Yes, the Cavaliers and Hokies both are 6-1 and 3-0 in the ACC. But lets not drink the Kool-Aid just yet.
David Teel
5:48 PM EDT, October 16, 2007
The bar is open, and yes, we have some happy-hour specials.
The first offering is Cavalier Kool-Aid. Fine imported champagne
with a splash of orange liqueur for the typically discriminating
(snooty?) University of Virginia fan.
We're also featuring Hokie Moonshine. Throat-burning homemade
whiskey with a dash of bathtub gin for the notoriously rowdy
(redneck?) Virginia Tech faithful.
The bartender is poised to pour. But are you ready to drink? Are you
ready to toast your football team?
Do the glossy and identical records (6-1 overall, 3-0 ACC) crafted
by Tech and Virginia reflect the programs' talent levels? Are they
truly among this season's elite? Could both -- hide the women and
children! -- be 10-1 entering their Nov. 24 throwdown in
Charlottesville?
Or, is this some hoax rooted in scheduling whims and abundant luck?
Are the Cavaliers and Hokies, both 6-1 for only the third time in 75
years, paper tigers created in large part by a crummy ACC?
The computer ratings used to calculate the Bowl Championship Series
standings suggest the rivals are legit. Virginia Tech's average
ranking is 8th, Virginia's 14th. Meanwhile, Florida's average is
17th, Southern California's 23rd.
Sometimes there's just no accounting for taste.
OK, so the computers goose the Hokies' strength of schedule for
having played at LSU. But they lost by 41.
Sure, Tech won at Clemson, and Virginia beat Georgia Tech. But is
either of those ACC opponents any dang good?
Outside the conference, the Cavaliers edged previously undefeated
Connecticut on Saturday, and the Hokies defeated respectable East
Carolina in September. But neither performance was of major-bowl
caliber. And let's not even get started on Virginia's season-opening
defeat at Wyoming (the mighty Cowboys fell by 17 at home Saturday to
New Mexico).
No objective observer who's watched the Cavaliers and Hokies
multiple times could possibly consider either a top-15 team. Could
they?
Even in a season replete with head-scratching results and devoid of
dominant teams, Virginia's lack of quality receivers and Virginia
Tech's of offensive linemen is startling. These shortcomings have
produced offenses more homely than Drew Carey in gym shorts.
Mercurial on his best days, Cavaliers quarterback Jameel Sewell
struggles without stretch-the-field receivers. Coaches inserted true
freshman Peter Lalich earlier this season to jar Sewell, and the
tactic worked -- Sewell improved, and Lalich quarterbacked a
decisive touchdown drive against downtrodden Duke. But lately Al
Groh and his staff appear content to ride Sewell.
Virginia Tech figured to ride returning all-ACC tailback Branden
Ore, but Ore arrived at training camp out of shape, negligence
exacerbated by the Hokies' lame blocking. Discounting Ore's five
short touchdown runs, 65 of his other 119 carries have netted 2
yards or fewer.
This bunch couldn't even block Division I-AA William and Mary. Nine
offensive linemen played that afternoon, and only one earned a
winning grade in the coaches' evaluation.
If not for good fortune, Cavaliers and Hokies fans might really be
in a lather. Cases in point: Tech's victory over North Carolina, and
Virginia's against Middle Tennessee State. With 1:34 remaining
against Middle Tennessee, Virginia called its final timeout. The
Blue Raiders led 21-20 and faced fourth-and-1 from their own 39.
When you're a 1-4 Sun Belt Conference team with a visiting ACC
opponent on the ropes, this is a no-brainer. Go for it. Get the
first down, run out the clock and celebrate a defining victory. But
Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill elected to punt, and Sewell
guided Virginia to a game-winning field goal.
Entering the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech, North Carolina
coach Butch Davis had not seen fit to use freshman tailback Anthony
Elzy. Trailing 17-3, Davis turned to the rookie.
Elzy responded with 74 yards on 11 carries and his team's only
touchdown in a 17-10 defeat that saw the Tar Heels inside Hokies'
territory in the closing moments. Had Elzy played earlier, there's
no telling what might have happened -- a week later he ran for 95
yards and a score in North Carolina's upset of Miami.
More daunting tests await Tech and Virginia. The Hokies close with
No. 3 Boston College, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami and
Virginia. The Cavaliers finish against Maryland, North Carolina
State, Wake Forest, Miami and Virginia Tech -- with the Hokies-Cavs
winner likely to play in the ACC championship game.
No telling whom the BCS computers will like by then, but for now
they say Tech is better than Florida, Virginia better than USC. To
which there is only one response:
Are they drunk?
U.VA. FOOTBALL NOTES
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007 - 12:06 AM
U.Va. players continue to miss out on practice
Virginia is likely to limp into its game at Maryland this weekend.
Neither tailback Cedric Peerman (foot) nor cornerback Chris Cook
practiced Monday, Al Groh said yesterday, though the Cavaliers'
coach added that he's "kind of waiting on a day-to-day basis to see
when we might get Chris back in there."
Peerman and Cook were hurt Oct. 6 at Middle Tennessee and didn't
play last weekend against Connecticut. Another starter, fullback
Rashawn Jackson, injured a hamstring on the first series against
UConn and missed the rest of the game.
