Humbling the Hokies
Cavaliers knock off archrival
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
November 30, 2003

Matt Schaub took a knee, watched the last seconds tick off the clock and punched the air with his right fist. Minutes later, as he jogged off the field at Scott Stadium for the final time as a Virginia football player, he raised his right arm in salute to the many fans who remained in the stands, cheering his name.

For the senior quarterback, it was, he acknowledged, “a storybook ending.”

Schaub and his classmates accomplished one of the few goals that had eluded them throughout their careers Saturday, seizing state bragging rights with a resounding 35-21 victory over their archrivals.

Schaub threw for 358 yards and two touchdowns as the Cavaliers continued No. 21 Virginia Tech’s downward spiral and laid claim to the Commonwealth Cup for the first time since 1998.

“It’s definitely the top,” Schaub said, still in uniform nearly an hour after game’s end. “Given the circumstances, how our year has gone, how the past five years have gone, to come out with a win today, it’s huge.”

Virginia had lost its previous four games to the Hokies and was completing a regular season that many had labeled a disappointment, but the Cavaliers achieved a measure of vindication on both counts before a crowd of 60,943.

With a dominating display in the second half, UVa overcame a 14-7 deficit and again looked like an up-and-coming program, while Tech appears headed in the opposite direction. Even if that perception proves inaccurate, the Cavaliers and their fans at least had one day to feel very good about themselves.

“To see the emotion involved with this, the camaraderie, the feeling they had accomplished something, this is what team sports is all about,” UVa coach Al Groh said after meeting with his players. “All of us who stay late, lift weights, those sort of things, this is what it’s all for - to be in a locker room like that.”

Virginia (7-5) assured itself of a winning record and awaits a bowl bid today. It will probably end up back in the Continental Tire Bowl (Dec. 27 in Charlotte, N.C.), thanks to Miami’s victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday night, though the Humanitarian Bowl (Jan. 3 in Boise, Idaho) also is a possibility.

Virginia Tech (8-4) likely will go to Phoenix, Ariz., for the Dec. 26 Insight Bowl unless it falls to the Continental Tire.

Wherever they go, the Cavaliers will enter on a high note after their most exhilarating triumph in years.

“Coach told us all along, if we played our ballgame, it wasn’t going to be a close game,” said tailback Alvin Pearman, who caught a 49-yard touchdown pass for a 21-14 lead in the third quarter. “It was close for a while, but we beat them physically. The coaches outcoached them and the players outplayed them.”

Groh coached aggressively, going for it on fourth down on four occasions, including a fake field goal. An offside penalty spoiled the first conversion, but the other three gambles paid off. Wali Lundy scored two touchdowns on fourth-and-goal plays from the 1, and Schaub’s pass to tight end Heath Miller out of field-goal formation set up the clinching score.

“We’re here to win,” Groh said. “We were going to let it all go.”

The Hokies, meanwhile, found ways to lose, as they have done frequently after a 6-0 start. Their biggest gaffe came midway through the third quarter when Vincent Fuller fell offside, negating a touchdown off a punt block by fellow cornerback Eric Green. The Cavaliers gained a first down on the penalty and ended up scoring the go-ahead touchdown, creating a big swing in the game’s momentum.

“They made the big plays when they needed to,” said Tech center Jake Grove, “and we made the big mistakes when they needed us to.”

Virginia made most of its own breaks. Lundy finished with four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving), while Miller caught 13 passes for 145 yards. The defense did a superb job against one of the nation’s top rushers, Kevin Jones, limiting him to 75 yards on 25 carries. The Hokies managed just 365 yards overall as Bryan Randall threw a pair of interceptions.

Schaub, the 2002 ACC player of the year, also turned in perhaps his best performance as a Cavalier following a tentative first half. On UVa’s first snap of the third quarter, he threw a 49-yard strike to Art Thomas, setting up his 1-yard touchdown toss to Lundy on fourth down.

Schaub also was perfect on his pass to Pearman, who beat Green down the right sideline for Virginia’s longest touchdown play of the season.

“If you get a step on your guy, you can count on Matt Schaub putting it on the money,” Pearman said.

Schaub stayed sharp. On the next drive, he threw to Ottowa Anderson for 20 yards, then connected with Miller twice for 19 more before Lundy scored on a fourth-down plunge over left tackle on the first play of the fourth quarter, making it 28-14.

In the third quarter alone, Schaub completed 11 of 20 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He surpassed 7,000 passing yards for his career, the first Virginia quarterback to do so, and tied Shawn Moore’s school record with 55 career TD passes.

“As usual, we couldn’t have done it without him. He made some big-time throws,” Groh said. “This guy’s got real moxie. … I thought he was magnificent, as always.”

The Hokies energized their fans with one magnificent drive of their own, going 91 yards in 18 plays to narrow their deficit to 28-21 on a two-yard run by Jones with 6:59 remaining.

But Groh answered with a bold call. As Connor Hughes set up for a 46-yard field goal with just under three minutes left, Schaub - the team’s holder - took the snap and found Miller open for a 10-yard gain. Lundy raced 18 yards for the clinching touchdown on the next play.

“It was a great feeling,” said Schaub, a fifth-year senior. “To win this game after going 0-4 against them, it’s definitely the biggest win we’ve had.”

 

Winner's Cup startles Groh after victory
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 30, 2003

When Virginia coach Al Groh charged into the Cavaliers’ locker room after ending a four-year losing streak to archrival Virginia Tech on Saturday, he was confronted by a strange object - the Commonwealth Cup, which goes to the winner of this annual slamdance.

“I didn’t know what it looked like,” said Groh after a convincing 35-21 victory over the No. 21-ranked Hokies. “I didn’t know what it was.”

How could he? The Cup had taken up residence in Blacksburg in 1999, well before Groh came onto the scene. Long-suffering Wahoo fans wondered how much more agony they would endure before the trophy returned to Charlottesville.

No other choice but win

If ever there was a must-win situation for the Cavaliers in this series, this was it. There were huge ramifications awaiting the outcome.

A loss would have translated into Virginia having laid an egg the size of the Rotunda. A 6-6 campaign would have been viewed a disappointment, particularly coming on the heels of last year’s shocking 9-5 season that left Wahoo fans giddy.

A loss could have made the streak against the Hokies even more difficult to snap next season on the road. Another possible repercussion was recruiting as around 75 blue-chippers poured into Scott Stadium, perhaps many of them teetering on what the crystal ball had in store for these two programs.

It was a game that Groh couldn’t afford to lose.

Second-half force

He knew that and after finding his team down 14-7 at halftime, the fiery coach was determined to pull out all the stops in the second half. The Hokies must have felt like they were playing with the casino’s money after having produced both their touchdowns off major Virginia mistakes (a tipped pass/interception deep in Cavalier territory and missed tackle that allowed Mike Imoh a 43-yard TD reception).

“The first half we tried hard ... maybe a little too hard,” Groh said. “When you’re trying to do something of a breakthrough nature, you have to believe in yourself. And when you say that to players, then you have to coach that way, too.”

The Virginia coach decided to play aggressively in the second half, to hold nothing back. Suddenly, what we got was two quarters of retro drama. Football exactly the way it once was.

Defensive delight

UVa’s much-maligned 3-4 defense tore the wings off the Hokies’ torsos and dared them to fly back home. Jones, with Heisman hopes, was stymied in the second half, held to a mere 28 yards rushing. The Cavaliers’ secondary picked off Tech QB Bryan Randall twice.

Meanwhile, Virginia’s offense opened up its arsenal with a vertical passing game, pulling senior wide receiver Art Thomas, out of mothballs to loosen up Tech’s secondary.

Quarterback Matt Schaub used trick plays, long passes and screwball offensive pyrotechnics in lighting up the Hokies for four touchdowns.

The Cavaliers rolled up 468 yards on Tech, including 358 passing yards (both highs against the Hokies defense) as much of the show became the Miller-O-Rama. Record-breaking tight end Heath Miller hauled in 13 catches for 145 yards as he lived up to his nickname, “Big Money.”

Groh rolled the dice time and again as the Cavs converted 9 of 18 third-down situations and all three fourth-down gambles in addition to a fake field goal.

On fourth-and-goal at the Tech 1, UVa came out with triple receivers stacked on the left side as Schaub rocketed his throw to tailback Wali Lundy, who bolted into the end zone behind the hulkish figures of Miller and tight end mate Patrick Estes. That knotted the score at 14-all early in the half.

Later, on a third-and-15 at the Tech 49, Groh called for a pass that UVa practiced all week in anticipation it would be golden when needed. It was a wheel route to tailback Alvin Pearman, who lined up at wide receiver and took it to the house for a 21-14 lead.

On Virginia’s next possession, it all came down to another fourth-and-goal at Tech’s 1 when Lundy rumbled in behind the Cavaliers’ jumbo personnel grouping of defensive end Chris Canty, linebacker Kai Parham and assorted other big-uglys. 28-14.

The final score was set up on a fake 48-yard field goal, when Schaub, the holder, rose up and passed 10 yards to Miller for a first down at the Hokie 19. Lundy scored on the next play.

Groh said there was no hesitation when it came to taking the chances. He didn’t even think about anything but going for it.

