Cavs fit to be tied for first?
Win today would leave U.Va. deadlocked in Coastal Division
Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Three keys for U.Va.
1. Don't get in a deep hole early. The Cavaliers have not played well on the road this season, but their confidence will grow if they're ahead or close heading into the second half.

2. Don't let the Jackets run wild. It's not realistic to think the Wahoos will shut down the ACC's No.1 rushing offense (248.1 yards per game). But U.Va. must limit the Yellow Jackets' big gains and force them into third-and-long situations.

3. Establish the running game. Virginia averaged only 2.1 yards per carry in its 16-13 overtime win over North Carolina last weekend. Senior tailback Cedric Peerman rushed for two touchdowns, including the game-winner in OT, but finished with a modest 44 yards on 17 carries.

Virginia at No. 21 Georgia Tech
Where : Bobby Dodd Stadium (cap. 55,000), Atlanta

When : 3:30 p.m.

On the air: TV - ESPNU (not widely available in Virginia). Radio - WRVA (1140), 2:30 p.m.; XM Ch. 191, 3:30 p.m.

Line : Georgia Tech by 14

Records : Virginia 2-1 ACC, 4-3; Ga. Tech 3-1, 6-1

Players to watch: Virginia - WR Kevin Ogletree, 37 catches, 455 yards, 3 TDs; TE John Phillips, 30 catches, 271 yards, 1 TD; TB Cedric Peerman, 70 carries, 423 yards, 6 TDs; QB Marc Verica, 115 for 176 passing, 1,011 yards, 3 TDs, 7 INTs; LB Clint Sintim, 8 sacks. Georgia GT - TB Jonathan Dwyer, 108 carries, 683 yards, 4 TDs; QB Josh Nesbitt, 82 carries, 367 yards, 5 TDs, 21 for 45 passing, 360 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; WR Demaryius Thomas, 22 catches, 415 yards, 3 TDs; DB Morgan Burnett, 44 tackles, 5 interceptions, one forced fumble.

Outlook : This matches two of the ACC's hottest teams, and Virginia would grab at least a share of the Coastal lead with a victory. The Yellow Jackets, in their first season under Paul Johnson, have won four consecutive games. Eighth-year coach Al Groh's Cavaliers have won three consecutive. . . . The home team has won 12 of the past 13 games in this series, which U.Va. leads 15-14-1. . . . A season ago at Scott Stadium, Virginia capitalized on a special-teams blunder by Georgia Tech and rallied to win 28-23.

By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
To anyone who watched the University of Virginia football team lose 31-3 at Duke on Sept. 27, the notion that the Cavaliers might enter November leading the ACC's Coastal Division would have seemed preposterous.

It's now reality. No. 21 Georgia Tech (3-1 ACC, 6-1 overall) is atop the Coastal, and U.Va. (2-1, 4-3) and Virginia Tech (2-1, 5-2) are tied for second. The Hokies play today at No. 25 Florida State, and Virginia visits the Yellow Jackets. If the Cavaliers win today, they'll leave Atlanta with at least a share of the division lead.

"It's really been a wild ride," Virginia quarterback Marc Verica said Tuesday. "Not a lot of people would have thought we'd be in this position after we went down to Durham. But now we are. We're not content, we're not satisfied, we're just going to continue to work hard, and if we take it one game at a time, maybe we will find ourselves in position to really do something big this season."

If today's game were at Scott Stadium, Virginia's prospects would be dramatically better. The Jackets are favored by two touchdowns, in part because they're playing well under first-year coach Paul Johnson, but also because the Cavaliers have struggled on the road during the Al Groh era.

In Groh's eight seasons as coach at his alma mater, U.Va. is 14-27 on the road, including a 10-19 record in the ACC. The Cavaliers are 0-2 away from Scott Stadium this season and were outscored 76-13 in their losses at Connecticut and Duke.

Since losing at Duke, however, the Wahoos have won three straight, all in Charlottesville. They mauled Maryland 31-0, beat East Carolina 35-20 and, last weekend, rallied to edge North Carolina 16-13 in overtime.

"Playing at home, it's a different atmosphere," said Verica, a sophomore whose first start came at UConn. "Obviously the other night was just electric [against UNC]. There's just tremendous support from the fans, and to have them rush the field like that at the end, it's just an awesome experience. But as much as we appreciate their support, they're not in the game, they're not playing, and that'll be the case when we go to [Atlanta]."

The Jackets, by contrast, have proved they can thrive away from home. They lost by three at Virginia Tech on Sept. 13, but a week earlier they'd knocked off Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. And last weekend, Georgia Tech went into Death Valley and stunned Clemson 21-17.

"I am awfully proud of our football team and the effort they displayed on Saturday," said Johnson, who left Navy after last season and relocated, along with his vaunted triple-option offense, to Georgia Tech.

"Everyone realized that it was a pretty hostile environment, and once things got going their crowd really got into it. There were probably 80,000 people yelling, and to our guys' credit, they didn't even flinch."

Virginia will need a similar effort to win today.

"Every week it's up for grabs in every game," Groh said. "And if you don't bring your very best game every week, then it's going to be hard. It's going to be hard under the best of circumstances. It's going to be real hard if you don't bring your best game."

 

Linebackers Help Put Cavs on Track
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 24, 2008; Page E03

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The best compliment Virginia junior linebacker Darren Childs received was that senior starters Clint Sintim and Jon Copper did not even realize he entered the game. Childs replaced injured senior starter Antonio Appleby in the first quarter of last week's overtime win over North Carolina, and Sintim and Copper were not aware until Childs had already played a few snaps.