Jackson didn't practice Monday either, Groh said, but "we're not
even going to try there for a couple of days."
Not all the injury news is bad for U.Va. Wide receiver Maurice
Covington, who returned to practice last week, might be able to play
Saturday night against the Terrapins, Groh said.
Covington, a 6-4, 215-pound junior, has been sidelined since Sept.
15, when he broke his left hand late in U.Va.'s win at North
Carolina. He has nine catches for 65 yards this season and, with
Kevin Ogletree still recovering from knee surgery, is probably
Virginia's top wideout.
Sibling rivalry for Cav
Branden Albert, a three-year starter at offensive guard for
Virginia, graduated from Glen Burnie High near Maryland. But he
spent most of his childhood in Rochester, N.Y., before moving to
Maryland, and Albert said yesterday that he considers himself "a New
York guy."
And his older brother Ashley Sims?
"He's a Maryland guy," Albert said.
Sims is a former defensive end for the Terrapins. The brothers'
relationship gets interesting as the U.Va.-Maryland game approaches
each year.
"Some days he calls me out of the blue and starts doing his little
Terp chant," Albert said, shaking his head. "It's nothing new. I'm
not worried about it."
Traffic equals problems for Cavs on trip north
The Cavaliers fly to most road games. They bus to Virginia Tech and
to Maryland, however, and D.C. area traffic always poses logistical
problems.
"That's the issue with going to Maryland on a Friday," Groh said.
"Our arrival in the area, to make it less than a five-hour trip,
literally, has to be before the Friday afternoon traffics clogs the
beltways."
The team will leave Charlottesville around noon Friday.
Groh wants more brute strength from Payne
Keith Payne is an imposing sight at tailback, but Groh would like to
see the the 6-3, 234-pound redshirt freshman deliver more blows to
defenders.
"He's a big back, but right now, he's not necessarily a punishing
back," Groh said. "He just happens to be a big back."
The 5-10, 208-pound Peerman, the ACC's second-leading rusher, is the
Cavaliers' most punishing back, Groh said, "because he's fashioned
his game around that style - not necessarily because he's a large
back, but he came to the realization that what he wasn't was a
scatback . . . It's a good example of a player coming to an
acceptance of who he is as a player."
Payne has carried 33 times for 124 yards and one touchdown this
season.
Former Cav Brown fighting cancer
Former U.Va. cornerback Philip Brown is battling cancer. He's had
surgery and faces weeks of chemotherapy, and an organization in his
hometown of Hampton is raising money to help defray Brown's medical
costs.
Brown, who starred at Phoebus High, started three games for Virginia
as a true freshman in 2004. He was suspended for academic reasons
the next year and never played for the Cavaliers again.
The Fox Hill Athletic Association is accepting donations. Please
make checks out to FHAA and send them to 100 Grundland Dr., Hampton,
Va., 23664. For more information, call John Stein at 757-850-9032.
- Jeff White
Groh: no QB controversy
Fans call for Lalich, but coach says Sewell is the Cavs' best option
now
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007 - 12:06 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
CHARLOTTESVILLE Spectators left Scott Stadium on Sept. 8 buzzing
about the poise and polish of quarterback Peter Lalich, a true
freshman who'd sparkled in the fourth quarter of Virginia's 24-13
victory over Duke.
Six weeks later, U.Va. fans are still talking about Lalich. But now
they're wondering why the former West Springfield High no longer
plays, a question posed by callers to Virginia coach Al Groh's radio
show Monday night.
Groh said repeatedly last month that he planned to use both
sophomore Jameel Sewell and Lalich at quarterback this season.
Lalich, however, hasn't played since Sept. 22, when he completed 4
of 10 passes for 56 yards in Virginia's 28-23 win over Georgia Tech.
Sewell, a Hermitage High graduate, is expected to make his 17th
straight start for U.Va. this weekend. Virginia (3-0, 6-1) visits
Maryland (1-1, 4-2) on Saturday night.
"I guess it's just a fan mentality," Groh said yesterday. "There's
always a fascination at that position with the player who's not
playing, unless it is Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.
"Our starting quarterback's won six games in a row. That's a pretty
fascinating thing. He brings some things to the offense that are
unique to his style that fit this team at this present time."
Sewell, a more elusive runner than Lalich, carried 16 times for a
team-high 66 yards in a 17-16 win over previously unbeaten
Connecticut last weekend. Virginia played without its leading
rusher, junior tailback Cedric Peerman, against UConn.
For the season, Sewell has completed 99 of 171 passes for 961 yards
and seven touchdowns, with five interceptions. Lalich, in four
appearances, is 27 of 43 passing for 260 yards and one TD. He's
thrown one pick.
On his radio show, Groh said Lalich "most likely will play some
more" this season. But the seventh-year coach isn't interested in
playing Lalich simply to keep Lalich happy.
"As long as everybody on the team always believes that every
decision is being made with the express purpose of winning the game,
then you have a pretty strong following," Groh said. "As soon as any
elements of the team think that the coach is making decisions based
on reasons other than, 'This gives us the best chance to win,' then
I think you're creating a difficult circumstance."
If Lalich ends up not playing again this season, critics will argue
that he should have been redshirted.
"That's people who aren't accountable for the results," Groh said.
"There are a couple games early in the year there that if you take [Lalich's]
production out of the game, the result might have been different.
