A HALF-FORMED HYPOTHESIS CONCERNING VIRGINIA'S OTHERWISE BIZARRE 7-1 START
By SMQ
Posted on Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 01:49:51 PM EDT

The NFL invasion of the collegiate wilderness has not fared spectacularly well. Sturdy, conservative men of sructure, professionalism and unlimited practice time have, by and large, circled along the same winding hallways back to the coaching pink slip lobby, where they'll fill out the paperwork and be assigned a nice coordinator position somewhere, probably with that guy, that old G.A., what's his name, caught on somehow out in wherever.

The most cited current member of the slumming ex-pros, Pete Carroll, is usually held as an example of how much easier it is to succeed in college. In reality, though, he's proven a high profile exception, an example that collegiate success isn't lesser success; it's just different. Carroll succeeds with younger players by rejecting the stale, business-like "No Fun" mantra: teenagers want to play for hyperactives who openly whoop on the sideline, hold freewheeling touch football games at open workouts on opponents' fields and pretend to throw star players from the tops of buildings far more than they do scowling maestros of risk aversion. Steve Spurrier's folksy subversion belongs in the SEC; even Nick Saban (who was not bad in the NFL, and has a long background there) couldn't endure the pre-packaged soul-suck of Sunday afternoons.
What has curmudgeonly, Belichickian stoicism wrought for Carroll's contemporaries? Bill Callahan - who, as he'll remind you, coached a team to the Super Bowl (and was widely favored to win it) - inherited the most collegiate of offensive schemes at a program two years removed from a mythical championship appearance and zero years removed from ten wins under disgraced Frank Solich, instituted the philosophy and system that had dominated the League and produced its MVP, and in just four short, mystique-crushing years has delivered the worst two single seasons at Nebraska in half a century. Dave Wannstedt, captain of multiple playoff teams with two different franchises, has deftly guided Pittsburgh to a 14-16 record and zero bowl berths on the heels of a Big East championship and BCS bid the year before his arrival - the ex-defensive coordinator's defenses at Pitt have ranked 94th, 107th and 54th nationally against the run and can't stop an archaic triple option run by sub-I-A talent (or any kind of option, really. Why won't those damn rag-armed quarterbacks stand still like Bledsoe?). Chan Gailey's middle-seeking blah has produced the same perpetual 58.3 percent blah it did with the Cowboys, who appreciated Wild Card playoff losses like Georgia Tech appreciates six consecutive trips to the Emerald Bowl. Charlie Weis' offense was productive against bad defenses and when it was most aggressive against better ones, liberally pushing fourth down attempts in direct defiance of the punt-first mindset in the pros, but now verges on becoming the single worst of all time. Ron Zook coordinated one of the top five defenses in the NFL in 2000, and six years later was watching his successor at Florida, late of Bowling Green and Utah, hoist a crystal ball with a vastly better defense and an offense his detractors didn't even think could function in the big, bad SEC. Sylvester Croom's stab at implementing the "West Coast" at Mississippi State has proved an unmitigated disaster. Longtime Jets and Chiefs defensive coordinator Greg Robinson immediately ran perennially competitive Syracuse into the ground with consistently horrible efforts in every phase. Tim Brewster at Minnesota...my god, Tim Brewster. With the exception of Zook, who's already been fired once, there is no reasonable expectation that any of these coaches will be employed at his current school by the start of the 2009 season.

And then...and then there's Al Groh, an intensely unpleasant, frowning man cut from the same dour Parcellian cloth as Belichick, who by all rights should be the patron saint of the foregoing damned. His initial hotness at Virginia, born of a rapid, Continental Tire Bowl-capped turnaround in 2002 and 2003, fizzled into diminished returns and looked prone to wither and blow away in the wind with UVA's 110th-ranked offense after a 5-7 finish last year that was every bit as dismal as the record implies. And if you gave me one coach on Sept. 2 of this year to nominate for the inevitable axe, after his team's absolutely woeful, 100-yard, three-point disgrace at Wyoming, of all places, I would have given you Groh.

Since then, his team has managed to win seven games in a row, four of them in ACC play, by the following margins:

Opponent Score
Duke (1-6) 24-13

North Carolina (2-5) 22-20
Georgia Tech (5-3) 28-23

Pittsburgh (3-4) 44-14
Middle Tennessee (3-5) 23-21

Connecticut (6-1) 17-16
Maryland (4-3) 18-17

Four wins by two points or less, five by a touchdown or less. If you're wondering what happened against Pittsburgh, I can only point to a) Wannstedt, as previously stated, and b) a 27-point first quarter as the result of, partially, a failed onside kick by Pitt to open the game (see "a"), a Panther fumble on a kickoff at its own 26 and another 21-yard drive set up by a big punt return. Pittsburgh, coached by another NFL retread and quarterbacked by a true freshman, is not designed to survive in that scenario.

Virginia, however, appears to be specifically designed to survive close games in the parity-driven mashup that is the post-Florida State ACC (we can all agree FSU, 4-10 in conference games since late 2005, is not the driving force it was when it was in the process of going 70-2 from 1993-2000, and no other team has filled the vacuum, right?), and in that context, maybe Groh is a perfect fit. Virginia only outscores opponents by about four points per game, and only outgains them by 12 yards, but that translates to a very solid defense (21st in total and scoring) and an offense that only does what it needs to do - the Cavaliers currently rank 101st in total offense and 89th in scoring, but since the opener have the most eerily consistent offense in the country (within a 50-yard window between 324-374 yards in every game prior to last week's more prolific effort against Maryland) and has produced the winning points in the fourth quarter of all five single-digit wins, usually coming from behind:

Real coaches never smile. They just point and swear.
- - -

• at North Carolina: Virginia did lead entering the fourth quarter here, 19-14, and eventually won on a field goal with nine minutes left that had to challenged on the word of UVA ball boys. The kick put the Cavs up 22-14, which held when the defense stopped UNC's tying two-point attempt with 1:57 to play.
• Georgia Tech: Virginia mounts two long touchdown drives early and returns an interception for 21-7 lead out of the gate, but goes into a hole offensively and trails late, 23-21. Tech bails the Cavs out by fumbling a punt at its own 26, setting up a short field, go-ahead touchdown that held over the last nine minutes amid a barrage of incomplete passes by Taylor Bennett.

• at Middle Tennessee State: Down 21-20 after a Raider interception led to a one-yard scoring drive midway through the fourth, the Cavs drive 63 yards in the final 1:26 to kick the winning field goal with eight seconds on the clock.

• UConn: Virginia drives 79 yards to go up 18-17 with a little over three minutes to play, then forces a fumble on the Huskies' last realistic drive.

