White: 'Hoos Look to Extend Streak Against Terps
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- On the football field where Mikell Simpson emerged from obscurity in 2007 and, with an ESPN2 audience watching, delivered a performance straight out of Hollywood, the senior tailback is likely to be in street clothes for UVa's return engagement there.
Simpson hurt his neck last weekend against Indiana -- though not before rushing for four touchdowns -- and he was listed as doubtful on the injury report released Thursday night.
UVa takes prides in its next-man-up mentality, though, and no one in the program is panicking. If Simpson isn't available Saturday at Byrd Stadium, fifth-year senior Rashawn Jackson and redshirt freshman Torrey Mack will assume greater roles against ACC foe Maryland (1-1, 2-4).
An injury to Jackson, coincidentally, helped clear the way for Simpson's break-out game against the Terrapins in 2007. With several of UVa's other tailbacks slowed or sidelined by injuries, Simpson was thrust into the rotation at Byrd Stadium. He hadn't figured prominently in Maryland's scouting report -- if at all -- but totaled 271 all-purpose yards and scored the winning touchdown with 16 seconds left as the Wahoos rallied for an 18-17 victory.
"I didn't even go on the trip, because I hurt my hamstring the week before," Jackson recalled Wednesday night, "so I really couldn't tell you much from the sideline perspective.
"But watching it on TV, it was really painful, because those are my guys out there, and I couldn't be there. So I took it in the best way I could. I sat down, put the game on and I cheered at home."
A year ago, at Scott Stadium, Virginia beat Maryland again. This time it wasn't close. The Cavaliers pounded the Terrapins 31-0, with Simpson contributing a season-high 77 yards on 14 carries.
Jackson rushed five times for 12 yards in that game. In his college career, he's never carried more than 14 times in a game, in part because he primarily played fullback in 2007 and '08.
But the 6-1 245-pounder is coming off a game in which he gained 73 yards rushing (on eight carries) and added 45 receiving (on three catches), and Virginia coach Al Groh would be comfortable if Jackson carried 15 or 20 times in College Park.
"Very definitely," Groh said. "The only reason he hasn't is because there have been other guys to carry the ball."
When these teams met in 2008, Virginia was 1-3 and coming off an embarrassing loss to Duke, which had dropped its previous 25 ACC games.
Maryland, meanwhile, was 4-1. The Terps had upset Clemson at Death Valley a week earlier, and they entered Scott Stadium as clear favorites.
They left humbled. And that's one reason Virginia's players and coaches believe what happened at Byrd Stadium in 2007 will have little bearing on Saturday's game.
"In getting ready for a game like this, I don't think you can focus on the past too much, or even the recent past, like this past week," senior linebacker Aaron Clark said. "You can't draw too much from how we've played against them or how we've played recently. You have to prepare for the game like it's a one-game season. You have to re-focus your energy and really keep grinding."
The 2007 victory in College Park "was pretty electrifying," Jackson said. "It was a pretty special moment. But that really means nothing. That's just proof we can win in the past, and the past isn't going to help on us Saturday."
What should help the 'Hoos (1-0, 2-3) is the confidence they've gained over the past month. A blowout loss to TCU on Sept. 12 dropped UVa to 0-2, and it seemed reasonable to wonder if Groh's team would be competitive this season.
A week later, however, the Cavaliers scored 34 points at Southern Mississippi. They gave up 37 and so left Hattiesburg with an 0-3 record, but the progress they'd made, particularly on offense, continued during their bye week.
When the Wahoos took the field again, Oct. 3 in Chapel Hill, they surprised North Carolina 16-3. A 47-7 rout of Indiana followed at Scott Stadium.
"We've had two decent performances back to back here now, and a fair one before," Groh said Wednesday. "So we're seeing some progress."
The Cavaliers' confidence level is "much higher than it was after week 3, I'll say that," said Clark, a team captain. "But it's something that you gotta build on every week. You can't ride that confidence from the week before and think that you're just going to walk in and win a game.
"One of Coach's sayings that I love is, 'The bull doesn't care what you did last week.' ... When a cowboy's riding a bull, the bull doesn't know who's on his back. He doesn't know if you rode the last 100 bulls before him. All he knows is he's trying to get you off.
"So you gotta come out and prepare and keep fighting and be hungry every week. You can't get complacent. You know the ACC, it's a crazy place. You can lose any week.."
At 4 p.m. Saturday, in a game ESPNU will televise, Virginia takes on a Maryland team that appears headed in the opposite direction. The Terrapins, 1-1 in the ACC, are 2-4 overall and rank last in the conference in scoring defense.
But strange things tend to happen when these rivals clash. You know about the past two meetings. In 2006, Virginia led Maryland 20-0 at halftime and lost 28-26 at Scott Stadium.
"This will be a really critical challenge for us to find out just how much consistency we're developing," said Groh, who's 4-4 against his Maryland counterpart, Ralph Friedgen. "I think if it starts to show up fairly repeatedly, game after game, we can tell that we're really going down that road. Otherwise it's just a sporadic start-and-sputter thing."
Virginia's roster includes nine Maryland residents, including starters Rodney McLeod (Oxon Hill), Cameron Johnson (Greenbelt) and Nick Jenkins (Westminster). Johnson's home, in fact, is about a 10-minute drive from the Maryland campus.
Jackson is from New Jersey, but he knows several Terps, including linebacker Alex Wujciak, who's also a Garden State native. Wujciak, based on his comments to reporters in College Park this week, has little use for UVa.
"It's two different schools, two different atmospheres," Wujciak said. "It's two different types of kids. It's definitely a serious rivalry ... [Friedgen] said they're shirt-and-tie, khaki-type of guys. I guarantee you won't see any of us wearing that around here."
Stoking the rivalry, of course, is this: Groh is a UVa alumnus, and Friedgen is a Maryland graduate. Each played football at his alma mater, and neither enjoys losing to the other. The same is true for their players.
"It's a tremendous rivalry," Jackson said. "Our guys, we take it personally. Their guys, I'm sure they take it personally too."
Clark said: "It's not just, 'OK, this is a football game. This is Maryland, it's a team on our schedule.' No, this is backyard football, you could call it. You feel like you could go out and play a game in the streets and play these same guys. It's a different level of intensity."
 

U.Va. looks to continue momentum against Maryland
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 17, 2009

It's possibly the most important game of the season so far for both teams. When Virginia faces Maryland today in College Park, the winner seizes momentum and a spot near the top of their respective divisions in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.

For the loser, it could be enough to hamper bowl dreams.

The Cavs started with an 0-3 record but have an unblemished mark in ACC play after knocking off North Carolina. A victory would give them a three-game winning streak going into games against Georgia Tech and Duke.

"I'd like to think that we're about to roll off one of those 'Virginia streaks,'" linebacker Aaron Clark said. "But you just have to take it day by day and game by game. In the past, those streaks have always been fun."

It's more fun for the team than the start of the year. The three-game losing streak, including a loss to William and Mary, gave the Cavaliers no margin for error as they chase six victories and bowl eligibility.

