Cavs step up, opponents fall down
Simpson latest UVa player to take charge among ensemble cast
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 22, 2007

It took an injured foot, a sore back and three opportunistic calls from referees for sophomore Mikell Simpson to live up to his place in the ever-emerging and aptly named “next-man-up” mantra placed upon Virginia’s football team.

The heroic efforts of Simpson, including a 1-yard TD run with 16 seconds left, highlighted Virginia’s thrilling, 18-17, victory over Maryland and left many, including his teammates, wondering if what they witnessed was a mirage.

It also helped Virginia (7-1, 4-0 ACC) vault to No. 15 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, No. 18 in the coaches poll and debut at No. 21 in the AP poll.

Simpson, who entered the game with 38 all-purpose yards in the first seven games, finished with 16 carries for 119 yards and caught 13 passes for 152 yards as Virginia secured a winning season.

“I knew [Mikell] was fast but I didn’t know he was dynamic like that,” Virginia left guard Branden Albert said. “He can catch, run the ball and do everything he did [against Maryland]. He was amazing.”

Simpson’s newfound fame came after Cedric Peerman, the team’s leading rusher, missed his second straight game with a foot injury, and after Week 7 starter Andrew Pearman had back problems during the days leading up to the Maryland game.

“We had a couple of guys banged up and he just stepped in and stepped up for us,” Virginia linebacker Jon Copper said.

Simpson, displaying a strong sense of humility beyond his years, credited the gaping holes he found on numerous lengthy plays, one of which came on a first-and-goal play and set up his game-winning touchdown.

“The linemen were getting good cut blocks on the linebackers so I was coming face-to-face with the secondary,” Simpson said. “I was already in the secondary before I really had any type of contact or had to make a move.”

Virginia coach Al Groh praised the blocking, but quickly shifted credit back to Simpson.

“There was some good openings but [Simpson] did some pretty gritty things, too,” Groh said on Sunday. “He showed a lot of grit [Saturday] night.”

Simpson’s place in Cavalier lore was thrust into a different category thanks to the end result - and it took some help. During their lengthy game-winning drive, the Cavaliers were awarded a pass interference penalty and two plays reviewed by instant replay were upheld as called on the field in Virginia’s favor.

The first, which came on a fourth-and-4 play with 42 seconds left, involved the spot for which Simpson ended after diving towards the first-down marker. Replays in the booth at Byrd Stadium confirmed the spot, which kept Virginia’s final drive alive.

“We were right there on the sidelines, probably second to the officials [to the spot] just because of where it happened,” Groh said. “We thought we had as good of view of it as anybody.

“What the tape does show is clearly that the ball touched before any part of his body did. So there was no question as to whether his knee was down before the ball touched. As we could see it, right where we were standing, the ball clearly touched where the marker was.”

Simpson admitted that he had no idea what the end result of the review would be of the first replay.

“I was just going back and forth in my head like, ‘I hope they call it; I hope they give me a good spot,’” Simpson said.

The touchdown run, which seemed less debatable, is interesting in its own right. Albert, who pulled on the play, was surprised that Simpson did not follow his pull-block into the end zone.

Instead, Simpson saw a hole and elected to dive over Maryland’s defensive line towards the end zone. The ball did come free and landed in the hands of a Maryland defender, but Groh is comfortable saying it was a score.

“I did happen to see a shot on television where they stopped it when he was up above the goal line,” the coach said. “It seems to be pretty clear that the ball was parallel to the goal line.”

Simpson’s audible was also a moot point.

“It was supposed to go outside … but it was on the 1-yard line and I saw a gap, so I just tried to go in there as fast as I could,” Simpson recounted. “I saw the guy dive at my knees so I just took off in the air and I was fortunate to get in.”

Groh added: “There had been some discussion on the sideline about the flow of the defense and what he would expect to be there, so he had an anticipation of it and spotting it when he saw it.”

The jaw-dropping performance, one that overshadowed Virginia’s dominant defensive performance in the second half, likely secured Simpson’s fate in the program - the coaching staff had tinkered in the preseason using Simpson as a slot receiver.

“He has always shown some very intriguing things in practice,” Groh said. “It looks like it is another one of those cases where he’s best, even though he is a versatile player … he is best by being a running back.”

Groh said he may “just put him there and let the competition determine which one of these guys is going to get the time.”

Groh was unable to offer injury updates on fullback Rashawn Jackson, Pearman or Peerman on Sunday. The same, of course, can be said for tight end Tom Santi, who was injured on the first offensive play against Maryland, or cornerback Chris Cook.


 

Cavs' Simpson not a surprise
Prep coach says a gleaming effort was all but inevitable
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 - 12:06 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
 

George Chaump didn't catch the game Saturday night on ESPN2 -- he planned to watch it on tape last night -- but the legendary football coach heard all about Mikell Simpson's performance in College Park, Md.

