Cavs finally play their style of ball
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 30, 2006

N.C. State coach Chuck Amato walked to midfield on Saturday just moments after his team lost 14-7 to Virginia and the Cavaliers’ head man tried to lighten the mood.

“Al Groh said after the game was over, ‘This is yours and my type of game,’” Amato said. “I said, ‘Yeah, it was yours a little more than mine.’”

It was truly an Al Groh-kind of game.

Run the ball when you must. Avoid blunders on special teams. Play ferocious, intimidating defense.

Given Groh’s pre-game warning of N.C. State’s ability to change the outcome of the game on any given play, the latter was of grave importance.

N.C. State (3-5, 2-3 ACC) went three-and-out on six of its 11 possessions, and only two drives moved deep into Virginia territory.

“We played real good defense, which is something we’re working real hard to be able to do on an ongoing basis,” Groh said, “and we were able to finish the game strong, so we are very proud of the effort.”

N.C. State, which entered the game scoring 20.1 points per game, managed only a fourth-quarter touchdown, and no play for the team went for more than 28 yards.

“I think everybody stepped up for us,” said elated linebacker Jon Copper, who got engaged to his girlfriend just two days before the game on the Downtown Mall. “Defensively, there have been a lot of big plays that we have given up that put us in holes this year, so I think it was good that we just played solid.”

The foundation for the defensive approach was laid early on in preparation for the contest. Groh said the Cavaliers put extra emphasis on limiting N.C. State tailbacks Andre Brown and Toney Baker with tackling drills. The move worked better than anyone could have expected.

Brown and Baker, a duo that entered the game with eight rushing touchdowns and almost 900 yards, were limited to just over three yards per carry. In fact, only one of N.C. State’s 12 first downs came via the run.

“When you are tackling, it’s not so much a physical thing and a repetition thing, but it’s a mental thing,” said UVa defensive end Chris Long. “In the moments right before you make the tackle, you have to zone-in and it’s almost like things are going in slow motion.

“You have to think about it, ‘Remember, tackle. You are here, now make the play.’ You beat a block, you get to the ball carrier, you have got to tackle. It’s almost as much that we were on our game mentally.”

The win gives Virginia (4-5, 3-2 ACC) a better shot at making the postseason. The Cavaliers must win two of their final three games to become bowl-eligible, but contests at Florida State (4-4, 2-4 ACC) and Virginia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC) and a home game with Miami (5-3, 2-2 ACC) look more achievable than they did when the schedule was originally released.

“We just have to keep winning,” said UVa co-captain and cornerback Marcus Hamilton. “We can’t lose any more games if we want a shot at a bowl game.”
 

Hope reappears in Wahoos' camp
Virginia believes it's capable of 'something big' in final 3 games
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 30, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - For the University of Virginia football team, Oct. 14 is painful to remember, for obvious reasons.

On that day, U.Va. built a 20-0 halftime lead on ACC rival Maryland, only to self-destruct and end up losing 28-26 at Scott Stadium. Had the Cavaliers not blown that game, they'd be tied for first in the Coastal Division with Georgia Tech.

"It's hard to look back on that one," said defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, a redshirt freshman from Hermitage High. "We knew we should have pulled that one out, but it's in the past."

U.Va.'s future looks brighter today than it did Oct. 15. Since the loss to Maryland, Virginia (3-2, 4-5) has beaten North Carolina and N.C. State to move into a tie for second in the Coastal with Virginia Tech (3-2, 6-2).

"I feel like a lot of people didn't respect us [earlier in] the season, with good reason," junior defen- sive end Chris Long said Saturday after Virginia's 14-7 win over the Wolfpack. "But this is the type of football team we want to be."

Across the Scott Stadium interview room, Fitzgerald was asked about the Cavaliers' mindset.

"It's different in the sense that we just won the game, but we never got down on the team," Fitzgerald said. "We always knew we were just a couple plays away from big wins out there. Now we're getting a couple plays, and we know we have the potential of doing something big in the ACC."

After N.C. State pulled to 7-7 with 4:48 remaining in Saturday's game, U.Va. responded with its most impressive drive of the season. It ended when senior tailback Jason Snelling ran 17 yards for a touchdown. Blocks from tight ends Tom Santi and Jonathan Stupar helped clear a path to the end zone for Snelling, and the former L.C. Bird High star charged through the Pack's secondary.

