Cavs, 'Canes a must see in C'town
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 12, 2004

The “Beatdown in C’town” is finally here. Virginia vs. Miami. It is arguably the biggest game ever played in Scott Stadium, certainly the biggest since Nov. 3, 1990 when the No. 1 ranked Cavaliers dropped a 41-38 loss to unbeaten Georgia Tech, which went on to share the national title.

Virginia is a 3.5-point favorite over the Hurricanes, something that most of you never thought you would live to see.

Miami is somewhat hobbled with its ranks decimated by injury. The Canes have lost two in a row and everyone in South Florida is down on them.

Sound familiar?

A few weeks back, Florida State had pulled a Houdini by narrowly escaping an upset at Syracuse. The national critics claimed that the Seminoles had lost it. Their mystique was gone. Bowden was too old. Things were crumbling apart.

Several nationally respected college football experts predicted Virginia would go into Tallahassee and beat Bowden’s boys.

We all know what happened. A fired up bunch of Seminoles played far and away their best game of the season and punished the Cavaliers in a game that wasn’t close.

Now, everyone is on Miami’s back.

Clemson’s players, who went into the Orange Bowl last Saturday night and stunned the Hurricanes, didn’t have a lot of complimentary things to say about Miami.

Tigers’ wide receiver Kelvin Grant said he grew up marveling at Miami’s greatness, but didn’t have that feeling as the game wore on last week.

“I was like, ‘Dang, I feel sorry for whoever’s playing them.’ And instead of me sitting there in awe, I was kind of looking at them like, ‘Oh, well, we can beat ‘em ... It was like, dang, these [Miami] guys are like N.C. State.’”

Several of Clemson’s defensive players said they were surprised that Miami kept running vertical passing routes in the second half because they ran out of play selections. That’s when the Tigers felt like they were going to win.

Don’t tell Groh

But don’t try to tell Virginia coach Al Groh that Saturday’s game is going to be a cakewalk or that his Cavaliers have the inside track on the ACC Championship.

“The race isn’t over,” Groh said. “Not that I’m very knowledgeable about horse racing, but like many people I pay attention to the Triple Crown when it comes up. How many times have you heard that coming into the seven-eighths pole that Joe Schmo is out front and when they put those numbers up on the board, Joe Schmo’s number is no place to be seen.”

After getting waxed at FSU, the Cavaliers aren’t taking anything for granted. They have mucho respect for the Hurricanes.

“These guys are coming here to win,” said UVa senior offensive guard Elton Brown.

Big E and teammates said they learned a lot from the Florida State experience. Mostly what they learned was that they didn’t like the taste of losing.

“We learned what it felt like to go out there and get your nose rubbed in it,” Brown said.

The Cavs also picked up a few lessons on playing against a team with uncommon speed, particularly defensive speed.

“I think that loss kind of opened up some people’s eyes, even on our team,” Brown said. “Some of us might have gotten caught up in the Top 10 hype. That loss brought a lot of guys back to reality. It doesn’t matter what you’re ranked, you still have to work.”

Senior center Zac Yarbrough agreed with his fellow offensive lineman that the Cavs learned a great deal from the losing experience in Tallahassee, something that may help them on Saturday.

“It was a reality check for us,” Yarbrough said. “It kind of put us in our place. We took it upon ourselves to get better every week and go out there and play with the heart and tenacity that we needed to.”

Virginia’s offensive line felt particularly embarrassed at FSU when they managed to boar out a measly 20 yards rushing in that game even though the Cavs came into the contest leading the ACC in rushing.

That served as motivation to reestablish themselves as a respected running attack from that point on. Since then, Virginia has chewed up 348 yards against Duke and 295 against a Maryland defense that had surrendered an average of 111.4 yards rushing per game.

Brown hopes that is part of Virginia’s culture, particularly in Scott Stadium where the Cavaliers have won 16 of their last 17 games.

“The atmosphere here is great,” Big E said. “It’s a sea of orange. You look up and see all those fans making noise, that makes it hard on other teams. But Miami wins at home or the road.”

Still, Virginia is the hunted this week. The Cavs can’t fall back on the underdogs’ role for motivation. Instead, they’re wearing a big bullseye on their chests as Miami blows in trying to prove a point.

“This is where you want to get to,” Brown said of Virginia’s current stature. “It’s a different Virginia team now. People want to give you their best shot every week. When you start winning games, you’re always the hunted.

“When I first got here it was suits and ties up in the stands. Now it’s all orange and blue. Just the overall physicalness of the team has changed,” Brown said. “We’re playing more physical than we have ever played. When I first got here, we didn’t run the ball 61 times in a game. We might have passed it 61 times.”

The Cavaliers rank sixth in the nation in rushing offense heading into the game, averaging 254 yards per outing on the ground. Miami is seventh in the ACC in rushing defense, giving up 148 yards per game in that category. The Hurricanes have allowed opposing backs to go over the 100-yard mark in each of their last four games.

In an attempt to stop that trend, Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon switched up defensive ends in practice this week, moving the bigger one, 6-foot-4, 275-pound Bryan Pata to the side that Virginia favors running toward ... yes, the side where Brown resides.

Shannon said Miami’s biggest problem has been its failure to wrap up when making tackles.

UVa backs Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy have been effective in gaining yards after contact and focus on breaking tackles, something that concerns Shannon and head coach Larry Coker.

Shannon is pulling out all the stops in hopes of stopping Virginia cold. Not only did he flip flop his ends, he moved Roger McIntosh to inside linebacker and Jon Beason to strongside.

The Hurricanes are so beaten up that Coker has declined invitations to discuss just what state of health his defense is in, but did admit that star cornerback Antrel Rolle has spent the week on the sidelines wearing a boot up to his ankle from a suspected turf toe that has made him too swollen to practice.