It didn't surprise Chaump, a former head coach at Navy and Marshall who now runs the program at Harrisburg High in Pennsylvania.

"I was just waiting for it to happen. I was hoping it would happen sooner," said Chaump, who coached Simpson, now a redshirt sophomore at the University of Virginia, at Harrisburg in 2003 and '04.

"He's amazing. He'll come up with the biggest play you've ever seen out of nowhere. Every game he made big plays. I'm talking 80-, 90-yard plays."

Simpson, thrust into a leading role because of injuries to running backs Cedric Peerman, Andrew Pearman and Rashawn Jackson, made big play after big play in U.Va.'s 18-17 win over Maryland. He became the first Cavaliers since tailback Thomas Jones in 1999 to total more than 100 yards rushing and 100 receiving in the same game.

Only one player in U.Va. history has had more catches in a game than the 6-1, 197-pound Simpson made against the Terrapins. He caught 13 passes for 152 yards, and he rushed 16 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including a 44-yarder.

Simpson outgained Maryland 271 yards to 233.

"I knew he was fast, but I didn't know he was dynamic like that," Virginia offensive guard Branden Albert said. "It was amazing."

Simpson took official visits to U.Va., Alabama, Michigan State, UCLA and Florida, so he was no under-the-radar recruit. But he played little as a reserve tailback last year, and he'd looked hesitant, almost timid, in his infrequent appearances as a tailback/wideout hybrid during U.Va.'s first seven games this season.

That all changed at Byrd Stadium, where Simpson ran hard throughout and grew stronger as the game went on. On the Cavaliers' final drive, which ended with his 1-yard TD run with 16 seconds to play, Simpson touched the ball 14 times.

Virginia's coaching staff didn't go into the week planning for Simpson to carry the offense. But neither Peerman, the No. 1 tailback; nor Jackson, the No. 1 fullback and also a backup tailback, was available. Then Pearman, who'd started at tailback Oct. 13 against Connecticut, hurt his back. That left redshirt freshman Keith Payne, who started and played well Saturday, and Simpson to split the carries at tailback.

Simpson, who credited the offensive line's blocking, didn't see his breakthrough coming.

"No, it shocked me, actually," he said. "I'm still kind of in shock."

For the first time in a program that dates to 1888, U.Va. has posted back-to-back one-point victories. Overall, Virginia has won seven straight games -- five by five points or fewer -- to tie the school record for consecutive victories in a season.

"We've had to pull out a lot of games in this fourth quarter, and that just shows our team power right there and our strength and our heart," said sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell, who played superbly against Maryland, completing 22 of 35 passes for 243 yards, with no interceptions.

Sewell blacked out briefly on U.Va.'s final drive when his head hit the ground at the end of a run. The former Hermitage High star was helped to the sideline, and true freshman Peter Lalich took two snaps before Sewell returned.

"I just wanted to be part of this team and what they were doing," Sewell said. "I knew they were not going to crack."

At No. 21, U.Va. (4-0, 7-1) is ranked in The Associated Press' Top 25 for the first time this season.

Coach Al Groh was asked last night about two controversial plays that went U.Va.'s way in the final minutes: Simpson's 4-yard reception on fourth and 4 and Simpson's game-winning TD. Officials upheld the initials call in each case after reviewing the videotape. On the first, Simpson went out of bounds on the U.Va. sideline. "They were both very close calls, but they were legitimate calls," Groh said.

 

QUICK KICKS
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 - 12:06 AM
 
Final score: Virginia 18, Maryland 17
For starters: U.Va. got a 36-yard field goal from senior Chris Gould on the game's opening possession, but its lead was short-lived. With tailbacks Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball shredding the Virginia defense, the Terrapins scored touchdowns on two of their first three drives and led 14-3 fewer than 4 minutes into the second quarter.
Turning point: On first and 10 from his 8-yard line, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner dropped back to pass. Defensive end Chris Long burst through the line and sacked Turner in the end zone for a safety that pulled U.Va. to 17-12 with 2 seconds left in the third quarter.
Stars of the game: Mikell Simpson and Long. Simpson, a reserve tailback/wideout who'd been all but invisible through U.Va.'s first seven games, finished with 271 all-purpose yards - 152 receiving and 119 rushing - the sixth-most in school history. Simpson, a sophomore, scored both of U.Va.'s touchdowns. Long, a senior All-America candidate, tied his career high with 10 tackles and broke up two passes. He was in on five tackles for loss, including two sacks.
The big picture: Virginia, which leads the Coastal Division, improved to 4-0 in the ACC and 7-1 overall. The Cavaliers are ranked No.21 in the latest Associated Press poll. Maryland (1-3, 4-3) is fourth in the Atlantic Division.
Quotable : "Tonight was his night. It was kind of like his birthday. It was kind of like he was born into college football today. . . . I don't think it is a one-time thing." - Long on Simpson.
Go figure: 38. That's how many all-purpose yards Simpson had this season before Saturday night.
Next : U.Va. is on the road again next weekend, this time in Raleigh against N.C. State (0-3, 2-5). The teams will meet at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in an ACC game that ESPNU will televise. The Wolfpack, whose first-year coach, Tom O'Brien, is a former U.Va., assistant, snapped a three-game losing Saturday night by winning 34-20 at East Carolina.

