Groh, Cavs ready for Terps
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 20, 2007

In 1966, Al Groh experienced something he has never accomplished since: he coached an undefeated team.

That 10-0 campaign came as an assistant with Albemarle High. Thirty-one years later, Groh is in search of a different coaching conquest - with a victory today, the 63-year-old will boast a winning percentage over .500 in the college ranks for the first time in his career.

Becoming 75-74 all-time will be tricky, however, and requires exorcising past demons in College Park, Md.

After winning nine straight in the rivalry, a streak that started in 1992, Virginia (6-1, 3-0 ACC) has lost four of the last six against Maryland (4-2, 1-1 ACC).

During that skid, the Cavaliers have failed to win at Byrd Stadium and enter as 4-point underdogs.

Yet, it is Virginia that is ranked No. 19 in the Bowl Championship Series ratings and No. 24 in the coaches poll.

“Those ratings at this time of year are strictly for your ego,” Groh said. “The only two spots that mean anything are 1 and 2 … that’s means if you win out, then you’re in the championship game.

“Outside of that, it means nothing.”

Getting ranked required a six-game winning streak - with the latest victory coming against Connecticut last Saturday, 17-16 - and took steady improvement after a season-opening stunner at Wyoming.

“We are a much different team than we were Week 1,” said Virginia defensive end Chris Long. “That’s what coach Groh talks about, you just chip away each week and we try to play each game one at a time and get better each week.

“I feel like in some fashions we are and in some fashions we probably took a step back [against UConn], but we won. We are going to continue to try and do that.”

A focal point for Virginia today lies in its ability to avoid turnovers. Against UConn, quarterback Jameel Sewell threw a pair of interceptions that led to 10 points.

“We clearly have to get those out of our system,” Groh said. “Our players have done a good job of overcoming adversities and fighting back and not getting discouraged by them, but the reality is that we have given the other team the ball three times from the 13-yard line in.

“To play the type of game that is going to be this team’s style this year, it doesn’t mean that it is the chosen style or the preferred one, it’s the one that’s best for this team and the one that this team is most capable of. We just can’t continue to do those things. It makes it too easy for the other team and too hard for us.”

Maryland, which is riding a two-game winning streak, has thrived on creating turnovers, gaining 14 thus far this season. That has helped the Terps dominate time of possession, a category in which they rank sixth in the country.

Ralph Friedgen, Maryland’s veteran coach, is not buying into Virginia’s turnover woes.

“They’re a veteran team,” he said. “They’re very sound; they don’t turn the ball over, they don’t have a lot of penalties, they don’t beat themselves. They’re playing very sound.”

Sewell, who has seven touchdown passes and five interceptions, wishes that was always the case, but the most important number to him and his teammates resides in the win column.

“He is just cool, calm and collected in there in the pocket,” said Virginia right guard Ian-Yates Cunningham. “He does what he does. When crunch time comes and when he needs to step up, that is what he does and he gets us in position to win.”

Sewell will be missing one of his weapons, but will gain the services of some pass-catching options. Running back Cedric Peerman, who has a foot injury, will not play, but the Cavaliers may elect to play wideout Maurice Covington and/or wideout Kevin Ogletree, who worked with the first-team offense this week.

 

Cavs' tight ends are tight-knit
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
October 20, 2007

Should Virginia’s football team exit Byrd Stadium late tonight with another victory in the Cavaliers’ hip pocket, more than likely their tight ends had another very good game.

One of the keys to UVa’s six-game winning streak has been the production by its three-tight end unit of Tom Santi, Jon Stupar and John Phillips. During a season where the Cavaliers have struggled to establish a go-to wide receiver, the role of the tight ends has been even more important.

“Very much so,” agreed coach Al Groh. “They have embraced that particular role. They saw the opportunity for them to step up in that fashion. They were anxious for that opportunity in general and they enthusiastically jumped on it.”

Tight End U

Certainly the tight end position has been a valuable one in Groh’s offense for the past 6 1/2 years, with high production in most every season but last year when a young offensive line struggled to protect rookie quarterback Jameel Sewell. That meant the tight ends often had to emphasize their roles as blockers and protectors rather than the more preferred “receivers” portion of the job.

Now that the line has its act together and UVa’s wide receivers have struggled to establish themselves as consistent threats, a lot of the Cavaliers’ passing game has centered around the tight ends once again.

After seven games, Virginia’s top two leading receivers are Santi and Stupar. Phillips doesn’t have as many catches, but usually makes his count for either a first down or a touchdown.

Changing roles

The triumvirate has accounted for six of UVa’s eight TD receptions, and combined for 53 catches and 460 yards.

Those figures have already surpassed last year’s 12-game production of the three: 46 receptions, 430 yards and a mere one touchdown.

“Last year was a little disappointing, but you have to realize my job just changed a little bit,” said Stupar, who has 22 catches for 181 yards and a score already this season. He only had 15 catches all of last year.

“I went from catching a lot of passes [in 2005] to helping block and securing the line of scrimmage,” Stupar said of last season’s role. “But it helped me raise my game in being able to block as well.”

Stupar was the top-rated tight end prospect in the nation coming out of high school in State College, Pa.

He was definitely influenced by how Groh chose to showcase the tight ends in UVa’s passing offense.

Certainly it was easy to impress prospective tight end recruits in those days with quarterback Matt Schaub’s success in getting the ball to All-American tight end Heath Miller. Both are making their living by playing on Sundays nowadays.

Stupar said he was well aware of UVa’s tight end tradition before he chose to come to Charlottesville.

“They had Billy Baber and Chris Luzar before Heath (Miller) and Pat (Estes),” Stupar said. “That was definitely a big reason that I chose Virginia. As a tight end you want to lean more toward an offense that’s going to be throwing the ball to the tight end, rather than just having you block. That’s how we tight ends are ... we like catching the ball more than just blocking.”

That has been Virginia’s M.O. Cavalier tight ends have caught 368 passes for 4,247 and 36 TD during the Groh regime, by far the best figures in the ACC over that span. No other team in the league has come close to using its tight ends so effectively.

No wonder Groh likes to refer to his program as “Tight End U.”

“If you want to make a university known for its tight ends you can’t just have one running around out there,” Stupar said. “You’ve got to have a couple.”

Virginia has its share. Joe Torchia, a highly sought-after tight end, was redshirted as a freshman last season and is still an understudy waiting in the wings for his chance. Plus, there’s more of them stacking the deck behind Torchia.