Still, there’s so much speed on Miami’s roster, that Rolle’s replacement isn’t too shabby ... it’s Devin Hester, perhaps the most dangerous kick returner in the nation.

Groh has talked about speed being everywhere on Miami’s roster and he wasn’t kidding.

But this one is going to come down to whether or not Brown and his offensive line mates can grind it out against whatever Miami throws at them. It’s up to the offensive line and quarterback Marques Hagans’ ability to put pressure on the corners via his bootleg and running skills and his touch to throw screen passes to Pearman and Lundy to keep the Hurricanes’ backed off the line of scrimmage.

This is one where if Virginia wins, the Cavs are going to have to gut it out. It’s going to come down to hand-to-hand combat. May the best man win.

Brooks racks up stats and honors
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 12, 2004

The honors just keep rolling in for Ahmad Brooks.
Just three days after the Virginia linebacker was named the ACC’s defensive lineman of the week, Brooks was named one of three finalists for Butkus Award.
Brooks, who is a sophomore, joins Texas senior Derrick Johnson and Southern California senior Matt Grootegoed as the finalists for the award that is annually given to the best linebacker in college football.
“It’s just an honor just to be a Butkus Award finalist,” Brooks said. “All this hard work that I have been doing since I got here on day one has put me in this position.”
For the season, Brooks has registered 62 tackles, the most on the team, and forced a fumble. Brooks has also been credited with five sacks and seven tackles for a loss.
During Virginia’s 16-0 win on Nov. 6 over Maryland, Brooks made a pair of first-half interceptions, the first two of his Cavalier career.
Brooks, who is preparing for Saturday’s home finale against No. 18 Miami, anchors a Virginia defense that ranks ninth in the country in total defense and seventh in scoring defense.
Virginia coach Al Groh said Brooks is just another example of how the program’s 3-4 base defense allows linebackers to take over games.
“It is structured for those guys to be your playmakers and not only by, but [also] by there ability to do so,” Groh said. “We believe the players make the difference and this is one of the players who has made the difference for us. He has done a great job.”
Even as well as Brooks has played the past two years, Groh said the most exciting thing would be watching the progression of the Alexandria native.
“The best is yet in front of him, which is what’s really exciting for us,” Groh said. “As much as he has demonstrated this year, he has that much more progress to make, so he ought to have even more accomplishments in the future.”
Grootegoed, a semifinalist for the Butkus Award a year ago, has four interceptions and 47 tackles for USC, the top-ranked team in the country. He also has two sacks.
Johnson, who was a Butkus finalist in 2003, has made 107 tackles for the Longhorns, including 14 for losses. The senior has also set a school record with eight caused fumbles. Earlier this week, Johnson was named as one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s top defensive lineman or linebacker.
The award will be presented at the Downtown Athletic Club in Orlando on Dec. 10.

Earning more time. Weighing in at 324 pounds, Virginia nose tackle Keenan Carter is hard to miss.
If the development of the redshirt freshman continues at its current pace, Carter will be hard to stop.
Against Maryland, Carter was in for 12 plays and assisted on two tackles. The Dumfries native also teamed up with Jermaine Dias to tackle Maryland tailback Josh Allen for a three-yard loss on a pass reception in the second quarter with the Terps facing a 4th-and-2 at the Virginia 40.
Groh said, as with any inexperienced player, additional playing time for Carter will come as his play improves.
“We tell them all the time: ‘All we can go on is what we see.’ We go on what we see and that message is starting to get through in his particular case,” Groh said moments after the shutout win of Maryland. “It looked as if on a couple of things he did tonight he might have earned a little bit more [playing time] and probably a pizza to go with it too.”
Despite his lighthearted comments, Groh knows that Carter’s play gives the coaching staff versatility. When Carter is inserted at nose tackle, the starter at the position, Andrew Hoffman, can be slid over to defensive end.
“Keenan certainly allows the opportunity to take Andrew off the nose a little bit and move him out there,” Groh said.

Cavs to play host to Marymount tonight
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
November 12, 2004

The Virginia men’s basketball team won its preaseason opener last week 121-29. Let’s repeat that. 121-29. By 92 points the Cavaliers pounded Division III Lehman College.

The competition could certainly be questioned and certainly one wonders why the NCAA sees this as the best solution for exhibition games. Of course questioning the wisdom of the NCAA would result in a much longer diatribe then space permits here.

Whether UVa was superior to its opponent could not be questioned. Yet, that still allows some obvious observations to be made.

The Cavaliers ability to transition from defense to offense and turn turnovers into points was as efficient as it has been in the last three seasons. There was also a quickness on the floor for the Cavaliers that has been very absent in recent memory.

In essence, the Cavaliers last Friday resembled a team they used to be under coach Pete Gillen. Maybe the overmatched opponent had something to do with that but at worse an observer would have to say the Cavaliers played very well against a not-so-good opponent.

“We have been working on that transition game a lot. We want to push the ball and get out on the break. That’s what we ant to do,” said Devin Smith.

The Cavaliers will have a chance to do that again tonight when they host Division III Marymount University at 7:30 p.m. at University Hall.

“We’re running pretty good. I think that we are a little more athletic. We’re quicker and we want to play fast. We are at our best when we play that way,” Gillen said. “That’s our strenghth right now.”

While the personnel may be more athletic, the Cavaliers certainly are benefiting from a more solid situation at the point. No longer are the Cavaliers playing natural shooting guards there but rather have two players - sophomore T.J. Bannister and freshman Sean Singletary - capable of claiming the spot.

Gillen remains mum on who ultimately will get the starting nod. Bannister did start against Lehman College with Singletary coming off the bench. Regardless of how that situation works itself out, the up-and-down style the Cavaliers implement is predicated on a point guard to push the ball and making decisions in terms of passing.