"He just ran like a guy who decided, 'I'm not getting tackled,'" Cavaliers coach Al Groh said last night.

Six ACC teams are already bowl eligible: Virginia Tech, Boston College, Wake Forest, Clemson, Maryland and Georgia Tech. To gain that status, U.Va. must win two of its final three regular-season games, a challenge that no longer seems as daunting as it did in September.

"Those teams who can improve during the course of the season and play well during [the final] month usually end up with a finish that they're pleased with," Groh said. "That's what we're trying to do: end up with a finish that we can be pleased with."

Virginia visits Florida State (2-4, 4-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Wahoos, who'll be idle the following weekend, host the Miami Hurricanes (2-2, 5-3) on Nov. 18 and then close the regular season Nov. 25 against the Hokies in Blacksburg.

To become bowl-eligible, then, the Cavs will need to win at least once away from Scott Stadium. In six seasons under Groh, U.Va. is 10-21 in road games. But the hard-fought victory over the Wolfpack boosted the team's confidence.

Virginia's defense held State to a season-low 70 yards rushing. The Cavaliers didn't get the shutout they wanted, "but when you set your sights high, often times you're going to fall a little short," Long said. "Doesn't mean we're satisfied. We're going to keep working and try to just continue to get better, and we can't wait to go down to Tallahassee."

After back-to-back conference victories, sophomore wide receiver Kevin Ogletree said, U.Va. is "definitely a more confident team, just seeing what's been going on in the ACC and knowing this is a great opportunity for us. We're just excited."

 

Bowl full of Cavalier hope
Virginia wants to repeat last year's performance in the Florida State game to boost its hopes of qualifying for a bowl.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 30, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A few weeks ago, when Virginia floundered in the middle of a miserable season, Mike Brown chatted on the phone with his parents, who were excited about having their son home in Newark, N.J., for a good chunk of the holiday season.

After all, few people - Cheryl and Mike Brown Sr. included - expected Virginia to spend December practicing for a bowl game.

"They were like, 'You can do more shopping and stuff like that,' " said Brown, a sophomore cornerback. "I was like, 'Well, that sounds good. That doesn't sound bad.' "

Now, Brown isn't thinking about hitting New Jersey's malls and wrapping Christmas presents. Now, he's thinking about how maybe Boise, Idaho, isn't such a bad place to spend New Year's Eve.

After Saturday's 14-7 win over North Carolina State, the Cavaliers (4-5, 3-2 ACC) must win two of their final three games to be eligible for a bowl. (One of the ACC's eight bowls - and surely the least sexy - is the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m.)

Two of Virginia's final three games are on the road - Saturday at Florida State and Nov. 25 at Virginia Tech - and the Cavaliers are 10-21 away from Scott Stadium under sixth-year coach Al Groh. The third game is Nov. 18 against Miami, which slipped to 5-3 after Saturday's loss to Georgia Tech.

After the N.C. State victory gave Virginia its first winning streak since last November, Brown sensed the Cavaliers' road woes might change.

"Now we've got a little bit of confidence, a little bit of fire under our bellies," he said. "I think we can pull a few games out on the road.

"We need two more? Tech? We can beat Tech. We can definitely beat Florida State next week. Who else? Miami. We can win all three of these games. I honestly think so."

Virginia might have defeated Florida State 26-21 last year - and the Seminoles might be 4-4, their worst eight-game start since 1976 - but the Cavaliers are 0-7 in Tallahassee, losing by an average of 25 points. "For all intents and purposes, we did beat them pretty good last year here," Brown said. "They've got a few things going on in their own house down there. I feel as though we could beat anybody. ... We've got a lot of things going for us right now."

OFFENSE

Virginia's two touchdown drives covered 75 and 80 yards, but the Cavaliers' 10 other drives averaged just 9.6 yards. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell's final stats might have been so-so (12-of-22 passing for 131 yards). But he played well when it counted, completing three of four passes for 35 yards on Virginia's final, 80-yard scoring drive, which gave the Cavaliers a 14-7 advantage.