 

Simpson's play a hit with Cavs
The reserve back was Virginia's star in prime time.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

COLLEGE PARK, Md. --With all-purpose back Mikell Simpson performing in a fashion that nobody had witnessed previously in his college career, the last thing Virginia football coach Al Groh was going to do Saturday night was ask questions.

Simpson got the ball on UVa's final 14 plays, going airborne on a 1-yard touchdown run that lifted the Cavaliers past Maryland 18-17 before a Byrd Stadium homecoming crowd of 52,782.

Simpson, who wasn't even listed on the Cavaliers' pregame depth chart, had touched the ball seven times all season before Saturday. He doubled that on UVa's final series, when he carried nine times for 44 yards and caught five passes for 48 yards.

"This is something Mikell has been waiting to do for a long time, so we decided, 'Let's ride him and see what happens,'" said Groh, who moved Simpson from wide receiver to running back due to growing injury problems.

Simpson rushed for 119 yards and finished with 13 receptions for 152 yards as the Cavaliers (7-1 overall, 4-0 ACC) tied a school record by winning their seventh game in a row.

On Sunday, Virginia made its first appearance in The Associated Press poll since 2005, debuting at No. 21.

Virginia teams in 1914, 1949 and 1990 had won seven games in a row, but none lived as dangerously as this one.

The Cavaliers have won four games in which they have trailed in the fourth quarter, and Saturday's game was the second in which the lead has changed hands in the final 20 seconds.

Dating back to 1888, Virginia had not won back-to-back games by one point until it defeated Connecticut 17-16 in Charlottesville and then topped Maryland on Saturday.

It came down to a 15-play, 90-yard drive that consumed 7 minutes, 26 seconds and required the Cavaliers to overcome three penalties, an injury to quarterback Jameel Sewell and two replays.

The play of the game might have been a fourth-and-4 pass from Sewell to Simpson, who stretched the ball to the first-down marker before he hit the ground and landed out of bounds.

A replay upheld the officials' first-down call, just as the booth went along with the judgment that Simpson scored before he fumbled on his game-winning plunge.

"I actually had a pretty good view," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I saw the ball come out on the goal line. I saw it and I don't think he had possession, [but] you really don't see anyone overrule too many calls anymore."

The Terrapins (4-3, 1-2) had lengthy touchdown drives on two of their first three possessions, but the Cavaliers were dominant after that.

Led by senior defensive end Chris Long, UVa held Maryland to a season-low 233 yards, including 64 in the second half.

Long had 10 tackles, including 312 for loss, and broke up two passes. He also had two sacks, the second of which resulted in a safety that cut the deficit to 17-12 with two seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"If I had a safety before, it had to be in high school," Long said. "I barely had a [college] sack before this year."

Actually, Long had seven sacks to show for in his first three seasons, but he already has 10 this year.

"Clearly, there's no better player in college football than Chris Long," Groh said after the game. "The greatest thing about him is he performs like a star, but he doesn't think like a star.

"When you've got one of the best players the school's ever had and he's only interested in helping the team win, it puts an exclamation point on what you're trying to do."

Sewell matched a career high by passing for 243 yards and showed no ill effects from a blow that caused him to be helped from the field with 3:42 left.

"My head hit the ground so hard that I passed out," Sewell said. He missed only two plays.
 

So-called border rivalry lacks feeling
October 21, 2007

Dick Heller - How lackluster was the latest edition of the Maryland-Virginia football non-rivalry last night at Byrd Stadium?

This lackluster, although the outcome was in doubt until the final seconds: It's surprising that most of the Terrapins alum on hand for homecoming didn't repair to the parking lots for strong drink during it as well as before and after.

This lackluster: Near the end of the first half, the JumboTron showed highlights of previous Maryland games, presumably to (a) wake up spectators and (b) prove this was indeed American football and not the sleep-inducing foreign kind played with a round ball.

If you haven't guessed, this was a first-class stinker quality-wise that only devotees of punting and dropped passes could love. The Cavaliers finally gained an unlikely seventh straight victory 18-17 on a 1-yard plunge by Mikell Simpson with 16 seconds left and in so doing covered themselves with non-glory. The teams were a combined 10-3 coming in, but what they mostly accomplished was to remind us that, thankfully, the basketball season is only a month or so away.