“I think both T.J. and Sean have done well. We have two talented young guys. Sometimes we will play them together. We will have to see,” Gillen said.

Note. Sophomore forward Donte Minter sat out last Friday’s game with a dislocated kneecap. Gillen said that it’s possible Minter could play tonight against Marymount.

Different drummers
Commentary by Aaron McFarling
The Roanoke Times

They're so different, these two. Virginia's Al Groh and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, the leaders of the state's two Division I-A football programs, are the gridiron version of Hannity and Colmes.

The discrepancies begin with the way they talk. Groh, New York born and NFL bred, can make the simple sound complex: "Al, what's two plus two?"

"Well, I've never been one who believes in numbers. But I can say with a high degree of certainty that the answer is four. However, in the interest of due diligence, you might want to substantiate that with someone who is more mathematically inclined."

Beamer, born in Andy Griffith's hometown, raised in a farmhouse in Fancy Gap, can make the complex sound simple:

"Frank, could you please explain the scientific process by which heat is transferred through conduction?"

"I can sure try. What you have is all these quick little buggers called molecules flying around in an angry mood, and when they start laying a licking on the slower ones, everything kind of gets all out of whack. Before you know it, that whole crowd's really active. And that crowd, that heat, moves right along to the other object - kind of like a good punt-block squad heading for the kicker."

OK, so that might be a little extreme. But there's no doubt these two go about their business in different ways. Groh's in his fourth year at his alma mater, Beamer his 18th. Groh is borderline paranoid, putting his assistant coaches off-limits to the media during the season; Beamer is more lenient, installing a eyebrow-raising 2 a.m. curfew for his players in New Orleans when the Hokies played for the national championship.

But boy, are they both getting it done.

Tied atop the Atlantic Coast Conference. Alone. Less than three weeks away from their annual showdown, each controlling his own fate, each exceeding expectations.

Raise your hand if you predicted this.

Now all you liars put your hands down.

The first statement out of Groh's mouth after UVa's 16-0 clubbing of Maryland on Saturday, which lifted the Cavaliers to No.10 in the AP poll, was that the players deserved the credit. Beamer has made similar comments after close wins over Wake Forest and Georgia Tech that have helped his team climb to No.16.

While the players are certainly worthy of praise, both coaches deserve some kudos, too.

The climate for college coaches is as volatile as ever. Penn State legend Joe Paterno is spending much of his weekly press conferences defending his job. Ron Zook, beloved by his players, was canned in midseason at Florida, finally appeasing a well-known Web site devoted to his exile. Closer to home, North Carolina's John Bunting has been fired and rehired in print several times this season.

Last weekend's games showed the value of Groh and Beamer. On the same day that Larry Coker and Ralph Friedgen - two respected, accomplished ACC coaches - lost again, UVa and Tech survived another round of what Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has appropriately called "Russian roulette."

The Cavaliers won because of Groh's stubbornness. Recent history suggested you can't run on Maryland. Well, how's 61 carries for 295 yards sound? Groh went with his strength, even when his strength didn't look too strong a few weeks back against FSU, and he was rewarded.

Meanwhile, Tech is on a five-game winning streak because Beamer has evolved. One knock on the 58-year-old Beamer has been that his loyalty corrupts his decisions on playing time. When Grant Noel struggled a few years ago, Beamer stuck with him because of the quarterback's veteran status.

If that reasoning still stood, junior Cedric Humes - who entered the year with the most career carries - would be Tech's starting tailback. Instead, a less-seasoned Mike Imoh is. That's the same Mike Imoh who ran for a school-record 243 yards against North Carolina and leads the conference in rushing yards per game.

The result is that the ACC spotlight has shifted to the state of Virginia. A lot of people throughout the league need these two teams to lose, and it's up to two very different coaches to make sure that doesn't happen.

Beamer: "We've put ourselves in position."

Groh: "We're still in the hunt."

Maybe they're not so different, after all.

Solid on center stage
Virginia's starting center Zac Yarbrough took full advantage of an unlikely opportunity in 2002.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Before making the move that resulted in three seasons as Virginia's starting center, Zac Yarbrough once had hopes of playing tight end for the Cavaliers.

"I could have been 'Big Money,' " Yarbrough said earlier this season. "Big Money" is the nickname that teammates have given Heath Miller, the Cavaliers' first-team All-ACC tight end. So, if he hadn't been needed at center, Yarbrough could have caught more than 100 passes, been to Arizona for a Playboy magazine shoot and been talked about as a first-round NFL Draft pick.

"Yeah, right," Yarbrough said with obvious sarcasm.

There isn't a thing Yarbrough would want to change about his career, which has unfolded like a storybook since the second game of the 2002 season, when the Cavaliers traveled to Florida State. At the time, Yarbrough wasn't a tight end or a center.

"He was the long snapper," UVa coach Al Groh said.

Yarbrough was listed as the Cavaliers' No.2 center that day, but, sitting in the stands, Jim Yarbrough could see where that really wasn't the case.

Yarbrough, an offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions from 1969-77, had made the drive from Winter Park, Fla., and could see in warm-ups that Kevin Bailey was snapping the ball for the first unit but that starting guard Mark Farrington would snap for the second unit.

"I didn't want to tell my wife," Yarbrough said, "but, I could see that Zac was really the No.3 center."

Not only did Bailey suffer a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the first in a series of knee problems that derailed a once-promising career, but in a less-noteworthy development, Farrington also was injured.

When Matt Schaub came off the bench to throw three fourth-quarter touchdowns, he was taking his snaps from Yarbrough.

"A battlefield promotion," Jim Yarbrough said. "I was thrilled to see him get the chance, but I had to wonder, 'Does he know the plays? Has he been paying attention?'"

