Hoosiers calm despite losses
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 9, 2009

Indiana was sitting squarely behind the 8-ball just 15 minutes into action.

As if a contest against national power Ohio State was not tough enough, the Hoosiers fell behind by 10 points early on and never recovered en route to a 33-14 loss.

In essence, the rough start led to the second straight defeat for Indiana (3-2), which plays at Virginia (1-3) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

It was quite the opposite of the starts that IU enjoyed in winning three of its first four

“Probably the biggest thing, looking back at the game, was we didn’t play very well in the first quarter. That set the precedent for the rest of the game,” said Indiana coach Bill Lynch. “We had started the first four games very well. We had scored first and had good drives.

“We didn’t start the game well by giving up a drive and a score. Then we went three-and-out where we had a couple of opportunities to get a first down in that first series and didn’t.”

In all, Ohio State gained 111 yards in its first two drives against the Hoosiers, using a combination of passing and a power running game.

“One of the things we knew by playing Ohio State is we didn’t have to take the early lead, but certainly wanted it to be even through the first quarter and try to get our feet underneath us,” Lynch said. “I think sometimes your kids can get so excited for a game that they don’t play as well as they are capable of.

“I think that was a part of the bad start. Maybe our players were too emotional and did not get their feet underneath them.”

While UVa stumbled to its 0-3 start, Indiana was perfect in its three games before losing at Michigan and to Ohio State.

It was not a colossal setback in the eyes of the players.

“Watching the film of the last two losses, it’s all been fundamental stuff,” said offensive lineman Justin Pagan. “It’s stuff that can be corrected. It’s not drastic…these last two losses have been fundamental issues.

“If we get those straightened out, we’ll be fine.”

Indiana, a program that won just three games last year, hopes to use a victory over Virginia to return to the postseason for the second time in over a decade.

That will not come with ease, according to Lynch, offering the expected pre-game coach mantra.

“Virginia is a team I think is really coming on,” Lynch said. “They are well-coached and coach [Al] Groh has great experience and success at all the different levels.

“Virginia’s win against North Carolina was impressive because North Carolina is a top-25 team. They went into Chapel Hill and held North Carolina to three points and really played hard. That is one aspect I saw is that they played with great enthusiasm.”

What the Cavaliers encompassed prior to beating UNC also impressed Lynch.

“TCU is a great football team and have not lost many football games in the last few years. The Southern Mississippi game was on the road and was a shootout. So, sometimes records are deceiving, but I think [Virginia] is the football team we saw on tape versus North Carolina.”

In a similar fashion to Virginia thus far, a program that ranks No. 8 against the pass, defense has set the tone for Indiana.

Luckily for the Hoosiers, the 3-4 defense that the Cavaliers employ is not completely unknown.

“We have played [against the 3-4] some this year, but this defense is a little different than ones we have played,” Lynch said. “They are very sound and have a great secondary. They are a tough team to throw against and convert against.

“They offer a great nickel package, so we have to stay ahead of the chains.”
 

Chase Minnifield: U.Va.‘s man on the run
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 9, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE First, the calm.

As Chase Minnifield heads to the field to return a punt for the University of Virginia football team, everything is practiced and orderly. He's a superstitious guy, so the entire routine is the same as it was the previous time.

Then, the storm.

He watches the ball come off the punter's foot, trying to read the spin and anticipate where it will land. At the same time, he's bracing himself for 10 tacklers who want to end their 40-yard dash by violently colliding with him.

He might briefly give thought to a fair catch -- but not often, as he'd rather make a play and help the team.

Finally, the day job.

Returning punts is just a small part of the sophomore's role for the Cavaliers. He's also a cornerback, and participates in other special teams units as well.

That sort of versatility is exactly what coach Al Groh wants to see in his players, and it also reflects this season's approach that the special teams players won't just be castoffs from other units.

"If we have to hold a player out for a first or second-down play, we'll do that to get the best players possible on special teams," Groh said.

Don't plan on Minnifield taking the breather, though. He's the kind of player who watches Vic Hall play both ways, then says that "Vic's living the life."

Minnifield wouldn't mind doing something similar, though he knows that first he'll have to develop and mature as an athlete.

His most memorable play this season remains a dropped interception that almost certainly would have been a touchdown in the season opener against William and Mary. Returning to the sidelines, his teammates started joking with him that he heard the SportsCenter theme song in his head before the ball arrived.

Talking about the play earlier this week, he said that he knew there would be more opportunities in the future. He's got aspirations of making it to the NFL -- his father, Frank, was a Pro Bowl cornerback -- which is why he ventured from Kentucky to play for the Cavs.

"My dad was real big on coach Groh," Minnifield said. "He said that if you want to play at the next level, coach Groh will be the guy to get you there."

Those aspirations got off to a rough start this spring when Minnifield broke his fibula during practice. He said that it took him until the end of fall practices to feel comfortable again.

Once he started practicing, he quickly worked his way back into the rotation, and then was moved from kick returner to punt returner. He hasn't run one back for a touchdown yet, but he's had several close calls dating back to last year.

"I've always wanted to be the person who makes the big play and turns the game around," he said. "Every week I try to set my mentality to that."
 

Virginia in search of some offense
By Norm Wood
| 247-4642
October 9, 2009

As quarterback Jameel Sewell took stock in Virginia's 16-3 win at North Carolina last Saturday, one of the biggest positives he took from the game was simply that he still was capable of leading his team to victory.

Prior to the UNC game, he had to wonder. After assuming U.Va.'s starting quarterback duties heading into the Texas Christian game, a move precipitated at least in part due to Vic Hall's hip injury that limited him against William and Mary and TCU and kept him out of the Southern Mississippi game, Sewell hadn't seen those winning results. Now, with the old winning feeling back, he's focusing on curing some of U.Va.'s offensive ills — which are still plentiful.

"(The early losses were) hard for me, because I tend to take a lot to heart," Sewell said. "We showed a lot of courage and a lot of fight after the Southern Miss game. We kind of got fed up.

"You always know you can win, but when you actually do it, it's easy to follow through the next couple of days before the next game in a positive manner. If you had lost that last week, it's kind of like you're hanging your head and you're like, 'Man, we can win, but dang, what's the problem?' Right now, we've kind of figured out what some of those problems are and we're trying to address them."

Sewell hadn't known the feeling of being a winning quarterback since November 2007, when he helped lead U.Va. to a 48-0 victory at Miami. He was suspended from U.Va. last year due to academic shortcomings. With the victory in Chapel Hill snapping a seven-game losing streak, some level of hope may be restored as U.Va. prepares for Saturday's game against Indiana (3-1), but offensive mediocrity still dominates in Charlottesville.

U.Va. (1-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) is tied for 117th in the nation in total offense (272.25 yards per game), the lowest-rated program from a Bowl Championship Series conference. No Football Bowl Subdivision team is averaging fewer yards per play than U.Va.'s 3.85.

Despite senior running back Mikell Simpson's 100 rushing yards against UNC, U.Va. still has the second-worst per-carry average (2.35 yards) among FBS programs, behind only Florida International (2.27). The Cavaliers are on pace to have 1,116 rushing yards this season, which would be their lowest total during coach Al Groh's nine-year tenure. It also would be the fewest rushing yards for U.Va. since 1977, when it had 1,082.

U.Va. is tied for 102nd in the nation in scoring offense (19.5 points per game). Only three BCS conference programs — UNC, Illinois and Washington State — are rated lower than U.Va. in the category.

If you're looking for positives from U.Va.'s offense, at least turnover margin seems to be an ever-improving area. After turning the ball over seven times in the season-opening loss to W&M, and having a minus-six turnover margin, U.Va. improved to a plus-four margin in its next three games. U.Va. didn't have any turnovers against UNC, while the Tar Heels had three.

"So much of everything is about what happens to the ball," Groh said. "Yet, we see on every level that the team that didn't get any turnovers one week, gets five the next week and they win … or the team that didn't turn it over, turns it over four times the next week and they lose. Maybe they played the same game on offense and defense. It's such a determinant that it almost trumps everything else that goes on with the game."

Of course, holding on to the ball doesn't always mean you're going to do something with it. U.Va. has 60 first downs, which is last in the ACC and nearly two times fewer than conference leader N.C. State's 112.

U.Va. continues to work out of the no-huddle spread offense while incorporating a few elements of the Cavaliers' old pro-style attack. Neither scheme nor Sewell's scrambling ability has paid many dividends in pass protection. U.Va. has given up 17 sacks, second-worst in the ACC and one more than it gave up all last season. This season's sack total represents an unsettling number for a program that has produced three first-round NFL draft picks since '06.

Sewell is on pace to lead U.Va. to 2,151 passing yards this season. It would be the second-lowest passing production of the Groh era, behind only the '06 total of 1,887 yards.

Maybe the best aspect of being on pace in certain areas is that paces and trends can be changed. After the win over UNC, in which U.Va. compiled just 274 yards, Groh seems to be preaching to his team the importance of acting like it'll be the first of many.

"I guess it is a business-as-usual attitude, but it's a business-as-usual attitude looking forward to what the challenges are, and to what we have to do to get ready," Groh said.

UNC win a turning point for Virginia?
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 9, 2009

Yes, it might sound a little corny, but old-school Al Groh sat in the interview room at Carolina’s Kenan Stadium last Saturday and talked endlessly about how proud and appreciative he was of the efforts by his players in upsetting the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

Groh talked about the elation in the Virginia locker room and what it meant to him to see that joy on the faces of his players and coaching staff.

Just before he left the field, TV sideline reporter Mike Hogewood had asked the embattled Cavaliers’ coach how his team pulled off the upset and commented that a lot of people had tried to stick a fork into UVa’s season.

“Maybe we’re not that easy to stick a fork into,” Groh commented.

The Cavaliers were two-touchdown underdogs and won 16-3.

Emotions run strong

Several folks noticed that Groh was a little emotional when he answered Hogewood’s question, and he confessed that was the case when asked about it this week.

“My wife said that she noticed the same thing,” Groh said. “Actuallly, I would consider myself to be a pretty emotional person. A lot of times I keep those emotions to myself, but yes, that was an accurate assessment.”

The win had been a special one to Groh due to the affection and appreciation of what the players had accomplished.