Childs ably filled in for Appleby, an accomplishment considering the strength of the four players who make up the middle of the Cavaliers' defense.

The Cavaliers' current three-game winning streak has included a handful of promising performances, and Virginia's linebackers have had as much effect on the progress as any unit. The Cavaliers have held opponents to an average of 11 points during their winning streak, and the linebackers have been the key.

The unit will be tested Saturday, when Virginia visits No. 21 Georgia Tech, where Coach Paul Johnson's triple option has found success in his first season in Atlanta.

Sintim, Copper, Appleby and Aaron Clark opened the season as the Cavaliers' starting unit, and Denzel Burrell has excelled in replacing Clark, who suffered a season-ending injury.

Because of various packages and injuries, Virginia also has introduced freshman Cam Johnson (Gonzaga), sophomore Jared Detrick and Childs. The results have remained the same, and the Cavaliers' top three tacklers are Copper, Appleby and Sintim (Gar-Field), who leads the ACC with eight sacks.

"I think amongst ourselves," Copper said, "we definitely expected a high level of play."

Much of the credit for the linebackers' success goes to the defensive line. When former standouts Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald occupied blockers last season, the linebackers were able to roam the field. Despite the linebackers' uncommon experience this season, the inexperienced line dictated whether the linebackers remained the strength of the defense.

"That's been one of the factors in our ability to improve our performance," Coach Al Groh said. "As the players in front have come along, so too [has] the linebacker production. The linebackers were the experienced part of the unit. The players in front were inexperienced."

This season's group elicits memories of the 2004 linebacking corps, which included Ahmad Brooks, Kai Parham, Darryl Blackstock and Dennis Haley. Though the current group might not have more talent, the veterans in their final season provide the Cavaliers a unique circumstance.

Sintim has started every game of his career. Copper and Appleby started each of the past two seasons.

"I think this group is probably the best group simply because we've played together for so long, we've watched film together and we know where we're supposed to be," Sintim said. "In previous years, we maybe had more talented guys as a whole, but as far as learning the scheme and being at the right place within the scheme, I think this group is a smarter group to know where everyone is to make us all better."

Childs said the team holds meetings in a large room, yet the linebackers bunch together. They spend the first five minutes teasing each other -- the married Copper's wife is off limits -- and spend the rest of the meeting quizzing each other. They eat as a group, frequenting a local buffet and a pancake house.

Ask one player about his performance, and he immediately discusses the guy next to him. Copper won one of the ACC's defensive player of the week honors after recording 16 tackles against North Carolina, but he said he would need to find out from Sintim any rewards from the award. Sintim gushed about the performance of Childs, who might need to start this week if Appleby cannot play.

"A hundred times better," Sintim said of how he feels about Childs playing after the little-known junior recorded 10 tackles against the Tar Heels.

Copper compared the performance to running back Mikell Simpson's breakout game against Maryland last season, when he rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 152 yards.

Childs's out-of-nowhere performance is analogous to the recent swing of perspective in Charlottesville. With five games remaining, the Cavaliers still have much to prove. Already proven, though, is their linebackers are among the best in the ACC.

"We don't think about where we rank," Burrell said. "But at end of season, we definitely want to be nationally ranked as one of the best linebacker groups."


 

After 3 straight wins at home, Cavaliers to try luck on road again
Doug Doughty

As the ACC's regular season enters its final month, seven teams enter weekend play with one conference loss.

To the surprise of many, Virginia is one of them.

UVa (4-3, 2-1 ACC) could move into first place in the Coastal Division with a victory over 21st-ranked Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1) in a game that kicks off at 3:30 p.m. in Atlanta.

That would require a Virginia Tech loss at Florida State in another game that starts at 3:30, but don't expect the Cavaliers to do much scoreboard watching. UVa is a 13-point underdog to a Yellow Jackets team that has won four in a row.

As late as it is on the calendar, only Georgia Tech is halfway through its ACC schedule. The Yellow Jackets are the only team with three conference victories.

"The sooner you can bank them, the better off you are," UVa coach Al Groh said earlier this week. "Everybody is still trying to get the third one. No telling whether you will or not frankly.

"Every week, it's up for grabs in every game, and if you don't bring your very best game every week then it's going to be hard. It's going to be hard on the best of circumstances; it's going to be real hard if you don't bring your best game."

The Cavaliers didn't bring their best game to Durham, N.C., in late September and were shellacked 31-3 by a Duke team that had lost its previous 25 ACC games. Since then, UVa has won three straight, all as an underdog and all at home.

Virginia has sputtered on the road in Groh's eight seasons, but the Cavaliers did win four road games in a 9-4 2007 season. Their most recent win at Georgia Tech came in 2004, but UVa faces a different challenge this time.

Paul Johnson took over as Tech head coach following the 2007 season and installed the triple-option offense that contributed to a 43-19 record in his last five seasons at Navy. Before that, Johnson won two Division I-AA championships at Georgia Southern, where he was 62-10.

"That style of offense has got a long history," said Groh, who remembers preparing for an East Carolina option when he was a North Carolina assistant in the 1970s. "Some years back it was the prevalent style of play, so it's not as if something has been invented that never worked before.

"Space flight has come a long way since the first launchings, but it's a lot more sophisticated and lot more intricate and we can do things with those rockets and go to the moon now. Heck, all they were trying to do with the first one was do a couple of orbits.