As usual, Ralph Friedgen's mild-mannered troops jumped to a substantial lead — this time 14-3 in the second quarter — then spent a great deal of time trying not to add to it. Fortunately, Virginia lacked the offensive firepower to take advantage of it until the finish.

With sophomore quarterbacks Chris Turner of Maryland and Jameel Sewell of Virginia directing the offenses, coaches Friedgen and Al Groh were more conservative than a whole boatload of Rush Limbaughs. The Terps ran Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball into the line until their shoulder pads almost fell off. Virginia did pretty much the same with Andrew Pearman and Keith Payne.

When Virginia's defensive line stomped Turner into the end zone for a safety near the end of the third quarter, the biggest roar of the second half erupted from the crowd of 52,782 or what was left of it. In this one, that qualified as a big highlight.

Between them, the teams raised legitimate questions as how far either can go this season. The Terps will be at home Saturday against a Clemson team that scored 70 points yesterday, which is about 50 or 60 more than Maryland appeared capable of mustering against anybody, then must face four more ACC opponents. In other words, don't book tickets just yet for the conference title game in Jacksonville.

Last night's lackluster meeting reflected the placid nature of an 88-year-old series between schools in adjacent states that should be hot stuff and is anything but.

Yale-Harvard, Florida-Florida State or USC-UCLA this ain't.

Maryland rather would beat FSU, Georgia Tech and other customary conference baddies.

Nor are its two regular-season skirmishes with Virginia in men's basketball fraught with drama. The Terps, and any Maryland fan, much rather would lord it over Duke and North Carolina, the ACC's two roundball behemoths.

One reason the football battles don't resonate is the strange, lopsided nature of the series — one way or another.

From 1969 through 2000, this was almost exclusively Maryland's show. The Terps, with many strong teams under coaches Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross, won 16 in a row and 18 of 19 over that span.

The nadir for Virginia was in 1975, when Maryland landed a 62-24 knockout of the Cavaliers and the late Sonny Randle, who became their ex-coach immediately after the game. Virginia finished 1-10 that sorry season and one of the reasons, according to rumor, was that Randle was having an affair with the wife of an assistant coach. So much for team unity.

Starting in 1953, following the departure of highly successful coach Art Guepe, the Cavaliers were perpetually pathetic under a series of hapless and harried coaches. Virginia lost an NCAA Division I record 28 consecutive games from 1958 to 1960 and didn't regain a semblance of respectability until Navy's George Welsh took his clipboard from Annapolis to Charlottesville. In the early 1980s.

Once the Cavaliers got the hang of spanking Maryland, though, they were very good at it. From 1988 through 2000, Virginia won 11 of 13 games, including nine in a row before the Terps rolled 41-21 in 2001 — part of their marvelous revival under first-year coach Friedgen.

All told, Maryland now leads the series 41-29-2. But does anybody really care?

Heck, maybe the Terps should start scheduling Delaware as a more or less natural football rival. Maryland-Virginia just isn't making it, and last night's exhibition certainly didn't help.

 

Simpson's surprise sparks U.Va.'s rise
Injuries to Cedric Peerman and Andrew Pearman give Mikell Simpson an opportunity. He takes advantage of it, moving the Cavs up to 15th in the BCS.
By DAVID TEEL | dteel@dailypress.com | 247-4636
 

No one anticipated Mikell Simpson's record-breaking coming-out party Saturday. Not Virginia's coaches. Not Virginia's players. And certainly not Simpson.

"It shocked me, actually," he said. "I'm still kind of in shock."

Simpson's stunning emergence came in the form of 271 all-purpose yards and the last-minute, game-winning touchdown in an 18-17 victory at Maryland. And his performance mirrored this remarkable season for the Cavaliers.

A depth-chart afterthought -- 90 all-purpose yards in 12 college games -- even in the wake of starting tailback Cedric Peerman's foot injury, Simpson was pressed into practice duty last week when backup Andrew Pearman hurt his back, coach Al Groh said Sunday.

Groh acknowledged that Simpson, a third-year sophomore, had inspired little confidence. He appeared tentative, if not soft, in brief game action, although he showed athletic flashes -- "intriguing" was Groh's word -- during practices.

Saturday night Simpson was dominating. He caught 13 passes for 152 yards, the most receiving yards ever by a Virginia running back, and logged 16 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

Simpson outgained the entire Maryland team (233 yards) and became the first Cavaliers back since Thomas Jones in 1999 to gain more than 100 yards rushing and receiving. Jones had 221 rushing and 110 receiving in a victory over Buffalo.

"I knew he was fast, but I didn't know he was dynamic like that," Virginia guard Branden Albert said. "Everything he did tonight, it was amazing."