“We’re here to win and we were going to let it all go,” Groh said. “You have to trust and believe in the players. Sometimes you just have to coach by the heart.”

Yes, (cue the Hallelujah Chorus), a big-time football game broke out again at Scott Stadium.

The Cavaliers are ...

Back?

Trust in Big Al.

The program did a flashback to late last season when the Hoos won three of their last four, knocking off three ranked teams and winning a bowl game.

Now, at 7-5, Virginia can come within one win of last year’s effort if it prevails in a bowl game yet to be determined.

“What I’m really happy about is being 7-5 and wanting to win one more,” Groh said. “Any bowl, anywhere, any time.”
 

Cavalier notebook
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 30, 2003

Play of the game. With the scored tied at 14 with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter, UVa quarterback Matt Schaub called for a wheel route to tailback Alvin Pearman, who split out as a wide receiver.
It was third-and-15 at Tech’s 49. Pearman’s assignment was a simple out and up, which isolated him on Tech cornerback Eric Green. Pearman made the catch and romped 49 yards for the go-ahead TD as the Cavaliers never looked back.
“That was the third or fourth one of those we’ve called this year,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “Pearman, with his speed and ball skills, when he’s vertical out of the backfield, it’s as if he’s a wide receiver.”
Virginia had other receivers assigned to spots of the field in case Pearman couldn’t break free. That wasn’t a problem.
“That was huge,” Schaub said. “Tech was in zone coverage and we had guys running by them. Alvin has done a great job versus the zone all year.”
Pearman, who lined up in the slot, said he expected the play to be open after practicing it all week.
How did he get by the defensive back?
“I think he just got out-ran,” Pearman said with a big smile.

They said it. Quotes from Virginia’s locker room:
l Linebacker Darryl Blackstock: “This lets other teams know what we’ve got coming in the future. I think all of this started last week by beating Georgia Tech.”
l Linebacker Ray Mann: “I don’t think we could afford to lose. This gives our program a tremendous boost. Virginia Tech is no longer better than Virginia. We’re on equal levels now and with the athletes we’re getting in here, this rivalry is just going to get greater in the future.”
l Asked if the pregame festivities and the outcome was his vision of Virginia football, Coach Al Groh replied: “short of heaven, yes.”

Schaub’s day. Senior quarterback Matt Schaub tied the Virginia record for most TD passes in a career with 55 (Shawn Moore, 1987-90).
His 358 passing yards were the fifth-highest in school history and the second highest by a Cavalier against the Hokies. It was his fourth, 300-yard passing game of the season, setting a new Wahoo record.
“We had some mismatches, there were some holes in their zones and we knew where to find them,” Schaub said of attacking Tech’s defense. “We thought we could beat them vertical.”
On the fake field goal pass to tight end Heath Miller for a first down, leading to UVa’s final touchdown, Schaub said: “We’ve had it in our playbook for a few weeks now. This was the perfect time to run it.”

Miller time. UVa sophomore tight end Heath Miller may have been snubbed by the John Mackey Award committee, but the Cavalier slept well last night after hauling in 13 catches for 145 yards against the Hokies.
Both were career highs.
He became the first tight end in Wahoo history to record back-to-back, 100-yard receiving games. Only one other Virginia tight end (Bruce McGonnigal in 1989) even had two 100-yard games in an entire season.
Miller also set a new ACC record for receiving yards by a tight end in a season with 751 (McGonnigal held the old mark of 634). His 99 career catches is the second-most in UVa history by a tight end and the 12th-most by any Cavalier. He now has 1,078 career receiving yards.

Deee-fense. After Groh’s 3-4 defensive alignment came under fire by fans and TV commentators during the Cavaliers losing streak a few weeks ago, the scheme has come alive the past two weeks.
During that span, UVa’s defense has held two explosive running backs in check. The Cavaliers held Virginia Tech’s Kevin Jones, a Heisman Trophy candidate, to 75 yards rushing. That is the third-lowest total of the season for the Big East’s second-leading rusher and snapped his four-game, 100-yard streak.
Last week, Virginia held the ACC’s leading rusher, Georgia Tech’s P.J. Daniels to just 76 yards.
“We resurrected that ancient 3-4 defense,” Groh snickered in reference to the criticism. “It’s been pretty good shutting down two of the leading rushers in two major conferences.”
Jones had 20 runs this season of at least 13 yards. Saturday, his longest run of the day was for only 13 yards.

Eye openers.
l UVa won its final home contest for the eighth straight season.
l Freshman linebacker Ahmad Brooks and senior corner Jamaine Winborne led UVa in tackles with nine each (six solos for both players). Michael Crawford led Tech tacklers with a dozen (9 solos), while Jimmy Williams had 10 (also 9 solos).
l Senior wide receiver Art Thomas hauled in a career-long 41-yard pass, his first in five games.
l Sophomore tailback Wali Lundy has scored 10 TDs in each of his first two seasons.
l Lundy also tied his career high of three rushing scores in a game and four total TDs (three rushing, one receiving). UVa All-American Jim Bakhtiar, among the 60,943 fans at the game, also scored four times against Virginia Tech in 1957.
l Sophomore Darryl Black-stock’s sack was the 16th of his career, which tied Wali Rainer’s UVa mark for most career sacks by a linebacker.
l Senior Muffin Curry picked off his sixth interception of the season. The 58-yard return at the end of the game was the longest by a Cavalier since Antwan Harris knocked North Carolina out of the BCS picture with a 95-yard return for a TD in 1996.

The series. Virginia snapped a four-game losing streak to the Hokies, the longest string of wins by either school in the series in 20 years. However, Tech still holds a healthy lead with an advantage of 43-37-5.
UVa has a winning record in Charlottesville, 18-16-3 in a rivalry that dates back to 1895.

On deck. Virginia, now 7-5 overall, and tied for fourth-place in the ACC with a 4-4 record, will be waiting on a phone call from either the Continental Tire Bowl or the Humanitarian Bowl.
Virginia Tech, 8-4 overall, may not learn its bowl fate until today as well. The Hokies are under consideration for the Continental Tire Bowl and the Insight.com Bowl.
 

November has been unkind to the Hokies
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
November 30, 2003

November has not been a month to remember for Virginia Tech.

With Saturday’s 35-21 loss to Virginia at Scott Stadium, the Hokies’ make-or-break month has been shattered after losing three of their final four games.

This November’s troubles have followed a disturbing trend for the Hokies (8-4) and coach Frank Beamer, who have now lost eight or their last 14 contests in the calendar’s 11th month and are just 3-4 in the last two Novembers.

“I give Virginia credit. They played a heck of a ballgame. We’re in a situation in which we are just not doing the things to win. We’re not in a good rhythm,” said Beamer, whose team’s four-game winning streak against its bitter rival was snapped Saturday. “The reason and the causes for us not being in a rhythm is what we have to look at.”

Perhaps no play typified the Hokies’ out-of-syncness than a pivotal offsides call during a punt attempt by Virginia’s Tom Hagan in the third quarter.

Facing a fourth-and-3 from their own 27 with 7:23 left in the quarter and the score tied at 14, Hagan’s punt was blocked and was scooped up by Eric Green for an apparent touchdown.

Yet, an offsides penalty against Vincent Fuller - who slipped in an attempt to get back onsides - negated the play and also gave Virginia the first down.

Seven plays later, UVa quarterback Matt Schaub hit Alvin Pearman for a 49-yard touchdown pass and a 21-14 lead.

“You block a kick and you turn the game around but your offsides,” said an exasperated Beamer. “You still have to come back from that though.”

Added Tech center Jake Grove: “That was a big momentum play. It was 14 points right there.”

During the course of this November swoon, Tech’s defense has crumbled in pivotal stretches. That is even more disappointing for Beamer considering it began November with a convincing 31-7 win over Miami in which the defense played a starring role.

“It’s every play on defense. You have to be consistent every play. You can’t play three good and then make a mental mistake on the fourth. It has to be every play,” Beamer said.

Exemplifying that was Virginia’s fake field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter when Schaub hit tight end Heath Miller on a play that sealed the Hokies’ fate more than any other on the day.

“We had a guy right there with him but we just couldn’t catch him,” Beamer said.

Virginia Tech’s postseason fate, as did Virginia’s and seemingly every other ACC and Big East bowl eligible teams, rested on Miami’s victory over Pittsburgh. With the Hurricanes’ win, they are likely headed to the Insight Bowl while Pittsburgh’s loss probably puts them in the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte.

“We don’t have anything in certain terms but certainly that Miami-Pittsburgh game plays a role,” said Virginia Tech athletics director Jim Weaver.

At that point, Beamer is just looking for a next game anywhere and in any place.

“It is disappointing. We’ve played some great football and there have been some great moments. I think we’re going to a bowl. I want to get this team back on the field and get us out of this funk we’re in.”
 

TE Miller proves his worth
By Kris Wright / Daily Progress staff writer
November 30, 2003

When Virginia tight end Heath Miller began his career by scoring a touchdown in his first five games, he immediately set very high standards for the rest of his days in a Cavalier uniform. So far, he is having very little trouble living up to the expectations.

Miller, just a sophomore, continues to surpass the remarkable beginning of his career with even more and even better performances.