• at Maryland: The Terps do zip on offense but lead 17-12 entering the fourth quarter after a UVA safety to close the third. The lead holds until the Cavs take over their own ten and march 90 yards on 15 plays, taking half a quarter off the clock and scoring the winning touchdown on a one-yard run with 16 seconds to play.
- - -

These are the kind of tight, mistake-magnifying defensive games pro-bred coaches should be familiar with, and in which we find Groh's team suddenly thriving, and it's the same conference that was nearly won last year by Gailey's Yellow Jackets and is being currently led by the charges of ex-Packer mind Jeff Jagodzinski, whose offense has retained an aggressive, pass happy streak (especially by ACC standards) under coordinator Steve Logan. B.C. is the closest to a conference overlord right now, perhaps matched only by Virginia Tech, but there really is no dominant team, and even the lowest patsies (Duke and, right now, N.C. State, both on track to 0-8) are regularly competitive. ACC offenses are on the whole right alongside those of the SEC as the most conservative, run-oriented attacks in the country. It is, in short, college football's most NFL-like environment, where the line between measured competence and rank mediocrity is virtually nonexistant. This perfectly suits Virginia's philosophy under Groh, and is probably why you're complaining when ABC gives you the ACC game on its regional options.
So we have Virginia sitting on seven straight wins, at 4-0 in the league very largely by not completely screwing up and responding with necessary - not that there's anything wrong with that. No, no, of course not - and with three more very winnable games (at NC State, vs. Wake Forest, at Miami) before it hosts Virginia Tech, a finale that in all likelihood will decide the Coastal Division. I think Wake Forest and Georgia Tech adequately proved this last year, with their horrid offenses and opportunism: in the ACC, it's not always about being good. It's just about hanging around.

 

Sewell nearly joins Virginia's hobbled masses
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 24, 2007

Sweat and dirt smeared what was written on the athletic tape wrapped around Jameel Sewell’s left wrist.

It’s message, however, was heard loud and clear.

In addition to the messages of “balance” and “Thanks Doc,” the largest letters on his wrist were for a former teammate and a close friend.

Philip Brown, who played cornerback at Virginia in 2004 before academic troubles, was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer and is currently undergoing aggressive chemotherapy.

“He is going through some tough things in his life right now,” Sewell said moments after lifting Virginia to an 18-17 win over Maryland. “He just needs support. He is like my brother and I love him to death.”

Sewell, Virginia’s starting quarterback, also scribbled the numbers of teammates who were unable to dress for the team’s road game at Maryland - Mike Brown, Chris Cook, Rashawn Jackson, Kevin Ogletree and Cedric Peerman.

“[They are] fallen soldiers that weren’t with us today, and I just put them there to remember that,” said Sewell, who once doubted his own future after wrist surgery last December.

It appeared on two instances during the game that Sewell might have been on his way to the injury report. After one play, the signal-caller needed to be helped to his feet and limped off just prior to a punt.

Sewell was later fitted with a massive knee brace.

Bigger concerns followed in the fourth quarter during what turned into Virginia’s game-winning drive. After scampering away from a defender, Sewell was tackled and fell face first into the grass at Byrd Stadium.

“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.”

Sewell was replaced by true freshman Peter Lalich for two plays, but after a false start negated what would have been the third, the starting quarterback strolled back onto the field. It was exactly what his teammates expected.

“Jameel is a fighter,” said Virginia running back Mikell Simpson. “I can never count on Jameel to quit a game no matter how hurt he is, no matter how bad he is playing. Jameel is going to be Jameel.”

Adding fuel to the fire

With national rankings comes added pressure. On Saturday at North Carolina State (2-5, 0-3 ACC), No. 21 Virginia enters a game ranked in both polls for the first time this season - the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 ACC) are also ranked 18th in the coaches poll and 15th in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

Could it actually serve as a positive? Virginia coach Al Groh opened the door to that possibility.

“We have addressed with them the fact that the teams that we’re playing and their perception of us is going to be different than it was before,” Groh said Tuesday. “That ought to serve as another source helping us elevate our game. It really falls in line with what we’ve really tried to emphasize - when you get into this time of year the teams that continue on are the teams that continue to play better.

“At this time of the year it really is not about what your record is. There are some teams who have pretty good numbers right now, but really aren’t playing any better and they’re probably going to disappear before all of this is over. There are some teams that nobody’s watching very closely, but they’re playing some of their best ball right now and by the time this is all over with they’ll be there.”

Virginia has four regular season games remaining - after playing at N.C. State, the Cavaliers host Wake Forest (5-2, 2-1 ACC), travel to Miami (5-3, 2-2 ACC) and close out at Scott Stadium with No. 8 Virginia Tech (6-1, 4-0 ACC).

“We’re really just getting started in terms of how this thing is going to turn out,” Groh said. “This is the time that individually and collectively we need a surge of energy and enthusiasm and interest, not a wearing-out of it.

“As challenging and exciting as some of the previous games and weeks have been, it would be more so now. That stimulus, hopefully, will be part of the overall progression of the team, so that we’re one of the teams that continues to improve our performance in those areas. What we see every Saturday, despite the results, and one of the things that competition clearly points out is where your flaws are and what you need to work on.”

Groh stressed a renewed interest in creating turnovers - the Cavaliers rank ninth in the ACC in turnover margin, having recovered six fumbles and intercepted six passes. Virginia has also committed 12 turnovers on offense.

Counting on Copper

With 15 tackles in Virginia’s final four regular-season games, Jon Copper will tie his production in that category from the 2006 season. Through eight games, the inside linebacker has a team-best 66 tackles, averaging 8.3 stops per contest.

Defensive end Chris Long, who has already surpassed his 57-tackle total from ’06, ranks second with 60 stops.

“Jon is a tackle maker,” Groh said. “He has just a wonderful sense for where the ball is going and ends up with a lot of production that players playing well at his position wouldn’t necessarily have amassed.

“He has a real good sense of the flow of the play and how to fit in on it … when to change direction and when to keep going.”

Despite the lofty numbers, Copper will need to increase his production to top the figures compiled in 2005 by former inside linebacker Kai Parham. In 12 games that season, Parham had 103 tackles (8.6).

Injury update

Virginia tight end Tom Santi, the latest addition to the walking wounded, suffered a sprained ankle on the team’s first play from scrimmage against Maryland, Groh said. The injury occurred when Maryland linebacker Moise Fokou’s right knee twisted Santi’s right ankle as both players slid out of bounds.

Santi remained on Virginia’s depth chart for the N.C. State game, but Groh said it would take time to determine his return and the return of other injured players.

“He sprained his ankle ... we are going to get deeper into the week to see where we are with all of these guys,” Groh said.

Jackson, the team’s No. 1 fullback, was not close to playing against Maryland and needed extra time to allow his hamstring to improve.

Virginia did regain the services of wide receiver Maurice Covington for last week’s game and while the junior did not catch a pass, he did draw a critical chain-moving pass interference call on the final drive.

Covington, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, also helped in another area.

“The coverage scheme that we saw was pretty much expected, but what [Covington] did give us with a lot of the runs being perimeter runs … he gives us a much more physical presence blocking out there on corners,” Groh said.