“That’s how it has been since I’ve been here, three tight ends,” said Phillips, who hails from Bath County. “We have our things that we each do well, but the coaches do a good job of getting us all in there, mixing and matching us, and sometimes putting three tight ends in the game at the same time.”

Trying to figure out all the options Virginia might have with a trio of tight ends in simultaneously can drive a defensive coordinator nuts.

While Phillips may be considered the most effective blocker, he has pass-catching skills, too. He only has eight catches, but two of those accounted for touchdowns, including a big one in the win over previously unbeaten Connecticut last weekend in a 17-16 victory. He also caught a TD pass, his first since 2005, in the Middle Tennessee comeback win the week before.

Last week, Stupar hauled in a 14-yard catch for a first down to start UVa’s winning drive in that game in a play that was reviewed. From there, his teammates helped move the ball methodically down the field before Santi caught an 8-yarder for a first down at the UConn 8, leading to Chris Gould’s winning field goal.

“It’s really a tight end unit,” Phillips said. “It’s not first guy, second guy, third guy. We feed off each other, learn from each other.”

UConn tried its best to shut down UVa’s tight ends and with good reason. Santi, perhaps the most lethal playmaker of the group and its best downfield threat, averages 12.3 yards per catch and has a 45-yarder to his credit this season.

Meanwhile, Stupar averages 8.2 yards per catch and Phillips 9.4.

“UConn did a good job of trying to control us, but [Phillips] had a great touchdown catch,” Stupar said. “Hopefully, no one can shut us down as a group.”

If any team does, it will probably mean that Virginia lost the game.

Tonight, Tight End U might have to have its best game of the season as a three-headed monster in order for the Cavs to extend their winning streak.

Somewhere out there, we bet there’s some other tight end prospects taking notice.

 

Parr has potential at DE
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 20, 2007

Allen Billyk cracked a quick smile.

Virginia’s starting nose tackle tried desperately to keep a straight face, but he lost that battle.

Quite frankly, Billyk has been thoroughly impressed by a player flying under the radar in Virginia’s program.

Zane Parr, a two-star recruit that drew little fanfare when he committed a year ago, possesses a special ability uncommon to rookie defensive linemen headed for a redshirt.

“He uses his hands so well,” Billyk said. “Most young guys rely on power because that’s all you need in high school. Not Zane. He is great with his hands.”

Parr, who is from Williamsport, Pa., said he has worked with assistant coach Levern Belin and a blocking “bag” during numerous practices and quickly bought into defensive coordinator Mike London’s philosophy.

“It is really technique and knowing what coach London is talking about when he says your hands come out first,” said Parr, who played in a 3-4 defense in high school. “That’s the main part of being a defensive lineman. I just work on it and take some time on my own to get ready.”

Playing high school basketball also helped Parr’s hand-eye coordination, he said, and helped him get closer to his current weight of 265 pounds.

“Last year, I was 280 to 290 pounds, but playing basketball helped me and it helped me get faster so I could use my speed and quickness,” Parr said.

Initially, Virginia was vague with Parr - he was told he might play offensive line, nose tackle or defensive end. Thanks to his skill sets and impressive work with the scout team, it would appear that Parr is currently being viewed strictly as a defensive end.

“I would have to agree with that,” Parr said. “I think I am too fast to [play nose tackle], so I will probably stay on the outside at defensive end.”

Knowing that, Parr has intently watched Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Chris Long in games and practice sessions.

“I just want to see what different moves they are doing, their techniques and how they read the offense,” Parr said. “I am lucky. I have two of the best guys in college football playing on my team.”

Naturally, Parr would have preferred to play this season, but he understands what a year in the weight room will do for his frame.

“I understand their decision because I have two of the best defensive linemen in the country ahead of me, but it is kinda hard to sit on the bench when you want to play,” he said. “I know that Fitzgerald is coming back next year and I am going to be even better by him just being here.

“The workouts that we have now are really helping me out - I am getting a lot stronger than I was last year. I can see the results in the mirror.”

Parr picked Virginia over Michigan, he said, and gave much of the credit to the program’s recruiting coordinator, Bob Price.

“He told me what was really going to happen,” Parr recounted. “He was real with me … that’s what it was. That helped me make that decision.”

Watching Virginia race out to a 6-1 record has been special, Parr said, but he can hardly wait for the 2008 season.

“I am looking forward to next year to see what I can do,” he pointed out.

He is not alone in that regard.

“I have watched Zane a lot,” said Virginia left guard Branden Albert. “I think he is going to be a good player. He is a humble young man. He is real quiet. I feel like he is a good athlete.

“I really do think he is going to be a good player here.”

 

UVA FOOTBALL: The reasons
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 20, 2007

WHY VIRGINIA WILL WIN

Cavaliers learned the hard way
It was clearly the one that got away.
Virginia, after racing out to a 20-0 lead last year inside Scott Stadium, had a severe meltdown against Maryland.
A muffed punt that rested near the Virginia end zone set up the Terps’ first score and started what proved to be a forgettable comeback.
The experience ultimately kept Virginia from becoming bowl eligible. The revenge factor is now fueling the Cavaliers.
“We had a major setback after we lost to them and we had the game in hand, but we couldn’t pull it off,” said Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell. “Right now, we look like we are able to pull off things like that. We want this one bad.
“They always get juiced for us. We are just trying to get juiced for every team that we have to go and play.”
Ian-Yates Cunningham added: “All of us know what happened last year and what happened in previous years and it is one of those games that we want to be successful in.”
The Campbell factor
Egging on Chris Long is not advised.
The defensive end, a one-man wrecking crew, has eight sacks this season, which is tied for fifth-best in the country.
Yet Maryland true freshman Bruce Campbell decided to add fuel to Long’s fire this week. The rookie, who has played only 13 plays this season, spoke about Virginia’s captain earlier this week.
“He’s probably one of the best defensive ends in the nation, but it doesn’t really bother me,” Campbell told the Washington Times. “He’s a scholarship player, just like I’m a scholarship player. Yeah, I’m kind of nervous a little bit, but in the game I’ll fall back on ‘We’re here playing the same type of ball.’”
Regardless of the words, the fact that Campbell is playing in place of senior right guard Andrew Crummey (broken left fibula) gives Virginia an obvious advantage.
Dominating on defense
It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out Virginia’s strength.
The Cavaliers’ defense, which welcomed back 10 starters at the beginning of the season, has set the tone during the program’s current winning streak. None of Virginia’s opponents have scored more than 23 points in a game and the unit turned a pair of Connecticut’s trips to the red zone into field goals last weekend.
It all starts in the trenches where the Cavaliers’ defensive linemen set the tone for stopping opposing teams on the ground. In their three ACC games, the Cavaliers have allowed only 265 rushing yards and one score on the ground.
“Those guys up front are exceptional,” said Virginia outside linebacker Clint Sintim. “We have the best defensive ends in the nation with Chris Long and Jeff Fitzgerald. Those guys sit there and make plays so our inside guys can run free.
“Those guys stepped up [against UConn] and did what they had to do, and I can count on those guys anytime we need a big play.”