"You know this is still a wishbone-based offense. It's just a more sophisticated, more souped-up, version."

Fortunately for Johnson, predecessor Chan Gailey left him with a quarterback, 6-foot-1, 214-pound sophomore Josh Nesbit.

He has the skills to operate the offense and had a game-high 26 carries for 77 yards last Saturday in a 21-17 victory at Clemson.

Jonathan Dwyer, a 6-foot, 228-pound sophomore, had 21 carries for 109 yards in the same game and is the ACC's leading rusher. He has 108 attempts for 684 yards, a 6.3-yard average.

Groh has been known to tweak Virginia's 3-4 defense depending on an opponent's offensive philosophy, but he doesn't think the Cavaliers' base set is especially vulnerable to the option.

"Two teams that have built a great deal of success with this offense, Navy with Coach Johnson there and Air Force through the years, are both 3-4 teams," Groh said.

"Obviously, that's a big game when they play each other. We'd have to guess, if that wasn't an applicable defense against those offenses, they wouldn't be running it themselves."

Much has been made of Georgia Tech's offense, but the Yellow Jackets' defense has gotten Groh's attention. He noted that several of Georgia Tech's games have been low-scoring, including a 19-16 triumph at Boston College and a game with Duke that was 3-0 at the half.

"There's a lot of concern on our part as to how we're going to get enough points," he said.

Groh and Johnson took turns this week in referring to their opponents as the hottest team in the ACC. Clearly, Georgia Tech isn't taking once-downtrodden UVa lightly.

"One of these two teams is going to have two losses in the division come Saturday night and really put themselves behind the eight ball," Johnson said. "Hopefully, we understand what we are playing for and approach this as the biggest game of the year."
 

ACC BREAKDOWN: Virginia at Georgia Tech
Everything you need to know about the Yellow Jackets game with the Cavaliers
By KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, October 23, 2008

What this game means

The loser could be eliminated from the race for the ACC Coastal Division title and spot in the conference championship game. Both teams have one loss in ACC play.

A Tech win, particularly over a team that has won three in a row, would further justify the Jackets’ spot in the polls.

The Jackets would also qualify for a bowl game with a win. A team needs six wins to be bowl-eligible and only one of them can be against a Division I-AA opponent. Tech has two I-AA teams — Jacksonville State and Gardner-Webb — among its six victories.

The Cavaliers want to maintain their win streak and extend their record of success against Tech. They’ve won four of the past five meetings. However, the home team has won 12 of the past 13 games between the teams.

Game within the game

The tussle between Virginia’s offensive line and Georgia Tech’s defensive line will be worth watching. Virginia has allowed eight sacks, tied for fewest in the ACC. Georgia Tech has 20 sacks, most in the ACC.

Tackle to tackle, the Cavaliers average 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds.

As left tackle Eugene Monroe (6-6, 315) puts it, “At Virginia, we’ve had a history of recruiting offensive linemen that are quite large.”

They’re athletic, too. Right tackle Will Barker played lacrosse in high school. Center Jack Shields is a converted tight end. Monroe, one of the top draft prospects for his position, claims to have “sweet feet” on the dance floor.

Said Tech senior defensive tackle Darryl Richard, “They’re not slobs up front.”

Richard and his cohorts aren’t shabby, either. The Jackets have allowed 160 rushing yards in their past three games and are fifth in the country in scoring defense, at 11.6 points per game.

Tech’s defensive linemen are “very diversified in their skills,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “They have some really good players and two really good pass rushers (Michael Johnson and Derrick Morgan).”

How I get ready for a game

Sophomore safety Dominique Reese (as told to Ken Sugiura)

After meetings on Friday at the hotel, my roommate (safety) Mario Edwards and I sit in our room and go over the other team’s top plays and what he would do against those plays and what I would do. We just try to go over that so we’ll be prepared. Then we watch the Friday night college game on ESPN and critique what they’re doing right and wrong.

For a 3:30 game, we’ll get up early, like 7:30 and go check in for breakfast and then we’ll have free time until lunch. I usually try to take a nap. Then I get up, go eat lunch and usually put on my headset and try to get in a zone. Lately, I’ve been listening to T.I.’s new album, “Paper Trail.” It gets me motivated to play.

I like to talk, but if I know a person likes to be quiet before the game, I’m not going to try to talk to them. I usually talk to (safety) Morgan Burnett and Mario, just shooting the breeze.

Cavaliers formidable at linebacker

The 3-4 defense that Virginia plays (three down linemen, four linebackers) is designed for the linebackers to make plays. The Cavaliers’ top linebacker is senior Clint Sintim, a four-year starter whom Johnson said is “as good as anybody we’ve played.”

Sintim has sacks in each of Virginia’s last four games and has 25 in his career, more than any linebacker in the country. The others aren’t slouches. Sintim, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby, all seniors, have started a combined 110 games. Denzel Burrell is a sophomore in his first year as a starter.

“I know their No. 51 (Sintim) dealt us fits,” Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. “You can see consistently that they’ve got a team of guys that are very talented that can make a bunch of plays for you.”

Jones strikes it big in pass game

Freshman A-back Roddy Jones doesn’t catch the ball that often, but when he does, he makes it count. He has four catches for an average of 31.5 yards. He had a 35-yarder against Clemson last week.

Tech calls play-action passes when teams start to commit to defending the run. Typically, Jones loops out of the backfield on a “wheel” route and runs down the sideline.