After an 0-3 start, this team could have packed it in and headed south for the season — just as it could have last season, and the year before that when they performed miserably at Wyoming in the opener and were given up for dead. That team came back and won nine games (a rarity at Virginia) and nearly beat high-scoring Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl.

You have to give Groh credit for keeping his teams together in the face of the worst adversity. They never quit and usually get better as the season progresses.

Hosting the Hoosiers

That brings us to Saturday afternoon’s homecoming game at Scott Stadium. Virginia hosts Indiana (3-2) of the Big Ten, a team that is hoping to draw one game closer to bowl eligibility with a win over the Cavaliers.

Like Carolina, the Hoosiers started off 3-0, with wins over Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan and Akron, before dropping its last two outings to Michigan and Ohio State.

Groh has great respect for Indiana and described the Hoosiers as the most physical team that UVa will have faced to this point of the season.

Physical is what the Cavaliers are attempting to be and took a step toward that last weekend across the border by whipping the Tar Heels.

Physical is what Virginia’s offensive tackles, tight ends and blocking backs better be on Saturday against the Hoosiers. Heading into that game, the Cavaliers rank dead last in the entire nation in sacks allowed (17), an embarrassing average of 4.25 per game.

The Hoosiers’ defensive game plan is to control the early downs and get UVa into third and long situations so they can unleash their two pass-rushing defensive ends Jammie Kirlew (6-foot-3, 263) and Greg Middleton (6-3, 285). Those bookends thrive on such scenarios where they can pin their ears back and go full-tilt after the opposing quarterback.

Kirlew, a finalist for the Ted Hendricks defensive end award last season, is second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (3.5), while Middleton, who is on the Hendricks watch list this year, is fifth in sacks with three.

One has to wonder if UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell, as mobile as he is, can last the season getting hit as much as he has in the first four games. Sewell got his bell rung at Carolina, but came back after sitting out a series and led the Cavs to victory.

Groh is attempting to restore the toughness and pride in this team that his early teams had at Virginia and even the Chris Long-led teams possessed.

One of those sources of pride is defending Scott Stadium, where Groh’s teams have a 38-15 record (not counting his first season, a transition year in 2001). From 2002 to 2007, UVa lost only seven home games.

Last year and the first two games of this year alone, the Cavaliers have lost five, a third of those 15 home losses since 2002. With five home games remaining, the Cavaliers must stop losing in their own house.

Odds and ends

l Our salute to former Virginia All-American Anthony Poindexter, whose jersey will be retired in pre-game ceremonies on Saturday, will be among our Saturday morning pre-game coverage.

l Quick hitter: What coach owns the best record against Bill Belichick? The answer is Al Groh, who was 2-0 against Belichick in 2000, Groh’s lone campaign as an NFL head coach.

l The UVa Bookstore and TJ’s Locker will introduce a new product to Wahoo fans this weekend: the Wahoo Wall Graphic Chris Long wall decal ($99.99).
 

Cavs take on Hoosiers in homecoming game
After first win, squad will try to put pieces together as team faces Indiana in Charlottesville
Meryem Karad, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Football / Sports
October 9, 2009 0

After getting limited action in the first three games of the season, senior tailback Mikell Simpson made an impact against North Carolina with 20 carries for 102 yards. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
With a win under its belt, the Virginia football team will look to refocus its energy Saturday against Indiana in the Cavaliers’ Homecoming game. The game marks the only matchup between Big Ten and ACC programs during the regular season.

“This is a big physical team,” coach Al Groh said of his squad’s opponent.

To defeat the Hoosiers, the Cavaliers will have to figure out how to win at Scott Stadium, as they have yet to win a game at home this season. Off to a dismal start after a loss to FCS rival William & Mary, a resounding defeat against then-No. 16 TCU and a disappointing “almost” against Southern Miss, Virginia has had to primarily rely on its defense to prevent the team from falling into total disarray. The Cavaliers have allowed only 16 third down conversions in 61 attempts, and their pass defense has allowed an average of only 156.5 yards per contest, ranking it eighth nationally.

The defense also keyed Virginia’s first win last week against North Carolina, recording two interceptions and allowing only three points. Cornerbacks sophomore Chase Minnifield and senior Chris Cook combined for the picks as the Cavaliers held the Tar Heels to only nine first downs.

Against Indiana’s dynamic offense, led by junior quarterback Ben Chappell, Virginia will need to see similar defensive production. Chappell already has thrown for 1154 yards and five touchdowns, while freshman tailback Darius Willis leads the Hoosiers with 244 rushing yards. Sophomore wide received Damarlo Belcher, who has caught 23 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown, also poses as a potential threat.

“They’re pretty tough, they’re fast,” senior safety Brandon Woods said. “They run the spread offense as our offense. We’re definitely going to have to make this a physical game.”

While Virginia’s defensive unit looks to contain Indiana’s quick-strike attack, it also will need its offense to put up points and to respond positively to an exciting Homecoming game atmosphere. Although the Cavaliers have averaged only 19.5 points per game this season, senior quarterback Jameel Sewell helped the offense score 50 points combined in the past two games, and both he and his teammates will look to continue improving on that side of the ball Saturday.

“He really stood in there, passed up any opportunity to run the ball and completed a very vital play to the outcome of the game,” Groh said of Sewell’s performance against North Carolina.

As the Cavaliers seek to build momentum as their season nears its halfway point, a win against the Hoosiers also could require some extra homework.

“We definitely try to do some extra research — the way they play, their girlfriend’s name,” redshirt freshman Steve Greer joked.
 

Don't be fooled: Virginia Cavaliers will challenge Indiana
Hoosiers have a better record, but Virginia's defense is stingy.
By Pete DiPrimio
of The News-Sentinel

BLOOMINGTON — So which is the real Virginia? Is it the team that lost to William and Mary in the season opener or the one that upset highly regarded North Carolina 16-3 on Saturday?

As far as Indiana coach Bill Lynch is concerned, disregard that season-opening defeat. He's seen Virginia's steady progress in losses to No. 16 TCU (30-14) and Southern Mississippi (37-34) before the North Carolina victory. He understands the challenges his Hoosiers (3-2) will face against the Cavaliers (1-3) on Saturday.

“Virginia is a team that is really coming on,” Lynch said. “Their win against North Carolina was impressive because North Carolina was a top-25 team. TCU is a great team and has not lost many games the last few years. The Southern Mississippi game was on the road and was a shootout. Sometimes records are deceiving. The team we are going to see is the team we saw on tape versus North Carolina.”

Virginia's poor record reflects the difficulty of its schedule (its first four opponents are a combined 14-5) rather than the mediocrity of its talent. And as far as improvement, consider in the last three years the Cavaliers are 10-1 in the month of October.

The most versatile player is Vic Hall, who has thrived at quarterback, receiver, kick returner, running back and defensive back. Virginia's pass defense ranks eighth nationally, allowing just 156.5 yards a game. It has allowed teams to convert just 26.3 percent of its third-down attempts. That ranks sixth nationally.

All this defense comes from a 3-4 pro alignment that reflects head coach Al Groh's background as head coach of the New York Jets and a former coach under NFL veteran Bill Parcells.

♦♦♦

Freshman tailback Darius Willis has paid a price for his team-leading 244 rushing yards. He missed one game with an ankle injury that still lingers. He's battered from facing Michigan and Ohio State on consecutive Saturdays. He didn't practice much on Monday, a little more on Tuesday and his workload figures to gradually increase until Saturday.

“I expect him to be ready to go (for Virginia),” Lynch said. “He is like any running back in the Big Ten who is going to get beat up. He really hasn't been totally healthy. I know some schools have big-time running backs who do nothing during the week but play on Saturday. We do not do that.”

♦♦♦

Damarlo Belcher could surpass in six games what he needed an entire season to do last year. The sophomore receiver has 23 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown. As a freshman, the former North Side standout had 25 catches for 337 yards and two touchdowns.

The Hoosiers' main receiving threat is Tandon Doss. He has 32 catches for 470 yards and a touchdown.

♦♦♦

What's up with punter Chris Hagerup? Last season he earned postseason honors after averaging 42.4 yards a punt (the seventh-best average in school history) with 13 punts of at least 50 yards. This season it's 40.6 yards with just one 50-yard punt. In his last three games he's averaged 31.0, 37.0 and 35.0.

“Hagerup is very capable and he will improve because he has punted well in practice,” Lynch said. “He just really hasn't had the same performance he had a year ago and as he has in practice. It's not that he doesn't care or isn't working at improving, he just has to get back at it in practice.”

♦♦♦

IU lost to Ohio State, but gained in program exposure in the talent-rich state of Ohio.

The game, televised by the Big Ten Network, was the highest-rated program for the day across all television networks in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton. It attracted a 4.5 household (HH) rating to lead all college football prime-time games in the Midwest region. It had a 28.9 HH rating in Columbus, a 16.6 in Dayton and a 10 in Cleveland.
 

VIRGINIA: Two Days and Counting
Darius Willis By John Decker
Publisher
Posted Oct 8, 2009

Hoosier Nation continues its day-by-day preview of the Indiana-Virginia match-up. Today, we look at two of the biggest concerns for Indiana as it looks to pick up a much-needed victory in Charlottesville...

Can Indiana get its ‘mojo’ back with the run game? - After some red flags were raised with a 31-carry, 73-yard rushing effort in the season-opening win against Eastern Kentucky, Indiana bounced back in a big way in its next three games. Against Western Michigan, Akron and Michigan, the Hoosiers averaged 188.0 rushing yards/game and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. As a result, Indiana had its three best performances of the season to date, beating its two MAC foes before narrowly losing at Michigan.

But the Hoosiers took a significant step back against Ohio State, as the Buckeyes completely shut down the Hoosiers’ ground attack. Indiana managed just 18 yards on 26 carries and didn’t have a single run of 10 yards or more. Leading rusher Darius Willis was limited to 23 yards on 11 carries before having to leave early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Offensively, we just didn't sustain our blocks as well as we have the last couple of weeks,” IU Coach Bill Lynch said. “I think that Ohio State is a very good run defense and there is no question about that, but I just didn't think we properly sustained our blocks. As a result, we were not able to run the ball as well.”

