Childs in moment
Hardly used up to this point, the California native enjoys a big game in Virginia's win over North Carolina last weekend.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia football fans might have guessed that Darren Childs would be a late-bloomer.

After all, he didn't sign with the Cavaliers until April 2005, more than two months after national letter-of-intent day.

Better a late-bloomer than a no-bloomer.

Childs couldn't have blossomed at a better time for Virginia, registering 10 tackles -- nine unassisted -- in the Cavaliers' 16-13 overtime victory over North Carolina.

"I just felt part of the brotherhood out there," Childs said. "It was the biggest game of my life. No question."

Childs, a 6-foot-1, 233-pound linebacker, was pressed into service when 34-game starter Antonio Appleby sprained his right ankle on UVa's first defensive series.

"I didn't know [Childs] had come into the game," said Jon Copper, who has played next to Appleby for three years. "I looked over beside me and he was there."

To that point, Childs had been on the field for five plays all season. He played two plays as a redshirt freshman in 2006 and three plays as a sophomore in 2007.

He was in for 60 plays Saturday.

"It took a while to notice he was out there," UVa linebacker Clint Sintim said. "I wasn't really paying attention. I turned and did a double-take and I was like, 'What happened, what happened?'

"Then, I figured out that Antonio had hurt his ankle. I really didn't have to tell [Childs] much because, by that time, he probably had six tackles. He stepped up tremendously."

One week earlier, Childs' mother had flown east from California to visit and watch the Cavaliers against East Carolina. Darren never got in the game.

She stayed in Charlottesville for a couple days and had not returned to the West Coast when a relative found her in an airport and said Darren had entered the game.

"It's really hard to explain the feeling," Childs said. "I hadn't really played in 312 years. That was the last time I played an actual full game."

Between the excitement and the aches and pains, Childs admittedly had trouble sleeping earlier this week.

Childs' family lives in San Diego, and he grew up 15 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border in an area where it wasn't smart to go out at night, he said. He was attracted to the lifestyle in Virginia and has relatives in Caroline County.

He never considered leaving, "but it's hard to sit out," he said. "I wanted to help. I wanted to contribute. I just concentrated on being patient."

Patience had been a virtue during the recruiting process, when he was recruited by a Utah team that had gone 11-0 during the regular season and had become the first team from outside the Bowl Championship Series to get a BCS bowl bid.

Unfortunately for Childs, the Utes changed coaches after Urban Meyer was hired to replace Ron Zook at Florida. Childs slipped through the cracks.

"I knew something was going to come up," he said.

Virginia rarely ventures into California to recruit, but the Cavaliers had a pair of linebacker recruits decommit late in the process, and they held a door open for a worthy linebacker.

Childs' name popped up on a list compiled by one of the coaches at his high school, Mission Bay, who operated a placement service.

Childs doesn't know what looms in the future. Players with his modest experience frequently are not invited back for a fifth year, but Appleby and Copper are seniors and no one has been promised their spots.

Groh doesn't want to talk about 2009, not with a visit to Georgia Tech on the agenda this week. But that brings up another matter. What if Appleby can't go this week?

The Cavaliers certainly feel better about using Childs than they would have a week ago.

"A hundred times better," Sintim said. "If Appleby can't go, that's unfortunate, but I have the utmost faith in Darren Childs."
 

Bad moon risin'

History portends trouble for the commonwealth's two Division I-A college football teams Saturday. Big Trouble.

Unranked Virginia Tech plays at No. 24 Florida State in an ABC regional game. In Frank Beamer's 22 seasons as head coach, the Hokies are 1-11 when unranked on the road against a ranked opponent.

Granted, nine of the 11 defeats predate Tech's streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances. But here's the list.

1987: Lose 27-13 at No. 3 Miami.

1988: Lose 41-14 at No. 4 Clemson; lose 41-14 at No. 5 Florida State.

1989: Win 12-10 at No. 9 West Virginia; lose 32-25 at No. 18 Virginia.

1990: Lose 39-28 at No. 2 Florida State; lose 6-3 at No. 7 Georgia Tech.

1991: Lose 27-17 at No. 6 Oklahoma; lose 38-0 at No. 20 Virginia.

1992: Lose 28-9 at No. 10 Syracuse (my, how times change).

1993: Lose 21-2 at No. 3 Miami; lose 14-13 at No. 25 West Virginia.

The news is no better for Virginia, which plays at No. 21 Georgia Tech in an ESPNU contest. Under coach Al Groh, the Cavaliers are 1-10 on the road against ranked teams, 0-for their last nine.

2001: Lose 26-17 at No. 22 Wisconsin; win 26-24 at No. 19 Clemson; lose 41-21 at No. 25 Maryland.

2002: Lose 40-19 at No. 5 Florida State; lose 35-14 at No. 19 Penn State; lose 21-9 at No. 22 Virginia Tech.

2004: Lose 36-3 at No. 7 Florida State; lose 24-10 at No. 11 Virginia Tech.

2005: Lose 28-17 at No. 18 Boston College; lose 25-17 at No. 10 Miami.

2006: Lose 17-0 at No. 17 Virginia Tech.

Do either the Hokies or Cavs break with trend Saturday? Don't hold your breath.

David Teel

ACC NOTES
Thursday, Oct 23, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Losses along line catching up to Clemson
In retrospect, it's obvious that prognosticators should have paid more attention to Clemson's personnel losses.

Yes, the Tigers returned quarterback Cullen Harper, wide receiver Aaron Kelly and tailbacks C.J. Spiller and James Davis, and all entered the season as all-ACC candidates. But Clemson lost four starting offensive linemen.