Take Saturday’s 35-21 victory over Virginia Tech, for example. Miller set a new career high for receptions with 13 and also logged a career-high 145 yards receiving. In the process, he set a new ACC record for single-season receiving yards by a tight end - Miller has 751 yards on the season, breaking the record of former UVa tight end Bruce McGonnigal, who had 634 in 1989. He also added to his ACC record for single-season receptions by a tight end (he now has 66 on the season) and he already owns the ACC mark for career TD catches by a tight end with 14.

Asked about Miller’s outing against the Hokies, UVa coach Al Groh said that “was a fantastic performance from Heath Miller,” before adding that any statistic or statement from him would not tell the tale as well as the team’s nickname for Miller, which “for those of you who don’t know, the players call him Big Money.”

Miller can live with the name, even if it adds to the pressure-cooker that is college football.

“It adds some extra pressure too,” he said. “It feels good to know that the team has confidence in me to make big plays and I just go out and hope to continue doing that.”

But exactly where did the moniker begin?

“I’m not sure where it came from,” Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub said. “It’s definitely stuck, though, and he’s definitely lived up to it.”

There’s little arguing that fact. Miller almost always delivers.

Saturday’s contest was the second straight week that he had over 100 yards receiving. It had been 12 years since a UVa tight end accomplished that feat. Miller did it in back-to-back games.

In 12 games this season, the sophomore has had at least 50 yards receiving in seven contests. In four of those games, he had more than 75 yards receiving (7 for 94 against Wake Forest, 9 for 77 against Florida State, 6 for 110 against Georgia Tech, 13 for 145 against VT). He has caught more than one pass in every game but one - a one-catch outing for 39 yards against Maryland.

Miller has caught a pass in 19 straight games, the top current streak on the team.

All of those numbers seem to beg one question: Is Miller always open?

“I think he his,” Schaub said. “We put him in a lot of situations to make plays and he does. … Either man or zone, it doesn’t really matter. If he gets covered one-on-one, I’ll take him any time against anybody one-on-one. He’s able to get open and shield himself from defenders and make plays.”

Miller said he was growing more confident in finding open space in defenses.

“I think I’ve gotten better in all phases of the game, but especially in finding soft spots in the defense. I’ve started to gain more confidence with that and did some of that today,” Miller said.

It’s Miller’s team-first attitude and humble demeanor that makes him a favorite of Groh’s. While Miller doesn’t get as much attention or hype as some tight ends around the country such as Miami’s Kellen Winslow Jr. (who was touted as a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate), he is certainly on the same level as the nation’s best. Before his stellar outing against Virginia Tech, he ranked fourth in the nation in receptions and third in yards. He was a freshman All-American a year ago.

In addition to all the records, receptions and yards, Miller is also a great all-around player. The sophomore is an outstanding blocker and he plays a key part of almost every Cavalier play. If there are any doubts to that fact, look no further than Saturday’s victory. Miller had key blocks at the point-of-attack on both Virginia touchdowns on fourth-down-and-goal plays.

Needless to say, Groh has no desire to swap with any of his fellow coaches.

“I wouldn’t trade him for anybody,” Groh said. “He’s a super kid and he’s everything that we’re looking for players on this team to stand for because of everything he does on the football field but also off the field. He’s a team-first guy. If he’s not an honor student, he’s really close to it. He’s an achiever in everything he does.

“He’s really a great team guy,” Groh added. “He has a humility about him in circumstances like this.”

When told of Groh’s “no-trade” stance, Miller said he was thrilled to get such high praise. Of course, he was more thrilled to get a win over the Cavaliers’ rivals.

“It makes me feel good to hear that. We’ve got so many offensive stars on this team, I just try to make plays when I get the chance,” Miller said. “It feels good [to get two straight 100-yard games], but it makes me feel really good to pick up these last two wins.”
 

Hokies have trouble flagging down Lundy
By Doug Doughty and Randy King
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Wali Lundy never considered celebrating Saturday after his third rushing touchdown gave Virginia a two-touchdown lead in the final stages of a 35-21 victory over Virginia Tech.

"The first thing I did was look back to see if there was a flag," said Lundy, a sophomore who had been named second-team All-ACC earlier in the week.

One week earlier, Lundy had seen apparent 29- and 35-yard runs nullified by penalty in a 29-17 victory over Georgia Tech. There were no flags Saturday for Lundy, who earlier had scored on two fourth-and-goal plays from the 1-yard line.

The last touchdown wrapped up a 24-carry, 89-yard afternoon for Lundy, who was more than eager to deflect any credit to quarterback Matt Schaub.

"Matt was on fire," Lundy said. "I was like, 'Just keep on. Keep letting Matt do his thing.' He was seeing everything."

Schaub completed 32 of 46 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns, the first a 1-yarder to Lundy on fourth-and-goal to start the second half. It came from a "trips" formation in which Lundy was flanked wide with tight ends Heath Miller and Patrick Estes.

"It was kind of an option play," Lundy said. "If he saw too many guys out there, he could have run it. We may have confused them with that one."

Three of Lundy's four touchdowns came during a 28-point second half as the Cavaliers (7-5) defeated Tech (8-4) for the first time since 1998.

"I was getting tired of hearing about the Hokies," Lundy said. "I have a lot of respect for the Hokies, but I was getting tired of hearing about the Hokies of Virginia. When I go home, I say I play for Virginia and they say, 'Tech?'

"It's our time. Our era."

Fitting finale

Senior Day frequently makes heroes of players like Art Thomas, a fifth-year senior who caught three passes for 66 yards, the first a 49-yarder to set up the Cavaliers' first touchdown of the second half.

Thomas also had a big play in the 2001 season finale, when he returned a fumble 92 yards for a touchdown in a 20-14 victory over Penn State. He was a starting cornerback at the time but was moved to wide receiver this season, where he had been a forgotten man since midseason.

Among Thomas' contributions Saturday was a fumble recovery after the Hokies had stripped the ball from another UVa wideout, Marques Hagans. Ironically, it was Thomas' own fumble problems that sent him to the bench after he started three of the first five games.

"It's the last game of the season, I'm a senior, it was the last time I was playing in Charlottesville and I played like it," said Thomas, who said he was on the field because fellow senior Ryan Sawyer had been injured in the first half. "I just wanted to have fun today."

Thomas, whose last reception had come in Week 6, gave the Cavaliers a deep threat that is lacking in its usual receiver rotation.

"He's had some spectacular plays in his career," coach Al Groh said. "It's been back and forth a little bit, but he really hung in there. It was a great finale for him. It gave us a chance to have a lot of pep and a lot of juice."

Keeping up with Jones

With Virginia stacking its defense most of the day against the run, Hokies star tailback Kevin Jones was limited to 75 yards rushing on 25 carries. It marked only the fourth times in 12 games that Jones failed to run for 100 or more yards.

Jones received a scare when on the second play of the third quarter when he was kneed in the lower back while trying to cut-block an UVa defender on a short pass play to Justin Hamilton.

"My whole right leg went numb. I thought it was hurting and then it went away," said Jones, who pushed his school-record single-season rushing total to 1,494 yards.

Jones seemed to be in a much better mood than most of his teammates after the game. When asked by a reporter about his "gut feeling" as to whether he will leave Tech early for the NFL or return for his senior season, he quickly offered: "Come back."

Why? "I just hate to lose, and, plus, I love my teammates and coaches."

A minute later, another reporter snickered at Jones about his comment. He responded with a laugh, spitting water on himself.

"You know I meant it," said Jones, referring to his "come back" line. "You guys need to write that, too."

A way to play both QBs

The Hokies found a way to get both of their quarterbacks on the field at the same time Saturday.

Backup Marcus Vick lined up at receiver on several snaps, and ran a reverse for a 6-yard gain. Vick also played a couple of cameo snaps at QB, running for a pair of 11-yard gains on a draw and a keeper.

"It was fun and I enjoyed it," said Vick, who split time with Randall at QB for the past four games. "I like running around, doing whatever I can do to help my team move the chains.

"We planned to do it Miami week, but we never got around to it. We brought it back in this week and it kind of worked, I thought."

Tech tidbits

Linebacker Vegas Robinson's first-quarter interception that set up Tech's first touchdown was his second of the season and fifth of his career. Jordan Trott, who saw a lot of playing time in starter Mikal Baaqee's linebacker spot, tipped the Schaub pass that landed in Robinson's hands. ... Senior split end Ernest Wilford had six receptions for 96 yards. Wilford needs four catches in the bowl game to surpass Antonio Freeman's school record for receptions in a career (121).

 

Tight end grabs catch of the day
The last of 13 catches for Heath Miller gives UVa a first down on a fake field goal, leading to a TD.
By Mark Berman

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Heath Miller had 13 catches Saturday, and his last one was the biggest.

On fourth-and-seven from the Virginia Tech 29, Miller hauled in a 10-yard pass from holder/quarterback Matt Schaub near the right sideline on a fake field goal.

Wali Lundy scored on a 19-yard run on the next play to extend UVa's lead to 35-21 with 2:29 to go. That wound up being the final score, as the 7-5 Cavaliers beat the No.21 Hokies for the first time in five years.

With Tech trying to block the kick, Schaub found Miller wide open.

