Game quickly turns against Cavaliers
Two second-half fumbles lead to 15 points for the Nittany Lions as the game turns into a rout.

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Obviously, slow starts weren't Virginia's only problem.
The Cavaliers scored a touchdown on their first possession for the second time all season, then watched 19th-ranked Penn State score 35 straight points Saturday in a 35-14 triumph at Beaver Stadium.

"I thought it was a very positive thing," said UVa coach Al Groh, whose team had not scored a first-half touchdown in its previous three games. "But, I didn't think, just because we scored first, 'Oh, wow, this is Mickey and the Magic Kingdom today.'"

The Nittany Lions (7-3) entered the game as 16-point favorites but didn't take the lead until Robbie Gould kicked a 33-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining in the half to make it 10-7.

Virginia (6-4) appeared to have some momentum when it took the second-half kickoff and marched to the Penn State 39-yard line, only to lose the ball when tailback Alvin Pearman fumbled.

Penn State responded with a six-play, 61-yard drive and was to score 15 points following two second-half UVa fumbles, the Cavaliers' only turnovers of the game.

"It was the turnovers that broke us," UVa linebacker Merrill Robertson said. "Turnovers break you. We were fine until then."

Penn State scored 25 points in just more than 16 minutes, getting its last touchdown with 11:34 remaining when holder Chris Ganter, the son of offensive coordinator Fran Ganter, rambled 30 yards on a fake field goal.

"That didn't catch us off-guard," said Groh, the victim of a fake field goal for the second time in three games. "We practiced it. We talked about it. That's probably the most upsetting play in the game.

"We were anticipating it on every kick. We had a few guys who were responsible for it who got blocked on the play. They executed it very well."

Virginia, trailing 35-7 at that point, scored its final touchdown with 7:08 remaining when Wali Lundy went 4 yards to culminate an 11-play, 80-yard drive that consumed less than 4 1/2 minutes.

Junior quarterback Matt Schaub was 7-for-7 on the drive and completed 30 of 38 passes for 260 yards, but the Cavaliers offense did not get back on the field. Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Robinson from Richmond, Va., took the Nittany Lions on a 76-yard drive that had them at the UVa 7 when the game ended.

Penn State had 533 yards in total offense, compared with 290 for the Cavaliers, who have been outgained in seven straight games. The last time UVa won the total-offense battle was Sept.7, when they played South Carolina on a date that originally was reserved for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno had complained about the scheduling snafu, pointing out that the Cavaliers, idle Nov.2, had an extra week to prepare for the Nittany Lions, who were playing for the ninth week in a row.

On the other hand, Penn State took advantage of its open date Sept.7 by hammering Nebraska one week later, 40-7.

"I was annoyed with Virginia but not to the point where it should affect the way we play," Paterno said. "I didn't look at it that way. In fact, the young lady with ABC asked me before the game about revenge. Revenge is a word I don't particularly like."

After nine games, Virginia was ranked 92nd out of 117 Division I-A teams in rushing defense and 106th in rushing defense, statistics were borne out by Saturday's performance.

Senior tailback Larry Johnson, second in Division I-A in rushing, carried 31 times for 188 yards to lead a Nittany Lions ground game that racked up 289 yards. The Cavaliers, who had negative rushing yardage for most of the day, finished with 30 yards on 22 attempts.

"Physical power," was Groh's two-word summation after the game. "We expected that might be the case two weeks ago, looking at the size of them. Every one of them's 300 pounds or more [on the line], except one."

Groh might have been referring to 6-3, 268-pound senior defensive end Michael Haynes, who had all three of Penn State's first-half sacks and forced two second-half fumbles. Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy has the larger national profile but Haynes is a playmaker, with 12 1/2 sacks for the season.

The Cavaliers had come back from a 14-3 deficit to defeat the Nittany Lions 20-14 last year in Charlottesville and they seemed to be following a familiar format by hanging close into the third quarter, despite Penn State's commanding statistical margin.

"We were fighting it out pretty good in our fashion - the way we had to play these guys," Groh said. "We obviously couldn't attempt to play a power game against them. To put them in the field position we did, when we appeared to have something good going for us, certainly stymied our efforts."

 

QB Schaub nearly on other sideline


By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Football coaches always point to the 85-scholarship limit as the reason for parity in Division I-A, and there is no better example than record-setting Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub.
Schaub, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior, was a SuperPrep All-American at West Chester, Pa., who attended Penn State's summer camp but was never offered a scholarship by the Nittany Lions.

"We really liked him, but, at that time, we were not recruiting a quarterback," said Penn State coach Joe Paterno earlier this week as the Nittany Lions were beginning preparations for their game with Virginia.

"That is the thing with the 85 grants. You would love to recruit everybody who can play. In the old days, there was no limit and you had 145. You had to recruit guys like Matt so you wouldn't have to play against them."

When Schaub committed to Virginia in the summer of 1998, the Nittany Lions were preparing to welcome another highly regarded quarterback prospect from Pennsylvania, Matt Senneca, who began the 2001 season as a starter but transferred after losing his job to then-sophomore Zach Mills.

"Matt [Schaub] is a really good football player," Paterno said. "He is a big, tough kid who throws the ball well. He is a good student and what you are looking for. We could not afford to give him a scholarship, but he may not have wanted to come to Penn State even if we had given him a scholarship."

NOT A BCS GUY: It shouldn't have come as any surprise that Penn State coach Joe Paterno, whose teams won 31 consecutive games in 1968-69 without winning a championship, would come to the defense of a Miami team that was having a tough time remaining in the championship hunt despite a similar winning streak.