In all the buzz about the Tigers' talent at the skill positions, not enough emphasis was put "on the graduation of four senior offensive linemen," said Dabo Swinney, the Tigers' interim coach.

"That's where the game of football is won. It's never going to be any different, that's for sure. . . . If you can't win at the point of attack, up front, on both sides of the ball, or you're young and you have a lot of inexperience, you're probably going to have some growing pains."

Clemson, the preseason pick to win the ACC, is fifth in the Atlantic Division. The Tigers (1-3, 3-4) are off this weekend.

Kelly one tough Tiger to tame
Kelly became the fifth receiver in ACC history to have 200 career receptions. He needs 17 more to surpass the ACC record held by former Wake Forest star Desmond Clark.

Kelly has 18 career touchdown catches, which ties him for first with Glenn Smith (1949-51) at Clemson. Smith's mark has stood the longest of any at Clemson.

Modern version of a 1970s' classic
By the time Paul Johnson reaches his third or fourth year in the ACC, perhaps there won't be so much talk about the option offense he installed at Georgia Tech. But this is Johnson's first season with the Yellow Jackets, and his offense remains a popular topic.

Virginia (2-1, 4-3) gets its first look Saturday in Atlanta. Georgia Tech (3-1, 6-1) is ranked No.21 nationally and leads the Coastal Division.

The option has been around for many years, but Johnson's version isn't a replica of the ones that were so prevalent in the'70s.

"I was trying to think of a good analogy the other day," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "Space flight has come a long way since the first launchings, but it's a lot more sophisticated, a 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 is do a couple of orbits, and now we're sending people to the moon. But it's still rocket flight. This is still a wishbone-based offense. It's just a more sophisticated, more souped-up version."

Seniors' moment has helped Terrapins
Asked if he's concerned about which Maryland team will show up Saturday, when N.C. State visits Byrd Stadium, Ralph Friedgen, as usual, gave an honest answer.

"I'm always concerned about that, yeah," said Friedgen, the Terrapins' eighth-year coach.

Two weeks after losing 31-0 at Virginia - the Terps were off Oct. 11 - Maryland blanked then-No.21 Wake Forest in College Park last weekend.

"This week was the first time all year we played a complete game for 60 minutes," Friedgen said.

"I think our seniors were very important in our change of attitude this past week, and hopefully it will continue. They're the ones that called the meeting after the Virginia game. I've always had tremendous faith in them."

Not much of learning curve for Hurricanes
The future looks promising at Miami. Seven freshmen have scored at least one touchdown this season, led by Travis Benjamin with four. Jacory Harris and Aldarius Johnson have two each.

No other program in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision can come close to matching Miami's total. - Jeff White

 

Rip Van Winkled
Aaron Perryman, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor
Published: Thursday, October 23 2008

Imagine for a second that you are Rip Van Winkle.

Instead of sleeping for 20 years, however, you have only been asleep for 20 days, since Friday, Oct. 3. You have just woken up today. How dumbfounded would you be to learn that the Virginia football team has won three straight games, stands 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, and travels to Atlanta Saturday to face Georgia Tech in a critical Coastal Division matchup?

I, for one, would be absolutely floored. I would have thought that the Wahoos would be sitting at 1-6 and winless in the ACC after that abysmal showing at Duke. I also would be expecting Al Groh to be coaching his last Cavalier team. Heck, it wouldn’t even have surprised me if he would have already been fired if the three-game home stretch had been really dreadful. Instead, Al Groh is in contention for a second consecutive ACC Coach of the Year award after resurrecting a Cavalier team that looked like it wouldn’t win another game this season.

What would be your reaction if a friend made any of the following statements with a straight face: Marc Verica is looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and is having a breakout year, reminiscent of Matt Schaub circa 2002. He completed all but one of his passes on the Cavs’ final drive of regulation to tie No. 18 North Carolina after being mostly ineffective for the entire game. He’s completed 74 of 104 passes — 71.2 percent — for three touchdowns and only two interceptions after throwing four picks at Duke. You would look at your friend like he or she was an idiot.

The 2007 team also looked like a lost cause following its humiliating defeat at Wyoming, but that turnaround occurred more quickly than this one. This 2008 version of the come-back-from-the-dead Cavs looked like they could do nothing right. Seriously, I could not find another game on their schedule I thought they would win.

Now, I can’t point to any remaining game and say it is a definite loss, especially in the weak ACC.

Georgia Tech (Saturday) beat Football Championship Subdivision team Gardner-Webb 10-7, then struggled to defeat failing Clemson. Miami (Nov. 1), though playing well at times, just doesn’t strike fear into opponents’ eyes like “The U” used to. Wake Forest (Nov. 8) previously had a potent offense but now is only scoring 18.7 points per game this season and just got blanked by schizophrenic Maryland last weekend. Clemson (Nov. 22), which is still trying find its identity under interim head coach Dabo Swinney, is reeling after not meeting expectations and the subsequent stepping down of Tommy Bowden.

And, dare I say it?

Yes, I dare. Virginia has at least a decent chance to go into Blacksburg and beat offensively anemic Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium right now. If I had heard someone say that Oct. 3, I would have had to punch that person in the face for making such a stupid prediction.
What are some of the factors that have contributed to such a drastic turnaround other than the obvious strides Marc Verica has made in the passing game?

