'Big E has pushed Cavs into title mix
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 13, 2004

Elton Brown has seen it all, well almost, during his four years at Virginia. The one thing missing is a championship, which remains a major step for coach Al Groh’s program as the ACC hits the home stretch.

Brown is a mountain of a man. At 6-foot-6, 338 pounds (we suspect that figure is a bit light), the Hampton product has dominated his offensive right guard position for the past three years like no other in the ACC. The 2003 winner of the league’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy (voted on by the conference’s defensive coordinators), Brown is amazingly agile for his size, often called upon to pull from his guard spot and lead block to the edge.

A moving moment

Lord pity anyone who gets in the way, particularly an undersized defensive back like the Maryland defender who found himself helplessly in Brown’s path two years ago. The Terp must have asked anyone afterward if they got the license number of the truck that planted him in the Scott Stadium turf.

“That’s my favorite Elton Brown moment,” said senior center Zac Yarbrough. “That screen where Elton blew up those two Maryland guys and just splattered the one kid.”

Asked if he had ever experienced an Elton moment, Yarbrough just laughed and said, “Nah, I don’t think I’ve ever come close to that. I’ve never seen anybody fly off me the way they do him.”

No wonder Brown wears a t-shirt under his massive shoulder pads that reads: “Get out of my way.”

Heck, he should wear that as fair warning on the outside of his jersey, maybe in flashing neon lights for those unknowing souls who might stand a better chance taking on a steamroller.

Humor and momma Robin

But there’s another side of Big E, a side most of us never get the opportunity to see. He has let a few of us inside this season, revealing the pain he felt as an overweight child when kids poked fun of his size. As a defensive mechanism, he developed a sense of humor about it and joked back to his antagonists. Lucky for them that he chose humor.

There’s only one thing in life more important to him than football and that’s his momma, Robin Brown-Miller, who has been his life-long inspiration. He kids her that she gets more air time than him in Virginia’s televised games as the TV cameras focus on Robin’s shirt that proudly boasts: “Big E’s Mom.”

She will be here today for UVa’s Senior Day as Big E and several of his senior teammates, who have helped restore the Cavaliers as a serious contender in the ACC, take the Scott Stadium field for the last time.

Elton, admittedly an emotional kind of guy, said he might have to ask Robin to walk out for senior introductions alone.

“It’s going to be a very emotional moment … it’s pure joy and my mom is going to be so happy,” Brown said. “I don’t know if I can deal with it all. I still have a game to play.”

Ah, yes, the game.

Today’s final home contest of the season against national powerhouse Miami is the reason that we hear Groh constantly preach about “one game at a time,” and that “they all count just one.”

UVa’s previous game of the century, a month ago in Tallahassee, Fla., represented a monumental landslide by the Cavaliers. They were never in it, losing by a lopsided count to Florida State.

But Groh’s team has exhibited why his truisms are so. In spite of the loss, Virginia remains tied for the ACC lead, a game up on FSU and the Hurricanes. A win over Miami today would keep the Hoos in control of their own destiny.

In order to do so, Brown and his brotherhood of offensive linemen may hold that fate in their large hands. If Virginia is to beat Miami, the Wahoos are going to have to control the line of scrimmage, pound out long, clock-eating drives that wear down the Canes’ defense and keep Brock Berlin and his quick-strike, deep-ball offense on the sidelines as long as possible.

“I try not to think about the fact this is the last time I get to play in this stadium,” Brown said.

Yarbrough, the other senior on the line, feels similarly. “It’s a very big game. This is why I came to Virginia.”

Brown has witnessed the culture change here during his playing span. As he mentioned, fans used to show up in coats and ties, now they festoon themselves in orange and blue, paint their faces and let their hair down. The expanded Scott Stadium had trouble filling up his first year here, but barring weather complications, today will likely set a new attendance record on the heels of breaking the mark last Saturday night.

Virginia’s offense has made the same advances during the last four years.

Big E remembers how it used to be, when he was gingerly broken into the lineup late in his true freshman season.

“It was totally opposite of now,” Brown said. “You’re looking in a [fellow lineman’s] eyes and you’re wondering if he’s scared, what’s going through his mind. It’s a tough predicament to be in. But once you’ve formed a brotherhood, you can’t take that away.”

Virginia has that brotherhood, that trust, that cohesiveness on its current line, a bond that formed a year or two ago. Today will test just how far this O-line has come.

He said he and his fellow linemen owe a lot of their success to Groh, offensive line coach and coordinator Ron Prince and to strength coach Evan Marcus.

“We have laid down what [Groh] has taught us on and off the field. He has made us better men and better players,” Brown said. “I’m proud to be part of this.”

