10/22/08 - Wanted: Fans

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Childs makes a statement
Linebacker's performance against UNC gives Cavs a glimpse of the future
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008 - 12:07 AM

VIRGINIA AT GEORGIA TECH

Saturday:3:30 p.m.
On the air:TV - ESPNU; radio - WRVA (1140), 2:30
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE University of Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim did a double take when he saw Darren Childs on the field Saturday.

So did Jon Copper. Neither Sintim nor Copper had noticed Antonio Appleby limp off with an ankle injury early in the first quarter, and here was Childs, a seldom-used redshirt junior from San Diego, manning Appleby's spot at inside linebacker in the Cavaliers' 3-4 defense. And the 6-1, 233-pound Childs was not only playing, he was making stop after stop.

When he finally got a chance to speak to Childs on the sideline, Sintim recalled yesterday, "I didn't really have to tell him much, because by that time he probably had six tackles, and that was earlier in the game, so I was just, 'Keep doing what you're doing, and we should be all right.'"

That's how things turned out for U.Va. against North Carolina. Virginia rallied to win 16-13 in overtime - the Tar Heels' 14th consecutive loss at Scott Stadium -- and Childs finished with 10 tackles, including one for loss. That was heady stuff for a player who before Saturday had appeared in only seven games as a Cavalier.

"I was just happy to be a part of it. When you're on the side, you're a part of the game, but you're only a part of it to a certain extent, because you can't play," Childs told reporters at John Paul Jones Arena yesterday. "I always wanted to see what it felt like, and I did.

"I just felt part of the brotherhood out there. It just felt natural . . . [It was] the biggest game of my life, no question."

To Copper, who's started next to Appleby at inside linebacker for the past three seasons, Childs' performance evoked memories of U.Va. tailback Mikell Simpson's improbable star turn against Maryland last year.

"Not only did he have 10 tackles, but a lot of those tackles were right on the line of scrimmage," Copper said. "He had a couple pretty solid hits in there, did his assignments very well, graded out pretty well, just did a phenomenal job stepping in."

Childs was a late addition to U.Va.'s 2005 recruiting class, committing some two months after signing day. He'd planned to sign with Utah, but its interest in him waned after Urban Meyer left to become coach at Florida.

He didn't want to stay in California, and Childs finally ended up at in Charlottesvile after his highlight tape piqued the interest of U.Va.'s coaching staff. Childs said he's never considered transferring, even when it appeared he might never play for the Cavaliers.

"I guess you could say I had faith. I was patient," said Childs, who has two cousins who attend U.Va. "You never know what can happen."

Copper and Appleby are seniors, which means Childs could contend for a starting job in 2009. His role for the immediate future isn't clear.

"I'm not sure," Childs said. "I'm just ready to do what I can, when I can."

Virginia (2-1, 4-3) faces No. 21 Georgia Tech (3-1, 6-1) in an ACC game Saturday at Atlanta, and Appleby's status won't be announced until tomorrow night. He hurt his right ankle against UNC.

"If Appleby can't go, it's going to be unfortunate," Sintim said, "but I have the utmost faith in Darren Childs that he'll be able to come in and perform at the same level."

Virginia quarterback Marc Verica said: "This team has had a next-man-up mentality for a while now, and he really responded to the challenge when Appleby went down here. I'm proud of him, and I'm sure he's hungry. I'm sure he wants more."

U.VA. NOTES
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Idea of using receivers catching on
Of the 250 passes caught by Virginia players last season, only 72 went to wide receivers. Tailback Mikell Simpson led the Cavaliers with 43 receptions, followed by tight ends Jonathan Stupar and Tom Santi with 40 and 36, respectively.

A season later, the receiving corps has assumed a more prominent role in the U.Va. offense. Of the nine players with at least five catches for Virginia, five are wideouts: Kevin Ogletree (team-high 37 receptions), Maurice Covington (16), Cary Koch (14), Jared Green (seven) and Kris Burd (five).

Ogletree has a 51-yard reception, Covington and Green each have a 26-yarder, and Koch has a 21-yarder.

"It's enabled us to keep the defense spread out more because the threats are more diversified," coach Al Groh said yesterday.

Cavs hitting their stride
After four games, Virginia was 1-3 and had been outscored 128-20 in its losses. Since then, however, the Cavaliers have won three consecutive. With a victory Saturday over ACC rival Georgia Tech (3-1, 6-1) in Atlanta, U.Va. (2-1, 4-3) would move into at least a tie for first in the Coastal Division.

"It's the same team," Groh said Sunday night when asked about the Wahoos' transformation. "It's just going through the process that it had to go through."

One of his friends called him early in the season to offer him some perspective, Groh recalled.

"He said, 'What did you expect? Your best running back wasn't playing. You had a brand-new quarterback who'd never been in a game,' and I had to agree with him.'

"He said, 'Did you think you were going to score 40 points?' I said, 'Well, you go into every game seeing the ways that it would work, not seeing the ways it wouldn't work.' But I understood what he was trying to do."

Sophomore Marc Verica's first start at quarterback - also his first extended playing time - came Sept. 13 at UConn. Senior Cedric Peerman, Virginia's top tailback, limped through the UConn game with a knee injury and didn't play two weeks later against Duke.

Scout-team QB doing great job
U.Va. has played five true freshmen this season. That group doesn't include Riko Smalls, but the 6-0 190-pound quarterback from Plano, Texas, has been entrusted with a key role.

Smalls runs the scout-team offense. This week, he's doing his best to impersonate quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who runs Georgia Tech's option attack.

Smalls is "an extremely athletic kid," Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said. "He runs very well. There's been a couple of times in practice where he's almost shook me out of my shoes."

Georgia Tech's Nesbitt, a 6-1 214-pound sophomore, has rushed for 367 yards and five touchdowns in five games.

Bowl situation
If the Cavaliers finish 6-6, they'll be eligible to play in a bowl. Georgia Tech must go at least 7-5. That's because two of the Yellow Jackets' victims - Jacksonville State and Gardner-Webb - belong to the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision.

In making its case for a postseason invitation, a Football Bowl Subdivision team may count only one win over an FCS foe per season.

Basketball's Baker maybe facing surgery
Injuries hammered Dave Leitao's basketball team last season, and more bad news may be coming the U.Va. coach's way.

The injury to Calvin Baker's left foot may require surgery that could cause the junior guard from Newport News to miss most or all of the 2008-09 season.

Baker, who began his college career at William and Mary, was the Cavaliers' fourth-leading scorer last season. He's not a true point guard, but Baker was expected to split time at that position with redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski.

Leitao told reporters last week that he didn't want to overload Sylven Landesberg by asking the 6-6 freshman to play the point early in the season. But Leitao will have no choice if Baker is sidelined for an extended time. Zeglinski, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury, is the only pure point guard on the U.Va. roster.