Yarbrough didn't weigh much more than 260 pounds at the time and he struggles to stay at 280 late in a season, but he got the job done that day and has continued to perform at a high level. This week, he was named ACC offensive lineman of the week after the Cavaliers rushed for 295 yards in a 16-0 victory over Maryland.

When preseason All-American offensive guard Elton Brown was disposing of opposing linebackers on sweeps, Yarbrough often was running step for step with him.

"It's something that's a lot of fun," said Yarbrough, whose ability to pull is rare for a center. "I was slow for a tight end, but I'm fast for a center."

For Groh, the one thing that stands out about Yarbrough is his athleticism. Before his parents finally consented to let him play football in the sixth grade, Yarbrough was already an established youth basketball and baseball player. When he was 10, he was selected Florida state swimmer of the year in his age group.

"How many offensive linemen can say that?" Groh asked.

Although he gave up year-around swimming when he was 12, he joined the Winter Park High School swim team at the conclusion of each football season and was a force in the sprints. He said his best time for the 50-yard freestyle was 20.7 seconds, which would be a Virginia high-school record.

From a young age, it was Zac's dream to play football for Virginia, where his uncle, Nelson, was the starting quarterback in 1956-57. Nelson Yarbrough still lives in Charlottesville, where he is a dentist.

"When Zac was little, my uncle would invite him up there for camp every summer," Jim Yarbrough said. "He'd take him to Farmington [Country Club] and taught him to play golf. Zac is a very good golfer. When Matt Schaub was there, he was the only player who was close to Zac as a golfer."

After Virginia had pursued Zac in 1999-2000 and not offered him a scholarship, it was Nelson who recommended Fork Union Military Academy.

"I really didn't think Zac would go for it," Jim Yarbrough said. "It's not really an easy environment, but when we raised the possibility, he said he'd like to do it."

Jim Yarbrough played at Florida, but his son has been a UVa fan since an early age. When 18th-ranked Miami visits No. 10 Virginia on Saturday, it will mark only the second time the teams have played in football.

Nobody on Virginia's current roster has ever played against the Hurricanes, but Yarbrough, then 16, was in the stands when Miami beat Virginia 31-21 at the 1996 Carquest Bowl in Miami.

When Virginia played in the Citrus Bowl following the 1989 season and the Gator Bowl following the 1991 season, Yarbrough also sat with the UVa faithful.

"It's very difficult knowing that Saturday will be his last time on the field at Scott Stadium," Yarbrough's dad said. " We've seen the games get bigger and bigger and the environment get better and better, and it's just been a thrill to have Zac be a part of that."

Smith kickoffs make strategy a question
Top FB prospects will be at game
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Kickoff specialist Kurt Smith has a chance to play a major role in Virginia’s football showdown Saturday with 18th-ranked Miami, but can the Cavaliers afford to take that chance?

In Devin Hester, the Hurricanes boast one of the most dangerous return men in the country, but if Virginia’s kickoffs are unreturnable, it takes that issue out of the equation.

During one stretch in the Cavaliers’ home games with Akron, Syracuse and Clemson, nine of 11 Smith kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. He had two different stretches when four straight kickoffs were not returned, but that has not been the case of late.

Opponents have returned 12 of Smith’s 13 kickoffs over the past three games. Smith’s last seven kicks have all come down inside the 5-yard line, but it’s hard to predict when the touchbacks will reoccur.

“I wish that I could,” Groh said. “That is an issue. You know that commercial where the kids go, ‘More Ovaltine, mom.’ Maybe we need that one at the pre-game meal.”

So, does Groh let Smith try and kick deep or does he make alternative plans?

“Do we have a stupid coach or not?” Groh said.

Certainly, Groh wouldn’t be one to reveal his strategy, but his answer -- in the form of a question -- was revealing. The numbers are not in Smith’s favor.

In the first eight games, 16 of 44 Smith kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks. That’s a success rate of 36.3 percent. His touchback ratio was 46.6 percent (34-of-73) as a sophomore in 2003, up from 24.6 percent (18-of-73) as a redshirt freshman in 2002.

Groh said Smith doesn’t have any theories. Given the number of kickoffs that he boots inside the 5-yard line -- and with decent hang time-- it appears he is missing the sweet spot by a fraction of an inch.

“I’ve thought the same thing during the course of games and afterwards,” Groh said. “It’s only like three yards difference but when it’s in [the end zone], it’s in there all the time, and when it’s not it’s a little bit short.”

It would make sense if the configuration of the stadiums were a factor, because some settings might be more susceptible to wind, but Smith hasn’t kicked off enough on the road (nine kickoffs, three touchbacks) for the data to be significant. Of his kickoffs at home, 37.1 percent (13-of-35) have resulted in kickoffs.

The temperature for Virginia games has ranged from 59 degrees at kickoff against Duke to 77 in Philadelphia, where the Cavaliers met Temple in the season opener. The only time the wind has measured more than seven miles per hour was when it was 13 MPH, which might account for some of Smith’s success that day.

“I think if it was real cold, that would factor into it,” Groh said. “I think on those real hot days, it warms the ball up and, when they get hot, they go a little bit further, but we haven’t had any of those dramatically hot days and we certainly had any cold days yet either.”

FROM A UVA PERSPECTIVE, the most interesting aspect of the Hargrave-Fork Union football game was an absence of playing time for Cavalier recruit Olu Hall in Hargrave’s 35-21 victory over FUMA.

Until the last quarter, when Hargrave was well in command, Hall’s only playing time -- that I could see -- was on the punt team. He eventually took the field at outside linebacker but was getting regular instructions and seemed as if he were just learning the position.