Cedric Peerman has come back healthy and better than ever. Everyone knows about his huge games against Maryland and East Carolina. UNC, however, mostly snuffed out his runs. But that’s OK, because a player like Peerman brings more than yards and touchdowns to the run game. He brings incredible heart, determination, leadership and intensity to his team. His two short, bruising touchdown runs against UNC showed the kind of character he injects into the Cavs. If the team continues to take on his personality, it will be hard to bring them down.

This year’s team has the best overall Virginia receiving corps since, well, I’m not sure when. Kevin Ogletree played well even before the turnaround, but Maurice Covington is stepping up, along with John Phillips, Cary Koch, Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson out of the backfield and a host of other young receivers. With these guys making plays and Verica’s emergence, we have a real downfield passing threat at Virginia. Yeah, I know. Let that sink in for a while.

Less seems to have been said about the defense. The leaps and bounds these guys have made are incredible. To go from giving up 52, 45 and 31 points in the three losses to 0, 20 and 13 in the last three wins is nothing short of astounding. And what a gritty performance against the Tar Heels. The Cavaliers showed tremendous resolve in basically shutting down North Carolina after being trampled by the Heels on their first offensive drive.

Should we be surprised, though, about the recent turn of events? Despite being mostly young, the team has a good number of veterans who remember last year and won’t let the young players quit. Something needs to be said for the coaching staff as well. Doesn’t a team take on the attitude of its coaches?

The expectations were probably too high for this team at the beginning of the season anyway. Think about it. Look at the troubles teams such as Auburn and Clemson are experiencing right now. I would venture to say that is nothing compared to the offseason blows Virginia took, not to mention the distraction of Peter Lalich. We are simply seeing a team grow up and improve right before our very eyes.

Now, it’s certainly possible that Virginia could lose to a strong Georgia Tech team on the road Saturday. The Yellow Jackets have a great defense and dynamic option running game. We have yet to see if the Wahoos can take what they have built at home and apply it to a road game; however, we should not be distraught if the Cavaliers fall in Atlanta. Virginia has already exceeded our wildest expectations after starting out 1-3. As the season approaches the 11th hour and your eyes grow heavy, I think this team has what it takes, even if the Cavs lose Saturday, to do something special as the final chapters of the 2008 season are written.

Just don’t fall asleep anytime soon.

 

Tech’s Earls ready for first start
By LARRY HARTSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The season hasn’t gone as Correy Earls planned.

Expected to start at wideout, he pulled his right hamstring three separate times during training camp.
 
“I pulled it, came back, pulled it, came back and pulled it again,” Earls said. “I was trying to come back too soon, trying to get back on the field.”

The injury sidelined him for the first four games. Earls has played in the last three and should get his first start Saturday against Virginia, replacing injured receiver Tyler Melton (knee).

“I just wish Tyler the best and hope he gets well as soon as possible,” said Earls, a redshirt sophomore from Macon who is one of Tech’s fastest players.

“[Starting] is a big deal, but I have been in this position before so I’m ready to take it on.”

Earls (6-0, 190) started three games last year, made 14 catches and looked like a budding star.

This season he has zero catches. He dropped a third-down pass at Clemson.

“I’ve practiced a few weeks now, the timing is there,” he said. “Drops are just a part of football. You have to move on from it.”

Earls said he’s not concerned about his lack of stats.

“Success in this offense comes from the production as a team, what you do for the next guy,” he said. “As a receiver, you’re not going to have a billion catches on the season, but you have to do the little things, blocking and making sure you do things to help the team as a whole.”

In last year’s game against Virginia, Earls sustained a head injury that caused him to lose feeling in his legs and left him lying on the turf for more than 15 minutes.

He wore a bulky neck brace for two weeks but returned after missing just two games.

Then came the repeated hamstring pulls this year.

“It was real tough,” Earls said, “but things happen for a reason. You’ve got to stay positive.”

Staying calm

True freshman doesn’t seem fazed by replacing injured starting cornerback .

As Reid points out, he’s played a lot of snaps at nickel corner. In fact, Tech’s defense sometimes starts in the nickel package.

“It won’t be that different because I’m already used to the speed of the game,” Reid said.

The 5-10, 180-pounder out of St. Augustine, Fla., has shined so far. He’s intercepted two passes and made 16 tackles, three for losses.

Word-Daniels, the secondary’s lone senior, has been tutoring Reid on technique. The freshman says he’s ready.

“It’s a good challenge,” Reid said. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

Rocket man

Coach often breaks down his offense into the basics: blocking the right guy, getting defenders on the ground, knowing when to pitch and when to keep.

In other words, it’s not rocket science.

Al Groh might disagree.

The Viriginia coach took an odd tangent when asked this week about Johnson’s offense.

“That style of offense has got a long history,” Groh began. “Some years back it was the prevalent style of play, so it’s not as if something has been invented that never worked before.

“I was trying to think of a good analogy the other day, but space flight has come a long way since the first launchings, but it’s a lot more sophisticated and a 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. Now we’re sending people to the moon, but it’s still rocket flight.

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

Injuries

Senior guard has missed the last two days of practice due to illness and will not start Saturday, Johnson said.

Redshirt freshman Joseph Gilbert, who started the first six games until Smith replaced him, will reclaim his starting spot.

Basketball time

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will host their annual Hoopsfest Saturday night at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, following the 3:30 p.m. football game against Virginia.

The men will play an intrasquad scrimmage around 7 p.m., with the women’s team introduced at halftime.

Earlier Saturday, at 1:30 p.m., both teams will conduct an autograph session on top of Peter’s Parking deck, and free 2008-09 basketball posters will be distributed.