And so if that only occurred in one game - if we won one more game
than we could have won as a result of his performance - it would
make everything worth it, which it clearly has.
"And we've got a whole half a season left to play here. Who knows?
He might be the ACC player of the year before it's all over with."
Neither Lalich nor Sewell was among the U.Va. players who stopped by
John Paul Jones Arena for interviews yesterday. But senior tight end
Jonathan Stupar spoke with reporters about the quarterback
situation.
"At the beginning of the year, they were both in there doing their
thing, they were both producing for us, and you kind of thought . .
. that's how it was going to be for the rest of the year," Stupar
said. "But whatever Coach Groh has decided to do is working, and
we're getting wins. It doesn't really matter to me which
quarterback's in there."
U.Va. notebook: Cavs seek first win at Maryland under Groh
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 17, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE
From fighting the D.C.-area traffic to dealing with the rude
receptions they have received at Byrd Stadium, the Virginia
Cavaliers haven't had much fun on their recent trips to Maryland.
Coach Al Groh's teams have made three visits to College Park during
his seven-year tenure at Virginia. They have lost all three.
Virginia visits Maryland again Saturday night in a game that will be
shown on ESPN2.
Groh was asked Tuesday whether there has been a common thread in
those losses, none closer than 10 points.
He shook his head.
"There's a way I would describe the commonality of all the games,
but I wouldn't use that word here," he said.
Maryland also stung Virginia in Charlottesville last year. Leading
20-0 at halftime, the Cavaliers gave up four straight touchdowns and
fell 28-26, a loss that was arguably the low point of the season.
"How we lost, some people might say that was devastating," guard
Branden Albert said. "That was last year. This is a new year."
For both teams. Virginia (6-1, 3-0 ACC) has won six straight.
Maryland (4-2, 1-1) has won two straight - against Rutgers and
Georgia Tech.
Maryland's offensive line, which averages 320 pounds per player,
fuels a running game that, at 162 yards per game, ranks second in
the ACC.
"It's just a good solid offense and a good solid running game," Groh
said.
Bad foot could sideline Peerman Saturday night
Virginia's running game could again be without tailback Cedric
Peerman, who missed last week's game with a foot injury. Peerman did
not practice Monday, Groh said.
Nor did cornerback Chris Cook, who missed last week with a sprained
knee, or fullback Rashawn Jackson, who left the game with a
hamstring injury.
Receiver Maurice Covington, however, might be available. Covington
has missed four games with a broken hand.
"If you'd asked me the question last week, I would have said no,"
Groh said. "This week he might be able to."
Bye-ing power? Cavs face another rested opponent
For the second straight week, Virginia will face an opponent coming
off an open week. Connecticut had two weeks to prepare for last
Saturday's game. Maryland hasn't played since beating Georgia Tech
on Oct. 6.
Groh said facing teams that have had two weeks to prepare in
successive weeks is "a little bit of a handicap, (but) you can't
make a phone call and change it."
"It is what it is," he said. "Every team gets a bye. We play two
teams in a row that have been focusing on us twice as long as we've
been focusing on them. It's that simple."
Virginia doesn't get an open date until Nov. 17, right before the
regular-season finale against Virginia Tech.
Groh brushes off ranking
Groh's reaction to Virginia, No. 24 in the USA Today poll, breaking
into the rankings for the first time in two years:
"We don't even pay any attention to it," he said. "Those ratings at
this time of year are strictly for your ego. The only two spots that
mean anything are 1 and 2. If you're ranked 1 and you're ranked 2,
that means, if you win out, you're in the championship game.
"Outside of that, it means nothing."
Panthers' error led to Groh's decision
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With less than four minutes remaining Saturday,
Virginia faced a fourth-and-goal at Connecticut's 1-yard line and
had its choice of kicking a go-ahead field goal or going for a
touchdown.
As he listened to members of his staff say "kick it," Groh's
thoughts turned to a game that had occurred earlier in the week.
Navy defeated Pittsburgh 48-45 in double overtime after the Panthers
passed up a game-tying field goal and threw an interception on
fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
"I didn't watch the conclusion of the game Wednesday night," Groh
said, "but when I got up early, I saw the end of the game on Sports
Center.
"Maybe, if I hadn't seen that, I would have gone for it."
Instead, Groh showed no hesitation in calling for place-kicker Chris
Gould, whose 19-yard field goal lifted Virginia past the Huskies
17-16.
There was a temptation to go for a touchdown because UConn could
have regained the lead with a field goal of its own.
"If you go for [the touchdown] and don't make it, you can lose the
game on one play," Groh said. "Once you make the field goal, it's
going to take a combination of plays to beat you."
n Groh said he would have made the same call as Connecticut when
Huskies' coach Randy Edsall elected to kick an extra point after a
touchdown that whittled UVa's lead to 14-12 with 10:31 remaining in
the third quarter. A successful two-point conversion would have come
in handy later on.
"I don't know what the chart says about that," said Groh, referring
to a guide that pertains specifically to the one- versus two-point
dilemma. "At that stage, it was still early. We would have done the
same thing."
Lalich watch
The first call that Groh received on his radio show Monday night
concerned backup quarterback Peter Lalich, a true freshman who has
not played in the past three games.