Of the two Hargrave players who have committed to Virginia, Hall and 6-7, 310-pound offensive tackle Brandon Albert, Albert has gotten more hype from coach Robert Prunty, who has said he thinks Albert could become the best player to come out of the school.

I didn’t see Albert do a whole lot, but Fork Union didn’t seem interested in having anybody line up in front of him; consequently, Albert did a lot of turning around, trying to find people to block.

CHRIS HORNE, who covers recruiting for thesabre.com, had an interesting item on Gainesville, Ga., running back T.J. Pitts, who was at Virginia last weekend for the Cavaliers’ game with Maryland.

At North Hall High School, Pitts plays for head coach Bob Christmas, who coached former UVa star and current assistant Anthony Poindexter at Jefferson Forest outside Lynchburg. Christmas told Horne that Pitts’ offer was contingent on him spending a year at Hargrave.

Christmas said Pitts is in a position to qualify academically and that at least one other school, Mississippi State, is ready to take him this year. Pitts (5-10, 195) is close enough academically that he is not a lock to qualify.

FROM WHAT HE HAS TOLD Jamie Oakes with the wagononline.com, Hampton High School wide receiver Todd Nolen could commit to Virginia while he is in Charlottesville for the Cavaliers’ game with Miami.

Virginia’s next commitment will be its 25th, although the Cavaliers are still involved with Nolen, big-time running backs Toney Baker and Mikell Simpson, and linebacker Brian Cushing. Baker and Simpson will be in Charlottesville this weekend, Baker for the second week in a row.

Tight and bright at Virginia
Once thought of as a sixth lineman, the tight end has become a legitimate passing threat - for some.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published November 12, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Tom Santi signed with Virginia nine months ago knowing the program already had three tight ends, including one with All-America talent. He knew he'd go into preseason drills fourth on the depth chart.

But considering the program he was joining, he didn't care. If Cavaliers coach Al Groh has made one thing clear about his offensive philosophy, it's that the tight end is important. Heath Miller has become one of the nation's best with 129 catches and 19 touchdowns in 35 games. Groh likes to use formations with two tight ends, and he likes to shuffle them in and out.

So, although Santi had several recruiting options, and most of them didn't present such a logjam at his position, he knew an offense like Virginia's could never have too many tight ends.

"That's what I was thinking as I watched them," Santi said. "That was a pretty effective thing, to see a lot of tight ends being able to play at the same time and do a lot of different things."

Some teams use the tight end like the tackle he lines up beside. The only difference might be that his jersey number is in the 80s, and he technically is an eligible receiver. But to others, getting the right mix of skills at that position can give your offense flexibility.

Groh saw it work well during his days in the NFL. As an assistant to Bill Parcells, he was around two of the best: Mark Bavaro of the New York Giants and Ben Coates of the New England Patriots. As a defensive coach, he saw how guys like Jay Novacek of Dallas and Keith Jackson of Philadelphia could lengthen your game plan.

In 2001, Groh's first season at Virginia, senior Chris Luzar had 33 catches. That was the most by a Cavaliers tight end in 12 years. Miller had 33 the following season as a freshman and 70 - an ACC record for a tight end - as a sophomore in '03.

"Options, flexibility, versatility - a lot of that springs from that position," Groh said. "Whether those guys can play multiple spots or whether they can go out wide or go in motion (out of) the backfield, if they have the skills they're your multi-purposed players."

Not everybody thinks that way. Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest have a combined 44 receptions from their tight ends. That equals the catches made by Virginia's four tight ends: Miller, Santi, Patrick Estes and Jonathan Stupar.

Other programs are evolving. Virginia Tech had 16 catches from its tight ends last season. The Hokies matched that by the midpoint of this season. Starter Jeff King and backup Jared Mazzetta have combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns.

In recent years, few have done it better than Miami, Virginia's opponent Saturday in Scott Stadium. From 1997-2003, the Hurricanes have had Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow. Each was an All-American and among the first 14 players picked in the NFL draft.

"Sometimes you have different body-type tight ends," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "Sometimes one is more like a wide receiver like Kellen Winslow, and sometimes they're more like a blocker like Bubba Franks. When you have guys like that, sometimes you have real advantages. Sometimes you can get mismatches blocking-wise but also some mismatches passing-wise.

"When we brought in Jeremy Shockey, he somewhat revolutionized the position because he was a wide receiver in a tight end's body. He's 255 pounds and runs a 4.5 (-second 40). When you put that type of player on a linebacker, you've for sure got mismatches. There's so many flexible things you can do rather than just line him up outside your offensive tackle."

Flexibility is what makes Virginia's bunch tough to handle. Miller has the size (6-feet-5, 255) to take on defensive ends and linebackers on running plays, as well as the speed and leaping ability to make athletic catches against defensive backs. His backup, Estes, is so large (6-7, 280) that some NFL scouts envision him as a lineman.

Santi goes 6-5, 225 and is the fastest of the group. With Jason Snelling still out with a sprained ankle, Santi is starting at fullback but essentially plays an H-back position.

Freshman Stupar is 6-3, 250 and, like Miller, was a pretty good basketball player in high school. So with a mix of skills, Groh often uses Estes and Miller together with Santi at fullback. That's three tight ends among the five receivers.

"The tight end can definitely be a good weapon," Miller said. "It just depends on what direction you want your offense to go in. In this offense, you're put into a number of circumstances where you're given the opportunity to catch the ball or make some blocks. That can be out of the backfield, going in motion, or blocking on the line."

All of which gives defenses more to worry about.

"They're always creating situations where you always have to worry about being outflanked," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said of the Cavs' offense. "I think the coaches have a good understanding of how to do that. Because their tight ends are also good pass receivers as much as good blockers, it gives you that double dimension that you can't just play the run. It puts you in some binds on defense."

