Gottschalk takes Long way
Ex-Deep Run star is starting to look like Cavs' standout
Friday, Oct 26, 2007 - 12:06 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE Nobody's calling him the next Chris Long, at least not yet. But Sean Gottschalk bears watching, says the real Chris Long.

"He's got so much talent," the All-America candidate said of Gottschalk, a Deep Run High graduate who's now a redshirt freshman on the University of Virginia football team. "Athletically, some people have ceilings that don't allow them to do things that he's done."

But . . .

"He shows you flashes, then he does something ridiculous, and we're all like, 'Sean, what are you doing?'" Long added with a smile. "You know, like go to the wrong place."

U.Va. coach Al Groh said: "It would be very uplifting to me to think we had another Chris Long coming along. That might be aiming a little bit high, but that's probably a good comparison. Chris had the same amount of energy and the same amount of passion for the game when he was a young player, but there was kind of a surprise during the course of every play, and Sean is going through some of that right now."

Long, a 6-4, 279-pound senior starts at defensive end for the No. 21-ranked Cavaliers, who play tomorrow at ACC rival N.C. State. On the two-deep, the 6-4, 265-pound Gottschalk is listed as Long's backup, but in reality, U.Va.'s No.3 defensive end is Alex Field, a 6-7, 280-pound junior.

Gottschalk, whose father, Patrick, is secretary of commerce and trade for the state, plays primarily in passing situations.

"For me it's unique, because in high school I was involved on every play," Gottschalk said recently. "This year, I'm on the nickel, so when I go out there, it's like other guys have been able to get in the flow of the game and see what's happening, whereas I'm out there and I'm like, 'All right. I got one shot to do something.'"

At Deep Run, Gottschalk's coach was Lenny Pritchard, a former U.Va. offensive lineman. Gottschalk, who committed to Virginia in July 2005, also had scholarship offers from Miami, Ohio State, Georgia and Boston College, and he was one of the state's most prized recruits.

As a Deep Run senior, however, Gottschalk was named second-team All-Metro and didn't put up exceptional numbers. Pritchard, now an assistant principal at Deep Run, said there was a reason for that.

"I had to run a disciplined defense," Pritchard said. "I could not line up in a 4-3 and turn people loose. We did not have that type of speed. Sean did not have the freedom that other high school kids have."

When he arrived at U.Va. in 2006, Gottschalk weighed around 255 pounds. He knows he needs to beef up. The team's top three ends - Long, Field and Hermitage High graduate Jeffrey Fitzgerald - all weigh around 280. Gottschalk is looking forward to working with strength coach Matt Balis in the offseason.

"The key to me is making this winter count," Gottschalk said. "I'm pretty good with the quicks and the speed; I need the mass and strength."

His stats are modest - four tackles and one quarterback pressure - but No. 99 is steadily raising his profile on the field. In Virginia's Oct. 6 win at Middle Tennessee, Gottschalk nearly recorded his first sack but ended up chasing the Blue Raiders' slippery quarterback, Dwight Dasher, into the path of Fitzgerald.

"If that guy hadn't been like Marques Hagans, I would have had him," Gottschalk said, smiling.

His parents each have a graduate degree from U.Va., so it's no shock that Gottschalk landed in Charlottesville. By next season, he hopes to be in the regular rotation at defensive end. For now, he tries to learn all he can from Long.

"He's a guy that's obviously a stellar example of what to shoot for in your career," Gottschalk said. "He really has no weaknesses on the field, and he works harder than anybody I've really seen."

Long's advice for his protégé?

"Stick with it. It doesn't happen overnight," Long said. "He's got a ways to go, but man, when he gets there . . . he's going to be a heck of a player."


 

U.VA. NOTES
Thursday, Oct 25, 2007 - 05:50 PM Updated: 06:31 PM

Cavaliers' health improving
Junior tailback Cedric Peerman will not be on the travel squad that leaves today for Raleigh, N.C. But the squad will include three other starters who have been dealing with injuries: senior tight end Tom Santi (ankle), junior cornerback Chris Cook (knee) and sophomore fullback Rashawn Jackson (hamstring).

That was the word yesterday from coach Al Groh.

Santi got hurt on the first play from scrimmage against Maryland last weekend and didn't return. Cook was injured Oct. 6 at Middle Tennessee and hasn't played since. Jackson hasn't played since hurting his hamstring Oct. 13 on the first play from scrimmage against Connecticut.