Groh's understanding is that Lalich has played in too many games
(four) to be eligible for a hardship waiver and "he most likely will
play some more," Groh said. "He's an important component of what
we're trying to do."
Injuries at wide receiver have required the Cavaliers to rely more
on their running game, specifically the option pitch, for which
starter Jameel Sewell is more athletically suited than Lalich.
"Our starting quarterback has won six games in a row; that's a
pretty fascinating thing," said Groh at his weekly Tuesday news
conference. "He brings some things to the offense that are unique to
his style [and] fit this team at the present time.
"With our leading ball-carrier out of the game last Saturday, which
clearly made a difference, he was able to rush for 60-some odd
yards. Take that 60 or 65 yards out of it and our rushing total
[148] wasn't very impressive.
Injuries
Groh made it sound as if wide receiver Maurice Covington, who has
missed four games with a broken hand, is the injured starter with
the best chance of returning to the field when the Cavaliers visit
Maryland at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Groh indicated that Covington had taken turns in practice last week
and that the Cavaliers are "looking at upping" his repetitions this
week.
Two other injured players, tailback Cedric Peerman and cornerback
Chris Cook, did not participate in practice Monday. Groh said that
Cook is day-to-day but offered no information about Peerman, who is
not listed by UVa on its depth chart.
Groh said that Virginia's injury situation hasn't been anything out
of the ordinary, "but, if you had tried to list four or five of our
top offensive threats going into the spring, three of them aren't
available," he said.
In addition to Covington and Peerman, who has a sprained foot, UVa
lost top returning wide receiver Kevin Ogletree to a torn anterior
cruciate ligament in the spring.
n Fullback Rashawn Jackson, who came up lame on a 9-yard reception
on Virginia's first offensive play, will not return to practice
until later in the week at the earliest.
UVa will have four walk-ons in its starting lineup if Josh Zidenberg
takes Jackson's place.
Odds 'n' ends
Ryan Weigand ranks third in Division I-A in punting, but UVa has not
cracked the top 10 in net punting, which would suggest an absence of
hang time or unsuccessful coverage. However, three of Weigand's four
punts went unreturned Saturday and the fourth resulted in a 2-yard
return. He averaged 45.5 yards. ... Of the Cavaliers' 14 fumbles
this season, five have come on returns by Vic Hall and Andrew
Pearman. UVa has lost six of its fumbles. ... Virginia is the only
team in the country with four wins by five points or fewer.
U.VA. BASKETBALL NOTES
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007 - 12:06 AM
Leitao says complement to star will be found
Singletary and Reynolds. Those names dominated conversations about
University of Virginia basketball during Dave Leitao's first two
seasons as coach.
Sean Singletary, of course, is back for his final season at U.Va.
But J.R. Reynolds is on another continent, playing professionally in
Italy.
"It feels different that he's not around," Singletary acknowledged
yesterday during media day at John Paul Jones Arena.
Singletary, a 6-0 guard, led the Cavaliers in scoring last season,
averaging 19 points. Reynolds (18.4 ppg), a 6-2 guard, was close
behind. U.Va.'s No. 3 and 4 scorers, respectively, were swingman
Mamadi Diane (9.6) and small forward Adrian Joseph (7.2), and both
are back.
"We won't have the 1-2 punch like that, obviously, because J.R. was
so good in that way, but I'm comfortable and confident that someone
- and it may be one of those two guys - will step up into that
role," Leitao said.
All four of Virginia's scholarship freshmen are gifted offensively:
guards Sammy Zeglinski, Jeff Jones and Mustapha Farrakhan and power
forward Mike Scott.
Farrakhan, a 6-3 left-hander, can "really, really shoot the
basketball. I mean, really shoot the basketball," Leitao said. "And
I find, as much as I thought that we could shoot the ball last year,
that we have the potential to be as good, if not better, because
we've added some people like Mustapha that can really shoot."
U.Va. figures to have four 3-point shooters on the court together
frequently this season. Three of its power forwards - Scott, Will
Harris and Jamil Tucker - are capable perimeter shooters.
Zeglinski will have to prove his worth
Zeglinski, who was three grades behind Singletary at Penn Charter
School in Philadelphia, plays point guard. That's also Singletary's
primary position, but Leitao won't put his All-America candidate
next to Zeglinski in the backcourt.
If Zeglinski "proves himself worthy, he'll be on the floor," Leitao
said. "And if we have a scenario where they both play together, I
think that would be good. And as much as I just said Sammy can find
[open teammates], I think Sean would enjoy somebody finding him, as
opposed to him finding somebody all the time."
Medical tests 'A-OK' for Mikalauskas
Absent from U.Va.'s first few practices was 6-8 junior Lars
Mikalauskas, who was taken to the hospital last week after
experiencing shortness of breath. Leitao said doctors did "a battery
of tests, and everything checked out A-OK," and so Mikalauskas was
expected to start practicing yesterday.
A native of Lithuania, Mikalauskas averaged 3.7 points and 2
rebounds last season.
Coach is targeting guard and 7-footer
Virginia has commitments from two recruits for 2008-09, and Leitao
would like to add two more: 6-4 guard Elliot Williams and 7-footer
Assane Sene.