London stuffing the ballot box

George Bush might be getting jealous.

For the past few months, it would appear that Virginia defensive coordinator Mike London owns Washington, D.C.

Further evidence of that surfaced Monday - Ugo Uzodinma, a two-star defensive end from Dunbar High, became the 14th commitment for Virginia recruiting class for 2008.

While Virginia boasts only one in-state player for the class, Uzodinma is the fifth commitment from inside Washington, D.C., or just outside in Maryland, a pair of key territories for London.

The defensive end, who flew under the radar until a recent sack spree gave him 10 through eight games, had only one official offer (Illinois), but interest was rising at Maryland and Virginia Tech and among Big East Conference schools.

It appears that Virginia has four spots open in the recruiting class for 2008, but the number could increase for a top-line talent.

Former great back for book signing

Former Virginia and New York Giants tailback Tiki Barber will sign copies of his new book, “Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond,” on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the UVa Bookstore, which is located atop the Central Grounds Parking Garage.

“We are excited to host Tiki Barber’s book signing and want to invite the entire community to join us,” said UVa Bookstores marketing manager Pat Perkins. “It will be a special opportunity to meet one of UVa and the NFL’s great running backs.”

Barber, who will not sign sports memorabilia, will sign only copies of the book that are purchased on Friday at the event.

Extra points …

Virginia is one of 28 teams currently bowl eligible. Where will the Cavaliers end up in the bowl picture? Two writers from ESPN have differing opinions. One predicted that UVa would face Texas in the Gator Bowl. The other projects a showdown with South Carolina and coach Steve Spurrier in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl. … Ironically, Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel, the same writer that selected Groh as the nation’s worst coach before the season, has Virginia ranked No. 23 in the country.

… The Cavaliers are tied with Columbia’s 1971 team with four wins in a season by two points or less. “We’re not trying to keep it close,” Groh said. “I get advice about that every week from my wife - [she asks], ‘Could we make the margin a little wider?’”

… Simpson entered the Maryland game ranked 13th in all-purpose yardage for Virginia. His output against the Terps, however, changed that. The sophomore now ranks third behind only Peerman and tailback Andrew Pearman.

 

Simpson no longer unknown
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
October 24, 2007

It has been four days now since Mikell Simpson ruined Maryland’s homecoming, and the kid from Pennsylvania is still somewhat shocked and overwhelmed by his deeds.

Unless you have been in a space station since the weekend, you already know that Simpson had spent 2 1/2 years at Virginia with hardly anyone noticing.

That’s not the case anymore. The Harrisburg native wowed a national television audience and put a damper on the Byrd Stadium festivities in College Park with his stunning performance.

A night for the ages

Simpson became only the fifth player in ACC history to both rush for more than 100 yards and have more than 100 yards receiving in the same game.

For the record, the Cavalier sophomore rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns, and caught 13 passes for 152 yards. The 152 are believed to be the second-most ever by a running back in ACC history.

Making things even more remarkable was the fact Simpson had spent most of this season at wide receiver and had made little impact during the Cavaliers’ winning streak. However, he had a lot to do with extending the streak to seven, which tied the school record for most wins in a single season.

The Juice is loose

Just how obscure was Simpson? Well, most Wahoo fans knew him to some degree. Not many others did, though, as evidenced by the ESPN2 crew that kept butchering his name. (It’s pronounced “my-KELL” by the way).

The last name is easy. Homer, Bart, O.J.

Oh, man! I promised myself I would never write O.J. again, but this is the exception and it couldn’t be avoided.

Why?

Because during Tuesday’s UVa player interviews, Simpson (Mikell, not O.J.) emerged from a side room, somewhat interrupting Cavalier offensive lineman Ian-Yates Cunningham’s train of thought.

“Juice,” Cunningham said, bringing various reactions from media in the room.

Maybe it was a slip of the tongue. Cunningham, it seems, is the only player on Virginia’s team that doesn’t call Mikell Simpson “Juice.” Cunningham calls him “Spanish.”

Everyone else refers to Simpson as Juice, just as fans used to refer to O.J. Simpson during his football days and long before he was vilified over his murder trial.

“Everybody back in high school called me ‘Juice,’” Simpson said. “When I got [the moniker] it was kind of a good name. I don’t look at it in a negative way.”

At this point of his career, Virginia’s Simpson is probably happy that people know his name. Up until the Maryland game, his production had been somewhat disappointing.

Now, that’s in the past. Certainly he will get plenty of touches this Saturday when the Cavaliers hope to keep their winning streak intact at N.C. State.

His biggest problem now is his instant popularity.

“A lot of people [around campus] are starting to recognize who I am now,” Simpson said. “After the game there were so many text messages and calls congratulating me on the game.”

How many text messages, 100?

“I wouldn’t say it was 100, but on the Facebook, I have over 100 friend requests,” he chuckled.

He was told last Monday morning to report to the running backs meeting with Coach Anthony Poindexter. That order put a smile on Simpson’s face. He had been a running back all his football life, and getting another crack at the job made him much more comfortable than lining up at wide receiver.

Saturday night’s performance blew him away as it did most anyone familiar with his UVa history. His numbers against the Terps were kind of what some observers had expected from him all along, although perhaps not quite staggering.

“It was a great night,” Simpson said. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for. You couldn’t see it coming.”

His 44-yard burst for UVa’s first TD (it was the second-longest run by a Cavalier back in the past two seasons), was a sign of things to come.

“That got me really excited,” said No. 5, a number he picked because he admires New Orleans Saints tailback Reggie Bush.

Hmmm.

Now that he mentioned it, it was a rather Bushesque performance.

If he keeps that up, he’ll be getting a lot more text messages and invitations. Until then, he’s trying to maintain a low profile.

“I’m trying not to get big-headed,” Simpson said. “I still have to go to class and play football.”

 

Cavs pick up commitment from another big man
Sene says yes to Virginia
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 24, 2007

For the first two years of his tenure, Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao couldn’t seem to reel in the coveted big-man recruit that his program craved.

First UVa missed out on Patrick Patterson. Then it was Ed Davis.

But now, suddenly, Leitao has two studs totaling almost 14 feet in his holster.

They might not be of the same ilk of a Patterson or a Davis, but, given Virginia’s dearth of low-post players, they will likely be able to make a huge impact.

On Tuesday, 6-foot-11, 220-pound South Kent (Conn.) senior Assane Sene verbally committed to Virginia. He joins 6-11 John Brandenburg in UVa’s class of 2008. Brandenburg, out of St. Louis, committed earlier this month.

With Sene, Brandenburg and New York City guard Sylven Landesberg now in the fold, Virginia has, arguably, its strongest recruiting class since Leitao came aboard.

Brandenburg and Landesberg are rated as 4-out-of-5-star recruits by Rivals.com. Sene is rated as a 3-star player, but many experts believe he has tremendous upside.