Landesberg, from Queens, N.Y., was a McDonald's All-American last season. He can play both guard positions, as well as small forward. - Jeff White

Extra duty draws Copper attention

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Just when it appeared that Virginia football coach Al Groh had become fixated on some younger, sleeker models, he developed some renewed appreciation for an old standby.

Fifth-year linebacker Jon Copper, who had been coming off the field in passing situations, responded to an injury epidemic Saturday with a vintage performance.

Copper, a former walk-on from Northside High School, had a career-high 16 tackles in a 16-13 overtime victory and was named player of the game by the ABC crew that announced the contest -- and ACC defensive lineman of the week.

It was the first time Copper had been given the ACC honor, although he is bidding to become the first player since Charles McDaniel from 1982-1984 to lead the Cavaliers in tackles for three consecutive seasons.

Copper, who was on the field for 28 plays Oct. 11 in a 31-0 win over Maryland, took 75 snaps against UNC.

"He and Clint [Sintim] were in on every play," Groh said. "It was really gritty, as was often the case last year. His production built as the game went on.

"He does a very good job of getting a feel for the game and how the other team has structured its game plan [and] what plays are going to be repetitive. Once he gets a look at those, you aren't going to fool him twice."

There was an opportunity for the Tar Heels to fool Copper on their final drive of regulation, when he took a helmet to the head and, by his admission, lost his bearings.

"Our video guy had a camera on me the whole time and I was funny-looking for a while," said Copper, who made his 32nd consecutive start. "That whole series, I don't remember a whole lot."

Too bad. He had five tackles on the series, including a third-down stop that forced the Tar Heels to kick a field goal.

"A few guys prayed for me on the sideline and I've been pretty clear ever since," Copper said.

Injuries

Groh isn't obligated to release injury information until Thursday but he didn't sound optimistic about linebacker Antonio Appleby and cornerback Ras-I Dowling.

Appleby injured his right ankle on UNC's third offensive play and Dowling appeared to have a back issue that sidelined him after eight plays.

"When a guy goes out that early in a game and he doesn't come back, it always makes you suspect," Groh said Sunday.

Broader horizons

Senior tight end John Phillips from Bath County was stopped for no gain Saturday on the first rushing attempt of his career. Phillips was lined up at fullback in the second quarter, as he had been on earlier occasions but never with the intent to run the ball.

Quarterback Marc Verica said he should have changed the formation, "but [Phillips] said, 'I can do that,' " Verica related. "I said, 'hut,' I gave him the ball and it was just a disaster."

Phillips said Saturday that people should not expect to see him carrying the ball again.

Beating the odds

Virginia has won seven games as an underdog in the past two seasons, including two victories over Maryland and North Carolina, as well as wins over Georgia Tech, Miami and East Carolina. UVa has lost two games as a favorite over that time, against Wyoming and N.C. State in 2007.

After three home games, the Cavaliers (4-3, 2-1 ACC) visit Coastal Division leader Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets, ranked 21st after winning four games in a row, are 1112-point favorites.

By the numbers

Since busting loose for touchdown runs of 79 and 60 yards on consecutive attempts against East Carolina, Cedric Peerman has carried the ball 27 times for 58 yards. ... Virginia has the Nos. 3, 6 and 7 receivers in the ACC in Kevin Ogletree (37 receptions), Phillips (30) and Peerman (25). Only Ogletree ranks in the top 10 in yards per reception. ... UVa freshman Jimmy Howell has an ACC-high 40 punts.

U.Va. can't wait to untrack 'O'
David Teel
October 22, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Marc Verica knew the play — a handoff to fullback Rashawn Jackson — was doomed. He knew this because of a glitch only a keen football mind could understand.

Jackson wasn't in the game.

Verica, the University of Virginia's quarterback by proxy, thought about calling timeout. But tight end John Phillips, lined up as the fullback, whispered that he could handle the play.

"It was a disaster," Verica said Tuesday, three days after Phillips' aborted run for no gain.

Since Virginia defeated North Carolina 16-13 in overtime, Verica could afford to smile at the memory. But all concerned realize that the Cavaliers' offense needs to be much crisper Saturday at Georgia Tech than it was against North Carolina.

Yes, for all the chatter about first-year Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson's old-school option attack, it's the defense that's lifted his 21st-ranked team (6-1, 3-1) to the early lead in the ACC's Coastal Division.

In fact, Georgia Tech's defense is the best Virginia will have seen since the opener against Southern California. Forget the national stats — the Yellow Jackets are top-10 in eight categories — skewed by games against Division I-AA Jacksonville State and Gardner-Webb. This is about talent up front.

Ends Derrick Morgan and Michael Johnson, a 6-foot-7 senior touted as a top-five NFL draft choice, pressure quarterbacks. Tackles Vance Walker and Darryl Richard clog running gaps.

Talk about strength versus strength. Morgan and Johnson will line up against the Cavaliers' best offensive linemen, tackles Will Barker and Eugene Monroe, the latter also considered a top-five draft selection.

First-year Jackets defensive coordinator Dave Wommack runs less aggressive schemes than predecessor Jon Tenuta, but Virginia coach Al Groh said Georgia Tech likely will blitz more than any Cavaliers opponent since USC.

Virginia (4-3, 2-1) has been transformed since that 52-7 defeat to the Trojans, especially on offense. Tailback Cedric Peerman is healthy, Barker has rediscovered his 2007 form, and Verica has replaced the departed Peter Lalich.

Yet for all the offense's progress in victories over Maryland and East Carolina (combined 857 yards and 66 points), it regressed against North Carolina.

"There was very rarely a play where something didn't go wrong," Verica said. "Penalties, bad decisions, bad reads."

The Cavaliers' first four series — all three-and-outs — netted 12 yards. Their first nine possessions totaled 168 yards.

Then came the two-minute drill and overtime, flawless both.

Down 10-3, Virginia took over at its 18 with 2:22 remaining. Nine plays later, Peerman scored from 2 yards.

After limiting the Tar Heels to a field goal in overtime, the Cavaliers required only four plays to drive 25 yards for the winning touchdown.

Following the victory, Groh couldn't resist another dig at those of us who've criticized his offensive coordinator and son, Mike.

"Great poise there and some kids came up with some terrific catches," he said of the hurry-up, "and that series was obviously very appropriately called."

Touché. But to forget the first nine possessions would be foolish, and the hunch is neither Groh will.

So what suddenly clicked? Well, the Tar Heels helped by rushing only three defenders and playing soft coverages in the secondary. Moreover, a running game that had produced nil was scrapped for pass, pass, pass.

Verica completed 8 of 9 throws for 99 yards during the two-minute drill and overtime.