WHY MARYLAND WILL WIN

Lattimore and ‘Ball’ control
No team in the country boasts a tailback tandem with a higher scoring average than Maryland.
In fact, Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball enter tonight’s game averaging 15 points per game.
Lattimore, who is listed on the top of the depth chart, has six 100-yard rushing games in his career and ranks third in the ACC with 94 yards per game.
Ball, who started 11 games last year, ranks sixth all-time with 2,066 career rushing yards. The senior has also found the end zone seven times this year.
“In Keon and Lance you have two players who, when they finish their career, are going to be amongst the most productive backs in Maryland football history,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “Anytime that can be said about a player, that pretty well distinguishes them both amongst their current contemporaries in this conference, and those people who have preceded them.
“They’re two very, very good backs. They’ve got size, they’ve got elusiveness [and] they’ve got speed.”
Drumming the secondary
Maryland’s offense during the past six quarters has added a new dimension.
The Terps, while maintaining their strong ground game, have seen the emergence of a deep passing game.
Much of the credit goes to sophomore quarterback Chris Turner, who replaced injured starter Jordan Steffy (concussion).
In his first career start against Georgia Tech, Turner completed 10 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown. That was the largest figure by a Maryland signal-caller since 2005.
“I think it’s pretty wild,” Turner said. “It’s been a crazy few weeks for me and my family, the whole team and the whole campus, it seems like.
“I’m just trying to enjoy every minute of it.”
Turner, known as “Sunshine Cali” by his teammates, has handled the fame of playing quarterback with grace. He had some help with that as a youngster.
Turner’s dad, John, was the original drummer in the rock band Ratt in the late 1970s.
A big problem
One thing stood out to Groh about Maryland’s defense: the Terps have some massive players.
“Inside they have two of the blockiest, thickest guys to put on our guards and center that we’ve played against this year,” Virginia’s coach said. “Each one is the stoutest player that we’ve played against in there.
“Those kind of guys always create issues as far as getting movement inside as it dictates, and if you can’t get movement on those guys the linebackers get to run free.”
Unfortunately, Maryland also has some skilled players elsewhere and the Terps boast the ACC’s fourth-best pass defense and are second in first downs allowed.
“They certainly run their share of schemes, but they’re a little bit more like us,” Groh said. “They’re based around being a beat-blockers team as opposed to just doing it all with schemes and stunts.”

 

U.Va. to visit house of horrors
Cavs looking for a solution to three consecutive defeats at Maryland's Byrd Stadium
Saturday, Oct 20, 2007 - 12:07 AM

Virginia at Maryland

Where: Byrd Stadium (cap. 51,500), College Park, Md.
When: 8 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WRVA (1140), 7 p.m.; XM satellite Ch. 191, 8 p.m.
Line: Maryland by 4
Records: Virginia 3-0 ACC, 6-1 overall; Maryland 1-1, 4-2
Players to watch: Virginia -- QB Jameel Sewell 99-171 passing, 961 yards, seven TDs, five INTs, 141 yards and one TD rushing; LB Jon Copper 54 tackles (six for loss); TE Tom Santi 23 catches, 284 yards, three TDs. Maryland -- WR Darrius Heyward-Bey 23 catches, 367 yards, one TD; QB Chris Turner 28-43 passing, 437 yards, one TD, 2 INT; TB Keon Lattimore 133 carries, 564 yards, eight TDs.
Outlook: A victory would give U.Va. a seven-game winning streak, its longest since 1990. The Cavaliers have struggled on the road during Al Groh's tenure as coach, but they've won two straight away from Scott Stadium. Virginia hasn't won in College Park since 1999, when its coach was George Welsh. Maryland leads this series 41-28-2.

Three keys for U.Va.

1. Win the turnover battle. Virginia overcame three turnovers -- two interceptions and a fumble -- to beat Connecticut 17-16 last weekend at Scott Stadium. Such carelessness might be more costly on the road.
2. Keep Terps tailbacks from running wild. Maryland's Keon Lattimore (94 yards per game) is the ACC's No. 3 rusher, and teammate Lance Ball (57.8) is No. 9.
3. Get production from Payne and Pearman. With Cedric Peerman, the ACC's second-leading rusher, sidelined indefinitely with an injury, Virginia needs its next two tailbacks, Keith Payne and Andrew Pearman, to fill that hole in the offense.

Tale of the tape

Virginia Maryland
23.0 Scoring off. 26.2
18.6 Scoring def. 22.7
131.4 Rushing off. 162.0
110.9 Rushing def. 146.8
179.4 Passing off. 185.2
215.0 Passing def. 198.3
310.9 Total off. 347.2
325.9 Total def. 345.1
38-328 Penalties-yds. 26-241
12 Turnovers 10
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
If Scott Stadium has become a place where North Carolina and Georgia Tech go to lose -- between them they've dropped 21 consecutive football games there -- then Byrd Stadium is on its way to earning that distinction for Virginia.

U.Va.'s most recent victory in College Park, Md., came in 1999, George Welsh's penultimate season as coach. Under Al Groh, the Cavaliers are 2-1 against the Terrapins at Scott Stadium, but they're 0-3 at Byrd, and they played poorly in each of those visits.

Virginia lost 41-21 in 2001, 27-17 in '03 and 45-33 in '05.

"It's one of those places that you go into, and the way their fans are, and the way the whole mentality is there, it's a hard place to play," senior tight end Jonathan Stupar said.

"But this is a different team this year, and we definitely have a sour taste in our mouth from last year, and we're going to give them everything we've got."

The teams meet in College Park tonight in an ACC game that ESPN2 is televising. Coastal Division leader Virginia (3-0, 6-1) enters on a six-game winning streak. Maryland (1-1, 4-2), fourth in the Atlantic, has won two straight since blowing a 21-point second-half lead and falling in overtime at Wake Forest.

"I think our team showed a lot of character coming off of that loss," Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said.

Virginia knows about heart-wrenching collapses. A season ago in Charlottesville, the Wahoos went into halftime leading Maryland 20-0 and appeared destined to continue their home dominance in the series. But the Terps rallied to win 28-26, and that loss was a huge reason U.Va. failed to qualify for a bowl for the first time since 2001.