 

Yellow Jackets tell all about their coach
Players reveal the many sides of Paul Johnson
By KEN SUGIURA , LARRY HARTSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

For most Georgia Tech fans, the Paul Johnson they know is the one they see on the sideline on Saturdays — calling plays, arguing with referees, congratulating players as they come off the field, getting into their faces if they make mistakes.

Those players, though, see many more sides of Tech’s first-year coach. They describe him as demanding, funny, hard-nosed and, in the estimation of defensive end Michael Johnson, “a Southern dude.”

A sampling of Jackets players’ insights into their coach:

Sophomore cornerback Dominique Reese: “He’s real stern on the field, but off the field, he’ll crack jokes with you. He’s really friendly. A lot of people probably wouldn’t expect that with Coach Johnson. … When we leave the field, if he was mad at you on the field, it gets left on the field. He’s not carrying it off the field.”

Freshman quarterback Jaybo Shaw: “He’s never satisfied, he keeps our expectations high. He didn’t say anything about us being ranked. He’s all business on the football field. Outside of football, he jokes around all the time. With me, he talks about me not getting my pads down. (Shaw suffered a concussion against Duke because he ran too high.) He calls me ‘Concussion Head.’”

Sophomore cornerback Mario Butler: “He’s going to make us tough. I already knew it, but it just was implemented this year that we were going to be a tough team. Just by the way practice is run, running full speed everywhere, the contact during two-a-days. Everybody was getting cut blocked, going through live drills, especially in the spring. I think that’s helping us right now.”

Senior defensive tackle Darryl Richard: “He’s approachable. He’s intense, but he’s not somebody you would just be afraid to go up and talk to, whether it’s about football or about anything. … We’ll talk about what’s going on in the financial markets. We’re sitting around, (saying), ‘O.K., what (stock) should I buy?’ things like that.”

Freshman A-back Roddy Jones: “He always says, ‘Nothing’s ever as good or as bad as it seems.’ You always have to look for the next play. Once it’s done, it’s done. … After we get a big win, we review the film and it’s over. We’re focusing on the next game. After our loss, we looked at the film and we focused on the next game. … (He might refer back to a past game) maybe for teaching purposes, but not to linger on.”

Sophomore defensive end Derrick Morgan: “Coach Johnson, he’s a real straight-forward type of guy. He lets you know what he expects. If you fall short, he’ll let you know about it. If you exceed his expectations, he’ll praise you for it as well. He puts everything on the table and he’s real straight forward about everything.”

Senior defensive end Michael Johnson: ” He’s got a good sense of humor. He’d tell us a joke every night in camp. (Johnson declined to share his coach’s jokes, explaining that “he doesn’t tell jokes for kids.”) He’s really laid back. He’s a Southern dude. He’s cool and real confident and it spreads, being around him. It makes you more confident, too.”

 

Big hit doesn’t hinder Copper
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 22, 2008

Jon Copper said he was on autopilot.

After a high-impact collision with North Carolina running back Shaun Draughn in the fourth quarter, Copper was noticeably woozy on the field.

Yet he waved off medical attention and remained in the drive to help solidify Virginia’s 16-13 overtime victory.

It’s a good thing Copper was able to watch the tape of the contest, since he could not remember some of the events of North Carolina’s scoring drive in the fourth quarter very well.

“I was funny looking for a while,” said Copper, who was named the ACC’s defensive lineman of the week. “That whole series, I don’t remember a whole lot.

“Apparently [Draughn’s] knee hit me somewhere in the back of the head or side of the head. A few guys prayed for me on the sidelines [after the series] and I have been pretty clear since. In those points I was a little shaky.”

Copper finished with a career-best 16 tackles, the most by a Virginia player since former linebacker Angelo Crowell registered 16 stops against Penn State in 2002.

Some of the stops came after Copper suffered an apparent concussion.

“I watched the film and I had a couple [during that drive] I think,” he said. “I don’t remember them.”

Copper had help.

After tutoring fellow inside linebacker Darren Childs for most of the game after an injury to starter Antonio Appleby, Copper looked to Childs for advice.

“There were a couple of plays where I was confused about some formations and Cop really helped me,” Childs said. “Later, towards the end of the game, Cop got a concussion and he really couldn’t remember anything so I was helping him out.

“He was asking for help.”

Virginia coach Al Groh said Copper’s play before and after he took the hit served as an example of what he longs for with his defense.

“Jon means everything to us. He’s just a brilliant player in terms of his awareness of the scheme and his application of it to each opponent,” Groh said Wednesday. “He spends countless hours preparing himself for a game so he is right on with everything.

“He has really good communication skills and a calmness about him on the field that enables him to help everybody be in the right place with a sense of conviction. They are all like, ‘If Jon says it, do it, because we all know Jon is right.’”

Copper currently leads Virginia with 60 tackles and ranks fourth in the ACC among active players with 260 career stops.

“Clearly he is doing more than just being a coach on the field,” Groh added. “He is being a high producer for us.”

Phillips lands national honor

Virginia tight end John Phillips was named the John Mackey national tight end of the week by the Nassau County Sports Commission on Wednesday.

Phillips, a senior, caught five passes for just 38 yards, but provided a game-changing play in overtime. Despite losing the ball in the lights, he hauled in a 19-yard reception that moved the ball to the UNC 4-yard line and set up a pair of 2-yard runs that provided the game’s final touchdown.

On the season, Phillips has caught 30 passes for 271 yards, ranking ninth in the nation among tight ends.