If Indiana is going to be successful this weekend in Charlottesville, it needs a big game from Willis so that IU can get back to running the ball like it did leading up to the Ohio State game. Willis’ ankle injury is a bit of a concern, but indications are that the Hoosiers’ leading rusher will be available Saturday. The Hoosiers need to run the ball not only to provide some much-needed offensive balance, but Virginia is one of the best pass defense teams in the nation, ranking eighth in the country with only 162.5 yards/game surrendered through the air.

Can Indiana get a much-needed win on the road? - No one wants to call a non-conference game in the middle of conference play a “must” win, but this is as close to one as you can find in Indiana’s case. If the Hoosiers hope to get to six-plus wins and get back to a bowl game for the second time in the last three years, beating the 1-3 Cavaliers would appear to be a victory that they really need to get.

Of course, needing it and getting it are two separate things. While Virginia appeared to be a team headed nowhere a week ago, Coach Al Groh’s team pulled off a stunning 16-3 upset win over North Carolina on Saturday for its first win of the season. The Cavaliers have a very good defense and an offense that has been a little better the last two weeks. Virginia tailback Mikell Simpson rushed for 100 yards in the win over UNC and quarterback Jameel Sewell is a concern because of his ability to run it or throw it.

It’s also a road game, and victories away from Memorial Stadium have generally been few and far between for Indiana over the years.

One piece of good news, though, is that the Hoosiers’ two best performances this season have come on the road. The 38-21 win at Akron was undoubtedly IU’s best outing this year, as the Hoosiers forced four turnovers and whipped the Zips. The 36-33 loss at Michigan was clearly the most painful result this season, but Indiana played well enough on both sides of the ball to give itself a chance for its first win in Ann Arbor in 42 years.

Indiana will need to turn in a similar performance this weekend against the Cavaliers to pick up its second road victory of the season.

IU defense driven by linebackers
LaMond PopeThe Journal GazetteAdvertisement

BLOOMINGTON – Matt Mayberry led Indiana in tackles last season, becoming the first member of the Hoosiers’ front seven to do so since 2005.

The linebacker is pacing IU in tackles again this year. In fact, linebackers occupy the top three spots in the category.

Mayberry, a senior, has 36 tackles (five tackles for loss, 2 1/2 sacks). Will Patterson, also a senior, is second with 32 tackles (team-leading 24 solo), while Tyler Replogle, a junior, ranks third with 30 tackles. Patterson and Replogle each have 1 1/2 sacks.

IU coach Bill Lynch has been pleased.

“(Patterson) has a lot of responsibility because he plays out in space and plays in the box,” Lynch said. “With the spread formations he is out on an inside receiver. He has pass coverage and running-game responsibilities chasing players down. I think he has played really well. He is fast and tackles very well.

“Mayberry is our inside guy, and Matt has to get the defense lined up. He has to recognize formations and fronts, so he has some responsibility. He is playing like a senior and is playing his best football.

“… Tyler Replogle has played excellent. He is as high-energy as anyone we have on the team and makes plays sideline to sideline. Justin Carrington (eight tackles, one fumble recovery) has played quite a bit and comes in during our nickel package. The flexibility all of our linebackers have really is important.”

Carrington, a senior, is the only Hoosier from Virginia (Leesburg).

A different look
Virginia’s 3-4 defense presents a new challenge for Indiana. The Cavaliers (1-3) are eighth nationally in pass defense, giving up 156.5 yards a game.

“With their coverages behind the 3-4, to me, it looks like a pro 3-4 defense,” Lynch said. “Akron played a mix of 3-4 and 3-5 stack defense. It was kind of a blitzing and moving defense.

“We saw the same thing at Michigan because they played a lot of different coverages. Virginia’s defense, on the other hand, is more of a true 3-4 defense.

“They have a big nose tackle and big defensive ends that play head up on our tackles. They have big outside linebackers that are typical of pro football. They have big and physical inside linebackers as well as a good-looking secondary.”

At home on the road
Saturday will be the third road game for Indiana, which is the only Big Ten team with two true road non-conference games this season.

“(The past road games) help a lot,” Replogle said. “Everyone is used to it, used to the routine. We pretty much know what to expect when we go to Virginia. It’s almost like playing at home.”

Indiana’s first road game of the season was the Hoosiers’ 38-21 victory Sept. 19 at Akron. IU’s other road game was the 36-33 loss at Michigan on Sept. 26.

 

Former Oscar Smith duo quickly energizing Cavs
Posted to: College Football Sports
By Ed Miller
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 8, 2009

Perry Jones scanned the Virginia depth chart like a diner eyeing a menu, trying to make the best choice.

Cornerback? Too crowded. Safety? Another logjam. Receiver? That would be a stretch for a player listed at 5-foot-8.

Jones finally settled on running back and told Virginia's coaches that's where he'd like to launch his college career.

An excellent choice, said Jones' Cavalier teammate, roommate and fellow Oscar Smith graduate Tim Smith. But any of them would have been for Jones, Smith said of the 2008 Group AAA Player of the Year.

"Perry's the type of guy that if you put him out there, he'll do a good job on defense, offense or special teams," Smith said. "Put him at kicker, he'd be a great kicker."

Smith may have over-reached there, but this much is undeniable: He and Jones, just four games into their college careers, have added some kick to the Cavaliers' lineup. Virginia coach Al Groh calls Jones a "light bulb," the type of person who lights up a room and the type of player who energizes teammates.

"This is a young player who hasn't had a lot to say, but through his actions and efforts has favorably impressed the veterans on the team," Groh said.

As for Smith, he's a blur at receiver, bringing speed and playmaking ability to a position that has lacked it in recent seasons.

"Everything he's done so far doesn't surprise me," Jones said.

Without being arrogant about it, Smith and Jones say they expected to play, to play well, and to do it sooner rather than later for the Cavaliers. They came from a high school program, after all, that taught them to expect success. The Tigers went 37-3 over their final three seasons and won a state title in 2008.

Smith and Jones put up some eye-popping numbers along the way. Smith caught 73 passes as a senior, 24 for touchdowns. Jones set school records for both career tackles (343) and touchdowns (54).

They left Oscar Smith with coach Richard Morgan's words ringing in their ears. You need to take that state championship attitude with you, Morgan told them.

He also warned them that things wouldn't always go as smoothly as they had in high school, that they'd have to learn to bounce back from losses. Sure enough, it took just three weeks at Virginia for Smith and Jones to experience as many losses as they did in three years at Oscar Smith.

"It's a big adjustment," Smith said.

A bigger one, it appears, than simply getting on the field.

Smith seemed the more likely candidate to play early. With little proven production returning at receiver, he was expected to get in the mix right away. He had a 26-yard touchdown catch in week two against TCU, then had a breakout game the following week at Southern Miss, catching three passes for 76 yards, including a 69-yarder for another score.

"Now I know what I can do and what I'm capable of," he said.

Jones has made an impact on special teams, returning five kicks and making five tackles. He's also practicing at running back with the second- and third-team offense.

His biggest impact, however, doesn't show up in a box score, Groh said.

"He brings great intensity, great emotion and great passion for what he does," Groh said.

Morgan is not surprised to hear that.

"Everybody looks up to Perry Jones, regardless of his size," Morgan said. "He plays football the way it's supposed to be played.'

Where Jones plays remains to be decided. Groh said the staff tries to let players practice where they are most comfortable initially. Ultimately, they go where they can help the team most.

Jones chose running back because he thought he'd have the best chance of playing right away. Morgan has no doubt Jones could contribute on offense, but thinks he could ultimately be a "game changer" on defense, probably at a safety position similar to the one played by the Indianapolis Colts' Bob Sanders - another under-sized sledgehammer.

"Anywhere I thought the ball was going to be, that would be his position," Morgan said. "With his attacking mentality, the kid belongs on defense."

With their winning mentality, Morgan believes Smith and Jones will help turn things around eventually at Virginia.

"I firmly believe they're going to leave their mark," he said.

They're off to a good start.
 

Can The Cavaliers Start A Winning Streak Against The Hoosiers? by Aaron Mullins
Aaron MullinsContributor

Contributor Written on October 07, 2009 The photograph is of Anthony Poindexter, who will have his jersey retired before the Indiana game at 3:13.

Virginia vs. Indiana

The Virginia Cavaliers (1-3) enter this game having finally picked up their first win of the season; a 16-3 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Indiana Hoosiers (3-2) enter this game attempting to recover from two brutal losses at the hands of Michigan and Ohio State.

Indiana's Last Two Games:

Michigan

Indiana's loss to Michigan was controversial, to say the least. The Hoosiers had the ball at their own 26 yard line with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Trailing by just a field goal, Indiana only needed 50 yards to attempt a game-tying field goal.

On first down, QB Ben Chappell targeted receiver Damarlo Belcher on a short drag route. Belcher made the grab, but Michigan DB Donovan Warren latched on to the ball at the same time. After falling to the ground, Warren wrestled the ball away from Belcher, and the officials ruled that Warren had intercepted the ball. The call, to the disbelief of the announcers and everyone else, was upheld after a booth review. Indiana went on to lose a heart breaker.

Despite the loss, the Hoosiers showed that they are a legitimate opponent. RB Darius Willis showcased his big play ability with an 85 yard TD run. Willis finished the game with 152 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. The dude is fast.

Willis is not the only Hoosier that the Virginia defense will have to pay special attention to. Receiver Tandon Doss has just as much big play potential for the Hoosiers, and offensive coordinator Matt Canada likes to use him in a Percy Harvin role. Against Michigan, Doss caught 5 balls for 104 yards. He also ran for 41 yards and a TD on three carries.

On Doss's 25 yard TD run, the Hoosiers perfectly executed an option out of the pistol formation. The pistol formation also had some wild cat influence, as receiver Mitchell Evans was lined up in the QB position. Canada likes to use his big play guys, and is not afraid to have them all in the backfield at the same time.

The Hoosiers had more total yards, passing yards, and rushing yards than the Wolverines. The Hoosiers however, lost the game because they were forced to settle for field goals in the red zone.

Indiana moved the ball into the red zone five times, but only had one TD to show for it. They were held to four field goals, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.

Ohio State

Indiana followed up their heartbreaking loss to Michigan with a blowout loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes dominated the ground game and time of possession, but the Hoosiers managed to out-gain the Buckeyes in the air. Doss was a big reason why the Hoosiers were so successful in their passing game. He finished the game with 96 yards and a touchdown on six catches.