"It put the game away, so it was a good call," said Miller, a sophomore tight end. "I don't think they [the Hokies] were ready for it. They were rushing off the other side, so I was able to slip out the back door and make the catch in the flat."

No wonder teammate Elton Brown has given Miller the nickname "Big Money."

"I just try to make plays whenever my number's called," said Miller, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs 254 pounds. "It just so happens sometimes it's on third down or whatever."

The call for a fake field goal was not difficult for UVa coach Al Groh.

"We're going for the win," Groh said. "We had a chance to really kind of put the game away. Sometimes you've just got to lay it all out there and see what happens."

Miller, who made the All-ACC first team last week, caught as many passes Saturday as Virginia Tech's tight ends have caught all season combined.

"It was a pretty fantastic performance," Groh said.

Miller is well aware that not all teams make their tight ends such a big part of the passing game.

"It's a real tight-end-friendly offense, and I enjoy getting out and catching the ball," he said. "It's a lot of fun when you get a chance to make some plays."

Schaub is grateful that Miller is one of his targets.

"It adds a different dimension," said Schaub, who threw for 358 yards. "It's like him and Marques Hagans, they're two different players, but they provide us with a lot of dynamic capability with the mismatches they present to other people. It's hard to cover those type of players."

Miller had a game-high 145 receiving yards Saturday.

"There were some plays I thought I could get open on," he said. "I found some soft spots in the middle a couple times."

On UVa's first TD drive, Miller had a 13-yard catch on third-and-six and also caught a 19-yard pass to the 1. On the third-quarter drive that gave his team the lead for good, Miller caught a 10-yard pass on third-and-10. He had two catches on UVa's next touchdown drive, including an 8-yard catch on third-and-four from the Tech 11. He had an 11-yard reception before the fake field goal on the final TD drive.

"After two years of playing with him, you can't miss a guy like that, at his size and his ability," Schaub said. "We were trying to put him in spots where he could present mismatches on certain players, and he definitely took advantage of it."

Miller has set ACC single-season records for tight ends with 66 catches for 751 yards this year. He set the yards mark Saturday. Miller had six catches for 110 yards in a Nov.22 win over Georgia Tech, becoming the first UVa tight end with a 100-yard game in 12 years.

As a senior quarterback at Honaker High School in 2000, Miller was the Associated Press Group A player of the year. He chose UVa over Tech.

Groh said he wouldn't trade Miller for anybody, not even Miami tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.

"He's the profile of everything we want this team to stand for," Groh said. "He's an achiever in everything he does."

 

Latest fall puzzles the Hokies
Even though the Hokies have struggled at the end of other seasons, it's still hard for them to understand.
By Randy King

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The swoon of the maroon continues.

In the latest chapter to its story of late-season fold jobs, suddenly defenseless Virginia Tech watched Virginia score touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half and lost 35-21 in both clubs' regular-season finale at Scott Stadium.

So for the second straight season, Tech (8-4) closed a regular season with four losses in six games. Counting a 2-3 finish in 2001, the Hokies are a combined 6-11 down the stretch the past three seasons.

This year's collapse, though, is the most puzzling of the three to the Tech coaches and players.

"I know we're better than this," junior quarterback Bryan Randall said. "If I didn't think we were capable of winning these games it wouldn't be a problem. The fact is I know we should be winning. So [losing] four of six down the stretch is unacceptable."

Senior center Jake Grove is as puzzled as Randall as to what's gone wrong with a team that was almost flawless in a 6-0 start that had it ranked No.3 in the country.

"It's frustrating and it hurts because I don't know where things are going wrong or went wrong because I really think we're a good football team," Grove said. "I think when we're playing well we're as good as anybody in the country.

"I know what this team can do and we're just not doing it. If we were going out and getting beat because other teams were a lot better than us, I could take that a lot easier than what's happening right now."

As has been the recent trend, the Hokies continue to be burned by costly penalties and bad defense.

The biggest play of the game came with the score tied at 14 midway in the third quarter. Eric Green blew in from the right side to block a Tom Hagan punt and scooped the ball up and sauntered into the end zone on what he thought was a go-ahead touchdown.

However, on the left flank of the punt-rush team, Vinnie Fuller was guilty of going offside. Not only did the penalty cost Tech a TD, it gave UVa a first down, and the Cavaliers eventually drove for a touchdown that gave them the lead for good.

"We're in a situation where we're not doing the things it takes to win," Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "We're just not in good rhythm. You block a kick and turn the game around and you're offsides."

So instead of getting a big lift with a special-teams touchdown, the Hokies watched the flip-flop result into a 14-point turnaround in UVa's favor.

"It took away from us when they took away the score," Randall said. "It was kind of like the reverse ... instead of being sky high up here, now you're down low here."

Things would get no better for Tech in its first loss to UVa in five years. Used to be, Tech could win games with 365 total yards and 21 points. Not anymore.

Since a 31-7 rout of then-No.2 Miami on Nov.1, the Hokies defense has turned into Swiss cheese. Counting UVa's 35 points and 468 total yards, the Hokies have surrendered 123 points and 1,768 yards the past four games.

They had no clue as to how to stop UVa quarterback Matt Schaub and the Cavs' precision passing game. Schaub completed 32 of 46 passes for 358 yards and two TDs. UVa tight end Heath Miller found openings in the Hokies defense all day long, catching 13 passes for 145 yards.

It's pretty hard to win a game when your defense doesn't make a stop in the second half. UVa had drives of 74, 80, 48 and 69 yards for touchdowns in the final half before running out the clock on its final possession.

When asked about the defense not recording a second-half stop, Grove chuckled a second and said: "On offense today we needed to score every time we got the ball and that's hard to do. We didn't do it and they did and they won.

"For us to win football games right now, the offensive line has to play over their heads, Kevin [Jones, tailback] has to run the ball great, and we've got to have some luck and we're not getting any luck right now. Right now, we're not playing well enough to beat anybody."

Green, one of few members of the defense to show up in the postgame media room, said things are snowballing on the side of the ball that Tech football tradition was been built on.

"It kind of feels like everything is going downhill right now for all the guys," Green said. "I know how everybody feels, and I feel the same way."

 

Thomas hits a high note
By Kris Wright / Daily Progress staff writer
November 30, 2003

Virginia senior Art Thomas’ career has had everything any good amusement park adventure ride would have - twists, turns and plenty of ups and downs.

After arriving at UVa by way of Fork Union Military Academy, Thomas has played offense, defense and special teams. At times, he has been tantalizingly close to becoming a break-through player for the program. At others, he’s been agonizingly far away from being a contributor at all. Sometimes, he’s simply been missing, a forgotten piece of the bigger puzzle.

The latter had been the case for the last several weeks as Thomas had fallen out of favor with the Virginia coaching staff. In fact, Thomas did not play at Maryland. Even on special teams.

But in the final regular-season and home game of his career, Thomas made sure that his career would go out on an upswing. Thomas emerged from the deep retreats of the depth chart doghouse to make three catches in the 35-21 win over Virginia Tech, including a 49-yard bomb that helped set the tone for the Cavs in the second half.

“We wanted to come out and be more aggressive in the second half - not necessarily so much in personnel as in plays,” UVa coach Al Groh said. “We got off to a good start with Art. He’s had some special plays in his career. It’s been back and forth for him a little bit, but he hung in there and today he made some plays. That’s a great finale for him.”

Thomas calmly fielded questions after the game, indicating that he simply wanted to make sure to go out and make plays when he had a chance in his farewell game in Scott Stadium.

“This is the last game of the season and I’m a senior so this is my last time in a game in Charlottesville,” Thomas said. “So I wanted to go out and play like it was the last time I’d play in Charlottesville and just try to make plays when I had the chance.”

While Thomas downplayed his return, quarterback Matt Schaub said it was great to see his fellow senior go out on a high note. Schaub has known Thomas since their days of high school football in Pennsylvania - Schaub hails from West Chester, while Thomas is from Mechanicsburg, less than 90 miles apart.

“Art is a great friend of mine and we’ve known each other for a long time now,” Schaub said. “I’m tremendously happy for him. His career has been up and down, but he’s stuck with it and worked hard and for him to get a chance to go out there and make plays today was great.”

Schaub also indicated that he was looking to go deep to Thomas to start the half as part of the Cavs’ halftime plan to be more aggressive against the Tech secondary. Thomas, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, gave the Cavs a tall and fast target to kick off the strategy.

“Definitely,” Schaub said of Thomas being the first option on the long pass. “Their defense was playing down and against the line so we wanted to be more aggressive against that and Art’s got the speed and ability to get by them.”

Thomas delivered immediately.

On Virginia’s first play after halftime, Schaub dropped back and hit Thomas for a 49-yard completion down the right side. Thomas, who finished with three catches for 66 yards, swept by his defender and had an easy path to the ball on the play. Seven snaps later, UVa got into the end zone and tied the score at 14-14.

The Cavs eventually pulled away from there.

“It was more of a go route,” Thomas said. “We just went out there and that was the play that was called. I was happy because I had the opportunity to get a chance and I knew it was coming my way if I could get open.

The opportunity to make plays had become frustratingly scarce for Thomas. After being moved from defense back to offense in his final season, Thomas got off to a reasonably good start. He made at least one catch in five of the first six games (in three starts), which included seven receptions for 72 yard in a win against Wake Forest.

