UVa getting help from Spielberg?
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress Sports Editor
October 23, 2007

Having been the guest on about a dozen radio shows around the country over the past couple of days, the question of choice has been a simple, yet complicated one.

“So, how does Virginia keep doing it?”

For those that haven’t been paying attention, the Cavaliers have won the last three games by a combined total of four points and won another one by two. That’s four wins by six points for the 7-1 Wahoos, ranked No. 15 in the latest BCS poll.

I could give you two answers, one that makes me look smarter than I really am, and another that makes me look just as bewildered as everyone else about Virginia’s seven-game winning streak.

Experience paying off

My original thought, and it’s on record so you can look it up, is that last year’s 5-7 mark was an aberration because the program was caught with an inexperienced quarterback and inexperienced line. Chalk it up purely as a painful learning experience. This team just had to grow up.

This columnist predicted that Virginia would definitely return to a bowl game, would win seven or eight games. And, if it really got lucky and avoided catastrophic injuries, it could win more.

In fact, there’s one gentleman, whom I believe resides in Lynchburg that owes me a nice steak dinner on that prediction. By the way, I like mine medium-well.

But really, what I truly think goes well beyond a simple prediction.

Hollywood script

Have you noticed that Steven Spielberg has kind of dropped from sight? What I really believe is that Spielberg showed up in Charlottesville for the Virginia Film Festival and was secretly slipped into UVa’s think tank.

That’s the only way to explain what’s going on with Cavalier football. This is pure Spielberg. It’s something out of Star Wars or E.T.

Speaking of E.T., don’t you see a little similarity between UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell and our favorite extra terrestrial? Could have sworn I saw Sewell’s fingertip light up at the bottom of that pile when he was knocked loopy at Byrd Stadium the other night.

A couple of plays later he was back in the game, directing the winning drive.

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to hear Sewell say, “Phone home.” Otherwise, I’m convinced something’s going on here.

How else could you explain a redshirt sophomore like Mikell Simpson just coming out of the blue and accounting for 271 all-purpose yards the other night? That was the sixth-highest such total in more than 100 years of Wahoo football.

I’ve been in this business for my entire adult life. I’ve seen incredible things in covering six different college football programs. But I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a player, many of whom had completely written off, make such a dramatic impact on a football game.

A Maryland fan who attended Saturday night’s game asked me on Monday, “Hey, just who was that No. 5?”

Forgive Terrapin fans if they didn’t know ahead of time. In fact, forgive Virginia fans, too, because they probably had to look it up in their game program.

“Simpson,” I said. “Not Homer, not O.J. His first name is Mikell.”

All he did to cap off a truly unbelievable night was have 14 touches on Virginia’s 90-yard winning touchdown march, which consisted of 15 plays. Ever heard of such a thing?

It’s Spielberg, I’m telling ya.

You’ve heard of scripted plays. How about Spielberg scripting the entire game? It’s like a Hollywood script. Stuff like this doesn’t really happen, does it?

Last week against unbeaten UConn, the Cavs came from behind: 80 yards, 11 plays, to take the lead with 3:20 to play. Then the visiting Huskies implode with two - let’s hear your best Bill Walton impression here - with two h-o-r-r- ii -b-l-e snaps that rolled around the ankles of the UConn quarterback to thwart any last minute attempts for a Reaper Cheater.

The week before at Middle Tennessee State, the Cavs had to go 80 yards in 86 seconds with no time outs to come from behind and win. They did so with eight seconds to go.

C’mon man, are you kidding me? This is nothing but pure Hollywood.

And, Chris Long? Forget about it. He can’t possibly be that good can he? Virginia coach Al Groh said the other day that if they ever invite a defensive player to New York in December, then the invitation should read: To Mr. Long.

Well, Chris Long is that good.

But I’m not sure he’s the real deal either. Personally, I think he’s really the Terminator wearing No. 91.