"I think (Marc) may have even shocked some people on the team with that (game-tying) drive," Phillips said.

Helping Verica immeasurably was the presence of veterans such as Phillips, Monroe, Barker and Peerman, all of whom experienced last-minute success in 2007 victories over Middle Tennessee State, Connecticut and Maryland.

"There's a calmness that we've been there before," Groh said. "That's very much the case with the staff as well as the players. There's not the sense of excitement amongst the principals that there is for the spectators."

But don't get cocky, Virginia faithful. The Cavaliers have lost nine consecutive road games to ranked opponents dating to a 2001 upset of Clemson, and more than halfway through the season, they rank 113th nationally in scoring, 105th in rushing and 104th in total offense.

That said, for a team that lost by 28 points at Duke to be playing for first place in late October is undeniably remarkable, no matter how weak you consider the ACC.

"Any time the players lose faith in the coach and coaching staff, it kind of breaks apart the team," linebacker Clint Sintim said. "It was tough early on. ... I think Coach Groh did a great job emphasizing a positive attitude and bringing us out of that hole."

U.Va. football, in a word
Dan Stalcup
Published: Wednesday, October 22 2008

If you had to describe Virginia’s football season so far in one word, what would that word be?

I’ve been asking people that question since Saturday’s game, and there have been quite a few interesting choices. Here are a bunch of the people I asked and the responses they gave.

“Schizophrenic” — Fourth-year College student Jenn Briggs

“Stupefying” — Charlottesville resident Khourey Royal

“Surprising” — First-year College student Justin McKee

“Surprising” — Second-year Engineering student Shanna Hoar

“Inconceivable” — Cavalier basketball forward Jerome Meyinsse

“Indescribable” — Third-year College student Colin Jones

“Honor” — Third-year College student Josh Knight

“Awesome” — First-year College student Bonnie Stender

“Improving” — Cavalier baseball outfielder Jarrett Parker

“Bipolar” — College student Laura Sennewald

“OmigodIcantbelieveit” — Third-year College student Mason Fisher

“Unpredictable” — Charlottesville resident Darby Wootten

“Unpredictable” — Former Cavalier basketball forward Andy Burns

“Unpredictable” — Second-year College student Anna Thurber

“Expressive” — ESPN columnist Rick Reilly

“Turnaround” — Second-year Engineering student Ryan Bulaclac

“Inconsistent” — Second-year College student Erin Jackson

“Resilient” — Cavalier football quarterback Marc Verica

“Heart—attack” — Joni Pearson, University parent and lifelong fan

“...” — Mascot Cav Man

“Precarious” — College student Monique Perry

“Cavalicious” — Phil Morris, Charlottesville resident and marching band member

“Roller—coaster” — Second-year College student Max Friedfeld

“Roller—coaster” — Third-year Engineering student Jack Bird. Cavalier Daily sports associate editor

“Roller—coaster” — Second-year College student Laura Chesser

“Ferris—wheel” — Third-year Engineering student Sean Colyer

“Comeback” — First-year Engineering student Daniel Epstein

“VER—I—CA!” — Second-year College student Anthony Conty

“WTF” — Fourth-year College student Kyle Graham

“Perseverance” — Virginia volleyball coach Lee Maes

“Perseverance” — Sharneé Zoll, former Cavalier women’s basketball point guard

“Inferior [to the Redskins’]” — Third-year College student Martin Volaric

“Rebirth” — Second-year College student Patrick Barrett

“Rocky Balboa” — Second-year Engineering student Ben Trank

“Underestimated” — Virginia volleyball middle blocker Shannon Davis

“Fluctuating” — First-year Engineering student Raza Mir

“Emergence” — Second-year College student Sedale McCall,

“Courageous” — Former Cavalier tennis player Somdev Devvarman

“Absurd” — Cavalier fan, Jordan Hurley, William & Mary student

“Circus” — First-year College student Danny Moylan

“Firegrohnow” — College student Alex Hough

“Invigorating” — Second-year College student Catherine Zampetti

“Long—less” — Second-year College student Dan Stalcup, me

“Dynamic” — Dana Stalcup, my dad

“Boring” — Maria Stalcup, my 3-year-old sister

“They have a football team?” — Cindy Stalcup, my mom

“Ridiculous” — Third-year Commerce student Amy Chang

“Come—from—behind” — First-year Engineering student Andrew Sasai

“Eclectic” — ‘Hoo Crew President Kevin Dowlen

“Confusing” — ‘Hoo Crew Vice President Daniel Schear

“Confounding” — ‘Hoo Crew Hype Chair Matt Cooper

“Capricious” — College student Amanda Galloway

“Fortuitous” — Kendahl Voelker, Cavalier volleyball right side hitter

“Unexpected” - Graduate Education student Kara Himelfarb

“Surviving” - Graduate Education student Billy Flickinger

“Revived” - Graduate Education student Tommy Edwards

“Underrated” - College student Andrew McCampbell

Thanks to the hundreds of the students, fans, athletes and others who contributed, and here’s to the rest of the season bringing more good words to this Cavalier football team.

Paul Johnson pushing for sold out Bobby Dodd
Georgia Tech coach wants fans to come; 11,000 tickets remain for Virginia game
By KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson wonders if you have plans for Saturday afternoon. Say, about 3:30.

At his Tuesday press conference, he made a plug for fans to attend the Jackets’ ACC showdown with Virginia, in which both teams will be playing to stay in front of the ACC Coastal Division race.

“It’d be great if we could have a packed house and have some home-field advantage and get our partisan crowd involved,” Johnson said. “I know our players would enjoy that.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, about 43,850 tickets had been sold for the game at Bobby Dodd Stadium, a little more than 11,000 shy of capacity. Scott McLaren, assistant athletics director for ticketing and sales, estimated that the attendance will end up around 45,000. It would rank among Tech’s smallest crowds for an ACC game in recent years. The last time attendance was less than 45,000 for an ACC game was 2004.

The largest crowd in Tech’s first four home games this season was 48,402 for the Mississippi State game Sept. 20.

Sales for Tech’s final two home games are going better. The Florida State game Nov. 1 was nearly sold out as of Tuesday, and the count for the Miami game Nov. 20 was about 44,700.

Johnson made note of the great support that Clemson fans gave the Tigers last Saturday at Memorial Stadium and said he hoped the Jackets could experience the same.

“They’ve worked hard, they’ve played hard, they deserve to have a good crowd in there to watch them play Saturday,” Johnson said.

Said senior defensive tackle Darryl Richard, “We need that 12th man on the field. It’s really big.”

Long way from home, Childs not far from family
October 22, 2008 12:15 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

When Shelva Clark was growing up in Caroline County, she visited relatives in Harrisburg, Pa., every other year.

One of those cousins was Darren Childs.