Then things turned sour for Thomas as he found himself demoted down the depth chart after having trouble with fumbling the football at times. At Clemson on Oct. 11, Thomas made one catch for seven yards, but fumbled the ball on the play.

Since then, he hadn’t really seen the field until Saturday’s finale at Scott Stadium. In an interesting twist, Thomas probably got his opportunity to return when his replacement in the starting lineup - Ryan Sawyer - left the game with an injury.

But Thomas said that the good feeling of getting back in the lineup and contributing to the victory would not completely replace the up-and-down nature of his career.

“Not really. I think I will still have it in the back of mind to help me practice harder and become a better player,” Thomas said.
 

Second-half swing helps UVa down Va. Tech
By DAVE JOHNSON
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Commonwealth Cup is four feet tall, an impressive mixture of marble and cherry wood. Since 1996, it has gone to the winner of the annual Virginia-Virginia Tech football game to cherish as a symbol of state supremacy.

When it was brought to his team's locker room around 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, Cavaliers coach Al Groh couldn't help staring.

"I didn't know what it looked like," he said. "To tell you the truth, I didn't know what that thing was."

No wonder: The Cup had resided in Blacksburg since 1999, two years before Groh's arrival in this town. But with an unstoppable offense in the second half and a solid effort on defense all day - and aided by a game-changing penalty that created a two-touchdown swing - Virginia broke the Hokies' four-year hold on state bragging rights with a 35-21 victory Saturday afternoon.

The Cavaliers (7-5) scored touchdowns on four of their five second-half possessions - the fifth ended with quarterback Matt Schaub taking a knee at the Tech 12-yard line - in a dominant performance. And Virginia's 3-4 defense, said to be as out of place in college football as the option would be in the NFL, turned Tech star Kevin Jones into a non-factor.

"This," said Schaub, who threw for 358 yards and two touchdowns, "means everything."

It had been five years and one day since Virginia's last win in this series. Schaub was a high school senior, Groh was Bill Parcells' linebackers coach with the New York Jets and George Welsh was the Cavs' boss, not even thinking about retirement. Last season's 12-point loss in Blacksburg was actually the closest Virginia has come since a 36-32 victory in `98. In the previous three meetings, it was over at halftime.

On this Saturday, it was still a game after 30 minutes. Tech (8-4) led 14-7, but the Cavaliers began the third quarter with a changed philosophy. Art Thomas, one of the team's fastest players but missing in action since his last catch on Oct. 11, blew past Hokie safety Jimmy Williams and hauled in a 49-yard throw from Schaub. That set up the game-tying touchdown.

Schaub threw for 178 yards alone in the third quarter as Virginia unexpectedly stretched the Hokies' defense. His 49-yard throw to tailback Alvin Pearman on a fly pattern down the right sideline put the Cavaliers ahead for good with 5:21 left in the period.

"They were sitting on our short stuff so we decided to change and go vertical," Schaub said. "We've got some receivers with the speed to do that."

Defensively, Virginia never gave Jones any room. Of his 25 carries, only three were for longer than 6 yards and none went further than 13. Quarterback Bryan Randall threw for 214 yards, though 73 came on one possession.

"I guess they thought I was going to make something happen," Jones said, "but they contained me pretty good."

It sure didn't look like the same unit that had given up 257 yards to Maryland's Josh Allen only 16 days earlier.

"You tell me," linebacker Kai Parham said. "Did we get to the ball, or what?"

Though the Cavs ended up winning going away, one play was pivotal. With the score tied at 14, Virginia was lined up in punt formation from its 27-yard line. Eric Green came through from the right side and not only stuffed Tom Hagan's kick, but recovered it and took it in for an apparent touchdown.

Except for the yellow hanky.

Lined up on the left end, Vincent Fuller flinched and, trying to regain his balance, fell offsides. The penalty not only cost the Hokies a touchdown, it gave Virginia a first down. Seven plays later, Schaub connected with Pearman to put the Cavs ahead for good.

No. 3 in both polls in mid-October, Tech's season has hit another tailspin. Over the last three seasons, the Hokies are 20-2 in September and October. But 6-10 from November on.

"We're in a situation where we're not doing the things it takes to win football games," Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "We're not in rhythm. The reasons or causes that we're not in rhythm is what we've got to look at."
 

Virginia gets aggressive with its play-calling
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published November 30, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- You probably didn't notice it at the time, but Virginia's approach to Saturday afternoon's game became clear on the 11th play from scrimmage. Facing fourth-and-1 from the Virginia Tech 29-yard line, Cavaliers coach Al Groh left automatic kicker Connor Hughes on the sideline.

"We knew that if we were going to win today," U.Va. quarterback Matt Schaub said, "we were going to have to score touchdowns instead of getting field goals."

True, a false start led to a 52-yard kick into the wind that fell short. But for the Cavaliers, the tone had been set. Everything was to be laid on the line, as if more than just state bragging rights were on the line.

If the Cavs were going to lose, it wouldn't be because they played it safe. Two of their five touchdowns came on fourth-and-goal situations. Schaub, who usually nickels-and-dimes defenses to death, went vertical in the third quarter and caught the Hokies' defense off guard.

"We were here to win," said Groh, whose team did so, 35-21. "We're going to let it all go. We talk about believing and trusting each other, and at some point you have to believe in the players. Tactical decisions weigh in, but sometimes you have to coach by the heart and trust the players. They wanted to go, and I wanted to go."

And how's this for a gamble? After the Hokies had trimmed Virginia's lead to 28-21, the Cavs faced fourth-and-7 from the Tech 29-yard line. Hughes came out for a 48-yard attempt, which, though well within his range, would also be into the wind.

After taking the snap, Schaub rose to throw a short pass to Heath Miller, whose catch-and-run resulted in a 10-yard gain and a first down. On the next play, perhaps finally deflated, Tech's defense parted like the Red Sea as Wali Lundy scored his fourth touchdown of the day to seal it.

"We thought there was a 50-50 chance they'd fake the field goal," Tech coach Frank Beamer said, "but it was good execution on Virginia's part."

Said Groh: "Sometimes you have to lay it all out there and see what happens."

Virginia's offense took that approach in the second half after undergoing something of a personality transplant at halftime. Art Thomas, who hadn't caught a pass since Oct. 11, lined up for the first play in the third quarter. He ran a post pattern, and Schaub was perfect - as he was most of the day - for a 49-yard gain. Three plays later, Schaub threw deep for Ottowa Anderson and drew a pass-interference penalty that set up first-and-goal.

After tying the game at 14, Schaub went deep to Alvin Pearman for 49 yards to make it 21-14. Schaub had 178 of his 358 passing yards in the third quarter.

"Everything was clicking for us," Lundy said. "We felt they couldn't stop us."

Certainly not on third down. Virginia was 9-of-18 on third-down chances Saturday, including a third-and-15 and third-and-10 on

the drive that ended with the go-ahead touchdown.

Third-quarter penalty deflates Virginia Tech
By Norm Wood
Daily Press
Published November 30, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Eric Green wanted to cry. He glanced across the field and noticed a yellow swatch of cloth near the Virginia sideline. It was the beginning of the end for Virginia Tech in its 35-21 loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday.

Green had just blocked a punt and returned it into the end zone to apparently put the Hokies ahead 20-14 midway through the third quarter. But Green was denied his big moment. Hokies cornerback Vincent Fuller was flagged for an offsides penalty on the play, negating Green's efforts and giving U.Va. a first down. If Tech's defense and special teams were shaky before that flag flew, the two units were completely deflated after the flag hit the field.

"Even when we do things right, there's always something there to hold us back," Green said. "That play right there was definitely a big play."

U.Va.'s drive went from bad to worse for Green after the penalty. With a new set of downs, the Cavaliers (7-5) drove from their 32-yard line after the penalty to the Hokies' end zone in six plays. Matt Schaub finished the drive with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Pearman, who beat Green on the route. The touchdown gave the Cavaliers a 21-14 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter, and they never trailed again.

Tech's secondary and special teams did the Cavaliers a lot of favors throughout the game. Schaub, who thrives on the short pass, stretched the Hokies' defense and completed six passes of 19 yards or longer. Hokies cornerback DeAngelo Hall gave up completions of 19, 21 and 26 yards. Green surrendered completions of 49 and 20 yards, and Williams was burned for a 49-yard completion. Virginia scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the second half.

Helping out the Cavaliers once wasn't enough for the Hokies' special-teams units, which were anything but coach Frank Beamer's "Pride and Joy," as he often refers to them.

En route to its last touchdown, U.Va. trotted out Connor Hughes for an apparent 48-yard field-goal attempt on fourth-and-8 with less than three minutes left. But Schaub took the snap and nailed tight end Heath Miller for a 10-yard completion and first down. One play later, tailback Wali Lundy sprinted in from 20 yards to put the Cavaliers ahead 35-21.

The Hokies have a month before a bowl game to turn around a defensive unit that has failed to hold a lead in its last four games. Now, with special-teams coverage concerns added to the defensive woes, Beamer must be wondering where to begin.

"I'm not going to get into who's blaming and all that," Beamer said. "It's just that as a defense, you can say we're just not quite the defense that we have been, for the most part."