Virginia has now used all of its scholarships for 2008, but that doesn’t mean the coaching staff, which has always gone by the motto of “Get verbal commitments now and figure out scholarships later,” is done recruiting.

UVa remains in the hunt for Elliot Williams, a 5-star guard out of Memphis.

Williams is expected to announce his decision at a Nov. 2 press conference. He has whittled his choices to Virginia, Duke, Tennessee and Memphis. If Virginia were to land Williams, it would have one of the top recruiting classes in the country. Getting Sene would seem to be a boost to Virginia’s efforts.

Sene, who is considered very athletic, could not be reached for comment. But last week he told The Daily Progress he would have no problems sharing the low-post duties with Brandenburg - or even playing side-by-side in a Twin Towers lineup.

“He’s a big man and I’m a big man” Sene said. “We can both do different things.”

Sene, who formed a close friendship with Virginia sophomore Solomon Tat during the recruiting process - both are originally from Africa and are fluent in French - picked Virginia over UConn and Syracuse.

 

U.VA. NOTES Simpson says his big night 'just happened'
Leading Cavs past Terps enhanced his role in offense
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 - 12:06 AM Updated: 01:26 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For the record, his name is pronounced My-kell, though that might not have been clear Saturday night as the ESPN2 crew struggled at times to correctly identify the football player in the white No. 5 jersey at Maryland's Byrd Stadium.

Not that Mikell Simpson's teammates at the University of Virginia use his given name much.

Offensive guard Ian-Yates Cunningham calls him Spanish, after the character in the movie "Old School." Everybody else calls him Juice, after the now-notorious former tailback O.J. Simpson.

"I got that nickname back in high school," said Simpson, a redshirt sophomore from Harrisburg, Pa.

For Virginia's first seven games this season, Simpson was a reserve wide receiver whose profile in the offense could not have been much lower. Because of injuries to several running backs, however, Simpson was switched to tailback Oct. 15. Five nights later, he turned in one of the most amazing performances in U.Va. history, totaling 271 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns in an 18-17 comeback win over Maryland.

"It was a great night," Simpson said yesterday. "It was something I've been waiting for. It was something that I didn't see coming nor expected. It just happened."

The Mikell-to-receiver experiment apparently is over at Virginia. He starred at tailback at Harrisburgh High -- and played there at U.Va. in 2005, when he redshirted, and 2006 -- and that's where Simpson will stay, according to coach Al Groh.

Whether Simpson will start Saturday at N.C. State isn't clear. But his play against Maryland has earned him a significant role in the offense. Groh doesn't pretend to have seen it coming.

"Some players just show a lot better in the games than they do in practice," Groh said. "And that maybe was a little bit of this particular case here."

Of course, Simpson hadn't shown much in the games before Saturday night, either. He arrived in College Park with season totals of 31 yards receiving and minus-9 rushing.

And now? He's the reigning ACC offensive back of the week and, suddenly, a very popular guy. He's been bombarded with congratulatory text messages and calls, and that's not all.

"On the Facebook, I have over a hundred friend requests," Simpson said with a smile.

 

Cavaliers snare commitment from 7-0 Sene
Mobile post player from Senegal "has a chance to be a star"
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 - 12:06 AM 
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Two weeks ago, the University of Virginia men's basketball team had no big men in its recruiting class for 2008-09. Now the Cavaliers have two.

As expected, Assane Sene, a 7-foot 225-pounder from Saint-Louis, Senegal, committed yesterday to U.Va.

Sene's commitment came nine days after John Brandenburg, a 6-11, 230-pound center from St. Louis, Mo., picked Virginia over Stanford.

The early signing period for basketball opens Nov. 14.

A senior at South Kent School in Connecticut, Sene chose Virginia over Big East powers Syracuse and UConn, two of the many schools that pursued him. Sene said yesterday that his close relationship with U.Va. coach Dave Leitao played a big role in his decision.

Sene arrived in the United States in March and enrolled at South Kent. He speaks English, French, Arabic and a little Spanish, he said, as well as his native language.

He's one of four young men from Senegal who are featured in "Hoopland," a documentary about basketball and Africa.

"He has a chance to be a star," South Kent coach Raphael Chillious said yesterday, "because he's nowhere near his ceiling, and he gets better every time he touches the court. And his offensive game is pretty advanced for a big guy."

Defensively, Chillious said, Sene can guard anyone from centers to small forwards, because "he has such quick feet." On offense, Chillious said, Sene is a natural power forward.

"There's no question he can play alongside Brandenburg," said Chillious, a longtime friend of U.Va. assistant coach Bill Courtney.

Sene is a "Virginia-type student" who should have no trouble meeting NCAA eligibility standards, Chillious said.

Virginia's recruiting class for 2008-09 consists of Sene, Brandenburg and Sylven Landesberg, a 6-5 guard from Queens, N.Y. The Cavaliers also hope to land Elliot Williams, a 6-4 shooting guard from Memphis, Tenn., who's considered one of the top 20 players in the Class of 2008.

 

Simpson adds juice to Virginia offense
Seldom-used Mikell Simpson gains 271 all-purpose yards in the win over Maryland.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For as long as he can remember, Mikell Simpson has been listening to people mispronounce his first name.

"It's just like Mike," he said, "and then kell.' "

Teammates call him "Juice."

Just like O.J.

Same name, same position.

Younger generations are likely to recognize O.J. Simpson more for his legal entanglements than his on-field accomplishments, but this Simpson doesn't shy away from the nickname.

"Well, when I got it, it was kind of a good name," Mikell Simpson said. "He's done some stuff lately, but I don't look at [the nickname] in a negative way."

Besides, as one television reporter suggested Tuesday, Simpson has provided some much-needed juice for what had been the nation's 108th-rated offense.

"Nice!" Ian-Yates Cunningham, one of UVa's offensive linemen, observed. "I like that."

Simpson has been the talk of the ACC this week after ringing up 271 all-purpose yards in Virginia's 18-17 victory Saturday at Maryland.

He became the second player in UVa history and the fifth player in ACC history to have 100 or more rushing yards (119) and 100 or more receiving yards (152) in the same game.

"I'm still kind of in shock today," said Simpson, a third-year sophomore who was requested for Tuesday interviews for the first time. "I didn't expect it that day and it's still overwhelming now."

Simpson, a 6-foot-1, 197-pounder from Harrisburg, Pa., was a SuperPrep All-American coming out of high school in 2005 and visited Florida and Alabama before picking Virginia over the Crimson Tide.

"There was everything to like about him," Virginia coach Al Groh said, "but, for whatever reason, the spark did not strike till the other night. [With] the overall skills he's got, it's no surprise to us."

The bigger surprise was an absence of production until this point. On a Virginia team that used converted fullback Jason Snelling at tailback last year, Simpson had 13 rushing attempts as a redshirt freshman.

