWER: U.Va. starts three former Hermitage High stars, and each had reason to smile after yesterday's game.

Mines, a senior wideout, had two catches for 30 yards and one TD, his first of the season. Sewell, a redshirt freshman, completed 14 of 20 passes for 105 yards and one TD and wasn't intercepted. Defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, a redshirt freshman, returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown and intercepted a pass. He also broke up a pass and made three tackles.

Not since 2002, when Jermaine Hardy ran one back 17 yards against South Carolina, had a U.Va. player returned a fumble for a touchdown. Fitzgerald is the first defensive lineman to do so for the Cavaliers since Antonio Dingle in 1996.

AILING: Sophomore wide receiver Andrew Pearman, who suffered a knee injury against Georgia Tech, missed yesterday's game. Groh said he's not sure how long Pearman will be sidelined.

With Pearman out, sophomore cornerback Mike Brown took over as U.Va.'s top punt-returner. Brown totaled 39 yards on three returns. His first return gained 22 yards.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Virginia (2-3) meets East Carolina (1-3) next Saturday at 6 p.m. in Greenville, N.C. The Cavaliers haven't played at Scott Stadium since Sept. 16, when they lost 17-10 to Western Michigan.

The Pirates, members of Conference USA, were off yesterday. ECU is coming off a 27-10 loss to West Virginia in Greenville.

In the teams' only meeting, East Carolina blasted U.Va. 61-10 at Scott Stadium on Nov. 8, 1975. - Jeff White
 

Cavs avoid playing to Blue Devils' level
Virginia's defense dominates Duke all day to lead the Cavaliers to their first ACC victory of the '06 season.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

DURHAM, N.C. -- Let the other team beat itself.

That's what Virginia's opponents had been doing all season.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers tried the opportunistic approach and the result was a 37-0 thumping of Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium.

"When we got ahead early, we did talk about the fact, 'If we don't let this team back in the game, maybe they can't get back in the game,'" Virginia coach Al Groh said.

"With a number of young players in there to start with, you're a little more vulnerable to mistakes than if you had veterans. We tried to manage the game in a way to keep ourselves out of some of those difficult situations."

With its 253 yards in total offense, Virginia (2-3) isn't going to improve much on its pre-game standing as the 116th-ranked team in total offense in a 119-team Division I-A, but the Cavaliers can take heart that they've moved ahead of No. 110 Duke.

The Blue Devils (0-4) needed 61 yards in the fourth quarter, most of it against the UVa reserves, to finish with 100.

On top of that, Virginia intercepted three passes, recovered two fumbles, blocked a punt and had eight quarterback sacks.

Defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who has had an immediate impact as a redshirt freshman, returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown and set up another TD with an interception return to the Duke 8.

Fitzgerald did not add to his team-leading sack total, "but I wouldn't trade the interception for a sack," he said.

"I'm not sure when I'll ever have another one."

It was his first interception at any level, although he had scored a touchdown before and looked like a natural in the second quarter when he scooped up a ball knocked loose when Clint Sintim unloaded on Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis.

Lewis, making his return to action after suffering a concussion two weeks ago at Virginia Tech, had not yielded an interception on 62 attempts before Saturday.

The streak was over by the end of the first quarter following the first of two interceptions by Marcus Hamilton.

On the preceding play, Duke had recovered a fumble by UVa punt returner Mike Brown and Hamilton sensed that the Blue Devils might go for a big play. When Lewis handed to Justin Boyle and Boyle turned and pitched the ball back to Lewis, the Cavaliers were ready for the ensuing flea-flicker.

By that point, Virginia was already ahead 17-0, having pulled off a trick play of its own for its first touchdown. After taking a handoff from Jameel Sewell, wide receiver Emmanuel Byers connected with a wide-open Fontel Mines for a 21-yard touchdown completion.

It was the fifth career passing attempt for Byers, whose last pass had resulted in a 90-yard touchdown completion to Deyon Williams last year at Miami.

At the time of his touchdown pass Saturday, Byers had more career touchdown passes than anybody else on Virginia's roster.

Sewell, a redshirt freshman making his second start, subsequently added his second touchdown pass in as many games and finished 14-of-20 for 105 yards in a performance that Groh described as "spotty."

Sewell was sacked five times by a Duke defense that simply had no help from the Blue Devils' offense and special teams.