Outlook

Virginia's Secondary vs. The Hoosier Receivers

This will be the first major test for Virginia's secondary. Ras-I Dowling, Chris Cook, and Chase Minnifield will have their work cut out for them in shutting down Indiana's dangerous passing game.

If the Virginia secondary can shut down Tandon Doss, then the Cavaliers will be on their way to winning this game. Through five games, Doss has 32 catches, 470 yards, and one TD.

Damarlo Belcher has 23 catches for 270 yards on the year for the Hoosiers, and two other Indiana receivers have over 100 receiving yards. Doss is dangerous, but Virginia's CBs are very good, and Al Groh has historically done a good job of shutting down the opposition's play-makers.

With Indiana's threatening passing attack, Virginia may opt to play a little more conservatively. This means less blitzing. Against North Carolina, Groh was confident that his CBs could shut down the young Tar Heel receivers in single coverage. As a result, he frequently blitzed the safeties. Groh may decide that his corners need extra help against Indiana's dangerous receivers and keep the safeties back in coverage.

Virginia's Front Seven vs. The Hoosier Offensive Line/Backfield

With Indiana's use of the wild cat, the LBs will probably play more conservatively when receiver Mitchell Evans is in at QB. Offenses that use misdirection can easily torch an overly aggressive defense. However, when Chappell is in at QB, the LBs must be aggressive in order to pressure the throws.

QB Ben Chappell has only been sacked five times in Indiana's five games. The Hoosiers have a very solid OL, and if Virginia opts for a more conservative defense, Chappell will have all day to through the ball.

Virginia needs to have more than a three man rush in order to pressure Chappell, so the LBs will have to continue their dominant peformance from the North Carolina game. Chappell is by no means a mobile QB; so getting to him early and often will be pivotal in stopping the Indiana attack.

The blitzing during the North Carolina game prevented the Tar Heel's ground game from finding any success. The LBs and safeties plugged the holes, and stopped RB Shaun Draughn from advancing past the line of scrimmage.

The lack of blitzing that we may see Saturday against Indiana means that Hoosier RB Darius Willis will likely have more room to run. The Hoosiers average 131 rushing yards per game, so it is very likely that we will see Willis surpass 100 yards on Saturday.

If Virginia opts to go with the conservative "bend, don't break" defense, then Indiana will definitely be able to move the ball downfield. The question is if Indiana will score six or three in the red zone.

Virginia's Offense vs. The Hoosier Defense

Indiana's defense is average, but that still poses a problem for a Virginia offense that has struggled all season. The Hoosier defense allows an average of 24 points and 337 yards per game. The Virginia offense averages 19 points and 272 yards per game.

Indiana's weakness is their secondary, which allows 218 passing yards per game. If Virginia can establish the ground game and use that to open up the vertical passing game, the Cavaliers will be looking at two straight wins. If however, Virginia falls into the monotony of the QB option read, then they will have trouble moving the ball.

Prediction

Hoos 17 - Hoosiers 16
 

Indiana (3-2) at Virginia (1-3)
Share this storyBuzz up!
By Sports Network; The Sports Network
Published: 10/07/09 7:47 am | Updated: 10/07/09 7:53 am

Recommend (0)FACTS & STATS: Site: Scott Stadium (61,500) -- Charlottesville, Virginia. Television:ESPN360. Home Record: Indiana 2-1, Virginia 0-2. Away Record: Indiana 1-1, Virginia 1-1. Neutral Record: Indiana 0-0, Virginia 0-0. Conference Record: Indiana 0-2, Virginia 1-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: The Indians Hoosiers and Virginia Cavaliers are set for their first-ever meeting on the gridiron, as they collide at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville this weekend. This is the last non-conference game of the regular season for both teams and that is bad news for one and good news for the other.

Indiana is 3-0 in non-league games as opposed to Virginia, which is 0-3 versus non-conference opponents. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers had to jump into Big Ten play a few weeks ago and now bring a two-game slide into the bout. The team opened conference play with a narrow loss to Michigan (36-33) before suffering a 33-14 setback last weekend against an Ohio State club ranked in the Top 10.

Virginia, on the other hand, finally notched its first win and it came in the team's ACC opener, a 16-3 triumph at North Carolina last weekend. It was a much needed win for the Cavs, who began the year with a shocking 26-14 loss at home to William & Mary, a FCS program.

Facing Ohio State's stingy defense, Indiana put forth its worst offensive performance of the year, gaining only 228 total yards with three turnovers. The Hoosiers managed only 18 rushing yards, well below their season average of 131.0 ypg, and they converted just 3-of-14 third down attempts. Quarterback Ben Chappell paced the team in defeat by throwing for 210 yards and two scores, although he was also picked twice. On the season, Chappell has done a good job in completing 63.4 percent of his tosses for 1,115 yards, but he has thrown just five touchdowns against six interceptions, clearly a negative ratio. His main outlet has been Tandon Doss, who heads the team with 32 catches and 470 receiving yards. Doss was one of the few players that produced last weekend, as he hauled in six balls for 96 yards and his first touchdown.

The Hoosiers weren't able to slow down Ohio State's rush attack, as they allowed 219 yards behind 4.7 yards per carry. The Buckeyes gained 29 first downs and held the ball for over 34 minutes due to Indiana's inability to stop the run. It was an obvious letdown for a unit that is giving up just 119.2 rushing ypg on the season. The Hoosiers though, tried to counter some of the rushing yards allowed by forcing a pair of turnovers and recording three sacks. Indiana has excelled at bringing down opposing quarterbacks and has now posted 14 sacks on the year. Jammie Kirlew has played a big part in the pass rush and he leads the team with 9.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Last weekend, he had a forced fumble and sack to go with five stops.

The Cavs have done little on offense for the most part this season and last weekend was no exception. Despite prevailing over UNC, Virginia managed only 254 yards of total offense, which is below its already low average of 272.2 total ypg. The offense however, did enough to win the game and was led by Mikell Simpson, who ran for 100 yards and the game-clinching touchdown on 20 carries. It was clearly the best performance of the year for Simpson, who had rushed for just 64 yards through the first three games. Quarterback Jameel Sewell wasn't all that impressive last weekend, throwing for 136 yards, but he helped manage the offense, which had no turnovers after committing 10 in the first three games. Sewell has struggled with turnovers, throwing five picks, but he can be effective at times and has seven total touchdowns (four passing) to his credit. Still, this offense lacks explosiveness, as the group has only a handful of plays that have gone for 30 or more yards on the campaign.

Virginia turned in an outstanding performance on defense last weekend, holding UNC to only nine first downs and a field goal. The unit, which is allowing just 301.8 total ypg on the year, limited UNC to a mere 174 total yards, including 39 rushing on 23 attempts. The Cavs recorded three turnovers to bring their season total to eight and they also came up with a pair of sacks, raising that total to seven for the year. Redshirt freshman Steve Greer guided the defense with seven stops, including two for losses last weekend and he still leads the team in tackles, with 31 for the season.

The Cavs came up with a big win last weekend, but they faced a UNC squad that lacks an offensive punch unlike Indiana. The Hoosiers have enough weapons to move the ball against Virginia and their defense should also be able to hold their own in a victory this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Indiana 27, Virginia 17
 

Indiana Hoosiers grab a cover on road at Virginia Cavaliers
Game Time: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 12:00 AM ET
Matchup Moves
By: nobs | nobs.mysbrforum.com

The Virginia Cavaliers finally got into the win column with a 16-3 win over a suspect UNC squad last week, and that is giving extra value to Indiana as the underdogs this Saturday.

I love the Hoosiers in this spot. The line has moved from 7 to 6 1/2 in some places, but the 7 can still be found pretty easily. Here is another game where we are getting the better team and a TD to boot.

This Virginia team is pretty bad this year and the Hoosiers are a lot better than they have been in the past. The Cavaliers come in with a 1-3 record, getting their only win over a suspect North Carolina team that turned the ball over three times to Virginia's 0. I think the North Carolina win is why we are getting a silly line in this game. If NC wins that game, as was expected then this game is probably a pk or -1.

This Virginia team lost at home to William and Mary. Thats a William and Mary team that lost to Villanova. Norfolk State played W&M closer than Virginia did. Delaware played W&M closer than Virginia did. Virginia also lost to a Southern Miss team that has proven to not be very good.

The only real test that Virginia has had this year was against TCU where it got dominated in every facet of the game losing by 16 points.

The Hoosiers on the other hand went into Ann Arbor and gave Michigan all it could handle before finally blowing the game in the final minute. They also played Ohio State at about the same level that Virginia played TCU. The difference is that Ohio State is a much better team.

Virginia's offense is very weak. Outside of the Southern Miss game ( everyone scores on Southern Miss ), Virginia has scored 14,14, and 16 points. This team got 14 points on William and Mary. And somehow they are going to beat Indiana by more than a touchdown? It's not going to happen.

Virginia QB Jameel Sewell has 648 yards passing this year. Outside of the Southern Miss game he has 336 yards passing in 3 games, barely averaging 100 yards a game. The Cavaliers' rushing offense is worse. Virginia has rushed for 356 yards in four games. They got 125 yards rushing against Southern Miss, 57 against TCU, 78 against that feared William and Mary D, and 106 last week against North Carolina.

Indiana running back Darius Willis has 45 rushing attempts for 244 yards this year. Thats 5+ yards, almost 6 yards per rush average. He did that playing against a much stronger schedule which included Ohio State and Michigan Defenses. He will have a field day against Virginia.

Indiana QB Ben Chappell passed for 270 yards against Michigan, and over 200 against Ohio State. he tore up the other teams that IU played this year. Chappell comes in to the game with 1154 yards this year. He has passed for over 500 yards more than Sewell has this year.

Indiana has given up 22 points per game this year. An average that was raised a lot by the 33 points both Michigan and Ohio State dropped on them. Virginia is most definitly not Michigan or Ohio State. Virginia's defense has given up 24 points per game this year.

Looking at this game from a lot of angles, all gives me a strong belief that Indiana will win this game outright, but my play here will be Indiana +7. I love this play a lot, no way I can see Virginia winning this game by more than one score.