Like Southern California was known as Tailback U. and Brigham Young became a haven for quarterbacks, Virginia is carving a reputation as the place for tight ends to go. Among the 23 commitments in its current recruiting class, at least two - John Phillips of Hot Springs and Alex Field of Ashburn - are projected as tight ends.

And despite the crowd, they keep coming.

"Tight end is always going to be a prominent position on this team," Groh said. "The scales might swing a little bit from one thing to another, but they're always going to remain significant, very versatile players for us."

Running scared at UM?
UM's once-vaunted defense was run over in two straight ACC losses. Now comes Virginia and its 254.7-yard rushing game.
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
sdegnan@herald.com

Lately, the Hurricanes seem sort of run down.

And run over.

And run around.

What used to be Miami's strength -- fearsome linemen and linebackers -- has become its Achilles' heel, the target of tailbacks who figure if other guys can run for triple figures, they can, too.

On Saturday in Charlottesville, No. 18 UM (6-2, 3-2 ACC) will meet its newest ground-game adversaries, the 10th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (7-1, 4-1), who plan to use their power-rushing attack to sprint toward the Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Led by tailbacks Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman, Virginia has the nation's sixth-strongest running game. Together, Lundy and Pearman generate an average of 169.2 yards of the Cavaliers' 254.7 rushing yards per game.

''This is the biggest game I've ever played in my life,'' Pearman, a senior, said of the Cavaliers' home finale. 'This is the culmination of a lot of our guys' dreams.''

After consecutive losses at North Carolina and then at home against Clemson, the Hurricanes just hope their own dreams don't disintegrate into nightmares. In both losses, Miami's defense got hammered by relatively unknown runners -- Reggie Merriweather for Clemson and Chad Scott for North Carolina -- who became instant stars.

GOODEN OUT?

And to make matters more worrisome for the Hurricanes, UM coach Larry Coker confirmed Thursday that weak-side linebacker Tavares Gooden, who has started all eight games, has a shoulder injury and true freshman Romeo Davis might get his first career start for Gooden. Davis has no tackles in six games.

''It's a game-time decision, but we're looking for Tavares to start,'' Coker said. ``Our linebacker position is not a revolving door, but we need the guys to be interchangeable.''

The injury-riddled Hurricanes already planned to play redshirt freshman Jon Beason on the strong side and Roger McIntosh, the former strong-side starter until recently, in the middle.

Bryan Pata and Thomas Carroll again will start at defensive end, with usual end Baraka Atkins making his second start this season at tackle opposite Orien Harris. They will go against one of the finest offensive lines in the nation, led by Lombardi Award semifinalist Elton Brown at guard and senior center Zac Yarbrough.

Virginia's O-line has allowed a league-low 10 sacks.

''Is it going to be a factor?'' Coker was asked of the Cavaliers' O-line dominance. ''Yeah, it'll be the game,'' he said. ``We've got to do a good job of . . . I'm not going to say stopping their run, but at least keeping it under control and putting them in some longer-yardage situations.''

LEARNING FROM FSU

Said UM defensive end Javon Nanton: ``Those two running backs basically run the ball every first and second down. And they've run the ball well against almost everybody.''

Everybody except the Seminoles. Virginia has rushed for at least 225 yards in seven of eight games this season. Against FSU, it got 20.

''A couple of guys might have lost their focus, got caught up in the hype of the top 10, things like that,'' Brown told The Associated Press about their 36-3 loss to FSU. ``It kind of brought a lot of guys back to reality, let people know that you still have to work.''

Lundy, a junior, had 32 yards against FSU. But he ran for 104 and three touchdowns at Temple, 142 and three touchdowns against Akron and 107 and two touchdowns against Maryland.

Pearman had 12 yards against FSU. But he had 104 and two touchdowns against Clemson, 223 and two touchdowns at Duke, and 170 against Maryland.

''We're a team,'' Pearman said of Virginia coach Al Groh's penchant for putting in Lundy to score touchdowns after Pearman does much of the grinding along the way. ``We have a lot of unselfish guys on this team.''

UM's Beason will make his first start Saturday because other weeks when he would have started, the Hurricanes opened with a nickel package. He said tackling will be crucial, and helping each other do so even more.

''Everybody has to run to the ball this week,'' Beason said. ``If a guy misses a tackle, there has to be somebody right there to cover.

``Virginia is a good football team. It's crunch time.''

Rolle to play but not start
BY PETE PELEGRIN
ppelegrin@herald.com

University of Miami cornerback Antrel Rolle, who has an injured big toe, practiced Thursday for the first time this week.

Coach Larry Coker said Rolle will play Saturday at Virginia, but he's limited and will not start. Devin Hester will start in his place, and free safety Anthony Reddick will start again for Brandon Meriweather, who has a shoulder injury.

Tight end Greg Olsen, who sat out last week because of his broken left wrist, still is wearing a padded cast but definitely will play Saturday, Coker said.

This week's starting receivers will be Lance Leggett and Roscoe Parrish.

WINSTON SPEAKS

UM left tackle Eric Winston spoke to reporters Thursday, exactly five weeks after reconstructive knee surgery. Thursday also marked the first day Winston rode a stationary bicycle as part of his rehabilitation.

Winston, a 6-7 junior, has gone from 310 to 290 pounds and reaffirmed that he intends to return to UM next season. He said he would only reconsider if he were projected to go extremely high in the draft.

''I've only really had a full sophomore season [at tackle],'' he said. ``I couldn't imagine some team up there that far wanting to take me.''

Of UM's two-game losing streak, Winston said: ``Not being able to help the guys hurt more [than the injury].''

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
Brown's strongest support comes from his mother
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 12, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE Coach Al Groh calls them "Elton moments," and everybody in the University of Virginia football program has their favorite.

