Canty a source of UVa encouragement
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 9, 2004

Virginia’s senior class will run out of the tunnel at Scott Stadium for one final time on Saturday when the Cavaliers square off with Miami.
From Alvin Pearman to Andrew Hoffman to Elton Brown and others, the group of seniors has been critical to the resurgence of the program. Virginia’s top 10 ranking and its 7-1 record proves it.
While playing Miami (6-2, 3-2) with first place and major bowl implications on the line should provide the fourth-year players with more than enough motivation, they may have another source of encouragement.
Chris Canty, who was arguably the heart and soul of the team, is expected to be in attendance. Canty’s season ended prematurely on Sept. 25 when he suffered a major knee injury against Syracuse in the fourth quarter and he has not been on the sidelines since that contest.
“That is going to be a good morale push,” said defensive end Kwakou Robinson, who has been starting in Canty’s old position.
Canty had surgery on his knee in Birmingham, Ala., just five days after the injury. Robinson said his teammate is expected to arrive in town on Wednesday and be at the game to take part in the Senior Day festivities.
Both Robinson and Brown said they have kept in close contact with the former team captain.
“Just speaking to him on the phone means a lot to me,” Brown said. “To see he’s doing good and getting along means a lot.”
Brooks, Yarbrough honored. Sophomore linebacker Ahmad Brooks and senior center Zac Yarbrough were named ACC Players of the Week.
Brooks made six tackles and two interceptions, the first two of his career, in Virginia’s 16-0 win over Maryland. Brooks became the first Cavalier linebacker to intercept two passes in a game in 12 years.
Brooks’ first interception came in acrobatic fashion. After dropping back in pass coverage, the Woodbridge native reached up with his right hand and hauled in the pick.
“I was kind of surprised that I caught the ball. I didn’t really think I had it,” Brooks said. “I got new gloves [before the game] so they were kind of sticky. If I had been wearing my old gloves it probably would have fell out of my hands.”
Brooks joked after the game that he had to make the interception since he has not been on the kickoff team for a number of games.
“I wanted to show my athleticism,” Brooks said with a smile. “The world hasn’t really seen what I can do with the ball in my hands.”
Yarbrough, who was named Offensive Lineman of the Week, was a key member of Virginia’s offensive line that paved the way for Pearman to rush for 170 yards and Wali Lundy to add another 107.
During his career, Yarbrough has never allowed a quarterback sack.
It was the first weekly honor for both players.

Sack attack. Virginia linebacker Darryl Blackstock turned in his second two-sack game of the season.
The junior also tallied two sacks in the season opener against Temple.
His performance left Brooks, one of his battery mates at linebacker scratching his head.
“I’m still trying to figure out how he does it,” Brooks said. “I know I am faster than Darryl but he’s quicker than me. I don’t know how he does it.”

Potential finale. Saturday’s game could prove to be the final home game in the celebrated career of tight end Heath Miller.
Although Miller is only a junior, he has been labeled as a first-round draft pick by many NFL experts. Miller, who has 19 career TDs, said he has not given any thought to the idea of it possibly being his final home game.
“I haven’t really allowed myself to think about that. I am just focused on what we can do to win the game and that’s all,” Miller said. “To be honest, I really haven’t even thought about a timetable or even thought about the question.”

Extra points. Virginia is ranked No. 11 in the current Bowl Championship Series standings, which makes them the highest-rated team in ACC. … When asked on Monday if Miami was “vulnerable” after losing two straight games, Groh was quick to shoot the label down. “I wouldn’t put the word ‘vulnerable’ on this team,” Groh said. “They’ve lost two games in a row on the last play of the game. Now we should be so lucky that when we lose two games that we’re in the game that long. So, within two games, they’re now ranked third or fourth in the
country.” …
Virginia sophomore fullback Jason Snelling is not listed on the team-issued depth chart for the Miami game. Groh said on his radio show on Monday night that Snelling could return to practice this week. … The starting time for Virginia’s Nov. 20 game at Georgia Tech will not be announced until Sunday. While the game will be televised, the network will not be known until the announcement is made. The game will kickoff at noon, 1 p.m. or 6 p.m.

Miami still not an easy foe for Cavs
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 10, 2004

If you’re thinking because Miami has dropped two straight games that the Hurricanes have been downgraded to tropical storms when they blow into Charlottesville this weekend, then think again.

Virginia coach Al Groh isn’t buying into the theory that Miami is finished.

“They had back-to-back losses at a point last year and never lost again,” Groh said. “I wouldn’t put the word ‘vulnerable’ on [Miami’s] team. They’ve lost two games in a row on the last play of the game.”

The Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2 ACC) dropped a 24-17 overtime loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl last Saturday night. A week before, they fell to North Carolina, 31-28, on a field goal as time expired.

As a result, AP voters dropped Miami from No. 11 to 18. Two weeks ago, the Canes were fourth.

On a mission

Groh will spend a lot of time this week emphasizing to his Cavaliers that Miami will come to Scott Stadium hoping to prove a point and that a pair of last-minute losses doesn’t mean diddly when it comes to what the Hurricanes are all about.

“Dynasty is a word that is quickly thrown out there to sports teams,” Groh said. “To be a dynasty, you have to be pretty good for a long time. But if it’s possible to define a dynasty in a 10- or 12-year time frame, this team probably is as close to a dynasty as we’ve seen in organized sports, college or professional.

“Maybe the Yankees and the Hurricanes are the two teams to have done that,” Groh said. “Those teams who become dynasties, whether they’re long term or short term, they usually become bigger than teams ... they become a culture of their own. There’s a culture that goes with the Yankees. There’s a culture that goes with certain football teams and there’s really a culture that goes with Miami teams. And that’s what helps it endure.”