Can Cavs stop the frustrated Canes?
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 13, 2004

Virginia gets a chance to get what most college football teams only dream of - redemption.
After suffering a demoralizing 36-3 loss at Florida State a month ago, the Cavaliers have a shot to make another impression today at 3:30 p.m., against Miami, the No. 18 team in the country.
Virginia (7-1, 4-1) stormed into Tallahassee, Fla., as the sixth-ranked team in the country. After a deep pass from quarterback Marques Hagans to Alvin Pearman on the first play from scrimmage, Virginia self-destructed.
Whether it was offense (20 yards rushing), or defense (36 points allowed) or special teams (missed field goal and blocked punt), the Cavaliers could not get on track.
All will be forgiven if Virginia can redeem that loss with a win over the Hurricanes in front of a sellout crowd at Scott Stadium.
“I think [playing Florida State] helped us a lot,” senior center Zac Yarbrough said. “We know more what to expect.”
Virginia safety Jermaine Hardy agreed and said playing the Seminoles should help prepare the Cavs for Miami’s speed.
“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 [today],” Hardy said.
Since the loss to the Seminoles, the Cavaliers responded with consecutive wins over Duke and Maryland.
“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.”
The resurgence started with the running game.
On Oct. 23 against Duke, UVa churned out 348 yards on the ground. Two weeks later, the Cavaliers rushed for 295 against Maryland.
“We just wanted to bounce back and show people we could run the ball,” Virginia offensive lineman Elton Brown said.
Miami enters the game as losers of two straight and in a statistical slide.
The Hurricanes opened the season by allowing just 26 points in their first four games. In that span, Miami’s defense allowed only 424 yards through the air.
Since then things have soured for the Hurricanes.
Over the last four games, Miami has allowed 124 points and 1,077 yards passing.
More importantly, Miami went from sole possession of first place into a tie for third with Florida State.
A loss today would all but eliminate Miami from contending for the ACC title and the BCS bid that comes with it.
“Virginia [is a] tremendous challenge for us,” Miami coach Larry Coker said. “We played better on defense [against Clemson] and have to continue that. Virginia, offensively they’re leading the league in about every category. They play two running backs a lot. They have a veteran offensive line, tremendous tight end.”
Coker also raved about Virginia’s defense, which ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and rushing defense.
“Defensively they’re among the top teams in the league, an outstanding group of linebackers,” Coker said. “They were selected as one of the top linebacker groups in the preseason; I don’t think they disappointed anybody. We’ve got a tremendous challenge ahead of us. Our attitude is positive. We want to be upbeat and we want to go and just play on [today].”

Rolle returns to practice. Miami’s talented cornerback Antrel Rolle returned to practice on Thursday and Coker said he expects the senior to play but not to start.
“To say he is full speed, I wouldn’t say that, but it will be interesting to see how he moves around [on Friday],” Coker said after Thursday’s practice.
Sophomore cornerback Devin Hester, who is better known for his ability to return kicks, will start in place of Rolle. It will be Hester’s second start of the season. He started against Clemson at cornerback in Miami’s nickel defense.
“Devin has had a good week,” Coker said. “He is getting better every week, but he should get better every week.”

Senior Day. Virginia will honor its senior class today before the game. One member of that class, defensive end Chris Canty, will be making his first return to Scott Stadium since suffering a season-ending injury in the fourth quarter against Syracuse on Sept. 25.
Groh said Canty planned to return to town on Thursday, and is in good spirits thanks in part to a good report he got recently on his surgically repaired knee.
“Obviously, he’s real excited because he is coming back,” Groh said. “First football game. First time back with his teammates. First time back to Virginia. It is all pretty positive right now.”

UVa blows out D-III opponent
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
November 13, 2004

Now the real games can begin.

Virginia completed its preseason schedule Friday night with a 129-75 victory over Division III Marymount University before a crowd of 2,065 at University Hall.

J.R. Reynolds and Elton Brown paced the Cavaliers with

23 points each while Brown also snared 16 rebounds. Devin Smith added 18 and Jason Clark chipped in with 15. Gary Forbes, who was a perfect 9 for 9 from the field last Friday against Lehman College, had 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting this Friday.

Freshman point Sean Singletary, who got the starting nod Friday, had eight points and 10 assists.

Marymount certainly supplied more competition than that of Lehman last week, a game Virginia won 121-29. At times, Marymount’s quick lineup was able to knife through the Virginia defense and if there was a lowlight for the Cavaliers, UVa coach Pete Gillen claimed it was the defensive intensity.

“We played well tonight, but the defense has to be better. I was unhappy with some of the penetration by them at times. We have to work on that. I thought we had better defensive intensity last week,” Gillen said.

Singletary was the only change from last week’s starting lineup that featured Brown, Smith, Clark, Reynolds and T.J. Bannister. Gillen, however, said that Friday’s exchange of Singletary for Bannister does not indicate that the starting point guard position is set.

“I think those four guys are starting and then we are still looking at the point guard situation. Both are going to play a lot and both are very good players,” Gillen said.

Playing both of them equally doesn’t seem to be too bad an option considering the duo combined for 17 assists and just four turnovers Friday.

Reynolds connected on 5 of his 8 3-point attempts Friday as he had heeded his coaches’ advice of being more aggressive offensively.

“I thought J.R. was tremendous tonight. He shot the ball well. He came in for extra practice this week and that’s no accident. When you put in that extra time, it pays off,” Gillen said.