Cavs Keep Hokies On the Ropes
Virginia Hands Va. Tech 4th Loss in 6 Games: Virginia 35, Virginia Tech 21
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, November 30, 2003; Page E01

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 29 -- Virginia broke its four-year losing streak to Virginia Tech in style Saturday, opening the second half with three straight touchdowns en route to a 35-21 win that Al Groh said was as satisfying as any in his three seasons as the Cavaliers' coach.

Playing as well as they have all season, the Cavs (7-5) compiled 468 yards -- including 358 on the arm of senior quarterback Matt Schaub -- to send the Hokies (8-4) to their fourth loss in six games.

"This means a lot to a lot of Virginia people," Groh said of his first Commonwealth Cup win.

Virginia senior Almondo Curry, for instance, can go home to Hampton, Va., without having to defend the Cavaliers against barbs from Virginia Tech fans.

"It's going to feel great going back to Hampton," Curry said. "I'm usually one of the guys that get ragged on. . . . I see all the cars with Virginia Tech stickers on them. Now I can look at the cars and the people that's walking around with Virginia Tech shirts on and smile, because we got the Commonwealth [Cup] back here in Charlottesville."

Curry and the Virginia defense held Kevin Jones, the Hokies' star tailback, to 75 yards on 25 carries and kept him from breaking any run longer than 13 yards. Quarterback Bryan Randall was 14 of 26 for 214 yards but threw two interceptions, part of a long list of frustrations for Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer.

"I'm not looking for blame. I'm looking for reasons," said Beamer, whose team surrendered season highs in points and yards.

Virginia tight end Heath Miller (13 catches for 145 yards) once again was Schaub's favorite receiver, while tailback Wali Lundy rushed for 89 yards and scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving).

Trailing 14-7 at halftime, the Cavaliers gained 49 yards on their first play of the second half when Schaub connected with speedy senior Art Thomas on a play-action pass down the center of the field. Virginia needed three tries from the 1-yard line, but on fourth down Lundy tied the game when he caught a screen pass and scored his second touchdown.

"We talked during halftime about the fact that when you're trying to do something of a breakthrough nature, you have to have belief in something that hasn't occurred yet," Groh said. "You've got to believe in yourself. You have to have the confidence that can make it happen. I thought we played the second half with a much greater belief in ourselves."

Virginia's next drive appeared to come to a disastrous end when Virginia Tech's Eric Green blocked a punt at the Virginia 20-yard line, scooped up the ball and ran into the end zone. But the Hokies were ruled offside on the play, negating Green's effort.

"I saw that flag. I went, 'Oh no, here we go again,' " Green said.

Green found heartache again eight plays later when Schaub made him the victim of a beautifully thrown 49-yard pass to Alvin Pearman. Instead of leading 21-14, the Hokies found themselves trailing by that score.

Lundy punched in a one-yard touchdown run on Virginia's next drive, boosting the margin to 14 points. Virginia Tech answered with an 18-play, 91-yard touchdown drive, but Lundy sealed the win by dashing 19 yards for the Cavaliers' final touchdown with 2½ minutes remaining.

"Even though things didn't go exactly the way we wanted them to [this season], to come through with this win today, I can't explain to y'all how it feels," Virginia senior Jamaine Winborne said.

The win didn't do much to clear up Virginia's bowl prospects. The Cavaliers still are looking at either the Continental Tire Bowl (Dec. 27 in Charlotte) or the Humanitarian Bowl (Jan. 3 in Boise, Idaho). The Hokies are also eyeing the Continental Tire Bowl but also could be under consideration for the Insight Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix.

At least Virginia doesn't have to worry about getting shut out of a bowl altogether. Maryland made sure of that with a 41-28 win over Wake Forest, keeping the Demon Deacons from becoming the seventh ACC team eligible for a postseason bid.

Cavaliers Notes: Schaub tied Shawn Moore's Virginia record for career touchdown passes (55). He set a record with his fourth 300-yard game of the season. . . . Virginia has won its home finale in each of the past eight seasons. . . . Thomas's 49-yard catch was his first in five games.
 

Hokies' Confidence Gets Smashed
By Ken Denlinger
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 30, 2003; Page E16

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 29 -- With the score tied at 14 and more than seven minutes left in the third quarter, Virginia Tech cornerback Eric Green blocked a Virginia punt and returned it for a touchdown that appeared to put the Hokies in front. But Vincent Fuller was offside on the play, and the Cavaliers maintained possession.

Less than two minutes later, Alvin Pearman broke free from Green down the right sideline, gathered quarterback Matt Schaub's pass in stride and won a footrace to the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown that vaulted Virginia toward a 35-21 victory Saturday at Scott Stadium.

Those two miscues were emblematic of this season for the Hokies (8-4), whose national championship hopes unraveled in a month full of errors both mental and physical.

"I'm not looking for blame," Coach Frank Beamer said, referring to Tech's four losses in the last six games. "I'm looking for reasons. . . . Is there a central theme, a central player, the defense that's called or should we be able to play it?"

This is the second consecutive late-season collapse for the Hokies, who stumbled to a 9-4 finish last year after winning their first eight games, but Beamer seems more disappointed and puzzled over the latest failings. No. 21 Tech's stretch of 84 straight weeks ranked in the Associated Press top 25 almost surely will end with Sunday's poll.

"Last year, I'm not sure we were good enough," Beamer said, referring mostly to a lack of depth after several injuries on defense. "But we won two of our last three. . . . This year we've got some good players. We're just not in a rhythm. . . . This is not the defense we're accustomed to at Virginia Tech."

In the Hokies' last four games, including their overtime victory over Temple that resulted from the Owls' missing an extra point, the Hokies have not been able to produce a stop with victory in the balance. From a seven-point deficit Saturday, Virginia mustered touchdowns on its first four possessions in the second half. And the Virginia Tech offense frequently has been unable to counter those points.

"Right now, we're not playing well enough to beat anybody," all-American center Jake Grove said. "That's a disappointing thing."

Green suggested the Hokies' problems are mostly mental and began after the loss to Pittsburgh that essentially eliminated the Hokies from national championship and Big East conference contention.

"I think when all those things faded away," Green said, "[The general feeling] was: 'Oh, here we go. We pretty much don't have anything to play for, go to this [minor] bowl or that bowl.' I don't think we wanted it as much as when we played Miami."

Everyone, Beamer included, realizes how fragile that mental state is.

"We've got to stay together," senior split end Ernest Wilford said. "That's the most important thing, don't [get into] a name game, a blame game."

After a team meeting Monday, Beamer plans to give the team a week off before beginning bowl preparations. He's anxious to attack what he calls a "funk" as soon as possible.

"Right now," he said, "I want to put this team on the field again. I want to get out of this funk. I want us to get some rhythm to our football team."
 

Hoot for'Hoos
Schaub, Miller, Lundy propel U.Va. to its first triumph over Tech in five years
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 30, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE - A joyously chaotic scene unfolded in the home locker room at Scott Stadium late yesterday afternoon. A few feet inside the entrance sat a large, gleaming trophy. For the first time since they relinquished the Commonwealth Cup to Virginia Tech on Oct. 2, 1999, the Virginia Cavaliers possessed the prize for winning the annual game between the state's Division I-A football teams.

None of Virginia's players had beaten the Hokies before yesterday.

"I didn't know what [the cup] looked like, to tell you the truth," said Al Groh, U.Va.'s third-year coach. "I came in the locker room and didn't know what that thing was."

The Hokies, who had won four straight in this series, fell hard in the regular-season finale for both teams. Before a near-capacity crowd of 60,943 on a cool, windy afternoon. Virginia owned the second half and whipped 21st-ranked Tech 35-21. The Cavaliers (7-5) outscored the Hokies (8-4) 28-7 after the break.

"When you try to do something of a breakthrough nature, you have to have belief in something that hasn't occurred yet," Groh said. "You've got to have belief in yourself, and you have to have the confidence to make it happen. I thought we played the second half with greater belief in ourselves."

Virginia's final touchdown came on sophomore tailback Wali Lundy's 19-yard run with 2:29 left. On the previous play, Connor Hughes had lined up to attempt a 48-yard field goal. The snap went to veteran holder Matt Schaub, who shows some promise as a quarterback, too. Hughes swung his right foot. Schaub pulled the ball away, rose to his feet, rolled to his right and passed to all-ACC tight end Heath Miller, who rumbled for a 10-yard gain.

And so ended Miller's receiving tour de force. The sophomore from Southwest Virginia finished with 13 catches for 145 yards, both career highs.

"I wouldn't trade him for anybody," Groh said.

Virginia recognized 13 seniors before their final home game. Introduced last, to the loudest ovation, was Schaub. A year ago in Blacksburg, Schaub passed for only 43 yards in a 21-9 loss to the Hokies. Yesterday, the fifth-year senior from West Chester, Pa., obliterated Tech's defense, with big assists from Miller and Lundy, who scored four touchdowns and rushed for 89 yards.

Schaub completed 32 of 46 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once - a mistake the Hokies parlayed into their first touchdown - but otherwise sparkled.

"I couldn't have scripted it any better for these seniors to go out like this," Schaub said.