I think it’s time to fess up. Sewell, you’re really E.T., right? Long, you’re really a cyborg, ain’t ya?

And Simpson? We don’t know what he is exactly.

Groh snickered when someone called Simpson a “secret agent” back in August. Was he really snickering, or just hiding something?

Curious minds want to know.

OK, Spielberg. The jig is up. You can come out of hiding now and tell us how this is just another one of your unbelievable concoctions.

I would like a cut of the box office, though.

 

Uzodinma gives Virginia verbal commitment
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 23, 2007

In a way, Ugo Uzodinma picked family over friends.

On Monday, the defensive end from Dunbar High in Washington, D.C., announced his intentions to play football at Virginia. The two-star recruit picked Virginia over Illinois, a program that currently boasts three players from Dunbar and remains in pursuit of others for its Class of 2008.

Uzodinma’s decision, which makes him the Virginia’s 14th commitment for the '08 class, keeps him closer to his parents and places him at UVa with his sister, Ifomachukwu, an undergraduate student in the school’s nursing program.

After transferring from High Point High School (Md.) to Dunbar prior the current football season, Uzodinma started gaining extra attention on the recruiting trail.

While he boasted offers from only Illinois and Virginia, heavy interest was being shown from Maryland, Penn State and Virginia Tech and several Big East schools. Uzodinma, however, made it known that his decision would be announced by the early stages of November.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder is not the first defensive lineman the Cavaliers have added for the 2008 class - Klinton “Buddy” Ruff, a defensive tackle from Norfolk, picked UVa over Oklahoma and Virginia Tech in August.

Uzodinma’s chief recruiter was defensive coordinator Mike London, who has been the lead recruiter for seven of the current commitments for the upcoming class.

With 10 sacks this season, Uzodinma has helped Dunbar (7-2), a program riding a six-game winning streak.

 

An early Wake-up call
Cavs and Deacons draw a noon kickoff for Nov. 3 encounter
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 - 12:06 AM Updated: 12:55 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The University of Virginia has two home football games left this season. First up is a date with Wake Forest, and, to the surprise of many, it will be a matinee at Scott Stadium.

The Nov. 3 game will start at noon and be televised by Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports, the ACC announced yesterday. That's traditionally not a time slot reserved for important late-season games, which this one is likely to be. Wake, the defending ACC champion, is second in the Atlantic Division, and U.Va. leads the Coastal.

No. 21 Virginia (4-0, 7-1) visits N.C. State (0-3, 2-5) this weekend.

The starting time for U.Va.'s home finale, Nov. 24 against Virginia Tech, won't be announced until next month. That game could decide the Coastal title.

The Cavaliers are coming off an 18-17 comeback win over Maryland in College Park. Two of Virginia's stars in that game -- sophomore tailback Mikell Simpson and senior defensive end Chris Long -- were honored yesterday by the ACC.

Simpson, a reserve who totaled 271 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns against the Terrapins, was named the ACC's offensive back of the week.

Long, the ACC's defensive lineman of the week, had five tackles for loss, including two sacks. He also knocked down two passes and recorded a safety Saturday night. Long leads the ACC with 10 sacks.

Also yesterday, U.Va. received a commitment from Ugo Uzodinma, a 6-4, 245-pound defensive end from Dunbar High in Washington.

"He's a big player who's explosive and who can run," Dunbar coach Craig Jefferies said.

Uzodinma, who transferred to Dunbar from High Point High in Maryland after his junior year, is an exceptional student and has a sister who attends U.Va.

Illinois and Pittsburgh are the among the other schools that have been pursuing Uzodinma. He's the 14th player to commit to Virginia for 2008 and the fifth from the D.C. area.

U.Va.'s recruiting class for '08 is not expected to include more than 20 players, and it might have as few as 18.

 

Virginia Extra
Sene update
Jeff White
October 22, 2007 9:41 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE—Good news for basketball coach Dave Leitao’s program appears imminent. Assane Sene, a 7-footer from Senegal, is expected to commit to Virginia, and an announcement could come as early as Tuesday.