For senior center Zac Yarbrough, who lines up on Elton Brown's immediate left, his came in U.Va.'s win over Maryland at Scott Stadium in 2002.

Virginia tailback Wali Lundy caught a short pass around the Terrapins' 20-yard line. Between Lundy and the goal line waited two defenders. Brown wiped out both, and Lundy loped untouched into the end zone.

"He just splattered the kids," Yarbrough said Monday, shaking his head in amazement.

Another "Elton moment" will occur tomorrow afternoon at Scott Stadium, and it's one about which the 6-6, 338-pound senior has mixed emotions. In what will be Brown's final home game, 10th-ranked Virginia (4-1, 7-1) plays host to the No. 18 Miami Hurricanes (3-2, 6-2).

Brown and the team's other seniors will be recognized, along with their parents, before the game.

"The last time I get to play at this stadium. . . . I try not to think about it," said Brown, a good-natured giant off the field who dresses up as Santa Claus for the team's Christmas parties.

He's an emotional person, and Brown worries that a flood of sentiment will overwhelm him tomorrow.

"I told my mom she's going to have to walk out by herself," he said with a smile.

Not a chance. The bond between Robin Brown-Miller and her son is exceptionally strong - Brown writes I LOVE YOU MOM on one of his wristbands before every game - and you can count on seeing them side by side during tomorrow's ceremony.

"It's going to be very emotional," Brown-Miller said. "We'll get through it together. I know he loves Virginia, he loves the players, he loves the guys. They're not just a team, they're like a family, and I like that."

Bruce Feldman, who writes for ESPN The Magazine, suggested recently that Brown should be named the ACC's offensive player of the year. Guards aren't usually candidates for such awards, but Brown is no average guard.

"He really has the total package," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "He's big and strong and athletic and can run."

Brown, who's started 35 games for Virginia, may be the nation's finest at his position, and he'll almost certainly be an early-round pick in the next NFL draft. He's been a cornerstone of Groh's rebuilding project at Virginia.

"Elton is a guy who really understands what this operation is all about: what we're doing, how we're trying to do it," Groh said.

A Hampton High graduate, Brown enrolled at U.Va. in 2001, Groh's first season as coach at his alma mater. Brown started the Cavaliers' final four games at right guard that year and has steadily raised his profile since then. A season ago, ACC defensive coordinators selected Brown as the conference's top blocker.

"I have a lot to be thankful for after my past, the things I've been through," said Brown, who's on track to graduate with a degree in anthropology in the spring. "It could have turned out a lot worse. I just feel blessed to walk out on the field and be around the campus every day."

There was a time when Brown wasn't assured of playing Division I-A football. During his junior year at Newport News' Heritage High, Brown and two other football players were convicted of beating classmate Justin Reid, whose jaw was broken at a party on Dec. 26, 1999. In May 2000, Brown was judged delinquent in juvenile court on charges of malicious wounding, which would have been a felony had he been older than 17. Two months later, his sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation.

Brown denied involvement in the incident, but Newport News officials ruled that he couldn't play football for a school there. Brown-Miller tirelessly battled school administrators and prosecutors on Brown's behalf, and her efforts only increased his devotion to her.

"When I did get into the unfortunate incident, it was sort of like everybody had turned their back on me," Brown recalled. "And all I had was my family and the people who were close to me. I had to learn on her heavily, and she supported me. There were times when it got kind of hard for her, but she never let me see her get down."

Brown-Miller ultimately moved her family to nearby Hampton. School officials there, however, placed Brown in an alternative-education program for nine weeks, and he wasn't cleared to play football - or even practice - until the eve of the 2000 playoffs.

His senior season consisted of only two games, but Brown made a huge impression on Crabbers coach Mike Smith.

"I always thought Elton was a special person, too, as much as being a talented football player," Smith said. "I have a great deal of admiration for him. I have a great deal of admiration for his mother, also. She fought for her son."

After Brown got to Hampton High, U.Va. offered him a scholarship, which he accepted. But when George Welsh retired as the Cavaliers' coach in December 2000, Brown withdrew his commitment. One of Groh's first trips after taking over at U.Va. was to Hampton, where he met with Brown.

Among other things, they discussed the legal issues that had nearly ended Brown's high school career.

Groh said Brown's "answers seemed to be very heartfelt and very genuine about his circumstances. You could tell there was an integrity about Elton and about his behavior and about himself as a person. That was good enough for me."

Pearman's Contributions Are No Small Measure
Versatility Is Key for Cavaliers' Running Back
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 12, 2004; Page D01

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia Coach Al Groh says there's a difference between small football players and short ones. Senior tailback Alvin Pearman is short, but his contributions to the Cavaliers have been anything but small this season.

"He's really put together," Groh said. "There are players that are small, and then there are players that are just short. He's a shorter player, but he's not a small player."

"Alvin [Pearman, 21] . . . has been the ultimate team player," Cavaliers Coach Al Groh says of his senior tailback.

Pearman, 5 feet 9 and 204 pounds, has proved his toughness, mentally and physically, this season. He leads the ACC in all-purpose yards and is No. 10 Virginia's second-leading rusher entering Saturday's game against No. 18 Miami in Scott Stadium. In the past two games, Pearman has run 69 times for 393 yards and one touchdown.

"It's all muscle; it's all power," Groh said. "Some guys can just take it. There are bigger players that are always hurt. Part of it is just Mother Nature."

Pearman, from Charlotte, has done more than just run the football this season. In the opener against Temple, he returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. Against North Carolina the following week, Pearman returned a kickoff 93 yards to the Tar Heels 1-yard line and ran for a touchdown on the next play.