Since that time, the 'Hoos have managed to turn things around, in part by dumping the spread offense with which they had experimented.

"Guys are buying into the process and paying more attention to the smaller details," fullback Rashawn Jackson said. "I'm excited because everything is clicking."

But the Terrapins (1-1, 2-4) also come into the game needing a victory to preserve their bowl hopes.

Virginia is in the Coastal Division of the ACC. Maryland is in the Atlantic Division. But this has been designated as a "rivalry game" and they meet every year.

Virginia coach Al Groh told his team this week to forget about the rivalry game and the winning streak and just focus on football.

He illustrated his point with a rodeo saying: "The bull doesn't care what you did last week."

"It's his way of saying that when a cowboy rides the bull, the bull doesn't know who's on his back," Clark said. "You've got to come out and prepare and be hungry every week, or you know the ACC, it's a crazy place -- you could lose any week."

After losing control early in the season, the Cavs have the opportunity to re-mount the bull today and give themselves a fighting chance heading into the heart of conference play.
 

Three keys for U.Va.
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By Staff Reports

Published: October 17, 2009

Three keys for U.Va.
1 Quick start . Indiana nearly scored the first points of the game last Saturday, but Ras-I Dowling forced a fumble that swung the momentum the other way and allowed U.Va. to draw first blood. Would Indiana have folded as badly as it did if it had gotten an early seven-point lead? It's a hypothetical, but there's no doubt that the momentum swing hurt the Hoosiers.

2 Running back consistency . Mikell Simpson is listed as "doubtful," but the team has other rushers ready to go. Chief among them is senior Rashawn Jackson, though freshman Torrey Mack also may have a hand in today's outcome. The ideal situation would be to get Simpson back -- he can't play without doctor approval, but if he gets it, he's been on a hot streak recently.

3 Kickoff concerns . Virginia's kickoff unit has been bad this season -- kicker Chase Hinkebein got benched for the end of last week's game, and the return unit has allowed several game-changing runbacks. That won't fly today against the ACC's top kickoff returner. By the time Perry Jones is finished with his career, the sophomore easily could stand atop the conference list for return yardage.
 

Academic Standards No Small Factor at U-Va.
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 17, 2009

Virginia's athletic department regularly advertises the school's competitive academic environment. The department's motto is even "Uncompromised Excellence." But questions linger about whether the football program, which has only one major bowl appearance in its history, suffers from the school's admissions requirements and the academic competitiveness once the students are enrolled.

In February 2006, Virginia signed 24 football prospects. One recruiting service ranked the group as the No. 39 class in the nation. Six months later when preseason camp opened, eight of those players were not on the roster because they were not admitted into school. Some signed with other programs and others went to prep school to enhance their academic profiles, but only two of those players remain on Virginia's roster almost four years later.

When Virginia sputtered to a 5-7 finish in 2008, Coach Al Groh said the team suffered from "a lack of inventory" -- partly because of disciplinary reasons, partly because of departures to the NFL draft, but also because of the school's academic standards. Two key starters -- quarterback Jameel Sewell and cornerback Chris Cook -- didn't play in 2008 because of academic suspensions. The Cavaliers' quarterback play suffered and they needed to keep Vic Hall, whose all-around skills make him a potent offensive weapon, as a defensive back as a result of the suspensions.

"I think it's all a matter of how you frame a particular set of circumstances, and from an administrative point of view, I would like to view that the academic requirements that the University of Virginia has would be an asset," Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said. "That is, it would allow us to narrow our pool of prospective players and to then encourage prospective players who have not only football, but academic goals in mind, and people who as a result might be predisposed to excel academically. It's just a matter of how you look at it. It's certainly something that is a topic of discussion, but nonetheless, I would be one of those who would look on it as something that should be as an asset."

Groh has often said that Virginia can win with its academic standards, although there are prospects whom he admits he cannot recruit. Asked how frequently he finds a player he likes on the recruiting trail, only to find the player does not fit the school's profile, Groh said, "I couldn't give you a number on it, but let's just say it's not a rare experience."

Shawn Moore, an all-American quarterback at Virginia in 1990, does not consider academics as an excuse to justify the current state of the football team, which has gone 28-26 over the past four-plus seasons. Moore said the academic requirements are no different than what George Welsh dealt with as Virginia's head coach; Welsh suffered only two losing seasons from 1982 to 2000.

Moore also said there is a better support system in place now than ever before, and that the statistical measures the NCAA uses to gauge a program's academic progress make it a priority for the school to ensure students can handle the work.

"The excuse of not being able to get a kid in academically -- and if you just look at kids today, look at the blue-chip athletes coming out of high school today -- most of the kids have grades, have test scores to get into any school in America," Moore said. "These kids are starting as freshmen, sophomores. They know the recruiting process starts earlier now, so they have to have those core curriculum classes in place."

In the recent U.S. News World & Report rankings of national universities, nine of the nation's top 25 national universities had division I-A football programs: Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, California, UCLA and Virginia. Only three of those schools -- Notre Dame in 2001, 2006 and 2007, UCLA in 1999 and Stanford in 2000 -- have earned berths in Bowl Championship Series bowl games since the inception of the BCS in 1998. (The number greatly increases with Southern California, which was ranked No. 26 on the list of national universities.)

Whether prospective football players view Virginia as the right fit is another issue, specifically because of Virginia's curriculum. Although the school offers 47 undergraduate majors, it does not offer popular areas of studies for athletes such as physical education, sports management or communications. Carolyn M. Callahan, Virginia's faculty athletics representative, said football players cannot earn credits for football, either.

"We don't allow that here, which means it can be more challenging for our student-athletes to succeed [compared with other schools] because they don't get credits for playing football -- or other sports," Callahan said. "Some claim that we don't have majors that might be as appealing and engaging for our students. I don't believe that. If you can't find something you're interested in here, you're not looking hard."

Callahan said Virginia's support staff for athletes provides a resource to finding a suitable major and emphasized that the players take the same classes and endure the same course load as other students. It is part of the package of playing at Virginia. Some can succeed in it; others cannot.

"I believe every student who comes to the University of Virginia is challenged because it's a competitive and challenging institution," Littlepage said. "I can't say with any certainty it's more difficult for us as a [football] program to be successful."



 

UVa not alone in attendance drop
Maryland is down nearly 3,500 spectators per game.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Midway through the 2009 college football season, the Virginia and Maryland programs are mirror images.

Both have head coaches in their ninth season.

Both head coaches, Al Groh at Virginia and Ralph Friedgen at Maryland, are alumni of those schools.

Both have extensive NFL coaching experience.

Both programs have had ups and downs during their tenure, but have had more winning seasons than losing seasons.

Both recruit in many of the same areas.

"You can check all those boxes," Friedgen said earlier this week.

Another similarity, not pointed out to Friedgen, was the restlessness of the respective fan bases. Maryland (2-4 overall, 1-1 ACC) is a 3 12-point underdog to the Cavaliers (2-3, 1-0) heading into today's 4 p.m. kickoff at Byrd Stadium.