No time to hide

Certainly Miami has been loaded with talent over the stretch of years that Groh referred to, and that has helped the Hurricanes’ program become almost bigger than life. However, UVa’s players must remind themselves that this Miami team is not as good as last year’s squad, which was blown out by Virginia Tech, a team that the Cavaliers handled with ease.

This Miami team has also lost to two teams this season that Virginia has handled with ease. Maybe that’s why the Wahoos are a 3.5-point favorite, something that blew Cavaliers’ offensive guard Elton Brown’s mind when he learned the spread.

The Cavaliers need to realize that they’re running with the big dogs and can’t cower when it comes to crunch time. This is no time for an inferiority complex, especially with the game in their house.

Virginia has won 16 of its last 17 at home for a reason. The Cavs have been pretty good and Saturday may determine just how good. It is a chance to make the Florida State loss go away for awhile and a chance for the UVa program to make a statement, not only to the ACC, but to the nation.

Still, the Cavaliers must brace themselves to take Miami’s best shot. The Hurricanes aren’t coming here to mess around and just hand over the ACC without a fight.

“Our backs are extremely against the wall,” Miami coach Larry Coker said. “We need to beat somebody good, you know? People are getting fired up and tearing goal posts down. We need to beat somebody good. We’re playing somebody good Saturday.”

The 10th-ranked Cavaliers, 7-1 overall, and 4-1 in the ACC, are sixth nationally in rushing (254.8), and lead the conference in total offense (458.4). Quarterback Marques Hagans leads the ACC in pass completion percentage and the UVa defense is ranked fourth in the league and in the nation’s top 25 in total defense.

They’re no pushovers. They’ve shut out two opponents this season, thrown up goal line stands and avoided big plays.

Miami is all about big plays.

“The speed is tremendous,” Groh said of Miami’s team. “It keeps on coming. There are all sorts of guys who have it. It’s not just, ‘This is a fast player.’ There’s just a whole lot of them who can get up and go.”

Groh explained that the abundance of speed creates a lot of match-up problems all over the field, from offense to defense to special teams, particularly with Devin Hester, who plays defensive back, wide receiver and returns kicks.

Coker is aware of Virginia’s rushing totals the past two weeks, particularly against Maryland, a team that had shut down Florida State’s and Clemson’s ground games respectively.

“I don’t have any answers against great running backs,” Coker said. “I don’t know if anybody else does either. The great ones seem to make plays. The thing that Virginia has is a very solid, physical, offensive line.”

But Miami’s biggest challenge may not be the physical play of Virginia. The Hurricanes’ biggest challenge might be in their heads.

“The biggest challenge is to get our confidence back,” Coker said. “We have lost two games in a row that were winnable games. We have had the good fortune around here that we have won most of those games. We didn’t make the plays we needed to make to win the past two games.

“We are not totally in the tank in that the two games we lost were on a last-second field goal on the road and in overtime. I was here when we lost a game in Syracuse 66-13. We have to make sure we are a confident football team and believe we can win.”

If somehow the Hurricanes, the Cavaliers, Virginia Tech and Florida State should end the regular season all tied at 6-2 in the ACC, then Miami would most likely earn the trip to the Sugar Bowl by a tiebreaker.

“I think it’s really amazing that we are where we are and still have an opportunity for something special to happen,” Coker said. “To say we’re not down and disappointed would be a gross, gross, gross understatement. ... But from the standpoint of to be where we are, to have lost two conference games and still have a chance to go to a BCS bowl game, that’s pretty amazing.

Miami is blowing in. Maybe the Hurricanes are not a category five, but those who don’t take them seriously had better grab a root and hold on. Miami is coming into Scott Stadium with bad intentions, intentions to blow Virginia off the ACC map.

This is going to be a classic match of who wants it the most. The Cavaliers can’t afford to be intimidated by reputation. Everything is on the line. Who wants it most?

Brothers set for UVa-Miami showdown
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 10, 2004

They say that blood is thicker than water. Apparently, football is thicker than blood.
Virginia quarterback Christian Olsen, who is the top backup to starter Marques Hagans, can attest to that.

As the signal caller is preparing for Miami, his teammates are getting ready for an offense that includes his brother - Greg, who plays tight end for the Hurricanes.

Although the pair tries to talk to each other daily, Christian said that would probably stop today, given the major implications of Saturday’s contest.
To say the least, it has been an interesting two years for the brothers.

As a sophomore at Wayne Hills High in Wayne, N.J., when he played for father Chris, Christian had all but decided that Miami was the school for him.