But when Childs joined the military and moved to San Diego, Calif., Clark lost touch with her cousin and good friend.

That was until she realized her daughter and Childs' son would be attending the University of Virginia together.

Kristin Clark, a senior, is majoring in both psychology and African-American studies, while Darren Childs Jr., a junior linebacker with the Cavaliers' football team, is studying sociology.

The Virginia students have reunited long-lost relatives and brought back memories of Clark's childhood.

"I know it's because of God," said Clark, a librarian at Caroline High School and former Caroline Middle School English teacher. "How else could it happen?"

It has happened partly because Childs Jr. decided to attend Virginia instead of Utah after Urban Meyer left the Utes to coach Florida.

Since Childs Jr. has been at Virginia, Clark has been his mother away from home.

He has spent holidays at Clark and her husband Purcell's Ruther Glen home, including a recent Easter.

And when he fell ill with a sinus infection his second year at Virginia, Clark picked him up from school, took him to the emergency room in Charlottesville and back home to Caroline in an effort to nurse him back to health.

Childs Jr. said his eye was "bulging out of my head" when he suffered the infection, but it helped to know he had family so far away from home.

"It was just good because you can see what family is really for," Childs Jr. said. "I'll always appreciate that."

Clark said in looking out for Childs Jr., she's simply honoring the relationship her family built long ago. She said the years she didn't visit Harrisburg, the Childs family visited Caroline.

That's why even though she had never met Childs Jr. until he enrolled in Virginia, it was an easy decision to serve as an unofficial guardian, especially after his mother, Susie, asked her to do so.

"It shows him that our family roots, they're very deep," Clark said. "If my daughter had to go to the other side of the country, I would expect them to do the same things that we did. It wasn't like we did anything great. That's what families do for each other."

Childs Jr. is finally getting to experience how college football families operate among those who see playing time.

He had played just 10 snaps in his career until senior inside linebacker Antonio Appleby was injured on the first play of the Cavaliers' 16-13 overtime victory over North Carolina this past Saturday.

Childs Jr. (6-foot-1, 233 pounds) played like a seasoned veteran, finishing with a few punishing blows, among his career-high 10 tackles, which were second on the team.

Clark was elated to learn of her cousin's stellar play because of how committed he has been to football.

Virginia senior linebackers Clint Sintim and Jon Copper said Childs Jr. played so well they didn't realize Appleby was out of the game until several plays later.

Childs Jr. said he's been so excited lately it's been hard to sleep. He'll start on Saturday when Virginia (4-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) visits No. 21 Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1) if Appleby's ankle isn't fully healed.

Clark is looking forward to Childs Jr. continuing to thrive. That could mean his parents would visit more often for games and she'd get to spend time again with the family members she has cherished since she was young.

"His parents came here for one of his games and they all came back [to my house] and we just had a really big family dinner," Clark said. "Everybody kind of reconnected. So the kids brought us back together. It's been like a big family reunion."

Childs beats the odds
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 21, 2008

The two large tattoos explain more than you would imagine upon first glance.

A simple message scripted in block letters on both forearms of Virginia linebacker Darren Childs unravel a tale of survival and success when combined that was magnified Saturday during an improbable 10-tackle performance in the Cavaliers’ 16-13 overtime win over North Carolina.

The tattoos read: “Trust No One.”

From a part of Southeast San Diego that’s known for its staggering crime rates, Childs’ life itself is verification of enduring existence.

“I had two friends that got shot at a bus stop right down from my house,” said Childs, a junior with little playing experience at UVa.

“It’s definitely tough living there and that’s why I don’t go out to San Diego much anymore.”

When he does return, Childs spends his time almost solely with family members, including his nephews, and avoids the local establishments at night.

“Why jeopardize it?” he said.

Originally, Childs was slated to go to San Diego’s Morse High School — widely known for its heavy gang activity — but was fortunate enough to be transported almost 30 minutes away on a daily basis to Mission Bay High School, where he excelled on the football field.

“I had to get bussed out there because if I had gone to Morse, I probably wouldn’t have been in college,” Childs said. “I definitely have a lot of friends in jail. One got locked up when I was still in high school.

“I just watched the cops come in and take him away in high school.”

Try to imagine all the movies that portray teachers attempting to operate in gang-like atmospheres.

“It’s worse than that,” Childs said.

Practically an unknown and invisible on Virginia’s depth chart, Childs was summoned into action against the Tar Heels after starting inside linebacker Antonio Appleby suffered a foot injury on the first drive of the contest.

As fate unfortunately would have it, his mom was stuck in an airport in Houston on her way back to San Diego when her son made tackle after tackle, many of which came with intense force. She had, however, been in attendance for Virginia’s win over East Carolina, but left a few days before the game to visit Childs’ cousin in Baltimore before leaving for California.

Childs’ mother did get a phone call from an aunt in Pennsylvania explaining what was actually occurring at Scott Stadium.

Shortly after the game, Childs spoke with his mother about the contest and his emergence onto the scene.

“I was just happy to be a part of it,” he said. “When you are on the side you are only a part of it to a certain extent because you can’t play.

“I always wanted to see what it felt like and I did.”

Having been thrown into the mix after a mere scream from assistant coach Bob Diaco, Childs had little time to let emotion take over versus UNC.

“It takes the pressure of it because you are just going in there playing off instincts,” Childs said. “You are just doing what you are trying to do.

“I just felt part of the brotherhood out there. It just felt natural. We were all just together doing it.”

Virginia coach Al Groh said the events of the week would determine if Appleby returned to the starting lineup this week against Georgia Tech, but Childs’ performance left his teammates confident.

It also reminded one player of how quickly a season, even a career, can change abruptly.

“I know the feeling,” said Virginia quarterback Marc Verica, who has started the past five games. “I am very proud of what he has been able to do. To embrace the role that he was thrust into the way he did was just tremendous and speaks a lot about how prepared he was and how hard he has been working for that opportunity.

“This team has had a next-man-up mentality for a while now and he really responded to challenge when Appleby went down there. I am proud of him and I am sure he is hungry; I am sure he wants more.”

Childs said he was restless after storming onto the scene for a pair of reasons, only one of which included the emotional high of providing so many jaw-dropping stops.

“I haven’t been sore like that in years,” Childs joked. “[The UNC game was] the biggest game of my life, without question.”

More importantly for Childs, he continues to defy the odds. He is slated to earn his undergraduate degree this summer in sociology.

With or without a future in football, his paperwork from UVa should enable him to help his biggest fan, thus providing him another reason to sleep better at night.

“Whatever happens,” Childs said, “I definitely want the best for my mom.”

Johnson’s offense passes early tests
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 21, 2008

Shortly after Paul Johnson arrived at Georgia Tech last winter, all he heard from critics was that his option-style offense wouldn’t work in a league like the ACC.