The triple threat

Virginia is currently an 11-point underdog in Saturday’s showdown at Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1 ACC).

Part of the reason lies in the inability of team’s thus far to slow down the Yellow Jackets’ new-look offense under first-year coach Paul Johnson.

After running a pro-style offense, Johnson brought his triple-option style from Navy and the Yellow Jackets currently rank ninth in the country in rushing offense.

Although Virginia practiced against the triple option preparing for Duke five years ago, the Cavaliers have not faced anything quite like it during Groh’s current tenure.

It is not, however, something that Groh is not familiar with.

“That style of offense has got a long history,” he said. “Some years back, it was the prevalent style of play, so it’s not as if something has been invented that never worked before.

“I was trying to think of a good analogy the other day, but 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. Now we’re sending people to the moon, but it’s still rocket flight. You know this is still wishbone-based offense. It’s just a more sophisticated, more souped-up version.”

The coaching staff will spend the week trying to familiarize the players with the nuances of the system.

“It’s just a different style of play than what players are used to, so we have to orient them to the particulars,” Groh said. “But that’s kind of the case every week … getting the picture of who it is that we’re playing and understanding the opponent.

“It’s very helpful to players. It’s very critical to players that they understand the opponent and how that team is trying to play them — what pictures the opponent is going to give them.”

 

New blocking style befuddles some Yellow Jackets
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 22, 2008

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wondering if Virginia can snap its road woes in Atlanta on Saturday ...

While Georgia Tech and its option offense ranks ninth nationally in rushing, the Yellow Jackets’ coaching staff still has some issues with the offensive line.

Tech is averaging 248 yards per game running the football, but the linemen have experienced difficulty in adapting to Coach Paul Johnson’s cut-blocking scheme. Johnson tried to address part of that problem over the winter and into the spring when he imposed a weight-loss program on his offensive linemen.

“You need to be able to move in this offense,” Johnson said. “We had some guys who needed to lose some weight and get into good shape.

“We’re asking guys to knock people off the ball,” Johnson said. “I don’t want a guy who is 6-9 and 340 pounds and takes two days to get out of his room and just lay on somebody. If a guy is 300 pounds and can move, that’s fine. There’s some at 300 that need to be at 280 because they can’t move at 300.”

Some of that has shown in the cut-blocking already this season.

Even All-ACC tackle Andrew Gardner, perhaps the only Tech lineman living up to expectations, finds the cut-blocking a little more difficult.

“It’s hard to run full-speed with your back flat, low to the ground, and look up to see where you’re going and to be able to change direction in that position,” Gardner said. “For some guys it’s naturally easier for them, but some guys have to fight against their own inflexibility. It’s harder than just, get lower, be faster. It takes a lot of effort.”

Tech’s offensive line is also somewhat thin, which came into light during last week’s comeback win at Clemson when guard A.J. Smith left the game with a head injury. Smith had just been moved into the lineup to take over for Joseph Gilbert, who had been pulled because of performance issues.

Musical QBs

Miami coach Randy Shannon is switching his quarterbacks at a Steve Spurrier pace.

Last week, in a rout over Duke, Shannon started Robert Marve. Marve played for three series, one for a score, and threw an interception on the third. He was quickly pulled and replaced by Jacory Harris, who accounted for two scores and threw two interceptions during his first six drives.

Yet Harris remained in the game.

“Somebody has to start,” Shannon said. “In the last two games Robert started but Jacory played the most. Jacory’s been hot, has been moving the football. It’s not who starts, it’s who gives you the most productivity at that time.

“Those two guys are our future, are in a partnership to make this football team the best that it can be,” Shannon said.

Marve will start against Wake Forest on Saturday.

Revisting ‘The Streak’

You think North Carolina’s players aren’t bothered by their 14-game losing streak at Virginia, dating back to 1981?

Check out what Tar Heels’ senior linebacker Mark Paschal, the guy who was run over at the goal line by Cedric Peerman for the game-tying touchdown, said about losing to Virginia over and over again.

“It’s damn heart-breaking,” Paschal said. “It’s frustrating for me as a senior. One of my goals was to be able to win up there and that’s no longer going to happen.”

Almost like death and taxes, Carolina is going to lose in Charlottesville, some way, somehow.

Quote of the week

When Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was an assistant for Tennessee the first time, he was assigned the fertile recruiting area of South Florida in 1983. He spent hours there in pursuit of some of the nation’s finest football talent.

One of the players that got away from him was a bone-crunching linebacker by the name of Randy Shannon, who went on to star at Miami and is now the Hurricanes’ head coach.

That and other experiences left Cutcliffe with this to say about recruiting:

“I finished second [with Shannon], and do you know what you get for finishing second? Your wife says, ‘Good job.’”

Stat of the week

In the Virginia vs. Georgia Tech series, the Cavaliers have won four of the last five games, but the home team has won 12 of the last 13 games.

Announcers beware

Public address announcers around the league have butchered the name of Duke defensive end Greg Akinbiyi this season and he might start looking them up before games to let them hear about it.

The correct pronunciation is “Ah-kin-bee-yee.”

Somewhere along the way he heard it pronounced as “Akinbogo,” which really drew his ire.

“I don’t have an ‘O’ or a ‘G’ in my last name,” he said. “I really think people look at my last name and they take it as an option to get creative.”

For whom the bell Toals

Perhaps the hard-luck story of the year so far is Boston College’s Brian Toal, a solid player who can’t shake the injury bug.

The senior linebacker’s season ended against Virginia Tech last Saturday night when he suffered a broken right fibula in the opening quarter.