His plans quickly changed.
When former Hurricanes’ coach Butch Davis left the school for the NFL and a coaching job with the Cleveland Browns, Christian opened his options.
After considering Virginia for a “brief moment,” Christian elected to go to Notre Dame.
Christian made his decision without even going to a game in South Bend, Ind. He said he fell in love with the school and its football-rich tradition.
“You show up there and they have got ‘Touchdown Jesus’, fifty stories high or however big it is, you see all the Heisman trophies, the National Championships, the ‘Play Like A Champion’ sign and it is great for people,” Christian said. “You see it for the first time and you are kind of in awe of what’s going on.”
As time wore on, Christian continued to second-guess his decision. Despite winning the offensive MVP award in Notre Dame’s spring game in 2003, he wanted a change of scenery.
“There is only so many times that you can see ‘Touchdown Jesus’ or touch the sign before eventually the aura all wears off and you want it to come down to playing, winning games and having fun,” Christian said.
So as Virginia opened its preseason practice period last year, Christian packed his bags and headed for Charlottesville.
Meanwhile, he left his brother behind at Notre Dame. Greg, who is 23 months younger than Christian, had elected to follow his brother to Notre Dame.
Whether Christian’s departure played a role will remain a mystery, but Greg decided to look for a better fit for him as well and transferred to Miami, a school that he had almost signed with out of high school.
Was there pressure for Greg to follow Christian again? Of course, but Miami was a natural fit for Greg.
“He loved Miami from the day that he visited there and probably that was the best spot for him at the time,” Christian said. “He was kind of forced, almost into coming to Notre Dame. I didn’t want him to follow me again. [Virginia] was the best place for me to go and Miami was the best place for him to go, so we kind of felt it would be better to go our separate ways.”
Since then Christian has worked his way into the role as the backup quarterback at Virginia and Greg has emerged as a viable pass-receiving weapon for the Hurricanes.
It was a spot that Christian had to work for. As the team left the preseason, Christian found himself third on the depth chart, behind redshirt freshman Kevin McCabe.
Christian said being No. 3 on the depth chart was, “probably fair coming out of camp.”
As Virginia continued to roll over its first three opponents, Christian continued get playing time late in games. He played well.
For the season, he has completed 10 of 12 passes for 88 yards, which has given the sophomore “confidence” should something happen to Hagans.
“The key to getting better at any position is getting repetitions and I got in there and got some repetitions early on,” Christian said. “Against Florida State, I got some reps. All those reps have given me a lot of confidence and if I had to go in again, I feel like I could go in there and be successful and lead the team.”
Finding the field has not been as hard for Greg. Despite missing Miami’s last game against Clemson with a injury to his hand, he has caught 15 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown.
For the parents of the duo, the distance between UVa and Miami has made it rough to see their sons play. Thus far, they have seen two Virginia games and two Miami games.
The situation is only compounded by the schedule that their father, Chris, must maintain coaching his high school team in New Jersey.
The parents got lucky, however, on Oct. 23 when Virginia played at Duke and Miami played at N.C. State. Thanks to staggered start times the couple was able to catch both games in the Tarheel state.
They will get to see both again on Saturday as at least 23 members of the Olsen family converge on Scott Stadium for the first-ever meeting for Christian and Greg as opponents.
So which team will they be cheering for?
“They’re going to wear orange,” Christian said. “Either way you go there, you can’t go wrong.”

Family forsakes Irish roots
Virginia football
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Two years after it looked like the Olsens of Wayne, N.J., would be spending fall afternoons in South Bend, Ind., for the foreseeable future, they will be holding a family reunion this weekend in Charlottesville.

When 10th-ranked Virginia (7-1, 4-1 ACC) entertains No.18 Miami (6-2, 3-2) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, brothers Chris and Greg Olsen will be facing each other from opposing benches. As recently as the summer of 2003, they were teammates at Notre Dame, where Chris was a redshirt freshman quarterback and Greg a true freshman tight end.

Uncertain about his position on the Notre Dame depth chart and generally uncomfortable with his surroundings, Chris Olsen transferred to Virginia, which had recruited him out of high school. Greg followed him out of Notre Dame, but not to the same destination.

"We'd already gone to the same place once and had it not work out," Chris said.

As a sophomore in high school, Chris had thought he might end up at Miami, but he admits that he was overwhelmed by Notre Dame's tradition and mystique. There was a brief time that he considered Virginia, too, and it was that memory that steered him to Charlottesville when he was looking for a new school.

As the back-up to UVa starting quarterback Marques Hagans, there is no assurance that Chris will play against the Hurricanes, nor, for that matter, is Greg certain to make an appearance after a broken wrist kept him out of action last Saturday in a 24-17 overtime loss to Clemson.

"I talk to him almost every day," Chris said. "I haven't asked if he's going to play. I'm not sure he would tell me anyway. He'd be too worried that I would run and tell the coaches."

A Miami spokesman said Tuesday that Greg Olsen is expected to play and had been cleared to play last week before being held out as a precaution.

A starter only in the first two games, when the Hurricanes started two tight ends, Greg Olsen has caught 15 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown.

Chris, who came to Virginia with no promises, has played in four games and completed 10 of 12 passes.

He started the season as the Cavaliers' No.3 quarterback behind Hagans and redshirt freshman Kevin McCabe, but in Week 6, when Hagans was injured at Florida State, it was Olsen who played the fourth quarter in Tallahassee, Fla.

Olsen admits that he wasn't sharp during the preseason, "but, the day after they told me I was No.3, that's when things started clicking," he said. "They had me running the Temple offense in practice and when I was able to do some things against our defense, I felt like that was the turning point."

Blackstock breakout

With his two sacks Saturday in a 16-0 victory over Maryland, junior outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock tied Ahmad Brooks for the team lead with 5 1/2 sacks and passed Lawrence Taylor for fifth place on the all-time ACC sack list with 22.

"I told Darryl today, 'Now, when I go to the press conference at 1:30, I won't have to answer the weekly, 'What's wrong with Blackstock' question," said UVa coach Al Groh, who coached Taylor at North Carolina. "Maybe I'm going to change [his] first name. It's not Darryl anymore, it's What's Wrong With. That's what everybody always wants to know.

"Sure, it's [a sack] what all pass rushers play for. It's the home run. And, he had four or five pressures in the game to go along with the two sacks. That's nice for him because now everybody's not bugging him and asking about it anymore."

Groh on Schaub

Groh indicated that he had done his own investigation into an incident early Saturday morning in which former UVa quarterback Matt Schaub, now in his first year with the Atlanta Falcons, was charged with assault and battery following an incident outside a Charlottesville nightspot.

"I think we'll find out that Matt is still the Matt that we all know," Groh said.