Former Teammates Returning for Dex's Big Day
Oct. 8, 2009
5:38 p.m.
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The crowd at Scott Stadium this weekend will include many of Anthony Poindexter's former teammates, Jamie Sharper among them.
Sharper, now based in Houston, has been out of the country, but he made sure to be back in time to see Poindexter's jersey retired Saturday afternoon. Sharper's parents, who still live in the Richmond area, are likely to be there to support Poindexter too.
He wasn't able to attend any UVa games last season, Sharper said Thursday, "but I'll definitely come back for Anthony."
Sharper, who grew up in the Richmond area, was two classes ahead of Poindexter at UVa. Sharper was an outside linebacker and Poindexter, at least on the roster, a safety. But when Sharper suffered a knee injury in 1995, Poindexter, a redshirt freshman, capably replaced him in the starting lineup for two games.
They later roomed together in Baltimore when both played for the Ravens. Sharper spent nine seasons in the NFL, with Baltimore, Houston and, finally, Seattle.
"Some people you can teach football, some people they already just have the instincts, and he had the instincts," Sharper said. "Kind of like myself and [James] Farrior. You always know how to find the ball, and that's where [Poindexter] was at."
Like George Welsh, Sharper still recalls Poindexter's appetite for contact.
"He's going to knock you out and throw his body all over the place," Sharper said. "And I think that's why he was able to play linebacker when I got hurt my junior year. He came in there and played linebacker and had, like, 17 tackles.
"He just doesn't care. He was a guy who was just phenomenal when you talk about his ability to play through pain."
Poindexter would tell stories, Sharper said, of playing baseball at Jefferson Forest High with a bad knee that would lock up when he slid into a base.
"It was crazy, but Dex, he gave everything he had to the team and what he was doing," Sharper said.
"He wasn't one of those fake rah-rah guys. He was one of those guys who'd go out there and throw his body around and make plays. He wouldn't yell at you for not being hyped or making a play. But he would just be, 'Let's go, guys. Let's go do this.' And he'd go out there and do it.
"So it was a little bit different than a guy that was a whole bunch of talk but then didn't necessarily go out there and produce. With him giving it all out there, you just wanted to play alongside him and make plays, too."
Fans are encouraged to get to their seats early Saturday. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 3:13 p.m., about 20 minutes before kickoff.
-- Jeff White



Schautz Making Up for Lost Time
Oct. 8, 2009
2:00 p.m.
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In mid August, Billy Schautz appeared likely to play a key role for UVa's football team this season. He still might do so, but he's had to play catch-up.
The 6-4, 240-pound redshirt freshman was working with the second team at outside linebacker, and was part of the rotation for the nickel and dime packages, before suffering a knee injury during training camp.
It didn't require surgery, but Schautz lost a lot of reps in practice. That hurt him more than it might have a veteran.
"Especially during training camp," Al Groh said Thursday morning, "when everybody kind of gets equal turns. When you get into the season, obviously the turns go to those guys who are going to get the major turns in the game. He's back in the rotation getting his turns, but that was a significant time where we could have really focused in on him.
"He was making good improvement. And we were pleased, perhaps even a little surprised, that after his lengthy absence, because he did not have a long-term basis in doing this stuff, that when he came back he seemed to be able to pick up pretty quickly where he was when he got injured."
Schautz, who's from Bloomfield, N.J., has appeared in only one game. Virginia (1-3) hosts Indiana (3-2) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
-- Jeff White

 












HooYa! Blog
by HooYa UVA Football Versus Indiana Preview Saturday 10/10/09 3:30 PM Scott Stadium
by Trent Thurston, October 8th 09:30pm

Big-10 member Indiana (3-2) heads down to Charlottesville to meet the Jekyll and Hyde UVA Wahoos (1-3), in what should be an excellent match-up Saturday. The Hoosiers began the season on a roll, and won their first three games which were all non-conference affairs. In week four they started the brutal Big-10 conference slate and have lost two in a row (Michigan and Ohio State).

UVA ‘s two time All-American safety, and current defensive back’s coach Anthony Poindexter, will have his #3 jersey retired Saturday. AP is my favorite all-time defensive player at Virginia, and I encourage all fans attending the game to leave the tailgate a bit early, and head in to Scott Stadium for the festivities. I’m proud to call Poindexter and his wife Kim my friends, and I think that AP was one of the toughest Hoo’s I have even seen. In the modern era, Anthony Poindexter is the heart and soul of Virginia Football!

Indiana is 1-1 on the road this season, and this is the first contest ever between the two schools. The game, which is a homecoming weekend affair for the Hoos is Saturday at 3:30 in Charlottesville, and is the last non-conference contest of the regular-season for both teams. Former Virginia head-coach Sonny Randle (worst UVA coach of all-time) is providing the color-commentary on ESPN-360, so I remind all of you fans to not subject yourself to that nonsense, and just go ahead and listen to Dave Koehn and Frank Quayle on the radio!

The Hoosiers are led on offense by wide-out Tandon Doss, who in his last game against Ohio State had 96 yards receiving and 16 yards rushing. Indiana’s Junior QB Ben Chappell, is coming off a 210 yard passing performance last week against the Buckeyes, and in the process became the first IU quarterback to ever throw for 200 yards against Ohio State. Chappell is an accounting major with a 3.7 GPA. Nice! You sure don’t see such a heinous major very often from a major-conference football player The Hoosiers, also, have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country with 84 combined career starts between them.

Defensively, Indiana is led by a pair of book-end defensive ends named Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton. No two teammates on any team in the country, have more combined sacks than this powerful duo with 43 career sacks between them. Look for Indiana to attempt to continue Virginia’s sack problem. The Hoos are giving up 4.25 sacks per game which ranks dead last in that category.

Virginia is coming off their only win of the 2009 season Saturday, and is looking to get their season back on track. The Hoos have not won a home game since 10/25/08 (Georgia Tech). Virginia has a dismal record against the teams that are currently in the Big-10 (4-11), but their last game versus the Big-10 was a win against Minnesota in the 2005 Music City Bowl.

Look for the Hoos to continue to scrap the once, shiny-new, Gregg Brandon-led spread- offense, in exchange for a more conventional, two tight-end set that is run out of the shot-gun. Jameel Sewell will get the start for the Hoos at quarterback and look for Mikell Simpson, Rashawn Jackson, and Torrey Mack to see most of the action in the back-field for the Cavaliers.

Virginia continues to play a ton of freshman, and 10 true freshman have played at one time this year. As a team, 69 different Cavaliers have seen action this season, with 35 percent of them being freshman (24 of 69). I believe Al Groh and Company will be pulling out all the stops to try and win this game. Look for Virginia to run several different trick-plays in this game.

The offensive line has been playing much better as a unit in the past two games, but is still giving up way too many sacks. Not all of the sacks are on the offensive-line’s shoulders, though, as Jameel Sewell needs to make better decisions getting rid of the ball. Sewell also needs to learn how to throw the ball away while moving around outside the pocket and not continue to take so many sacks.


On defense, Mat Conrath is really starting to become a nice player up-front. Last week at UNC, Conrath had three pass-deflections and was constantly harassing QB T.J. Yates. Look for a big game from UVA’s improving secondary against Indiana as well. We really need an interception for a touchdown on defense this week, as well as an improved return-game to go with our already fine kicking and punting teams.

I think Virginia will win this game 38-30. I’d love to see Jameel Sewell continue his progression as the new-found leader of this team. We are going to see Vic Hall on both offense and defense as well Saturday. As always, special-teams and mistake-free- football, will be big keys for UVA to have a chance to win this game. Go Hoos!

Hoosiers face unfamiliar foe
By Nathan Hart | IDS

While venue changes, brothers' bond doesn't
Unfamiliar and unpredictable – for the IU football team, that might be the best way to describe the Virginia team it will face Saturday.

The Hoosiers will travel to Charlottesville, Va., this weekend for a non-conference matchup against the Cavaliers, an Atlantic Coast Conference school they have never faced.

For the third week in a row, IU will be watching extra game film and doing additional research to prepare for an unfamiliar opponent. Virginia follows consecutive games against Ohio State and Michigan – teams that have not been on the Hoosiers’ football schedule since 2006.

“You can only learn so much from film,” sophomore offensive lineman Justin Pagan said. “You just have to go out there and play the game.”

Not only are the Cavaliers unfamiliar, but they are also unpredictable. Virginia (1-3, 1-0) opened its season with a 26-14 loss to Football Championship Subdivision team William and Mary. Last week, Virginia won 16-3 at North Carolina, a team that had been ranked in the top 25 earlier this season.

The Virginia win against the Tar Heels was its first of the season. After the loss to William and Mary, the team also fell to TCU and Southern Mississippi.

Lynch said his team focused on the game film of the Virginia-North Carolina game rather than the earlier Cavalier losses. Virginia is a much improved team from its first week, Lynch said.

“They are a football team that has progressed the way a coach wants them to progress,” Lynch said. “There are so many teams around the country where the teams are so different from their first games, including us.”

However, the Cavaliers’ team stats still show inconsistency. The defense ranks eighth in the nation in pass defense, but they give up more than 145 rushing yards per game. On offense, the team has allowed 17 sacks – the fifth worst in the country.

Keys to the game:

IU run game consistency:

In five games this season, IU’s running game has produced roller coaster results.

Against Eastern Kentucky and Ohio State, the Hoosiers rushed for less than 75 yards. Last week, the Hoosiers mustered 18 yards against Ohio State’s defense.

In its other three games, IU has averaged 188 yards rushing.

IU offensive coordinator Matt Canada said it comes down to execution which makes a difference between a good and bad run game.

“In all ways – blocking, running, setting up the run with the pass, just the execution of our offense in general,” Canada said about execution.

IU might look to use the run game this week against a Virginia team that ranks 71st nationally in rush defense, while 8th in pass defense.

“We want to get back to being balanced,” junior quarterback Ben Chappell said. “We have to get back to running the ball and off that, we’ll have some opportunities to pass.”

IU third-down offense

Virginia has allowed 16 third-down conversions in 61 attempts, tied for sixth in the nation. Its pass defense allows just 156.5 yards per game.

Based on those numbers, Chappell said he does not want to see many third-and-long situations Saturday. To avoid those situations, the team will need to run the ball better and be more efficient on first and second down, Chappell added.

 

IU enters critical contest
By Ryan Winn | IDS

While venue changes, brothers' bond doesn't

Only in Bloomington can victories come from a loss.