Until former starting quarterback Christian Olsen directed a 46-yard touchdown drive on Virginia's last series, UVa's scores had come on drives of 27, 15, 1 and 8 yards, not counting the Fitzgerald interception return.

"It was a classic game of field position because you just couldn't get anything going offensively," said Duke coach Ted Roof, whose Blue Devils did not penetrate UVa's 40-yard line. "Then, with the turnovers, it just snowballed."

It was Virginia's first shutout in 20 games dating back to the 2004 season and the Cavaliers' fifth in Groh's six seasons.

UVa allowed 84 yards in a 51-0 victory over Akron in 2004 but had not previously yielded fewer than 150 yards under Groh in an ACC game.

Virginia, with exactly one touchdown in each of its first four games, entered Saturday's showdown as only a five-point favorite over a team it has beaten 17 times in the last 20 meetings.

However, the shutout wasn't totally unpredictable. Duke had been blanked twice in its first three games

What's more, in its next three games, the Blue Devils go to Alabama before returning home to face Florida State and Miami.

Virginia goes to East Carolina for its third straight road game.

"We play a team next week that I think is more talented than this team [and] another team that's had extra time to prepare us," Groh said, "This wasn't for the world championship but it's given our players something to build on."
 

Williams gets 1 grab in debut
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

DURHAM, N.C. -- Deyon Williams, who figured to be Virginia's best offensive weapon this football season, made his first appearance of 2006 Saturday -- in Week 5.

Williams, a senior wide receiver, entered the game on the first play of the second quarter and immediately caught a 4-yard pass from Jameel Sewell.

That was the only catch of the day for Williams, who played sparingly but was the target on one other throw that went incomplete.

Williams was diagnosed with a stress fracture early in the preseason and underwent surgery Aug. 11 for a broken foot.

He had warmed up prior to the Sept. 21 game at Georgia Tech but did not receive doctors' clearance to play in a game until Thursday.

"We talked about what our plan would be and it's a low-volume plan, both in practice and in games," Groh said. "He really hasn't played football since April. He's got some catching-up to do in terms of getting his game in shape.

"We'll see how far he can go with the limited time that it sounds right now that he's going to get."

Shy of century

Back-to-back runs of 23 and 27 yards in the third quarter briefly lifted Jason Snelling over the 100-yard mark for the day, but consecutive carries of minus-5, minus-2 and minus-5 yards kept him from notching the second 100-yard rushing day of his career.

Snelling, who did not play following the touchdown that put Virginia ahead 30-0 with 13:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, finished with 18 carries for 92 yards. Five Duke sacks left UVa with 106 yards as a team -- still more than double its 51-yard average.

"We've got a lot of work to do in that area; it's not what it needs to be," said Groh, who singled out redshirt freshman Mikell Simpson, who carried five times for 25 yards and scored UVa's final touchdown. "Certainly, it's going to have to be better down the home stretch."

Making his mark

Virginia got its second punt block of the season, both by Josh Zidenberg, a former All-Group AA running back from Poquoson, Va., who is listed as the Cavs' No. 1 fullback, although UVa frequently operates from one-back sets.

"Josh is not one of those flashy players but he's dependable," Groh said. "It's a little bit of an unusual punt formation [that Duke has]. We blocked one on it down here two years ago. Jon Thompson got one; I'm sure Jon will appreciate that shout-out from history."

Passing Talley

Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton, previously second among active ACC players in career interceptions, moved ahead of Duke's John Talley with two pickoffs Saturday.

Talley barely missed an interception on UVa's final series and was left with 12 in his career, one fewer than Hamilton. Utah's Eric Weddle is first among active Division I-A players. He got pick No. 16 in the Utes' 36-3 loss to Boise State.

Hamilton has had three two-interception games in his career, two of them against Duke.

Personnel

Wide receiver and kick returner Andrew Pearman did not make the trip, having sprained his knee Sept. 21 at Georgia Tech. Sophomore cornerback Mike Brown returned punts in his absence. ... Cary Koch, a transfer from Tulane, made his first appearance for the Cavaliers and had a 4-yard reception. Koch had 23 receptions for the Green Wave in 2005. ... Redshirt freshman nose tackle Kevin Crawford from Gar-Field High School also played for the first time.

Next week

Virginia (2-3) goes to Greenville, N.C., for a 6 p.m. Saturday game with East Carolina (2-2). It will be the second game between the schools, whose previous meeting was in 1975 in Charlottesville, where the Pirates enjoyed a 61-10 romp over the Cavaliers and one-time ECU coach Sonny Randle.
 