DEFENSE

N.C. State's dangerous tailbacks, Andre Brown and Toney Baker, came into Saturday averaging 74.6 and 50.6 yards, respectively. The Cavaliers limited Brown to 41 and held Baker to 31. Junior defensive end Chris Long quickly is establishing himself as one of the ACC's prominent defensive players. Just ask N.C. State left tackle James Newby, a three-year starter whom Long dominated.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Chris Gould missed a 52-yard field goal, which seems to be out of his range. But he did drop two punts inside the 20-yard line as Virginia's pooch-punting specialist. Ryan Weigand punted five times for a solid 42.2-yard average. Cedric Peerman broke off a 53-yard kickoff return - a highlight in an otherwise lackluster season for the sophomore.

COACHING

On the field after the game, offensive coordinator Mike Groh sprinted toward defensive coordinator Mike London and gleefully hugged him. Credit Groh for sticking with tailback Jason Snelling, who had 37 yards on 10 carries in the first half, then gained 62 on 10 in the second. Credit London with successfully imploring his defenders to concentrate on wrapping up Brown and Baker.

OVERALL VS. NORTH CAROLINA STATE: B+

SEASON AVERAGE: C-

Lee capitalized on chance to start
By Brandon Mellor
DEMOCRAT CORRESPONDENT

Xavier Lee admitted that Thursday of last week he had an idea he may get the start under center against Maryland.

But that doesn't mean that Florida State's backup quarterback wasn't a little bit shocked when he spoke with quarterbacks coach Daryl Dickey just prior to the start of the game Saturday night.

"Coach Dickey came up to me and said, 'You got the OK.' I was like, 'What does that mean?' He said, 'You are starting,' ” Lee said on Sunday. “He looked at me with this big smile, and I gave him a huge hug and told him it felt like Christmas right about now. It was a great feeling.”

Lee's premature start to the "holiday season" may have ended with some coal in the stocking with a defeat, but his performance may have eased the sting a little.

Making his first career start, Lee connected on 22 of his 36 pass attempts for 286 yards and two scores.

Perhaps more important than those statistics, however, is the fact that he was mistake-free in a hostile environment in the most significant action of his career.

“His composure was just excellent. Everybody thought he was going to make mistakes - throw interceptions or something crazy,” tailback Antone Smith said. “He turned it all around and kept his composure and did what he did best, like he did in high school.”

So what exactly changed for player who, in two seasons of mop-up duty and reserve playing, never seemed to really grasp the offense and get comfortable? This was the same quarterback who threw three interceptions against the Duke Blue Devils two weeks before.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden said after the game that he thought Lee performed better because he didn't feel the pressure to impress in a small window of playing time.

Lee agreed with that sentiment.

“When you start off playing, it kind of gives you a perspective instead of coming in the second quarter you have to prove to everyone that you are this and that,” he said. “You get like a rhythm starting from the beginning and it continues on throughout the game."

With starting quarterback Drew Weatherford stuck on the sidelines with an injured foot, Lee was able to find that rhythm pretty quickly.

"The very first throw I had to Joslin Shaw, from then on I was in a groove . . . in the zone," Lee said.

"We just knew it was going to be a lot on his shoulders," Smith said. "To be coming into the seventh game of the season expecting him to do too much. We just knew everybody had to do their parts and hopefully be as good as possible.

"For a quarterback that's a bad situation to go in there and expect to do too much. Being that he hasn't played all year, that's hard as heck."

As preparations begin for Virginia this week, the theme of the next five days will likely center on whether Lee will be granted his second career start.

Coaches and FSU officials did an excellent job of keeping Weatherford's injury under wraps, and it's likely that same discretion will be utilized this week as it pertains to the naming of a starter.

"That's not my department," Lee said. "I am just going to keep working hard at practice."

Lee will be able to get to work knowing he has a certain defender in his corner - fellow Daytona Beach native Buster Davis.

"That's the best I've seen from a quarterback here since Chris Weinke," Davis told reporters Sunday. "When that opportunity presents itself, you have to take full advantage of it and that's what he did (Saturday). He is very special. He showed you how special he can be."
 

Welsh: still dishing up X's and O's
BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Oct 30, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE The bill of fare for Saturday's pre-game brunch outside Alumni Hall was eggs with cheese, bacon, potatoes, ham biscuits, bagels, your beverage of choice . . .

And a generous helping of George Welsh.

Beneath a tent and behind a lectern, the Hall of Fame football coach got down and tweedy while serving an N.C. State-at-Virginia appetizer that was digested by a couple of hundred noshers and listeners. It was the latest installment of "Chalk Talk with George Welsh" - a new feature dreamed up by U.Va.'s alumni association to expand the game-day experience for old grads.