The Cavaliers already are bowl-eligible this season, but they've been less than dominant during their winning streak. Four of U.Va.'s victories have come by five points or fewer.

"What I've experienced is that when you win those close games, you have a belief that you can win them," Friedgen said.

U.Va. would be delighted to leave Byrd Stadium with a one-point victory. The Terrapins are favored, and the Cavaliers still are without their offensive leader, junior tailback Cedric Peerman, though junior wide receiver Maurice Covington may return after missing four games with a broken hand. Peerman, the ACC's second-leading rusher, hasn't played since hurting his right foot in the first quarter of Virginia's Oct. 6 game at Middle Tennessee.

The Terps, by contrast, rarely have been deeper at tailback. In seniors Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball, Maryland has two of the ACC's best at that position, and they've combined for 15 rushing touchdowns this season.

"We take a great deal of pride in it," Lattimore said of the two-back rotation. "We've been doing it for a while now, ever since we were sophomores, and each year just gets better and better."

Sophomore Jameel Sewell, a Hermitage High graduate, is expected to make his 17th straight start at quarterback for Virginia tonight. In each of the past two games, Sewell has thrown a second-half interception that's set up a touchdown for the opponent. Moreover, U.Va.'s Andrew Pearman fumbled on a kickoff return last weekend, giving Connecticut the ball in the red zone.

"We just can't continue to do those things," Groh said. "It makes it too easy for the other team and too hard for us."


 

Bye time could aid Terrapins
For the second week in a row, UVa plays a team who had extra time to prepare to face the Cavs.
By Doug Doughty

There is no indication that Connecticut's football team benefitted from an extra week of preparation before it ventured to Virginia last week.

If a bye week makes a big difference for Maryland tonight against Virginia, so be it.

The first time he looked at the Cavaliers' 2006 schedule, coach Al Groh could see that UVa had back-to-back games with teams coming off open dates.

"It's a little bit of a handicap," Groh said earlier this week, "but you can't make a phone call and change it. We'll deal with it as it is. Obviously, every team gets a bye, so every team has the opportunity to have that extra week of focus on an opponent."

Virginia's open date is scheduled for Nov. 17, giving the Cavaliers an open date prior to their regular-season finale against Virginia Tech. The Hokies will be entertaining Miami on Nov. 17.

Maryland (4-2 overall, 1-1 ACC) entered the open date with momentum following victories over previously unbeaten Rutgers and Georgia Tech, but the Terrapins also had some injury issues that have been mitigated.

Preseason All-America linebacker Erin Henderson would not have been available if the Terrapins had played last week and is seen as a game-time decision for tonight's 8 p.m. kickoff.

Another player who should be close to 100 percent after an injury is starting offensive tackle Scott Burley. However, preseason All-ACC guard Andrew Crummey -- possibly the Terrapins' best offensive lineman -- suffered a broken fibula against Georgia Tech and will be out until the postseason at the earliest.

Virginia also has injury issues, most notably a foot problem that will sideline tailback Cedric Peerman, the ACC's leading rusher through five games.

The two players who shared time at tailback last week, Keith Payne and Andrew Pearman, had a combined 28 carries for 82 yards in a 17-16 victory over UConn.

At 5 foot 10 and 168 pounds, Pearman has a role that has been well-defined. He catches passes out of the backfield and is the pitch man when Virginia decides to run the option with quarterback Jameel Sewell.

Payne (6-3, 234) is more of an enigma.

"He's a big back but right now he's necessarily not a punishing back," Groh said. "Actually, the most punishing back we have on the team is Cedric.

"He's [Peerman] fashioned his game around that style, not necessarily because he's a large back, but because he came to the realization that what he wasn't was a scatback.

"From a good news standpoint, there's certainly a lot of development in front of [Payne]. We see the high-water mark as well up there from what the performance is right now."

The Cavaliers (6-1, 3-0) don't expect to have 6-1, 254-pound fullback Rashawn Jackson, injured on the first play against Connecticut, but wide receiver Maurice Covington will be available after missing four games with a broken hand.

The Cavaliers have been without 2006 leading receiver Kevin Ogletree since he underwent reconstructive knee surgery in the spring. At no point has Groh suggested that Ogletree will return, but speculation persists.

"It's always going to be the same story," Groh said. "He's progressing, he's doing more. He's working real hard right now, without any limitations. There's still a little bit of a hitch in his gait that's apparent."

Is Ogletree definitely out for the season?

"I would say that, right now, there's no change in his status," Groh said Thursday.

Ogletree was on the Cavaliers' dress list prior to their departure for College Park, Md., on Friday.

Chris Cook, the Cavaliers' most experienced cornerback, could return this week after missing the UConn game with a sprained ankle.

"Everybody's got problems now," Groh said. "Everybody's losing guys."

Jordan Steffy, who started the first five games at quarterback for Maryland, missed the Georgia Tech game with a concussion and may not be available tonight. His replacement, Chris Turner, was 10-of-17 for 255 yards against the Yellow Jackets.

The Cavaliers have been able to win six games in a row despite ranking 108th in Division I-A in total offense. They were almost undone by turnovers against Connecticut, which intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble.

"We clearly have to get those out of our system," Groh said. "It's been across the board. It's been ball-carriers, it's been throwers, it's been kick-returners.

"There's got to be substantial awareness that the ball isn't a toy; it's not a toy. When somebody has the ball, he's carrying the aspirations and dreams of everybody in the organization."
 

Virginia making like Wake
So far, Cavaliers have been season's ACC surprise team
By Heather A. Dinich | Sun reporter
October 20, 2007
 

College Park - At the beginning of the season, when Maryland safety Christian Varner saw that Virginia lost to Wyoming, he, like many, wrote off the Cavaliers for 2007.

"After I saw that loss to Wyoming, I was like, 'Wow, they lost? Whoa, man, they're going to struggle this year,'" Varner said. "Even I said that, knowing how the game is."

Virginia, which was picked by the media to finish fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division, has since won six straight - the program's longest winning streak since 2002. The Cavaliers (6-1, 3-0 ACC) enter tonight's game at Maryland (4-2, 1-1) in a tie with Virginia Tech for first place in their division.

While Virginia hasn't beaten a ranked opponent, and four of its past six victories have come against teams with losing records, the Cavaliers have put themselves in a position to be this year's version of Wake Forest - the unlikely ACC champion.

"It's very possible," Varner said. "A lot of people counted them out after that loss the first game of the season. A lot of people scratched them off their list. They fought back; they scratched from the bottom of the barrel. Now they're at the top of the conference. It's very possible for them to do the same thing Wake Forest did.