Williams, a Memphis, Tenn., resident whom Rivals.com ranks No. 16 in
the Class of 2008, has taken official visits to Duke, Virginia,
Tennessee and Memphis. He's expected to announce his choice this
month. At U.Va., Williams formed a friendship with Singletary, and
they've stayed in touch.
"I've been in communication with him, like, two or three times a
week," Singletary said. "I don't want to seem like I'm bugging him
or nothing, but I try to talk to him as much as I can and just tell
him how it feels to help turn something around. It feels great."
Sene, who's from Senegal, is a senior at South Kent School in
Connecticut. He took an official visit to Virginia late last month
and "absolutely loved" it, South Kent coach Raphael Chillious said.
Sene visited Connecticut last weekend and will visit Syracuse this
weekend, after which his decision may come.
U.Va.'s position with Sene remains extremely strong, Chillious told
The Times-Dispatch yesterday. - Jeff White
Virginia still in hunt for Sene
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 17, 2007
Virginia legend Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon once formed the
“Twin Towers” while playing for the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
Could a college version of the Twin Towers be on the way to
Charlottesville?
On Tuesday, 6-foot-11, 220-pound high school center Assane Sene told
The Daily Progress that he wouldn’t be opposed to playing next to
John Brandenburg, another highly regarded post player who verbally
committed to Virginia on Sunday.
That’s great news for UVa, since some observers believed the
Cavaliers might be out of the Sene Sweepstakes after Brandenburg’s
signing.
“He’s a big man and I’m a big man” said Sene, by telephone from his
high school in Connecticut, “but maybe he does some things that I
don’t do and I do some things that he [doesn’t].
“We can both do different things.”
With Brandenburg and New York City guard Sylven Landesberg already
in the fold, Virginia has one scholarship remaining for its 2008
class. Sources say UVa would have no issues giving it to another big
man such as Sene, even though 5-star, program-vaulting guard Elliot
Williams of Memphis remains at the top of its wishlist.
Sene, who attends South Kent High, took his official visit to
Virginia during the last weekend in September.
Hosted by UVa sophomore Solomon Tat, Sene took in some of the men’s
soccer game against Virginia Tech that had a record crowd of nearly
8,000 fans. Then he watched the football team hammer Pittsburgh.
Sene, a native of Senegal, said he has formed a close friendship
with Tat, who is from Nigeria. Both players speak French fluently.
“Some nights I call him,” Sene said. “We talk a lot.”
Virginia’s toughest competition for Sene appears to be Connecticut.
Sene took his official visit to Storrs last weekend. However, Sene
said he is also planning visits to Syracuse and Maryland.
How do Virginia and UConn compare?
“I like both schools,” said Sene, who hopes to make his decision
sometime in early November. “But I want to take my time and think
about all the schools.
“I want to go to a school where I like everything about it - the
school and the coaches and the program. I have to do what is in my
heart because it is me that has to spend three or four years there.”
The Pride is back
Junior big man Lars Mikalauskas was set to take part in his first
practice of the season on Tuesday after being cleared medically. The
Lithuanian experienced shortness of breath during a workout last
week that required a trip to the hospital.
“The pride of Lithuania is back,” joked the 6-8, 246-pounder during
Virginia Basketball Media Day on Tuesday. “It’s all good and I’m
ready to be back. It’s exciting.
“[The incident] was scary, but at the same time, what’s meant to
happen is meant to happen.”
Mikalauskas said his shoulder, which gave him some issues during the
summer, is feeling OK.
“It feels good,” he said. “I feel fresh and ready to go.”
New number
Sophomore Will Harris changed his uniform number to 43 this season
so that freshman Jeff Jones could wear No. 1.
“I’m not really big on numbers and he really wanted it,” Harris
explained. “I wanted to make him feel comfortable coming in, so I
let him have it. It wasn’t that big of a deal to me.”
Harris, who said no money exchanged hands in the transaction, picked
No. 43 because it adds up to 7.
“Growing up, I always wanted to wear No. 7, but you can’t wear that
in college basketball, so I tried to be a little funky with it - and
original - because not a lot of players wear 43.”
College players can’t wear No. 7 because of the referees’ hand
signals for fouls.
Road trip
Seniors Sean Singletary and Adrian Joseph will represent Virginia at
ACC Media Day on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.
Groh wary of Maryland's offense
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 17, 2007
A Maryland football fan would have been in heaven.
Early in his weekly press conference inside John Paul Jones Arena,
Virginia coach Al Groh spent a few minutes gushing over the players
on Maryland’s offense.
Was it a classic case of coachspeak?
A true answer for that will not come until Saturday when the Cavs
(6-1, 3-0 ACC) return to league play in College Park, Md., against
the Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC).
“It’s a real good group of tight ends. It’s a good line. There are
two really good backs,” Groh said. “It’s just a good solid offense
and a good solid running game.”
Yet through six games, Maryland ranks fifth in the ACC in total
offense and sixth in scoring offense.
Groh knows there is a reason for that - the Terps have dominated
time of possession by pounding the ball on the ground for an average
of 162 yards.
Maryland, in fact, is the only ACC program that boasts a pair of
running backs in the top 10 in the league in rushing. Keon Lattimore
and Lance Ball, two seniors listed at 223 pounds, have combined for
911 rushing yards and 15 of the Terps’ 20 touchdowns.