Tech, ranked No. 3 in the nation last month, lost for the fourth time in its past six games. The Hokies turned the ball over twice, and an inspired U.Va. defense held All-America tailback Kevin Jones to 75 yards rushing (on 25 carries).

"We're in a situation where we're not doing the things it takes to win football games," Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "We're not in a rhythm."

Both teams are headed for bowls, though their destinations were not clear after the game. Their respective invitations hinged on the outcome of last night's Big East game between Miami and Pittsburgh.

U.Va. twice scored touchdowns on fourth-and-goal plays from the Tech 1-yard line. The first came on a Schaub pass to Lundy, who had lined up wide left behind tight ends Miller and Patrick Estes. Hughes' extra point made it 14-14 with 9:24 left in the third period. The Cavaliers got the ball back after a three-and-out series by Tech, but their next three plays netted only 7 yards.

Then came perhaps the game's decisive play. On fourth and 3 from U.Va.'s 27, Tech cornerback Eric Green blazed in untouched to block Tom Hagan's punt. Green picked up the ball and raced in for an apparent touchdown, but the play was nullified by an offside penalty on Tech's Vincent Fuller.

Given a second chance, Virginia didn't squander it. The drive ended when Schaub hit junior tailback Alvin Pearman with a 49-yard TD pass. Pearman beat Green along the right sideline, hauled in Schaub's throw and sprinted to the end zone to put U.Va. ahead to stay with 5:21 left in the third period. Earlier in that quarter, Schaub had completed a 49-yard pass to seldom-used wideout Art Thomas.

The Hokies allowed 1,768 yards in their final four regular-season games.

"This is not the defense we're familiar with at Virginia Tech," Beamer said. "I'm not blaming anybody, but we've got to look at what the causes are. We give up too many big plays."

The Cavaliers weren't afraid to gamble yesterday, and their boldness paid handsome dividends. They were 3 for 3 on fourth-down conversions, and each one led to a touchdown. Lundy's 1-yard run on fourth and goal pushed U.Va.'s lead to 28-14 with 14:57 remaining.

Groh said he never considered letting Hughes attempt a chip-shot field goal in that situation.

"We were here to win, and we were going to let it all go," Groh said.
 

U.Va. hits jackpot with 'Big Money'
Tight end Miller bags 13 receptions for 145 yards, sets records
BY NATE RYAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 30, 2003

ELTON BROWNOn Virginia Tight End Heath Miller

CHARLOTTESVILLE - At 6-6 and 333 pounds, Elton Brown is as astute at judging size as anyone on the U.Va. football team.

So when Brown decided tight end Heath Miller's nickname needed tweaking, a heftier adjustment naturally was on tap.

"I used to just call him 'Money,' but then someone else said, 'Hey, he's big!'" Brown said. "I said, 'Yeah, that's 'Big Money' right there!' When we go to him, it's money. It's automatic."

"Big Money" lived up to his moniker to the maximum in the Cavaliers' 35-21 victory over Virginia Tech yesterday at Scott Stadium. The sophomore turned in a career performance, setting personal bests in catches (13) and yards (145) and notching an ACC single-season yardage record for a tight end (751, breaking the 1989 mark of 634 by the Cavs' Bruce McGonnigal).

The Hokies never found a way to neutralize the 6-5 254-pounder, who made at least two catches in each quarter. Ten of his receptions converted first downs for U.Va., which had 24 total.

"I found some soft spots in the middle, and [quarterback Matt] Schaub did a great job of getting me the ball quick," said Miller, who became the first U.Va. tight end to record consecutive 100-yard games and the 23rd Cavalier to crack 1,000 yards in career receiving.

Miller's most important catch was his last, which occurred with the Cavs ahead 28-21 and less than 3 minutes left. Facing a fourth and seven at the Tech 29, U.Va. faked a field goal, and Schaub hit a wide-open Miller for a 10-yard gain.

"I don't think they were ready for it," Miller said. "I was able to slip out the back door."

It wasn't the first time the Swords Creek native eluded Tech's grasp. Throwing 45 TDs as a star QB at Honaker High School, Miller was recruited by the state's two major college teams, and he proved worthy of the attention yesterday. With the Commonwealth Cup on the line, Miller nearly surpassed the combined total (14) of receptions this season by the Hokies' trio of tight ends in a single afternoon.

"He's a big old target," Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "He positions his body well and catches everything that comes near him."

Said U.Va. coach Al Groh: "It was a pretty fantastic performance by Heath. You probably can understand why they call him 'Big Money.'"
 

Penalty on punt block deflates Virginia Tech
Offside call on Fuller costs Hokies a TD and swings momentum to Cavs
BY MIKE HARRIS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 30, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE - With the football still in his hand, Virginia Tech's Eric Green stood in the end zone and thrust his arms skyward. A celebration was in order.

Green had just blocked a punt by Virginia's Tom Hagan, picked it up and carried it into the end zone for a touchdown. The game was tied at 14 before the play, with a little more than seven minutes left in the third quarter. The Hokies weren't playing exceptionally well, but as they've done many times in past seasons, they used a special-teams play to gain an edge.

Green and teammate Jimmy Williams were jogging back to Tech's sideline when Green noticed the flag on the field. "I was wanting to fall down," Green said. "I thought, 'Oh no, not again.'"

Yes, again. Tech has lost four of its final six games to finish at 8-4. The slide was marked by moments such as this one, though none as dramatic. Something wrong negates something right.

Tech's Vincent Fuller was called for being offside on Green's block. The penalty erased Tech's touchdown and gave the Cavaliers the ball back. Two minutes later, they scored when quarterback Matt Schaub connected on a 49-yard pass to Alvin Pearman, who beat Green on the play.

Virginia went on to a 35-21 victory, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Hokies.

U.Va. coach Al Groh noted the importance of the penalty. "Certainly, those things are really significant," Groh said. "There weren't many major penalties today. But there were a lot of 5-yard penalties that dramatically changed the game."

Like that offside call. No one on the Hokies' side was going to argue with Groh's assessment.

"It's definitely a momentum killer," quarterback Bryan Randall said. "You go from being up a touchdown, putting the pressure on them, to taking the points off the board and it's tied up again. We needed that touchdown, and they took it back."

Said defensive end Nathaniel Adibi, who is also on the punt-block team, "That's what has been killing us all year. It could have been a different ballgame if we got that touchdown right there."

Fuller appeared to move forward slightly before the ball was snapped. He caught himself and tried to get back but instead fell flat on the ground. Green, on the other side, flew in untouched for the block.

If he hadn't slipped, Fuller might have made it back. But he did.

"You should never be offsides in the first place," Tech coach Frank Beamer said.

The Hokies also had a special-teams letdown in the fourth quarter when Virginia faked a field goal. Holder Schaub pulled the ball up and passed for 10 yards and a first down to tight end Heath Miller. That, Beamer said, was more Virginia doing something right than Tech doing something wrong.

"That was a good call by them, a good play and good execution," he said.

Fuller has had a rough couple of weeks. He got burned for a late touchdown in the Hokies' loss to Boston College last week, and a crucial pass-interference call went against him yesterday. Normally among the most affable Hokies, Fuller declined to be interviewed yesterday.

"After the game, he came over with his head down," Green said. "I told him he can't worry about that play. That was a big part of the game, but it didn't lose the game for us."
 

Virginia Tech Notes
Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 30, 2003

DESTINATION UNKNOWN: Virginia Tech may well know where it is going for its bowl game. It isn't saying anything yet if it does.

"Do we need to address this?" Tech coach Frank Beamer said yesterday to Athletic Director Jim Weaver in response to a query about bowls after the Hokies' 35-21 loss at Virginia. Weaver said nothing was official.

Miami's 28-14 victory over Pittsburgh last night gives the Hurricanes the Big East's BCS spot and will almost certainly send Tech to Phoenix for the Insight Bowl on Dec. 26. Probable opponent is California.

Tech could still end up in the Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 26 in Charlotte (against Georgia Tech), though that seems unlikely now. Pitt has played in two of the past three Insight Bowls, including last year.

Evan Paoletti, a representative of the Insight Bowl, was at the Tech-Virginia game. He said his bowl has a meeting scheduled for tomorrow. With Miami unavailable, he said he thought his bowl would pick Tech.

Beamer has no preference.

"I just want to go [to a bowl]," Beamer said.

A HARD DECISION: Kevin Jones, Tech's junior tailback, reaffirmed yesterday that he will soon starting talking to those close to him and then make a decision about whether he'll go pro.

But, he offered some thoughts yesterday. His gut feeling right now?

"I'm back," he said.

He conceded he was talking from his heart, not from his head, and that things could change.

"I hate to lose and I love my teammates. I love my coaches," Jones said. "I don't know. I have to talk to my dad and them, too."

Virginia, Jones admitted, did a good job containing him on the ground. He carried 25 times for 75 yards. He also caught three passes for 41 yards, all in the fourth quarter. Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring spoke with Jones after the game.

"That's what Coach Stinespring told me after the game, that he learned something from today. We can get you the ball in other ways if they're stopping the run," Jones said.

Shouldn't that have been figured out earlier? Jones had just seven receptions before yesterday.

"You guys be the judge of that," Jones said.

TWO QUARTERBACKS - AT ONCE: The Hokies did use two quarterbacks again yesterday, but in a different way than they have been lately.