Odds and ends

Virginia was not charged with any penalties against Maryland, a first for the Cavaliers since 1941, when it happened twice, against Hampden-Sydney and Virginia Tech. ... Alvin Pearman's lost fumble Saturday was his first since UVa's game at Penn State in 2002, a span of 21 games. ... Brooks was the first UVa player to intercept two passes in a game since Jerton Evans at Brigham Young in 1999 and the first UVa linebacker to perform the feat since Randy Neal against Virginia Tech in 1992.

Showing more skills
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - More than half an hour had elapsed Monday before the conversation at Al Groh's weekly news conference turned to Virginia inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks.

That was the strongest evidence of late that the spectacular is becoming routine in Brooks' second college season. Brooks picked off two passes Saturday in the Cavaliers' 16-0 victory over Maryland and "neither one of them were your garden-variety interceptions," Groh said.

On the first, Maryland quarterback Joel Statham threw into quadruple coverage, but, on the second, Brooks stretched his 6-foot-4 frame to full extension to prevent what could have been Vernon Davis' third reception of 40 or more yards.

A shorter defender might not have caught the ball, but "if it had been a shorter guy, we might not have been in that coverage," Groh said.

"As he demonstrates to us all of the time, Ahmad has very good eye-to-hand coordination, very good hands and a real good sense of where the ball is going. On those two particular cases, he was going exactly where he should go. He had a time clock in his head as to when to look for the ball.

"Those were the kind of plays that changed the game."

At close to 260 pounds, Brooks previously had been more involved with UVa's pass rush than coverage. His 5 1/2 sacks are tied for the team lead with outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock.

"He's [Brooks] always had good defender skills. Those things for linebackers come a little bit later; they're the thing that's most distant from high school football."

Brooks leads the team in tackles (62), tackles for loss (seven), pass break-ups (four) and quarterback pressures (nine).

"Ahmad is a player of significant talent, really, really significant talent," Groh said. "That's pretty obvious to anyone who watches him play. But, as impressive as he is to the casual observer, he's probably more impressive to those who have a real basis for comparison.

"He's got the confidence of knowing he's a good player. He really doesn't take himself too seriously, and that's why he has the opportunity to become a better and better player."

'Canes downgraded

As he watched the end of Miami's 24-17 overtime loss to visiting Clemson, Groh resisted the temptation to ponder how the Hurricanes might be affected by a two-game losing streak.

Miami (6-2, 3-2 ACC) dropped to 18th in The Associated Press poll, their lowest ranking since 1999, and they are an early 3 1/2 -point underdog to 10th-ranked UVa (7-1, 4-1) for their game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Scott Stadium.

"They had back-to-back losses at a point last year and never lost again," Groh said. "so, it made me feel that their psyche is not easily penetrated. Since it's impossible for me frequently to ascertain the psyche of my team, I spend no time ever trying to assess the psyche of the other team.

"I wouldn't put the word 'vulnerable' on this [Miami] team. They've lost the last two games on the last play of the game. We should be so lucky, when we lose two games, that we should be in the game that long. Within two plays, they would be ranked No.3 or 4 in the country."

In Miami, Hurricanes' coach Larry Coker pointed out that Miami still could gain at least a tie for the championship by winning games with the two Virginia teams that share the lead, UVa and Virginia Tech.

"We need to beat somebody good," Coker said. "To say we're not down would be a gross, gross understatement. But, from the standpoint of to be where we are, to have lost two conference games and still have a chance to go to a BCS bowl game, that's pretty amazing."

Pearman promoter

Only Virginia Tech's Mike Imoh has rushed for more yards per game in ACC play than Virginia's Alvin Pearman, whose ACC-leading 160.1 yards per game in all-purpose yardage (rushing, receiving and returns) is nearly 40 yards ahead of second-place Leon Washington from Florida State.

"I think there was some conversation not a long time ago that there was not a clear-cut Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year," Groh said. "Who's had a more dynamic season or been more important to his team this year than Alvin Pearman?

"How many players have returned a punt for a touchdown, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, been on three different special teams, started a game at split end and came back and rushed for whatever it is - 400 yards - in two consecutive games? That's pretty good football."

Actually, Pearman did not return a kickoff for a touchdown, but he had a 93-yard kickoff return to the North Carolina 1 in UVa's 56-24 triumph over the Tar Heels. He stands eighth in career all-purpose yardage among active Division I-A players.

No time yet

Virginia has been advised that its Nov.20 game at Georgia Tech will be televised, but no game time has been set. It will kick off at noon, 1 p.m. or 6 p.m., with a decision not to be made until Sunday.

Time for Virginia to prove itself
Published November 10 2004
David Teel

Teams of any stripe are best measured under two conditions: on the road and in a crunch. What, then, to make of the Virginia Cavaliers?

More than two months into the season, they are college football's Howard Hughes, as enigmatic as they are impressive. Sure, Virginia is ranked 10th nationally and shares first place in the ACC with Virginia Tech. But as their most intriguing home game in more than a decade beckons, the Cavaliers resist evaluation.

Virginia (7-1, 4-1) has yet to play a game decided by fewer than 16 points, an anomaly of historic proportions. The Cavaliers' two road conquests came at Temple and Duke, and their only encounter with a ranked opponent turned ugly early - all of which prompts myriad questions entering Saturday's date with Miami.

How will Virginia respond in the fourth quarter of a tense game? Can Marques Hagans conduct the two-minute offense? Can the defense protect a slim lead in the waning minutes? Will the kicking game falter under pressure? Is Virginia a legit top-10 squad?

Common sense says we're about to find out. After all, the Cavaliers can't go an entire season without some late drama, can they?

They haven't in 90 years.

In 1914, each of Virginia's nine games was decided by at least 13 points. The only subsequent season that unfolded similarly was 1968, when the Cavaliers' only close encounter came in the finale, a 28-23 victory against Maryland.