Sene, who attends South Kent (Conn.) School, has taken official visits to U.Va., Connecticut and, most recently, Syracuse.

Virginia already has commitments from two players in the Class of 2008: 6-5 guard Sylven Landesberg of Queens, N.Y., and 6-11 center John Brandenburg of St. Louis. The signing period opens next month. The Cavaliers are also hoping to land Elliot Williams, a 6-4 guard from Memphis, Tenn., who is likely to be named a McDonald’s All-American.

U.Va. assistant Bill Courtney and South Kent coach Raphael Chillious are longtime friends.

Sene, who has been in the United States less than a year, is one of four Senegalese young men featured in a documentary, called “Hoopland,” about basketball and Africa. His visit to Charlottesville last month gave Virginia a commanding lead over the other schools recruiting him.

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One for the ages
Jeff White
October 22, 2007 9:54 AM
CHARLOTTESVILLE—On March 9, 2003, on the last day of the regular season, Jason Rogers made his first start for the U.Va. men’s basketball team. Rogers, who would finish the season with averages of 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds, was in the first five only because it was Senior Night. But he responded with an effort that stunned the fans at University Hall and left them wondering why then-coach Pete Gillen hadn’t played the 6-11 center more.

Rogers, who’d been an all-Group AA selection for legendary coach Paul Hatcher at Staunton’s R.E. Lee High, totaled 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots to help U.Va. edge Maryland 80-78 in overtime. His points and his rebounds were career highs.

Until Saturday night, Rogers’ Senior Night gem qualified as the most unexpected exhibition of brilliance by a U.Va. athlete I’d witnessed in my seven years on this beat. Mikell Simpson’s performance in Virginia’s 18-17 win over Maryland now holds that distinction.

Simpson, as everyone who follows U.Va. football surely knows by now, was pressed into service at tailback because of injuries to Cedric Peerman, Rashawn Jackson and Andrew Pearman. What followed has already become the stuff of lore:

* By halftime, the seldom-used sophomore had surpassed his career totals in both rushing and receiving. Simpson finished with 119 yards (and two touchdowns) rushing and 152 yards receiving (on 13 catches). The 152 yards are a record for a U.Va. running back.

* Simpson had a 22-yard run in the second quarter—then a career long—and a 44-yard TD run later in the half.

* Simpson became the first Virginia running back since Alvin Pearman to have at least 100 yards receiving in a game. Pearman caught a school-record 16 passes for 134 yards against Florida State in 2003.

* Simpson’s 271 all-purpose yards were the most by a Cavalier since tailback Thomas Jones gained a school-record 333 against lowly Buffalo in 1999.

In conversations about where to rank Simpson’s performance on the improbability scale, Marquis Weeks’ game against N.C. State on Nov. 16, 2002, came up. With Pearman out—he’d torn an ACL a week earlier in a loss at Penn State—Weeks started at tailback for the first time since the season opener. He gained a career-high 129 yards on 19 carries to help Virginia upset No. 20 N.C. State 14-9 at Scott Stadium.

As impressive as Weeks’ production was that day, it wasn’t nearly as surprising as Simpson’s effort Saturday night at Byrd Stadium.

Weeks, after all, had shown his speed and playmaking ability four weeks earlier against North Carolina, returning a kickoff a school-record 100 yards for a touchdown to spark U.Va. in its comeback win. For the 2002 season, Weeks averaged 30.5 yards on his 13 kickoff returns, and there was ample reason before the N.C. State game to believe he had serious talent. Simpson had shown nothing similar—at least not for Virginia—before Saturday night.

 

Simpson, Long honored by ACC
Daily Press
5:23 PM EDT, October 22, 2007
 

Two Virginia football players have earned weekly ACC honors for their performances in the Cavaliers' 18-17 victory at Maryland.