"I have a lot of thoughts," Paterno said. "I think we should fold up the BCS and forget about it. Here is Nebraska playing 13 or 14 games and we've got sanctimonious people saying we can't have a playoff because of the fact that there are too many games.

"It doesn't make any sense to me. If Miami is not in the mix to play for a national championship for one reason or another and they play out, win them all and win 33 or 34 straight ... you guys out there are not dumb. You know it is a travesty and all you want to do is quote me."

RECRUIT BECOMES ELIGIBLE: Fork Union Military Academy defensive tackle Robert Armstrong, a 2002 Virginia signee who did not meet NCAA eligibility standards, said Friday that he has made the required SAT score and that he reaffirmed his commitment to the Cavaliers last week.

Armstrong was one of three UVa signees who played in the Fork Union-Hargrave game, won by Hargrave 28-14 in Chatham. Celebrated Hargrave linebacker Ahmad Brooks is awaiting results of an SAT taken Nov.7 after coming up short on the Oct.12 test.

If needed, Brooks could take the SAT again in December in his effort to become eligible in time to enroll at UVa in January. No information was available on the qualifying status of the third UVa signee, Fork Union defensive tackle Keenan Carter.

PERSONNEL: Virginia offensive guard Elton Brown was not in uniform as the result of a sprained ankle that has bothered him since the Cavaliers' game Oct.19 against North Carolina but had not sidelined him before Saturday.

Brown, earlier hailed by UVa coach Al Groh as one of the Cavaliers' two best offensive lineman along with since-injured center Kevin Bailey, was replaced by junior Ben Carber against the Nittany Lions. Carber, a former SuperPrep All-American from Doylestown, Pa., started three games earlier in the season before a knee injury knocked him off stride.

NEXT WEEK: On Saturday, Virginia (6-4, 4-2 ACC) will entertain 14th-ranked North Carolina State (9-2, 4-2) at a time that will be announced today or Monday. The Wolfpack dropped its second game in a row after a 9-0 start when it fell Saturday at Maryland 24-21.

 

Clemson final home wrecker

By NEIL AMATO : The Herald-Sun
namato@heraldsun.com
Nov 9, 2002 : 11:49 pm ET

CHAPEL HILL -- All season long, a banner has hung out the window of private box on the south side of Kenan Stadium.

It reads, "Answer The Bell," a slogan invented by the UNC football program last season.

Last season — 8-5 from 0-3, Peach Bowl victory — it applied. This season — well, this season, the Tar Heels haven’t had many answers. Often, they got their bell rung.

It was more of the same Saturday in the home finale, as Clemson overcame an early 9-0 hole to rip the Tar Heels 42-12. The Tigers had two 100-yard rushers and limited the Tar Heels to 244 total yards.

For the first time in 50 seasons, UNC failed to win a game at Kenan Stadium, at which at least one forgettable record was set in front of a crowd announced as 42,000. When Clemson freshman Charlie Whitehurst connected with Airese Currie on an 83-yard first-quarter touchdown, it was the beginning of an inevitable Tigers rally and the longest pass play in Kenan Stadium history.

UNC coach John Bunting, whose team went 5-1 at Kenan last season, struggled to find words for the Clemson outcome, the losing streak and the 2002 drought at Kenan.

"It’s about as tough as it gets — real, real bad," he said. "I don’t know how to come up with any other words than the worst it’s ever been, [the worst] I’ve ever felt."

Similar to last week’s 59-7 shelling by Maryland, the Tar Heels (2-8, 0-6 ACC) played like winners early. Cornerback Kevin Knight sacked Whitehurst in the end zone for a safety, and UNC freshman Wallace Wright returned the free kick 46 yards into Clemson territory.

When C.J. Stephens completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bobby Blizzard and dependable Dan Orner tacked on the point after, the Tar Heels led 9-0.

They led 7-0 against Maryland and were outscored 59-0. Saturday, it was 42-3 after the initial UNC burst.

"It definitely reminded me of [Maryland]," linebacker Malcolm Stewart said. "We start strong, and they end up scoring two or three more touchdowns. It’s pretty much just like last week. We gotta kill that."

Also similar to the Maryland game: The visitor got going on a long pass. Last week, it was Scott McBrien to Scooter Monroe for 80 yards and a score, then a stadium record. This week, Whitehurst threw it long for sophomore speedster Currie, who ran under the ball and outran the Tar Heels, 83 yards for a record-long score.

UNC moved into Clemson territory on its next possession and appeared to have a first down around the Tiger 20 when Sam Aiken hauled in a long pass from Stephens. But Aiken pushed off and got called for it, and the flag pushed UNC back to its side of midfield.

Bunting got so flustered protesting the first-quarter call that his headset flew off and his play script fell to the ground. It was typical of the discombobulation of the Tar Heels, who allowed the Tigers to convert 8 of 12 third-down tries, committed nine sometimes foolish penalties and advanced beyond the Clemson 30-yard line once the rest of the game.

"It was the first time with five minutes to go that I could actually take the headset off and enjoy an afternoon," said Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, whose seat is temporarily cooler now that the Tigers (6-4, 4-3) are bowl-eligible.

Maybe it wasn’t news that the Tar Heels gave up 533 yards to Clemson; it was the fourth time the opponent topped 500 this season. But it was something different that the Tar Heels stopped moving the ball after halftime, gaining 80 yards total. On one series of downs that spanned the third and fourth quarters, Stephens was sacked three times.

The Tigers amassed six total sacks, giving UNC an ACC-worst 39 sacks allowed this season.