This year, Virginia and Utah are the only Division I-A teams yet to play a game decided by fewer than two touchdowns. And since the ACC began playing football in 1953, Florida State in 2001 is the only team to go an entire season absent a game decided by fewer than 10 points.

Just look at the ACC this year. Taut finishes every week, overtime, double-overtime. Five of Virginia Tech's last six games were decided in the final minutes, three of Miami's last four, each of Wake Forest's last five.

So brace yourselves, citizens of Cavalier Nation. It's coming. Either this week against Miami, or at Georgia Tech the following week, or at Virginia Tech two days after Thanksgiving. Maybe, if we're lucky, all will produce harrowing finishes.

Al Groh wouldn't be surprised. He's been around football for most of his 60 years, and in his first three seasons as the Cavaliers' coach, 14 games were decided by a touchdown or less.

Virginia is a sterling 10-4 in said contests, a tribute to former quarterback Matt Schaub's composure and Groh's practice regimen. Two or three times a week, Groh said, the Cavaliers simulate various aspects of end-game and overtime: the final play; the final kick; protecting a lead; the two-minute drill.

But there's nothing like on-the-job training, especially for a quarterback. Hagans has started 10 games under center, eight this season, one in 2003 and one in 2002. None placed him in a fourth-quarter crucible.

Hagans has, however, been there. In the 2002 opener against Colorado State, he relieved an ineffective Schaub and directed Virginia 79 yards for a go-ahead, fourth-quarter touchdown.

After Colorado State countered, Hagans and the offense began their final possession on the Virginia 18. The Cavaliers drove 81 yards before the Rams recovered a Hagans fumble at the 1 in the waning seconds.

Hagans has improved exponentially since and appears more than capable of closing a deal in the fourth quarter.

He's surrounded by all-conference talent such as tight end Heath Miller, guard Elton Brown and tailback Alvin Pearman.

The nagging memory is this: Florida State 36, Virginia 3.

In their only test against a ranked opponent this season, the Cavaliers failed miserably in all phases. They couldn't run, they couldn't stop the run.

Miami, ranked 18th and loser of two consecutive games, travels to Charlottesville in a decided defensive funk. In their first four games, the Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2) yielded 26 points and 424 yards passing. In their last four, the numbers are 124 points and 1,077 yards passing.

Could Miami, the crown jewel of ACC expansion, drop three straight in its first season? Might the 'Canes, deep breath here, finish below North Carolina?

Absolutely.

Miami slump notwithstanding, this is the largest game to hit Scott Stadium since Nov. 3, 1990, when No. 1 Virginia faced No. 16 Georgia Tech in a battle of unbeatens. The 1995 Thursday nighter against No. 2 Florida State? The Cavs were only 6-3. The 1999 game against No. 8 Virginia Tech and Michael Vick? Too early in the season (Oct. 2). Nope, Saturday is the one.

Miami ventured to our fair commonwealth last November and absorbed a 31-7 punishment at Virginia Tech. This Miami team isn't as good. This Virginia team is better.

Cavs win.

Rolle latest hurting Cane
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
sdegnan@herald.com

On the same day University of Miami cornerback Antrel Rolle was named a semifinalist for two of the nation's most prestigious defensive awards, he limped

onto the Hurricanes' practice field wearing a knee-high boot on his right leg.

Rolle, part of a lengthy contingent of UM's walking wounded, has an injury that appears to be turf toe, coach Larry Coker said. ''It's pretty sore,'' Coker said. ``There's not a fracture, but it's swollen.''

Coker said Rolle, who was unable to practice, would not have played had the game against No. 10 Virginia (7-1, 4-1 ACC) been Tuesday. He will be evaluated today and Thursday to see if he can play Saturday afternoon at Charlottesville.

''He will try to play,'' defensive coordinator Randy Shannon said of his only senior defensive starter. ``But if he's not ready, we're not going to play him.''

If Rolle is unable to go Saturday, Devin Hester will start in his place alongside Kelly Jennings, with Marcus Maxey Carlos Armour as their backups. Armour is a true freshman who got his first collegiate action Saturday against Clemson because there weren't enough healthy special-teamers and defensive backs to go around. Fellow true freshman cornerback Rashaun Jones also played for the first time in the overtime loss to Clemson.

''We have a lot of younger players this year, and we have more injuries, guys not at full speed,'' Coker said. ``But we're not going to limp into Charlottesville. We're preparing to play the very best we can.''

BEAT-UP SECONDARY

The No. 18 Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2) are ailing in many parts of their game, including an especially vulnerable secondary. In addition to Rolle, up for the Thorpe and Bednarik awards, free safety Brandon Meriweather is slowed by stingers in his right shoulder that he says feel like ``a burning inside my shoulder right up under my shoulder cap.

''I think it started during the Louisville game,'' he said, and added he has been reaggravating it ``over and over.''

''Do they give you a shot? Advil?'' he was asked.

''Nah. We call it tough-man juice,'' Meriweather said, grinning. ``You have to be tough.''

Meriweather said his turf toe is better now, and he wears a soft cast over his right thumb to help protect torn ligaments.

''I wish we were a little deeper at times, but we'll be all right,'' said Meriweather, who was replaced as a starter Saturday by true freshman Anthony Reddick.

Cornerback Tanard Davis also didn't practice Tuesday with what Coker called a strained left knee. And unavailable from before: cornerbacks Glenn Sharpe (knee) and Terrell Walden (ACL rehabilitation).

SAPPED OF TALENT

Others out for the season with injuries: left tackle Eric Winston (knee), linebacker Willie Williams (knee) and fullback Kyle Cobia (shoulder).

''There's a lot of talent not out here,'' Coker said. ``Obviously, we'd be much better if we had them.''