There was a four-game run where IU followers relished in the team’s performances and nothing less was to be accepted. The Hoosiers had an aura of a team destined for greatness.

Then Ohio State came to town.

The Hoosiers had more rushes (26) than yards (18) for an average of 0.7 yards per attempt. The run defense, permeable at its best, allowed 4.7 yards per carry for a total of 219 yards.

Those numbers come from a team that, in previous weeks, had proved their dominance in the trenches.

What people thought they knew about this IU football team from the previous four weeks was thrown out the window within a mere three hours. Still, with the Buckeyes being the No. 9 team in the nation last Saturday, some outsiders did their best pee-wee parent impression and were simply happy that IU tried hard.

To those people, IU was not supposed to beat Ohio State, and therefore, a hard effort from the historically lowly Hoosiers was acceptable.

Thankfully, for the sake of the team’s season, IU coach Bill Lynch isn’t one of those people.

“You want to get to the point where losing is not acceptable,” Lynch said. “You get chances and you are going to do everything you can to win a football game. You do not want to be in a situation where you just want to keep the game close or be respectful.”

In essence, Lynch feels this team has the ability to be great, and he knows that potential won’t be reached by making excuses.

Great teams hate losing, and when they do, they take out their frustration by paddling their next opponent.

So if the Ohio State game was the exception and not the rule, Virginia has a reason to be frightened.

The 1-3 Cavaliers are the final non-conference challenger for the Hoosiers, and the stage is set for a statement game. The stat sheets seem to suggest IU is primed to turn their disappointment into a blowout victory, and it’s reasonable to expect it.

IU running backs should be licking their chops when they see the Cavaliers’ 145.2 rushing yards allowed per game. The defensive line should have trouble containing their excitement when they see Virginia’s 17 sacks allowed and 93 rushing yards per game.

While Ohio State exposed the Hoosiers as a team that won’t be contending for a conference championship any time soon, Virginia could be the school to prove IU as a bowl team.

And the stars for a program-changing season seem to be aligning for IU, as their next three opponents have a 5-8 combined record.

Victories in each of these three contests would already make the Hoosiers bowl eligible, but the inconsistency in their first five games continues to beg the question: Is this a team capable of postseason play?

No matter what happens this weekend, the Hoosiers will answer that question.

The Hoosiers aren’t used to being postseason contenders, but starting Saturday, the time has come for Lynch and his squad to transform the football mind-set at IU.

“It’s really good our guys were hurting after the game and thought, ‘we can play better than that,’” Lynch said. “I think you really have to get your program where all you care about is yourself.”

The Hoosiers want winds of change to blow through Bloomington, and their chance starts now.

Prediction:

IU 31 – UVA 14










 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Greg Creese
October 7, 2009 407.423.2476 ext. 117
gcreese@fcsports.com
Champs Sports Bowl Extends Partnership with Atlantic Coast Conference
Bowl game moves up to ACC’s number-two selection after the BCS

ORLANDO – Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan and Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford have announced a partnership agreement for the 2010-13 Champs Sports Bowls. The agreement with the ACC will bring Orlando the second pick after the Bowl Championship Series selection (i.e. the conference’s third overall pick) to play against the top non-BCS team from the BIG EAST Conference or Notre Dame.

“Our relationship with the Champs Sports Bowl has been absolutely terrific over the years and we are extremely excited about extending our partnership for another four years,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “Orlando is a great destination and the hospitality that has been extended to our student-athletes and fans has left very positive and memorable impressions.”

The agreement with the ACC continues the dramatic upward trend of the bowl since relocating to Orlando. In addition to the ACC-BIG EAST matchup mentioned previously, the bowl also has the opportunity to select Notre Dame once in the four-year cycle. The changes – which will begin in 2010 – mean Orlando will now enjoy a first, and a second non-BCS selection from the ACC and BIG EAST, respectively. In its current cycle, the Champs Sports Bowl selects the ACC’s fourth pick and the Big Ten’s fourth or fifth pick, based on the year.

“Our vision for Orlando’s college football postseason includes two of the best bowl games in the country hosted within one week, featuring four top ranked teams with excited fan bases, reaching one of the largest collective television audiences of the entire season.” said FCSports CEO Steve Hogan. “The ACC is a strong partner and this agreement is a major step towards realizing that vision.”

As in the past, the game will continue to be televised by ESPN and will be played in the December 28-30 window, with the possibility of a December 27 date once in the agreement’s four-year term.

"On behalf of Champs Sports, we are pleased to be able to continue our partnership with the ACC and elevate its positioning within the Champs Sports Bowl to the third seed beginning in 2010,” said Rob Brodersen, Vice President of Marketing for Champs Sports.

The Champs Sports Bowl has historically featured some of college football’s best players and teams and, since moving to Orlando in 2000, attendance and television ratings have reflected that fact. Last year’s attendance (52,692) for the Florida State-Wisconsin game was the second-highest in the bowl’s history, with crowds having improved each year since coming from South Florida. The television rating for last year’s game was also the second-highest for a bowl game in ESPN history and trailed only the Capital One Bowl in ratings for non-BCS postseason games last year.

“The Champs Sports Bowl has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the postseason bowl landscape and this matchup will reward two very talented, deserving teams for an excellent season,” said FCSports President Chuck Beverly. “None of this would be possible without the support of thousands of Florida Citrus Sports members and one of the best title sponsors in the business.”

Since becoming the Champs Sports Bowl in 2004, the ACC has seen great success, winning all five matchups (FSU d. Wisconsin (2008); Boston College d. Michigan State (2007); Maryland d. Purdue (2006); Clemson d. Colorado (2005); and Georgia Tech d. Syracuse (2004).

UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty

Not too many weeks ago, in the print edition of The Roanoke Times, Virginia executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver was quoted on the issue of coaching changes.

“We’ve been very public about our goals for the department,” Oliver said in an interview with radio host Jay James, “and we need to be clear that those goals aren’t just for Olympic sports.

“We want to compete for championships on an annual basis, And, if we’re not doing that, I think you can check Craig’s track record to see how that gets handled.”

Everybody knows that Littlepage fired four-year men’s basketball coach Dave Leitao last March, but, ever since Oliver’s radio appearance, I’ve been meaning to check Littlepage’s record.

Although Littlepage has been at Virginia on and off since 1976, when he joined the men’s basketball staff, his term as athletic director did not start until Aug. 21, 2001.

UVa announced Oct. 24, 2001, that Oliver would be coming to Virginia from Washington State as senior associate athletic director. Oliver started work Dec. 1, 2001.

Jane Miller, senior associate athletic director for programs, was elevated to that post in 2001. So, UVa basically has had the same leadership team (Littlepage-Oliver-Miller) in place since the second half of 2001.

Littlepage’s first hire actually came when he was the interim athletic director, a position to which he had been named in June. On Aug. 1, UVa announced the appointment of Brian Boland as men’s tennis coach.

Virginia has 25 varsity sports and 19 head coaches. Jason Vigilante is responsible for six programs (men’s and women’s cross country, as well as men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field) and Mark Bernardino is responsible for two programs (men’s and women’s swimming).

So, here is Littlepage’s track record:

Of Virginia’s 19 coaches, 11 have been hired during the Littlepage-Oliver-Miller era (for a complete list, see below).

Very few of their predecessors were actually fired. Some retired voluntarily, some were pushed into retirement. Some of the departures were explained by the all-encompassing “resigned to pursue other interests.”

There were very few cases of Virginia fighting hard to get a coach to stay – and not succeeding. UVa probably would have liked to keep former women’s golf coach Jan Mann, who has since come out of retirement to coach at North Carolina, but Mann had family issues at the time.

By and large, you’d have to say that Littlepage has made good hires. Off the top of my head, I believe that Mann and Leitao were the only Littlepage hires that he subsequently has had to replace.

Clearly, Littlepage is willing to replace his own hires and he has shown a willingess to replace longtime coaches whose programs were not performing. Nearly 60 percent of UVa’s programs have changed hands during Littlepage’s tenure and almost 50 percent (nine of 19) have turned over since Aug. 31, 2004.

You’d have to say that Littlepage is willing to make changes, but there are some sacred cows. Some people rant about women’s basketball coach Debbie Ryan from time to time, but she’s won over 700 games. Bernardino, Kevin Sauer (crew) and Dom Starsia (men’s lacrosse) are probably hall of famers in their sports, as Ryan is already.

Men’s soccer, women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse are up and down, but mostly up. Groh, too, has won more than he’s lost, but a losing season this year would be his third in four years – and, unlike most of the other teams, a losing team can make the difference between making and losing money. A lot of money.

Following is a look at UVa’s coaches in (unofficial) order of seniority:

1. Debbie Ryan, women’s basketball (first season, 1977-78)
2. Mark Bernardino, swimming (1978-79)
3. Kevin Sauer, rowing (1988, first varsity season 1995).
4. Dom Starsia, men’s lacrosse (1993)
5. Julie Myers, women’s lacrosse (1996)
6. George Gelnovatch, men’s soccer (1996)
7. Steve Swanson, women’s soccer (2000)
8. Al Groh, football (2001)
9. Brian Boland, men’s tennis (2002)
10. Brian O’Connor, baseball (2004)
11. Bowen Sargent, men’s golf (2005)
12. Mark Guilbeau, women’s tennis (2006)
13. Michelle Madison, field hockey (2006)
14. Steve Garland, wrestling (2006-2007)
15. Kim Lewellen, women’s golf (2008)
16. Eileen Schmidt, softball (2008)
17. Lee Maes, volleyball (2008)
18. Jason Vigilante, cross country, track (2008)
19. Tony Bennett, men’s basketball (2009-2010)

Ailing team beats clock in Klöckner to tie Terrapins
Down 2-1 with 11 minutes remaining, team gambles with risky formation to equalize score, hold on through two overtime periods for draw
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Sports / Women's Soccer
October 9, 2009 0

Senior forward Jess Rostedt scored a goal off an assist from freshman forward Caroline Miller to send last night’s game into overtime. Photo by Jason O. Watson.
With about 10 seconds left to play in regulation, down 2-1 to Maryland, and with the ball in its defensive third, the Virginia women’s soccer team found itself in dire straits. Having dropped two of their last three games in conference play, and preparing to head on a four-game road stint against some of the toughest competition in the nation, the Cavaliers needed something to get excited about.