"They were running some things we couldn’t pick up," offensive lineman Jeb Terry said. "We didn’t protect the quarterback like we should have, and they’re going to be sore because of it [today]."

The quarterbacks aren’t the only sore ones. A total of 14 fourth-year players, including Knight, were in uniform for the last time at Kenan Stadium. After victories last season, the players lingered on the turf and sang the fight song with the crowd. There was no such singing Saturday or at any point this season.

"I can’t explain the feeling," Knight said, talking softly. "I’m hurting badly right now."

NOTES— UNC cornerback Michael Waddell left the game on the final play of the first quarter with an injury that turned out to be a broken left fibula. Waddell is unlikely to play again this season. He was trying to make a tackle on Clemson’s Currie when another player fell over him and bent his leg awkwardly. ... Clemson had two players, Bernard Rambert and Tye Hill, surpass 100 yards in rushing. It was the eighth game and ninth time this season UNC has given up 100 yards. UNC’s lone victories this year, at Syracuse and Arizona State, were the only games in which no opposing player topped 100 yards. ... UNC has been outscored 169-25 in 14 quarters since leading 21-0 at halftime at Virginia.

 

Penn St. Muscles Past the Cavaliers
Penn State 35, Virginia 14
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, November 10, 2002; Page D13


STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Nov. 9 -- Virginia, a team composed largely of youngsters, got a taste of Big Ten football today at No. 19 Penn State. The Cavaliers were mauled at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and left Beaver Stadium with a 35-14 loss.

Penn State's big, senior-laden offensive line cleared the way for 289 rushing yards, including 188 on 31 carries by senior tailback Larry Johnson, the nation's fifth-leading rusher. On defense, the Nittany Lions (7-3) limited Virginia (6-4) to 30 rushing yards on 22 attempts and its lowest point total of the season.

"I always say this game is about power and today they had more power," U-Va. Coach Al Groh said. "If you have that kind of team, you can control the game. . . . No matter what the down and distance, that's always an issue."

The Lions fumbled on their opening possession, setting the stage for a quick Virginia touchdown, but they stormed back with 35 consecutive points to blow open what had been a 10-7 game at the half.

"I was surprised how quickly it got away from us," U-Va. defensive end Chris Canty said. "There's no way we should have allowed Larry Johnson to have almost 190 yards rushing. That's ridiculous. That's unacceptable. And then we didn't rush the passer."

The Cavaliers, who outscored their opponents after halftime in each of the past 12 games, seemed ready for another second-half comeback when they went from their 20-yard line to the Penn State 39 on the first play of the third quarter. Two plays later, sophomore tailback Alvin Pearman, who sat out for most of the game after injuring his knee in the first quarter, fumbled.

The Nittany Lions, en route to a total of 533 offensive yards, took over and moved efficiently down the field for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead. They added a 50-yard field goal and three more touchdowns.

"If we had scored there, it would have been a totally different ballgame," Virginia center Zac Yarbrough said.

Penn State sealed the win 13 seconds into the fourth quarter when Chris Ganter, a freshman holder, ran 30 yards for a touchdown on a fake field goal. After a two-point conversion, the Lions led 28-7.

Johnson added a six-yard score, giving his team enough cushion to shrug off a desperation touchdown drive by Virginia with seven minutes remaining.

The Cavaliers gained 126 of their 290 yards on their first and last possessions of the game. In between they struggled to move the ball. With no ground game, quarterback Matt Schaub (30 of 38, 260 yards, 1 touchdown) was pressured often and sacked four times by Penn State's talented pass rushers. Outgained for the seventh straight game, Virginia was stuck throwing swing passes and wide receiver screens that had relatively little effect.

"We obviously couldn't attempt to play a power game with them," Groh said.

For only the third time this season, Virginia scored first. Working with a short field after linebacker Merrill Robertson stripped the ball from Penn State quarterback Zack Mills, Schaub led the Cavaliers 46 yards for a 7-0 lead.

But they managed just 54 yards on their four other first-half possessions. Penn State, meanwhile, drove 82 yards for a touchdown and took a 10-7 lead by tacking on a field goal with 16 seconds left in the half.

Virginia seemed in good shape until Pearman fumbled on his only rushing attempt of the game. Having been helped off the field two quarters earlier, the 5-foot-10 sophomore fell to the ground as he cut near the line of scrimmage, dropping the ball without any contact.

Cavaliers Notes: Right guard Elton Brown, Virginia's best and biggest offensive lineman, did not make the trip because of an injured right ankle. He was replaced by redshirt junior Ben Carber and true freshman Brad Butler. . . . Schaub's touchdown pass was his 21st of the season, which ties a Virginia record. Heath Miller, who caught the pass, tied an ACC tight end record with his eighth touchdown. . . . Freshman linebacker Darryl Blackstock set an ACC rookie record with his ninth sack of the season. . . . A crowd of 108,698 boosted Penn State's total season attendance -- home and away -- to 1,045,164, breaking Michigan's 1997 NCAA record.
 

Sweet Revenge! Lions Roll over Cavaliers 35--14 University Park, Pa - The Nittany Lions avenged last year's late-season loss to Virginia, defeating the Cavaliers 35-14 in front of 108,698 fans at Beaver Stadium. The win gives Penn State a perfect 4-0 record against non-conference opponents this season, with earlier wins coming against UCF, Nebraska and Louisiana Tech.

Coach Paterno was emotionally charged early against the Cavaliers.
Virginia was Penn State's third opponent of the season benefiting from a bye week prior to playing the Lions. This contest was originally scheduled for September 7th, but Virginia asked to move the date due to a scheduling conflict.

