Offensive line holds steady when it counts
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 8, 2007

Branden Albert said the game was on the line - literally and physically.

As Virginia prepared for what proved to be the game-winning drive Saturday night in a 23-21 win at Middle Tennessee State, Albert, who was playing left tackle, and the other starting members of the offensive line calmly huddled on the sidelines.

The message in the circle for a group whose combined weight is almost 1,500 pounds was simple.

“I knew the offensive line had to step up and make things happen,” said Albert, a team captain. “I knew going down towards the end of the game that they would blitz us and try to come after us.

“I just had to huddle up the offensive line and tell the guys that the game was on us.”

Ian-Yates Cunningham, another starter in the trenches, said it was obvious that the offensive line was going to have a direct impact - for better or worse - during the final possession.

“We were just saying, ‘Yo, this is on us. If we win, it is on us. If we lose, it is on us,’” Cunningham recounted. “That’s how we looked at it.”

The unit was not perfect - after moving across midfield, Middle Tennessee sacked Sewell for a 2-yard loss. Yet the entire offensive unit quickly returned to the line and moved 28 yards in the next three plays as Sewell connected with Dontrelle Inman, Josh Zidenberg and Jonathan Stupar.

“We did have a sack there, which sometimes is pretty hard to overcome in those 2-minute situations, both for the yardage lost and the time lost in regrouping, getting your guys back,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “We did that very quickly - we got guys back and did not take an inordinate amount of time to get back and get reorganized, which is as harmful as the yardage lost.”

The negative play, the second Sewell encountered in the contest, was a result of an issue in numbers.

“That sack was a result of an overload pressure on the protection - they had more guys coming than we had to pick up,” Groh said. “There really wasn’t an individual breakdown in there. They overloaded the blitz, but then by the same token [two plays later] was essentially the same blitz and Josh and Jameel were obviously on the same page.

“We got it out of there on a hot read and got a good gain and got it out of bounds.”

Efficiently, Sewell accounted for 65 of his 223 passing yards on the drive as he benefited from the extra time from his offensive line.

“We put it on our shoulders and Jameel did all the rest,” Cunningham said. “We gave him some protection, but he is the one that deserves all the credit.

“Without him we would not have won.”

Groh said the same could be said for a number of players, the most of which was kicker Chris Gould, who drilled a 39-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the game.

“I think [this team] is starting to show itself as a tough-minded group and a group that is very comfortable playing close games,” Groh said. “Maybe they are going in now with the reality that that’s the way a lot of them are going to be. Most of the games have gone that way and they have kind of stood up at the end.

“There was a positive and resilient attitude amongst all the players on the sideline as well as those in the game.”

Injury update

Not having news is not necessarily good news.

On Sunday, Groh was unable to give an update on the status of running back Cedric Peerman or cornerback Chris Cook. Both juniors suffered apparent leg injuries against the Blue Raiders that led to their unavailability.

“We will do all of that [today],” Groh said.

Peerman, who entered as the leading rusher in the ACC, rushed for 19 yards on five carries before leaving the contest. He had his ankle taped, but Groh said it was obvious initially that Peerman would not return.

Cook was injured much later in the game as he defended an end-around pass. Television replays showed how precarious the injury could have been for the team’s most-experienced cornerback.

“Obviously, as you saw, he came down quite awkwardly on his leg,” Groh said.

The replacements for Peerman seem obvious - Keith Payne and Andrew Pearman accounted for 115 rushing yards while filling in for the team’s starter.

When asked if Ras-I Dowling and Mike Parker would replace Cook, if he is out, Groh lightened the mood.

“If you keep naming some more names off there it will sound like the Republican caucus,” Groh joked. “Anybody and everybody would be a candidate.”

Groh did, however, confirm that Trey Womack, Dowling and Parker would draw extra reps this week in practice.

“I am sure they will all get turns in there,” he said.

There was some positive news from the coach - left tackle Eugene Monroe could return to the field against Connecticut on Saturday.

“He is probably pretty close to being ready to go,” Groh said.

Monroe, who has missed the past two games with a knee injury, was in uniform for Saturday’s game, but the staff had a plan.