Virginia sophomore running back Mikell Simpson is the ACC Offensive Back of the Week after piling up 271 yards. Simpson had 119 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 16 seconds to play, on 16 carries and caught 13 passes for 152 yards.

Cavaliers senior defensive end Chris Long is the conference's Defensive Lineman of the Week after his 10 tackles - including five for loss and two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety - against the Terps. He also had two pass breakups. Long leads the ACC with 10 sacks this season.

 

Loaded backfield?
Eric Strow, Cavalier Daily Columnist

You can exhale now, football fans. I know you've been holding your breath since the Cavaliers started that 15-play, 90-yard fourth-quarter drive that ate up more than seven minutes and ended with only 16 seconds left in the game. But it's OK: Virginia scored a touchdown, and Maryland lost yards on the kickoff return because of a penalty. The Terrapins couldn't do anything on the last play, leaving the Cavaliers with another one-point victory. The 18-17 score is very reflective of the back-and-forth thriller played between the two teams that many predicted would occur, but the real story of the game was the show put on by a certain Virginia running back that nobody saw coming ... especially not the Maryland defense.

I can't remember the exact number of times the announcers brought up Virginia's depth chart during the game. (Nor could I count how many times they mispronounced Jameel Sewell's name.) But each time they did, it was in reference to the surprise breakout performance of reserve running back Mikell (pronounced "Mike-kell") Simpson and probably because they didn't know anything else about him. Then again, did anyone watching the game know who he was? After all, he was buried beneath Cedric Peerman, Andrew Pearman and Keith Payne on the running back depth chart when the season started. Keep this in mind as you read on, because I hope to convince you that our four-man tailback tandem, plus running quarterback Sewell, comprises a "loaded backfield" that few other teams can claim to have.

Simpson, a redshirt sophomore, tallied 16 carries for 119 rush yards and two touchdowns, as well as 13 receptions for 152 receiving yards. (That's 271 total yards if you're scoring at home.) He was slated to get some touches because injuries kept top running back Peerman out of the game; however, with Pearman seeing his only action on kickoff returns and Tom Santi leaving the game after an early first quarter injury, Simpson became much more of a target on the ground and through the air. He was clearly up to the task, as he blew past Maryland defenders with a combination of speed and shiftiness.

Just as the game this weekend showed how good Simpson can be, the previous game against Connecticut showcased the running talents of Payne, and the one before that (at Middle Tennessee State) highlighted the abilities of Pearman.

Though Payne may have only racked up 42 yards on 11 carries in addition to one reception for 16 yards against Connecticut, his 3.8 yards per carry helped pace the offense. Fans were screaming "Bring the Payne!" as he pounded his way through the defensive line and shook off the occasional linebacker.

Pearman, meanwhile, had five catches and five rushes against Middle Tennessee State for 56 and 45 yards, respectively. He also found paydirt twice, including a 21-yard touchdown run and a 5-yard scamper to give the Cavaliers an early fourth-quarter lead. (Chris Gould missed the extra point, but would atone for this error with a game-winning field goal). And yet, Pearman's nose for the end zone is secondary in terms of his other value to Virginia; his kick return ability is where he contributes most for the Cavaliers. Pearman has fielded 21 kickoffs and amassed 415 return yards, an average of 19.8 yards per return. That means that, more often than not, Virginia starts drives in better field position than a touchback would afford. In games of field position, such as the Maryland game, a few yards here and there could mean a world of difference.

And then we have Peerman, the all-purpose running back for Virginia. Peerman is second in the ACC with 97.5 rushing yards per game, and fifth in all-purpose yards per game with 128.5 (combined rushing, receiving and returning). He emerged to be the main running option for the Cavaliers early in the season, but injuries kept him out of the last two games. Before getting hurt, Peerman was simply dominant, breaking tackles and showing breakaway speed. His five rushing touchdowns lead the team, and upon his return Peerman will likely resume his starting role.