"Right now they're sitting pretty. The only competition they've really got for their side of the conference is Virginia Tech. If they handle their business, they'll be in the ACC championship for their side."

Virginia coach Al Groh said he had confidence in his team from the start, but that its future remains uncertain.

"Whether we're a surprise or not, there's a long way to go to determine that," he said. "We could be a good surprise or we could be a bad surprise here over the course of the rest of the season."

"They know that there's a lot out there to accomplish, but this is a team that not just says it, but clearly understands and believes that the only way anything is going to be accomplished is to do it one game at a time."

Virginia's average margin of victory is 8.5 points, and four of its wins have come by five points or fewer. Virginia's ACC wins have come against three opponents who are a combined 3-9 in the conference. When asked this week whether the Cavaliers were as legitimate as their 6-1 record indicates, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said: "It doesn't matter what I think.

"They're 6-1. That's pretty legit. They're young, but they've got experience. The more they win, the more confidence they get. That's how things happen."

North Carolina coach Butch Davis, whose team lost by two points to Virginia on Sept. 15, said the Cavaliers were efficient in all three phases of the game.

"They rarely beat themselves," Davis said. "Certainly, Chris Long [son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long] has got to be one of the premier defensive linemen, not only in the ACC but in the country. They do a very good job of running the football."

Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said "only time will tell" how successful Virginia can be this year. The Yellow Jackets lost to Maryland and Virginia this year.

"I think they were picked about fourth in the division, and we know how that feels," Gailey said. "Wake knows how that feels. They obviously have played very well to this point. I can't speculate who's going to be where. They're doing something right. They're winning the close games. That's what you try to do. If you can win a bunch of them, you've got yourself a good year. So far they've been able to do that."

So much so that they have earned the No. 19 ranking in the first Bowl Championship Series poll released this week. It's an accomplishment Groh said he puts "zero" stock into.

"We believe that the only spots that are of any significance right now is if you're ranked one or two," he said. "Because if you're ranked one or two, that means just keep on winning and you'll be in the championship game. Otherwise, those things are going to change dramatically before the season is over.

"All we're really interested in doing is trying to win our division. If we win our division, then we get to be in the championship game. Everybody in our program knows the only thing that counts is what our standing is in our division in the ACC rather than where we're ranked nationally."

And right now, they're at the top.

 

Bad things happen to UVa at Byrd Stadium
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 20, 2007

There are reasons to suggest that Virginia has shaken its road woes after eking out wins at North Carolina and Middle Tennessee earlier this season.
If the Cavaliers can win tonight at Maryland's Byrd Stadium - their personal house of horrors lately - they'll know they're on to something.

Virginia (6-1, 3-0 ACC) will try to tie a school record with its seventh straight win at 8 p.m. against the Terrapins (4-1, 1-1).

Easier said than done. The Cavaliers' last three trips to College Park have followed an eerily similar script with the same outcome - a crushing Virginia defeat.

Maryland won 41-21 in 2001 behind Bruce Perry's 143 rushing yards. The Terps took the 2003 matchup, 27-17, when Josh Allen ran for a career-best 257 yards. And in 2005, Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore combined for 209 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 45-33 win.

The Terps have averaged 506.3 yards of total offense in those games.

"There's a way I would describe the commonality of all of them," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "But I wouldn't use the word here."

Those losses pale in comparison to last year, though, when the Cavaliers raced to a 20-0 halftime lead at Scott Stadium before a second-half collapse for the ages resulted in stunning a 28-26 loss.

"We definitely have a sour taste in our mouth from last year," UVa tight end Jonathan Stupar said. "Really, it was just kind of a big blur. ... (When) the clock was zero, we were all like, 'What just happened?'"

It took only a few plays. Emmanuel Byers muffed a punt to lead to a short touchdown run by Ball. In a one-minute span in the fourth quarter, Lattimore busted a 56-yard touchdown run and Erin Henderson returned a Jameel Sewell interception 45 yards for a touchdown to complete the comeback.

"It's just a couple of catastrophic events that do it," Groh said. "It was like four or five plays produced 28 points. It was much the same in (the games up) there. Once it goes that way, it seems it's hard for teams to turn it."

Virginia can't continue to be lackadaisical with the ball. In the last two games, the Cavaliers have given their opponent possession inside the UVa 13-yard line three times - twice on Sewell interceptions. Those turnovers turned into a pair of touchdowns and a field goal.

"To play the type of game that's going to be this team's style this year, we just can't continue to do those things," Groh said. "It makes it too easy for the other team and too hard for us."

The Terrapins' running game should make things hard enough as it is. Lattimore and Ball are closing out their Maryland careers in style behind the most massive offensive line the Cavaliers have faced this year.

Lattimore is third in the ACC with 94.0 rushing yards a game and is tied for the conference lead with eight rushing touchdowns. Ball has averaged 4.9 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns.

The Terps' 162.0 yards rushing average ranks second in the conference.

The Cavaliers are expecting a slugfest. Groh likens his team to boxer Joe Frazier, a no-frills fighter who would slug it out in the center of the ring. It's an apt comparison for a team that hasn't won with style points this season, with four victories of five points or fewer.

The players have bought into the concept completely. They'll leave the Muhammad Ali act for other teams.

"Everybody who knows Joe Frazier knows he's a tough guy," UVa left guard Branden Albert said. "If you hit him, he's going to keep coming after you. The last couple games, we've proven that. We've taken some big blows and we came back and fought to the end."


 

Readers skewer Doughty over Associated Press ballot
Hokies set sights on two more wideouts
By Doug Doughty

As if it isn’t bad enough catching flak from derelicts like Greg Roberts and Randy King, I now have become the subject of scorn from coast to coast.

At issue are the rankings that I submit each week for The Associated Press’ list of the top 25 college football teams.

For the record, Virginia Tech was 14th on my ballot this week and Virginia was 24th. It was the first time Virginia had made my ballot.

Tech ended up 11th in the poll and Virginia did not make the Top 25, although the Cavaliers were second among teams that also received votes.

It wouldn’t make any sense to keep my votes secret, particularly because all ballots are available to the public. I don’t know where to locate them, but e-mailer Don Charles did.

“Your privilege to cast a vote in the AP College Poll should be taken seriously as is in part a measure of how unbiased a journalist you are,” Charles wrote.

“Voting ASU at 7 and Oregon at 13? I am a Sun Devils fan and would love to see them in a BCS Bowl, but not this way. USC at 6 makes obvious sense, too.