Peerman was leading the ACC in rushing when he injured his right foot in the first quarter at Middle Tennessee. He hasn't played since, and it's unclear when he'll be back.

"It's not a complex injury," Groh said, but because it involves a weight-bearing part of Peerman's foot, the healing process can't be rushed.

Last meeting seems like ancient history
N.C. State's first-year coach, Tom O'Brien, was an assistant at Virginia before taking over at Boston College. That much U.Va. players know. For many of the Cavaliers, however, tomorrow's game will be their first encounter with an O'Brien-coached team.

When O'Brien was at BC, he faced U.Va. only once. In 2005, the Eagles whipped the visiting Cavaliers 28-17. Defensive end Chris Long was a sophomore then. He was asked Tuesday if the Wolfpack reminds him of O'Brien's teams at BC.

"I was like a newborn [at BC in 2005]," Long said. "I didn't know what was going on around me, so I can't really draw any comparisons. I didn't retain any of that offense. I've heard it's like BC's, but it's like I'm looking at a new offense for me."

The 2005 game in Chestnut Hill, Mass., probably will be remembered most for the illegal block thrown by then-U.Va. offensive tackle Brad Butler on then-BC defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. Virginia later suspended Butler for one game.

Wolfpack coach familiar with Longs
O'Brien's mentor is former U.Va. coach George Welsh, and they worked together in Annapolis, Md., and in Charlottesville.

O'Brien was on Welsh's staff at Navy in the '70s when the Midshipmen faced a Villanova team whose defensive linemen included Howie Long, who would become a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

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

Chris Long is the oldest of Howie Long's three sons.

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

Recruit has big upside
The latest football prospect to commit to U.Va., Ugo Uzodinma, only recently turned 17.

"I keep forgetting, because he's so big, that he's so young," said Craig Jefferies, the longtime coach at Dunbar High in D.C.

Uzodinma, a 6-4, 245-pound senior, committed Monday. He starts at defensive end in Dunbar's 4-3 scheme and is likely to play that position in U.Va.'s 3-4, too. Uzodinma, who has a sister at U.Va., has been timed in 4.65 seconds for 40 yards, Jefferies said, "so he definitely does a good job running."

Dunbar is 7-2 this season. As a junior, Uzodinma played at High Point (Md.) High, but his family moved to Washington before this school year. Uzodinma, an excellent student, occasionally can be too stiff on the field, but his coach believes he'll improve in that area.

"He's like a sponge," Jefferies said. "He continues to grow and mature and learn." -- Jeff White

 

State QB Evans has father in the press box
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
October 26, 2007

Fans spilling into Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday to watch No. 21 Virginia (7-1, 4-0 ACC) tangle with North Carolina State (2-5, 0-3 ACC) have a unique opportunity: They can see one Evans on the field and hear another through the airwaves.

A true rarity, Daniel Evans will start against Virginia at quarterback, while his father, Johnny, will handle color analysis for Wolfpack radio.

Should the signal caller enjoy a stellar play or lead N.C. State to its second-straight victory, you will likely need to witness it.

Evans does not expect - or get - special treatment during broadcasts.

“I think my dad tries to downplay stuff,” said Evans, a junior. “He doesn’t want to sound like he’s out there giving me a lot of credit.

“So when I do something well, from everything that I have heard from people, he tries to downplay it a little bit so he doesn’t ever get accused of showing favoritism.”

Johnny was a quarterback and an All-American punter at N.C. State from 1974 to 1977 and later played three years in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and three years in the Canadian Football League.

After retiring, Johnny returned to Raleigh and started working a few years later with North Carolina State’s broadcast team.

Gary Hahn, the play-by-play announcer for the Wolfpack who has worked with Johnny since 1990, said his partner has handled breaking down Evans’ performance with an uncanny ability.

“He has handled this whole thing with Daniel, both last year and this year, better than most parents would,” Hahn said. “Maybe a player will drop a pass and I will just look out of the corner of my eye and he will turn away for a second, but he never really says anything, and that’s only happened maybe a handful of times.

“Most of times he has treated this situation just like he has described every play since we started working together in 1990.”

The past 13 months for Daniel and Johnny Evans have been anything but routne.

Daniel Evans earned his first start last year against Boston College in the fourth game of the season after former coach Chuck Amato benched Marcus Stone. N.C. State won as Evans drove the offense 71 yards in five plays, the last of which was a game-winning, 34-yard touchdown pass to John Dunlap with eight seconds left.