The event's drawing card is 73, but he doesn't look a day over 134-86-3 - the record Welsh compiled from 1982-2000 at U.Va., where he raised football from the ashes and made it matter. The man was a miracle worker then. Now (in his fashion) he works a room.

"They're trying to get more people back," Welsh said. "They thought I might be an attraction. I don't know."

Lee Corso has nothing to worry about here. There's no song-and-dance man in George Welsh, no cut-up tendencies. He won't jam a helmet onto his head and act the fool while forecasting a winner. He doesn't have a not-so-fast-my-friend signature line. Well, not unless you count a brisk, "Next" when he prompts his audience during the Q-and-A segment of the show.

What can I tell you? He's a plain-spoken guy. There were never any frills to Welsh's coaching style and not a hint of pretension. He ran the ball, threw it deep, won big, didn't call attention to himself. That was about it then, that's about it now. All you need to know about George Welsh's total inability to bob and weave, you could deduce from some of his Saturday observations . . .

On the game's early start: "I hate these noon games. You know, anything for money."

On U.Va. coaches claiming State had the best front four they'd faced: "I'm not sure that's saying a lot. I'm not sure we've played a good front four yet."

On the Cavs' flow chart: "I think we've gotten better - mostly because we've developed a running game, so to speak. Not that we're crushing anybody, but we're getting better."

Welsh pretty much had this matchup - it resulted in a 14-7 Virginia win - down cold. He said it'd be a low-scoring game. He noted that U.Va.'s defense was showing more fire and freeing ends Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald to make plays. He made mention of State's sloppy tendencies - its spasms of penalties and turnovers.

He doesn't miss much. He's still a football guy, he's still involved. He watches games on TV and studies coaches' tapes - shot from the end zone, they show interior line play, among other nuances - in his office at University Hall. He's been hired as a consultant by Old Dominion, which is getting into the football-playing business in 2009. He's set to coach a squad of college all-stars in Japan next year.

Welsh also is one of 17 participants (along with the likes of Vince Dooley and LaVell Edwards) in the Master Coaches Survey, which requires its panelists to screen game DVDs weekly and conduct a Top 25 poll. Welsh, for his part, said Saturday morning that Ohio State was a clearcut No. 1, that he thought Michigan was "close," that he wasn't sure about Southern Cal (bingo!), that he likes West Virginia "because nobody's stopped 'em yet."

He issued those opinions off-stage. Then he took to the microphone for his half-hour of standup, delivered his rundown, took questions, took his leave.

"All right," he told the crowd, "thanks for coming."

They'd be wise to return Nov. 18 when Miami pays a visit. True, George Welsh is no spoonful of sugar. He just helps make the ballgame go down.

 

Cavs pull off late win over Wolfpack
Virginia defense holds N.C. State to seven points; Snelling powers Virgina to win on two rushing touchdowns
Eric Kolenich, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

The Cavaliers (4-5, 3-2 ACC) rallied late to defeat N.C. State (3-5, 2-3 ACC), Saturday, 14-7.

Virginia picked up its first touchdown late in the first quarter, with an eight-play drive that started from Virginia's own 25-yard line. From the N.C. State 25-yard line, freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell completed a pass to sophomore wide receiver Kevin Ogletree to the one-yard line. On the next play, Sewell handed off to senior tailback Jason Snelling, who powered through the middle to put Virginia ahead, 7-0.

The Cavalier defense was able to hold down N.C. State for almost the entire game. The Wolfpack features two strong running backs, Andre Brown and Toney Baker, who were shut down by the Virginia defense all day long. N.C. State rushed for only 70 yards all day.

"Stopping the run was critical," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "We wanted to turn it in to a one-dimensional game with a young quarterback in there."

N.C. State sophomore quarterback Daniel Evans was 21 for 35 on the day, with a touchdown pass. Evans performed well, but the Wolfpack was unable to avoid mistakes, constantly quelling their drives. N.C. State had nine penalties, costing it 53 yards. It managed only one solid drive all day.

"The defense has been playing well all season," Snelling said. "Early in the season the offense was slacking and the defense had to pick up the slack, and now that the offense is clicking, it just helps them even more and they're better than they were early in the season."