For Toal, who was tough on defense and gained a lot of critical short yardage for the Eagles on offense, it has been one injury after another.

As a sophomore he experienced nerve damage in his neck that caused him to miss time that season and the following spring drills. As a junior, he suffered a shoulder injury early in the season, and although he played with it, he wasn’t as effective as he wanted to be.

Following surgery in the offseason, he took a redshirt year in hopes of finishing his senior campaign healthy.

Short yardage

The Hokies are 3-2 in their five games that have been decided by seven points or less. ... When BC blocked a Hokie punt for a touchdown last Saturday night, it marked the third blocked Tech punt this season (all for TDs), the most a Hokies team has allowed in one season since the early 1950’s. ... If you think the ACC is unpredictable, then take a look at Maryland: The Terps have won five in a row over ranked teams, but are 4-7 during that span against unranked teams; and QB Chris Turner has seven TDs and no interceptions in five career games against ranked opponents. In all of his other games he has seven TDs and 13 interceptions. Go figure.

The picks

Last week: 5-1. To date: 45-16. This week: North Carolina 24, Boston College 21; Vanderbilt 28, Duke 20; Florida State 33, Virginia Tech 27; Maryland 28, N.C. State 24; Miami 20, Wake Forest 17; Georgia Tech 27, Virginia 17 (The Cavs have to prove they can win on the road).

ACC Notes: Virginia, Georgia Tech set for key matchup
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Also, FSU's Gano earns weekly award
October 22, 2008 03:41:00 PM
By Brad Milner / News Herald Writer

Al Groh believes Georgia Tech's triple-option offense harkens back to the days of college football long gone. Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson disagrees.

Opinions aside, Groh and Virginia must contend with the potent option attack of Johnson and Georgia Tech on Saturday in a key matchup in what's quickly becoming a tight Atlantic Coast Conference race. The teams also are bunched in the Coastal Division, with the 21st-ranked Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1) leading the resurgent Cavaliers (4-3, 2-1) by a half game.

Groh said the option offense once was the dominant force in college football. Nebraska was the top team for years with the system, but Groh believes college football evolved away from that strategy.

"It's become cyclical," Groh said Wednesday. "You went from the era of the option to the era of the pro set (West Coast offense) and now we're in the spread offense era.

"It was like the people with a nice car that rides well needed a new car."

Johnson, who ran an identical scheme at Navy, disagreed with Groh's notion that the option no longer is a major force in college football. He noted how the spread offenses, most notably installed by Urban Meyer at Utah and Florida, utilizes a running quarterback with misdirection as a large part of the scheme.

Until recently, Meyer's offense was known as a spread-option, and Johnson said the current Florida coach called him "a lot while I was at Navy" to cultivate ideas for the hybrid attack. The key is balance, with Meyer's Utah teams routinely rushing for more than 250 yards and passing for the same amount or more.

"What we do isn't too much different from what they do," Johnson said. "It's just that they do it in the shotgun and we're under center."

Johnson said the option offense eventually opens up the passing game. It did so at Navy, and with the wealth of athletes at Georgia Tech he's hopeful it will translate into the same for the Yellow Jackets.

"We're not where we want to be right now, we still have some personnel to fit in right," Johnson said. "When we get to where we'd like to be you also have a four-receiver set to see what you can do."

The coaches may not agree on offensive philosophy, but they echo each other when speaking about the other team.

"They are the hottest team in the ACC right now," Groh said of Georgia Tech, which has won four straight games.

Added Johnson of the Cavaliers, who have won three in a row: "Virginia may be the hottest team in the league."

Weekly awards

Florida State place-kicker Graham Gano was named the ACC's specialist of the week for the period ending Saturday. He was 4 for 4 on field goals, including a long of 53 and scored 14 of the Seminoles' 26 points in their victory over North Carolina State. Gano has made a 50-yarder or longer in each of the last three games and has made 10 field goals in a row.

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner was named the offensive back of the week after he threw for 321 yards and a touchdown against a Wake Forest defense then leading the nation in pass efficiency. Maryland won 26-0 in defeating its third ranked opponent this season.

Other weekly award winners were Maryland offensive lineman Bruce Campbell, Virginia defensive lineman Jon Copper, Boston College defensive back Mark Herzlich and Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, who was named the ACC's top rookie after throwing four TDs and running for another in a 49-31 win over Duke.

Also on tap

Boston College (5-1, 2-1), the third ranked team from the ACC at No. 23, travels to North Carolina (5-2, 1-2) in a game the Tar Heels need to win to keep pace with the rest of the conference. ... Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1) is at Miami (4-3, 1-2) in an early crossroads game for both teams. ... Duke (3-3, 1-2) is at Southeastern Conference surprise Vanderbilt (5-2) in a contest featuring two schools known more for academic prowess than for football. ... Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-1) and FSU (5-1, 2-1) clash at Doak Campbell Stadium and N.C. State (2-5, 0-3) aims to be the spoiler at Maryland (5-2, 2-1). ... Clemson, loser of its last three games, is off.

 

Long: Rams need to bring "A" game to NE
By Rams Insider
Posted Oct 23, 2008
October 22, 2008

(On playing the Patriots and trying to stop Bill Belichick over there)
“They are the four-time Super Bowl champs. I’m very familiar with the way they do things, playing under (Virginia Cavaliers) Coach (Al) Groh, that’s one of (New England Patriots) Coach (Bill) Belichick’s guys. I have a great deal of respect for the way they do things. I know we’re just going to have to go up there and bring our ‘A’ game, play our best game to date, to be able to play with these guys in a hostile environment. You saw what they did on Monday night and they are capable of doing that any week.”