Virginia will get their chance to play a game for real next week with season opener against Robert Morris on Friday.

Note. Sophomore forward Donte Minter, who is recovering from a dislocated kneecap, played the final four minutes of Friday’s contest and had nine points and four rebounds in that time.

Big, but not over the top
Virginia is keeping things in perspective leading up to today's game with Miami.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

Nobody has stepped forward to suggest that today's meeting between 10th-ranked Virginia and No.18 Miami is the biggest game in Cavaliers' football history.

Besides, Virginia already has had one of those in the past month.

While coach Al Groh isn't sure his players learned a lesson from an Oct.23 visit to Florida State, maybe the UVa fans did.

"I thought other people were a little hysterical about the last one," Groh said earlier this week, "but, internally, I think we understood what was going on with it.

"The psychological hocus-pocus is a little bit deeper than I can figure out. I didn't really look for any psychological reason why the [Florida State game] went the way it did. I thought the other team played a lot better, so the other team won."

Since falling to the Seminoles 36-3, Virginia (7-1, 4-1 ACC) has won two games in a row and suddenly finds itself tied with Virginia Tech atop the conference standings.

Florida State and Miami were picked 1-2 in the ACC's preseason poll and received a combined 85 of 88 first-place votes.

"I'm sure it surprises lots of other people," said Groh, whose Cavaliers were a preseason choice for third. "I really didn't have any preconceived ideas in terms of how this would be."

Miami (6-2, 3-2) can do no better than tie for the ACC championship and must win today to keep alive those chances. Florida State has finished the conference portion of its schedule at 6-2.

The Hurricanes have not lost three consecutive games since 1997 and go into today's 3:30 p.m. kickoff as 3 1/2 -point underdogs, the first time since 1999 that they have not been favored against an opponent outside the state of Florida.

Groh said he has not mentioned the Florida State game, although his players say they had not previously seen the kind of speed they saw in Tallahassee, Fla. If anything, they feel that Florida State's speed will prepare them for what the Hurricanes will bring to Scott Stadium.

Nobody is more feared for his speed than Miami sophomore Devin Hester, who started last Saturday's game against Clemson on offense, defense and special teams. Hester has scored five touchdowns - three on punt returns, one on a kickoff return and one rushing.

Groh has made it clear that the Cavaliers will do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of Hester's hands. It wouldn't be the first time a Hurricanes opponent has seen that approach.

"Teams have kicked it to the opposite return man or kicked it out of bounds and given it to us on the 35," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "Then, there have been the pooch kicks and the squib-kicks. We've pretty much seen it all. I also feel we've been susceptible to fakes because teams say, 'We can't kick it to this guy and let him run it back for a touchdown.'

"Some teams have intentionally kicked the ball short on punts, which is a huge tradeoff," Coker said. "If we can punt the ball 40 [or] 45 yards and they're punting the ball 25 yards, throughout the course of the day, that's two first downs each punt. Say they kick it out of bounds or they pooch it, you get it on the 33-, 35-, 38-, 40-yard line. That's pretty good field position."

In the only previous meeting between the teams, Miami had the crowd in its favor at the 1996 Carquest Bowl, where the Hurricanes beat UVa 31-21 at Pro Player Stadium.

Now, in its first year as an ACC member, Miami comes to Scott Stadium, where Virginia had a record crowd of 63,072 for Maryland. The Cavaliers blanked the Terrapins 16-0 for their 16th victory in 17 home games since the start of the 2002 season.

Today's game will mark the final home game for 14 UVa seniors, including co-captain Chris Canty, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound defensive tackle who was lost for the season Sept.25. Canty, who required reconstructive knee surgery, returned to Charlottesville this week for the first time since his injury.

Groh isn't sure if Canty will address his teammates, "but he's going to be with the team," Groh said. "He'll be speaking to them all day long."

Probably the most amazing thing about the University of Miami's two-game...
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
sdegnan@herald.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Probably the most amazing thing about the University of Miami's two-game slide is that the Hurricanes are still alive in the race for a Bowl Championship Series berth.

But losing is no longer an option for the Hurricanes, unless they want to spend Christmas in Boise, Idaho, or someplace similarly scintillating in the postseason world of college football.

The 18th-ranked Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2 ACC) take on the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers (7-1, 4-1) at 3:30 p.m. today, and anything less than a victory will traumatize a program already reeling from injuries and back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Clemson.

''Us-against-the-world [hype], that's not going to get it done,'' said UM coach Larry Coker, when asked how he planned to inject confidence and vigor into his mentally and physically depleted team. ``It's time to quit talking about it. We're not going to talk anybody out of anything. We're not going to give any fake hype. We know that if we win out, we have a chance to go to a BCS bowl game.

``For some fiery speech, that's behind us. Coaches, players -- let's go to work.''

Today, the workload should be extra heavy. The Cavaliers, like Clemson, smell the bleeding. ''The biggest thing we realized from [Miami's two losses] is that they're a beatable team,'' said tailback Alvin Pearman, who rushed for 223 and 170 yards the past two games vs. Duke and Maryland. ``Anytime a power loses a game, its invincibility is gone.''