Johnson had enjoyed great success with the option attack at Georgia Southern, then at Navy, before he was lured home to lead the Yellow Jackets. Football purists from Dixie had closed minds when it came to what Johnson packed for the trip.

The option, popularized in the 1970s by systems such as Alabama’s and Texas A&M’s wishbones and other teams with their own version of the offense, critics said, was an antiquated style of play that wouldn’t work in modern football.

Ignoring the naysayers

“They wouldn’t give me a reason why — they just said that it wouldn’t work,” Johnson said in July at the ACC Football Kickoff. “Maybe they’re right and maybe I’m wrong, but the proof is in the pudding.”

So far, that pudding is looking mighty good.

Georgia Tech is 6-1 on the season (3-1 in the ACC) and sits atop the Coastal Division standings. Virginia, right behind at 4-3 (2-1), hopes to knock Tech off its perch on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta in a game that could have major conference implications.

Should the Cavaliers win, and should Virginia Tech lose at Florida State, then UVa would be alone in first place in the division standings.

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

The Jackets and the Wahoos are two of the ACC’s hottest teams. Tech has won four straight games, UVa three in a row.

The case against

But back to Johnson’s offense. Maybe critics weren’t telling him why the option wouldn’t work in a BCS conference, but we heard all the excuses.

* It’s three yards and a cloud of dust.

* You can’t generate enough big plays from the option.

* It’s not an offense that you can pass with successfully.

* Don’t ever fall behind, because it’s not an effective come-from-behind offense.

* It can’t produce points quickly.

The Yellow Jackets have put those kinds of myths to rest, at least up until this point. Time will tell, but at this juncture of the season, the option has Georgia Tech ranked No. 21 in the nation.

Johnson’s Jackets lead the ACC in rushing, are ninth nationally and have produced plenty of big plays. At least 40 plays have resulted in at least 20 yards, while Tech’s opponents, running myriad offenses, have managed only 12 plays of 20 yards or more.

Tech has already experienced an 88-yard run, the longest in its history, and an 88-yard pass, the third-longest in its history, in addition to a 79-yard pass. Thirteen of the Jackets’ scoring drives have come in three minutes or less, while seven of them in two minutes or less.

Last week, Tech came from behind to beat Clemson on the road, their second fourth-quarter rallies from behind to win this season (the other was at Boston College).

If nothing else, the Jackets have proven to be myth-busters on offense and downright good on defense. New defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has picked up where his predecessor, UVa graduate Jon Tenuta, (now at Notre Dame) left off.

Georgia Tech will throw the nation’s fifth-ranked defense at the Cavaliers on Saturday at Grant Field.

While Tenuta was famous for his constant zone pressure schemes, they were a bit of a gamble. Against Virginia last season, the blitzing didn’t work and Cedric Peerman shredded the Yellow Jackets’ defense.

This Tech team is still aggressive, perhaps as much as anyone the Cavs have faced this season. There won’t be as many blitzes, and the other difference is that the Yellow Jackets now play more man coverage even though they boast a young secondary.

Their best cornerback, Jahi Word-Daniels is the only senior and the only starter back from Tenuta’s defenses. But Word-Daniels went out with a hamstring injury at Clemson and isn’t expected to play against Virginia, which leaves five freshmen and sophomores in the

secondary, including a freshman filling in at his spot.

On the other side of the ball, the Jackets are finding out that their quarterbacks take a beating because of the option. Their best quarterback, sophomore Josh Nesbitt, came back against Clemson after missing five weeks due to a strained hamstring against Mississippi State on Sept. 20.

If you still think the option is only a running offense, consider that Nesbitt drove Tech 60 yards late in the Clemson game, converting two crucial third down situations. One was a third-and-14 that resulted in a 23-yard pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, and the other was a third-and-six that resulted in a 24-yard scoring strike also to Thomas.

Nesbitt has consistently churned out big plays and found ways to win the games that he’s played in with the lone exception of the 20-17 loss at Virginia Tech.

Johnson has taken all the success in stride. He wasn’t looking to leave Annapolis. In fact, he wasn’t looking to leave Georgia Southern either.

“I was happy as a pig in slop at Georgia Southern,” he said. “I could have stayed there forever. I loved living there. The people at Navy convinced me I needed to take a look there and I would have been happy coaching there until I quit. But I had the opportunity at Tech and it was a good opportunity.”

He did realize that football is more important in the South and very much so in the state of Georgia, and he knew he would have great support from the Tech administration.

All he wants to do now is deliver in a place that can be somewhat unforgiving. His predecessor, Chan Gailey, had been head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and took the Yellow Jackets to seven straight bowl games.

He was fired.

Johnson wants to play in this year’s ACC Championship game, and beating Virginia on Saturday would be a major step in that direction.

The proof is in the pudding.

Four weeks ago Virginia's football fortunes were a mess. After being undressed at home in a season-opening 52-7 loss to Southern California, the Cavaliers straggled past Richmond and then were pummeled by Connecticut (45-10) and a Duke team lugging a 25-game Atlantic Coast Conference losing streak (31-3).
But Virginia will take a 4-3 record into a showdown Saturday at 21st-ranked Georgia Tech (6-1). A win would put the Cavaliers in the middle of the ACC title race.

"It's the same team," says coach Al Groh, who has quieted the critics calling for his ouster. "(Earlier) we had a running back who wasn't playing and a brand new quarterback who hadn't played. This team is just going through a process it had to go through."

Virginia rebounded from the Duke loss to blank Maryland 31-0. Then came a 35-20 win against an East Carolina team that had beaten West Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Last weekend the Cavaliers sputtered most of the game before scoring a late game-tying touchdown and toppling then-No. 21 North Carolina 16-13 in overtime.

"I'll reserve (declaring) any turning points, but Maryland was the day on which we began to play better," Groh says. "The results were a reinforcement, but the players have been paying attention. They've been listening."

Virginia was 9-4 last season with quarterback Jameel Sewell and defensive end Chris Long, the second overall pick in the NFL draft. But five wins were by one or two points, and Sewell is off the team for academic reasons.

Sewell's successor — Peter Lalich — started twice before being dismissed from the team after violating terms of a probation by drinking alcohol. He transferred to Oregon State. Redshirt sophomore Marc Verica, who had not played a down before this season, inherited the job.

In five starts and part of another game, Verica has thrown for 1,011 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions.

"You need a quarterback who can fight through a game when it doesn't go well at the start," Groh says. "He's done that two weeks in a row."

Of even greater help to a Cavaliers offense ranked 104th out of 119 teams in Football Bowl Subdivision has been the return of running back Cedric Peerman. The 5-10, 208-pound senior was leading the ACC in rushing last year before suffering a foot injury in the sixth game. He was hobbled by a knee injury the first month of this season.