On Virginia's 15-play, 90-yard march to the decisive touchdown, Simpson handled the ball on the final 14 plays, catching five passes and running nine times. He caught a 4-yard pass on fourth-and-4 and scored from 1 yard with 16 seconds remaining.

Officials reviewed both plays: the first to check the spot at the 10-yard line, the second to see if Simpson lost the ball before crossing the goal line.

"They were both very close calls," Groh said after watching the tape. "But they were legitimate calls." Simpson's play, and that of many others, allowed the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 ACC) to overcome a 14-3 deficit and win their seventh straight game.

The dividend: Virginia vaulted from 19th to 15th in the new Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday as its average BCS computer ranking rocketed from 14th to sixth. The Cavaliers also broke into the Associated Press media poll at No. 21.

Virginia, which plays at North Carolina State on Saturday, has won five games by five points or fewer, and the victory in College Park was U.Va.'s second straight by one point, a program first. The Cavs join Maryland's squad from last season as the only teams in ACC history to win consecutive games by a point.

Lost amid the understandable Simpson mania Saturday, quarterback Jameel Sewell matched his college best with 243 passing yards, a mark he set last season against Maryland. Moreover, Sewell shook off a jarring hit that sent him to the sidelines briefly during the Cavaliers' final drive.

"I hit my face on the ground and I blacked out," Sewell said. "I passed out for a little bit. I regained my consciousness after a couple of seconds. I can remember everything. I just hit my head so hard I passed out."

Defensively, safety Nate Lyles was credited with 10 tackles, none bigger than midway through the fourth quarter when he stopped receiver Danny Oquendo a yard shy of a first down on third-and-3 from the Virginia 44. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen chose to punt, after which the Cavaliers commenced their winning drive.

And then there was all-ACC defensive end Chris Long, whom Groh called "unblockable." His third-quarter sack of Chris Turner in the end zone gave Virginia a safety and appeared to ignite the defense.

"If they're ever going to invite a defensive player to New York in December" for the Heisman Trophy presentation, "you'd have to think it was Chris Long," Groh said.

Groh added that he doesn't expect to know the status of Peerman, Pearman, cornerback Chris Cook (ankle), fullback Rashawn Jackson (hamstring) and tight end Tom Santi until later this week. Santi sustained a knee injury on the first play against Maryland after catching a pass.

"It was an inspiring effort," Groh said after the game. "There were some pretty gutsy calls and some pretty gutsy execution when the game was on the line."

 

Simpson now making his name known
Cavaliers running back is giving Groh another option
By Andy Bitter
abitter@newsadvance.com
October 22, 2007

Al Groh has been known to be secretive with the media, not divulging anything that could possibly put his Virginia team at a disadvantage come game time.
In the case of Mikell Simpson, he wasn't withholding information. That the sophomore tailback produced 271 yards in the Cavaliers' 18-17 win over Maryland late Saturday night - one of the best and most unexpected individual performances in school history - was just as surprising to him as it was everyone else.

Simpson ran for 119 yards, caught 13 passes for 152 yards and scored two touchdowns, the second of which came with 16 seconds remaining to lift the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 ACC) to their school-record seventh straight victory.

Virginia, which travels to N.C. State on Saturday, moved up to 15th in the latest BCS rankings and is ranked in both polls (21st AP/18th USA Today).

Simpson's 271 yards were the sixth most by a UVa player in a game and more than tripled his career production prior to Saturday.

He became the first Cavalier with 100 rushing and 100 receiving yards in the same game since Thomas Jones did so against Buffalo in 1999.

"He showed a lot of grit," Groh said.

Truth be told, not even Simpson expected it.

"It shocked me actually," he said after the game. "I'm still kind of in shock."

Prior to Saturday, the redshirt sophomore had seven touches this season that produced 22 yards. He was in for one play against Connecticut last week.

The coaches liked the versatility he had shown at practice, where they lined him up all over the field - tailback, slot receiver, kickoff return. But his myriad skills never translated to actual games. Even Groh admitted that the only Simpson he and the coaching staff had seen in game action was tentative.

"We're all in sync with that one," Groh said.

Virginia went to Simpson because it didn't have any other options. Two potential ballcarriers, tailback Cedric Peerman (foot) and fullback Rashawn Jackson (hamstring), did not practice all week and didn't travel for the game. Andrew Pearman had a back injury that limited him in practice.

For the first time since the summer, Simpson stepped in to take reps at tailback, his natural position, alongside freshman Keith Payne.

Simpson showed no hesitancy once given a chance, making sharp, decisive cuts from the opening kickoff Saturday night. He caught multiple swing and shovel passes with ease (his 13 receptions tied for the second-most in a game in UVa history) and he showed open field moves that shocked some of his teammates.