“All the best in your trek through the fuzzy world of journalism.”

I CAN’T REMEMBER the last time I voted on football poll but I’ve always considered it a privilege.

The AP can’t pay people to do the basketball poll, which is why I’ve been a basketball voter so often. It simply doesn’t mean anything, given that there’s a playoff system in places for basketball, but it makes me pay attention to who’s doing what.

At one time, voters on the AP football poll determined the national champion or at least the co-champion. I remember, at least once, watching the season’s final game while preparing a ballot for submission 10 minutes after the final whistle.

Now, the AP poll no longer is part of the BCS formula, but I appreciate the invitation to vote, if only for the same reason that I agree to do the basketball poll when asked. It forces me to be better informed.

I do the football poll the same way I would do the basketball poll. On Sunday mornings, I look at all the conference standings and lump teams by fewest losses. This past weekend, I had lists of teams with zero losses, teams with one loss and two-loss teams that play big-time schedule and are starting to gain steam.

Michigan fit that category this past week.

Actually, this past weekend, I got home early enough to start the process Saturday night. As the list of undefeated teams dwindled, one team remained unaccounted for: Arizona State.

The first score I saw showed the Sun Devils trailing Washington 17-10 in the second part. From that point on, Arizona State outscored the Huskies 34-3, including 31-3 in the second half.

I could not have told you who Arizona State (7-0) had played to that point, but the Huskies had caught my attention one week earlier in a 27-24 to former No. 1 Southern Cal. Washington, despite its 2-4 record and four consecutive losses, is still the only team to beat Boise State.

Previously, Arizona State’s best wins had come over a pair of 4-3 teams, Oregon State and Colorado. The Sun Devils have games coming up with California next week and at Oregon the next week, so we should know about them soon enough.

THE COACHES GET knocked in their poll for allowing the voting to be done by sports information directors, assistant coaches and basically anybody they can find to do it.

The coaches know a whole lot more about football than the media, but, think about it: Coaches and media have the same problem. Unless a team has an open date, how many games is its coach going to watch? If it’s a beat reporter who’s doing the voting for a media poll, how many games is he or she going to see?

Last weekend, I left home for the Virginia-Connecticut game at 11:30 a.m., before the games started, and returned just a little bit before midnight. If I was lucky, I got to see a few highlights on ESPN’s college wrapup.

When I retrieved my Oct. 14 ballot this afternoon and compared it to the actual top 25, I saw that I had USC at No. 6, the same as the poll, and wondered what Charles’ beef was. Then, I realized it was South Carolina at No. 6 in the actual poll and Southern Cal at No. 13.

Did I miss something? Did the Trojans suffer a second loss in addition to their 24-23 home shocker to Stanford the week before. That wasn’t the case. They beat Arizona in Los Angeles, 20-13, in their third straight game decided by seven points or fewer, but who doesn’t have blemishes at this point in the season?

ON THE RECRUITING scene, I’m told that Virginia Tech might take two more wide receivers prospects even though the Hokies already have commitments from five prospective wideouts -- D.J. Coles, Austin Fuller, Derrick McCoy, Dyrell Roberts and Peter Rose.

It looks as if the Hokies are going to make an offer to Randall Dunn, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach. Virginia, UConn and Division I-AA newcomer Old Dominion have made scholarship offers to Dunn, who reportedly has caught 10 touchdown passes in the first seven games.

The Hokies made an earlier offer to Dunn’s teammate, Marcus Davis, who is the Ocean Lakes’ quarterback. Dunn and Davis have not said they will go to the same school, but the Hokies will afford them that opportunity. Coles and possibly one of the other commitments are possibilities for prep school, but Tech also has shown the capacity to move wide receivers to outside linebacker or defensive back.

IT WAS INTERESTING to hear Virginia coach Al Groh say in a Thursday teleconference that the Cavaliers are unlikely to add a quarterback to their 2008 recruiting class.

UVa has four scholarship quarterbacks in its program, including Scott Deke, who will be a fifth-year senior if he returns next season, and Marc Verica, who will be a redshirt sophomore. Starter Jameel Sewell will be a junior and backup Peter Lalich a true sophomore.

Deke has taken only two snaps in his career but has a valuable role signaling in plays “and handles it very well,” Groh said. “His game has come along very nicely.”

It was Verica -- and not Deke -- who played with the first offense when Sewell missed UVa’s spring game, but Verica is clearly the No. 4 quarterback and does not travel to all games. Groh said Verica has looked impressive at times while conducting the scout squad but continues to refer to him as a “developmental” player.

“That’s the key word,” Groh said Thursday.

The Cavaliers also have a pair of lanky, walk-on freshman quarterbacks, Brendan Lane and Warner Blunt.
 

Winged Terrapins Play On
Camaraderie, Rotation System Hold Ailing Offensive Line Together
By Marc Carig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 20, 2007; E01

On Wednesday nights, around 9:30 p.m., members of the Maryland Terrapins' offensive line flock to the appropriately named Hard Times Cafe in College Park, which features a comfortable patio and a big sign out front that reads "Cheap Wing Night."

Some of the Terrapins have been known to eat upward of 50 wings per sitting. And since these weekly get-togethers began last summer, upon their arrival the staff knows to immediately commence bringing out piles of 40-cents-a-piece Texas-style chicken wings.

"Everybody knows food is going to bring an O-line together," Terrapins guard Phil Costa said.

The offensive line has spent the season undermanned because of injuries, but the patchwork rotation they've used to fight fatigue has acquitted itself successfully. The Terrapins have managed to clear holes for running backs Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball. They've kept Chris Turner on his feet, allowing the sophomore to step in for injured starter Jordan Steffy.

What they lack in depth they've compensated for with chemistry.

"There's a certain camaraderie off the field that lends itself to good play on the field," offensive line coach Tom Bratton said. "They pick each other up when they're down. They trust each other."

That closeness will be tested again when Maryland hosts rival Virginia at Byrd Stadium tonight in a nationally televised ACC clash that has major ramifications for both teams.

The Cavaliers (6-1) come to Byrd Stadium as one of the nation's hottest teams, winners of six straight, the school's longest winning streak in five years. The Terrapins (4-2) have rebounded from a humiliating collapse at Wake Forest to string together wins against Georgia Tech and then-No. 10 Rutgers, both without their starting quarterback. Both teams will need a victory to maintain hopes of winning a division title and a spot in the ACC championship game.

However, the most intriguing game within the game will center along the line of scrimmage, where the Terrapins' offensive line faces a talented Cavaliers front seven led by Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

"It's a great opportunity to show what we can do as a team, and what we can do as an offensive line," Costa said.