The score remained 7-0 through the third quarter. As N.C. State continued to commit errors, Virginia failed to sustain drives. The Cavaliers converted on only two of 12 third downs.

N.C. State managed an 11-play drive late in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 7. With 4:48 left in the game, Evans lobbed a pass eight yards out to wide receiver John Dunlap. The Wolfpack has scored 50 points in its last three games, 30 of which came in the fourth quarter.

Virginia then returned with one of its strongest drives of the entire season. Starting at its own 20-yard line, the Cavaliers drove down the entire length of the field on nine plays.

Snelling carried the ball 18 yards from the 35-yard line and was pushed out of bounds just before he could break to the end zone. The next play, Snelling went up the middle for 11 yards to score the winning touchdown.

"When he broke the first one, I thought he was going to the house, but he got tackled," Sewell said. "The crowd got jumping around and the offense had another burst of energy and he just went out and did it."

N.C. State got the ball back, but the game quickly ended when senior Tony Franklin picked off a Daniel Evans pass at midfield.

"It was a real good win," linebacker Jon Copper said. "Everybody stepped up when they needed to: special teams, offense, defense. N.C. State played real hard, and made it close near the end. It was a good win."

Senior Chris Long wasn't as satisfied.

"It was great until the end," he said. "We fell short of our goal, but when you set your sights high, often you're going to fall a little short. We're going to keep working, try to continue to get better, and we can't wait to get down to Tallahassee."

 

It's not over 'til the fat lady sings
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

Do not book that winter break getaway with friends to Florida or the Caribbean just yet. While the odds are still against it, Virginia's win over N.C. State Saturday kept alive the slim chance that the Cavaliers will somehow pull out enough wins to spend late December eating potatoes in Boise while preparing for the MPC Computers Bowl.

As it had in its previous two games, Virginia continued to show improvement in its win over N.C. State.

The defense did exactly what it needed to do against the Wolfpack. Saturday, the Cavaliers limited N.C. State to a mere 70 yards on the ground and Evans was unable to do enough through the air to lead the Wolfpack to victory.

Because of its failure to establish the run, N.C. State faced numerous third-and-long situations on which it could not convert.

No single player or coach deserves all the credit for what was the defense's best overall performance against a solid offense this season. It was a total team effort. But there are a few players deserving of some kudos.

Junior defensive end Chris Long has made his presence known all season but has really started to rack up his statistics in recent games. Saturday, Long terrorized the Wolfpack's offensive line as he set the tone for Virginia's defense with two tackles for a loss, one sack, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. With redshirt freshman Jeffrey Fitzgerald wreaking havoc on the other side, Virginia's defensive line has become a force to be reckoned with in the ACC.

It was also nice to see senior safety Tony Franklin pull in the big interception that ended N.C. State's final offensive drive and secured the win for Virginia. While Franklin, who almost was not part of the team this season because of off-the-field transgressions, has not piled up the stats that he has in the past, he still plays an enormously important role for this squad, especially in terms of leadership.

It was definitely not an overall stellar day for the offense but Jameel Sewell & Co. came through when it counted the most -- late in the fourth quarter after N.C. State tied the game 7-7. Rather than fold and just play for overtime, Sewell and the Cavaliers engineered an 80-yard drive that was capped off by a 17-yard Jason Snelling touchdown run.

A team with less mental fortitude might have crumbled when N.C. State tied the game up. The fact that the Cavaliers immediately responded with a prolonged scoring drive of their own shows that this team has truly embraced a "never give up" mantra.

The Cavaliers will need to maintain that mentality over the final three games of the regular season -- at Florida State, home against Miami and at Virginia Tech. To go to Boise or San Francisco for a bowl game in December, Virginia would have to win two of these final three games.

Despite its recent improvements, it still appears unlikely that Virginia will attain bowl-eligibility status. But crazier things have happened. No one knows how Florida State will respond after losing its fourth ACC game of the season to Maryland Saturday night. Miami looks vulnerable, especially on the road. And it is hard to get a read on whether Virginia Tech is the team that dominated Clemson Thursday night or the team that was embarrassed by Boston College two weeks earlier.

No matter what happens, Virginia will at least be able to look back at this season and see that it was not a total loss. Even if the Cavaliers do not reach a bowl game, the recent improvements bode well for next season.

So while there may be little chance that Virginia will win two of its last three games, there is still hope. And hope is part of what makes being a sports fan enjoyable.