It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd the game attracts because, like Virginia, the Terrapins have experienced a drop in attendance.

Maryland's average crowd at 54,000-seat Byrd Stadium last year was 47,958. In the Terps' first four games this year, played in succession between Sept. 12 and Oct. 3, the highest attendance was 46,485.

Average attendance at Maryland is down nearly 3,500 spectators per game (or 7.2 percent). At Virginia, a homecoming crowd for Indiana last week was 45,371, the smallest turnout at a UVa home game in 10 years.

Virginia's average attendance this year (49,431) is down nearly 4,500 fans from 2008, an 8.1-percent drop.

What's worse for Virginia, the Cavaliers play at 61,500-seat Scott Stadium. The stadium at Maryland games has been 86.1-percent full, while UVa has been "packing" its house at an 80.3-percent rate.

With four home games remaining, Virginia still has a chance to recapture some of its fan base. After opening the season with three consecutive losses, the Cavaliers have won two games in a row, improving their record to 12-1 over the last 13 October games.

The big difference in UVa's game last week was an offense that generated 536 yards in total offense in a 47-7 romp over Indiana. However, senior tailback Mikell Simpson sustained an injury to his neck that, in all likelihood, will keep him out of today's game.

Simpson, who had 149 all-purpose yards at the time of his injury with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter, was listed as "doubtful" on the injury report Virginia submitted to the ACC on Thursday.

The "doubtful" designation means there is a 75-percent chance he will not play, according to ACC guidelines.

Simpson had a huge game at Maryland two years ago, when he had 271 all-purpose yards, and either ran with the ball or caught it on 14 consecutive plays during the Cavaliers' winning touchdown drive in an 18-17 triumph.

Virginia has been listing redshirt freshman Torrey Mack as its No. 2 tailback behind Simpson, but nobody would be surprised if Simpson's fifth-year classmate, 6-foot-1, 245-pound Rashawn Jackson, picks up most of the slack.

Jackson, nominally listed as the No. 1 fullback on a team that rarely employs two backs, carried eight times for 73 yards against Indiana and finished with 118 all-purpose yards.

Groh has acknowledged that Jackson is the best pass blocker among UVa's running backs, which could be a source of comfort to quarterback Jameel Sewell, who has passed for more than 300 yards in two of his past three games and has jumped into sixth place on UVa's career passing list.

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner, also a fifth-year senior, now stands third on the Terps' all-time passing list. He has shown more of a willingness to run this season, but, like Sewell, his statistics do not reflect it.

Maryland ranks 115th out of 120 Division I-A teams in sack avoidance and UVa is 117th.

Turner has 175 yards in gains, which are offset by 175 yards in losses. Sewell also has 175 yards in losses (in one fewer game) but has rushed for 292 yards.

The teams are similar in almost every way, not that they feel any particular kinship.

"They're not one of my favorite teams," Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak told the Baltimore Sun this week. "We're two different schools, two different atmospheres, two different types of kids. There are no shirts and ties and khakis in College Park. None of us want to wear that type of stuff."
 

Maryland's Moten never stops talking
Junior linebacker emerges as Terps' most vocal leader
By Jeff Barker | jeff.barker@baltsun.com
October 17, 2009

COLLEGE PARK - - From a distance, Maryland linebacker Adrian Moten seems to be in constant motion - making tackles, exhorting teammates with fist pumps, leaping to celebrate big plays.

Move closer and you discover it's not only his arms and legs that rarely stop moving. It's also his mouth.

Football players use all sorts of techniques for staying upbeat and focused, particularly during trying seasons. Moten's method is to talk - incessantly, and seemingly to everyone, during games and practices. The redshirt junior from Prince George's County talks to teammates, opposing players and his coaches.

As the sounds of crickets are to summer nights, the chatter of Moten and fellow linebacker Alex Wujciak is the background music to Maryland football.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen smiles and shakes his head when asked about his gabby linebackers. Friedgen says he considers it a positive sign that Moten and Wujciak haven't tempered their behavior in a season in which the Terps (2-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) have lost four of their first six games heading into today's homecoming contest against Virginia (2-3, 1-0 ACC).

"It's all in fun," Friedgen said. "That's what I like about this team. The other day I wore a flannel shirt. Moten jumped all over that. They were calling me 'lumberjack' and 'Joe Flannel.' They will even talk trash to [offensive coordinator] James [Franklin]. I had to tell them there's a line they can cross."

Friedgen said he wouldn't know what to do if Moten - who said he talked trash to star Clemson running back C.J. Spiller in Maryland's 24-21 victory two weeks ago - ever stopped his antics. That would be something to worry about, Friedgen said.

Moten said his talking provides an outlet. It's as much a part of him as his cleats and jersey.

And just what does Moten say?

"Well, we were talking to Spiller," said Moten, an agile, muscular man who speaks so quickly that it's a wonder he doesn't hyperventilate.

"When [Spiller] was running the ball, we said, 'Why didn't you keep running and try to run me over?' He just laughed at that," Moten said.

"On one play, [linebacker] Demetrius [Hartsfield] wrapped him up. Spiller kind of got upset and I said, 'Hey, he just wrapped you up, that's all!' Spiller kind of smirked."

Moten and Wujciak are considered the biggest talkers on the team. "On offense, it's usually the receivers that are the talkers," quarterback Chris Turner said. "Guys like [Adrian] Cannon and LaQuan [Williams] and Quintin McCree."

Said Moten: "I think everybody knows how I am. If I have something to say to someone, I'm going to say it."

Moten and Wujciak can usually back up their talk. They have been consistent performers on a defense that surrendered 516 yards and four touchdown passes in a 42-32 loss to Wake Forest last week.

Moten leads the Terps with 5 1/2 tackles for losses. Wujciak is the overall tackles leaders at 10 1/2 per game.

Moten, who played at times with a cast last year because of a wrist ligament injury, was respected enough by his teammates to have been elected one of four captains before this season began.

"Adrian has kind of really matured as a young man," Friedgen said. "He's kind of outspoken. He's not afraid to show guys they're not working."

Friedgen likes that Moten doesn't sulk. The outside linebacker doesn't seem to internalize his problems. Rather, he takes his frustrations out on opposing ball carriers.

One of Friedgen's biggest issues this year has been contending with young players who have trouble rebounding from mistakes.

Friedgen said he recently met privately with Cameron Chism, a sophomore cornerback who struggled against Wake Forest. Chism slipped on one play, a 33-yard completion, and got beat on another.

"I didn't like his body language I saw in practice," Friedgen said. "[Chism] had a personal issue he was dealing with." He said he told Chism: "You've got to believe in yourself, and you've got to go back to work."

Moten considers it part of his job to keep his teammates up in hard times.

"We knew we were going to have a great defense. It's just going to take time," he said.

Moten said he focuses on the positive - such as a hard sack in the Clemson game by safety Kenny Tate.

"Boom! Kenny hit him," Moten said, reliving the play. "I jumped all over Kenny after that. It was exciting."