“We had decided beforehand that we would hold him out and then we would see how the game went,” Groh said. “Once again, Gordie [Sammis] really stepped up and did a real good job for us, as did Branden out there at tackle. Branden had an excellent game.

“[Sammis] has made himself into a very, very functional and important player in that offensive line. Things were going pretty decently on that [left] side over there and there wasn’t any need to get Gene in.”

After further review

Without hesitation, Groh challenged a play to no avail in the fourth quarter Saturday.

From Groh’s perspective, Middle Tennessee tight end Stephen Chicola lost possession of a pass before touching the surface.

While Virginia’s footage of the play did not offer confirmation, Groh said he had heard of another form of verification.

“I have been told that there is a person who is in possession of a still photograph that shows the ball falling away from his body while the player is still up in the air,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing such photograph myself.”

 

UVa defense comes up big in 2nd half
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
October 8, 2007

During the euphoria of Saturday night’s comeback win on the road, Virginia coach Al Groh knew his defense had performed mightily when it counted most.

But, he didn’t know exactly just how well the Cavaliers played on that side of the ball until he sat down Sunday morning for a closer look. UVa’s defensive effort in the second half was close to spectacular in shutting down Middle Tennessee State’s somewhat unique and explosive offense in a 23-21 win, the Cavs’ fifth straight.

Putting a leash on Dasher

Consider that by halftime, the host Blue Raiders had already compiled 241 yards of total offense on 45 plays and were in a 14-14 deadlock with the favored Wahoos from the ACC. Had Middle Tennessee continued that kind of success in the second half, the underdogs might have scored a runaway upset.

While the Virginia offense used some strategic wrinkles with the screen pass and option plays to Andrew Pearman, the defense dug in to post one of its best stretches of play this season.

Virginia’s ‘D’ held the Blue Raiders to 67 yards of total offense the entire second half and contained elusive MTSU quarterback Dwight Dasher to 27 yards rushing and 23 passing during that span. That was quite a chore because Dasher had drawn comparisons to former mobile Clemson QB Woody Dantzler and to UVa’s Marques Hagans.

“I didn’t realize until I did the tape that we only gave up three first downs in the second half,” Groh said during his weekly Sunday teleconference.

“Although we can’t dismiss the points [MTSU scored from 1 yard out after a Virginia turnover] on a one-play drive, we went about 38 minutes without giving up a defensive score.”

Groh was correct. Thirty-five minutes and 23 seconds to be precise.

“That sounds good on Sunday, but it seemed like on Saturday night that we were keeping our finger in the dike most of the time,” Groh said.

Quick-change artists

During that lengthy time frame, and even before, Virginia’s coaches were working feverishly from their perch in the press box and in communication with coaches on the sidelines, attempting to solve MTSU’s two-back option offense, something seldom seen in today’s game.

You want adjustments? You got tons of ’em in this game on both sides of the ball.

“We had to make some significant adjustments after the first few series of the game,” Groh explained. “We had that magic marker working pretty fast on the sidelines.

“For those people that talk about halftime adjustments, had we waited until halftime to make adjustments to [MTSU’s] option offense, then clearly we might have been out of it by then.”

That is one of the things Groh loves about this team. The players quickly tune in to new instructions. In fact, the last couple of stops in the game, Groh said the coaches called defenses that weren’t even in the game plan, although the players knew them.

“Give them a lot of credit to the way they adjusted,” the coach said of his defensive personnel. “They knew all the little intricacies. Anything less and we probably couldn’t have stopped [the Blue Raiders].”

Dasher rolled up 68 yards rushing on 14 carries and passed for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. As mentioned, he was personally confined to 50 yards of MTSU’s 67 of total offense in the second half.

After the Blue Raiders took a 21-20 lead when they scored from the Virginia 1-yard line after Cavs quarterback Jameel Sewell was intercepted, Groh’s team had only 7:33 to regain control.

It ran off nine plays (one penalty) before having to punt it away with 3:58 showing. MTSU had the ball at its own 20.

Dasher made it interesting, converting one third-and-7 with a 7-yard run. When UVa called timeout with 1:49 to go, it had to stop the Raiders on a third-and-3 at the MTSU 37. Dasher gained 2 yards and more than a couple of feet, setting up a fourth-and-inches.