So, here's what we have in the Virginia backfield. Peerman can run through you. Pearman can run around you. Payne can run over you (in the literal meaning of the word, as seen when he went airborne trying to dive into the end zone against Connecticut). And, as he showed this past weekend, Simpson can simply run right by you. Add all that to the scrambling ability of Sewell (who seems to be racking up first downs all on his own). How many other teams have as many dangerous runners as Virginia's five? Besides Southern California, which has about 200 running backs who were all five-star recruits, there simply aren't that many colleges who have assembled such a balanced and deep running corps as Virginia, especially not in the ACC.

I won't claim that the Cavaliers have the best backfield in the nation. I will say that it is a pretty darn good one. Virginia takes on N.C. State next weekend, and if everyone is healthy, Al Groh can play around with the five cards he's been dealt: Sewell, Peerman, Pearman, Payne, Simpson. Opponents, pick your poison.
 

Evans earns another start for Wolfpack
Performance vs. ECU keeps quarterback in lineup against Cavs
KEN TYSIAC
ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com

RALEIGH --Daniel Evans staked a successful claim to N.C. State's starting quarterback position by passing for a career-high 335 yards Saturday in a 34-20 win against East Carolina.

Coach Tom O'Brien said Monday that Evans will start Saturday against Virginia. The game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium.

"He's earned the right to be the starter," O'Brien said.

Evans started the final nine games of last season. When he struggled in the 2007 opener against Central Florida, he was replaced by Harrison Beck.

After Beck suffered a shoulder separation against Louisville on Sept. 29, Evans started against Florida State and East Carolina. He was 29-for-44 with three touchdowns Saturday.

"The first thing that happened is we protected him better," O'Brien said. "It's always a lot easier when you're standing up throwing the football instead of getting drilled."

O'Brien said Evans will start regardless of Beck's progress.

O'Brien cruises memory lane

Virginia's smash-mouth, pro-style offense is familiar to O'Brien."They almost look like the same offense we ran when we were there," he said.

O'Brien was an assistant on George Welsh's staff at Virginia from 1982 to '96 before becoming head coach at Boston College. Virginia offensive coordinator Mike Groh quarterbacked Virginia to nine-win seasons and bowl wins in 1994-95, when O'Brien was the Cavaliers' offensive coordinator.

O'Brien said his daughter, Bridget, who was born in Charlottesville, Va., liked it there so much that she locked herself in her bedroom when she learned the family was leaving.

He said he spent some time paging through the Virginia media guide, reminiscing by looking at all the school record holders Welsh's staff coached there. "It was a great experience for our family," O'Brien said.

Briefly

N.C. State had lost 12 consecutive games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents before Saturday. "It was a big relief," said senior defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash. ... N.C. State's game at Miami on Nov. 3 will begin at noon (ESPNU).

 

Lineup changes aid Pack
Chip Alexander, Staff Writer

RALEIGH - N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien promised a total evaluation of his team during the Pack's bye week, and it resulted in a few personnel changes.
Javon Walker, a redshirt freshman, replaced senior Miguel Scott at starting safety. Freshman Markus Kuhn also was shifted from defensive tackle to defensive end, backing up starter Martrel Brown.

Walker had 12 tackles and Kuhn notched his first sack in the Pack's 34-20 win over East Carolina.

"As we did our evaluations and looked to see who [was] ... the best four in the secondary, we thought the two safeties, Javon Walker and DaJuan Morgan, gave us the best chance to win the football game," O'Brien said Monday. "We made the decision to play Kuhn as a backup to Brown to get a little more size in the game, because he really has good speed and good quickness, and to give us a little more power up front to defend the run."

HE'LL PLAY: O'Brien said freshman offensive tackle Jake Vermiglio, who was ejected from the ECU game for a late hit, would face no further disciplinary action. Vermiglio started for injured left tackle Julian Williams and will start Saturday against Virginia.