And the list continues:

• Backup quarterback Kyle Wright (high ankle sprain) practiced Tuesday ''and looked pretty good,'' Coker said, adding, ``I wouldn't feel comfortable about playing him [Tuesday], but I was encouraged.''

• Tailback Frank Gore said a Clemson defender intentionally twisted his ankle during a fourth-quarter tackle, but that he still felt good running Tuesday.

• Tight end Greg Olsen (broken wrist) still is in a cast and said he can play if needed.

• Defensive tackle Santonio Thomas (knee) said Saturday he was 75-80 percent healthy.

• Right guard Tyler McMeans (knee) still is out.

UM looks for someone to step up
There were no MVPs for the Hurricanes the past two weeks -- just players who were unable to rise to the occasion when needed.
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
sdegnan@herald.com

University of Miami football coach Larry Coker looked up behind his left shoulder Sunday morning and eyed a large bulletin board with the abbreviation MVPs cut out in construction paper.

Photographs of offensive, defensive and special teams athletes graced the board under each opponent's name -- except for the green emptiness under the words North Carolina and Clemson.

''Will your players rise to the occasion because their backs are against the wall?'' the coach was asked moments earlier.

''Let me show you how far they are against the wall,'' Coker responded, nodding toward the board. ``They are extremely against the wall . . . We need to beat somebody good, you know? People are getting fired up and tearing goalposts down. We need to beat somebody good. We're playing somebody good Saturday.''

The Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2 ACC), who lost their second consecutive game this season on Saturday night, a 24-17 overtime collapse against Clemson in the Orange Bowl after falling at North Carolina 38-21 the previous week, play the Virginia Cavaliers (4-1, 7-1) in Charlottesville on Saturday.

On Sunday, The Associated Press rankings dropped Miami from No. 11 to 18, while the coaches' poll dropped UM from 10th to 17th. Just two weeks ago, the Hurricanes were fourth in the AP and third in the coaches' poll.

Yet today, somehow, some way, the Hurricanes still likely would earn a berth in the Bowl Championship Series by winning their last three games against the Cavaliers, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.

''The only thing we are right now is bowl eligible,'' Coker said, ``and I don't think we really care about that. The main thing we care about is getting our ship right and going out and playing as well as we can.''

THE POSSIBILITIES

If Florida State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and UM end the season 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a four-way tie would probably result in the Hurricanes earning a trip to the Sugar Bowl by virtue of the tiebreaker.

''I think it's really amazing that we are where we are and still have an opportunity for something special to happen,'' Coker said. ``To say we're not down and disappointed would be a gross, gross, gross understatement. But from the standpoint of to be where we are, to have lost two conference games and still have a chance to go to a BCS bowl game, that's pretty amazing.''

Coker affirmed what everyone saw Saturday night: UM lines that held up pretty well the first half and crumbled the second. The Clemson defensive line manhandled UM's meager attempt at run-blocking, and the Tigers' offensive line controlled the Hurricanes' D-linemen as the game progressed -- flaws of the previous week at UNC.

''They really took it to us pretty good in the second half,'' Coker said. ``We've got to get off blocks, get upfield and get pressure, and the linebackers have to make tackles. We dropped the eighth man down in front quite a bit to help, but still the linebackers and the front people have to be the main anchor to stop the running game.''

The Hurricanes, who have turned relatively unknown running backs into stars the past three weeks, will face real stars in Charlottesville: Wali Lundy, who ran for 107 yards and his 13th and 14th touchdowns this season against Maryland; and Alvin Pearman, who rushed for 170 yards vs. the Terrapins.

''I don't have any answers against great running backs,'' Coker said. ``I don't know if anybody else does, either. The great ones seem to make plays.

``The thing that Virginia has is a very solid, physical, offensive line.

``I think this team has character. I think they'll respond. We have a tremendous challenge to finish this thing off in a proper manner.''

INJURY REPORT

CB Antrel Rolle has an undisclosed big-toe injury on his right foot . . . CB Devin Hester ''had a leg bothering him -- I think it's a little twisted, but not bad,'' Coker said . . . Frank Gore turned an ankle, Coker said.

U-Va. Isn't Quite Ready To State Its Claim in ACC
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 9, 2004; Page D02

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 8 -- When Miami and Virginia Tech joined the ACC this year, most college football observers figured the conference's power line would stretch from South Beach to Tallahassee. Certainly not from Blacksburg to Charlottesville.

But with three regular season games remaining, Virginia and Virginia Tech are tied atop the ACC standings, with perennial powerhouses Florida State and Miami in third and fourth place, respectively, with two conference losses apiece. Virginia Coach Al Groh, whose No. 10 Cavaliers host the Hurricanes at Scott Stadium on Saturday, isn't counting out either of the Florida teams.

"Most of the predictors in July had two teams from the same state being on top," Groh said. "It just wasn't from this state. We'll see how it all turns out. There's a lot to go down before we can make a determination on that."

Miami has lost consecutive games to unranked opponents for the first time since 1984. Those losses, 31-28 at North Carolina on Oct. 30 and 24-17 in overtime to Clemson last weekend, dropped the Hurricanes from a No. 4 ranking to No. 18 this week, their lowest ranking since the end of the 1999 season.

But Miami can still win the ACC by beating the Cavaliers, Wake Forest on Nov. 20 and No. 16 Virginia Tech on Dec. 4. If the Hurricanes win those games, and Florida State, Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech all end the regular season with two ACC losses each, the Hurricanes would own tiebreakers over the other three teams because of their head-to-head victories over each.

"I wouldn't put the word vulnerable on this team," Groh said of the Hurricanes, who have lost five games during the past four seasons. "They've lost two games in a row on the last play of the game. . . . They had back-to-back losses at one point last year and never lost again. That tells me their psyche isn't easily penetrable."