The Cavs burned their last timeout right there with 1:34 to go, anticipating and getting a MTSU punt.

If you’re a Wahoo fan, you know the rest of the story. It was a dramatic comeback with Sewell guiding the team 63 yards on six plays, including a sack, with no timeouts, setting up Chris Gould’s winning field goal from 34 yards out with 8 seconds to play.

“That stop there at the end was a matter of inches,” Groh said of the stop on Dasher, when Nate Lyles, Byron Glaspy and Jon Copper converged on the Raider QB.

Virginia All-American defensive end candidate Chris Long said the Cavs knew what they had to do when MTSU got the ball back for that critical drive.

“We just said, ‘It’s on the defense’ and that’s how we like it,” Long said. “The first time we didn’t stop them [on third down]. We let it get away with a [quarterback] draw play. We were upset with that. It was close. But it’s a game of inches and we stopped them the next time.”

Groh said that Long added to his lore in the game with five tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, a pass break-up, and a key blocked field goal early in the second quarter.

“The block he made was an excellent effort,” Groh said. “That took three points off the board that were obviously pretty significant.”

From the press box, it appeared that Long was held several times in the game, almost a weekly occurrence that sometimes goes uncalled. It was evident that the senior pass rusher was held on a sack for a 9-yard loss late in the first half. It wasn’t called by the ACC officials assigned to the game.

Because the conference prohibits coaches from offering comments on officiating, Groh merely responded to a question about the holding as: “[Long] gets a lot of attention. That was quite a battle he had on that particular play ... he had to fight through it. It showed how relentless he is and how hard he is to control.”

Clearly the coach was biting his tongue, but otherwise he was able to boast about a defense that could be gaining momentum. If Virginia is going to continue its winning streak, the defense will have to raise its play another level or more.

Groh has faith that it will.

 

Gould helps Cavaliers stay on a winning kick
Technique changes pay off on field goal with game on line
Monday, Oct 08, 2007 - 12:06 AM Updated: 12:45 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Had Chris Gould been called upon last season to attempt a potentially game-winning field goal, his teammates and coaches at the University of Virginia would not have been as confident as they were Saturday night at Middle Tennessee.

"Definitely not last year," U.Va. coach Al Groh said, "but Chris is a different kicker this year. Certainly his record in games now, halfway through the season, shows that, but what we see every day in practice started showing us that back in August."

As a junior, Gould made only 11 of 19 field-goal attempts. He changed his technique in the offseason, and his efforts are paying huge dividends for Virginia (5-1). Gould, whose brother kicks for the Chicago Bears, is 9 for 10 this season after drilling a 34-yarder with 8 seconds left to give the Cavaliers a 23-21 victory over the Blue Raiders.

Not since Sept. 19, 1998, had U.Va. come from behind in the final minute to win on a field goal. In that game, Todd Braverman's 30-yarder with 49 seconds to play lifted Virginia to a 20-18 win over Clemson at Scott Stadium.

Middle Tennessee called its final timeout before Gould's kick at Floyd Stadium. As the Cavs waited for the game to resume, Gould was left alone.

"He didn't need any coaching," Groh said. "There are a lot of things I don't know much about, and kickers are at the top of the list. We just let him take care of business."

And so the Wahoos will carry a five-game winning streak into their showdown with Connecticut (5-0), one of three unbeaten teams in the Big East. U.Va. hosts UConn at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a game that ESPNU will telecast.

Left offensive tackle Eugene Monroe may well be back in the starting lineup Saturday, but Virginia isn't likely to have its top tailback or its best cornerback against the Huskies.

Cedric Peerman, who entered the Middle Tennessee game as the ACC's leading rusher, injured his right foot in the first quarter. Chris Cook, an all-ACC candidate at corner, hurt his left knee, and his injury appeared more serious. Groh said doctors will do more tests on Peerman and Cook today.

In Peerman's absence, redshirt freshman Keith Payne and junior Andrew Pearman ran well against the Blue Raiders (1-5). Cook's injury may be a bigger blow to U.Va., especially if it ends his season. Behind starters Vic Hall and Cook on the depth chart are redshirt freshmen Mike Parker and Trey Womack and true freshman Ras-I Dowling.