Said Jones, “Once guys start to cheat up a little bit and really start to come up on the option, we’ll hit ‘em on play action and hopefully it’ll be wide open.”

Additionally, Jones said the offense is “really close” to running the way it would like.

“I think we’re a lot further than we were at the beginning of the year and even a couple games ago,” he said.

Johnson on playing quarterbacks

Coach Paul Johnson may play freshman quarterback Jaybo Shaw for a series or two, but one thing he won’t do is decide beforehand when that will be. While some coaches make up their mind to put in a backup on the third possession or perhaps the first possession of the first half, Johnson said that “you can kill yourself momentum-wise if things are going good.”

For instance, if a coach tells the backup quarterback that he’ll go in for the third possession and the starter leads the team to scores on the first two possessions, he is in a quandary.

Asked Johnson, “Now, do you pull the kid out when he’s got everything going to put the other guy in, or do you just make yourself out a liar and don’t put him in? There’s no use to box yourself in like that.”

Blair kick project

Sophomore kicker Scott Blair believes he has his kinks worked out after nearly missing a point-after try last Saturday.

“I’m not following through, really, like I’m supposed to,” said Blair, who had made five field goals in a row before missing from 50 yards last Saturday. “I’m just kind of short legging it, punching it.”

For help, Blair said he occasionally talks to his kicking coach in Calhoun, Marc Feuerbach.

“I’ll tell him what’s happening and he’ll tell me over the phone what I should look for,” Blair said.

Blair has been improving at punting — Tech’s net punting average of 36.7 yards is third in the ACC. He also made a potentially game-saving tackle on a kickoff against Clemson.

Said Blair, “It’s nice to be able to hold my own, (and) instead of having 10 1/2 tacklers out there, having 11.”

Out of options

Typically, Georgia Tech likes to watch film of its opponent defending option-based offenses. Failing that, the team has looked for games where the head coach or defensive coordinator coached against the triple option in previous jobs.

The Jackets had no such luck this time because Virginia has not played a triple-option team since coach Al Groh’s arrival in 2001 from the NFL. Defensive coordinator Bob Pruett previously coached at Marshall, but Johnson said that Virginia’s defense is Groh’s.

Coach Paul Johnson said he only looked at Virginia’s film from this season.

“There’s only a couple ways they can line up,” Johnson said. “They’re not going to line up in something we haven’t played.”

Groh has had his own challenges of prepping his team for Johnson’s offense.

“There are only so many reps in practice, frankly, in one week’s time to get acquainted with an offense that’s [uncommon],” he said.

Etc.

Al Groh on Josh Nesbitt: “He looks like a very tall, rangy player. He’s got a lot of elusiveness and has made some big throws.”

Last year, Virginia running back Cedric Peerman ran for 138 yards and a touchdown in the Cavaliers’ 28-23 win in Charlottesville. Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer ran for 75 yards and a score.

Senior cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels (hamstring) and freshman wide receiver Tyler Melton (knee) will not play. They’ll be replaced by freshman Rashaad Reid and sophomore Correy Earls, respectively. After starting last week for the first time this season, senior guard A.J. Smith will be replaced by freshman Joseph Gilbert. Smith was ill this week and missed practice.

After junior A-back Greg Smith played only a few snaps last week and freshman A-back Marcus Wright not at all, Johnson hopes to play them more. Wright will be on the kick return team for the first time.

 

Cavs are ready for road test
October 25, 2008 12:16 am
In his first season at Georgia Tech, coach Paul Johnson has his team contending for the ACC title.
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

Virginia coach Al Groh calls Georgia Tech the hottest football team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson says the same of Groh's Cavaliers.

Groh and Johnson will find out who's correct when the No. 21 Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1 ACC) and the Cavaliers (4-3, 2-1) meet in a key ACC Coastal Division game today at 3:30 p.m. in Atlanta.

The Cavaliers have won three straight--all at home. The Yellow Jackets are riding a four-game winning streak. Today's winner will sit alone atop the Coastal Division standings if Virginia Tech falls to Florida State.

"We're kind of viewing it as a game that could go a long way toward eliminating one or the other team in conference play, either our team or their team," Johnson said. "So it's a huge game. There's no question about that."

But whether it's really an elimination game remains to be seen. The Cavaliers know a thing or two about rebounding from seemingly dire straits.

They lost three of their first four games, but responded with a perfect three-game homestand. Today's game is their first on the road since a 31-3 loss to Duke on Sept. 27. The Cavaliers have been outscored 76-13 away from Scott Stadium.

"As much as we appreciate [the home fans'] support, they're not in the game, they're not playing," Virginia quarterback Marc Verica said. "It's what happens between the white lines. Everything else is just really not in our focus."

Groh said the Cavaliers "weren't playing with a very strong deck" in their road losses to Duke and Connecticut. He said they had serious issues on offense, defense and special teams.

"We probably weren't equipped to be very good at that stage, frankly," Groh said. "It's not fun to say, but that's the reality."

The reality for the Cavaliers has been much more pleasant lately, but today they have the challenge of stopping Georgia Tech's wishbone option attack that was so successful for Johnson at Navy.

In his first year at Georgia Tech, Johnson is demonstrating that the offense can work in a Bowl Championship Series conference as well--not that he ever questioned that it could.

Johnson said it's similar to the offenses run at Florida and West Virginia, but the Yellow Jackets operate from under center instead of the shotgun.