Again, Maryland will be undermanned. For the first time this season, the Terrapins will take the field without all-ACC guard Andrew Crummey, who will miss the remainder of the regular season after breaking his fibula two weeks ago against the Yellow Jackets.

But for this group, playing shorthanded is nothing new. Since the end of last season, the offensive line has suffered several key losses. Former left tackle Stephon Heyer, now with the Washington Redskins, graduated. Former guard Donnie Woods left the team though he had eligibility remaining. Tackle Jared Gaither entered the NFL's supplemental draft after he was declared academically ineligible this season.

With Crummey out, center Edwin Williams is the only starter from last season. With Coach Ralph Friedgen hesitant to use the Terrapins' younger backups, Maryland has forged ahead by employing a seven-man rotation in an effort to artificially create depth that simply isn't there. Crummey's loss makes it six.

To make it work thus far, they've all made sacrifices.

Scott Burley, the team's starting left tackle, has played through a painful left elbow injury suffered against Wake Forest. Each time he tried to execute even the most basic moves, a sharp pain shot through his entire arm. But Burley did not miss any games.

When the pain forced Burley to sit out the second half against the Demon Deacons, tackle Dane Randolph moved from the right side to left, a difficult change akin to a right-handed boxer switching to southpaw style mid-match.

"I wasn't prepared to do that," said Randolph, who during camp took only a handful of reps at left tackle.

Guard Jaime Thomas played against Rutgers even though his father collapsed and was admitted to a hospital before the game. Costa and Jack Griffin haven't been regular starters, but they've been invaluable because they've devoted themselves to the time-consuming task of learning multiple positions on the line. Neither complained when they didn't crack the starting lineup.

Williams said that selflessness has allowed the line to grow closer.

"This is a lot different," he said. "I think a lot of people are being unselfish in their play instead of trying to be individuals out there."

Whether it's going to parties, watching movies in Silver Spring or playing marathon sessions of video games, the Terrapins' offensive line does it en masse.

"I feel more close to this group of guys that any group of guys since I've been around here," Burley said. "We're always together."

Apparently, that includes making a statement to their teammates. At one practice earlier this week, in which players were required to wear just pads and shorts, the offensive line arrived for work in full gear, knowing its biggest game to date was just days away.

Said Williams: "We're all we've got."

 

Keys to the Game
Saturday, October 20, 2007; Page E04

WHEN THE CAVALIERS HAVE THE BALL: Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell has proven he is at his best when it matters most. During Virginia's last two drives the past two weeks, which both resulted in game-winning field goals, Sewell has gone a combined 8 of 9 for 117 yards. The rest of the game, however, is another story. Prior to the deciding drive, Sewell has gone 28 of 52 for 256 yards with three interceptions, two of which were nearly crippling. "We clearly have to get those out of our system," Groh said. On a larger stage and against perhaps Virginia's toughest opponent yet this season, Sewell might not be able to wait until the end of the game. Groh is most concerned with Maryland's two defensive tackles, Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano. "They're the two stoutest guys together that we've played against in there," Groh said. "Those kind of guys always create issues as far as getting movement."

WHEN THE TERRAPINS HAVE THE BALL: Chris Turner will face perhaps his toughest challenge yet against Virginia's front seven, headlined by defensive end Chris Long. Maryland's offensive line injuries will make protecting Turner even more difficult. If Turner has time, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey could make the difference, particularly if Virginia cornerback Chris Cook (knee) can't play. Groh called Heyward-Bey the best big-play receiver in the ACC.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Virginia punt returner Vic Hall has struggled with both catching punts and gauging whether to call for a fair catch, but Groh maintained Hall is fine and that the blocking in front has been more of an issue. If the game is close, field goal kickers Obi Egekeze and Chris Gould could find themselves in the spotlight. Maryland's Egekeze is 5 for 9 this year; Gould is 10 of 12.

COACHES: Groh found himself on one of the hottest seats in the country after Virginia lost its season opener at Wyoming in listless fashion. Six wins later, his team can tie the school record winning streak at seven. Ralph Friedgen has never lost to Virginia in College Park.

-- Adam Kilgore

 

Terps-Cavs clash will lack flash
October 20, 2007

By Patrick Stevens - On one side is Maryland, a team that just might want to register its formula for winning games (early lead plus second-half erosion plus a late stand equals victory) at the patent office.

On the other is Virginia, which has squeaked out four of its last five games by five points or less .

So what kind of game can be expected tonight at Byrd Stadium when neither team's typical path to success conjures up images of football's answer to Rembrandt, Matisse or Cezanne?

"Oh man, it'll probably be a —," linebacker Dave Philistin said with eagerness and gusto.

Then he caught himself, thinking better of applying the dreaded U word — ugly — to either his Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC) or the Cavaliers (6-1, 3-0), let alone to a collision between the two.

"I don't know," he said with a laugh. "It'll be a good game. It is a rivalry game. That is kind of ironic. People always question the way we win, but we win anyway."

Without question, the Terps are a statistical conundrum at times, what with their propensity for dominating stretches early before yielding just enough to make the closing minutes interesting. That might be the most consistent facet of a team that rarely maintains its level of play for a full outing.

A Maryland game is an off-Broadway, three-act play, gripping drama even if it isn't always easy on the eyes. And yet somehow Virginia might merit less credit for artistry than the Terps.

The Cavaliers needed Chris Gould's field goal with eight seconds remaining to bail them out in a 23-21 victory at Middle Tennessee two weeks ago. Last Saturday, Gould made a 19-yarder with 3:20 left and the Virginia defense held twice to secure a 17-16 home squeaker against Connecticut.

Virginia has won six straight, its longest streak since 2002, and is bowl eligible after enduring a losing season last year. With that in mind, the Cavaliers care little if their style and flair — or lack thereof — isn't aesthetically pleasing.

"That's the kind of team that we set out to fashion," Virginia coach Al Groh told reporters this week. "We kind of knew what we were going to be. We could see we weren't going to be a flashy team. If you come to these games and want to see us win 51-10, you're going to be disappointed. But if you want to be happy at the end of the night, you've got a chance."

The same is true of the Terps, who share more with the Cavaliers than recruiting territory and an affinity for close games. Both teams are trying to overcome the absence of key offensive cogs; Maryland guard Andrew Crummey is out with a broken left fibula and Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman won't play with a foot injury.

The programs have endured enough questions about quarterbacks. Maryland sophomore Chris Turner will make his second start tonight as junior Jordan Steffy continues to recover from a Sept. 29 concussion. Virginia's Jameel Sewell has held off freshman Peter Lalich despite an opening-game clunker that led to plenty of melodrama and a temporary rotation under center.