Scouting report: Maryland vs. Virginia

Line: Virginia by 3 1/2

Series: Maryland leads 41-30-2

Last meeting: Virginia won, 31-0, on Oct. 4, 2008, in Charlottesville

Maryland offense vs. Virginia defense: Virginia's defense is led by its secondary, which hasn't allowed more than 190 passing yards in a game and surrenders 163.2 yards per outing - 15th fewest nationally. The Terps will need to revive their dormant running game, which has struggled to find holes behind an inexperienced offensive line. Virginia's rush defense gave up more than 200 yards in losses to Southern Mississippi and Texas Christian.

Maryland defense vs. Virginia offense:

It looks like RB Mikell Simpson, who injured his neck last weekend, won't play for the Cavaliers. Simpson has 200 career rushing yards and 165 receiving yards against the Terps. Torrey Mack and Rashawn Jackson would likely get rushes in his absence. QB Jameel Sewell took over in Week 2 and led the Cavaliers to wins over North Carolina and Indiana the past two games. Sewell has not been intercepted in his past 86 attempts. Maryland surrendered 42 points against Wake Forest. LB Demetrius Hartsfield might play with a broken hand encased in a clublike wrap.

 

Familiar faces dot Cavs', Terps' lines
October 17, 2009 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--During the Virginia football team's preparation for Indiana last week, players were told to do as much Internet research as possible to find information on the Hoosiers' personnel.

That probably wasn't necessary this week, when the Cavaliers prepared for Atlantic Coast Conference rival Maryland (2-4, 1-1 ACC).

Resurgent Virginia, winners of two straight games, visit the struggling Terrapins today at 4 p.m. in an ACC clash at Byrd Stadium.

The Cavaliers (2-3, 1-0) have nine players from Maryland and the Terrapins' roster consists of 15 Virginia natives.

Cavaliers' senior linebacker Aaron Clark said that usually adds up to "a different level of intensity" than normal.

"All these guys have known each other, went to school together, competed against each other for years," Clark said. "There's a lot of personal emotion that goes into that It's not 'This is another team on our schedule.' This is backyard football. You feel like you can go pick up a game in the streets and play these same guys."

Six of the eight meetings since Cavaliers head coach Al Groh and Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen took over at their alma maters in 2001 have been decided by 10 or more points.

But the last time the Cavaliers and Terrapins played at Maryland, Virginia won in an 18-17 thriller.

Clark said that game, which Virginia won on running back Mikell Simpson's 1-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds left, was a classic in the rivalry.

"The energy in that stadium was one of the most surreal experiences I've experienced in my life," Clark said. "It was definitely something I'll remember forever."

Simpson will remember that game forever, too.

He placed himself in Virginia lore after amassing 271 total yards (119 rushing, 152 receiving) in the first significant action of his career.

Simpson, now a senior, is doubtful for today's game with a neck injury he suffered in Virginia's 47-7 win over Indiana.

If Simpson (149 total yards, four touchdowns against Indiana) can't play, senior fullback Rashawn Jackson will likely carry the load, with redshirt freshman Torrey Mack serving as his backup.

"We are both ready to go," Jackson said of himself and Mack.

The Cavaliers defense has certainly been ready the past two weeks.

It allowed North Carolina and Indiana to score a combined 10 points. It has risen to No. 25 in the nation in total defense (295.8 yards per game). The Cavaliers' offense (536 yards against Indiana) has also greatly improved the past three games.

That could mean trouble for Maryland, which ranks 102nd in the nation in total defense (406.3 yards allowed per game).

Maryland also ranks 117th in turnover margin (-1.67) and 114th in points allowed (36.0).

When Groh was asked about Maryland, he mentioned only wide receiver/kick returner Torrey Smith, a Stafford High grad, and quarterback Chris Turner.

"He's really one of the exciting, dynamic players in the [ACC]," Groh said of Smith. "He runs reverses. He's caught the ball. He's returned kicks. He does a variety of things. He's not just a receiver, but he's got good elusiveness, good vertical speed."

INJURY REPORT

Maryland guard Bruce Campbell (leg) and linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield (hand) are questionable for today's game.

Simpson (neck) is doubtful for Virginia. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Javaris Brown (ankle) won't play.

 

Cavs, Terps still in ACC race
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 17, 2009

On Sunday, the standings for the Bowl Championship Series will be announced.

After an early-season slide, that is of little importance for Virginia (2-3, 1-0 ACC).

The same could be echoed at Maryland (2-4, 1-1).

The two have far greater issues as the two teams tangle today at 4 p.m. at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Md., but with help, the winner could awake Sunday in first place in their division in the ACC.

“I’ve been stressing it all week,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. “We talked about it in [Thursday’s] team meeting. This is a pretty important stretch.”

In regards to the Cavaliers, a four-point favorite today, having first-place possibilities seems shocking. UVa did, in fact, open the season with three demoralizing losses.

“We’ve seen, I would say, two and a half games of positive progress,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “Not really speaking of the 30 minutes of that third game [at Southern Miss], but there was a good deal of positive progress, just not enough to call it a complete game, obviously, with the result. So we seem to be kind of getting our legs underneath us.”

Virginia’s improved play coincides directly with execution on offense — the Cavaliers have passed for 765 yards and scored 97 points in their past three games.

“Things have been clicking,” Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell said. “It has been a lot of fun to watch how the work in practice has carried over to the games.

“Everybody is on the same page and the guys up front have been blocking.”

Virginia has won back-to-back games over Maryland, including an ugly 31-0 victory last year at Scott Stadium, but past results are thrown out of the window Groh said.

“I think it’s unlikely that any of us feel that previous games with Maryland have any bearing on how this game is going to go,” he said. “This one is about the level of preparation that we have, how everybody understands and embraces the plan and, most particularly, how we execute.”

Players from both teams said they expected a higher level of intensity given that there is pride associated with winning the contest against a program that shares a border.

“This is a must-have,” Maryland offensive lineman Phil Costa said. “It’s a big rivalry game against Virginia, and it’s homecoming, so it’s going to mean everything to us right now.”
 

Defense gives UVa a shot at victory
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 17, 2009

If defense really wins championships, then Virginia still has a chance to make some noise in the ACC’s Coastal Division this season.

When the Cavaliers attempt to extend their winning streak to three in a row this evening at College Park against Ralph Friedgen’s Maryland Terrapins, the key for Virginia will be good defense. Fortunately for the Cavs, defense is their strength.

With Maryland struggling to run the football (105th nationally out of 120 teams in FBS) behind a patchwork offensive line that includes two former walk-ons and two redshirt freshmen as starters, more than likely Friedgen will depend on the passing game. The Terps have an experienced quarterback in Chris Turner, who intends to sling leather darts at UVa’s defense all game long.

The chess match

It will be interesting to see how Cavaliers head coach Al Groh, who doubles as the team’s defensive coordinator, handles Maryland’s passing game.