(On stopping the run and if it is more about discipline or understanding what they are up to)
“Discipline. Nothing anybody does is rocket science. We have great coaches, they have great coaches. Our coaches will be able to give us a proper game plan. It’s going to be up to us to be in the right gaps. Usually when a team gets a great amount of yards like they did Monday night, guys are in the wrong gaps and such. We just have to focus on our fundamentals.”

(On if he feels like he is getting better every week)
“A little bit. You take some steps backwards sometimes, but overall you just get more and more comfortable. Sometimes, somebody can tell you something a thousand times, but the only way you can get better is to screw it up once or play through a game and that is what I’m going through right now. I’m having fun and I’m getting comfortable.”

(On how often he talks to his Dad)
“We talk a lot. Just imagine how much a kid talks to their parent anyways about whatever they’re doing and imagine if he played 13 years, he’d have some stuff to say. He’s done a good job, though, giving me my space and really it’s just when I have questions. We talk every day just as father and son.”


 

Will thrilling win silence Groh critics?
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 19, 2008

As expected, Virginia did not earn a spot in the first edition of the BCS standings when they were released Sunday evening.
The Cavaliers did not receive a vote in either national poll, either.
That did not seem to diminish the memorable feeling enjoyed by the Cavaliers on Saturday after a 16-13 overtime victory was all but stolen from 18th-ranked North Carolina at Scott Stadium.
Trailing by seven with just over two minutes left, Virginia quarterback Mark Verica directed a game-tying, 82-yard drive that ultimately led to the Cavaliers’ third straight win.
John Phillips, who had a pivotal 19-yard catch in overtime, hopes the win and Virginia’s resurgence will silence the critics that longed for coach Al Groh’s departure after a 31-3 loss at Duke.
“It seems like everybody is always bashing coach Groh for some reason,” said Phillips, a team captain. “He has a tremendous knowledge and passion for this game.
“I think Chris Long said it a couple of years ago, ‘If there could be 11 coach Groh’s playing a game we would probably never lose.’ He just brings a passion.”
Virginia running back Cedric Peerman, who scored both of the Cavaliers’ touchdowns on 2-yard runs, echoed those sentiments with his actions following the game, delivering Groh with a game ball.
“I just felt like coach Groh had been through so much in the early part of the season,” Peerman said. “He has put so much time and effort into football and to us kids, and he has to put up with all our mess.
“I know that he has to deal with a lot so anytime we can bless coach Groh, we are going to. That’s what we are all about. We are all about a team.”
Peerman was one of a handful of players that were not able to play or participated at less than full strength during the two road losses that drew the program’s future into question.
“At that stage we just weren’t playing with a very strong deck at that time,” Groh said. “We had some issues offensively. We had some new kickers. We had some issues with a lot of new kids on defense.
“We probably weren’t equipped to be pretty good at that stage, quite frankly.”
The just-expired three-game homestand, which included wins over Maryland and East Carolina, may have showcased what type of team Virginia can be the remainder of the season, Groh said.
The Cavaliers (4-3, 2-1 ACC) now need just two wins to become bowl eligible and they control their own destiny in the race for a spot in the league’s annual championship game.
“That was an awesome win for our team,” Groh said. “Every team throughout the course of the year has to find its identity. We clearly think over the last three weeks we’re starting to find our identity, which is a tough-minded, stick-together, purposeful team with a lot of resolve.”
That was also the case in 2007 when Virginia won nine games, six of which were in thrilling fashion and by six points or fewer.
“This win [over UNC] is different though,” Phillips said. “A lot of these guys were there but they weren’t in the game. And for the veterans to feel that emotion again … there’s nothing like it.
“It is hard to explain if you have never felt the emotion like that.”
Virginia, which is 0-2 on the road, will play Saturday at Georgia Tech, which did earn a spot in the BCS standings. The Yellow Jackets debuted at No. 18 and were ranked No. 21 in the AP poll.
The Cavaliers may be forced to tackle Georgia Tech and first-year coach Paul Johnson’s option-based offense without inside linebacker Antonio Appleby.
The senior left with a foot injury on his third defensive play of the game and did not return.
Cornerback Ras-I Dowling also injured his back on the opening drive and did not return.
“I will get more information on that long-term when all these different facilities open up, but any time a guy leaves the game that early and doesn’t come back, we have to be suspect to what his participation might be,” Groh said Sunday evening.

 

Starsia family brings success to two sports
Freshman defender Katie Starsia, niece of men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia, chooses Virginia for soccer, education
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, October 23 2008
 

“Like father, like son” is a common cliché thrown around in the sporting world. Athletes such as Luke Walton, professional basketball player and son of renowned basketball player Bill Walton, or even Joe Buck, one of the most recognizable sports broadcasters of the current collegiate generation and son of Jack Buck, himself a Hall of Fame broadcaster, can attest to this sentiment. Wahoos have experienced it firsthand when they cheered for Chris Long and his dad, Howie Long, as the father-son pair received Chris’s retired jersey in the middle of Scott Stadium last year before the Virginia Tech game. As recently as last weekend, Virginia fans at Scott Stadium were witness to NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green raising the “Power of Orange” flag before his son, freshman wide receiver Jared Green, played for the Cavaliers against North Carolina.

One family that seems to be expanding the meaning of the phrase at Virginia is the Starsia clan. “Like uncle, like niece” may be taking it a bit far, but the comparison can be made between Dom Starsia, the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team, and Katie Starsia, a freshman defender on the Virginia women’s soccer team.