RUSHING IS KEY

Pearman, a senior, is part of a two-man wrecking crew that accounts for the nation's sixth-best rushing game, averaging 254.7 yards. His sidekick, junior Wali Lundi, averages 88.1 yards to Pearman's 81.1.

''We'd like to stop the run often and early,'' UM defensive tackle Baraka Atkins said. ''Wrapping up and running your feet and driving the guy back and waiting for the rest of the 10 guys on the field to get there [is crucial],'' Atkins said. ``We have to make sure we grab cloth and bring them to the ground.''

UM also must find a way to rediscover its own running game, which collapsed after left tackle Eric Winton tore knee ligaments Oct. 2 at Georgia Tech. Except for last week's first half, when Frank Gore ran for 83 yards and two scores, UM's offensive line has been manhandled by opposing linemen.

The Cavaliers, who are ninth nationally in total defense (283 yards allowed), play with three down linemen and four linebackers.

''It's going to be a matter of getting double teams on guys because we have two more guys than they have [up front],'' UM right tackle Chris Myers said. ``They let their backers do more of the work.''

For the first time this season, the Hurricanes are underdogs, by 3 ½ points. But Virginia coach Al Groh, who repeatedly praises Miami's speed, has drilled into his players' minds that UM is not a weakling. The Hurricanes opened the season by defeating the same Florida State team that dominated the Cavaliers 36-3 on Oct. 16.

''This team probably is as close to a dynasty as we've seen in organized sports over the last 12 years,'' Groh said. ``They have created that, and that's why they've had the type of staying power they do. I would imagine their staying power would sustain itself for quite some time.''

TAKING UM LIGHTLY?

Groh insists that the Hurricanes' collective ``psyche is not easily penetrated.

``I wouldn't put the word vulnerable on this team. They've lost two games in a row on the last play of the game. We should be so lucky that when we lose two games we're in the game that long. [If not for] two plays, Miami [could] now be ranked third or fourth in the country.''

The last time UM lost three consecutive games was 1999 under Butch Davis. A victory today would alleviate the pain and send the Hurricanes in the direction to which they're accustomed.

''We're the University of Miami and we're not supposed to be losing,'' Myers said. ``It's frustrating, but you have to keep pushing on. We're putting everything into this game.''

Outcome of ACC game will determine who wins: power or speed
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© November 13, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Larry Coker fears his defense will be ground into dust.

Al Groh worries his will be left in it.

Power vs. speed.

In the simplest terms, that’s the essence of today’s matchup between No. 10 Virginia and No. 18 Miami at Scott Stadium. Virginia leads the ACC in rushing offense. Miami is ninth in rushing defense in conference games.

“The thing they really do is they can grind you up,” said Coker, the Miami coach.

Miami has the top passing offense in the ACC.

Virginia’s pass defense ranks 10th in conference games.

Groh said Miami’s receivers are fast and mobile. “They don’t stay in one spot very long,” he added.

The game could come down to which defense is able to prevent the other team from doing what it likes. At stake is first place in the conference and a shot at the Bowl Championship Series bid.

Today’s winner remains in the hunt for both. The loser is eliminated.

As if that’s not enough to play for, Virginia views the game as a shot at redemption. In their other measuring-stick game this year, they were drubbed at Florida State 36-3.

Miami is trying to avoid the embarrassment of losing three straight for the first time since 1999 .

“This team has a lot of character,” quarterback Brock Berlin said. “And we know we’re going to go out and fight.”

Whether Miami’s run defense can put up a fight is the big question. For four straight games, the Hurricanes have allowed a running back to gain at least 100 yards.

Two Virginia backs — Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy — cracked the 100-yard mark in last Saturday’s win over Maryland. The Cavaliers have rushed for at least 225 yards in seven of their eight games.

The big exception was Florida State. Virginia netted just 20 rushing yards against a quick Seminole defense. Still, the Cavaliers remained committed to the run, and bounced back with 348 yards against Duke and 295 against Maryland.

“If one game like that would make us abandon it, then we never really had faith, did we?” Groh said. “If you can lose your faith that fast, you don’t have much faith.”

Virginia’s faith has been restored the last two games, with a pair of punishing performances. The Hurricanes expect the Cavaliers to line up and run right at them today.

“We’ve got to do a great job of being aggressive and getting off the ball and tackling well once we get the opportunity,” Coker said.

Poor tackling has been the heart of Miami’s defensive problems, defensive coordinator Randy Shannon said . Injuries have also played a part.

The latest is to cornerback Antrell Rolle, probably the team’s best defensive player. Rolle suffered a turf toe injury and is not expected to play.

Attrition has also taken its toll. Four Miami defensive players were selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, two of them underclassmen.

Still, Groh winced at suggestions that Miami is vulnerable.

“They’ve lost two games in a row on the last play of the game,” he said. “We should be so lucky that when we lose two games we’re in the game that long. Within two plays, they are now ranked third or fourth in the country.”

Virginia’s main vulnerability lately has been to deep passes. Maryland completed passes of 46 and 43 yards. Duke hooked up for a 45-yard gain.