The young signal-caller also threw three touchdowns in a win over Florida State, but the Wolfpack lost their last seven games by a total of just 48 points. The 3-9 record led to Amato’s firing and Tom O’Brien’s hiring.

Given his experience, Evans was looked at this past summer as N.C. State’s No. 1 quarterback.

That quickly changed before halftime of the season-opening loss against Central Florida. After throwing an interception and being sacked in the end zone for a safety, Evans was benched in favor of Harrison Beck, a transfer from Nebraska.

Suddenly a backup, Evans tried to remain positive.

“It was a learning experience for me, coming in as a starter for the first game and then after basically a quarter-and-a-half getting pulled,” he said. “I would definitely say my faith in the Lord was the main thing that helped, but football-wise, this is my fourth year here and I have been around sports my entire life so I know that not often does one quarterback play every down in an entire season.

“Just always knowing that I had to be ready even if I am not starting a game helped, because I could have a vital or pivotal role in winning games or making some sort of impact on the game.”

Things changed with one hit - Beck suffered a separated shoulder against Louisville. Suddenly, Evans was back in the top spot as the team headed to Florida State.

“It was hard [being benched] but I feel like I stayed with it,” Evans said. “I didn’t hang my head or pout about it. Hopefully, my teammates were able to pick up on that.”

The Seminoles scored the final 20 points of the game and won 27-10 as Evans threw three interceptions and was sacked six times.

The prolonged losing feeling -N.C. State had lost 12 straight to Division I-A opponents - was getting old and an ever-growing list of season-ending injuries did little to lift spirits in Raleigh.

Magically, a short road trip to East Carolina, an opponent that Evans says is almost as big of a rival as North Carolina, did the trick.

En route to a 34-20 win, N.C. State put together a “complete game” for the first time in over a year, Evans said.

“Not just the offense, not just the defense, not just special teams, but all of us were playing and playing off each other,” Evans said. “The defense would force turnovers and the offense would capitalize on the turnovers. Special teams was making plays and scoring points for us.”

Evans, while shifting credit to an improved offensive line and his weapons, was a major reason - he finished 29 for 44 passing for 335 yards and three touchdowns. Evans, who said it was his first 300-yard game since high school, connected with 10 different targets.

“Daniel is so smooth and poised,” Dunlap said. “He makes all the right reads. A lot of people lost confidence in him, but we never did.”

The win, over what Evans called a “quality opponent,” kept slim hopes of playing in a bowl game alive - N.C. State would need to win four of its last five.

“You hear Conference USA and you think the ACC should be beating Conference USA, but they were a very good team,” Evans said. “I think it is something that can hopefully propel us into the rest of the season.”

It may also help secure Evans’ job on the depth chart.

“He’s earned the right to be the starter,” O’Brien said earlier this week.

Should that change, and Evans knows it certainly may, he can always lean on his father, Johnny, for advice.

“My dad is always around but he is not one of those overbearing dads that is trying to force you to do this or to do that,” Evans said. “I think it is probably harder for him to sit up there and watch and commentate on the games than it is for me to be in the games, but I think he does a great job from that aspect.

“He is more like an emotional counselor, just trying to make sure I am doing all right and ensuring that my mental aspect is on track and where it needs to be.”

 

N.C. State to Send True Freshman Against UVa's Long
By J. Mike Blake
Posted: Oct. 25 10:41 a.m.
Updated: Oct. 25 5:22 p.m.

Until the win over East Carolina, the N.C. State offensive line had been a maligned group that didn't protect the quarterback or open holes for the running backs.

And with true freshman left tackle Jake Vermiglio starting his first game, it didn’t look like the Wolfpack line was going to improve.

But against the Pirates, the line held firm and allowed Daniel Evans enough time to pick apart the opposing defense. It was a career day for Evans, who threw 29 completions for 335 yards and three touchdowns.

“They knew what they were doing going in,” said Evans of his blockers. “We had a pretty good scheme as far as our pass protection goes.”

Even with the job the line did against ECU, coach Tom O’Brien admitted the “real test would be this week against Virginia.”

The line faces a Virginia defense that has 24 sacks on the year – 10 of those by All-America candidate Chris Long. The senior defensive end will mostly line up across from Vermiglio in what will surely be the freshman’s toughest test as a collegiate player.

Long’s 50 tackles are second in the ACC for defensive ends. O'Brien describes Long, the son of former NFL great Howie Long, as a player with a relentless motor, and he has 13 tackles for loss to back it up.