”You have to understand our mentality prior to this game,” Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. “We lost two out of three games where we were clearly the aggressive team, clearly the one who had more chances, and clearly if we had finished those chances we would have won those games … We were a little bit fragile as a team.”

Then the ball rolled to the feet of sophomore defender Maggie Kistner. Precious seconds ticked off the clock.

“It’s just like, [your mindset is] get the ball. Get the ball toward the goal,” senior forward Jess Rostedt said.

Kistner launched the ball upfield, where it was received by junior defender Kika Toulouse, who immediately touched it to freshman forward Caroline Miller standing in the center of the field about 30 yards from the net.

Miller pushed forward, but three Maryland defenders collapsed on her immediately. Stumbling, twisting and shoving, Miller scrappily pushed her way into the box amid intense pressure from the Terrapin backline. Just as she was about to lose control, Miller managed to pass the ball to Rostedt, who was streaking into the left side of the box.

“I saw her get the ball and I was like ‘I’m just going to get into the box,’” Rostedt said. “If she does get a shot off and it deflects, I’m there, or if it jumbles around. She took a touch … and it just came right to my feet.”

Rostedt was immediately met by a Maryland player who forced her wide while she was simultaneously rushed by the goalie.

“I heard the guy on the loudspeaker say ‘3!’ And I [knew] I could only take one more touch to get a better angle.”

Rostedt took a touch.

“And then ‘2.’ I wound up for the shot.”

As the far post opened up, Rostedt fired and found the back of the net with 0:01 remaining.

The game-tying goal pushed the match into overtime, where the score remained even for two more 10 minute periods and a final of 2-2.

Virginia never had a lead in last night’s game, but escaped without taking a loss. After the Terrapins scored the first goal in the 56th minute, The Cavaliers equalized just two minutes later when senior forward Caitlin Miskel received a cross in the box and found Miller who cranked one in from 10 yards away.

“There were times in the game when I felt we had a lot of the possession and we were the aggressor and there were times where I felt like Maryland had a lot of play and they were the aggressor,” Swanson said. “I think the momentum went back and forth.”

Maryland again took the lead with their second goal in the 79th minute.

“At 11 minutes we pulled one of our defenders,” Swanson said. “We went to a 3-5-2. We were just pushing our wingers up high. We were supposed to have two center strikers and pump balls into the box. We did enough good things in the last eleven minutes to get a goal. Full credit to the team, I’m very proud of them and how hard they battled.”

After suffering two upsets in the last three games that knocked them out of the top 25, the Cavaliers later this season may look back on their game against Maryland as a turning point.

“This was really a gut-check time for us,” Swanson said. “Given the way the game went and given where we were at before that, its something we can build on, and that’s the most important thing. We got a little flicker that we can light a fire with.”
 

Cavs draw with Terps
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 9, 2009

In the aftermath of a home loss to Virginia Tech eight days ago in which his team outshot the Hokies by a large margin and, for the most part, dominated play, Virginia coach Steve Swanson looked mystified. Some two hours after the game, Swanson could be seen sitting with his assistants in front of a monitor on the field, dissecting video of the just-completed horror show.

On a chilly Thursday night at Klockner Stadium, UVa senior Jess Rostedt saved Swanson from another sleepless night.

Rostedt’s goal with just one second remaining in regulation saved Virginia from its second straight ACC defeat as UVa and Maryland played to a 2-2 tie.

“For as disappointing as the last few games were for us — in terms of us controlling games and not coming out with the result — to be down like we were twice and find a way to scrape our way back into it…that’s the thing I’m most pleased with,” Swanson said. “I thought the team really battled hard tonight.”

After a goal by Maryland’s Caitlin McDowell in the 79th minute, the Cavaliers seemed well on their way to a loss. With less than 15 seconds to go and the ball on UVa’s end of the field, the teams almost appeared ready to come off their respective benches and shake hands.

But then, freshman Caroline Miller somehow was able to nudge a pass ahead to a streaking Rostedt, who exploded past three Maryland defenders and knifed a left-footed shoot past sprawling Terrapin goalie Mary Casey.

“It was crazy,” Rostedt said. “All I wanted to do was get into the box in case [Miller] got a shot off, but the ball just jumbled around and came right to me.

“I heard the [PA announcer] say three [seconds] and I said, ‘O.K., just take one more touch.’ Then I heard him say, ‘Two [seconds].’ After I shot it, I heard, ‘One.’

“Right when I hit it, I knew that it was going to go in. I saw it go in, and it was just awesome…I got the chills.”

The tie was huge for Virginia (6-3-3, 1-2-1 ACC), which was coming off the loss to Tech and facing four consecutive road games beginning Sunday at Boston College.

The game was a topsy-turvy one, with a number of momentum swings.

With the contest scoreless early in the second half, Virginia nearly took the lead. Lauren Alwine played a beautiful ball into the box that Miller headed off the post. Miller played it back out to a wide-open Colleen Flanagan, who fired a shot over the net.

Five minutes later, Maryland (9-2-1, 1-2-1) was able to capitalize on its chance after Virginia couldn’t clear a loose ball following a Terrapin shot. Mallory Baker scored for a 1-0 Terps’ lead.

Maryland seemed to be in control. However, just over two minutes later, a crossing attempt by Emily Carrollo meant for Caitlin Miskel in front of the net wound up on the foot of Miller, who blasted a shot past Casey to tie the game.

In the two overtimes, neither team could get many quality chances.

“This is good,” Rostedt said. “We just need to go into Boston and just get a win.

“It’s key that we get a win there.”

Added Swanson: “To get a point from this game gives us momentum as we go forward.”
 

Last Second Goal Gives Cavaliers a 2-2 Tie vs. Terps
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/08/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s soccer team was one second away from its third conference loss of the season, but Jess Rostedt’s (Kent, Ohio) goal at 89:59 gave the Cavaliers a 2-2 tie with No. 19 Maryland at Klöckner Stadium. With the draw, Virginia moves to 6-3-3 overall (1-2-1 ACC), while the Terps are 9-2-1 overall (1-2-1 ACC).

“I am proud of this team and how they battled tonight and never gave up,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “It was really a gut check moment for us. The way the last three games had gone, where we were clearly the aggressor and had the majority of chances, to be 1-2 in those games left us a little fragile. Then tonight, to go down a goal twice in the second half and fight back to get a point in this game is a positive. It may necessarily have been the result we wanted, but given how the game went, this result gives us some momentum heading forward.”

After a scoreless first half, the game opened up in the second half. The Terrapins took the lead in the 56th minute when Mallory Baker intercepted a clearance of a free kick sent into the box and fired a shot from the top of area into the corner of the net for her first goal of the season. The Cavaliers answered just two minutes later as Lauren Alwine’s (Elizabethtown, Pa.) cross was played at the back post by Caitlin Miskel (Boca Raton, Fla.) to Caroline Miller (Rockville, Md.), who turned and fired from 10 yards out her fourth goal of the year.

The Terrapins retook the lead in the 79th minute as Lydia Hastings’ through ball found the run of Caitlin McDowell, who scored her first goal of the season. Virginia pushed forward over the final 10 minutes and finally equalized in the final second. With about 10 seconds remaining, a ball was sent towards the top of the box. Miller battled a Terp defender and came out with the ball, and left it in the run of Rostedt. Rostedt took several touches to her left before firing a shot across her body that rolled into the net just before time expired for her sixth goal of the season.

“I remember the ball was loose and Caroline found me making a run towards the box,” said Rostedt. “I took a touch and could hear the PA announcer counting down … four, three … and knew I could take one more touch. It hit it when he said two and I knew it was going in as soon as I hit it. I have never scored a goal like that before, it gave me goose-bumps.”

Neither team had a great opportunity to score in the overtime periods and the game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Overall, Maryland outshot Virginia 15-13, while each team had our corner kicks. Chantel Jones (Midlothian, Va.) made a career-high eight saves in net for Virginia, while Mary Casey made three for Maryland.

“We needed to get Caroline and Jess going offensively and both of them stepped up tonight when we really needed it,” said Swanson. “We have had some good depth in terms of scoring this season and we need that to continue as the season progresses.”

The Cavaliers begin a four-match road trip on Sunday as they visit No. 6 Boston College.

VIRGINIA 2, MARYLAND 2

#19 Maryland (9-2-1, 1-2-1) 0 2 0 0 - 2
Virginia (6-3-3, 1-2-1) 0 2 0 0 - 2

Scoring Summary
Md. Mallory Baker 1 (unassisted) 56’
UVa. Caroline Miller 4 (Caitlin Miskel 5, Lauren Alwine 6) 58’
Md. Caitlin McDowell 1 (Lydia Hastings 5) 79’
UVa. Jess Rostedt 6 (Caroline Miller 6) 90’

Shots: UVa 13, Md 15
Corners: UVa 4, Md 4
Saves: UVa 8 (Jones 8), Md 3 (Casey 3)
Fouls: UVa 12, Md 15

Weather: 58 degrees, clear
Attendance: 764
 

Three Cavaliers Advance in All-American Main Draw
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/08/2009

TULSA, Okla. – The Virginia men’s tennis team had three singles players and one doubles team advance on day one of main draw play at the ITA All-American Championships on the campus of the University of Tulsa. Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India), Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) and Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) won in singles, while the team of Shabaz and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) won in doubles.

Singh, the No. 9 seed in the 64-player draw, won a thrilling come-from-behind match against No. 30 ranked Austin Krajicek of Texas A&M, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Singh was down a break twice in the final set and fought off a pair of matches points against him when Krajicek was serving for the match at 5-3 in the third. Singh won the final set in a tiebreaker and advances to meet Jay Goldman of Arizona in the second round Friday.

Shabaz, the No. 13 seed, also rallied from losing the first set, topping Robin Fahgen of SMU 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. He will play Jeff Dadamo of Texas A&M in the second round.

Courtney, who advanced to the main draw through qualifying opened main draw play with the biggest win of his career, topping No. 11 seed Austin Childs of Louisville, 6-2, 6-1. He meets Alex Lacroix of Florida in round two. Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) also reached the main draw through qualifying, but lost in the first round to Ed Corrie of Texas, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. He meets Guillermo Gomez of Georgia Tech in the backdraw on Friday.