The Terps feature one of the nation’s better aerial attacks (35th in the country) with Turner, who averages 248 yards per game. Without an experienced offensive line, Turner doesn’t hold onto the ball that long, which means if UVa’s pass rush can’t get to him, then the Cavaliers’ secondary had better bring its ‘A’ game.

Usually, that’s the case. Virginia’s pass defense is as expected, one of the better ones in the nation. Led by senior cornerback Chris Cook and junior corner Ras-I Dowling (the ACC’s reigning defensive back of the week), the Cavaliers are ranked No. 15 nationally against the pass.

‘D’ worth the hype

Then again, Wahoo fans should feel free to heap praise upon their defense, which is ranked No. 25 in the nation in total defense. That’s 10 spots higher than Virginia Tech’s, (granted, the Hokies have played a tougher schedule to this point).

If Virginia can prevent the Terps from throwing the ball today, then book it as a win for the Wahoos.

Defense has set the tone early in UVa’s two-game winning streak, consisting of a victory over North Carolina in Chapel Hill and last Saturday’s homecoming win over Indiana. The Cavaliers’ secondary has shut down the passing attacks of both those opponents, although Maryland’s passing game is probably better than either.

Dowling and Cook are coming on strong, and if they can force Turner into some errors today, then it could be a long game for the Terps.

“[Dowling’s and Cook’s] size is very beneficial, but the key thing is their athletic skills,” Groh said of his two big, veteran corners, both of whom are 6-foot-3 and have good frames.

“We would probably do a number of the same things with Ras-I and Chris if they didn’t have the same size, but if they had the same athletic ability,” Groh explained. “Certainly we try to take advantage of what they do have and whether we’re playing zone or man, some of which we play both, we want to accommodate what those guys do best.”

Groh’s teams usually do a good job against talented kick return specialists (yeah, we know that Southern Miss was the exception). And Maryland has a good one in Torrey Smith, who ranks No. 1 nationally in all-purpose yardage and took one back 85 yards for a touchdown against Wake last week.

Offensively, now that UVa’s line seemingly has gotten its act together, it will be interesting to see if the Cavaliers can take advantage of the Terps’ run defense (ranked 99th nationally), which is giving up 174 yards on the ground per game.

Our guess is that if Virginia can grind out 150 yards rushing today, the Cavs will win because that should help open up the passing game for quarterback Jameel Sewell, whose confidence is rising each week.

The pressure will be on fifth-year senior tailback Rashawn Jackson to deliver the mail in what could be the shining moment of his Virginia career.

Sewell hit 20 of 30 passes last week and has engineered an offense that hasn’t committed a turnover in the past two games. It is interesting to note that for an offense that struggled through a rocky start in the first two games, Virginia is the only ACC team that has a perfect record in the red zone, scoring on all 14 trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

One thing is for sure — Maryland won’t go down without a fight. This is a huge home game for the Terps, who believe if they can win today that they can still compete for the Atlantic Division title.

So, look for Friedgen to pull out every stop in trying to beat Virginia, which is Maryland’s biggest — if not only — rival.

Consider that Maryland’s best linebacker, Demetrius Hartsfield (listed as questionable on the Terps’ injury report) is seriously considering playing with two broken bones in his hand. Hartsfield will have to undergo surgery at some point this season, but is expected to play against Virginia and then have the operation, which will keep him out for three weeks.

Consider that Friedgen is also considering playing backup quarterback Jamarr Robinson some today in order to mix things up.

Consider that the Fridge is also considering taking the redshirt off offensive lineman Pete White for this game.

To me, that spells pulling out every stop.

If Virginia’s defense can control the game, though, Virginia should exit College Park with a three-game winning streak.

“Give credit to Coach Groh for our defense,” said fifth-year senior linebacker Aaron Clark. “He’s an incredible defensive mind. He always has us prepared. It’s amazing how he picks up on things. I’m sitting there watching the same film and it amazes me at the things he sees that I don’t see.”

If defense wins championships, Virginia’s got a chance, especially today.
 

No. 11 Virginia Travels to Virginia Tech Saturday Night
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The 11th-ranked Virginia men's soccer team starts the second half of Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday night, when it travels to Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers (7-3-1, 1-3 ACC) and Hokies (3-7-2, 2-2 ACC) are scheduled to square off at 7 p.m. Live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

Virginia, ranked No. 11 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and No. 17 by Soccer America, is coming off of a 1-1 double-overtime tie with Liberty Tuesday (Oct. 13) night. Will Bates (Chester, Va.) scored the Cavaliers' goal in the 78th minute, but the Flames tallied the equalizing goal in the 80th minute and the teams remained tied at the end of two overtime periods.

Through four ACC matches, the Cavaliers have a 1-3 conference record. UVa defeated then-No. 2 Wake Forest on Sept. 18 and have four ACC games left on the slate. Boston College (Oct. 25) and NC State (Nov. 7) come to Klöckner Stadium, while the Cavaliers take on Virginia Tech and Maryland (Oct. 31) on the road. The 2009 ACC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 10-15 in Cary, N.C.

Senior Neil Barlow (Herndon, Va.) continues to lead the Cavaliers with three goals and two assists, while sophomore Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) also has tallied three goals. Sophomore Chris Agorsor (Severn, Md.) has also provided an offensive spark recently, scoring two goals and assisting on two others.

In goal for UVa, Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) has started 10 out of the Cavaliers' 11 games and allowed six goals for a 0.53 goals-against average.

Virginia Tech is led by Clarke Bentley (three goals, two assists) and Emmanuel Akogyeram (three goals, two assists). Goalkeeper Brendan Dunn has started 12 games and allowed 16 goals (1.56 goals-against average).

Virginia leads the all-time series with Tech, 33-4-1. Last season, the Cavaliers came away with a 2-1 victory on Sept. 26, 2008, in Blacksburg, Va.

Up next, the Cavaliers return home for a Tuesday non-conference contest vs. Howard on Oct. 20. Kick-off from Klöckner Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Cavaliers, Tar Heels come full circle
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 17, 2009

It was on a September day three years ago in Chapel Hill, N.C., when the fortunes of the Virginia field hockey team began to take a turn for the better. There, in enemy territory, UVa exorcised its demons — a 21-game losing streak to ACC opponents.

After a 2-1 win over North Carolina, the scene was emotional.

“The team was just in tears and crying,” said Virginia coach Michele Madison. “I was like, ‘Why are you crying?’

“They were like, ‘We’ve never won an ACC game!’”

Oh, how times have changed.

In three short years, Madison — the only Division I coach to take three different programs to the NCAA tournament — has helped put Virginia field hockey back on the map.

Today, third-ranked UVa hosts second-ranked North Carolina (14-0, 3-0 ACC) at 1 p.m.

Already this season, Virginia (14-1, 1-1) has knocked off No. 11 Penn State, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 9 Boston College and No. 4 Wake Forest.

The only blemish on the Cavaliers’ record is a 3-1 road loss to No. 1 Maryland, the defending national champion.

Madison says the victory over the Demon Deacons on Oct. 11 gave her young team, which has just two seniors on the roster, a lot of confidence.