Florida State’s Wyatt Sexton completed 20 of 26 for 275 yards. Virginia has allowed an average of 229 passing yards in conference games.

Those numbers are worrisome for Virginia because Berlin has been hot , throwing for 13 touchdowns and 271 yards per game over the last five games.

“He’s had more success throwing the deep ball this season than any quarterback that we’ve played against so far,” Groh said.

How do you counter speed? With discipline, Virginia players said. That means sticking with assignments and not getting caught up chasing a whirlwind.

It’s something Virginia failed to do at Florida State. Now, the Cavaliers get a second chance.

“We took a lot from that Florida State loss,” Elton Brown said. “You adjust to the speed and quickness of the game.”

Or you’re in for a long afternoon.

Plenty of talent, shortage of rosters
Ex-Hokie target reopens recruiting
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

For all the elaborate luncheon plans that preceded last Friday’s trip to Chatham for the Hargrave-Fork Union football game, there was one glaring omission.

Rosters.

Hargrave got 133 yards from N.C. State-bound running back Andre Brown in beating Fork Union for the third time in Robert Prunty’s three-year tenure as Hargrave coach, 35-21, but I’m not really sure who was playing for Fork Union.

Prunty had told me that Thursday that he did not have a Fork Union roster and, when I called up the Fork Union web site, there was a notation that it was under construction. When I called Fork Union coach John Shuman to express Prunty’s concerns, he thought I was kidding.

“I thought you were just busting my b---- again,” Shuman told me at the game.

Nope. There were no Fork Union rosters when I got there 20 minutes before the game and there were no rosters available at game time or during the game. Matter of fact, the Hargrave rosters they were passing out at the concession stand were from a game between Hargrave’s high-school team and Roanoke Catholic.

HARGRAVE FINALLY distributed updated rosters for its team before the opening kickoff, but Fork Union’s lineup remained a mystery. It reminded me of the 2002 game between the teams, when a player in Fork Union uniform No. 1 made spectacular plays all day long, but was not listed on the roster.

Turns out, it was current Virginia Tech wide receiver Josh Hyman.

By spending some time on the Fork Union sidelines, I was able to pick up a couple names (“Hey, fella, who are you?”) I recognized some of the names, including wide receiver Derrick McPhearson, a DeMatha High School product who signed last winter with Florida, picking the Gators over Virginia Tech.

McPhearson, rated the No. 16 wide receiver in the country last year, scored Fork Union’s final touchdown on a leaping, 31-yard reception, and he clearly can go up and get the ball. He also has good straight-ahead speed, as evidenced by his kickoff-return duties, but Fork Union does not have the kind of sophisticated passing game that can best utilize his skills.

Shuman said that he spoke this week with McPhearson and his father and that the McPhearson’s are “wide open,” not surprising given the impending dismissal of Florida coach Ron Zook. There’s no word on how interested the Hokies might be, given the grants they extended last year to four wideouts, but Shuman said he might call UVa recruiting coordinator Mike London.

(With 24 players committed and another half-dozen under consideration, it’s unlikely that UVa would want to add another player to the mix, especially since the NCAA limit is 25.)

McPhearson also has a brother, Derrick, who plays at Maryland. So, don’t discount the Terrapins.

As good as McPhearson is, the first Fork Union player to catch my eye was running back Brian Payton, who, appropriately enough, wore the No. 34 made famous by another Payton, Walter.

Payton, whom I would estimate at 5-9 and 210 pounds, ran 46 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball. Although his blocking occasionally broke down or he received ill-advised pitches with tacklers bearing down on him, he finished with 16 carries for 94 yards and that didn’t include a 37-yard run that was nullified by a penalty.

I also was impressed by Jermaine Strong, a 5-10, 180-pound Fork Union defensive back who had two interceptions. Strong, from Crest High School in Shelby, N.C., said he has made an oral commitment to North Carolina. Shuman subsequently told me that the Tar Heels also have made an offer to Payton.

Shuman earlier had pitched Phillip Merling, a 6-5, 250-pound tight end who is one of three Fork Union players who signed with Clemson last year. Mirling caught a 41-yard pass from Brandon Bunn that enabled Fork Union to pull into a tie briefly at 14-14 in the second quarter.

Another player who stood out was Brandon Bryant, a 6-3, 250-pound defensive lineman who is in his second year at Fork Union. I could have sworn that Shuman had told me that Bryant was from Lexington, Ky., before he said today that Bryant was from Huntington, W.Va., (“Close enough,” said Shuman when confronted), but Division I-AA Liberty offered Bryant a scholarship on the spot.

UVA INSIDER readers may have heard that Cavalier recruit Olu Hall received scant playing time for Hargrave, although Hall, who is making the conversion from defensive end to outside linebacker was the No. 1-rated player in Virginia last year.

There were two Virginia Tech signees in the Hargrave starting lineup -- offensive guard Brandon Holland and fullback Sam Wheeler -- as well as defensive end William Wall, who committed to Tech during his senior year at Woodson High School in Washington, D.C., but never signed.