Peerman was at full strength for Maryland and ran for 110 yards and a touchdown. He produced 173 yards and two scores against East Carolina. Although held to 44 yards by North Carolina, Peerman scored the tying touchdown in the final minute of regulation and the overtime touchdown.

"He's such a visual, inspirational player, and there is no way to overstate that," Groh says. "He's tough and strong in short yardage. He's good catching the ball out of the backfield, and he has that long-range element. He just really opens our offense."

Peerman's role as a team captain became more important when the team was struggling.

"I have a leadership role that I take seriously, and it was important for us to just focus on staying positive," Peerman says. "We have younger players this season, but this is a resilient team.

"Coach Groh has never wavered in my four years, and we all felt like the early season was a case of growing pains. That's not an excuse for losing ballgames, but we had to stand fast and persevere, and that's what we've done."

Expectations sure have changed at Georgia Tech
The Associated PressPublished: October 22, 2008

ATLANTA: Michael Johnson wasn't aware so many prognosticators thought so little of Georgia Tech in the preseason.

One national magazine predicted the Yellow Jackets would go 3-9 and manage only one victory in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Another went with 4-8 overall, 2-6 in the league.

"Oooh, was it that bad?" said Johnson, Georgia Tech's star defensive end, after coming off the practice field Tuesday evening. "Aw man, I honestly didn't know what the predictions were."

Well, he did know one. Coach Paul Johnson posted the projected ranking of all 119 major colleges in the locker room; the Yellow Jackets were 80th, even trailing perennial ACC back-marker Duke.

Today in Sports
Arsenal romps past Fenerbahce, 5-2India gives Australia historic thrashingA decade on: the boy wonder and the child laborer"It was kind of laughable to me," the player said. "None of that stuff really matters, but it's funny sometimes to know what people think about you."

Those impressions sure have changed. Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1 ACC) moved into the rankings for the first time this season at No. 21, the highest-rated team in its conference. With three of its last four ACC games at home, the Yellow Jackets suddenly look like the favorite in the Coastal Division.

Of course, heightened expectations can sometimes be a burden, so the coach pointedly reminded his players again Tuesday there's still a lot of work to do. Heck, the Yellow Jackets are not even bowl eligible, since two of their wins have come against Football Championship Subdivision teams; only one counts toward postseason eligibility.

"We haven't really done anything yet," defensive tackle Darryl Richard said.

But there's no doubt Georgia Tech is ahead of schedule in Paul Johnson's first season, especially since he switched to an option-based spread offense that resembles throwback schemes such as the wishbone and veer.

As expected, the new offense has run into some speed bumps along the way. The spread looked unstoppable in a 38-7 rout of Mississippi State. It looked amateurish in a 10-7 squeaker against Gardner-Webb. Overall, the Yellow Jackets rank seventh in the ACC in scoring at 24.7 points a game.

The defense has picked up the slack, after getting little attention during the offseason. Georgia Tech leads the ACC in points allowed (11.6) and stands third in yards surrendered (254.6 per game).

While trying not to read too many headlines, the Yellow Jackets are well aware this is their best start since 1990, when they went unbeaten and shared the national championship with Colorado.

"It's a lot different now," receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "We know people didn't expect much from us. We had to go out and prove them wrong. But there's still a lot of games to win, there's still a lot of stuff to prove."

Georgia Tech hosts Virginia (4-3, 2-1) on Saturday, facing a team that has made a dramatic turnaround since losing three of its first four games by an average of 36 points. The Cavaliers haven't lost since, knocking North Carolina out of the rankings with a 16-13 overtime win last week.

"It's back to the drawing board for us," Michael Johnson said. "Our focus is all on the Virginia Cavaliers. We've got a hot team coming in."

Paul Johnson believes his team passed a major test of its own last weekend at Clemson. The Tigers went through a coaching change before the game and were eager to get a win for their new boss. The big crowd went nuts when the home side scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take its first lead.

But Georgia Tech never got flustered, bouncing back on Josh Nesbitt's 24-yard touchdown pass to Thomas with just over 5 1/2 minutes remaining for a 21-17 win.

"I am awfully proud of our football team," Johnson said. "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.

"I really didn't see anybody panic on our sideline. Nobody thought that this thing was slipping away from us — players or coaches. We felt like we were going to win the game the whole time, and the players found a way to do it."

Georgia Tech's fans have been slow to jump on the bandwagon, failing to sell out any of the first four home games at 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium.

"It would be great if we could have a packed house and a home-field advantage," Johnson said, looking ahead to Saturday. "We want to get the crowd involved and I know the players feed off of their energy."

Those who do show up will be cheering for a team that is just three points away from a perfect record. The Yellow Jackets' only loss was a 20-17 setback at Virginia Tech.

"We should be 7-0," wingback Lucas Cox moaned. "Our goal is to win the ACC. It's definitely still in our grasp. I think we've got a good chance to do it."

October 21, 2008
GT Press Release
Talk about it in The Buzz - Jackets Only
No. 21 Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1 ACC) returns to Bobby Dodd Stadium this weekend for homecoming and will welcome the Virginia Cavaliers to Atlanta. Tech head coach Paul Johnson talked about the game in his weekly press conference.

Georgia Tech is now ranked in both national polls after knocking off Clemson last weekend.
Opening Comments

"I am awfully proud of our football team and the effort they displayed on Saturday. 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. We had an early lead and then kept slugging away until we found a way to get it back. I really didn't see anybody panic on our sideline. Nobody thought that this thing was slipping away from us - players or coaches. We felt like we were going to win the game the whole time and the players found a way to do it.

"Clemson is a very talented football team. There's no question they've got some great athletes out there. Having said that, now we come back and get ready for Virginia. Like I tell the team, you take it one game at a time. That 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 Saturday night 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.

"It would be great if we could have a packed house and a home field advantage. We want to get the crowd involved and I know the players feed off of their energy. It certainly will be fun to be back at home again."

Can you talk about what makes Morgan Burnett so special?

"He has great range and is a good athlete. He got one interception against Clemson on the last play of each half. You'd like to see him knock those things down, but when you're as good of an athlete as he is, you can do that. He's just a great all-around football player. He loves to play the game and works hard. Really, you can't say enough good things about him.

"I remember him in high school when he was a quarterback and a great all-around player. I was joking with him when I got here that we were going to make him a quarterback and I think he thought I was serious there for a while. It probably wouldn't have been a bad idea! You could see then that he was a good athlete. The thing that impresses me most about Morgan is that he loves to play the game of football. If you called a bunch of guys and said, `Bbring your pads, we're going to play a game this afternoon at 2:00,' he'd be the first one there. He just likes to play and I think he has a really bright future if he continues to work hard and doing the things he's doing."