"Obviously, with a week off and having some coaches who have had some experience with our staff and our team and know a lot about us, we have a tough game ahead of us," said a chagrined Paterno before the game.

The bye week turned out to be a non-factor.

Penn State has been stifling on defense, holding opponents to just one offensive touchdown in the last three games, and came into the game allowing only 18.7 points per game, good for second best in the league and 17th nationally.

The defense held Virginia to just 30 yards rushing and 290 total yards today, but this game was all about the Penn State offense, which racked up 533 total yards.

Zack Mills, who has happily stood off to the side as Larry Johnson has rushed his way into the record books, connected on 19-of-30 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns.

When asked if this was more fun than last year's loss at Virginia, Mills showed a hint of a smile and answered with the understatement of the day, "Yeah, a little."

Larry Johnson, who rushed 31 times for 188 yards, has now rushed for an astounding 800 yards in the last four games and 1,409 on the year.

Johnson now takes 30 plus carries per game in stride. "The first time I did it I was real tired and sore, but today I feel fine," said Johnson after the victory. "It was real fun, doing this for the seniors, doing this for the young guys. It is important to give them a blueprint for the future, to teach them how to get to a bowl."


Casey Williams caught four balls for 35 yards and scored Penn State's first touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Zack Mills.
As Paterno would say, good football teams take what they are given. Sometimes the run is available; sometimes you go to the air. Today, Penn State used all of its weapons.

"I played pretty bad last time we played them," said a smiling Mills after the game, " so it felt pretty sweet to play well today."

What a difference a year can make.

After starting the 2001 football season with four consecutive losses, the Nittany Lion football program righted itself, winning five of the next six contests. At 5-5, and poised to capture a bowl bid, the Lions rolled into Charlottesville, VA, looking for magical win number six.

The Lions led 14-6 and were driving toward a two-touchdown lead when Zack Mills fumbled and cornerback Art Thomas snapped up the football and raced 92 yards untouched for the score. Virginia grabbed the momentum and the victory, winning 20-14.

It was a numbing loss for the young, rebounding Lions, a fact exacerbated by the opinion of many that Mills was already down at the time of the pivotal turnover. It didn't help matters that the Lions fell at the hands of a fellow Pennsylvanian.

Virginia cornerback and Mechanicsburg native Art Thomas is one of six Cavaliers from the Keystone State and is joined by guard Ben Carber, quarterback Matt Schaub, linebacker Rich Bedesem, defensive lineman Braden Campbell and kick returner Marquis Weeks.

Things seemed eerily similar to last year when Virginia got on the board first, turning an early fumble by Zack Mills into seven points. Matt Schaub's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller completed an eight play, 46-yard drive that started when Mills was hit on the arm while being sacked, forcing the ball loose.

Mills said he didn't feel too bad about the early fumble because it was out of his control.

Penn State answered the Virginia touchdown with a scoring drive of its own that featured tight end Casey Williams, who made three catches for 27 yards on the drive, including a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mills; at the end of the first quarter, the score was knotted at 7.

Robbie Gould nailed a 33-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in the first half to give the Lions a 10-7 lead going into the break.

After the intermission, Mills came out firing, hitting fullback Paul Jefferson with a 10-yard touchdown pass, giving the Lions a 17-7 advantage, and six minutes later, Gould drilled a 50-yarder to extend the lead to 13 points at the end of the third quarter.

Reserve quarterback Chris Ganter made the play of the game, scoring on a 30-yard scamper on a fake field goal. Mills ran in the two-point conversion, giving Penn State a 28-7 lead. Three minutes later Larry Johnson scored from six yards out to give Penn State an insurmountable 35-7 lead.

Virginia's Wali Lundy added a late, meaningless touchdown for the Cavaliers, running in from 5 yards out with just under eight minutes to play, ending the scoring at 35-14.

"It's for bragging rights," Carber said leading up to today's game. "Last year was great. We could go home in the summer and brag a little bit. I know a bunch of guys on their team. It's going to be fun."


Senior safety Shawn Mayer once again led the Lions' defensive effort, tallying eight tackles, two for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery.
It wasn't much fun after all, according to Virginia head coach Al Groh who said the Nittany Lions were simply too overpowering on both sides of the ball. "This is one of the biggest, strongest teams we've played this year. We couldn't play a power game with them. The other team had more power today."

The Nittany Lions now lead the series 5-2, snapping Virginia's two-game winning streak against Penn State and Joe Paterno's record against Virginia is now even at 2-2. Al Groh falls to 1-1 all time against the Lions.

The win is the second consecutive victory for the Lions who will be looking to make it three next week when they travel to Bloomington to face Indiana. Virginia plays conference foe North Carolina State at home.

Mills summed up the day best saying, "Every time I touch the football I want to win, now I just want to win these last two games and go somewhere sunny."

This year the Virginia Cavaliers won't be interfering with the Lions bowl hopes.

As for bragging rights, let's just say they stay in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for another year.

 

PSU vs UVA: Coach Joe Paterno Quotes Talk about Zack Mills’ performance today after he seemed to struggle the last three games?
I didn’t agree with any of that. I constantly said Zack is doing fine. I thought his receivers didn’t do a good job. In fact in the first half we didn’t catch the ball very well, in the second half we caught the ball. I think Zack has been playing really well. I thought today that they (receivers) did a better job for him. Overall he’s a good football player.

How important was it to get this win especially with everything about the scheduling mishap?
I think every win is important for us right now. I was annoyed with Virginia but not to the point where it should affect the way we play. I didn’t look at it that way. In fact the young lady with ABC asked me before the game about revenge. Revenge is a word I don’t particularly like. Obviously we felt we had a better team than they had last year and we gave it away and we wanted to win this win to make up for that in addition to the fact that we want to win every game we can from now on in.