“You have two players who, when they finish their careers, are going
to be among the most productive backs in Maryland football history,”
Groh said. “Anytime that can be said about a player, that pretty
well distinguishes them both amongst their current contemporaries in
this conference and those people that have preceded them.
“They’re two very, very good backs. They have size. They have
elusiveness. They have speed.”
Ball and Lattimore have help - Maryland’s offensive line features
three players who weigh at least 324 pounds.
“Anytime backs are productive to the degree that they have been,
obviously there has to be a lot of good work going on up front,”
Groh said. “It’s by far the largest group that we will have played
against. There will be some matchups there where there will be a 50-
to 60-pound difference between our defensive player who is matched
up on them.
“There will be a couple of cases there with a couple of linebackers
where there will be a 100-pound difference. We certainly have that
to overcome.”
Injury update
There is a chance, albeit an unknown percentage, that wide receiver
Maurice Covington will return this weekend, Groh said.
Covington, who made nine catches for 65 yards in the first three
games this season, has been sidelined the past month with a broken
bone in his hand.
“He might be able to play,” Groh said.
Cornerback Chris Cook, a junior, may also return to practice this
week, but he did not participate Monday and continues to rehab
following a knee injury.
“We are kinda waiting on a day-to-day basis when we might get Chris
back in there,” Groh said.
Running back Cedric Peerman, who ranks second in the ACC in rushing,
was also held out Monday and remains on crutches with a foot injury.
His return seems doubtful for Maryland.
“We can’t wait to get him back,” said Virginia tight end Jon Stupar.
Using the ranking?
It would seem logical that Virginia recruiting coordinator Bob Price
would use the Cavaliers’ ranking in the BCS and coaches’ poll to his
advantage with prospective players.
Groh, maintaining the mentality that the ranking does not matter,
chuckled that off on Tuesday.
“If [Price] gets outside the philosophy of the program then we will
deal with him in the appropriate manner,” Groh said.
Virginia has 13 recruits committed for the Class of 2008. The group
is ranked 39th nationally by Rivals.com.
The rollercoaster ride
Few would argue that Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell can be hot
and cold in regards to his completion percentage.
To open the contest against Connecticut, Sewell was 2 for 5 with an
interception.
“I haven’t given it much thought. He is not trying to be streaky,”
Groh said. “He would like to complete 18 or 20 in a row, as would
we.
“He’s not trying to miss ’em. It’s just the nature of the player’s
game right now. We deal with it as it comes up.”
For the season, Sewell has completed 57.9 percent of his passes.
Standing out on special teams
Tom Santi’s claim to fame involves catching passes and finding the
end zone.
Against UConn, however, Santi threw out an ailing shoulder on a punt
return to make his first unassisted tackle of the season.
“That was a heck of a play,” Groh said. “That really showed Tommy’s
versatility.”
Groh said the play served as another flag-bearing play for a veteran
in his program, too.
“As much as anything, I think it was another example of the
mentality of the team,” he added. “Here is one of the star players
of the team giving that type of effort in a critical special teams
play and laying it on the line and making that kind of play.
“When you have your first-team players and your star players taking
on whatever task that you ask them to, it shows the mindset of the
entire team.”
Extra points …
Virginia true freshman Peter Lalich remains a hot topic among many
followers of the team. The rookie played in the first four games of
the season, but has not appeared since. Groh knows why.
“First of all, I guess it’s just a fan mentality, there’s always a
fascination at that position with the player that is not playing
unless it is Tom Brady or Peyton Manning,” the coach pointed out.
“There is a fascination in Philadelphia with the guy who is behind
Donovan McNabb even though he has never played.
“Our starting quarterback has won six games in a row. That’s a
pretty fascinating thing.”
… When asked about wide receiver Chris Gorham emerging as a key
player in Virginia’s offense, Groh found a problem with a word
inserted into the question. “I feel a little bit restrained in the
term ‘go-to,’” Groh said. “I think Randy Moss is a go-to receiver,
but [Gorham] certainly stepped up and did a nice job for us on three
really significant plays.”
… Virginia will bus to Maryland for Saturday’s game, which will be
the team’s lone bus trip this season. The team will depart on
Friday. … The Cavaliers rank 22nd in the country in scoring defense,
allowing 18.6 points per contest. That stands fifth in the league
behind Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Boston
College.
Cavs stuck in the Potomac muck
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
October 17, 2007
For nine long years, former Maryland football coaches Mark Duffner
and Ron Vanderlinden tried their darnedest to make the annual
meeting with Virginia a major rivalry game.
As border wars go, this wasn’t one to get overly excited about.
George Welsh saw to that as he guided the Cavaliers to nine straight
wins during those two coaches’ eras in College Park.
The Fridge’s opening
Along came Ralph Friedgen and everything changed.
The Fridge, the round man of college football, paid about as much
attention to the Terps’ past failures against Virginia as he did to
Jenny Craig or NutriSystem. Since his arrival at Maryland, the
Terrapins have won four of the six meetings, including all of them
played at Byrd Stadium.
Wanna see Al Groh cringe? Just mention his Cavaliers’ lack of
success at Byrd.
When the subject came up during Groh’s weekly press conference on
Tuesday afternoon, and the Virginia coach was asked if he had ever
exited Byrd Stadium and felt like his team had played well, but was
beaten by a team that played better, it didn’t take Groh more than a
heartbeat to come up with a reply.