At one late stage of the season, Groh was worried about wear and tear on Snelling and mentioned to Simpson that his services might be needed. To Groh's dismay, Simpson did not make the desired surge in his practice performance.

So the Cavaliers moved Simpson to wide receiver. When it was suggested that Simpson might become a "secret agent," Groh did not disagree.

Simpson began the season as a kick returner, but that didn't last long. Coming into the week of the Maryland game, he had touched the ball seven times all season -- on one kick return, four receptions and two runs.

His two rushing attempts came on reverses, one of which resulted in a 10-yard loss. Simpson looked tentative, not particularly quick, and some would have called him soft.

"We're in sync with that one," Groh said. "We kind of saw the same things. He's always shown some intriguing things. He's always been a versatile player. That's why we were trying to create a role for him."

Simpson was on the field for one play Oct. 13 in Virginia's 17-16 victory over Connecticut. Two days later, when the team broke for position meetings, assistant coach Anthony Poindexter told Simpson to stay with the running backs.

"It put a smile on my face," Simpson said, "[but] I kind of sensed it."

The Cavaliers lost leading rusher Cedric Peerman to a foot injury Oct. 6 and back-up Andrew Pearman had a back problem. Rashawn Jackson, who had been starting at fullback but serves as the No. 4 tailback, pulled a hamstring against UConn. Basically, Virginia was down to redshirt freshman Keith Payne and Simpson.

Simpson established his presence on the first series, when he caught three passes on a drive that resulted in a field goal. Later, after the Cavaliers had fallen behind 14-3, Simpson sprinted 44 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.

Still photos show Simpson watching the Jumbotron as he was pulling away from Maryland defenders.

"I just wanted to know what was behind me," said Simpson, who wears No. 5 out of admiration for 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, "but it was kind of amazing."

Simpson later showed tremendous presence on a late fourth-and-4 play when he took a swing pass from Jameel Sewell and dove for a critical first down on a call that was upheld by replay.

"He played with a savvyness well in excess of anything we had seen till that point," Groh said. "Not everybody can play tailback here, but now, all of a sudden, we've got 15 guys there."

Simpson's 13 receptions Saturday night would suggest that he could help a depleted wide-receiver corps; plus, he worked with the wideouts for more than two months.

The wideouts will have to take care of themselves.

"Look, it's easy to picture him as a corner or safety; he's got that kind of athletic ability and he's got the size," Groh said. "But, as his most recent performance points out, what he is is a real versatile running back.

"It's hard for me to figure out a lot of things, but that one's pretty easy."
 

From off the chart to No. 1 - overnight - for U.Va.'s Simpson
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 24, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE

It's been a dizzying few days for Virginia's Mikell Simpson.

After coming seemingly out of nowhere to pile up 271 rushing and receiving yards, as well as score the winning touchdown, in the Cavaliers' last-second win against Maryland on Saturday night, Simpson was named ACC Offensive Back of the Week.

He's getting pats on the back wherever he goes around campus. His cell phone has been jammed with text messages and his profile on Facebook, a popular social networking Web site, has 100 new friend requests.

Now if people would only figure out how to pronounce his first name.

"You say it - just 'Mike' and then 'Kell,'" Simpson said Tuesday. "People just call me all types of different names. I'm used to it."

What he's not used to is all the attention. Heading into Saturday's game, Simpson wasn't even listed on the Virginia depth chart at tailback.

He had spent the first half of the season buried behind Cedric Peerman, Keith Payne and Andrew Pearman. Before his eruption at Maryland, he had carried the ball twice all season, with no carries in the previous four games.

"Last week (against Connecticut), I played one play," he said.

So how does someone go from fourth-stringer to putting up the sixth-best all-purpose yardage total in school history and the second-most receiving yards by a running back in ACC history?

It took a perfect storm of circumstances, starting with injuries to Peerman and Pearman. And then it took something finally clicking in Simpson, a highly recruited redshirt sophomore who was beginning to slip into the "disappointment" category.

"It was kind of frustrating," he said. "I know my capabilities and I just had to wait for my opportunity to come."

Said coach Al Groh: "Whatever spark hit, it really didn't strike until the other night."

Until then, Simpson's career had been a series of small fizzles.

It wasn't as if his coaches and teammates didn't think he was talented or capable. The 6-foot-1, 197-pounder was rated one of the nation's top 15 running backs in high school back in Harrisburg, Pa. His list of accomplishments didn't stop there.

"He was an excellent performer in track; he was a real good basketball player," Groh said. "He returned kicks. He returned punts. He threw passes. He caught passes. He ran from scrimmage. There was everything to like there."

But there was little production once he got to Virginia. Simpson redshirted in 2005 and showed flashes of elusiveness last season, running for 56 yards on 13 carries. However, when Groh came to him late in the season looking for someone to relieve starter Jason Snelling at tailback, Simpson admitted he was not ready. His play in practice had fallen off. Simpson said that not playing much to that point had left him feeling "out of it."

He rededicated himself in the spring and was voted the team's most improved offensive player. The talk during preseason training camp was of how Simpson was going to be moved to a hybrid runner/receiver position to take advantage of his versatility. Groh jokingly called him the team's "secret agent." Quarterback Jameel Sewell even said Simpson was "like a Percy Harvin of the Florida Gators."

"When you've got a playmaker who can play different positions, who's got speed, who can catch the ball - you've got to use him," Sewell said.

The comparisons to Harvin - the multi-talented receiver/runner out of Virginia Beach - seemed silly when Simpson carried just once on a reverse, for a 10-yard loss against Wyoming. He had a carry for 1 yard against Connecticut and a handful of pass receptions before Saturday.

"They weren't all that eye-catching," Groh said.

The hybrid experiment wasn't working. With Pearman doubtful last week, Simpson moved to tailback during practice. It put a big smile on his face, he said. He has been playing the position his whole life and felt more comfortable running and catching passes out of the backfield then lining up in the slot or at receiver.

Simpson still can't explain exactly what happened Saturday night. At first, he said playing at night might have sparked him. He credited his blockers with opening holes. A 44-yard touchdown run also energized him.

By the final, game-winning drive, Virginia was going to "Juice" - the high school moniker that remains with Simpson, who was nicknamed after O.J. - nearly every play. He touched the ball on 14 of the 15 plays on the 90-yard drive, converting a critical fourth down by diving for the marker on the fourth-and- 4 and flipping into the end zone from a yard out for game-winning score. His night's tally: 16 rushes for 119 yards and two touchdowns - and 13 receptions for 152 yards.

It was a stunning performance for a player so under the radar that the ESPN2 announcers kept referring to him as a true freshman.

"I'm still kind of in shock today," Simpson said Tuesday. "I didn't expect that and it's still overwhelming right now."

The challenge now is to prove he wasn't a one-game wonder. Peerman, who was leading the ACC in rushing when he sprained his foot against Middle Tennessee, remains questionable for Saturday's game at N.C. State. Pearman's still out with a back injury. When the two return, Virginia will have a logjam at running back, with redshirt freshman Keith Payne also in the mix.