“I think it was important for us to get that win,” said Madison, who has previously coached at Temple and Michigan State, “because it was a top-five win…

“It justified to them that they were in the big leagues.”

This season, Virginia is led by senior Traci Ragukas and sophomores Paige Selenski and Inga Stockel.

Selenski leads the team with 19 goals and six assists. She’s coming off her second hat trick of the year in the team’s 7-0 win over Longwood on Tuesday.

Ragukas was originally recruited by Madison when the coach was at Michigan State. She was all set to go to East Lansing, but then decided to follow Madison to Charlottesville.

“I just felt like, that all of the coaches who I had gone to visit, she was the easiest one to talk to,” said Ragukas, who is from Sweet Valley, Pa. “I figured we’d get along real well.

“I thought it would be exciting to come down and help start a new program.”

In each of the last two seasons, Virginia has lost to North Carolina, but Madison — who has taken the Wahoos to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in two of her first three years — said it was that win back in 2006 over the Tar Heels that started everything.

“It gave them a lot of belief,” she said, “and they saw it was possible.

“From then, it just snowballed.”

 

Women's Soccer Visits North Carolina Saturday Afternoon
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The Virginia women's soccer team returns to action Saturday as it visits No. 2 North Carolina. Game time at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill is slated for 1 p.m.
The Cavaliers (6-4-3, 1-3-1 ACC) are looking to snap a three-game winless streak. Last week they played a pair of overtime games against ranked opponents, tying No. 19 Maryland 2-2 on Thursday before falling 1-0 in overtime at No. 6 Boston College on Sunday.
The Tar Heels (11-1-1, 4-1-0 ACC) are coming off a 5-0 victory over NC State last week.
North Carolina leads the all-time series 33-0-2, with both ties coming in ACC Tournament play. The Cavaliers won the 2004 ACC title in penalty kicks over the Tar Heels, while in the 2007 semifinals, North Carolina advanced in penalty kicks.
Virginia will continue its four-match road stretch on October 22 when it makes another trip to Tobacco Road with a match at Duke.
 

No. 3 Virginia Welcomes No. 2 North Carolina at 1 p.m. Saturday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 3 Virginia field hockey team (14-1, 1-1 ACC) continues conference play against No. 2 North Carolina (14-0, 3-0 ACC) at 1 p.m. Saturday at the University Hall Turf Field. Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com.
With a victory over Longwood (Oct. 13), the Cavaliers matched their win total from the 2008 campaign, which ended at 14-9.
Sophomore Paige Selenski is tied for the conference lead with 19 goals this season. Tara Puffenberger and Traci Ragukas have also contributed eight and seven scores, respectively. Selenski and Inga Stöckel also lead the Cavaliers with six assists apiece. In the cage, junior Kim Kastuk has an 0.69 goals against average and a .780 save percentage to go along with six shutouts.
Virginia is coming off a 7-0 victory at Longwood Tuesday night in Farmville, Va. Selenski recorded her second hat trick of the year (the first was against Ohio) and also contributed two assists. Ragukas also had a pair of goals while Stöckel notched a score and tallied three assists. Kaitlyn Hiltz recorded her second goal of the year against the Lancers.
No. 2 North Carolina, along with top-ranked Maryland, are the only two remaining undefeated teams. The Tar Heels boast a 3-0 conference record and are 8-0 against ranked opponents. UNC has also outscored opponents 67-3 this season.
Senior Melanie Brill leads North Carolina with 17 goals, while freshman Kelsey Kolgejchick has 13 scores. Junior Katelyn Falgowski, the only college player on the 2008 Olympic Team, leads the nation with her 19 assists, while also contributing six goals while anchoring the Tar Heel defense. Jackie Kintzer has an 0.27 goals against average and an .867 save percentage this season, but backup Brianna O'Donnell (0.18 GAA, .923 save percentage) was recently named the ACC Player of the Week for stepping in for the injured Kintzer.
UNC leads the all-time series with Virginia, 41-15, and has won the last three meetings. Last year, the Tar Heels captured a 3-0 victory in Chapel Hill. The last Cavalier victory was in head coach Michele Madison's first year, a 2-1 win at UNC in 2006.
 

White: First Practice in the Books for Bennett
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- At 4:57, the locker room door burst open Friday afternoon, and out ran Tony Bennett's players into the practice gym at John Paul Jones Arena.
They gathered at midcourt, bouncing up and down as they awaited instructions on one of the most anticipated days on the college basketball calendar.
The Cavaliers had been training a few hours each week, in small groups and, more recently, as a team, for most of the semester. But this was different. This was UVa's first official practice under its new coach.
"There will be a lot of defense today, I promise you that," Bennett told a group of observers that included his boss, athletics director Craig Littlepage.
After strength-and-conditioning coach Mike Curtis put the team through a series of stretching exercises, assistants Ritchie McKay, Ron Sanchez and Jason Williford took over with the players, as Bennett looked on.
"We'll give them a false sense of security," he said with a smile. "Let them have the ball for about 15 minutes, and then it's all defense."
Around 5:30 p.m., Bennett finally addressed his players.
"That's pre-practice," he told them. "Now practice starts. Now we build it."
His earlier comment notwithstanding, Bennett did not have his managers collect the balls and lock them away. Plenty of shots went up in a practice that lasted about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and many went in, with junior guard Jeff Jones proving to be particularly accurate.
Still, stifling defense was the hallmark of Bennett's teams at Washington State, where he went 69-33 in three seasons as head coach before replacing Dave Leitao at UVa. And Bennett won't be happy until his teams at Virginia play defense with similar fervor.
"Come on now," he yelled Friday, "let's get some stops!"
The players had been split into three teams of four, and Bennett was watching a drill in which each group was supposed to go three straight defensive possessions without allowing a basket.
"We haven't even gotten to two," Bennett said in exasperation at one point.
Finally, the orange-clad quartet of Sylen Landesberg, Sammy Zeglinski, Jerome Meyinsse and Will Sherrill reached the objective, and Bennett clapped his hands in approval. Later, after Mike Scott aggressively gathered in a missed shot, Bennett slapped hands with the 6-8 junior and shouted, "That's how you rebound!"
Practice concluded with a four-minute rebounding drill during which the players' fatigue showed. It was approaching 8 o'clock, and they were due back at the JPJ to lift weights at 10 a.m. Saturday, with practices to follow at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
"It's going to be a quick turnaround," Zeglinski said, "so we've got to get our sleep and come back refreshed tomorrow."
The first practice is a grind, "because it's three hours long, and it's a long day," Zeglinski said. "There's going to be mistakes made throughout the practice, but we just got to be able to stay focused the whole time and pick each other up when we're struggling."
Zeglinski is a redshirt sophomore, and so this was the third time he'd experienced a first practice at UVa.
"It was definitely different," Zeglinski said when asked to compare Bennett's approach to that of Leitao. "It wasn't as much focused on conditioning and really hitting your legs hard. It was more focused on principles and defense and just trying to ingrain them into our team as early as we can.
"We've been working on it all spring as well, and all through the preseason. For the first day, I thought we had a pretty good day."
For his part, Bennett said he liked his players' spirit and work ethic.
"I think they faded a little bit at the end, because we ground it out pretty hard and long," he said.
"I'll be interested to see how they'll respond. If they would keep that kind of energy through the course of -- let's just go a week at a time -- I would be very pleased with that. We're still teaching. There's still some things we got to iron out, of course, but I was most pleased with their effort."
Virginia went 10-18 last season. For the Wahoos to improve significantly, they'll need to play hard, play smart and stick together, Bennett said.
"Is it going to be perfect? No," he said. "But will there be some decent execution, will there be some unity on the floor, not only when it's going good, but when we're going through some rough times? That's big."
When it comes to X's and O's, Bennett has little in common with his predecessor at UVa. But Bennett noted that "there are so many different ways to be successful and be effective" in college hoops.
"I'm sure there's certain different terminology," he said. "It doesn't mean it's better, just different ... But I still maintain this, regardless of your system: Basketball is basketball. Good shot selection, good ability to take care of the basketball and be sound with it. Defensively, to be tough to score against. To not get out of position. To play together. Those are the things, whether we were all zone, whether we were Princeton, whether we pressing full-court, it's all about those things."
Time was, the first practice was the first time a coach got to work with his entire team in the fall. That's no longer the case, thanks to some NCAA policy changes, but Friday was still special for the UVa players.
"Definitely," Zeglinski said. "Everybody's excited, because it means the season's here and we get a chance to redeem ourselves from last year, and we get to prove a lot of people wrong that don't think that we're any good. We got a new coaching staff, and they're going to push us every day, and we're really excited to get better.
 