The Cavaliers have their own psyches to worry about after failing in their first meeting against a top 10 team this season, a humbling 36-3 loss at then-No. 7 Florida State on Oct. 16. Virginia was completely overwhelmed in that game, as the Seminoles outgained the Cavaliers, 470 yards to 281, and blocked a punt for a safety.

As imposing as the Seminoles may have seemed to the Cavaliers, the Hurricanes may be an entirely different animal, Groh said.

"To be a dynasty, you have to be pretty good for a long time," Groh said. "But if it's possible to define a dynasty in a 10- or 12-year timeframe, this team probably is as close to a dynasty as we've seen in organized sports over the last 12 years, colleges or pros. Maybe the Yankees and the Hurricanes."

Groh said speed is what has separated Miami from the rest of college football during the past decade. The Hurricanes have produced 40 NFL first-round draft picks since 1987, and a record six Miami players were chosen in the first round this past spring. Despite losing all that talent, Groh said, the Hurricanes are as fast as ever.

"The speed is tremendous," Groh said. "It keeps on coming and there are all sorts of guys who have it. There are all sorts of guys who can get up and go. . . . [Speed] dominates on special teams. It dominates on offense and dominates on defense."

But in the past four games, the Hurricanes' defense has been dominated, allowing an average of 465.8 yards and 30.3 points. Miami has been especially porous against the run during that span, surrendering an average of 196.5 rushing yards. The Hurricanes have played the past two games without defensive tackle Santonio Thomas, who is out for the season with a knee injury.

Since losing to Florida State, the Cavaliers have thumped Duke and Maryland by a combined score of 53-16, running for 643 yards in the two victories. Senior Alvin Pearman has done most of the work, running for 393 yards against the Blue Devils and Terrapins.

"Miami is an unbelievably fast team," Pearman said. "We know what to expect. They're a great football team, but we realize they're a beatable team."

Cavaliers Notes: Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who had two interceptions and a key fourth-down stop in Saturday's 16-0 victory over Maryland, yesterday was named ACC defensive lineman of the week. Senior center Zac Yarbrough was named ACC offensive lineman of the week. . . .

Miami tailback Frank Gore (sprained ankle), wide receiver Ryan Moore (sprained ankle) and cornerback-kick returner Devin Hester (leg) were injured against Clemson, but are expected to play on Saturday. . . .

ABC will televise Virginia's Nov. 20 game at Georgia Tech, but will wait until Sunday to announce whether kickoff will be at noon, 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. . . .

Cavs senior linebacker Rich Bedesem, who didn't play against Maryland because of a knee injury, wasn't listed on the team's depth chart released yesterday. . . .

Virginia backup quarterback Christian Olsen is preparing to play against his brother, Miami tight end Greg Olsen, for the first time. The brothers, from Wayne, N.J., started their college careers at Notre Dame.

Christian transferred after one season; Greg left after only a few practices. "He wasn't going to come with me," Christian Olsen said. "It didn't work the first time." Greg Olsen has caught 15 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown; Christian has thrown 12 passes in three games.
 

UVa.'s Brown makes most of first start
In Bounds
Patrick Hite

To anyone that follows University of Virginia football closely, it probably didn't come as a surprise that freshman Philip Brown started against Maryland Saturday.

That it took this long - eight games into the season - may be a surprise.

Brown, who spent last year at Hargrave Military Academy, came to Virginia with an abundance of accolades.

He was named first-team Group AAA all-state as a senior at Hampton's Phoebus High School. Every publication from www.rivals.com to SuperPrep to the major newspapers in Virginia had him ranked as one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school. The folks at www.insiders.com even called him the second-best cornerback in the nation in 2003.

While he saw action in Virginia's first seven games of the season, it took until Saturday to get on the field as a starting cornerback. By doing so, Brown became the first member of UVa.'s 2004 recruiting class to start a game.

And he delivered in Virginia's 16-0 win over the Terps, Maryland's first shutout loss since the opening game of the 2002 season. Brown finished with four tackles, three of them solo efforts, and had one tackle for a loss against Maryland. He also got in on a forced fumble, although Virginia's Tony Franklin got the credit when the duo hit Jo Jo Walker. Marquis Weeks recovered the fourth-quarter fumble.

"To be part of a shutout my first start is real big," Brown said after the game. "So I'm going to just celebrate tonight, and come Monday morning, it's going to be out of my memory, and we'll get ready for the 'Canes (Virginia hosts Miami Saturday afternoon)."

Brown offers something to Virginia that it doesn't have a lot of - a physical cornerback. While the Cavaliers' defensive backfield is full of speed, Brown is not only fast but can also punish the offensive players when he hits them.

"He's a good, physical player," Virginia coach Al Groh said of Brown. "At that position, cover skills are very important, and that's what sometimes gets guys on the field. But when you've got cover skills and that level of toughness, then the guy's got a chance to do something."

Groh said Brown earned the start by his work in practice and in games so far this season. After Saturday's game, Brown has 10 tackles on the year. The coach also said the freshman continued to improve his game against Maryland.

"That just shows you that hard work will pay off for you," Brown said. "I definitely worked hard ... to get where I'm at right now."

Brown said he had a few butterflies during pregame activities, but being part of the kickoff coverage to open the game helped alleviate some of the jitters.

"I got to fly down there and hit somebody," Brown said. "So after that, you know, the nervousness was gone."

Pearman masters multitasking
Versatility makes him indispensable weapon in Cavs quest for title Senior's versatility makes him an indispensable weapon for U.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Nov 9, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Alvin Pearman for ACC football player of the year?

His coach at the University of Virginia believes Pearman deserves serious consideration. So does U.Va. offensive guard Elton Brown.