It was my impression that Wall was a tight end, but he certainly had ample size at 6-5 and 255 pounds to play on the D-line. Wheeler (6-3, 225) was a specimen, just as Prunty had described him, but fumbled the ball the only time he touched it. Wheeler’s “touch” came on a reception, and as he barreled down the sideline, he was a sight to behold.

Holland approached me after the game and talked about his adjustment from the defensive line to the offensive guard. When I tried to watch him, he seemed to be doing more than touted Virginia recruit Brandon Albert to his left, but Fork Union rarely lined up anybody directly opposite Albert.

As for Hall, at least he got to play more than West Virginia recruit Terry “T.J.” Mitchell, who, as far as I could tell, never got on the field. Left-hander Chris Allison (6-3, 195) from Wayne, N.J., started at quarterback, briefly giving way to 6-1, 180-pound Aubrey Norris from Staten Island, N.Y.

Prunty explained that Mitchell already had a scholarship offer, while Allison and Norris did not, but that left me slightly confused. If he was going with his uncommitted players, why did Brown (N.C. State) and Curtis Brinkley (Syracuse) get most of the work at tailback and former All-Group A running back Robert Barcliff hardly got a sniff?

PRUNTY WAS in Blacksburg on Friday for a game with the Virginia Tech junior varsity and, thus, was unable to address the Mitchell-Hall matter and other situations. However, he is to be commended for his choice of last week’s luncheon destination, C&E’s in Gretna, or is it Climax? They’ve raised the price of the buffet from $5.99 to $6.24, but it was worth it.

Cavs' coach takes I.Q. test
Miami return man Devin Hester is special, so the first question for today's game is how do you keep him from beating you?
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published November 13, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With all the talent on the field this afternoon at Scott Stadium, the player most likely to produce a game-changing moment just might be a sophomore who usually sees a couple dozen plays a game. He's a running back on offense but has 65 total yards. He's a backup cornerback on defense but has 11 tackles.

Yet Devin Hester is the game's most dangerous return man, which is why he's high on every opposing coach's worry list. Last week, Clemson's Tommy Bowden essentially said you'd have to be an idiot to kick to Hester. So this week, we ask Virginia coach Al Groh: Will Devin Hester get a chance to burn you?

"You mean," Groh chuckled, "do we have a stupid coach or not?"

Something like that. The teams that challenge Hester usually lose, just like pitchers who give Barry Bonds stuff to hit. The Tigers didn't, preferring squib kickoffs to the other side of the field and directing punts away from him. Hester came in averaging 35 yards per kickoff return and 29 yards per punt return. He had scored four touchdowns. But in five opportunities last week - if you could really call them opportunities - Hester managed 11 yards. Bowden was no idiot.

Hester can hurt you, and there's tangible evidence of it. Three weeks ago, with N.C. State's home crowd all juiced up for a potential upset, Hester took the opening kickoff 5 yards deep in the end zone. He not only brought it out, he took it the distance for a touchdown that gave the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead 12 seconds into the game. He scored on two punt returns totaling 143 yards against Louisiana Tech. He took a 78-yard punt return back against Louisville.

"He's proven what a dynamic player he is," Groh said. "Their firepower offensively is such that if they're able to add a kickoff or a punt return, they're probably going to have a prohibitive point total. So, that's how significant his production is. Now, if he was doing this on a team that was a moderate to low-scoring team, you certainly wouldn't want it to occur. But maybe if it did, it would be possible to withstand it."

Virginia's special-teams play has been up-and-down. For the season, the 10th-ranked Cavs (7-1, 4-1 ACC) are allowing 21.9 yards a kickoff return, with an average start of possession at the 23-yard line.

Groh would gladly take those numbers today. But in last week's 16-0 victory over Maryland, Virginia gave up a 39-yard return to Jo Jo Walker on the opening kickoff.

Asked about his team's coverage against the Terps and how it relates to Hester, Groh said, "I think it's probably unlikely that Hester will get the same opportunities, so it's probably a moot point."

Hester isn't Groh's only concern. Miami's team speed is right up there with Florida State's, and that was a team that beat the Cavaliers 36-3 four weeks ago.

Aside from Hester, there's running backs Frank Gore and Tyrone Moss, wide receivers Roscoe Parrish and Sinorice Moss, cornerbacks Antrel Rolle and safety Greg Threat.

The Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2) have lost two consecutive games and are fourth in the ACC standings.

Yet Miami can still claim at least a share of the conference title if it wins its remaining three games: Virginia, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech, the latter two at home.

"The biggest challenge is to get our confidence back," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "We have lost two games in a row that were winnable games. We have to make sure we are a confident football team and believe we can win."

For Cavs, a lesson learned
Loss to Florida State serves as a reminder about believing hype
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 13, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Four weeks after a disastrous trip to Tallahassee, Fla., Virginia gets a chance to show today against the Miami Hurricanes that its performance at Florida State was an aberration.

U.Va. entered that game ranked No. 6 nationally, one spot ahead of FSU, and was a trendy pick to knock off the reigning ACC champion. The game wasn't close. The Seminoles held Virginia to 20 yards rushing and romped 36-3.