"He's a freshman [who] made a stupid mistake," O'Brien said. "He's paid a price for it. It won't happen again."

Williams, who sprained a knee last Tuesday in practice, will miss the Virginia game.

LIKE FATHER ... : As offensive line coach at the Naval Academy in 1975, O'Brien found a way to slow Holy Cross star defensive lineman, Howie Long.

"We trapped him every play," O'Brien said. "He ran up the field. We just trapped him because we couldn't block him."

This week, the Pack must try to contain Long's son, Chris, the Cavaliers' most dominant defensive lineman.

"Chris is a much more disciplined player than Howie ever was," a smiling O'Brien said. "Howie still thinks we cheated because we trapped him all the time."

PACK NOTES: Wide receiver John Dunlap and linebacker LeRue Rumph are questionable for Virginia, both with ankle sprains.

* State's Nov. 3 game at Miami will start at noon.

 

Surging Cavs up next for Wolfpack
N.C. State's O'Brien has fond memories of UVa.
By Bill Cole
JOURNAL REPORTER
RALEIGH

Tom O’Brien has coached one emotionally stressful game already this season at N.C. State and this week he will have another.

Streaking Virginia will visit Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday for a game that will send O’Brien down memory lane again. He spent 15 seasons in Charlottesville, starting in 1982 as an assistant and later an offensive coordinator for Coach George Welsh.

The game won’t be as tough on O’Brien as N.C. State’s Sept. 8 visit to Boston College, the team that O’Brien coached for 10 seasons before leaving last December for Raleigh, but it will still produce familiar sights. One of O’Brien’s former Virginia quarterbacks, Mike Groh, is the Virginia offensive coordinator.

O’Brien and Welsh both arrived at Virginia from Navy, where Welsh was the coach of a highly successful program, and they helped turn a downtrodden team into an ACC power.

“He always had a plan and he had a system in place,” O’Brien said. “He kept his staff intact. And that allowed him to accomplish, I think, a lot of things he did, other than the fact that he was a great coach and a very smart man. I tried to do that in my time at Boston College and certainly that’s the plan here.

“We have a plan and we’re going to stick to it. We’re not going to get caught up in any fads. There’s no quick fixes to it. You come to work, you work hard every day. You believe in your plan, you work the plan and you recruit hard and you get good players.”

Virginia has won seven consecutive games after a season-opening loss. It will encounter a rejuvenated N.C. State team. N.C. State captured its first victory since Sept. 15 last Saturday by belting East Carolina 34-20.

The win came after an open week in the schedule. O’Brien and his assistants stressed fundamentals in practices and made several changes on defense, among them pulling Miguel Scott, a senior safety, and two other defensive players out of the starting lineup to get the most efficient players on the field.

O’Brien said that the win at ECU, N.C. State’s first of the season against a major-college opponent, provided great relief for his players. O’Brien is hopeful that N.C. State is a better, stronger team after the changes but cautioned that much work remains for the Wolfpack to win consistently.

“It’s been getting better because of time and understanding,” O’Brien said of his team’s progress. “The first six games, I wouldn’t say we did a great job implementing what we wanted to try to do but I think we used the off week wisely.

“I think it was clear to the players the better understanding of what we were trying to accomplish and get accomplished. I think as coaches we did a pretty good job of evaluating where we were and where we had to get to and used it wisely.”

O’Brien isn’t sure if his old boss, Welsh, will attend Saturday’s game, although 11 years have passed since they last worked together. If O’Brien wants to find out if Welsh will be coming, he will have to pick up the phone and call Charlottesville.

“George doesn’t call anybody,” O’Brien said, breaking into a big smile. “I don’t feel bad.”

The move from Charlottesville to Boston in 1997 started O’Brien’s successful head-coaching career but was not welcomed by at least one family member. Youngest child Bridget, then in her early teens, protested that she didn’t want to leave the city in which she was born and locked herself in her room.

She wasn’t in there for long, however.

“We had the key to the door, so we got her out,” O’Brien said.