What happened to Gino Capone and can you comment on the play of the players who replaced him at linebacker?
Gino (Capone) on Tuesday in a dummy session got his head caught in it and got a stinger down his back and he has had one of those before. The doctors didn’t think he had enough strength to play. We had hoped he would play. The kid who really looked like he rose to the occasion was (T.C.) Cosby. He looked like he made a lot of plays. Now you guys are watching the game a little differently than I am watching it as I was watching the secondary more than I was watching the linebacker but I thought Cosby and (Andy) Ryland both did a good job for kids who hadn’t played much.

Why did you put Larry Johnson back in the game?
I got talked into that by a of couple kids on the squad and by a couple of the coaches telling me he (Larry Johnson) could get a 200-yard game. I fought them for about two series and I said no way, he liable to get hurt. Then they kind of ganged up on me so I stuck him in there and said he has one shot at it period, so we put in the trick play and his buddy (Kinta) Palmer misses the block otherwise he probably would have had it. I don’t like to that. I have never been one to do that kind of stuff. This team is close in a lot of different ways and I felt if that’s what they want then let’s do it.

What persuaded you to try the field goal instead of punting?
Well we were going to go with a fake punt but they didn’t give it to us. We figured we were going to fake the punt and if we didn’t make it then so what? They lined up and took it away from us. (Robbie) Gould didn’t miss by much on those ones last week. He can hit from 51, 52 yards so I thought he had a good shot at it.

Talk about Chris Ganter’s touchdown?
Well we had thought that maybe we could get a fake field goal in there. I asked Fran Ganter, who works with the field goal kickers, have you guys been watching to see if we have the fake and he said yeah let’s try it. I didn’t know whether Chris (Ganter) was going to carry the ball, I think the old man had a little nepotism in there.

Thoughts on Michael Haynes’s three-sack performance?
The people that have been watching Mike (Haynes) this whole season, he’s played real well. He probably has to have as many sacks as most anybody around. I don’t know how many he’s got over the year, he must have 10-12 sacks. He is a good player. One of the question marks I had and I think I stated that to some of you guys before the season started. We had two or three kids that didn’t really know how to go all out on every play, who didn’t realize how good they were and Haynes was one of them.

Has the defense come into its own?
I think they have played very well. Outside of those third down situations early in the year we have been a pretty good defensive team. We really were not a third-down team but other than that we were really good on first and second down all year.

Did you ever think you’d play in front of one million people when you started coaching?
I don’t know at Brooklyn Prep we never played before no more than 60 or 70 thousand. I think it’s a tribute to the Penn State fans and the players. I think this is a team that people like to watch play. They play most of the time with a lot of enthusiasm and I think that’s really great.

 

PSU Coach and Player Quotes Coach Jay Paterno

Q: Do you feel that Zack's confidence has been waning these past few games?
A: Not at all. We have been a little bit off on the offense, but there is definitely no change on the confidence.

Q: Do you think that the banging that quarterbacks get is reflecting on Zack's performance?
A: He gives me a lot of feedback on how he feels. You have to get the horse to the race. I'm not saying that he's a horse, but we have to get him ready for game day.

Q: Do you think that Zack is too hard on himself?
A: Not at all. He's a competitor and just wants to win.

#40 T.C. Cosby

Q: Have you been waiting for an opportunity like today?
A: I'd say so. I've been looking for this kind of opportunity. I just have to work in practice so it will pay off to get this kind of opportunity.

Q: Considering that last year was a tough year, do you feel that you have completely moved on?
A: From my perspective, it is not behind me completely. I've learned from my mistakes and my main priority is to play football.

#23 Shawn Mayer

Q: Do you feel that because the defense has more control that you are playing well as a whole?
A: Yes, I feel that we have more control. We went in at the half and the coaches told us that it was all on us to win the game because offense wasn't pulling through.

Q: Do you feel that today's game was emotional for the team?
A: It was a big deal especially because they kept us from a bowl game last year. There is a lot of bad blood between the two teams and we just wanted to come out for the win.

Q: Did you want to show revenge because of what happened last year?
A: We wanted to show that we're not the same team as last year. They had no respect for us coming into the game.

#50 Tyler Lenda
Q: How do you feel today considering that you missed last week?
A: Definitely felt great to be back. It was tough to sit on the sidelines last week and not being able to play. My knee feels 100% better and it was great to be back out there.

Q: What are you thoughts on the attitude of the team?
A: I don't think it's hard to get fired up. We have a lot of seniors on the team and we only have 2 regular season games left so it is definitely easy for us to get fired up for the games.

Q: How does it feel this time of year in comparison to last year?
A: There are much better feelings than the last two years. It is a completely different feeling and the season is going really well for us. I hope that the next two games go in our favor.

#4 Robbie Gould
Q: What are your thoughts on the end of the drive (fake field goal)?
A: It's always a great feeling to be out there. I was prepared for a field goal, but then got word on the fake. That kind of play isn't always going to work, but today it did.

Q: How significant do you think this game was on the coaches?
A: With any team it's a good thing for the coaches to win. Now they're just going to go back and prepare for Indiana.

Bryan Scott:

On the defense play:
"We are playing well, very well. We came in fired up and gave up one TD. We were looking for a shutout."

"There are always flaws, no defense is perfect, but we're trying to get there."

On Mayer
"He's a hell of a person and a hell of a player. We've gotten pretty close through the years, and I usually know where he'll be on the field and he knows what I'm going to do"

"We went down to Virginia and they beat us last year. That was a huge motivating factor for us this year."