Groh said conference opponents have needed time to become accustomed to the offense, but added it's a throwback to the days when teams like Oklahoma and Nebraska dominated with a similar style of play.

It has allowed Georgia Tech to lead the ACC in rushing (248.1 yards per game), ninth in the nation. It also leads the conference in passing efficiency.

"It's got a long history of being successful," Groh said of the offense. "Some years back it was the prevalent style of play. So it's not as if something has been invented that's never worked before. It's still a wishbone-based offense. It's just a more sophisticated, more souped-up version."

The Yellow Jackets' defense is no slouch, either. It ranks fifth in the nation in points allowed (11.6 per game) and fifth in total defense (254.6 yards allowed per game).

Georgia Tech leads the ACC in sacks (20). The Cavaliers are second with 19.

NOTES

Virginia senior inside linebacker Antonio Appleby (ankle) is doubtful for today's game. Junior Darren Childs is expected to start if Appleby doesn't play.

The Cavaliers list starting nose tackle Nick Jenkins (ankle) and kicker Yannick Reyering (knee) as questionable. Junior Nate Collins will likely start if Jenkins is unavailable. True freshman Robert Randolph will handle field goals if Reyering misses his second straight game, while Chris Hinkebein will perform kickoffs.

 

UVa needs to add a road win to its resume
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 24, 2008

The more Virginia wins, the more accolades come the Cavaliers’ way. While channel surfing the past few nights, I couldn’t help but notice all the warm comments directed toward UVa football coach Al Groh.

Former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie, former UCLA coach Terry Donahue and the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock all raved about how Virginia had turned things around from a miserable start to a three-game winning streak — all upsets over Maryland, East Carolina and No. 18 North Carolina. Each analyst credited Groh for righting the ship and holding things together, something that is extremely difficult to do once a team experiences disaster.

True, the Cavs are not the same team that played so poorly at Connecticut and imploded in the second half at Duke. In fact, they have improved — somewhat drastically in many cases — in almost every statistical department.

Road warriors

However, there’s one huge phase of football where Virginia must still prove itself. The Cavaliers must show us all that they can win on the road.

This afternoon would be a good time to check that item off their list.

Virginia faces a stern test at ancient Grant Field in Atlanta, where the Cavaliers will be attempting to score their fourth straight upset win. Georgia Tech is ranked No. 21 in the nation and boasts a 6-1 record.

Last season, the main reason the Cavaliers made it to the Gator Bowl was their abililty to win on the road. They won close encounters at Maryland, North Carolina and Middle Tennessee State, and a surprising 48-0 blowout at Miami in the old Orange Bowl stadium. A win at Georgia Tech this afternoon could work wonders for Virginia.

Opportunity knocks

Should the Cavs beat the Yellow Jackets today — and should Virginia Tech lose at Florida State — then Virginia would be alone in first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division. Who would have ever thought that would have been possible after the Cavaliers’ awful 1-3 start?

However, this team must get over its road anxiety. The Cavs caved at UConn, losing 45-10, and after a 3-3 halftime score at Duke, came apart at the seams in a 31-3 loss. In both cases, the offense couldn’t move the chains and the defense was on the field so long that their dam had to break at some point.

All that has changed in a recent three-game homestand.

Just look at the numbers:

* Scoring — 9.0 points per game the first three games; 27.3 ppg over the last four.

* Rushing — 66 yards per game after the first three games; 153.7 over the last four.

* Total offense — 251.3 after three to 377.3.

* Total defense — 379 to 306.3.

* Passing — 23.7 to 185.2 yards per game (over the last four).

* Turnover margin — +5 as compared to –7 after the first three.

There are other similar statistical improvements concerning penalty yardage, time of possession and the like, but you get the picture. Instead of accepting the negative start, the Cavs turned things around. Part of it was hard work — more focus.

The other part was simply growing up. Groh told us back in July that this particular team would be an evolving team, much like the 2006 squad was. That team got off to a horrendous start but turned things around behind the leadership of Chris Long.

This team, Groh believed, would get better as the season progressed particularly because of the offensive line’s inexperience and the breaking in of a new quarterback. What he didn’t expect as far back as July would be the notion of breaking in two starting quarterbacks. He may have expected to play backup Marc Verica some, but most likely would have stuck with Pete Lalich.

When Lalich ran into trouble and was booted from the program, it meant some breaking-in time for Verica, who has now emerged as a solid quarterback. He experienced a rough outing at Duke, though may have gained substantially from the experience.

Still, he is a new QB and there may be some more rollercoaster moments ahead for him as there are for almost any quarterback that has to go through the maturation process. It’s just part of being a quarterback.

The offensive line has come along nicely, and the combination of their improved play and Verica’s savvy — along with the return of tailback Cedric Peerman to full strength — have made this team stronger. The defense has been there from the beginning, but was under too much pressure early on. Now that both sides of the ball are clicking, this is a pretty good football team.

“They are huge,” said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson. “When you look at their size, they look like an NFL team. Their linebackers are very talented, and offensively, as Peerman goes, so goes Virginia. Since he’s come back, he’s kick-started their offense. He’s a great back and when gets it going, they’re tough to stop. Last year, he ran through us like nobody was there.”

If Peerman and the O-line can duplicate that kind of performance today, then Virginia will be a factor in the Coastal Division race.