"I knew he was fast, but I didn't know he was dynamic like that," UVa left guard Branden Albert said. "He caught passes, he ran the ball. Everything he did, it was amazing."

Said quarterback Jameel Sewell: "I don't think it is a one-time thing."
 

Simpson's feat even wows Cavs' sophomore
October 22, 2007 12:35 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

COLLEGE PARK, Md.--Virginia head coach Al Groh has never been one to agree with the media on aspects of his football team.

But when asked by reporters yesterday if sophomore running back Mikell Simpson was "tentative" and "soft" leading up to his breakout performance against Maryland on Saturday night, Groh admitted that was the case.

That's why Simpson's 271 yards of total offense in the Cavaliers' 18-17 victory in Byrd Stadium caught everyone by surprise, including Simpson himself.

"I hadn't seen this coming," Simpson said. "I'm still kind of in shock."

His performance propelled the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to their seventh consecutive victory and their first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The Cavaliers, who sit alone atop the ACC's Coastal Division, are ranked 21st in the AP poll. They're ranked 18th in the USA Today poll and 19th in the Bowl Championship Series standings heading into their trip to ACC rival North Carolina State on Saturday.

Simpson credited the Cavaliers' offensive line with his big night, but Groh said he made plays on his own, as well.

"There were some good openings there, but he did some pretty gritty things, too," Groh said. "He did a nice job in pass protection. He showed us a lot [Saturday] night."

Before Saturday, Simpson had just 22 yards of total offense this season.

However, against Maryland he had 13 receptions for 152 yards and 16 rushes for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including the 1-yard game-winner with 16 seconds left.

Simpson had been working at wide receiver since fall practice, but moved to running back last week because Andrew Pearman was ill and fullback/backup running back Rashawn Jackson was suffering from a hamstring injury.

Simpson, a 6-foot-1, 197-pound Harrisburg, Pa., native, shared carries with redshirt freshman Keith Payne on Saturday, but stole the show in the end.

The Terrapins had no idea Simpson was capable of carrying such a heavy load.

"We thought he was a trickster," Maryland junior linebacker Erin Henderson said. "As it turned out, he turned into a feature back. They did a good job executing, and he did a good job finding the holes and hitting them."

Henderson wasn't alone in his surprise.

Simpson's teammates always knew he had speed, versatility and explosiveness, but didn't expect to see it all unleashed on Saturday. Simpson said he felt more "comfortable" because he was again playing his natural position.

"[It] was his night," Cavaliers' senior defensive end Chris Long said. "It was kind of like his birthday. It was like he was born into college football. Hopefully he will continue to do that. I don't think it's a one-time thing."

Simpson's performance was one of the best in Virginia history for a running back.

He became the first Virginia player to amass 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game since Thomas Jones did so against Buffalo in 1999.

His 13 receptions are tied for the second most in one game in school history. His 271 all-purpose yards are the most since Jones had 333 in the same Buffalo game.

"It was crazy," Cavaliers' junior left guard Branden Albert said. "A week ago, he wasn't even playing running back. He stepped up big time, and I'm happy for him."

It didn't take long for Simpson to get going on Saturday. He said he felt like it could be a special night after he caught a 27-yard screen pass on the Cavaliers' first drive.

That became the routine for the night, as Simpson made the majority of his receiving yards off screens and shuttle passes.

"The linemen were getting good cut blocks on their linebackers, so I was coming face-to-face with the secondary," Simpson said. "I was already in the secondary before I had any type of contact."

After Saturday night, Simpson may find opponents more aware of his presence.

"As long as we're able to get him the ball, he's going to be able to break out," Cavaliers' sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell said. "Everybody knew he had the ability to do it. He just has to get the ball in his hands."

 

UVA MEN'S HOOPS: Joseph ready to be a leader
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 22, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Until this season, Virginia coach Dave Leitao’s decision concerning which players to bring to ACC Media Day was one of his easiest. Picking returning co-captains Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds in each of the last two years was a total no-brainer.

But this season, with Reynolds having graduated, things got a little trickier.

Leitao, only permitted to bring two players to the event, had to choose between Nigeria, the United States and Trinidad - that would be seniors Tunji Soroye, Ryan Pettinella and Adrian Joseph.

In the end, Trinidad prevailed.

“I think Adrian has shown the ability (to lead),” said Leitao, when asked about his decision. “I don’t look at it as a reward as much as I do a responsibility. I look at him as a spokesperson for our team, and this was an opportunity for him to understand that a little more by coming here.

“It wasn’t a contest to see who was going to come. Obviously we had Tunji and Ryan, but I thought Adrian has done a really good job since the season ended last year of trying to insert himself and his personality on the team. He’s much more of a leader than he has been in the past.”

Last season, UVa was picked to finish eighth in the preseason and wound up winning a share of the ACC regular-season title. On Sunday, the Cavaliers were picked to finish fifth. North Carolina was first, followed by Duke, N.C. State and Clemson.