 

UVa. game special for O’Brien
By Sammy Batten
Staff writer

Tom O’Brien’s family was so attached to Charlottesville, Va., that when he decided to leave Virginia for the job as head coach at Boston College, his oldest daughter Bridget locked herself in her room.

“Bridget was born there and she didn’t want to leave,’’ O’Brien said. “But we had the key to her door, so we could get her out.’’

O’Brien, now the first-year head coach at N.C. State (2-5, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), spent 15 years as an assistant coach with the surging Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0), who come to Raleigh on Saturday as the ACC’s Coastal Division leader.

During his tenure there under head coach George Welsh, O’Brien helped turn Virginia from an also-ran in the ACC into a consistent winner.

Welsh brought O’Brien with him to Virginia from Navy, where the former Marine had begun his coaching career.

“When I went to Virginia in 1982 with Coach Welsh, we left Navy where we had some success,’’ O’Brien said. “Being a young coach and a Naval Academy graduate, it was difficult to leave.

“But Coach Welsh decided we were going to leave and he chose to go to Virginia. I remember two or three years into it thinking it was a heck of lot harder getting things started there than it had been at Navy. But it was a rewarding experience.’’

O’Brien’s career at N.C. State got off to a similar beginning.

The Wolfpack struggled with turnovers and had problems giving up big plays through the first six weeks in which their only win came against Football Championship Subdivision foe Wofford.

But after an open date, N.C. State appeared to take its first significant step forward in beating East Carolina 34-20 on Saturday.

“There was a great sense of relief on the sidelines, a great sense of joy that they had accomplished something,’’ O’Brien said. “We had a chance, when things got tight, to make the same old mistakes again. But this time they came back and turned things around in our favor.

“The challenge now is to do it again this week.’’

The Cavaliers have been one of the biggest surprises of the ACC season so far.

They’ve reeled off seven straight victories since opening the season with a 23-3 loss at Wyoming.

“Their offense almost looks the same when we were there with Coach Welsh,’’ O’Brien said. “They play smash-mouth football, so you better be able to defend the run.’’

 

O'Brien stuck to Welsh's gameplan
By H. Williams Kellenberger
Rocky Mount Telegram
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Several times during this season, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien has leaned on what he learned from long-time Virginia coach George Welsh.

"We have a plan, and we're going to stick to it," O'Brien said. "You believe in the plan and work the plan."

That plan has started to work, with everyone encouraged by a 34-20 win against East Carolina last Saturday. The challenge now, O'Brien said, is to continue the good play against Virginia this Saturday.

O'Brien joined Welsh's Navy staff in 1975 and came with Welsh to Virginia in 1982. O'Brien ended up raising his children in Charlottesville and by the time O'Brien accepted Boston College's head coaching job in 1996, the family became so attached his youngest daughter, Bridget, locked herself in her bedroom.

"We had the key to the door, so we got her out," O'Brien said.

There were several years at Virginia that things did not go well. In fact, O'Brien remembers the coaches having conversations about just how much harder it was than at Navy.

When the chance to run his own program did come, O'Brien took Welsh's model of success.

"He always had a plan and always had a system in place," O'Brien said. "He kept his staff intact and that allowed him to the things he did."

O'Brien followed the staff example, bringing most of his former Boston College assistants to Raleigh.

And, after a bye week that allowed the team to refocus and get back to fundamentals, success finally came.

"It was a great sense of relief on the sideline and a great sense of joy that they had accomplished something," O'Brien said. "Things got tight and we changed the turn of events, brought them back around to our favor."

Part of that turn-around was the play of Daniel Evans and his receivers.

Even though Harrison Beck will be ready to play, Evans will start against the Cavaliers.

"I don't think there was any decision to be made," O'Brien said. "He's earned the right.

"We're protecting (Daniel) better. That gave him the opportunity to make his reads. And we made some plays and made some catches that maybe we haven't made before."