Today’s test will be a stern one. Georgia Tech’s defense ranks among the top 10 nationally in eight categories and will be on its home turf. Meanwhile, Virginia’s defense will have to contend with a pure option offense, something most of the Cavaliers haven’t seen since their high school days, if then.

If Virginia is going to buck its current losing trend on the road, today would be a good time to start.

 

Coastal contenders clash
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 24, 2008

ATLANTA — The ACC’s Coastal Division will not be won today at Bobby Dodd Stadium, but it could certainly be lost when Virginia clashes with 21st-ranked Georgia Tech.

After salvaging its season with a three-game win streak at home, Virginia (4-3, 2-1 ACC) is suddenly a player in the conference race — for now.

Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1) has followed a similar path, winning back-to-back league games after a disappointing loss at Virginia Tech on Sept. 13.

With more than Coastal Division bragging rights at stake, both teams are aware of the magnitude of the 3:30 p.m. contest in a rivalry dominated by home teams of late in perspective.

“Like I tell the team, you take it one game at a time,” said Georgia Tech first-year coach Paul Johnson. “[The Clemson game last week] was the biggest game of the year and now Virginia becomes the biggest game of the year. One of these two teams is going to have two losses in the division come [tonight] and really put themselves behind the eight-ball.

“Hopefully, we understand what we are playing for and approach this as the biggest game of the year.”

Despite the magnitude, Virginia quarterback Marc Verica — who guided his team on a miraculous game-tying touchdown drive in the final minute of regulation against UNC — said thoughts of playing in the ACC title game in Tampa are on the backburner.

“If we take it one game at a time, maybe we will ourselves in position to really do something big this season,” Verica said. “The ACC Championship isn’t really on our minds at this point.

“We are just worried about Georgia Tech.”

There are several reasons for that.

The Yellow Jackets are ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 11.6 points per game, and lead the nation in tackles for loss.

“They are a very talented defense,” Verica said. “Obviously their front four is definitely a strength of their team and their defense. They are talented guys and they are good players so it’s going to be a challenge.”

A similar dilemma faces Virginia’s defense.

Since the arrival of Johnson, Georgia Tech has shifted from a pro style offense to a system that uses the triple option as its base look. Running backs were quickly tabbed as ‘A’ backs and ‘B’ backs and wideouts were told that they would typically serve as blockers.

Thus far, it has worked to near perfection — the Yellow Jackets lead the ACC in rushing, averaging almost 250 yards per game on the ground, and played a pair of games without quarterback Josh Nesbitt.

Although it has been some time since he planned to stop the triple option, Virginia coach Al Groh was quite familiar with the nuances of the system, having coached against it early in his career.

“At one time it was the dominant offensive system in college football,” Groh said. “I can remember preparing for it on a constant basis, whether it was the wishbone or the veer — those were the options of the time.

Given its success rate, Groh is not completely sure why the system faded in popularity through the years.

“I guess it’s why people with a nice-looking car that rides well decide they need to buy a new car just for change,” he said. “I’d say it’s philosophy and whatnot that causes different coaches to embrace different styles.”

 

ACC can change quickly
The Hokies and Cavaliers have put themselves in good Coastal Division position but have plenty of things to improve.
By NORM WOOD
247-4642
October 25, 2008

If the topsy-turvy Atlantic Coast Conference has taught us anything this season, it's to exercise a little patience. For those of you who don't care for the way the standings look right now, just wait a week or two and it could all change.

After starting the season 1-3, Virginia (4-3 overall, 2-1 ACC) has gone on a three-game winning streak and sits tied with Virginia Tech for second in the ACC's Coastal Division, a game behind Georgia Tech in the win column. U.Va. plays at Georgia Tech today. The Cavaliers have lost four of their past five games away from Charlottesville, dating back to last season.

While U.Va. has turned around its season, Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-1) is trying to avoid a tailspin. Tech lost 28-23 last Saturday at Boston College to drop its record to 16-2 in ACC road games since joining the conference in 2004. Tech will try to bounce back today against No. 24 Florida State, a team Hokies coach Frank Beamer had lost to seven consecutive times before finally beating 40-21 last season in Blacksburg.

Here's a look at a few things that need to change or get shored up before U.Va. or Tech can get to Tampa, Fla., for the ACC championship game:

1FIGURE OUT ALL THINGS PUNTING

Coming into today's game against No. 24 Florida State (5-1 overall, 2-1 ACC), Tech is 118th in the nation (second-to-last) in punt-return-yardage defense (surrendering 20.2 yards per return). No team has given up more punt returns for touchdowns (three) than Tech. The Hokies also are 117th in net punting (29.4 yards).

2 GET HEALTHY AND STAY THAT WAY

U.Va. running back Cedric Peerman, who is sixth in the ACC with 423 yards, missed most of two games with a knee injury. Cornerback Ras-I Dowling has struggled with back and leg injuries. Left guard Zak Stair sat out two games with a knee injury. Linebacker Antonio Appleby left last Saturday's game against North Carolina with an ankle injury. Kicker Yannick Reyering missed the UNC game because of a knee injury.

3 FIND THE DANGEROUS GUYS

Though the wide receivers may be young, Tech needs to get them more involved in the offense. No Hokies receiver has caught a touchdown pass. Only six catches by receivers have gone for 20 or more yards.

4 MAKE SURE SIMPSON IS A FACTOR

U.Va. running back Mikell Simpson was expected to be a big factor this season, and probably should've been while Peerman was hurt. Simpson leads the team with 78 carries, but only has 243 yards (3.1 per carry) and three touchdowns. He also has just 10 catches for 34 yards.