Virginia Basketball Season Preview: Will "Bennett Ball" Bring Hope? by Ben Gibson
Ben GibsonColumnist, Featured Columnist

Last year was an unmitigated disaster for Virginia basketball.

The Cavaliers had trouble running an offense, limiting turnovers, keeping players healthy and could not stop anybody on the defensive end.

That's not exactly a formula for success.

As a result, Virginia posted a paltry 10-win season, the lowest number since the early 1970s. It also meant that 2007 ACC Coach of the Year Dave Leitao was shown the door after just four seasons as head coach of the Cavaliers.

His replacement, former Washington State coach Tony Bennett, certainly did not have the warm welcome he would have expected. Rumors had been flying over potential candidates like Minnesota's Tubby Smith, Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, and even Alabama's new coach Anthony Grant.

Bennett suffered from the wild imaginations of Cavalier fans. However, in just one offseason, the 40-year old with a mere three years of head coaching experience have fans believing that he may be the one to get Virginia back on track.

Indeed, considering how high skepticism and negativity have surrounded the major-revenue programs at Virginia, fans wanted to be on guard. Just like having your heart broken by previous relationships, Cavalier fans did not want to jump to quickly on the Bennett bandwagon.

The truth is, though, you can't help but like the guy.

Bennett has this endearing charm that has already seemed to claim the jaded hearts and minds of the Virginia fans heading into this season. Not a small task by any stretch of the imagination.

Of course, he was able to get people to believe with more than just good rhetoric.

Bennett has yet to coach a game for Virginia, but he already has some impressive feats to his credit.

First, Bennett was able to assemble one of the best coaching staffs in recent memory for Virginia. With the addition of former Liberty coach Ritchie McKay and former Cavalier Jason Williford alongside his top assistant at Wazzou Ron Sanchez, Bennett has a staff with several strengths.

McKay brings head coaching experience as well as strong recruiting ties, having been able to bring in Seth Curry to play for the Flames last season.

Williford brings knowledge about the Cavalier program and also has strong recruiting ties to the metro Richmond area.

Sanchez represents a connection to the West Coast and New York. He is a young man with talent and potential, while also bringing an expertise of working alongside Bennett and attaining success.

Second, Bennett was able to hold on to both incoming recruits guard Jontel Evans and forward Tristan Spurlock. Both men will provide depth at key positions for Virginia to be successful this season.

Third, Bennett has already gotten off to a quick start on the recruiting trail. Already, Virginia has five commitments for next season. Chief among these newcomers is James Johnson, a 6'9" senior from California who is currently ranked in the top 100 of most recruiting services.

Clearly Bennett has tried to pick players that fit his system, not necessarily the five-star home run names that Virginia has historically failed to get anyway.

It seems clear the Cavaliers are going to try and become successful by playing "Bennett Ball," an efficient and deliberate offense mixed with a suffocating defense.

The question is, will it work in the high-flying ACC?

The answer depends on how the players will be able to work together and improve a team defense that could not work as a cohesive unit last season.

For you see, Virginia's problem is not the talent on the team.

The Cavaliers have the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year in Sylven Landesberg, a future NBA draft pick. They also boast a solid post player in junior Mike Scott, who has the potential to rack up a double-double each and every night he hits the court.

The Cavaliers have senior Calvin Baker, the former CAA Rookie of the Year, an experienced hybrid guard who has proven to hit key shots in late-game situations.

However, this is a bizarre case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

Virginia lacked many things last season, but the greatest frustration came from a lack of unity. The team lacked an identity, as evidenced by the many starting lineups Leitao employed last season.

Having depth is one thing, but constantly changing your lineup to match your opponents' style does not help your team understand its own strengths and weaknesses.

Tony Bennett brings a style that forces other teams to be the ones making the adjustments. It may not be glamorous, but it certainly has the potential to be successful.

"Bennett Ball" is very similar to the slow-down offense employed by legendary coach Terry Holland which, in the 1980s-90s, led Virginia to two Final Fours and two NIT championships. Over a ten-year span, during the height of the Holland years, the only ACC teams with better records were Duke and North Carolina.

The good news for Bennett is that, although a new system cannot be learned over night, he has one thing on his side. Virginia's schedule is about the easiest schedule an ACC team could ever hope for.

The Cavaliers clearly wanted to avoid another 10-win season and the out-of-conference schedule is tailor-made for Virginia to make the biggest improvement in the ACC this upcoming season.

Virginia also is lucky in their ACC schedule, playing Duke and North Carolina only once. It is a conference schedule nearly identical to the 2007 season, when the Cavaliers went 11-5 and grabbed a share of the ACC regular season title.

However, this season is more than just cupcake games and low scores. If Virginia is really going to make strides this season, it will need progress from two players: Sammy Zeglinski and Jeff Jones.

Zeglinski, a rising sophomore point guard, certainly experienced growing pains last season. The young man has a great deal of energy and demonstrates a hard work ethic. He also had a great deal of experience, averaging nearly 24 minutes a game as a redshirt freshman.

On the other hand, Zeglinski's ball-handling and decision-making were suspect. The guard-heavy ACC last season absolutely took the Philadelphia product to school.

In Virginia's first game against North Carolina, Zeglinski had four turnovers to only one assist. Ty Lawson, by comparison, had nine assists and zero turnovers.