“No,” Groh said. “There’s a way I would describe the commonality of
all of [those losses], but I won’t use the word here.”
We don’t think he was implying one of our favorite words, “Bullfeathers.”
Even if he had chosen a more descriptive way to sum up UVa’s lack of
success just outside the beltway, we couldn’t have printed it in a
family newspaper. But you get the picture. It hasn’t been pretty.
Terps have Cavs’ number
UVa’s losses have been by 20, 10 and 12 on those three visits across
the Potomac. Each time, the Terrapins have had their way, often
manhandling the Cavaliers in embarrassing fashion. In two of those
games, Maryland put up more than 40 points on the Wahoos.
If that’s not enough sticking in Virginia’s collective crawls, then
last year’s turn of events in Charlottesville certainly is a recent
reminder of what can happen if a team goes to sleep for a moment
against the Terps. The Cavs led 20-0 at halftime and lost 28-26.
Senior defensive end Chris Long has often referred to taking mental
pictures from losing efforts and then pulling them out the following
year for motivation.
Well, he and his teammates had several Kodak moments in last year’s
game after surrendering 21 points in the fourth quarter alone.
These mental snapshots also come with a soundtrack, the one of
Maryland players celebrating wildly in their locker room, which
reverberated all through the Bryant Hall facility in Scott Stadium
that day.
As always, Virginia will bus up to Maryland on Friday, hoping to
dodge beltway congestion. This time, the Cavaliers will be wearing a
target, compliments of the season’s first BCS rankings, which
identified the Wahoos as the nation’s 19th-best football team.
While the computers that spit out the rankings are buying into
Virginia’s six-game winning streak, chances are the Terrapins are
not. No one really knows how good the Cavaliers really are at this
point.
Certainly they’ve risen to the occasion, have gotten some hair-chested
defensive play when it meant the most, and some spectacular
offensive play in the clutch.
But Saturday night in College Park will reveal more about this
Virginia team than all the previous outings of the season. This is a
place where the Cavaliers have not only been beaten in the past,
it’s a place where they’ve been beaten up.
Speaking of which, there’s no wonder that Groh has tried to adopt a
Joe Frazier mentality for his football team. He could have picked
Muhammad Ali, float like a butterfly, sting like a bee; or Sugar Ray
Leonard, one of those guys that moved around the ring.
But no. Groh chose Frazier, a stand-in-the-middle-of-the-ring guy,
throwing punches, taking punches, may the best man win.
Groh, who likes to use analogies, took the pugilistic route for a
purpose. His team is not flashy (well, except maybe when Vic Hall
gets loose). Offensive lineman Branden Albert said Tuesday that it’s
not a “sexy” team.
Virginia has been a team that has found ways to win, sometimes in
spite of itself.
It’s the kind of football team that slugs it out and for the past
six weeks has been the one left standing at the end.
“We’ve become comfortable with the awareness of who we are as a
team, and that’s how we have to try to play the games,” Groh said.
The players have bought into this kind of “Rock ’Em, Sock ’Em
Robots” mentality even though none of Virginia’s players were even
alive when Smokin’ Joe retired.
Goes to show the impact of ESPN Classic and video games on today’s
generation.
“Smokin’ Joe,” grinned UVa tight end John Phillips. “He’s still in
video games. I always pick him when we play.”
Getting back to the real game, though, the Virginia-Maryland border
war is alive and well. The Fridge owns the upper hand and some
Cavaliers never hear the end of it.
Take Albert for example. The native New Yorker played the last years
of his high school ball in Glen Burnie outside Baltimore. His
brother, Ashley, went to Maryland and never lets big Branden forget
it.
“He calls me up and does Terp chants on the phone,” Albert said,
obviously annoyed by the good-natured razzing from his sibling. “He
says, ‘Go Terps, Go Terps,’ and then sings a little fight song.”
Maryland, a four-point favorite this week, has had a lot to sing
about since the Friedgen vs. Groh era began at the respective
schools. Both said this week that it was a big rivalry when they
each played at Maryland and Virginia, a day they would mark on the
calendar before the season began.
For one of these teams come Saturday night, it will be a day that
could make their season.
Maybe, this time Albert will get to do the singing.
Singletary's return is a huge relief
Sean Singletary is ready for an unforgettable senior season after
pulling out of the NBA draft.
BY MELINDA WALDROP | 247-4634
8:49 PM EDT, October 16, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Dave Leitao got an unexpected example earlier
this week of what his Virginia basketball team might have looked
like this season had Sean Singletary not decided to come back for
his senior season.
Singletary fell awkwardly in practice Monday and went to the
training room for treatment on his back. That left Leitao coaching a
team without its two-time all-ACC point guard, who flirted with
turning pro after his junior season.
"Without him in the gym, I got a quick sense of what the team would
look like had he not come back, and probably that was the time I
realized how happy I am that he's here," Leitao said during
Tuesday's basketball media day. "Not only because he's a terrific
player, but he adds so much to our existence as a program right now.
(He's) one of the carryovers from last year's success and obviously
the main cog in it, but more important (is) his presence."
Singletary declared for the NBA draft April 24 and spent the summer
working out for pro scouts, who were impressed with his shooting and
ability to create offense, but concerned about his small size and
decision-making. Singletary said the NBA tour made him mentally
tougher, but he announced June 18 -- the deadline for players to
withdraw their names -- that he was returning to Virginia.