Vermiglio - who was not allowed to speak to reporters after Wednesday's practice - must protect his quarterback’s blind side from Long if the Evans wants to enjoy time in the pocket against the Cavaliers. Evans said he has no doubts that the freshman can do the job.

“[Vermiglio] did a great job but I don’t think anyone doubted him either,” Evans said. “That was definitely a bright spot and I’m sure he’ll be a great left tackle here for years to come.”

Although he played well, what wasn’t a bright spot was the way Vermiglio ended his first career start.

Vermiglio was ejected after diving into the back of an opposing player’s legs. The player limped off the field after remaining on the ground for minutes after the hit.

O’Brien said in Monday’s press conference that Vermiglio had “paid the price” for the dirty play.

To date, the offensive line has given up 18 sacks this season – but only one of those came last week.

Senior center Luke Lathan said that the problem earlier in the year was when blockers missed assignments – a problem due to coaching differences.

The game against ECU was preceded by an off-week in which offensive line coach Don Horton and others were able to assess those flaws.

“It’s basically a new offense, new calls, new blocking assignments. There’s a reason why they redshirt offensive lineman. It takes a long time to get the technique down, get the steps down and every coach has a different philosophy,” Lathan said.

“I’ve had to learn three coaches’ offensive philosophies since I’ve been here. It’s difficult, dumping one coach and what he wants to do.”

The line knows it will have to continue its improvement if it wants to fend off Long and the Cavaliers.

“This game is going to tell us a lot about this football team. It’s a great challenge – can you do it two weeks in a row?,” O’Brien said.

 

Wolfpack solves pass rush
Hungry defensive line able to chew up Pirates
Chip Alexander, Staff Writer

RALEIGH - A good pass rush is about using proper technique and taking proper angles, about strength, pursuit and persistence.
And, N.C. State defensive end Willie Young says, sometimes it's even more elementary than that.

"Everybody is trying to eat, so either I take food from your plate or you're going to take food from mine," Young said.

Translation: Either the offensive lineman wins the one-on-one battle, or the defensive lineman wins and makes things miserable for the quarterback.

The Pack did a lot of eating on Saturday against East Carolina. State made six sacks in a 34-20 victory at Greenville, the most for the Wolfpack since it had six in its 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl win over South Florida.

Young, a redshirt sophomore, continually crowded ECU quarterback Rob Kass. He had his first two career sacks and also was credited with three "pressures."

Everyone on the defensive line was getting to Kass. Martel Brown, DeMario Pressley, Markus Kuhn and Alan-Michael Cash also had sacks.

"It got to where we were saying to each other, 'I'll meet you back there,' " Young said.

The Pack (2-5, 0-3 ACC) had just eight sacks in its first six games. NCSU defensive coordinator Mike Archer said a combination of factors resulted in the increased output against ECU.

With an extra week to prepare, the Wolfpack went into the game healthy up front on defense. Archer also shifted Kuhn from tackle to end, where the freshman will back up Brown.

"He's bigger and stronger -- he's 280 [pounds]," Archer said. "He and Martrel both are pretty solid guys. We put the tall skinny guys on the other side and let them play in space. It took us half a year to figure that out."

The "skinny guys" are Young, who still is lean at 6 feet 4 and 230 pounds, and Littleton Wright, a 6-6, 248-pound senior and former junior college transfer.

"I've been working on my pass rush for quite some time," Young said. "With my first two sacks, I feel like I've broken my spell and kind of opened up and can pose something of a threat now."

Archer said a few tweaks in the defensive scheme worked against ECU but that most were "coverage sacks." The defensive backs did their job, locking on to receivers and making Kass sit in the pocket an extra count or two. The Pack also was able to shut down the Pirates' running game, forcing Kass to throw.

"It's easier to rush the passer when it's third-and-13," Archer said. "We got them in predictable situations. It's the first time this year we've had anybody continually in third-and-long."

Although Kass has mobility, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell will offer a tougher test for the Pack on Saturday. The 6-3 sophomore can run out of trouble, turning potential sacks into big plays.

He did it to the Pack last season. With the score 7-7 late in the game, he eluded defenders, escaped the pocket and was able to throw the ball out of bounds, avoiding a big loss. The Cavaliers then marched downfield for the winning touchdown.

"He's almost like a receiver with the way he makes people miss," Young said.