On the turn around of the Defense
"We are really confident in what we're doing. Guys just keep making plays, that's really the key."

Jimmy Kennedy

"There was a lot of bad blood in this game. Joe had some issues with this team. We had to rise to the challenge and we did a good job with that."

On thinking about a bowl game:


"Right now we are definitely going to a bowl game, but we're not thinking about it much yet."

On Haynes:
"I've definitely seen a change in Haynes' attitude. Last year he had a problem trying to fill Courtney's shoes, which were big shoes to fill. Mike has just as much talent as him; Courtney just had more experience starting."

On the improvement of the defense:


"We believed in everyone to make a come back from last season. We are a better team this year. It's a family atmosphere and I love playing with these guys."

"This win was definitely a payback. No one said it, but that attitude for revenge was there."

Bryant Johnson

On the offense flaws in the first half:


"Things like that happen but that mindset as a receiver is to go out there and get the next one. That's exactly what we did in the second half."

"We have the confidence level now that if drops happen we can just come right back."

On the Virginia revenge:
"We really wanted this game. It was sweet to go out there and avenge last year's loss."

On LJ's TD getting called back:
"I blocked the guy and fell down and he fell down after that. I was down for a while and all of a sudden the ref approached me and threw the flag. I didn't block from the back but it must have looked like a clip when the guy fell."

"Our team is very mature and we don't let little setbacks like that take away our confidence and motivation."

On Larry Johnson:
"He can run, catch, block, and he's very powerful. It's very hard for people to bring him down."

David Kimball:

On his performance:
"I feel pretty good. It is basically technique, and as long as I don't kick off too much I should be good. I had all summer to work out and train."

On a future in the NFL:
"It is definitely a goal to be a kick off man in the NFL. But for now, I just come to practice and work hard, and should they need me to kick field goals I'll be ready to go."

On tackling:
"I don't really know how to tackle, I didn't play any defense in high school. I just try to go get them down. Hopefully I won't have to make any more tackles this season." On seeking revenge:
"We came in fired up, and there was more than just the talk off the field. The players just wanted revenge from last year, since we wanted to go to a bowl game last year and they took that away from us." Larry Johnson:
How much fun are you having out there?
"It's real fun. Both the veterans and young guys are going out having fun and it's important to keep that in mind during the game."

How did it feel when the touchdown was called back?
"The self esteem goes way down. But then I look at the scoreboard and see that it's the third quarter and we're winning the game and hopefully we get another shot."

On getting 30+ carries:
"I feel great. It takes me a couple of days to get well rested but I feel pretty good and my body's getting used to it at the end of the season."

Did you think about last year's loss to Virginia?
"We all did. We knew they knocked us out of a bowl game and we were a good team. With them coming off a bye week, we showed them what kind of character this team has."

On State College High players contributing to game:
"It feels good. Michael McQueary is like the father and we're all brothers. It's great to see the hometown kids doing well. It adds to the excitement."

Tony Johnson:

On cracking Virginia's defense:
"I think we cracked the code. I think their downfall was they had to respect the running and passing and I don't think a team can do that well. We were able to run the ball well and we opened up the passing game as well. We cracked the code which we were not able to do last year."

On Zack Mills' enthusiasm:
"I couldn't tell. Zack is Zack. He's always calm and composed. I don't care if we're playing Virginia or someone else. He's the same person."

On struggles in the first half:
"We were kind of shooting ourselves in the foot. We missed a couple of key blocks, dropping balls. For me, I dropped some balls and the best way to solve that is to have a short term memory and come out in the second half and catch the balls and be a lot more effective."

On Larry Johnson's performance:
"It speaks for itself. No one is real surprised. We expect big yards and big numbers."

Zack Mills:

"I felt a lot more in sync. I felt comfortable. I felt great out there. In the first half, I couldn't get things going. In the second half, things started cooking and we were playing how we played a few weeks ago."

"Not at all. I'm not going to give up on anybody. I focused on what we did and went down the check downs. That's what I did at times when I had to."

On talking to the receivers after dropping passes:
"I just let them know I'm there. Obviously, the coaches are going to get on them enough. I don't feel like I need to be the one to get in their faces. I just let them know that I'm going to stick by them. There'll be times when they'll have to bail me out."

"This Virginia game is a big game. We got by this one and we have two very winnable games left. Yes, this win meant a lot and 7-3 is a lot better than 6-4."

"We came out swinging the ball in the first couple of games and then the defense tried to stop that. Then Larry [Johnson] had a couple of 200 yard games. We're running the heck out of the football and we're sticking to that. When they start stopping Larry, maybe we'll go back to running the ball. Each game is a chess match and we have to see what the defense gives you."

Michael Haynes:

On the helmet-to-helmet play on Zack Mills:
"I saw that play. The coaches told us to calm down. Once you retaliate and that starts happening, it's just not good."

"We expected them to run on us but what they were doing was kind of a two-step thing. I think we threw them off their rhythm."

Is this your best game this year and how do you feel about approaching the sack record?
"It was a pretty good game for me. The [sack] record doesn't matter that much to me. I'm looking at the fact we have two more games and then we get to go somewhere warm."

On Jimmy Kennedy challenge before the game:
"Jimmy challenged everyone. Last year we didn't stop the run. There was the unfortunate call to Zack [Mills] but there were a couple of times when we should have stopped them and we didn't. He challenged not only me but us as a defense."
Chris Ganter:

On Fran Ganter's reaction to touchdown scored:
"He tried not to act too excited. He came up to me in the locker room and said I never knew you were that fast and he was proud of me."