With Reynolds and Jason Cain no longer in the fold, the onus will be on players like Joseph to pick up the slack – both on and off the court. How much of it they are able to will be a big factor in how Virginia fares.

A couple of years ago, the idea of Joseph being a team leader would have been tantamount to nominating Gilligan for president. However, the Trinidad native has clearly matured.

“I consider myself a sponge,” Joseph said. “I absorbed everything that I could. I think at this moment in my career, I know a lot more and I’m able to teach the younger players some stuff.”

Nobody has been more impressed by Joseph’s transformation than fellow senior Sean Singletary. Don’t let Joseph’s laid-back, life-is-cool-mon attitude fool you.

“He’s shown a sense of urgency every day in practice and has really come full circle,” Singletary said. “Originally, he was just a real quiet guy. Now he’s taken more of a leadership role, and that’s why he was here [at Media Day].”

Leitao loves the way Joseph has embraced his new responsibilities. “I’m proud of him that way, and I think the guys have responded to his direction, particularly the young guys.”

While Joseph wants to be more vocal, he also hopes to be more productive from a tangibles standpoint. Last season, he averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Joseph showed what he is capable of in Virginia’s second-round loss to Tennessee when he attacked the rim and didn’t rely solely on his jumper. One thing he must do more of is get to the foul line. He attempted just eight free throws all of last year.

Joseph said it isn’t a big deal if he comes off the bench, like he did in 28 of 31 games last season.

“I prefer to start, so I can be ready for the game right after the warm-ups,” he said, “but I think I can contribute positively [either way]. I’m just looking to come in and be a leader.”

Dunks

Singletary finished second to North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough in the ACC Preseason Player of the Year voting. He was the only player other than Hansbrough to receive any first-place votes… Hansbrough and Singletary were joined on the All- ACC Preseason Team by UNC’s Ty Lawson, BC’s Tyrese Rice and N.C. State’s Brandon Costner.

 

NCAA crackdown will confine Leitao to box
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 22, 2007

In the last two years, a favorite pastime of sportswriters has been watching Dave Leitao roam the sidelines. Often times, one just has to wonder - what will the fiery Virginia coach do next?

Leitao’s intense demeanor, which was highlighted by getting ejected from a game last season, is hard to miss - as is the coach’s propensity to wander outside of the coaching box, often times onto the court, often during the course of play

But now Leitao and numerous coaches may have to tone things down. So says the NCAA, which is encouraging a crackdown on “bench decorum” this season.

In a nutshell, officials won’t have much tolerance when it comes to any kind of emotional outbursts.

They will give coaches one warning for leaving the coaching box. After that, they will assess technical fouls.

“If Coach Leitao is going to have a problem with it, then Coach K and Coach Williams will, too,” said Virginia senior Sean Singletary, referring to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and UNC coach Roy Williams. “There are so many coaches who do it. That’s the essence of basketball and it hypes the team up. I think this takes away from college basketball.”

Surprisingly, Leitao said he doesn’t think it will affect him much.

“I think I trust referees enough that when they tell me, ‘Enough is enough,’ I’m smart enough and trust myself not to be so overly emotional.

“I think the coaching-box issue we could probably enforce a little better, but I think there’s a difference between coaching outside the box and berating the official outside the box.”

Boston College coach Al Skinner got a little fired up when asked about the officials’ “new point of emphasis.”

“I don’t think they need to make a press release for this,” he said. “The rule is in place. You tell the coaches you’re going to enforce it, and then enforce the rule.

“Now what you’ve done is given the public a chance that every time a coach steps out of the box, they can say, ‘Hey, he’s out of the box! Call a T!’ You just bring more criticism to it when you didn’t have to.”

Singletary laughed when told that Leitao could potentially be hit with a technical for shouting at his own players.

“We won’t have a problem with that if we take care of our business,” Singletary said. “Coach will be cool and chillin’ in his seat.”

 

ACC tells coaches to behave
Luciana Chavez, Staff Writer

GREENSBORO - Big Brother is coming to the ACC this season, and he will train his evil eye on 24 men's and women's basketball coaches to make sure they behave themselves.
By behave, NCAA basketball officials mean they will be paying specific attention to coaches who venture too far outside of the coach's box and to those who too freely use profanity while speaking to players or while trying to influence officials.

On the first offense, coaches get a warning. On the second, they get a technical foul.

At the 2007 ACC basketball media day at the Grandover Resort on Sunday, Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds said he thinks that "every coach in the league will have trouble with [the rule]. I think it'll be a fun rule to watch."

Maryland men's coach Gary Williams said, semi-tongue-in-cheek, "I hope all those guys can handle it, the other coaches."