5 PROTECT TAYLOR

If Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor, a Hampton High graduate, is going to produce in the passing game, he's going to need time. Despite giving up just one sack against BC, Tech still is last in the ACC in sacks allowed (17).

6 SCORE BIG WHEN YOU'RE CLOSE

The Cavaliers are 113th in the nation in scoring offense (averaging 16.86 points per game) and have scored 10 touchdowns (and five field goals) in 20 red-zone trips, including just two touchdown passes. A 75-percent scoring clip inside the red zone (11th in the ACC and 93rd in the nation) isn't getting it done.

7 MAKE THEM PAY

Tech has no problems forcing turnovers (tied for first in the nation in turnover margin at plus-1.71 per game), but it needs to do more with the opportunities it creates. In the last four games, the Hokies have scored just 37 points off 12 turnovers.

8 GET YOUR KICKS

U.Va. kickers Robert Randolph and Yannick Reyering have missed three of their last five field-goal attempts — all inside 40 yards — and the Cavaliers have only made five of nine all season. If U.Va. hopes to win a few close ones down the stretch, the Cavaliers are going to need to find a dependable kicker.

9 SPEAKING OF INJURIES

Tech is down to bare bones in its secondary. After season-ending injuries to safeties Davon Morgan and Lorenzo Williams, the Hokies are left with free safety Kam Chancellor and strong safety Dorian Porch as solid starters. Behind Chancellor and Porch, walk-on junior Matt Reidy is manning both backup positions.

10 NO HICCUPS

U.Va. has held four of its last six opponents to 302 yards or fewer, and only has given up three touchdowns combined to its last three opponents, but the Cavaliers have been susceptible to giving up rushing yards at times. Southern California ran for 218 yards against U.Va. Connecticut gained 382 yards. UNC, which is only 81st in the nation in rushing offense, rolled up 166 yards. Georgia Tech's triple option has led the Yellow Jackets to the ninth-ranked rushing offense (248 yards per game).

 

ACC offensive poverty is being recognized nationally
Tahj Boyd takes official visit to UT
By Doug Doughty

In case you missed it, prolific publisher Phil Steele has come up with his midseason All-America and All-ACC teams, going three-deep with each one.

What does it say for ACC offenses, recently panned in this column, when Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe is the only ACC offensive player to make any of the three All-America teams?

Moreover, Monroe is a third-team selection. I don't know what that means, considering that ESPN's Mel Kiper has projected Monroe as the No. 1 choice in the NFL Draft.

ACC defenses got a little more respect from Steele's group, but Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith was the only ACC player on Steele's first team. North Carolina safety Trimane Goddard made the second team and Georgia Tech defensive lineman Michael Johnson and Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim were third-team choices.

Monroe, Sintim and cornerback Ras-I Dowling were named to Steele's All-ACC first team. Cavalier wide receiver Kevin Ogletree and tight end John Phillips were second-team choices, and running back Cedric Peerman and freshman defensive end Matt Conrath made the third team.

Virginia Tech's only first-team choice was center Ryan Shuman. Second-team choices for the Hokies were offensive linemen Nick Marshman and Sergio Render, cornerback Macho Harris (who also made the second team as a punt returner), cornerback Stephan Virgil and place-kicker Dustin Keys.

Third-team choices from Tech were running back Darren Evans and defensive ends Jason Worridls.

I don't cover the Hokies full-time, but I'd have to say that Harris is a first-team All-ACC performer. Not to knock Dowling, a likely NFL cornerback of the future, but he's missed one full game, most of two other games and the second half at Duke.

The only question about Dowling to this point is his durability, but he did not show up on the Cavaliers' injury report leading into their game Saturday at Georgia Tech.

One more thought: With all the fingers that have been pointed at Tech's offensive line, is it possible that the Hokies have three first- or second-team offensive linemen?

SPEAKING OF KIPER's BIG BOARD, it was updated Thursday and Monroe had dropped to fourth behind Texas sophomore defensive end Brian Orakpo, Mississippi offensive tackle Michael Oher and Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson.

Johnson (6-7, 260) will line up opposite Monroe on Saturday in a match-up that has attracted scouting requests from the Atlanta Falcons (two), Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, New England, Seattle, Washington and Arizona.

UVa's Sintim is now listed 18th by Kiper, which is testimony to the kind of year that Sintim was having because he certainly wasn't first-round material following the 2007 season, or else he would have thought more seriously about coming out.

Wake has two first-round draft picks, according to Kiper, Smith (rated 14th) and linebacker Aaron Curry (rated sixth). Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji is projected as the 13th pick.

The speculative nature of these projections came into play when Kiper's ESPN co-hort, Todd McShay, rated Clemson's Cullen Harper as the No. 1 senior quarterback prospect for the NFL Draft.

By the end of September, Harper had dropped, but only to No. 2 behind Purdue's Curtis Painter. By the third week of October, Harper was no longer starting, having lost his starting job to redshirt freshman Willie Korn as part of a mid-season purge surrounding the ouster of coach Tommy Bowden.

LAST WEEK'S COLUMN dealt with the newly proclaimed availability of the state's No. 1-ranked prospect, Hampton Phoebus quarterback Tahj Boyd, who has decommitted from West Virginia and essentially has removed the Mountaineers from his recruiting picture.

Phoebus coach Bill Dee said at the time that Boyd was planning a trip to Charlottesville for the Cavaliers' game Saturday with North Carolina, but that did not come off.