"A couple guys might have lost their focus [before the game], got caught up in the hype, top 10, things like that," U.Va. offensive guard Elton Brown said this week. "Maybe it brought a lot of guys back to reality. It lets people you know you've still got to work. The number in front of you never wins a game."

Since that loss, Virginia has won back-to-back games in convincing fashion and now finds itself facing another perennial power from Florida. In their home finale, the 10th-ranked Cavaliers (4-1, 7-1) meet ACC newcomer Miami (3-2, 6-2) today at sold-out Scott Stadium.
Building Quality Homes

The stakes are higher for the Wahoos than when they visited FSU. With only three regular-season games left, U.Va. needs to win today to stay atop the ACC standings and remain in contention for a Bowl Champi- onship Series berth.

"It's nice to be in this position at this time of the season," said fourth-year coach Al Groh, whose team has won 16 of its past 17 games at Scott Stadium.

Miami limped into town. Coach Larry Coker has lost a staggering number of players to injuries this season, and some Hurricanes who play today, such as All-America cornerback Antrel Rolle, will be hobbled. Worse for the'Canes, they've lost two straight games - each to an unheralded opponent - to fall out of the national-title race.

"The biggest challenge is to get our confidence back," said Coker, whose record at Miami is 41-5.

The Hurricanes' next-greatest challenge will be trying to stop Virginia's running game. Since returning from FSU, the Cavaliers have rushed for 643 yards - 348 against Duke on Oct. 23 and 295 against Maryland last weekend.

"We just wanted to bounce back and show people we could run the ball," said Brown, the ACC's most dominating blocker.

The 6-6, 338-pound Brown leads a large, athletic and experienced line, and Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy rank among the ACC's elite tailbacks. Quarterback Marques Hagans is a slippery runner, too. None of which bodes well for the Hurricanes. In each of Miami's past four games, an opposing tailback has rushed for at least 109 yards, with North Carolina's Chad Scott piling up 175.

U.Va. ranks sixth nationally in rushing offense (254.7 yards per game). The'Canes can't, Coker said, allow Virginia "to control the clock and grind us out."

The Cavaliers, of course, have concerns, too, starting with Miami's speed. The Hurricanes have other assets, including a big-play quarterback in Brock Berlin, "but it's hard to get past that," Groh said.

"It really is. The speed is tremendous. It keeps on coming. There are all sorts of guys who have it. It's not just, 'This is a fast player.' There's a whole lot of them who can get up and go."

On a team stocked with swift players, Miami sophomore Devin Hester may be the most dangerous. He's returned three punts and one kickoff for touchdowns. Virginia isn't likely to kick in Hester's direction, but he can hurt an opponent in other ways. He'll start at cornerback today and has rushed five times for 40 yards and another TD this season.

The Cavs don't expect to have their No. 1 fullback, sophomore Jason Snelling, back today. He hasn't played since severely spraining an ankle Oct. 7. Snelling resumed practicing this week, but Groh indicated Wednesday that the former L.C. Bird High is doubtful for today's game.

Chris Canty won't play today either, but his presence figures to inspire the Cavaliers.

A senior defensive end from Charlotte, N.C., Canty was having an All-America-caliber year before suffering a season-ending injury Sept. 25 against Syracuse. Today's game will be the first Canty, a team captain, has attended since then. He'll be among the seniors recognized in a pregame ceremony that, even by Senior Day standards, figures to be especially emotional.

"That is going to be a good morale push," junior Kwakou Robinson, who replaced him in the starting lineup, said of Canty's return.

 

Cavs Have Chance to Measure Up
For 21 Years, Miami Has Been The One to Chase
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 13, 2004; Page D01

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- During his 14 seasons as an NFL assistant and head coach, Virginia Coach Al Groh was often involved in the evaluation of college prospects. During the offseason, Groh would travel to college campuses around the nation that had become hotbeds for football talent. Groh would spend one day at Michigan, one day at Southern California -- a few minutes at Notre Dame -- and another day at Texas.

But when it came time to evaluate the University of Miami's players, one day wasn't enough to finish the job. Groh and other NFL coaches would spend two or three days in Coral Gables, Fla., watching many of the nation's best players.

If Virginia senior Alvin Pearman runs for 100 yards against Miami today, he would become the 15th Cavalier to run for 100 yards or more in three consecutive games. Junior Wali Lundy did it against Western Michigan, Wake Forest and North Carolina last season. Former Virginia star Tiki Barber ran for 100 yards or more in each of the first eight games of the 1996 season; Thomas Jones did it in five straight during the 1999 season. Pearman's 393 rushing yards combined in the Cavaliers' 37-16 victory over Duke and 16-0 win over Maryland are the best two-game total by a Virginia player since Jones ran for 434 yards against Georgia Tech and Buffalo in November 1999.
Containing Hester