Timing perfect for UVa's trick play
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

DURHAM, N.C. -- As responsibility for Virginia's offense has changed hands from Bill Musgrave to Ron Prince to Mike Groh, there has been a noticeable decrease in trick plays.

Maybe the Cavaliers had just been waiting for the right time.

A 21-yard pass from wide receiver Emmanuel Byers to Fontel Mines gave Virginia a lead it would not surrender Saturday in a 37-0 victory over Duke.

"That was the right time for it," UVa coach Al Groh said. "Mike made a real good call at that time, early in the game, rather than saving it.

"You don't know when you're going to get down there again. That seemed to give us a really good lift right away, and most particularly it prevented them from having any life early in the game."

It was the second career touchdown pass by Byers, who was the backup quarterback at Ragsdale High School in High Point, N.C., where he was also the team's star receiver and return specialist.

Byers, a 5-foot-10, 197-pound junior, is 3-of-5 for 143 yards in his UVa career, including a 90-yard TD pass to Deyon Williams last year at Miami.

"I like those numbers," Byers said.

Sewell and Byers spend a lot of time throwing to each other, often with their off-hands -- Sewell right-handed and Byers left-handed.

"He throws pretty good left-handed, too," Sewell said. "He's just an athlete. You can put him anywhere on the field and he's going to make something happen. We call him 'Big Play.' That's the nickname [Anthony Poindexter] gave him."

None of the players knew that the trick play would come on the first series, including Byers.

"It wasn't planned," Byers said, "but it is something we practice. I couldn't believe how open he was. Coach Mike [Groh] said that was because I did a good job selling it."

Al Groh had said earlier in the week that the Cavaliers were looking to upgrade Byers' role after he had caught four passes in first four games. Byers has battled an Achilles problem and was looking at possible career-ending surgery before deciding he would try to play with the injury.

"I'm better now," he said. "That's not a problem for me right now."
 

Roof's team looked awful on both sides
By FRANK DASCENZO : The Herald-Sun
fdascenzo@heraldsun.com
Oct 1, 2006 : 12:00 am ET

DURHAM -- September came to a somber and embarrassing end on Saturday the way it began for Duke football -- with no points.

Duke's debacle against Virginia was so bad that Blue Devils coach Ted Roof found himself using the words "growing pains" time after time while trying to sooth a deep gash of a wound that, by now, ought to make you think about this:

Are you ready for another winless Duke season?

Duke had all summer to get ready for Richmond and lost 13-0 in its Sept. 2 season opener; and it had two weeks to get ready for a beatable Virginia team, one that arrived in Durham with a 1-3 record. And look what the Devils did with their opportunity.

They got shut out 37-0, turned the ball over five times and had a punt blocked. They had minus 21 yards rushing, converted just 3 of 15 third downs, managed eight first downs and never got close to the red zone, much less the end zone.

Duke's deepest penetration? Try the Cavaliers 41-yard line in the second quarter.

Where's Duke's football progress? This is Roof's third season and this was his 26th loss -- and it clearly was his worst.

The Cavaliers had given up 38 to Pittsburgh, 17 to Western Michigan and 24 to Georgia Tech -- all losses -- and Duke couldn't get on the scoreboard?

Duke looked poorly prepared, poorly motivated, lacked offensive execution nearly everywhere and, now get this, had to watch Virginia score its final touchdown with 28 seconds to go, capping a 7-play, 46-yard drive.

There are reasons they refer to the Blue Devils as the ACC's lap dog, and several were on display in this game.

It'd be a horrific understatement to say this was a long day for Duke. The first quarter lasted 48 minutes, an indication of mounting troubles.

Now 0-4, Duke has gone three games without a point for the first time since Mike McGee's final 1978 team got blanked by Michigan 52-0, Maryland 27-0 and Tennessee 34-0. How ironic McGee -- and his brother Jerry -- showed up in the press box for this game.

Unless Roof's pathetic offense immediately improves, the worst could be coming. Right now Duke looks like anything but a confident team, a factor Roof needs to discover a way to repair.

Was Duke ready to play?

"I thought we were, but ball security hurt us," Roof said.

Did it ever. Turnovers knifed the Blue Devils and the blood may as well have been flowing on the royal blue sideline.

How frustrating was it standing there watching the defense perform reasonably well and get nothing in return?