"Anybody and everybody's a candidate," Groh said last night. "I'm sure they'll all get turns there."

The Cavaliers have not won six in a row since 2002, their second season under Groh. That U.Va. team showed a remarkable ability to win tight games, and this team may have that same attribute. Virginia's wins over North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Middle Tennessee were by a combined nine points. Only once - in a 44-14 rout of Pittsburgh - has U.Va. won by more than 11 points.

"This is starting to show itself as a very tough-minded group, and a group that's very comfortable playing close games," Groh said.

"These are our games, and what happened with Pittsburgh is probably an anomaly in what most of our games are going to be."


 

Gould solid in comeback
The Cavaliers' win means redemption for Jameel Sewell.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CAVS' REPORT CARD
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times
Get off to a quick start — D: Virginia failed to pick up a first down on either of its first two series, a vast departure from the previous four games, when the Cavaliers had accounted for seven touchdowns and a field goal in the first two series.
Get consistent play from QB Jameel Sewell — C: Sewell was characteristically inconsistent, completing one of nine passes during one second-half stretch, then going 5-for-5 on UVa’s game-winning drive.
Prevent big plays — B+: The Blue Raiders’ longest play was a 24-yard touchdown pass for their first score. Middle Tennessee’s longest rushing attempt went for 15 yards.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- It was Sunday afternoon before Virginia football coach Al Groh learned of the fireworks show that followed UVa's game Saturday night at Middle Tennessee.

It may have been muted by the Cavaliers' locker room celebration.

Some might say that Virginia escaped with a 23-21 victory at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium and the Cavaliers wouldn't argue with that assessment.

"I've been telling people, 'We can't expect to come in here and walk over anybody,' " said UVa tight end Tom Santi, a senior from 35 miles up the road in Nashville. "I knew that as soon as I saw the game on our schedule."

The Cavaliers trailed 21-20 until Chris Gould, who had missed an earlier extra point, kicked a 35-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.

"I went out there and tried to compose myself and not worry about what happened on the previous kick," said Gould, a senior who is 9-for-10 on field goals this season. "I didn't want to go in the locker room and look [teammates] in the eyes, knowing that I didn't make the kick."

It was Virginia's first come-from-behind victory on a last-minute field goal since Todd Braverman kicked a 30-yarder to beat Clemson 20-18 in 1998.

Groh might not have been as confident sending Gould onto the field in 2006, "but Chris is a different kicker this year," Groh said. "Certainly, his record in games shows that, but he's invested a lot of time and work into changing his whole style of kicking."

Virginia's victory was a tale of redemption, not just for Gould but for quarterback Jameel Sewell, who was 5-for-5 on the game-winning drive that started at the Cavs' 20-yard line with 1:26 remaining.

Sewell earlier had yielded an interception and 22-yard return that led to a Middle Tennessee touchdown and go-ahead extra point with 7:33 left.

Virginia has won nine of 15 games with Sewell as its starting quarterback during the past two seasons, but until Saturday, he had not directed a successful late-game comeback.

"To attain a certain level, this is something that quarterbacks have to do on occasion," Groh said. "He obviously played his best down the stretch and made some big throws."

Sewell finished 22-of-37 for a season-high 223 yards and the Cavaliers outgained the Blue Raiders 374-308, including 220-67 in the second half.

"I didn't realize till I looked at the tape that [the Blue Raiders] had three first downs in the second half," Groh said. "We essentially went the last 38 minutes without giving up" a touchdown on defense.

The offense was the big issue after ACC rushing leader Cedric Peerman limped off the field with an apparent ankle injury and did not return. The Cavaliers later lost cornerback Chris Cook to a knee injury later in the night.

Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe missed his second straight game with a knee injury, although he has been in uniform for both games and has participated in pre-game warmups.

"We had decided beforehand that we would hold him out again and see how the game went," Groh said. "Once again, Gordie [Sammis] stepped in and did a real good job for us. He's made himself into a very, very important and functional player."

Groh said he did not consider using true freshman quarterback Peter Lalich, who played in each of Virginia's first four games and shared time with Sewell in weeks two, three and four. Lalich has not played in the last two games.