Virginia junior Kurt Smith has one duty on Virginia's football team: Kick the ball out of the end zone. That's what Smith mostly did in the Cavaliers' first five games, as nearly half (17 of 39) of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. But in the past three games, opponents have returned 12 of his 13 kickoffs. Maryland's Jo Jo Walker had a 39-yard kickoff return in last week's game. Virginia can't afford to kick it deep against Miami sophomore Devin Hester, who has returned three punts and one kickoff for touchdowns. "That is an issue," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "You know that commercial where the kids go, 'More Ovaltine, mom?' Maybe we need that at the pregame meal."
Senior Day

Virginia's seniors and their players will be recognized before today's game. Along with Pearman, the Cavaliers will lose seven other senior starters: center Zac Yarbrough, guard Elton Brown, receiver Michael McGrew, nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, linebacker Dennis Haley, and safeties Jermaine Hardy and Marquis Weeks. Also, defensive end Chris Canty, who injured his knee in the second game against Syracuse and hasn't played since, will be recognized. "Last time I get to play at this stadium," Brown said. "I try not to think about it. I told my mom she might have to walk out by herself."
Flashback to 1996

The Cavaliers have played the Hurricanes only once before, losing 31-21 in the 1996 Carquest Bowl. Miami safety Tremain Mack was the star of the game, returning a fumble 79 yards for a touchdown and an interception 42 yards for another score.

Of the 44 starters in that game, 20 were drafted by NFL teams, 11 from Virginia and nine from Miami. Some of the best players in Virginia history played in the game: quarterback Aaron Brooks, linebackers James Farrior and Jamie Sharper, tailback Barber, defensive back Ronde Barber and wide receiver Germane Crowell.

Groh, like most college football coaches, hoped to emulate the Hurricanes when he left the New York Jets to return to his alma mater four years ago. "Our goal was to someday make this a two-day stop," Groh said.

The Hurricanes' excellence -- their 218-44 record since 1983 is the best record in Division I-A -- is why Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman says of today's game, "This is the biggest opportunity in my life, and for a lot of guys on this team. Miami is one of the greatest teams to ever come to Scott Stadium. We know that."

Miami's stockpile of talent isn't what it used to be, as the No. 18-ranked Hurricanes have lost consecutive games, to North Carolina and Clemson, entering today's game against No. 10 Virginia in sold-out Scott Stadium. A record six Miami players were chosen in the first round of last spring's NFL draft, and the Hurricanes have produced 40 first-round picks since 1987.

Even though Miami has struggled to replace those players this season, the Hurricanes are still the benchmark when it comes to talent, Groh said. Earlier this week, the Virginia coach compared the five-time national champions to the New York Yankees, saying the Hurricanes are "probably as close to a dynasty as we've seen in organized sports, colleges or pros, over the last 12 years.

"It's really incredible to think that much talent could reside at one place at the same time," Groh said. "The number of first-round picks Miami has produced is really incredible."

But the Hurricanes, who beat the Cavaliers, 31-21, in the 1996 Carquest Bowl, the team's only previous meeting, are still looking up at Virginia and Virginia Tech in the ACC standings. The Cavaliers and No. 18 Hokies have a half-game lead over Florida State and one-game lead over the Hurricanes. Despite losing consecutive games to unranked opponents for the first time since 1984, Miami can still win the ACC title and the Bowl Championship Series berth that comes with it by beating the Cavaliers, Wake Forest on Nov. 20 and Virginia Tech on Dec. 4.

"Our backs are extremely against the wall," Miami Coach Larry Coker said. "We need to beat somebody good. To say we're not down and disappointed would be a gross, gross, gross understatement. But from the standpoint of being 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. We still have an opportunity for something special to happen."

Virginia also seems on the verge of something special. If the Cavaliers can beat the Hurricanes and win at Georgia Tech next week, something they haven't done since 1994, they could set up an intrastate showdown against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Nov. 27. The Hokies play Maryland on Thursday night, before hosting the Cavaliers. If both teams keep winning between now and then, the winner of the regular season finale will win the ACC.

But Virginia must first beat the Hurricanes, who haven't lost three games in a row since losing to No. 2 Penn State, East Carolina and No. 1 Florida State in September 1999. Miami has lost three consecutive games only twice in the past 24 years; the Hurricanes lost four games in a row in 1997.

"We just have to keep believing in ourselves and not lose confidence," Hurricanes quarterback Brock Berlin said. "Our backs are against the wall and we have three games left that we need to win."

Virginia also is looking for redemption against a perennial power, after performing miserably in a 36-3 loss at Florida State on Oct. 16. The Cavaliers seemed completely overwhelmed in that game and couldn't match the Seminoles' speed on offense and defense.

"I think we have to prove we're a good team," Virginia tailback Wali Lundy said. "A lot of people say we haven't beaten anybody good and we're overrated. This game can prove we can beat good teams."

Virginia senior Elton Brown said the Cavaliers, who will play Miami each season as members of the Coastal division in the newly expanded ACC, know what to expect this time around.

"We have a great team coming into Scott Stadium," Brown said. "We just have to be on top of our game. These guys are coming to win. They have a great tradition. National championships to back it up. Great team. Team speed. Athletes. Well-coached."