Virginia Coach and Player Quotes UVA Head Coach Al Groh:

Q: What was Penn State able to do in the third quarter that they were unable to do in the first half to open the game up for them?
A: Physical power.

Q: Did that start up front with the offensive line and continue with Larry Johnson?
A: We expected that might be the case two weeks ago when preparing for Penn State. They have big strong kids up front, almost all of them are over 300 lbs. and they have a big strong fullback so we expected them to come out and play powerful football.

Q: How would evaluate the way your defense played against Larry Johnson today?
A: He's a very good player.

Q: Penn State ran a fake field goal in the fourth quarter that kept you off guard, what happened on the play?
A: That play didn't catch us off guard. We practiced it and talked about it and to me that's probably the most disappointing play of the game. We were anticipating it on every play and we had a few guys who were responsible for it and they got blocked on the play. Penn State did a good job executing the play.

Q: Late in the game on the last TD drive, wideout Billy McMullen continued to play hard throughout the game, what are your thoughts on his performance?
A: That's Billy, Billy doesn't change. He's like the rest of our players, as a team we prepare and we play from start to finish. They just happened to play more powerful than we did today and as I said, it's a game of power and today they were just more powerful than us.

Q: Your thoughts on #81 Michael Haynes...
A: He's 6'4, 285 lbs. and quick off the ball and he was playing against a young guy that doesn't have that type of power yet and from a physical standpoint he doesn't have those type of attributes yet but he's young and he's going to get better.

Q: Can you talk about the significance of how well Penn State's kicking game played today?
A: Today was a good example of kicker power. Those were two power kickers out there today and they provided their team with great field position. Great field position is attained by solid kicking not great coverage. They kicked two long ones to score points but regardless we still had opportunities to move the ball.

Q: Can you talk about the significance of the line play by Penn State?
A: Yes, that's why coaches are looking for big lineman and when you have that kind of team, you can pound on some teams. When you have those types of players, you can dictate the line of scrimmage and I thought that was the case out there today. From a power standpoint, they just showed more power than we did.

Q: Can you talk about trying to change the momentum and ways to take the power out of the game?
A: When we don't have the power, we have to do something to take the power out of the game. From a coaching standpoint we tried to do things to take the power out of the game, but they kept pounding the ball with that big offensive line and tailback so we were never able to take the power out of the game.

Q: How important was it to come out, get the turnover and score first?
A: I thought it was very positive for us but I wasn't like oh wow, this place is the magic kingdom. The first score was a result of what we needed to come in here and win.

Virginia Player Quotes:

Merrill Robertson, LB

Q: What were your thoughts at the half?
A: We thought we had a good chance to win. We cleaned up the things we messed up and we went back onto the field to win the game.

Q: Was the second half play consistent with the team's play in other second half games?
A: Yeah, it's mainly a confidence problem in the second half. Today our objective was to put a game together but our mistakes in the second half affected that. Hands down though, they played better.

Q: Did the large crowd and loud atmosphere have an effect?
A: No, we didn't notice it. The main thing was the fact that we made too many mistakes. We gave up deep balls and long runs and you just can't win like that.

Zac Yarbrough C

Q: How would you rate the performance of the Penn State defense?
A: They were very quick throughout the whole game but I think we did a good job up front. I think we were slower this week then we were the past week but we held up pretty good where we wanted too.

Q: What were your thoughts on Larry Johnson?
A: He's a great player and a very big guy. He has a lot of quickness and he'll be a good player at the next level.

Brennan Schmidt, DE

Q: Coming into this game you had to know Larry Johnson was going to be a factor.
A: It's the same guy we played against last year but I think his moves are more defined.

Q: What were you thinking at halftime?
A: The coaches told us this is how we wanted everything to be and that this was to be expected at the half. We were right on our game plan.

Q: What is the biggest factor in the Penn State defense?
A: I think it's their overall scheme. They always had blitzes and people coming from different angles. Overall their defense is good.

 

In air test, Hokies passed and failed

JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Nov 10, 2002
Contact John Markon at (804) 649-6892 or jmarkon@timesdispatch.com

SYRACUSE, N.Y. There isn't enough room in this section, let alone on this page, to explain all the factors that led to Virginia Tech's 50-42, triple-overtime loss yesterday at Syracuse.

Which doesn't mean we can't open the floor for questions:

How in the world did Tech pass for 504 yards and still lose?
That's really two questions. The Hokies threw for 504 because quarterback Bryan Randall came to the line of scrimmage on almost every snap looking at a solid eight- or nine-man front.

"Four linemen, three linebackers and two safeties walking up, that's nine," said Tech quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers. "I hate to admit it, but that's the prudent way to play us. This was actually the first time we've had any real success passing against it."

"We might as well have passed," Randall said. "There was really no way we could have run."

As for how Tech still managed to lose, it's hard to give up the famous half-a-hundred points and win.

Is this some kind of new era in Tech football? What's next? The West Coast offense?

You must realize two things. First, Tech had three pass plays of 75 yards or longer. While that sounds impressive, big gains were available to the Hokies via the air on just about every play. Even though Randall threw for 504 yards, second-best all time at Tech, both he and his coaches admitted he'd actually played poorly (two turnovers) in the first half. What the team was asking him to do, though, was a little like taking the training wheels off your little son's bicycle and then telling him he's ready to go out and ride on I-95.

Did Randall fail to pick up Syracuse's double coverage on the game's final play, SU's end zone interception of Randall's pass to Ernest Wilford?