"I was pretty close to staying in the draft," said Singletary, a
preseason All-America selection by Collegehoops.net. "I just had a
long talk with my parents and the core people around me, and I feel
as though this was the best decision. So I'm sticking with it, and I
believe 100 percent that the best thing I could have done is come
back to school."
With Singletary's 19 points and 4.7 assists per game back, the
Cavaliers' chances of improving on last season's 21-11 record and
going back to the NCAA tournament increase.
"It's a big, big, big relief," said sophomore forward Will Harris,
who started three of the 32 games he played last year, averaging 3.6
points and 3.2 rebounds. "I think Sean helps us out a lot more
because we don't lose all of our leadership. The younger guys don't
have to step up as much as we will next year when Sean is gone."
But someone will have to help replace the 18 points per game that
shooting guard J.R. Reynolds averaged last year as a senior.
"I don't think we're gonna have a primary second scorer like that,
but we'll have somebody -- we'll have to see -- after Sean who will
score a number of points," Leitao said. Early, obvious candidates
are juniors Adrian Joseph (7.2 points per game) and Mamadi Diane
(9.6).
"I'm looking forward to taking a lot more shots, making a lot more
shots, and just contributing in all parts of the game," Joseph said.
Singletary -- who has been plagued by hip problems and assorted
injuries stemming from the toll his all-out play takes on his
6-foot, 180-pound body -- anticipates his healthiest season at
Virginia. He's fully participating in practice and works out with a
gusto that he says has him in the best shape of his career.
"I'm able to slide to the ball a lot better," he said. "I'm able to
defend a lot better. I'm able to get out and run a lot more. I just
feel good. At the end of the day, I feel good. ... Whatever I
accomplished last year, I want to do that, plus."
Singletary's role this season could look a little different if
freshman Sammy Zeglinski earns enough playing time at point guard to
allow Singletary to be a shooting guard. But wherever Singletary is
on the floor, he'll be the center of attention.
"There's no secret around this league or anywhere that Sean is our
best player on the team, and as a result he's probably going to take
more shots and be at the point of attack and in the middle of things
more often than not," Leitao said. "But (Sean) is a smart guy. He
knows he's not gonna do it alone, he knows he hasn't done it alone
in the past. We're not gonna be successful because he's a one-man
wrecking crew."
UVa trying to be 'Tight End U.'
By MELINDA WALDROP | mwaldrop@dailypress.com ¦ 247-4634
5:13 PM EDT, October 16, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- - Virginia's game notes tout U.Va. as "Tight
End U," and so far this season, the Cavaliers are living up to that
nickname.
The Cavs' top two receivers are tight ends, and six of the team's
eight touchdown catches are by tight ends, who clearly play a more
glamorous role at Virginia than some of their blocking-specific
counterparts at other programs.
"It's something that we all look forward to," said senior Jonathan
Stupar, who is second on the team with 22 catches for 181 yards and
a touchdown. "Our offensive line is doing a phenomenal job this year
protecting (quarterback) Jameel (Sewell), and it's something that
we've been able to ride on. ... If you want to make a university
known for their tight ends, you can't just have one running around
out there."
Senior Tom Santi leads all Cavs with 23 catches for 284 yards and
three TDs, while junior John Phillips, the third member of the tight
end triumvirate, has eight catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Phillips, who had four catches for 92 yards and one TD in his
previous two seasons, also put up points in high school. As a senior
at Bath County in Warm Springs, he caught 40 passes for 714 yards
and five touchdowns.
"He was a good basketball player. He was a good baseball player,"
U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "... It was easy to see his ability to
handle the ball."
After Santi and Stupar, the Cavaliers' next-leading receiver is
injured tailback Cedric Peerman, who has 12 catches for 99 yards.
STICKING BY SEWELL
The Cavs' leading rusher in last Saturday's 17-16 victory against
Connecticut was Sewell, who had 66 yards on 16 carries, which tied a
career high. Sewell also threw for 149 yards and a touchdown, but
continued a trend of costly mistakes with two interceptions. The
second led to the Huskies' third-quarter touchdown.
"We clearly have to get those out of our system," Groh said. "These
last two games have been pretty hard-fought games. Our players have
done a good job of overcoming adversities and fighting back and not
getting discouraged by them, but ... we just can't continue to do
those things. It makes it too easy for the other team, and too hard
for us."
Sewell rebounded from the pick to lead a game-winning drive, just as
he did the week before at Middle Tennessee.
"Jameel's a great athlete, and you put a ball in a great athlete's
hands, he's going to make plays," Phillips said. "We're behind him
100 percent and we know that he's going to make plays. Everybody
makes mistakes. He's just in a spotlight role, so when he makes a
mistake, he gets criticized a lot."
BRING MORE PAYNE
In his first start, redshirt freshman Keith Payne had 42 yards and a
touchdown on 11 carries. But Groh sees plenty of room for
improvement for Payne while Peerman, who didn't practice on Monday,
recovers from a foot injury.
"He's a big back, but right now, he's not necessarily a punishing
back," Groh said. "He just happens to be a big back. The most
punishing back we have on the team is Cedric, because he's fashioned
his game around that style."