How did the hiring of defensive coordinator Dave Wommack materialize?

"I've known him for a long time through other people. Dave worked for Jesse Branch at Missouri State and I've known Jesse forever. I've been around Dave, but we've never coached together. The x's and o's part is important, but to me, when you put together a staff, you want guys who will continually get along with each other. I knew him a little bit through some people, but when Dave came in here and we talked. I felt like he would be a good fit for who we had here and what was going on. You spend so much time together and I wanted somebody who was going to be a team player. It's not about one guy, it's all about the team and he is that way. It's a group effort among the defensive coaches and they all enjoy working together. To me, that's the most important part. X's and o's are important as well, but chemistry is key to me. He's a team guy and they are doing a great job so I haven't had to go over there at all. If a situation came up and I had to go over there with a suggestion, I wouldn't hesitate and I don't think he would react in the wrong way. I think all of the defensive coaches have done a great job. They're working together and it's a great environment over there. The worst thing you can have is - `This is my defensive line or these are my linebackers' - and that's not the case. It's Georgia Tech's defensive line and Georgia Tech's linebackers and I he understands that. The players believe in him, they like him and they play hard for him."

You always hear about team chemistry, but is there something special in chemistry among the coaching staff?

"I'm a firm believer in the players react how you do. If the coaching staff is split and has factions, then the players are going to be split and have factions. There are going to be times when things aren't going great on every side of the ball. It would be easy to point fingers, but the bottom line is when you lose, you all lose. When you understand that it's a team concept and everybody buys in then you will be successful. If I'm down over here, then I need to pick it up over there. It doesn't accomplish anything to say `do your part.' You have to do what it takes to win. I always tell the team, there will be games we win 6-3 and there may be games you have to win 36-33. You have to try to find a way to win, bottom line. We've had all kinds of situations already this year. There have been a couple of times when we came back in the fourth quarter, some times when we got the lead on offense or times when we've had to hold on with defense at the end of the game. I think the guys are never in a panic situation where it's `oh no, we have to score or oh no, we have to hold them.' They realize they are in it together as a team."

What impresses you the most about Virginia?

Size -- they are huge. When you look at their size, they look like an NFL team. Their linebackers are very talented and offensively, as [tailback Cedric] Peerman goes, so goes Virginia. Since he's come back, he he's kick-started their offense. He's a great back and when he gets going, they're tough to stop. Last year, he ran through us like nobody was there."

Are the Virginia linebackers just as active as Duke was?

"They have four very talented guys. [Clint] Sintim is as good a linebacker as anybody we have played. A 3-4 defense is set up for those guys to make plays and they do. They're very active and we will have our hands full."

How much do your players notice the crowd and feed off their energy?

"Before the game starts, I'll look around and see what the crowd looks like but once it starts I couldn't tell you if there were six people in the stands because I get so zoned in. I couldn't have told you if there six people at Clemson. I knew they were loud and making a ton of noise, but you don't have time to think about that. With that said, I think a lot of people feed off of it. I know our team does when they get the home crowd behind them and they're loud. Everybody is different. For some guys, that would mean a lot to them. I'd love to have the place packed for our team. I think they deserve to have a good crowd in here on Saturday for how hard they've worked to this point. It's for them, not me."

How do you think quarterback Josh Nesbitt played in his first game back in a month at Clemson last Saturday?

"Not great, but for a guy that missed four weeks I was pleased. I think Josh would be the first guy to tell you that he could have played better. For a guy that has only played in three games and been out for four weeks, it was a little bit like starting over. The thing about Josh Nesbitt is that he is such a competitor. He does not want to lose. Did he get every read right? No, but he finds a way to make plays. He has a calm confidence about his ability and doesn't get rattled. The more he plays, the better he will get.

"Fortunately for us, we also have [freshman quarterback] Jaybo [Shaw] who has played a lot and we feel good about him. We went from not knowing who was going to play quarterback for a week or two to back to normal with our two guys."

Georgia Tech Setting Sights on ACC title
CNNSI.com said they'd go 3-9. Athlon Sports said they only had three projected sure wins. Even typically Georgia Tech-friendly CollegeFootballNews.com had the Jackets going 6-6...
by Jeffrey Fann (Member)
4 278 reads
Editorial
October 20, 2008

CNNSI.com said they'd go 3-9. Athlon Sports said they only had three projected sure wins. Even typically Georgia Tech-friendly CollegeFootballNews.com had the Jackets going 6-6.

Media types questioned whether coach Paul Johnson's triple option offense would succeed in a BCS conference. In addition, the Jackets were only returning only nine starters from last year's 7-6 team.

It was probably going to be a forgettable season on the flats.

But a current No. 21 rank in the AP and ESPN/USA polls makes Georgia Tech the highest ranked ACC team in college football. Success wasn't supposed to happen for at least a couple of years, but Paul Johnson and his staff had other ideas.

The Yellow Jackets are right in the thick of the ACC title chase. They still have to hope Virginia Tech loses one more ACC game to clear a path to conference title game, but if you've seen the Hokies' offense lately, you know it is a real possibility.

So how have the Yellow Jackets been so successful?

Let's start with the defensive line. They are the ACC's best front four and arguably one of the five most talented in the nation. According to NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. The Jackets have three players—Vance Walker, Michael Johnson, and Darryl Richards—who will all be drafted within the first three rounds of next year's NFL draft.

Possibly the most talented of the bunch is sophomore defensive end Derrick Morgan, who chose Georgia Tech over Penn State a couple of years ago.

This defense leads the nation in tackles for loss with a whopping nine per game, and rarely with the benefit of a blitz in David Wommack's defensive schemes. In addition, safety Morgan Burnett is tied for the most interceptions in college football. The defense is getting turnovers, and hasn't allowed a single team to score more than 20 points against them.

On offense, the Jackets have started three different quarterbacks through seven games due to injury. This certainly is not exactly a recipe for success, but Paul Johnson is making it work.

Starter Josh Nesbitt is still a work in progress, but his potential is limitless. At 6'1", 210 pounds with 4.5 speed, Nesbitt was made for this offense. He did miss a month of football due to a hamstring injury, but his cool demeanor and will to win was evident in his game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the Jackets' 21-17 victory at Clemson.

Speaking of Thomas, he had 230 receiving yards against Duke. Who says a Paul Johnson offense doesn't reward wide receivers?

Backup quarterback Jaybo Shaw is a little more polished at running the offense than Nesbitt, and has led the team to wins over Mississippi St. and Duke. He doesn't have Nesbitt's physical gifts, but he's a very capable backup. Finally, the ACC's leading running back, Jonathan Dwyer, might be the best combination of speed and power in the conference.