When N.C. State was 1-5, the coaching staff urged the players to not get too focused on what others on campus were saying. Now that they're 1-0 in what the Wolfpack are calling the second season, O'Brien is telling them do to the same exact thing.

"We're not world-beaters now," O'Brien said. "This game is going to tell us a lot about this football team."

 

Ralph Friedgen: Quit Yer Whinin'
Posted Oct 22nd 2007 7:50PM by Ian Cohen
Filed under: Maryland Football, Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

Flashback to the week before the Maryland/UVA tilt of 2002. Stuck off the realness only a one-game winning streak against a team you haven't beaten in nearly a decade can provide, Ralph Friedgen was heard to remark, "we expect to beat teams like Duke and Virginia." As night fell on Charlottesville that Saturday, Friedgen and his Terrapins would end up wearing a 48-13 ass-whoopin' with pride.

So it's not unprecedented for Ralph Mouth to completely discount the possibility of Virginia managing to prove he's the most dubiously touted "offensive genius" in Maryland outside of Brian Billick. Take this Saturday's nailbiter that ended in a hotly contested 18-17 Virginia victory. Now, he could've praised "fourth-string tight end" (as an ESPN recap referred to him as, despite having a 6'0", 195 lb." frame) Mikell Simpson, who singlehandedly racked up more yards than the entire Maryland offense. Or, he could've admitted that his offensive line allowed Chris Long made millions on Saturday with a performance that will probably constitute 85% of his highlight reel when ESPN televises the 2008 draft. Or, he could've took his defense to task for allowing one of the country's least productive attacks to take go 90 yards in the waning minutes of a game played in their own backyard.

Instead, Friedgen took the high road like so many Maryland fans and blamed the loss on the referees.
"I'll probably get in trouble again, but I had a pretty good view of it," Friedgen said of the touchdown. "I don't have the side angle, but the ball came out on that goal line. I saw it come out. He didn't have possession. "I never see anybody overrule anything anymore," he said. "I'm looking at the replay on the JumboTron, the guy was out of bounds on the fourth-down play, too."

Now, you can obviously accuse me of bias, but the fact is, neither the spot on Mikell Simpson's fourth-down lunge or his last-second leap into the endzone were egregiously bad enough to warrant being overturned. Particularly not when the best Fridge has got was a "pretty good" view watching the replay on the Jumbotron. And peep Kevin Barnes' grammatically dubious rip of a pass interference call that went against him on a 3rd and 16 during the fateful drive:

"I seen the receiver touch the ball," Barnes said. "Me and the ball got there the same time. Blatant pass interference that close in the game? You don't make that call."
Yeah, not a good year for guys named Kevin Barnes to put themselves on display. But easily, the funniest comment I've read thus far is one that accuses referee of...get this, a UVA conspiracy! Sure, the ACC will once again pay for their shortsighted expansion by likely having something other than a second Miami/FSU game, but the thought that referees would be favoring UVA against anyone, let alone Maryland is pretty specious reasoning. First off, Maryland's got a far bigger alumni fan base, not to mention huge pockets of population in New York, Philly, Baltimore and D.C. Secondly, anyone who's been following the Cavaliers for any amount of time knows their fans have been saddled with the reputation of being bad a mobilizing for bowl games (the fact that they're in scenic locales like Boise and Nashville and Charlotte in December makes this a chicken/egg argument anyway).

Either way, this is another small step for legitimizing Virginia after a disastrous start. Now, I don't want to portray the Hoo faithful as a bunch of nattering nabobs of negativity, a: because it's a bad look and b: outside of the football factories, everyone else likes to think of their team as the most doomed. But after UVA's initial BCS ranking was announced as #19, my friend texted me: "there's NO way they beat Maryland." Which made sense, seeing as how UVA had neither won a game while ranked or won a conference road game outside the state of North Carolina since 2004. But don't think that makes anyone any less scared of the upcoming trip to Raleigh.