"The guy's played everything. He's been a receiver, punt returner, kick returner, had tremendous games at running game," Brown said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they line him up at D-end. He has my vote."

A 5-9, 204-pound senior from Charlotte, N.C., Pearman has started the past two games at tailback for 10th-ranked Virginia (4-1, 7-1), which is tied for the ACC lead. In his only other start of the season, Sept. 25 against Syracuse, Pearman played wide receiver.

His versatility is unmatched in the U.Va. program. Pearman returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown in the Sept. 4 opener against Temple. A week later, he returned a kickoff 93 yards against North Carolina. He's averaging 81.1 yards per game rushing, and the figure would be higher if the Syracuse game, in which Pearman didn't carry the ball, were not counted against his average.

With 17 catches for 252 yards, Pearman is Virginia's third-leading receiver. He's the personal protector for punter Sean Johnson and has made three tackles on special teams. He ranks fourth among ACC players in punt returns and seventh in rushing.

"That's pretty good football," U.Va. coach Al Groh said of Pearman's myriad contributions.

In his first start of the year at tailback, against Duke on Oct. 23, Pearman rushed for 223 yards, one shy of U.Va.'s record. Against Maryland last weekend, he ran for 170 yards to help lead Virginia to a 16-0 victory. For the season, Pearman has 1,281 all-purpose yards.

"Who's had a more dynamic season or been more important to his team this year than Alvin Pearman?" said Groh, whose team plays host to the 18th-ranked Miami Hurricanes this weekend.

- Jeff White

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Nov 9, 2004

WELCOME SIGHT: The seniors on the football team will be recognized in a ceremony Saturday afternoon before Virginia's home finale against Miami (Fla.). That the group will include defensive end Chris Canty is sure to delight the sellout crowd at Scott Stadium.

Canty, a team captain and All-America candidate, hasn't been to a U.Va. game since Sept. 25, when he suffered a season-ending injury against Syracuse at Scott Stadium. Dr. James Andrews, the renowned orthopedic surgeon from Birmingham, Ala., repaired Canty's dislocated left knee Sept. 30. Canty has been rehabilitating in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., since the operation.

Offensive guard Elton Brown, another team captain, said Canty's return will inspire his teammates.

"Just speaking to him on the phone means a lot to me," Brown said. "To see he's doing good and getting along means a lot."

The 10th-ranked Cavaliers (4-1, 7-1) will meet the No. 18 Hurricanes (3-2, 6-2) at 3:30 p.m. ABC will televise the game.

STILL FORMIDABLE: Miami dropped out of a three-way tie for first place in the ACC after falling in overtime Saturday night to Clemson. The Hurricanes have lost two straight, but Virginia coach Al Groh yesterday disputed a TV reporter's suggestion that they're "vulnerable."

"I wouldn't put the word 'vulnerable' on this team," Groh said. "They've lost two games in a row on the last play of the game. Now we should be so lucky when we lose two games that we're in the game that long. So, within two games, they're now ranked third or fourth in the country."

Miami last dropped three consecutive games in 1999, when its coach was Butch Davis.

STANDOUTS: The ACC yesterday honored two of Groh's players for their excellence in the Cavaliers' 16-0 win over Maryland on Saturday.

Center Zac Yarbrough was named the ACC's offensive lineman of the week. Inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks shared the defensive lineman's award with Clemson tackle Eric Coleman, who, coincidentally, is from Charlottesville.

Yarbrough, a senior from Winter Park, Fla., played the best game of his career against Maryland, Groh said. The Cavaliers rushed for 295 yards against a stout Maryland defense.

Brooks, a sophomore from Woodbridge, had six tackles, two interceptions and two quarterback pressures. He hadn't picked off a pass before Saturday. U.Va. held Maryland to 214 yards of offense.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Schaub, a model citizen during his days at U.Va., was arrested early Saturday and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after allegedly getting in a fight outside a Charlottesville restaurant.

Schaub, who was in town with Falcons teammate Patrick Kerney, another former U.Va. star, to attend the Maryland game, was released on his recognizance after appearing before a magistrate judge.

"I have a good idea" what happened in the incident, said Groh, who declined to elaborate. "I think that's probably better left to the normal processes, but I think we'll find out that Matt's still the same Matt you knew."

WAITING GAME: The starting time for Virginia's Nov. 20 game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta was supposed to have been announced yesterday, but TV exercised its six-day option.

The U.Va.-Georgia Tech game will be televised, but the starting time isn't expected to be announced until Sunday. Kickoff will be at noon (ESPN2 or Jefferson-Pilot Sports), 1 p.m. (ABC) or 6 p.m.

MEMORABLE DEBUT: In his first start, cornerback Philip Brown made four tackles, including one for loss, against Maryland. Brown, a 5-11, 188-pound true freshman from Hampton, was an all-Group AAA performer at Phoebus High in 2001 and'02. He starred for Hargrave Military Academy's postgraduate team last year.

Against the Terrapins, Groh said, Brown "did a lot of things that all of us - myself, the defensive coaches - gave him plus marks for."

Brown is a "good, physical player," Groh said. "At that position, cover skills are very important. That's sometimes what gets guys on the field. But when you got cover skills and that level of toughness, then a guy's got a chance to do something."

GROWING BOY: Tom Santi has played tight end and fullback this season. At 6-5, 225 pounds, the true freshman from Nashville, Tenn., is lean for each position, but his lack of bulk doesn't bother Santi.

"You can't miss what you never had," he said. "It'd be great if I could snap my fingers and be 250, but that's a gradual process, and that's something that [strength coach Evan] Marcus, he's great at. That'll be something that will be an ongoing process in the future." - Jeff White