“I really chose the school on a lot of different things, especially soccer and [education],” Katie Starsia said. “But having my uncle here and having that safety and support definitely factored into the decision.”

Dom Starsia is entering his 16th season as the head coach of the men’s lacrosse program at Virginia. With a 170—58 record in his time at Virginia, Starsia has taken the Cavaliers to the national championship game five times, winning on three of the trips. Virginia maintains such a consistently strong program because of its top-notch recruiting — which is in no small part because of Starsia, who is known for his ability to recruit and educate young talent. Starsia, however, was careful not to exploit this talent in Katie Starsia’s situation.

“I tried not to overplay what a great school Virginia is or the quality of experience we’ve had here because I really didn’t want her to choose Virginia because I was here or [because I] had sort of coerced her into making that decision,” Dom Starsia said. “I wanted it very much to be her own decision for the right reasons.”

Katie Starsia made the decision early on, having already committed to Virginia by her junior year in high school. While Dom Starsia avoided pressuring Katie Starsia into coming to Virginia, his presence allowed her to become familiar with the school before her thoughts turned to higher education and athletics.

“Ever since he took the job we came down here frequently — we came here twice a year just to go see him,” Katie Starsia said. “So I got to the school,” adding with a laugh that she has “seen a lot of lacrosse.”

Moreover, she was able to use her uncle’s experience with collegiate athletics as a resource.

“I tried to give her hints in the recruiting in terms of the language of what the coaches were talking about and things like that,” Dom Starsia said.

Because both the women’s soccer and men’s lacrosse teams are successful, a friendly rivalry has developed — and not just between niece and uncle.

“It’s not me and my uncle, it’s my uncle and my coach,” Katie Starsia said. “It is so funny — they have a little inside rivalry.”

The two teams share adjacent practice fields, which has led to several interesting encounters.

“[Virginia women’s soccer coach] Steve [Swanson] has already told me he thoroughly enjoys screaming out, ‘Get your a** moving,Starsia!’” Dom Starsia said, sharing how he repaid the favor to the women’s soccer coach.

“The first time that we had fall lacrosse practice at the same time women’s soccer was out there, I walked over to the net that separates the two fields and yelled out, ‘Hey, you’re looking really good, Starsia!’ And when the girls all looked over I said, ‘Hey, I’m just talking to myself.’ So I think we can all have some fun with it.”

Dom Starsia makes it clear that the joking is all in good fun and is quick to share his respect of Swanson.

“Steve and I are pretty close,” Dom Starsia said. “That was the easy part of it — to know that she was going to be working with Steve and the people on his staff because they run a first-class operation over there.”

Katie Starsia’s collegiate career is still young. Only halfway though her first season, Katie has at least three years of soccer left at Virginia and likely many more years of watching her uncle coach lacrosse. While the number of championships the two teams accrue may be exciting to focus on for the next few years, Dom Starsia does not forget the sentiments an uncle should have for his niece.

“The most important [thing] is that Katie seems happy,” Dom Starsia said. “I want for her to be feeling like she made a really good decision at the end of the day.”

 

UVa dodges an injury bullet
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 22, 2008

A day after his team’s most disappointing performance of the season – a 2-2 tie against Longwood on Tuesday night — Virginia coach George Gelnovatch received some good news.

Tony Tchani, the team’s leading scorer, doesn’t appear to be severely injured. Tchani had to be carried off the field by teammates after sustaining an injury to his right knee early in the game.

“Nothing showed up on the X-ray,” Gelnovatch said, “so we’re just taking it day by day.

“Our thinking was he just got some sort of bruise on a check there. We’ll just take it day by day and hopefully by [the Duke game on Saturday] we’ll have to determine whether he’s able to play. We would love to have him, but if we don’t, somebody else will step up.”

On Tuesday, that somebody was midfielder Jimmy Simpson. The redshirt sophomore scored both Virginia goals. However, that was a mere footnote after UVa allowed two goals in the final 11 minutes of play.

Both of Longwood’s goals came after restarts.

“Guys lost assignments,” said Gelnovatch, when asked to explain his team’s defensive breakdowns. “End of story.

“They never got dangerous on us out of the run of play. Our guys lost assignments and they basically got open looks at the goal. That’s how it went down.”

In overtime, Virginia was the recipient of a questionable call when a goal by Jonathan Villanueva was negated by an offsides call. One linesman apparently okayed the play but was overruled by another.

Officiating aside, Gelnovatch wasn’t pleased with his team. However, because he has so many young players, he tried his best not to go too nuts.

“I have to be careful and recognize that and try and deal with it,” Gelnovatch said. “It’s more difficult than dealing with a junior, sophomore or senior where you can just [scold] them after performances like that.

“On some level, you have to remind those first-years that every game you step on the field, you have to play hard. But on another level, it’s a whole new experience for them and you have to be somewhat careful. I have to remind myself of that because I was pretty hard on them [after the game]. I have to make sure I’m not too hard on them because I don’t want to lose anybody.”

With a stiff test coming up at Duke on Saturday, Gelnovatch is hoping his team can learn from its mistakes against Longwood.

“I hope it’s a reminder,” he said. “Last Tuesday night, Duke lost to Florida Atlantic. These midweek games — everyone’s already thinking ahead to the ACC games, but you have to show up, focus and take care of business.

“If Saturday’s game takes on a whole new level of urgency, then you can say [the Longwood game] was worth it.”