"This isn't something we're proud of," Roof said. "Of their six scoring drives, there were a total of 97 yards, so that is about 16 yards a scoring drive. It was a classic game of field position because you couldn't get anything going offensively."

Roof said his team needed a spark but couldn't find it. Can it ever?

"Some of our mistakes were self-inflicted and some were caused by Virginia," Roof said.

Was Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis too nervous? He dropped snaps and fell down while backpedaling away from Cavalier blitzes.

"He was under a lot of pressure," Roof said.

Translation: Duke's offensive line was anything but blue-collar on this day and showed far too many leaks.

Virginia's shutout mostly was done by devising ways to shut off whatever running game Duke tried. And when Lewis, who completed 11 of 25 passes for 121 yards, had time to throw, his completions were harmless. He was sacked eight times.

If Virginia coach Al Groh didn't like his defense, check his pulse.

"I don't think we, whatever the circumstances, have had an effort like that in terms of takeaways," Groh said. "They really matched everything well that we have practiced against, and their preparation really showed in terms of some of the sacks that they got."

Now here's how bad it is for Duke: In two home games the Blue Devils have gone eight scoreless quarters, and the next opponent scheduled to show up at Wade Stadium (Oct. 14) is Florida State.

A reporter asked Roof how he could keep his players and his staff from getting demoralized.

"That's not our culture," Roof said. "You have two choices -- you can focus on improvement or you can quit."

Roof's team certainly didn't quit against Virginia. But that's the only good news for the Blue Devils on this day.

 

Going deep with Duke
Luciana Chavez, Staff Writer

The N&O is taking a different approach to covering Duke football in 2006. Read weekly theme stories about a beleaguered program working to improve. Dip into ACC Now blog updates during the week and pre- and post-game stories on the weekend. Find your fix in the paper, at blogs.newsobserver.com, or at www.newsobserver.com key word: Duke.
KEY MOMENT

Take your pick. They were all kinds of bad for Duke, which turned the ball over five times, and good for Virginia. The moment the game went from bad to ridiculous came at the end of the second quarter, when Virginia's Clint Sintim sacked Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis and Lewis fumbled. Virginia's Jeffrey Fitzgerald grabbed the ball out of the air and returned it for a Cavaliers score. It was the fourth time Lewis was sacked and the second time he fumbled in the first half alone. It wouldn't be the last time Lewis did either. As it was, Virginia took a 24-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

BATTLES WON

New faces contributing: Backup quarterback Marcus Jones, who is now also playing receiver, caught four passes for 42 yards. Devils back Ronnie Drummer played for the first time since injuring his "lower leg" on Sept 2. Defensive back Adrian Aye-Darko worked free for 1.5 of Duke's five sacks.

BATTLES LOST

The positional one: Virginia scored on a fumble recovery when Duke was backed up against its own end zone, and also intercepted three Thaddeus Lewis passes. The Cavaliers also blocked a punt deep in Duke territory and scored on just one play. Virginia scored on six of the seven drives it started inside the Duke 48-yard line.

The physical one: Virginia's defense outclassed Duke's offensive line. Lewis ran for his life most of the afternoon while getting sacked five times. Also, offensive guard Zach Maurides had his share of ill-timed mistakes. Maurides picked up holding penalties on Duke's only trip into Virginia territory in the first half and one that nullified a first down in the third.

The emotional one: The Devils didn't have the fire on defense they needed early in the game. The Devils defense knew it had to grab momentum, get a stop or force a turnover to help the offense (which has scored just one touchdown this season) strike quickly and early. That never happened. Without a little help from its friends on defense and making mistakes left and right, the offense couldn't move the ball. At one point in the third quarter, Duke's offense had gained 39 yards on 42 plays.COACHSPEAK

Virginia coach Al Groh on rebounding from a two-game losing streak -- "They really have something to be pleased with themselves about. ... It looks like all three units did something to contribute to the victory so this is all very positive."

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW

Duke receiver Marcus Jones on Virginia pushing to score late in the fourth quarter when they were up by 30 -- "Some teams, sportsmanship-wise, some would think, hey take a knee. But coaches look at it different ways. For what it's worth, I didn't respect it personally. But it's all right. It happens. You move on."

WEEK 5 GOALS IN REVIEW

Three teams from the Commonwealth of Virginia have outscored Duke 84-0 this season. Duke gave Virginia scoring chances, through their own boo-boos, that looked like wrapped gifts. The one thing they did do was pressure the quarterback with five sacks.