In doubles, the team of Shabaz and Barrick topped the USC duo of Matt Kecki and Jaak Poldma 8-5 in the opening round. They play Cal’s Pedro Zerbini and Jonathan Dahan in the second round on Friday. Courtney and Singer, who reached the main draw through qualifying, lost to Auburn’s Tim Puetz and Alex Stamchev 8-5 in the first round.


 

White: New Coach Looks to Lift UVa Diving
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/08/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The UVa men dominate ACC swimming and diving, and the women's team has been nearly as successful in the conference.
Balance, however, has not been the Cavaliers' trademark in this sport. They've won because of their prowess in swimming, not in diving.
At the ACC women's meet in February, UVa totaled 848 points, well ahead of runner-up North Carolina (602.5). None of the Wahoos' points came from diving.
Virginia amassed 832 points to win the ACC men's title a week later. Divers contributed 25 of those points.
"You have to have to some strength in diving. We have not," said Mark Bernardino, longtime coach of the swimming teams at his alma mater.
"We need to get to where we're scoring 80 points in diving or 100 points in diving, and that's what we're hoping Rich can do."
That would be Rich MacDonald, whom Bernardino hired in early August to coach UVa's diving teams. MacDonald had held a similar post for nine seasons at East Carolina University.
"I was very happy there, very comfortable there," MacDonald said. "But I think you get to a point in your life -- I'm 35 -- where you need to look for challenges, and I don't think I was being challenged enough at East Carolina."
In 2009, Virginia finished ninth at the NCAA men's swimming-and-diving championships -- its best showing ever -- and 12th at the women's meet.
At UVa, MacDonald said, "I think I have a better chance to reach my goals, which is taking divers to the NCAA meet every year and having scoring divers."
For the Cavaliers, the 2009-10 season begins Friday afternoon at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Perennial NCAA power Florida is in town for men's and women's dual meets.
Virginia's roster includes five male divers: senior Alex D'Ambrosio, juniors James Barnett and Nathan Parker, sophomore Briggy Imbriglia and freshman Kevin Moore.
The women's diving team consists of first-year Anna Peck and second-year Sarah Andrekovich.
"I think I inherited a pretty sound men's team," MacDonald said. "The women's team, just in terms of sheer numbers and athletic ability, is not to the level I'd like."
Eventually, MacDonald said, he hopes to have four or five men and an equal number of female divers.
Given the state of UVa's diving program, it's not surprising to what the new coach has been devoting much of his energy.
"Recruiting right now is my No. 1 challenge, my No. 1 focus," said MacDonald, a graduate of the University of Rhode Island who coached at his alma mater from 1997 to 2000.
His sales pitch is straightforward: Help build a successful diving program at a school that's proven it can win in swimming.
For evidence of UVa's commitment, prospects need only to look in the Aquatic and Fitness Center, where a new 5-meter diving platform stands. Previously, Virginia had only 1- and 3-meter springboards for practices and meets.
"It helps tremendously," MacDonald said of the facility upgrade. "The platform is a scoring event in our conference."
ECU's athletics director is Terry Holland, whose ties to UVa are extensive. MacDonald said he met with Holland before accepting Bernardino's offer.
"He was upset that I was leaving East Carolina, but he thought it was a very good career move for me," MacDonald said, "and he said he'd support me any way he could with the transition."
And so MacDonald, who grew up in Fort Washington, Pa., landed in Virginia, at a school that never has had a diver, male or female, qualify for the NCAA championship meet.
"The bar can only go higher," he said.

 

Virginia Swimming Announces Captains
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/08/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Head coach Mark Bernardino has announced captains for the 2009-10 men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
Leading the men's team this season is senior Daniel Johnson, junior Scot Robison and senior Garrett Wren. Captains for the women's squad include seniors Mei Christensen, Jenna Harris and Katherine McDonnell, as well as junior Liz Shaw.
Johnson, a native of Charlotte, N.C., ranks sixth in the 200 backstroke and eighth in the 100 backstroke all-time in the Virginia record book.
Robison, also a Charlotte native, is coming off a summer of international experience, earning three medals at the World University Games. He is the school record holder in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events and is an eight-time All-American, in addition to being a six-time ACC champion.
Wren, a Richmond, Va., native, is a three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll honoree. A freestyler who also competes in individual medley events, Wren set his personal-best times at the 2008 ACC Championships.
Christensen, who hails from Reston, Va., was recently named to the U.S. national team and is the Virginia record holder in four events: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke. The 2009 ACC Swimmer of the Year also holds the conference record in the 100 and 200 back and is both a seven-time All-American and seven-time ACC champion.
Harris, a native of St. Louis, Mo., ranks third on the all-time list in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events and also is listed among the top-10 in the 1000 and 1650 free. She is a three-time All-American in the 800 freestyle relay and earned All-ACC honors in the 200 freestyle.
McDonnell is a native of Culpeper, Va., and ranks second in the Cavalier record book in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. She qualified for her first NCAA Championships in 2009 and was an All-American and ACC championship member of the 200 and 400 medley relay teams. McDonnell is in her second year as serving as a team captain.
Shaw, the 2008 ACC Freshman of the Year, ranks second on the 200 individual medley, 100 and 200 butterfly top times lists. The Richmond, Va., native also ranks third in the 400 IM and additionally is a six-time ACC champion and two-time All-American.
The Cavaliers open the season Friday at 1 p.m. against Florida at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Diving will begin at noon.
 

Virginia Set to Host Cornell, No. 4 Wake Forest
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/08/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (11-1, 1-1 ACC) returns home for two games this weekend at the University Hall Turf Field. Up first is Cornell for a 1 p.m. non-conference game on Saturday. The Cavaliers then welcome No. 4 Wake Forest for a 2 p.m. game on Sunday. The meeting with the Demon Deacons is the first of two games between the two teams this season and will not count as a conference game.
Prior to the Wake Forest game on Sunday, a tailgate will be held for all fans, while supplies last.
Virginia opened the 2009 season with an 11-0 record, the best start since the 1979 Cavaliers started 12-0. UVa has outscored opponents 40-10 and has limited opponents to six shots on goal or less this season in 11 of 12 games. High school and USA Junior National Team teammates Paige Selenski and Tara Puffenberger currently lead the Cavalier offense. Selenski has scored 13 goals while Puffenberger has eight scores. Junior goalkeeper Kim Kastuk had a season-high 10 saves against Maryland last Friday and currently ranks fifth nationally with a 0.65 goals against average. The Cavaliers are a young team, with just two seniors on the roster: co-captains Lauren Elstein (Fredericksburg, Va.) and Traci Ragukas (Sweet Valley, Pa.).
Virginia went 1-1 last week, suffering its first loss of the season Friday at top-ranked Maryland. The Cavaliers led 1-0 at halftime thanks to a goal by Paige Selenski but the Terps rallied for three goals in the second half, including one on a penalty stroke. UVa tallied a 4-3 victory at Richmond last Wednesday, which included two scores from Selenski as well as goals from Tara Puffenberger and Traci Ragukas.
Cornell is 8-1 on the season and receiving votes in the latest Kookaburra/NFHCA poll. The Big Red is coming off a 2-1 win at home against Colgate and suffered its first and only loss at Yale (1-0) last weekend. This season, Cornell has outscored its opponents 22-8. Catie De Stio paces the Big Red offense with seven goals and five assists for a team-best 19 points. Kelley Kavitarian adds four goals while Mattie Prodanovic also contributes two goals and three assists. In the cage, Melanie Jue has an 0.86 goals against average and a .865 save percentage. She has made 32 stops in nine games this year.
The series is tied at one win apiece in the all-time series between Virginia and Cornell. The teams last met in Charlottesville in 2003 with Virginia earning a 4-0 win. The Big Red claimed the previous meeting in 2002 with a 2-1 overtime victory in Ithica, N.Y.
No. 4 Wake Forest is 8-3 on the season, including a 1-2 mark in ACC play. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 6-0 win at home against Appalachian State. Wake Forest has lost twice to second-ranked North Carolina (4-1 in Chapel Hill, 3-0 in Winston-Salem) and also fell at top-ranked Maryland (4-1). The Deacons are led by freshman Lizzie Rae, who has six goals this season. Melissa Martin has also contributed three goals and five assists while Lauren Greenwald also has four scores. Wake Forest has had 13 different players score this season. Julie Young and Kaitlyn Ruhf have split time between the pipes this season, with goals against averages of 2.21 and 2.23, respectively.
Virginia and Wake Forest each have 15 wins in the all-time series, but the Deacons have claimed the last 14 meetings between the two teams. Last year, Wake took the regular season meeting, 6-2, in Charlottesville. The Demon Deacons also ended Virginia's season with a 4-3 victory in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in Winston-Salem. The last Virginia victory came on Nov. 6, 1998, a 1-0 win in Charlottesville.


 

Myers Announces Women’s Lacrosse Captains Duff, Hagerman, Kalkstein selected by teammates to lead team in 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia head women’s lacrosse coach Julie Myers announced that seniors Kaitlin Duff, Whitaker Hagerman and Brittany Kalkstein have been selected by their teammates as captains for the 2010 season.

“Kaitlin, Whit and Brittany are great players with a tremendous amount of experience,” Myers said. “We’re off to a great start this fall and they’ve been a huge part of our success. The team responds well to them and they communicate well with the coaching staff. We are excited for each of them and for all of us to get the year started.”

Duff, an All-American midfielder from Bethesda, Md., has started every game of her career. The anchor of the Cavaliers’ midfield, Duff is a two-time all-region honoree and two-time All-ACC team member. She was named to the 2009 ACC All-Tournament team and led the league in caused turnovers last year, finishing the season ranked ninth nationally.

Hagerman, a redshirt senior from North Andover, Mass., started all but one game at attack last year. Drawing the attention of some of the opposing teams’ top defenders, Hagerman was able to tally 25 goals for the Cavaliers last season.

Kalkstein is an All-American defensive midfielder hailing from Baltimore, Md. An All-South Region honoree, Kalkstein led the ACC and finished the season ranked sixth nationally in draw controls. She broke her own single season mark in the category last spring, and currently sits second on the career records list.

Virginia will host two fall ball games in October. The Cavaliers will face Notre Dame on Friday at 4 p.m., and Georgetown on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.