But the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0) also have the ACC's biggest "eater," as Young would put it. Defensive lineman Chris Long leads the league -- and is third nationally -- with 10 sacks.

"He plays with great enthusiasm and intensity," State offensive line coach Don Horton said. "He gets after the ball, runs well and is all over the field. It's hard not to notice him. You put on the film and he's in on every play. He's a great competitor."

NCSU coach Tom O'Brien said the Cavs like to move Long around, especially on third down.

"I guess we'll figure out who our worst pass protector is, because that's where he'll line up," O'Brien said.

Long surely will test Jake Vermiglio, a freshman offensive tackle who got his first start against ECU. That's enough to make any offensive line coach antsy.

"But Long is a good player against anybody," Horton said. "Whether freshman or senior, he's a great challenge."

Archer said desire is the key to being a good pass rusher. Virginia coach Al Groh said it's a matter of having heart but also the athleticism to get the job done.

"You've got to have the tools when you go against quality pass protectors," Groh said. "But a lot of guys get stymied early, and a lot of sacks and pressures come out of being relentless."

In other words, determined to eat off the other guy's plate.

 

Virginia a surprise
Frank Dascenzo : The Herald-Sun
fdascenzo@heraldsun.com
Oct 26, 2007 : 12:38 am ET

Here's how important it is not to jump to an early conclusion when college football is the subject:

On Sept. 1 Virginia lost its season-opening game at Wyoming. History tells us when you lose at Wyoming, people become immediately suspicious about your potential, or what may remain of it.

It's perfectly understandable becuase football is the king sport now at Virginia.

Here's why: The Cavaliers have been to five bowls since 2000, Scott Stadium seats 61,500 (fifth-largest in the ACC), Chris Long, son of Howie Long, plays for the Cavs, 21 Cavaliers have been selected in the NFL Draft in the last seven years and 42 were voted to the all-conference team in the same time period.

Obviously, something dramatic happened to Virginia football once it arrived back from Wyoming. If you're really looking at what that might be, may I offer you two choices -- Duke and UNC.

Those were Virginia's next two opponents. Got it now?

Seven games later the Cavaliers are going to show up Saturday in Raleigh, to play N.C. State, with a 7-1 record. Never mind they've escaped a few along the way. And never mind the victims are Duke, UNC, Pitt, and Middle Tennessee State.

In fairness to those evaluating the cream of the crop in college football, let me say right here and now that four of Boston College's victims are Notre Dame, UMass, Bowling Green and Army.

Now, in the case of the Cavaliers, in November who's really going to remember that Al Groh's team won at Maryland 18-17 last week when backup running back Mikell Simpson scored the winning touchdow., sending UVa into a mild frenzy?

Simpson scored on a one-yard plunge to end a 90-yard drive that took over seven minutes and likely added some more gray hairs to Groh's head. No matter, a win is a win and who's talking about Wyoming now?

There were 16 seconds left when Simpson kept Virginia's dreamy now-bowl-eligible-season alive, a season that started so poorly but is now becoming something just shy of unbelievable.

If you're keeping score at home, those seven straight wins by the Cavs equals a school record done just three times -- in 1914, 1949 and 1990. For history majors out there, the 1914 team ended 8-1 and the loss was 21-0 at Yale. The 1949 team won its first seven and lost its last two, at home vs. Tulane 42-18 and at UNC 14-7. The 1990 team started out 7-0, finished 8-4, with losses at home to Georgia Tech 41-38, at home to Maryland 35-30, at Virginia Tech 38-13 and to Tennessee 23-22 in the Sugar Bowl.

Nobody seems real sure how good this Virginia team is right now. But one thing is for certain, it knows how to win close games.

Groh is in his seventh season and some were suggesting he was in trouble despite four consecutive winning seasons. Last year's team slipped to 5-7 but was 4-4 in the ACC.

So, when Wyoming seemingly became a disaster, the bulletin boards of anti-Groh remarks were numerous.

They are difficult to find today.

Somebody called the other day and offered an opinion that the Cavaliers are a "house of cards," and aren't that good, but are just plain lucky. At 7-1, what does it matter?

What might Groh have said if somebody had told him on the team plane, returning from Wyoming, that his team would be 7-1 going to N.C. State?

How Virginia has done it is one of the better stories in this ACC football season. The Cavs have been opportunistic when they've needed to be. They've avoided disaster by answering with quality defense.

Oh, by the way, Virginia has 49 wins under Groh right now.