Simpson will be part of the crowd. He'll remain at tailback and is expected to start again Saturday. His hybrid days appear to be over.

Groh said it was a question of finding the right role for Simpson. Was he a versatile player who could be moved between positions or a tailback able to do a lot of different things?

Saturday's performance makes it all seem so clear now.

"It's hard for me to figure out a lot of things," Groh said, "But that one's pretty easy."
 

Don't attempt to comprehend U.Va.'s success. Just revel in it
Associated Press
© October 23, 2007
Last updated: 10:03 PM

I'll leave the numbers game for others to decipher. What I do believe is that maybe no other team in the country has enjoyed a more intriguing season than Virginia.

College football has its very good teams and its bad teams. And then there are a handful of teams nobody can quite figure out, teams that defy description and sometimes logic in the way they keep winning.

Who would have thought the Cavaliers could reel off seven in a row behind - or in spite of - one of the country's least potent offenses, led by unpredictable Jameel Sewell? One minute, Sewell looks like Johnny Unitas. The next, like Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow.

How could anybody have expected this poor excuse for an offense to rise up against Maryland after a plague of injuries forced into action an unrecognizable, untested tailback?

It's the way the Cavaliers have prevailed week after week - by squeaking by - that has people mystified and slightly amazed. And after the improbable comeback at College Park, even charmed.

Against Middle Tennessee and UConn, clutch field goals by Chris Gould spelled the difference. Against Maryland, the game was won with a last-ditch touchdown drive sparked by the running and catching of previously anonymous Mikell Simpson.

That makes three victories in a row for U.Va. by a total of four points. It's like they say: Nobody asks how - just how many.

What happened to that inept bunch that fell far short of even modest preseason expectations during the debacle in Wyoming? Well, in truth, offensive disconnect still occurs too frequently, but the defense has been a rock. With end Chris Long wreaking havoc, the defense has allowed the entire U.Va. team to develop an appetite for white-knuckle adventure.

Scanning the college football landscape, the notion persists that this is the year the Heisman Trophy, for the first time, should go to a defensive star. It won't, of course, but if Heisman voters possessed any imagination, they'd include Long in their select group of candidates.

Saturday night on ESPN2, Long made some new fans. While disrupting Maryland's attack, Howie's boy enjoyed more face time than Anderson Cooper.

His most memorable play came when he leveled Terps quarterback Chris Turner for a safety in the third quarter. Until then, the Cavaliers' third-quarter scoring for the year had been three points. A single field goal.

Virginia's offense is more suspect than Britney Spears' parenting skills. Offensive flubs and frustrations keep U.Va.'s opponents in the game and account for the fact that all but one victory could have gone the other way. Like the fourth-and-4 play barely converted by Simpson and his breaking of the goal-line plane - he cracked it, at least - Virginia's margin for error is razor thin.

For U.Va., the home stretch is fairly daunting. The schedule is loaded with sticky games. But, then, the unraveling was supposed to have begun at Maryland - and it didn't.

Now more challenges: a trip Saturday to North Carolina State, followed by a home game against feisty Wake Forest, itself a winner of five in a row, before a visit to Miami and then the final regular-season game in Charlottesville against Virginia Tech.

There are no easy outs for a team with U.Va.'s flaws. You can drive yourself batty analyzing the Cavaliers' nerve-wracking - but exhilarating - journey to 7-1. Or, if you're a U.Va. fan, you can sit back and savor the moment.

Nobody will mistake Virginia for one of the country's top teams. But, as interesting stories go, the Cavaliers are way up there.

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373

 

Remember Simpson's name, and his game
Sophomore running back Mikell Simpson makes a name for himself against Maryland.
By MELINDA WALDROP | mwaldrop@dailypress.com ¦ 247-4634
5:13 PM EDT, October 23, 2007
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE - - Even though his name was consistently mispronounced by TV announcers, who also repeatedly misidentified him as a true freshman, people are having no trouble remembering Mikell Simpson after Virginia's win against Maryland on Saturday.

Simpson's 271 yards and two touchdowns helped him earn the ACC Offensive Back of the Week award. He also got 100 new friend requests on his Facebook.com page.

"I'm still kind of in shock as of today," Simpson said Tuesday. "Even though people are talking about it a lot and (there have been) a lot of newspaper articles, I'm still kind of shocked because I didn't see it coming. I didn't expect it. After the game, everything was just overwhelming."

Simpson, who is a redshirt sophomore, carried the ball 16 times for 119 yards and had another 152 on 13 catches. On Virginia's final, 90-yard drive, he touched the ball on 14 of the Cavaliers' 15 plays, including a 1-yard touchdown leap with 16 seconds to play as U.Va. rallied for an 18-17 victory.

"I had a sense of (my accomplishment), but I really couldn't sit down and think about it, because we were losing the whole game," Simpson said. "So the only thing in my mind was trying to figure out how to make the next big play to put us on top."

ESPN2 broadcasters had a little trouble getting his name "You say it just Mike and then Kell" right, and also struggled with his classification. Simpson played in six games last year, rushing 13 times for 56 yards and catching one pass for 12.

But he'd scarcely seen the field this season. He had just six touches two rushes for nine yards and four catches for 29 going into the Maryland game, and he also had a fumble on his record against Duke. It was enough to make him wonder if he had a place on the depth chart.

"I kind of thought about it sometimes, because I felt as though as I getting lost," Simpson said. "But I couldn't control it. I just had to go out every day and practice hard and try to catch the eyes of the coaches and somehow, someway try to come into a game package."

Even when starting tailback Cedric Peerman went down with a foot injury at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 6, Simpson wasn't the solution. Instead, the Cavs turned to redshirt freshman Keith Payne and junior Andrew Pearman.

But with Pearman nursing a sore back against the Terrapins, Simpson's chance finally came. "Since he's been here, we've known he has the potential to do the things he did Saturday," senior fullback Josh Zidenberg said. "I think it was just kind of his coming out party."

Simpson has fielded dozens of congratulatory phone calls and text messages, and he's getting recognized more in class although most people just call him "Simpson" to avoid his tricky first name.

As to whether he'll keep his suddenly high-profile position when Peerman returns, Simpson said he's leaving that up to the Virginia coaches. U.Va. head coach Al Groh said Simpson, who worked with the wide receivers earlier this season, will remain at running back and keep competing for playing time.

Simpson's fine with that "That's the position I've been playing since I was a kid" and he's also not worried about repeating his breakout performance this Saturday at N.C. State.

"I can't put pressure on myself for that," he said. "I would be taking myself out of the game."

If Simpson plays like he did at Maryland, he'll be the only one doing that.

 

Cavs getting used to close games
By Melinda Waldrop | Daily Press
5:03 PM EDT, October 23, 2007
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE - - With its one-point victory against Maryland, Virginia tied Columbia for the most wins all-time in a season by two points or less. Both schools have four.

The Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 ACC) beat North Carolina 22-20 on Sept. 15, Middle Tennessee 23-21 on Oct. 6 and Connecticut 17-16 on Oct. 20 before edging Maryland 18-17 on Saturday.

"We're not trying to keep it close," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "I get advice about that every week from my wife, (asking) could we make the margin a little wider? ... We wish that they were all 30-10. But what the players have shown is a good ability not to become unnerved."

The Middle Tennessee, UConn and Maryland games required late game-winning drives, while the Cavs had to bat down a two-point conversion try against UNC.

"It's emotionally, maybe, draining that night, but by the time you get a good night's sleep, you're ready to go do another one," senior defensive end Chris Long said. "And they're fun. ... Not as fun, I think, for some of the fans who had hoped for it to be a little easier on the eyes, but that's not our objective. Our objective is to win football games."

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

The Cavs' win at Maryland was their third this season on the road and came at a stadium where they've had their struggles, leaving Groh and his players believing that U.Va.'s remaining opponents N.C. State, Wake Forest, Miami and Virginia Tech may have a higher opinion of them now.

"A lot of people talked about that as a game (where) we had a lot to prove," said Long, named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the week after his 10 tackles five for loss, two sacks and a safety on the Terps' turf. "Certainly that doesn't mean we proved everything, but I think being on ESPN2 and having a chance to get the spotlight for a minute and showing we're capable of doing some things, especially on the road I think that was a big thing for us."

"We know the perception that people had of us coming into the season," senior fullback Josh Zidenberg said. " ... I think people just kind of overlooked us, and thought we would be the same team we were last year, especially with the start of the season (a 23-3 loss at Wyoming). People weren't even really counting us. And even as we won three or four in a row, we still weren't getting much respect or much looks."

Virginia is now 15th in the BCS standings, No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and 18th in the USA Today coaches' rankings.

But they're not finished.

"It would seem as if we've been doing this for a long time, (but) we've only played four of our eight conference games," Groh said. "We're just getting started."

LONG FOR HEISMAN?

Long, whose 1.25 sacks per game rank third in the country, is a semifinalist for Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best lineman, and a candidate for many more. But there's another trophy Groh thinks Long could be up for the Heisman.

"If it's for the best player in college football, it's hard to imagine anybody's playing their position any better," Groh said.

Long wouldn't let a reporter get a Heisman question out of his mouth before starting to laugh. He did, however, admit to admiring his sack of Maryland quarterback Chris Turner in the end zone.

How did it stack up to the footage he enjoys watching of wild animals on Discovery Channel?

"Similar," he said.

 

Long makes impression on nation after big win
Senior DE receives recognition as Cavaliers gain momentum
Aaron Perryman, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

A college football player knows he is receiving national attention when he appears on ESPN's College GameDay, the Saturday morning program featuring analysis of the day's college football games and stories focusing on breakout players or emotional anecdotes. This is exactly the type of coverage senior defensive end Chris Long received Saturday before Virginia's nighttime clash with Maryland.

The show ran a feature on Long that showed Long's popularity has grown with his skill. Though many people know Howie Long, Chris's father, through his fame as a football analyst and former NFL star, Chris has managed to stay under the national radar until recently.

The reporter told Chris Long of someone saying to his father, "I know who you are: You're Chris's dad." This seemed to be a sign of just how popular the younger Long is becoming.

Chris did not disappoint the hype built up in the show about his stellar play, either. Against the Terrapins, he recorded 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups and a key safety for the Cavaliers -- cutting the Maryland lead to 17-12.

Named to several pre-season award watch lists, Long has lived up to his pre-season billing as one of the nation's top players just eight games into the season. He has accumulated numerous mid-season honors, including being named an All-American on at least three different lists.

Even though he is not being seriously considered for the Heisman Trophy, Virginia coach Al Groh makes the case that he should be.

"If it's for the best player in college football, it's hard to imagine anybody playing his position that's better than Chris Long is," Groh said.

In the face of all the attention, Long remains modest and even laughed when responding to Groh's comment.

"It's humbling and it's cool to hear it from Coach Groh, who is somebody we all look up to, but no," Long said with a chuckle.

The senior prefers to look at his individual success this season in a much simpler way:

"[I'm] just chipping away, trying to make plays for this defense."

One of the reasons Long is experiencing a breakout season is because he always thinks about football.

"Chris has got his mind on the game all the time," Groh said. "It's hard for him to get his mind off the game, [he thinks about it] 24 hours a day ... He's preparing for it six days a week before the game. That, along with the natural ability that he brings, that's the combination of how he ends up with the plays he does."

Long attributes his success to the way he perceives the game. As a senior, Long has already -- midway through the season -- surpassed the number of tackles and sacks he recorded his entire junior year.

"The game kind of slows down, year by year, game by game," Long said. "So you're more capable of making plays on the ball whereas last year you might play the block well and not make a play on the ball. Now I play the block well, and the game slows down enough to where you can kind of make decisions in that split-second time period."

Groh also cited Long's knowledge with certain offenses as a factor in his success.

"He's had four years to work on his moves and his techniques to become familiar with pass protection schemes," Groh said. "[He's become familiar] with the strengths and weaknesses of each scheme, to be able to more quickly assess the technique abilities of any particular pass protector that he's going against. He's a just a more savvy player. It shows the benefit of being a fourth-year player."

As a senior, Long has played in his fair share of close games, but nothing like this season. The Cavaliers have already eked by Maryland and Connecticut by one, Middle Tennessee State and North Carolina by two, and Georgia Tech by five.

"As the season goes on, it's really unbelievable how many games we've won by close margins, but I think that makes us stronger," Long said. "To win is the objective and how you do it, to me, does matter. I think close games are valuable ... When we get to some close games here in November and October, we can draw from those [earlier games]."

Noting the hard-nosed attitude of the team and the tougher opponents the Cavaliers will face in the remainder of the season, Long believes it is important for a team to know how to win. Still on the schedule for Virginia is N.C. State away, Wake Forest at home, Miami away and Virginia Tech at home. If the Cavaliers can sweep their final four games, they will win the Coastal Division and head to the ACC Championship game.

"Guys are walking around the sideline saying, 'We're not going to lose this game' Long said. "This is the same team, personnel-wise, as last year and the record's much different. I think that's a testament to guys understanding how to win ball games. That's a skill, you can't describe it; you have to just be a part of it."

If Long can help the Cavaliers to a couple of wins down the stretch, Virginia might earn itself another featured spot on College GameDay: this time as the victors of the ACC and contenders for the 2007 Orange Bowl. Only time will tell.

 

Heisman Trophy hopeful not such a Long-shot
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 24, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - It has been a decade since a defensive player finished in the top five of the Heisman Trophy voting. If Virginia head coach Al Groh had his way, Chris Long would break that trend.
Long, a senior defensive end, has long been considered in ACC circles to be one of the best players around. But this year, he's starting to put up the eye-catching numbers that are attractive to Heisman voters.