"We liked the way things were going," Groh said. "Jameel was in good control of the game, particularly with his checks on the line of scrimmage. It wasn't a game where we weren't getting any ball movement."

Moreover, Virginia got considerable yardage from the option. Andrew Pearman, who had more than 100 yards rushing and receiving after Peerman's injury, got touchdown runs of 21 and 5 yards on option pitches.

"That's certainly part of the package every week," Groh said. "As the game evolved, we could see where the play really fit. Fortunately for us, the tendencies held up to our advantage. I'd say, in terms of total repetitions, that's the most we've used it."
 

Zidenberg steps up
The Poquoson product enjoys a rare moment of recognition with the Cavaliers.
BY MELINDA WALDROP | 247-4634
12:29 AM EDT, October 8, 2007
 

MURFREESBORO, TENN. - With Cedric Peerman on crutches, Virginia knew other players had to perform.

But the Cavaliers couldn't have expected one of them to be Josh Zidenberg.

Zidenberg, in his fourth year at U.Va. out of Poquoson High School, has been a kicking-game specialist his entire career. He's excelled in that role, earning the 2006 George Welsh Award as the Cavs' outstanding special-teams player after a solid season on the coverage and return units on both kickoffs and punts.

But until Saturday night, Zidenberg -- 6-feet-0 and 213 pounds and listed as a fullback on U.Va.'s roster -- never had touched the ball on offense.

"Just coming in here playing on special teams like I do, I get nearly 30 plays a game, which is about average, I'd say, amongst all the players," Zidenberg said.

"So I'm just happy to fill in any role they want to give me and do it to the best of my ability, whether I get known for it or not. That's not what I'm about. I'm just out here trying to help the team win."

Zidenberg's contribution to that cause increased dramatically as Virginia (5-1) put together a last-gasp drive that led to a game-winning field goal in the Cavs' 23-21 victory at Middle Tennessee State.

On third-and-7 from the Blue Raiders' 40 with 20 seconds to play, quarterback Jameel Sewell completed his fourth straight pass -- an 11-yarder to Zidenberg.

"I was pretty much wide open," Zidenberg said. "I'm just glad I caught it, and when I turned up the field, it was just wide open, so all I had to do was basically not trip over my feet and get out of bounds."

Sewell then completed a 12-yard pass to tight end Jonathan Stupar that set up Chris Gould's 34-yard field goal with eight seconds to play. "Certainly Josh represented the team here tonight, because a lot of guys had to step up in some different circumstances," U.Va. coach Al Groh said.

Like reserve running back Andrew Pearman, who had 101 combined yards, including two rushing touchdowns, and redshirt freshman Keith Payne, who gained 70 yards on 18 carries.

And while no one else may have been expecting Zidenberg to play a crucial part, he had an inkling of what was to come. As it became clear that Peerman, who left Floyd Stadium with a walking boot on his right ankle, wouldn't return, running-backs coach Anthony Poindexter told Zidenberg to be ready.

Zidenberg said he's been practicing with the two-minute offense the past two weeks -- mainly, Groh said, because of his expertise in U.Va.'s pass-protection schemes.

"Josh is a veteran player," Groh said. "He's been through it all."

Despite gaining almost 6,000 all-purpose yards and scoring 78 touchdowns at Poquoson, Zidenberg received no college scholarship offers. So he walked on at Virginia, where he played in five games as a true freshman in 2004.

In 2005, Zidenberg led the Cavs with seven tackles in kickoff coverage. He also proved his mettle, playing in Virginia's 34-31 Music City Bowl victory against Minnesota despite a broken leg suffered in the regular-season finale against Miami.

"I've actually been thankful for every opportunity I've got," Zidenberg said. "I knew I wasn't guaranteed anything."

In the spring of 2006, Zidenberg finally got a scholarship. He played in all 12 games last season, seeing some time as a blocking fullback but mainly sticking to his special-teams forte.

If Peerman -- who will undergo tests today -- makes a rapid recovery, Zidenberg likely will return to that more obscure role. But he's just as content in the shadows as in Saturday's sudden spotlight.