"No, I'll adjust to whatever I have to," he said. "I don't know [if it's a big adjustment for me] but the 3-point line was, the shot clock was. You adjust."

Virginia coach Dave Leitao said he doesn't see the new point of emphasis, pushed for by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and endorsed by the Collegiate Commissioners and the Women's Basketball Coaches associations, causing a huge change.

"Hopefully between referees and coaches it's business as usual," Leitao said, "except that both parties are more cognizant of where the box is and have a little more decorum out there during games."

Officials who do a good job enforcing the rules will receive preferential consideration for postseason assignments. But UNC coach Roy Williams worries that officials will overreact while enforcing the rule.

"We're trying to kill a fly with a bazooka gun," he said.

It's not a new rule but a push to keep team personnel from leaning on officials, taunting opponents, verbally abusing players, inciting "undesirable" crowd reactions, coming onto the court without permission to see to an injured player, as well as to specifically keep coaches from leaving the coaching box.

ACC director of officials John Clougherty recently met with all ACC officials and coaches to explain the policy.

"Everyone knows the score," Clougherty said.

ACC coaches said that enforcing it will be hard because ACC arenas vary in size and shape.

"That's what I don't understand," Maryland's Williams said. "Some courts, if you stand up you're over the line. Is that a technical? Hopefully there is some judgement [among the officials]."

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said that's why he hopes the NCAA also will examine officials' mechanics, or the way they move up and down the court to cover the angles and the shifts from one side of the court to the other.

The way they operate now, one of three officials will position himself or herself in front of the bench.

"Really, that's distracting," Krzyzewski said. "See how many times a coach is sitting and the official is standing right in his way. That makes [coaches] stand up. And count the times, when a coach is standing, when an official runs into a coach or takes his eye off the game to avoid the coach."

Maryland's Williams said it's possible that officials could lose steam to enforce the rule.

"You've seen that [with other rules]," Williams said. "Come conference play, things usually change. Games mean so much, they're so physical a lot of times. But we'll see how it goes. I have no idea how it will go."

Duke senior captain DeMarcus Nelson said he didn't think anyone -- the rule applies to coaches, players and team personnel -- would have trouble with it.

"Everyone has the same goal, to go out and play good basketball to win," Nelson said. "No one is going to do anything to jeopardize that. That's the bottom line."

 

For sale sign on Bowden's lawn
Prank pulled after Florida St. loss to Miami
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published on: 10/21/07

Tallahassee, Fla. — After a tough night at the office and a near sleepless night at home, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden couldn't help but notice the large "For Sale" sign on his lawn as he backed out of the driveway Sunday.

The big, bright red sign was mighty hard to miss sitting on the Bowden's carefully manicured lush green lawn at one of the most prominent addresses in the capital city.

"It ain't there now," chuckled Bowden, who removed the sign. "I ain't selling. I'll save it for when I get ready to move."

A prankster had placed the sign on the Bowden yard in the overnight darkness after archrival Miami defeated the Seminoles 37-29 with 13 points in the final 1:15.

Bowden said it reminded him of his days in West Virginia in the 1970s when he was once hung in effigy as well after a loss.

Florida State (4-3, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has now lost 10 of its last 14 league games after losing its second straight Saturday.

And Sunday wasn't the first time Bowden has discovered a "For Sale" sign in his Tallahassee yard, albeit it had been awhile.

But Bowden was more concerned about figuring out what's going on with his quarterbacks after junior quarterback Xavier Lee flamed out for the second straight game.

"It seems like he plays real good and then it kind of goes away," a slightly mystified coach said Sunday.

Lee, who was making his third start of the season and sixth of his career, was just 8 of 23 after the first quarter Saturday, losing a pair of interceptions and two fumbles as well.

"Those are the things that have made us reluctant to play him down through the years," Bowden said. "You hope that one day you can work out of that. That still could happen."

Drew Weatherford, who has played just one series since the first half of Florida State's 21-14 Sept. 29 victory over Alabama, isn't as mobile as Lee but more experienced and not prone to as many turnovers.

Bowden said redshirt freshmen quarterbacks D'Vontrey Richardson and Christian Ponder aren't ready yet and that using Lee off the bench might be a better way to go.

"Is Xavier better coming off the bench than he is starting a ballgame?" Bowden asked. "I guess that's something we ought to look at."

Duke (1-6, 0-4) is Florida State's homecoming date Saturday night before the Seminoles encounter a treacherous November schedule that features road games against three top-ranked teams — No. 2 Boston College, No. 8 Virginia Tech and No. 9 Florida plus a Nov. 17 home finale against scrappy Maryland.

"You don't want to panic," said Bowden, whose 370 career victories are now just one more than Penn State's Joe Paterno. "I still want to try and save this year if we can."

But Bowden's keeping the real estate sign — just in case.