In the Cavaliers' 31-10 win over Syracuse on Sept. 25, Pearman started the game at wide receiver because of injuries to Virginia's other wideouts. In the Cavs' next game, a 30-10 win over Clemson, Pearman returned to tailback and ran for 112 yards in the second half.

"Who's had a more dynamic season or been more important to his team than Alvin Pearman?" Groh said. "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 then came back and rushed for whatever it is, 400 yards, in two consecutive conference games?

"That's pretty good football."

And Pearman has done it all while sharing playing time with junior Wali Lundy. During a three-game stretch earlier in the season, Pearman ran the ball only 27 times (and didn't run at all against Syracuse), while Lundy ran 58 times and scored nine touchdowns. But in the past three games, Pearman has emerged as the Cavaliers' primary back, running a career-high 38 times for 223 yards in a 37-16 win at Duke on Oct. 23 and 31 times for 170 yards in last week's 16-0 victory over Maryland.

"That's what we do," Pearman said. "We run the football."

Having two tailbacks -- Lundy has run 141 times for 705 yards and 14 touchdowns; Pearman 120 times for 649 yards and six touchdowns -- has helped keep them fresh, Groh said.

"It certainly enables each player to remain a lot fresher during the course of the season," Groh said. "Not just in terms of the game reps that a player takes, but, obviously, if they're going to share the reps during the game, then they're going to share them in practice, too. So every day there's less accumulated wear on the tailback when they're sharing the position."

Third-ranked Auburn has used the same approach with seniors Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and Ronnie Brown. Florida State uses the one-two punch of Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker; Minnesota has Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III; and Georgia uses freshmen Thomas Brown and Danny Ware much the same way.

"You can't hardly play a season with just one tailback," Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said. "You have to be very lucky if you just have one tailback. I think everyone I see is trying to play more than one."

Few Virginia running backs have been as productive as Pearman during their careers. He ranks 16th in school history with 2,006 rushing yards and is one of only three players -- Frank Quayle and Terry Kirby are the others -- to have 1,000 yards or more rushing and receiving during their careers.

"Alvin is a player who, as he has shown to everybody, has great personal ambition," Groh said. "He really wants to achieve. He has a lot of goals he wants to do. Yet, with that, he has been the ultimate team player."

Cavaliers Notes: Virginia sophomore Ahmad Brooks (C.D. Hylton) yesterday was named one of three finalists for the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top linebacker. Seniors Matt Grootegoed of Southern California and Derrick Johnson of Texas are the other finalists. The winner will be announced Dec. 10 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. Brooks, the son of former Washington Redskins defensive tackle Perry Brooks, leads the Cavaliers with 62 tackles and is tied for the team lead with 5 1/2 sacks and two interceptions. . . .

Miami all-American cornerback Antrell Rolle hasn't practiced this week because of a toe injury and is wearing a protective boot on his right leg. He is questionable to play in Saturday's game. He would be replaced by Devin Hester, who started at tailback in last week's 24-17 loss to Clemson. . . . The Palm Beach Post reported Thursday that redshirt freshman Jon Beason and true freshman Romeo Davis will make their first career starts at linebacker Saturday.
 

Cavaliers look to prove their worth
Yet to beat a team with winning record, Virginia faces Miami in game with major ACC title implications
Barney Breen-portnoy, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

This is the game that Cavalier fans have had circled on their schedules for months. Many imagined that this late-season contest against the perennial BCS powerhouse Miami Hurricanes could have major implications for Virginia's post-season hopes. And now, with the No. 10 Cavaliers (7-1, 4-1 ACC) controlling their own destiny in the ACC, this game has all that imagined importance and more.

Virginia will face a No. 18 Miami (6-2, 3-2 ACC) squad that is reeling from two straight losses to North Carolina and Clemson, both programs that are middling at best. After years of suffering under Miami dominance, opposing ACC teams are starting to make the Hurricanes look mortal. Like Paris' arrow that sliced into Achilles' heel, North Carolina kicker Connor Barth's field goal as time expired two weeks ago shattered the myth of a mighty warrior.

Miami's struggles have put Virginia in the driver's seat in the ACC. Despite Miami's apparent weaknesses, the Cavaliers are not taking this game lightly.

"It would be real foolish to do that," Virginia tight end Heath Miller said. "Playing an ACC game, you can't take anyone lightly, especially if it's one of the Florida schools."

One constant factor found on all the Florida football teams is speed. Senior safety Jermaine Hardy said Virginia's experiences this year have prepared the Cavaliers to nullify Miami's speed advantage.

"Playing against a team like Florida State helped us to become aware of how fast the game is going to be and how to take things this Saturday," he said.

Miami may be rethinking the wisdom of its shift from the Big East conference to the ACC before the 2004 season. Teams like Clemson and North Carolina pose more of a challenge than Big East doormats like Rutgers and Temple. However, Miller still has great respect for the Miami program.

"They're a very good championship team," he said of the Hurricanes. "They come from championship tradition so we have got our hands full. We're going to have to prepare well and come ready to play on Saturday."

A victory over Miami would be another step toward proving that Virginia's blowout loss to Florida State was a fluke. The Cavaliers have won two straight since that loss, including a shutout over a Maryland team that defeated Florida State the week before.

"After the Florida State loss, we regrouped as a team," Hardy said. "We wanted to become more relentless and more ruthless than any other team we played."

If Virginia beats Miami, and then wins the last two games of the season on the road at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, Virginia will win the ACC championship and play in a BCS bowl game. However, the Cavaliers are focused on taking the season week-by-week and letting the results speak for themselves.

"We know how important it is," Hardy said of the Miami game. "We know how we got to go about this week and carry it out on Saturday."

Despite their top-10 ranking, Virginia has failed to win a game against a team with a winning record this season. With a victory over Miami, the Cavaliers would legitimize their status as a national football power.