It would have been easy enough to assume he was fooled. The Orangemen were in single coverage (or zero coverage) of every Hokie receiver almost all night. Randall, however, said he saw the double-team coming and threw anyway. "On that snap, they shifted into a cover-six zone," Randall said. "I thought I could kind of force it in there, get it up high where Ernest could use his height and leaping ability."

Was Tech coach Frank Beamer guilty of playing too conservatively when he played to set up (unsuccessful) field goal attempts by Carter Warley at the end of regulation and the first overtime?

Coaching conservatively isn't a crime, so "guilty" may not be an applicable word.

"We were conservative," Randall said. "We needed the field goal to win, so we played to maintain control of the ball and kick the field goals."

"Carter's fine," Beamer said. "He was eager to try those kicks . . . and we had confidence he could make them."

The follow-up question, naturally, is "Why?" Warley's career batting average on field goals (23 of 40) wouldn't seem to inspire such confidence. At the end of regulation, Beamer was happy to let the clock spin and settle for a Warley attempt from 46 yards. When Warley came up short, his career mark from 40 yards or longer dropped to 5 of 12. Warley was also returning after sitting out four games with a back problem.

After leaking 485 yards against Pittsburgh last week, Tech's defense was burned for a cool 604 yesterday. How did Beamer explain that?

He talked a lot about his two missing defensive starters, cornerback DeAngelo Hall and linebacker Vegas Robinson.

If I'm either of those guys, I'm holding out for a single hotel room on the road and steak every night at the training table. No two players should be that valuable.

Is Syracuse (4-6) any good?

Not really, but the Orangemen have played a few good games. In front of a big parents weekend crowd, they sucked it up and gave Tech the best they had.

Where does Tech go now?

Home.

"This one really hurts," Beamer said. "We had so many chances to win."

Are those the last words?

They're as good as any others.

 

When push came to shove, Lions had lots of both

BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Nov 10, 2002
Contact Bob Lipper at (804) 649-6555 or e-mail blipper@timesdispatch.com

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. The day was drab, the game was blah, the crowd was tame, the opponent was superior, the losing streak now stands at two (with the discomforting threat of growing), a season's final destination hangs in the balance.

That was yesterday's report from Happy Valley, where there was no mirth for Virginia's Cavaliers - bludgeoned into 35-14 submission by Penn State. The Nittany Lions spotted U.Va. a touchdown and then rattled off 35 straight points. They piled up 533 yards all told, a haul that included 289 and 5.7 per carry on the ground. They owned the football for 36½ minutes. Their play-action schemes froze the Cavs' safeties and exploited their cornerbacks. Their defense stuffed the run and sacked Virginia QB Matt Schaub four times.

Penn State has been playing this sort of football for several centuries. And while it might not have the clout of those juggernauts of Joe Paterno's past, the current edition was plenty beefy enough to make U.Va. look like the loser in a tough-man contest.

"I got to give their power credit," said Cavs defensive end Chris Canty. "There weren't any weak guys out there."

Not far away, in a cramped room in Beaver Stadium, Al Groh tugged at the sleeves of his sweatshirt and prepared for a seminar in Blunt Responses 101. He's now 11-11 for his tenure at U.Va., which - all things considered - isn't unacceptable. His team has a habit of getting manhandled up front, which is. Ergo, he was in no mood for long talk.

How was Penn State able to separate itself from U.Va. in the second half? "Physical power."

Did he anticipate PSU's no-nonsense game plan? "We expected that might be the case two weeks ago."

What did he think of Nittany Lions tailback Larry "188 yards on 31 carries" Johnson? "I'd say he's a very good player."

You go up against an opponent that's simply bigger, stronger and better than your crew, it's tough to come up with answers. This was a rock-breaks-scissors matchup, and U.Va. was unable to paper over its deficiencies. Meaning Groh and his braintrust were unable to come up with anything to offset Penn State's brute force.

The Nittany Lions, in fact, pulled off the game's only flim-flam when holder Chris Ganter sprinted 30 yards on a faked field goal run for the TD that made it an insurmountable 28-7 just 13 seconds into the fourth period. U.Va.'s only consistent weapon was a short-passing game - Schaub completed 14 of 17 tries in the first half, for instance, and gained all of 113 yards for his trouble - but never could loosen Penn State's defense.

"That's why coaches are looking for big linemen and big pounders," Groh said. "That was the hand we were dealt. The other team had more power than we did."

Penn State also had too many Johnsons for the Cavs. Larry, you already know about. He pulverized Northwestern for 257 yards and Illinois for 279 in his past two home games, so maybe U.Va. should be commended for holding him under a mile. Meanwhile, his split-end brother, Tony, had three receptions, as did no-relation flanker Bryant Johnson. Each of them - not to mention QB Zack Mills - benefited from the steamroller effect PSU's blockers had on Virginia's front seven.

"We're a young team," said linebacker Merrill Robertson. "We got a lot of young guys out there. They pretty much just dominated us. We need to step our play up. We didn't answer the bell."

The Cavs better be ready to come off their stool with gusto in the Saturdays ahead. They're 6-4 now. Once, a 6-7 record would've maybe seemed reasonable - but that was before U.Va. reeled off six straight wins. Now, with N.C. State, Maryland and Virginia Tech on the horizon, 6-7 would mean ending the year with five straight setbacks - not good. The Cavs next catch State at a favorable moment - the Pack's also dropped two straight and might come to Charlottesville in we've-blown-the-BCS funk - but it takes two to tangle.

"It's do or die for us," said Canty. "Like coach Groh said, it's the playoffs for us. A team's intensity goes up now. We've got to match that. We really do have to dig in."

It would beat getting plowed under, their fate yesterday.