"The weather was bad," Dee said. "He was going up for the game, nothing [official]. He's still interested, but he's visiting Tennessee this weekend. I know that."

Boyd, who also has Virginia Tech on his list, will be taking an official visit to Tennessee.

The weather might have been bad in Hampton, but it was OK in Charlottesville.

"It wasn't a great day, weather-wise," Dee said. "It wasn't that he wasn't interested in going up [to UVa]. He was going up with his parents and something happened with his family. The mother had said something. It's no indication, saying they aren't interested."

How interested is Virginia?

"They're real interested," Dee said.
 

Intriguing comparison
Jeff White
Oct 24, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Spoke this morning to a guy who’s watched Dave Leitao’s basketball team practice for the past week, and I asked how Sylven Landesberg was looking at point guard.

The early reviews have been positive, he said. I asked if the 6-6, 205-pound freshman reminded him of another point guard who’s played in the ACC recently, and he gave me this name: Engin Atsur.

You remember Atsur, right? A native of Turkey, he started 114 games for N.C. State and usually ran its offense flawlessly.

The 6-4, 200-pound Atsur wasn’t the fleetest point guard in the ACC, but he was big and strong, shot well from the outside and showed superb court sense. Atsur finished his college career with an assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 2.2-to-1, and the Wolfpack flopped without him last season, finishing in a tie for last in the ACC.

As the start of practice approached this month, Leitao’s plan was to use Landesberg mostly at shooting guard and small forward in 2008-09, at least early in the season. But junior guard Calvin Baker was sidelined with a stress fracture in his left foot last week, and he’s likely to miss most, if not all, of the season.

That left redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski as the only pure point guard on the U.Va. roster and forced Leitao to begin working Landesberg at that spot, too. Sophomore Mustapha Farrakhan may be another option at the point while Baker is out.

Landesberg was a McDonald’s All-American last season as a senior at Holy Cross High in Queens, N.Y. He was named Mr. New York Basketball and repeated as the city’s Catholic High Schools’ Athletic Association player of the year.

 

Tar Heels erupt in second half of Top 10 matchup
By Bart Isley
Published: October 24, 2008

The numbers are staggering, but what it boils down to is this — in all the times North Carolina and Virginia have met, the Cavaliers have never walked off the field as the outright winner. Not in 35 total meetings, and not Friday night at Klockner Stadium.

The No. 5 Tar Heels still have the Cavaliers’ number after UNC rolled to a 5-1 victory on a rainy field — a win that both coaches said was closer than the final score made it look.

“Virginia’s defense is superb, and don’t think for a second that we feel like that score indicated the match,” said UNC coach Anson Dorrance. “It didn’t.”

North Carolina jumped to a 1-0 lead early in the second half on a Jessica McDonald goal. But it was a scoring explosion with just over 20 minutes to play that put things out of reach for No. 7 Virginia.

“Every now and again a team will finish well and we finished well today,” Dorrance said. “I think we scored on half our shots — that’s a miracle.”

The Cavaliers failed to capitalize on a four-on-three fast break when Amanda Stewart’s shot sailed high in the 20th minute. North Carolina then struck almost immediately when leading scorer Casey Nogueira drove into the box past a pair of Virginia defenders and connected on a shot to the far post. Less than a minute later, Courtney Jones made it 3-0 with a strike from 20 yards out. That turnaround — from being close to an equalizer to down by three goals — predictably had a big impact on Virginia.

“We were a step off here or there,” Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. “It was a good 45-50 minutes of soccer and then we were scrambling a little bit.”

It got worse from there for the Cavaliers as North Carolina piled up four goals in 10 minutes of play. Jones added another insurance goal on a nifty pass by McDonald with just over 12 minutes left in the contest. Then Emmalie Pfankuch finished another fastbreak about two minutes later, pushing North Carolina’s advantage to 5-0.

The Tar Heels’ explosion can be partially attributed to a gamble that Swanson made right after North Carolina’s opening goal. He moved the Cavaliers into a three-back set, pushing another player up on offense, and UNC took advantage of the move.

“We gambled a little bit and we got punished for it,” Swanson said. “We were in a position that we hadn’t been in a lot and we need to work on that just a little bit more.”

The Cavaliers managed to answer the North Carolina run with a Meghan Lenczyk goal shortly after Pfankuch’s tally, but that was all Virginia could muster.

Virginia managed just three shots on the night, and went without a single shot on goal during the second half.

Both teams spent the majority of the first half feeling each other out, doing little to create scoring chances. Only Virginia managed a shot on goal, by midfielder Colleen Flanagan. The Cavaliers also had a pair of corners kicks that didn’t translate into any really solid chances.

But once North Carolina went on the attack in the second half, Virginia struggled to match the Tar Heels’ pace.

“A team like that, if you get down a little bit, if you lose your focus for a little bit they’ll punish you,” Swanson said. “We gave up four goals in 10 minutes and I can’t remember the last time I had a Virginia team do that.”

North Carolina was scrambling to patch together its lineup before the contest with Ali Hawkins injured and a pair of stars — Nikki Washington and Meghan Klingenberg — leaving to play for the U.S. national team’s under-20 squad.

“We’re putting all these pieces together and in the first half that didn’t look like a team that had played together, and guess what, that team hadn’t played together,” Dorrance said.

North Carolina took just 10 shots, putting 50 percent of them into the back of Virginia’s net.