Bryan Randall played most of the game at quarterback. Marcus Vick took two snaps and ran each time. He also lined up as a wideout several times, once running the ball from that spot. Randall lined up wide when Vick was at quarterback.

Beamer said Tech wanted to use the quarterbacks in such a fashion earlier in the season but didn't want to risk injury with no clear third quarterback on the roster.

"It was fun out there," Vick said. "I like running out there, doing whatever I have to do to help my team move the chains. It kind of worked, I thought."

Vick gained 28 yards on his three runs, with a long of 11.

"It was kind of different," Randall said. "It allowed both of us to be on the field in a good way. It really didn't mess up the chemistry."

HIGHS OR LOWS? Virginia's 35 points, 358 passing yards and 468 total yards were the most Tech has given up this season in each category.

STREAK IN JEOPARDY: Tech went into yesterday's game ranked 21st in The Associated Press' weekly poll. The Hokies have been ranked for 84 weeks, second only to Michigan (94).

But losing to Virginia could cause the Hokies to fall out of the AP list for the first time since the 1998 season.

"I'm sure we will," Tech center Jake Grove said.

Said cornerback Eric Green, "We're aware of [the streak]. Coach Beamer emphasized that to us the whole week. That's big, that's something to be proud of.

"We definitely didn't back that up today."

NO HANDSHAKES, PLEASE: Senior defensive end Nathaniel Adibi returned to the lineup yesterday after missing a game with a thumb injury. He had surgery to put some pins in the thumb and played with a cast protecting his right hand yesterday. He had the cast off after the game, exposing the pins.

"It's throbbing right now," he said. "All my fingers are numb from the medicine. It [stinks], honestly. I was trying to help my team out as much as possible. It just didn't work out today."

Adibi was credited with only one tackle yesterday, good for a 2-yard loss.

TROTTING HIM OUT: One of Tech's biggest plays came when sophomore linebacker Jordan Trott tipped a Matt Schaub pass. Fellow linebacker Vegas Robinson intercepted it, and Tech scored the game's first touchdown four plays later.

Trott is the backup to Mikal Baaqee, but he played a lot yesterday. Baaqee was not injured. Baaqee finished with six tackles yesterday, Trott five.

"I think Trott was giving them some things in there," Beamer said. "I think Bud [Foster, defensive coordinator] just wanted to play Trott more." - Mike Harris
 

UVA Notes
Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 30, 2003

POSTSEASON PLANS: The Cavaliers left Scott Stadium last night uncertain of where they'd play their next game. An invitation to a bowl - the Dec. 27 Continental Tire or the Jan. 3 Humanitarian - probably won't come until today for Virginia (7-5).

By virtue of Miami's win over Pittsburgh last night, U.Va. will probably face Pitt in the Continental Tire Bowl at Charlotte, N.C. Virginia whipped West Virginia 48-22 in last year's inaugural Continental Tire.

A Pitt win probably would have meant a trip to Boise, Idaho, for U.Va. and a game against 18th-ranked Boise State in the Humanitarian.

"I don't care who, where and when," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "Wherever we go, we're going to win."

SPLENDID SHOWING: U.Va. senior Matt Schaub passed for 358 yards - the fifth-highest total in school history - and two touchdowns yesterday. With 55 career TD passes, Schaub is tied with Shawn Moore (1987-90) for the all-time lead at Virginia.

"As usual, we couldn't have done it without him," Groh said.

Schaub has posted four 300-yard passing games this season, a U.Va. record. Mike Groh, who now coaches the team's receivers and quarterbacks, had three in 1995. Aaron Brooks had three in both 1997 and'98, and Schaub had three last season.

A season ago, in U.Va.'s 21-9 loss at Lane Stadium, the Hokies held Schaub to 43 yards passing in chilly conditions that included gusts of nearly 40 mph.

"The wind wasn't the reason that we lost the game," Groh said. "I thought their team played very good defense against us. But still, I am very happy for him that in a game of this magnitude he was able to show all the fans of Virginia what kind of player he really is."

BRAGGING RIGHTS: Each of Virginia's seniors received a game ball after yesterday's victory. Perhaps none savored it more than long-snapper Ryan Childress. He's from Shawsville in the heart of Hokie country.

"For the rest of my life, I beat Tech in the last game, so that's a big deal," Childress said. "I think this is a real breakthrough win for us. I expect these guys to keep [the Commonwealth Cup] for a long time. It's great for me. I'm 15 minutes from Blacksburg, so all those people sort of have to keep their mouths shut, and I can talk a little smack for the next year."

DYNAMIC DUO: The starters at inside linebacker in Virginia's 3-4 defense are freshmen Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham, each a former Parade All-American. The 6-4, 249-pound Brooks tied safety Jamaine Winborne for the team lead with nine tackles yesterday. The 6-3, 245-pound Parham had eight stops, including two for losses. He also broke up a pass.

"He's a man-child," Brooks said.

AUSPICIOUS START: Groh praised the turnout for the Cavaliers' pregame walk from McCormick Road to Scott Stadium. It was the first time U.Va. held such a walk.

"We were most appreciative and very energized by those literally thousands of people who met the team when they came in today," Groh said. "I know that gave the players a lot of inspiration."

SENIOR MOMENTS: Pressed into service after an injury to starter Ryan Sawyer, U.Va. wideout Art Thomas played a leading role. Thomas, a senior who spent his first three seasons at cornerback, had three receptions for 66 yards, including a career-long 49-yarder - his first catch since Oct. 11. Thomas also recovered a fumble by teammate Marques Hagans.

MIXED EMOTIONS: Joining in the Cavaliers' celebration was wideout Michael McGrew, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in August. McGrew would have been Virginia's top returning receiver from 2002.

"I wanted to be out there so bad, but it's great," said McGrew, who hopes to be ready for the start of spring practice. "It took us four years, but the way we did it was great, because we beat them so bad in all phases." - Jeff White
 

Schaub shows Tech he shouldn't be sold short
JOHN MARKON
Nov 30, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE Matt Schaub walked away from his final home game with a game ball in his gym bag and something heavy off his chest.

As it turns out, the University of Virginia's senior quarter back . . . alias the Sultan of Screen, the Prince of Patience and the Duke of Dink, really prefers to just haul off and chuck it deep.

"Yards are yards," said Schaub after a 35-21 conquest of Virginia Tech, "but you like getting them in big chunks if you can."

Who knew?

Not Hokies coach Frank Beamer, who felt he and his staff had Schaub correctly typecast as only a short-range threat.

That was until the third quarter of yesterday's game, when U.Va. coach Al Groh put all his chips on Schaub's right arm - and the stiff breeze behind it.

Schaub's first snap of the second half was a 49-yard strike on a "go" route to Art Thomas. With 5:21 left in the third quarter, Schaub went air express for 49 yards to Alvin Pearman for Virginia's go-ahead touchdown.

By the time the referee asked for the ball and held it in the air, Schaub had thrown for 358 yards and two TDs. He'd converted 9 of 18 third downs. He'd engineered four touchdown drives on Virginia's first four second-half possessions.

He'd done everything Beamer hoped he wouldn't do.

"They really haven't been able to get the ball down the field like they did a couple times today," Beamer said. "We'll let you have some short ones if we can come up and tackle you. When you start hitting those long ones, that's tougher."

Since Schaub hadn't yet been a winning pitcher against the Hokies, Beamer can be forgiven for underestimating his throwing arm, which isn't the strongest.

What they never do at Virginia is underestimate Schaub's head or his heart.

"I watch a lot of college ball on TV," said Cavalier offensive lineman Elton Brown, "and I hardly ever see a quarterback who even reminds me of Matt. Phillip Rivers of N.C. State is the only one who I'd even compare to him.

"I just don't think you're going to find too many guys with Matt's poise, Matt's toughness and Matt's smarts. No one reads defenses better or quicker."

Defeated and frustrated by the Hokies last year in Blacksburg, Schaub was additionally determined not to let that clinker performance be his legacy in the U.Va.-Tech rivalry. Normally very unemotional on the field, Schaub was caught on tape doing several "Oh, yeahs!" and Tiger Woods-style fist pumps yesterday.

From Schaub, that's a lot.

"Matt said nothing, not in the huddle, not all week," Brown said. "He didn't have to say anything. We all knew what the deal was."

Groh must have had the same feeling at the start of the second half. Even though he's a true believer in the necessity of having a power running game, Groh's been very willing all season to drop any pretense of offensive balance and let Schaub take the wheel.

The third quarter was that way. Twenty of Virginia's 25 snaps were pass plays. Schaub threw for 178 yards.

"We've got one of the best players in college football," Groh said, "and that's why we use him a lot. If we were only throwing 18 passes a game, that would be foolish coaching."

Once Schaub completes his career in a bowl game, the focus probably will fall back on what he has difficulty doing. He isn't supposed to be the hottest NFL prospect, although Groh, who was a head coach in the NFL, insists Schaub will be a productive pro and a coup for any team willing to draft him.

Whatever happens, Schaub was proof on the field that what you can do can always count for more than what you can't. The things Schaub did well, he did as well as anyone in the college game.

"I don't know that I feel vindicated," Schaub said. "I do know I feel great."