In eight games, Long has 50 tackles. He's third in the country with 10 sacks and sixth nationally with 15 tackles for a loss, despite facing regular double-teams.

He had a highlight reel game in Virginia's 18-17 win against Maryland last Saturday, tying a career-high with 10 tackles, 3 1/2 for a loss, and registering two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety when he jarred Terps quarterback Chris Turner in the end zone.

"For some guy in Seattle or Portland or what-not who is trying to mark his ballot, it's hard to pick a guy who had 10 tackles over somebody who scored four touchdowns," Groh said. "We appreciate that fact. And that's the way the award has come, and everybody in college football understands that.

"But if it went strictly by the definition of the best player in college football, it's hard to imagine that there are many players who are better than Chris Long is."

Historically, the Heisman has been an offensive award. The only defensive player to win it (and the last to be in the top five) was Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. But he moonlighted on offense that year as well.

Florida State linebacker Marvin Jones finished fourth in 1992.

A defensive lineman hasn't been in the top five since Washington's Steve Emtman placed fourth in 1991. Regarded as one of the best interior linemen in college football history, Emtman had 6 1/2 sacks and 19 1/2 tackles for a loss for a Huskies defense that gave up 9.2 points a game en route to a share of the national championship.

If anything, Long picked a bad year to be a standout defensive end. South Florida sophomore George Selvie leads the nation in tackles for a loss (21 1/2) and sacks (11 1/2).

Long, who normally shies away from talking about personal accomplishments, laughed off being considered for the Heisman.

"It's humbling and it's cool to hear it from Coach Groh, because it's somebody we all look up to," he said.

"But ? no," he added, ending the conversation.

Long is one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, given annually to the nation's top offensive or defensive lineman. He is also on the watch list for the Bednarik Award (nation's top defensive player), the Nagurski Award (outstanding defensive player) and Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end of the year).


 

UVa Notebook: Sewell's big day overshadowed
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 24, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Had it not been for tailback Mikell Simpson's out-of-nowhere performance or another monster effort by defensive end Chris Long, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell might be getting all the kudos today for the Cavaliers' 18-17 come-from behind win over Maryland.
Sewell was 23-for-35 for 243 yards and no interceptions. More importantly, he was unflappable on the Cavaliers' game-winning drive, which covered 90 yards in 7 1/2 minutes and culminated with Simpson's 1-yard touchdown plunge with 16 seconds left.

Sewell went 5-for-5 for 43 yards on the drive, mostly on shovel passes and screens.

He blacked out briefly after taking a hard hit on a keeper but returned two plays later. On a fourth-and-four at the Maryland 14, he placed his swing pass to Simpson in the perfect spot. UVa got the first down by mere inches.

"Anything that would have slowed down his progress toward the sticks in the slightest degree probably would have had him getting there a few inches or a foot (short)," UVa head coach Al Groh said of the throw.

In UVa's game-winning drives against Middle Tennessee, Connecticut and Maryland, Sewell has completed 14 of 15 passes for 167 yards.

"Jameel just stays the same person every day," right guard Ian-Yates Cunningham said. "You kind of realize that in these last couple games.

"Once it was on the line, you didn't worry about him making a play because that's just what he does at practice."

Sewell's overall statistics are not remarkable. He's seventh in the ACC in passer efficiency rating and has seven passing touchdowns to five interceptions. But his performance in the clutch is what impresses Groh most.

"Those are some of the circumstances that clearly distinguish quarterbacks," he said.

By a nose

Two plays on Virginia's game-winning drive were reviewed by the replay booth - the spot of Simpson's fourth-down catch and whether or not he fumbled on his touchdown plunge - and both came out in the Cavaliers' favor, much to the dismay of the Maryland crowd and head coach Ralph Friedgen.

Groh didn't think UVa got favorable calls in either instance.

"Just because a close call goes against you doesn't mean it was wrong," he said. "It's like the horse winning by a nose at the wire. It went against you but the other horse was still a nose ahead."

Both calls were upheld, meaning the replay booth did not see indisputable evidence to overturn the call made on the field. That seems to be the norm with the current replay system.

"There can't be any doubt about it and that's probably the way it should be," said Groh, whose Cavaliers were on the wrong end of a disputed fumble in a crucial situation against Middle Tennessee because the video evidence was not clear-cut.

"We're not up there to have a debate. There's got to be clear evidence for it to be changed, otherwise you could get two more guys in the room and have a moot court in there."

Extra points

The official diagnosis on tight end Tom Santi is a sprained right ankle. Groh said he would have a better idea if any of his injured players would be ready for N.C. State later in the week. Tailback Cedric Peerman (foot) was not on the depth chart. Cornerback Chris Cook (knee) and fullback Rashawn Jackson (hamstring) were. ? Simpson was the second player in UVa history to compile 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game (Thomas Jones did so against Buffalo in 1999). He was only the fifth player in ACC history to do so. ? Virginia is 15th in the latest BCS standings largely because its average position in the six computer rankings is sixth.


 

Groh touts DE Long as Heisman material
October 24, 2007 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

CHARLOTTESVILLE--A defensive lineman hasn't finished in the top five in Heisman Trophy voting since Washington's Steve Emtman placed fourth in 1991.

But that hasn't stopped Virginia head coach Al Groh from promoting his star senior defensive end for the award.

Groh said Chris Long deserves to be mentioned as a Heisman candidate "if it's for the best player in college football."

"It's hard to imagine that anybody is playing his position better than Chris Long is," Groh said. "You have to see it to appreciate it."

Groh said Long's performance in the Cavaliers' 18-17 victory over Maryland on Saturday demonstrated why he should be invited to New York City for the award presentation.

Long had 10 tackles, two sacks (one for a safety) and two batted passes en route to being named Atlantic Coast Conference defensive lineman of the week.

For the season, Long is third in the country in sacks (1.25 per game, 10 total). He's third in the ACC in tackles for a loss (13) and he also has an interception.

Simpson to remain at RB

Cavaliers' sophomore Mikell Simpson was playing wide receiver until last Monday when he was told to practice at running back.

On Saturday, he accumulated 271 yards of total offense against Maryland from his running back position. He was named the ACC's offensive back of the week for his performance, and Groh said he'll remain a running back for the rest of the season.

Simpson became just the fifth player in ACC history to run and catch for 100 yards each in the win Saturday.

Injury update

Senior tight end Tom Santi suffered a sprained right ankle against Maryland. Santi didn't return after the injury, and his status for Saturday at North Carolina State will be determined later this week, Groh said.

Leading rusher Cedric Peerman (foot injury) isn't listed on the depth chart, and could miss his third straight game.

Fullback Rashawn Jackson (hamstring) and cornerback Chris Cook (knee) are questionable this week.