There is a tendency to view this as a close rivalry, even though only four of the last 16 meetings were decided by 10 points or less. Last year's game in Charlottesville, during which Maryland erased a 20-0 lead to eke out a season-changing 28-26 victory, might have a bit to do with that perception.

"They probably have a great desire to beat us after the way we won last year," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I think that will be a factor in the game."

Chances are attrition will as well, given both sides' penchant for last-minute escapes.

"We hope not and pray not that we won't be in a dogfight to the end," safety Christian Varner said. "It would be nice to have the game done with early. But most likely with our playing style and how we're very similar, it's probably going to be a nail-biter down to the end."


 

So far, UVa packs just enough punch
October 20, 2007

By Jon Siegel - CHARLOTTESVILLE — They rarely make big plays, rely on a move-the-chains offense and stay in games thanks to a strong defense. The Virginia Cavaliers make few highlight reels; all they've done this season is grind out victories with little flash.

"We are not a sexy team. We are not going to go deep on you every play," said Branden Albert, the left guard and anchor of the offense's key, the line. "We can be sexy or not — as long as we keep winning."

The Cavaliers have done just that. Virginia is one of the nation's hottest teams as Al Groh's gang has won six straight — their longest such streak in five seasons — and entered the coaches' poll this week with a No. 24 ranking. Virginia is 6-1 overall and tied with Virginia Tech atop the ACC's Coastal Division at 3-0 in the league. The Cavaliers have done it with relatively low-scoring, close wins and dramatic comebacks, such as in last week's 17-16 victory over Connecticut after a similar plot line a week earlier, a 23-21 win over Middle Tennessee.

The Cavaliers have done it with a streaky option quarterback in sophomore Jameel Sewell, a quick and powerful front line and a defense that can control a contest, led by likely top-10 NFL pick Chris Long. The defensive end leads the ACC and is fifth in the country with eight sacks.

"I only have had the pleasure of coaching one other player in 40 years that was as dominant in his position as Chris is," Groh said. "56."

The "56" Groh is referring to is Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who played for Groh when he was the defensive coordinator with the New York Giants under Bill Parcells.

Long and the defensive stands have been essential as the Cavaliers have struggled to score while mounting wins over modest competition. The Cavaliers needed Chris Gould's 19-yard field goal with 3:20 to squeeze out a win over previously unbeaten Connecticut. Two weeks, ago Gould's 34-yarder with eight seconds left earned the Cavs a two-point victory over a one-win team.

But, the real story on Virginia's season has yet to be written. That will start tonight when the Cavaliers visit Maryland (4-2, 1-1 ACC) to start a five-game run toward a conference title game appearance or land them in the all-too-familiar position of a lower-tier bowl.

"We have five conference games in a row against good ACC teams," tight end Jonathan Stupar said. "It will definitely be a good test to see who we really are."

The Cavaliers follow their tilt with the Terrapins with a trip to N.C. State (1-5, 0-3). Then they play host to Wake Forest (4-2, 3-1) and visit Miami (4-3, 1-2). Those contests could set up a potential division championship game when Virginia Tech (6-1, 3-0) visits Charlottesville Nov. 24, or another late-season dropoff, which has become a staple of Groh's Virginia teams.

Virginia, which has have won two of nine ACC road games since 2005, will try to prove itself without its top offensive weapon. Tailback Cedric Peerman, the league's second-leading rusher at 97.5 yards a game , is expected to miss his second straight game with an injured right ankle.

The offensive instead will rely on Sewell, who rushed for a team-high 66 yards against Connecticut.

The Cavaliers don't have many breakaway threats, instead relying on a possession offense with talented tight ends in Tom Santi, the squad's leading receiver, and fellow senior Stupar.

"Ultimately, the style of any team in any year is dictated by the players," said Groh, who compares his team to no-frills boxers such as Marvin Hagler and Joe Frazier because "they were middle-of-the-ring, go toe to toe with you, take a punch and give a punch. That is kind of the makeup of our team right, as opposed to Muhammad Ali or Sugar Ray Leonard, who are a little more fan favorites and spicy in their style. That's not our team."

It counts on long, time-consuming drives and field position. It puts an emphasis on quick if somewhat undersized defense, which uses its agility to make plays and features Long, a 6-foot-4, 279-pound senior who wreaks havoc despite generally plugging holes in the 3-4 defense to allow linebackers to make tackles.

"He's a dynamic factor on almost every play in the game," Groh said of the highly disruptive Long. "This defense has got a very unified, collective personality. It has a lot of high-energy, high-motor, high-intensity players. Chris certainly provides that for others, but others provide it for him also."

The defense has lead the Cavaliers to an impressive win streak. Virginia is in an position to have a standout season as it enters the crucial stretch; the Cavaliers don't mind if they are not considered "sexy" as long as they keep compiling victories.

"Our whole team has a lot more confidence," said junior tight end John Phillips, a rising contributor as the Cavaliers regularly use two tight end sets. "Confidence comes from demonstrated performance. In a tight game that comes down to the end, we make big plays to win the game. I think our whole team has made plays and that builds confidence."
 

Vick's Sugarloaf home for sale
7-bedroom home on market for $4.5 million
By RICHARD L. ELDREDGE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/20/07

Michael Vick's lakefront Sugarloaf Country Club home is up for sale for $4.5 million.

According to a listing posted at Realtor.com, the suspended Falcons quarterback's seven-bedroom, 8.5-bath mansion at 2927 Darlington Run in Duluth has an estimated monthly mortgage payment of more than $23,000.

According to Gwinnett County property records, Vick purchased the home in April of 2005 for $3.77 million.

The European-styled home inside the prestigious gated Gwinnett County golfing community features two fireplaces, a "four-plus" car garage, Cathedral ceilings, his and her closets and master bath, a "12-plus seat" dining room and hardwood floors on its 1.5 acres.

Property taxes are approximately $26,700 per year.

Agents at Waters Realty Group where the house is listed did not return phone calls Friday.

Vick could be parting with the property because of mounting legal woes. In August, Vick pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges in federal court in Virginia. He is due to be sentenced in December.

The suspended NFL player also faces state dogfighting charges in Virginia and could be ordered to give back almost $20 million in signing bonuses to the Falcons.

Wachovia Bank, meanwhile, has filed a federal lawsuit against Vick, alleging that he defaulted on a $1.3 million loan for the Tasting Room, an East Point restaurant and wine store.