For the year, Zeglinski had 84 assists but 70 turnovers. That ratio must improve in Bennett's offense, for it is predicated on efficiency. Fortunately, with most of the top point guards now playing in the NBA, Zeglinski may have a leg up on some of his new colleagues.

Considering that Baker is a combo guard lacking ball-handling skills and Jontel Evans is a true freshman, Zeglinski is really the only option to be the point guard of the team this season and therefore must begin to excel in the categories that define his position.

He must also improve on his shaky defense that often allowed defenders to blow by or use his own energy against him.

Jones has also been criticized for his defense during the Leitao years. The budding offensive threat often saw his playing-time cut for missed defensive assignments, and the demotions seem to have taken a toll on the young man.

Jones has shown a tendency to press throughout his career, particularly in big games. As a result, his offensive numbers were horribly inconsistent.

As a result, Jones is entering his junior year and looking to make a J.R. Reynolds-type evolution in 2009-10. We know he can put up big numbers, like the 15-point performance against Arizona in his first collegiate road game or the 16-point explosion against Miami last season.

However, Jones has had horrible slumps which has contributed to Virginia's lack of offensive identity over the years. As a shooting guard, he simply cannot afford to vary so wildly throughout the season.

If Virginia is to be successful this season, Jones must begin to act like the high-scoring high school superstar he once was. He must provide the outside threat to complement the slasher Landesberg and the post presence of Scott.

There are reasons to believe that Jones may be on the verge of a breakthrough, but Virginia fans have thought that before.

Will a new system and a new culture bring about a new result of winning for Virginia?

Tony Bennett has many things in his favor, but he still has to experience the first-year transition that is usually far from seamless.

Nevertheless, expect Virginia to be a much improved ballclub from last season. The Cavaliers will be dancing in one of the many postseason tournaments by March—a statement which sounded absurd just one year ago.

The Cavaliers may be another year away from the NCAA tournament, but with a coach named Tony Bennett, you can bet Virginia will always have their dancing shoes nearby.

 

UVa Golfers Tied for Fourth at The Ridges
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009

Jonesboro, TN – The 26th-ranked Virginia men’s golf team is tied for fourth place after the opening round of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges tournament. Virginia shot 2-over 290. Oregon State leads the field at 2-under 286.

Virginia was led by sophomore Ben Kohles who fired 2-under 70 to stand in fifth place after the opening 18 holes. Amory Davis shot 72 and is in 18th place. Kyle Stough is 26th at 73. Bruce Woodall is 40th at 75 and Will Collins is 61st at 77.

Oregon State’s Diego Velasquez leads the field after shooting 6-under 66.

The second round of the tournament is set for Saturday and the final round will take place Sunday. Live scoring is online at Golfstat.com.

Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges
Par-72, 7,147 yards
The Ridges Golf and Country Club
Jonesboro, TN

First Round Results
1. Oregon State 286
2. Tennessee 287
2. Missouri 287
4. Virginia Tech 290
4. Duke 290
4. Virginia 290
4. Wake Forest 290
4. UNC Wilmington 290
9. East Tennessee State 294
10. Coastal Carolina 295
11. Kent State 297
11. NC State 297
13. North Carolina 299
14. Auburn 300
15. UAB 306

Individual Leaders
1. Diego Velasquez, Oregon State 66
2. Daniel Meggs, Wake Forest 68
2. Wes Roach, Duke 68
4. Josh Brock, UNC Wilmington 69

Virginia Results
5. Ben Kohles 70
18. Amory Davis 72
26. Kyle Stough 73
40. Bruce Woodall 75
61, Will Collin 77
 

Heineking Sets Course Record as UVa Wins Panorama Farms Invite
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 15 Virginia men's cross country team captured the inaugural Panorama Farms Invitational title on Friday evening, while the women's squad - ranked No. 10 nationally - placed second behind No. 2 Villanova.
Course records were set in both the men's and women's races. For the women, team champion Villanova's top four individual finishers all broke the previous course record to pace the Wildcats, while junior All-American Emil Heineking ran away with the men's title, his third straight win this season, breaking Clemson's Itay Magidi's mark of 23:52.5 registered in 2006.
Heineking's victory was over 20-seconds faster than the second-place finisher, as he completed the course in 23:16.19 and led the top seven finishers in bettering the previous course record. Heineking was followed by junior Graham Tribble and sophomore Ryan Collins, who took third and fourth respectively. Tribble finished in 23:43.63, while Collins clocked in at 23:45.67. Junior Trey Miller placed ninth in 23:57.16 and freshman Sintayehu Taye rounded out the scoring Cavaliers in 24:06.90 for 13th place.
Virginia's women's squad secured second place with 52 points, paced by junior Catherine White's fifth place finish in 20:28.27. Sophomore Morgane Gay took home sixth place at 20:37.16, while the top seven finishers were from No. 2 Villanova and No. 10 Virginia. Senior Lauretta Dezubay took 12th in 21:10.15 and Stephanie Garcia was right behind her in 13th place in 21:17.84. Rounding out Virginia's top-five runners was freshman Barbara Strehler in 20th place with a time of 22:02.40.

No. 2 Villanova easily took the women's title with 17 points, followed by Virginia's 52 markers. Tennessee and Texas A&M round out the top four with 69 and 117 points respectively.

With 30 points on the men's side, Virginia won its third team title in as many tries this season, upsetting No. 11 Syracuse, who finished second with 41 points. Virginia also defeated other notable nationally ranked programs, including No. 24 Villanova (70 points) and No. 26 Duke (109 points), who finished third and fourth respectively.
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 31 when they head to Cary, N.C., for the ACC Championships.

 

Tigers Top Cavaliers in Three Sets
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/16/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – An injury plagued Virginia volleyball team struggled against an offensive minded Clemson squad in Memorial Gymnasium Friday evening, falling to its conference foe, 0-3 (12-25, 20-25, 12-25).

The Cavaliers were led offensively for the eighth match in a row by sophomore Simone Asque, who landed nine kills. Junior Sydney Hill chipped in seven kills, while freshman Jessica O’Shoney had six.

Freshman Rachel Gray paced the offense with 25 assists and senior Brittani Rendina collected a team-high 10 digs.

For Clemson (14-5, 5-3 ACC), Lia Proctor knocked down a match-high 15 kills, while Kelsey Murphy had 30 assists. Didem Ege led the defense with 12 digs, while Alexa Rand and Jessica Williams each chipped in four blocks.

Clemson took an early 3-0 lead in the first frame and never looked back. The visiting Tigers strung together a pair of 4-0 runs, en route to a 25-20 set victory.

The second set opened much like the first, with Clemson taking the first three points. The Tigers stretched their lead to nine before Virginia put together a 4-0 run of their own to pull within two, but it was not enough to top the Tigers, as Virginia fell, 20-25.

Virginia hung with Clemson in the third set, until the Tigers used a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 10-4. Riding a second 5-0 run, Clemson cruised to a 25-12 victory, taking the frame and the match.

The Cavaliers (7-12, 2-6 ACC) will look to rebound tomorrow night. Virginia will host Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. in Mem Gym.