"Who knows?" he said "As long as we're winning, I don't care how many passes I get."

 

UConn's Davis has Facebook score to settle
NEILL OSTROUT
Article Last Updated: 10/08/2007 12:36:08 AM EDT

UConn defensive tackle Dan Davis says his payback will come after the actual final score is posted. The Husky senior is referring to a message posted on his Facebook page that reads "UVA 57, UConn 17."
The Huskies will travel to Charlottesville to play Virginia Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPNU). The pregame cyberspace taunt — which was meant to be playful, it appears — came from Davis' former Plainfield (N.J.) High School teammate Eugene Monroe.

"That's my boy," Davis said of the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Virginia offensive tackle.

Davis and Monroe, who is one year younger than his Husky counterpart, played together for three years in high school and remain close.

"We talk a lot," Davis said. "We've probably only talked about our game on three cases. And one of them wasn't talking. He left a message on my Facebook — which is still up there, I haven't erased it — that says 'UVA 57, UConn 17.' "

Davis moved inside during the offseason and usually lines up against the opposition's guards, not their tackles, but he expects to run into Monroe this weekend.

"There's ways for me to cross the tackle's path so I'll probably see him one way or another," Davis said.

As for the large discrepancy in score that his friend predicts? "I'll comment on that after the game," Davis said.

As they prepare to keep their record perfect, the Huskies (5-0) continue to slowly climb in the national polls.

UConn received 20 points in the Associated Press top-25 poll, up from nine points a week ago. UConn received 32 points in the ESPN/USA Today rankings, up from 23 the previous week.
Virginia is in much the same position. The Cavaliers (5-1) are among the teams "also receiving votes" in both polls as well.

The first Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings will be released next Sunday. The BCS takes into account the coaches' poll, the Harris Poll as well as various computer rankings. UConn is receiving 104 votes (28th overall) in this week's Harris Poll.

 

Mason's return bolsters Wizards
October 8, 2007

By John N. Mitchell - In this age of free agency, Roger Mason Jr. is a rarity.

The 26-year-old guard signed with the Washington Wizards at the start of last season after spending two seasons playing in Israel. After his one-year deal expired over the summer, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs offered him a three-year deal worth roughly $3 million. But Mason, a product of Good Counsel High School in Montgomery County and the University of Virginia, re-signed with the Wizards, the team he grew up cheering for.

Mason said there's much more to his game that he has yet to reveal, and Washington will provide him with the best opportunity to showcase those talents this season.

"It's awesome to play in front of friends and family — it really is," said Mason, who signed for the veterans minimum of one year at $895,341. "But at the same time, this is a basketball decision for me. I feel like I have a great opportunity to have an impact this year with this team."

After the Wizards suffered a rash of injuries at the end of last season, Antawn Jamison and Antonio Daniels enjoyed fantastic playoff performances, averaging a combined 45.3 points in the postseason. Nonetheless, the Cleveland Cavaliers swept Washington on their way to the Eastern Conference championship. With All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler out, no one else contributed much to help give the Wizards a fighting chance.

Mason, who showed at times last season he can be a dependable 3-point shooter, was pressed into action. In Game 2 he scored a career playoff-high 10 points in 21 minutes. He averaged 6.0 points in 14 minutes in the series.

The performance was somewhat of a revelation to the coaching staff, which figured that in his proper place coming off the bench Mason could be a strong contributor to the second unit.

The Spurs saw this strength in him as well. Mason admits it was not easy to decline their offer.

"Obviously, San Antonio is a championship club," Mason said of the Spurs, who have won four championships in the last nine seasons. "I thought it was humbling for them to pursue me. But at the same time, I was here last year, and I thought that was a learning step for me. I got very comfortable with and learned the system. I think one thing about establishing yourself in the league is continuity. I can benefit from that."

Wizards associate head coach Mike O'Koren said Mason and forward Andray Blatche have been two of the biggest surprises during training camp.

Coach Eddie Jordan considered re-signing Mason one of the team's highest priorities over the summer.

"Once we got past our core guys and got them set, he was definitely a guy we wanted to keep," Jordan said. "There were other guys out there, but we always compared them to Roger, and we liked Roger all the time."