What might be more important than the individual players is the mindset Coach Paul Johnson brought to this team. His faith in the offense is unwavering, and he demands the best of his players. A two-time national champion at Georgia Southern and five straight bowl game appearances at Navy prove Johnson is a winner.

Before the Clemson game, Paul Johnson was asked if he was happy about the surprising 5-1 start, and he stated, "I wouldn't have taken it." That about says it all.

Monday, October 20, 2008
Six & One and Ranked!
By Chris Boggs | Monday, October 20, 2008, 10:27 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

I regretfully missed this past weekend’s Clemson road trip, the first Death Valley trip I’ve missed in several years. The GT vs Clemson games in the past decade have largely been tightly contested matches between two quality teams. This weekend was no different.

Interim coach Dabo Swinney looked a little like a clown who had arrived at the wrong party, but the Tigers defense definitely showed up at the right time and place. More often than not the Clemson defensive line seemed to be blowing past the Tech offensive line and disrupting plays in the backfield.

Luckily for the Yellow Jackets, Josh Nesbitt was back under center and the Tech defense was able to grab some early points and slow down the Clemson offense long enough for Nesbitt to knock off the rust and get into a groove.

So now we sit at 6-1 and lead the ACC Coastal…ranked #21 in the AP and #18 in the BCS. These are heady days to be a Georgia Tech fan. Who would have thought we’d be in this position in the first year of Paul Johnson’s tenure on the Flats? I thought Tech would win seven or eight games this season but never expected a 6-1 start that is realistically three points from an undefeated 7-0 record and probably Top 10 ranking.

In my last blog I suggested that we’d learn a good bit from Virginia’s game against North Carolina. I’m not so sure that’s true, in retrospect. The Hoos trailed North Carolina for the entire game until evening the score with 47 seconds left in the game. North Carolina coach Butch Davis then elected to run the clock out and go into overtime rather than attempt reaching field goal range. That decision may have ultimately cost the Tar Heels the game as UVA held them to a field goal and then answered with a touchdown to win 16-13.

North Carolina owned an edge in both time of possession and yardage in this game. From my perspective, only three Heel turnovers prevented them from sealing this game and winning handily. The Hoos ran up less than 300 yards of total offense and were never able to establish a running game…yet still managed to hang around and steal a win.

Tech fans should have a good feeling going into the UVA game. Not only is it going to be Tech’s Homecoming, a game the Jackets typically win, but Josh Nesbitt will be back up to full speed and his timing will be much improved over the first half against Clemson.

I’m in the process of looking more closely at UVA’s stats this season and am curious to see what people think about Paul Johnson’s triple option offense against Al Groh’s 3-4 defense.

I’ll check back in with some numbers and a prediction before the game this weekend. For now, lets hear from GT fans who made the trip to Clemson. I wish I could have been there myself. How was the scene and the game. Anyone suffering from altitude sickness after sitting up in those high nosebleeds? Been there, done that…

Go Jackets!

No second thoughts
Set to play basketball in college, Jontel Evans is having a big football season.
By DAVE JOHNSON
October 22, 2008
HAMPTON

He made his choice three months ago, back when temperatures were in the 90s and school hadn't even started yet. But now, given what he's done this fall, he knows what everyone is wondering. Heck, some come right out and ask.

So, Jontel Evans ... are you sure you'd rather play basketball, and not football, in college?

The short answer: Yes, he's sure. Even if he's leading Bethel's football team in rushing, receiving, return yards and scoring.

"People say I do a lot of amazing things on the football field," Evans said. "But you've just got to wait until basketball season. I can do amazing things on the basketball court, too."

Fair enough. The University of Virginia obviously believes that, which is why he committed to the Cavaliers in July. Still, it's a natural question: Could football just as easily have been his ticket?

Going into Friday night's game against Hampton, Evans has rushed for 658 yards on 90 attempts, an average of 94 per game and 7.3 per carry. That much the rest of the Peninsula District expected. But he's also become the team's top receiving threat, catching 17 passes for 334 yards and eight touchdowns.

"He's so versatile," Bruins coach Jeff Nelson said. "We could line him up at wide receiver if we want to. He can adapt to whatever situation we put him in. The only thing we haven't let him do is throw the football."

Which is probably in the playbook somewhere.

Evans' most dominant performance this season probably came when he rushed for only 25 yards against Warwick. He ended up with 232 all-purpose yards that night, 90 coming on a kickoff return for a touchdown and 51 more on a punt return that set up another score.

Then there was his afternoon against Woodside two weeks ago. Kenny Steelman's game-winning field goal and a controversial call overshadowed it, but Evans rushed for 90 yards and caught seven passes for 128 more. Four of his receptions came on Bethel's final drive.

Evans caught only one pass as a sophomore, when he was the only offensive threat the Bruins had. He rushed for 1,344 yards while averaging 24 carries a game. Last year, with a decreased workload as a ball-carrier, he ran for more yards (1,518) while catching 17 passes out of the backfield.

This season, Evans has been used in a variety of ways — but never, Nelson makes sure, too much. He's averaging only 13 rushes per game. Compare that to Hampton's Tron Martinez (24) or Phoebus' Shawne Alston (18). But Bethel loves getting him the ball in open space.

"In my mind, if I have some space, I'm going to score," said Evans, who has 20 touchdowns as a senior. "That's my mind-set. When I get the ball, I just lock in on the end zone. That's all I see, nothing else. And if I have space, there's a 100-percent chance I'm going to score."

Much of it is his speed and elusiveness. Much of it is his instinct.

"The vision he has — I don't think even he knows what it is," Nelson said. "He just sees and reacts and goes."

Understand, Evans no longer has to carry Bethel's offense by himself. Quarterback Aris McGlone-English is completing 55 percent of his passes for 1,321 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Bruins have six receivers who have caught at least one touchdown pass this season.

But when Evans missed last week's 8-3 win over Heritage with a sprained ankle, Bethel didn't have the same offense. The Bruins averaged less than 2 yards per rushing attempt and had their second-lowest point total of the year.

"I certainly don't want him to be hurt, so he probably should stay out one more week and get some rest," Hampton coach Mike Smith joked. "Seriously, he's a really good back and a class kid."

Evans said he had four scholarship offers in football — N.C. State, Richmond, Akron and Old Dominion. But he was a hotter prospect in basketball, where he helped lead the Bruins to a 30-2 season that ended with a loss in the state championship game.

As Bethel's starting point guard, he averaged 12 points, five assists and three steals per game. He is creative and fearless on the offensive end and a shut-down defender.

Basketball was always his first love. Still ...

"It was a real hard decision I had to make," Evans said. "I made it with my family, and I came to the best decision for me. I followed my heart, and I wanted to play basketball."

And yes, despite what he's done on the football field this fall, he's sure of that.