Cavaliers eyeing share of ACC crown
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 20, 2004

While most observers tend to focus on last week’s loss, Virginia has a lot to play for today at Georgia Tech.

The Cavaliers still have an opportunity to forge a first-place tie for the ACC Championship if they win out in road games at Tech squared: Georgia Tech, then Virginia Tech. Anything less than total focus will sabotage any notion of a share of the conference crown.

Certainly the task is a challenging one. UVa has not played particularly well at Bobby Dodd Stadium over the years and hasn’t won there since 1994. The Cavs haven’t won in Blacksburg since 1998.

“We’re definitely faced with those facts these last two weeks,” senior tailback Alvin Pearman said. “That just adds to how difficult finishing the season is going to be. But we knew it was never going to be easy and whatever it is, we’re going to be ready.”

Jackets aren’t a cupcake

Pearman acknowledges that Georgia Tech is a tough place to play and that he and his teammates anticipate a hard-fought battle.

“That’s the kind of mood we have carried into this week,” Pearman said. “Miami was a tough loss but we’re a resilient team and we have a lot of players who respond to a variety of ways of being motivated. The feeling and hurt of that game will serve as a kind of motivation for the remainder of the season. They all hurt, but we’re still in a good situation as far as our place in the league.”

With UVa, FSU and Miami sitting with two losses in the league and Virginia Tech with one, still having to face UVa and Miami, anything could still happen.

Today’s game is going to be more of a mental, emotional and psychological struggle for the Cavaliers than a physical one. Georgia Tech isn’t a superior team to Virginia, but the Yellow Jackets have positive momentum in their corner.

Tech is coming off two wins without All-ACC running back P.J. Daniels, who is listed as doubtful for today’s game due to a slow-healing bruised knee. His backup, Chris Woods, is out with a hamstring, meaning freshman Rashaun Grant is the likely starter.

Hagans needs to playmake

Whether Virginia can return to its own run dominance could prove to be the difference. The Cavs ran all over Duke and Maryland before Miami forced Virginia to go airborne, something that fell short of expectations.

It could be that quarterback Marques Hagans has to carry more of a burden than some folks hoped he would over the course of the next two weekends.

Hagans is a marvelous athlete, but is still a work in progress when it comes to the passing game. He is perhaps more effective on the run, finding open receivers after he has scrambled out of a sticky situation, or simply getting out on the edge on the bootleg and making things happen.

In the preseason, coach Al Groh talked about how he wanted Hagans to use what God gave him. That meant Hagans’ amazing mobility.

God gave that kind of stuff to Michael Vick, to Ronald Curry and to Aaron Brooks, all heroes to Hagans when he was growing up in the Hampton area. Few quarterbacks are given this gift and even some of those who possess it have chosen not to use it.

George Welsh & Company used to beg Brooks to run more with the football, to use that blessed speed and running ability to his advantage.

Unless a team specifically puts a “spy” on such a mobile quarterback, there’s no true defense set up to stop one.

Brooks used to say that he didn’t want to be labeled a running quarterback because he thought it would hurt his reputation going into the draft. Didn’t seem to bother Mr. Vick very much.

Hagans said he doesn’t carry what people label him, that he has no problem with running the football.

Over the next two Saturdays it may be necessary for Hagans to put it all on the line, run twice as much, heck, three times as much for Virginia to win football games. That’s what Vick brings to the table. He scares other teams to death with his ability to create.

That’s what God gave Marques Hagans. It’s time to use it.

History is not on No. 18 Virginia's side
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 20, 2004

ATLANTA - Virginia rolls into Bobby Dodd Stadium today, with its season hanging in the balance.

Of course, the Cavaliers have won seven games this year and are most likely bowl-bound. But a loss to Georgia Tech (6-3, 4-3) would not only eliminate Virginia (7-2, 4-2) from contention for the ACC title that coach Al Groh covets, but it could send the Cavaliers spiraling in the league’s bowl shuffle.

Add to the equation that Virginia still has to play on the road on Nov. 27 at Virginia Tech, the first-place team in the ACC, and the importance of today’s game only grows.

History is working against the Cavaliers.

Virginia has not won in Atlanta since Demetrius Allen returned a kickoff 83 yards to give the Cavaliers a win in the 1995 Peach Bowl. The Cavaliers have not beaten Georgia Tech on the road since 1994.

Groh isn’t buying into the History lesson.

When the coach was asked this week point blank why the Cavaliers have struggled on the road against Georgia Tech, Groh replied: “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the people who were there.”

Playing on the road Groh said, “should make a difference and it shouldn’t make a difference.”

Winning road games is essential now and in the future for Groh’s program if they are to stay among the elite in the new-look ACC.

“If it makes that big a difference, and we’ve talked a little bit with the team about this, if you get all jacked up and say, ‘boy, we’re going to have a great crowd here, it’s going to be hard to play here, this is a hard place to come and play,’ … then what you’re really saying is you’re going to accept being 6-5 every year.”

Like his coaching counterparts in the ACC, Groh will not accept going 6-5.

“You have to recognize the reality of the fact that [home games] can give you a boost, but you also have to learn that you have to be able to play without that.”

Virginia will look to establish its running game against Georgia Tech. With Alvin Pearman starting and Wali Lundy ready to spell the senior, the Cavaliers have a pair of skilled runners ranked among the top backs in the ACC.

Thanks to the duo and stellar play from Virginia’s offensive line, the Cavaliers are averaging 258 rushing yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.

On paper, Georgia Tech provides a good test. The Yellow Jackets’ run defense is ranked second in the ACC and 14th in the country. They have allowed an average of 107 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry.

Groh said those numbers can be credited to Georgia Tech’s scheme.

“Like most of these top run defenses, they do everything they can to crowd the point of attack,” Groh said. “They’re going to get as many people to that area as they can. It looks like a New York City subway station.”

It’s nothing new for Virginia.

“That’s been the case on many other occasions too,” Groh added. “Each team’s got their own little way in getting a lot of guys there, but they really all have the same motive in what they’re trying to do on defense.”

Offensively, Georgia Tech enters on an emotional high.

Last week against Connecticut, quarterback Reggie Ball torched the Huskies’ defense for 288 yards, a career-high for the signal caller.

When Ball has struggled, Georgia Tech has stumbled. The sophomore is 13-9 as a starter.

“Certainly, as his numbers will attest, he’s been a streaky player for Georgia Tech,” Groh said. “But, they’ve won quite a few games since Reggie got to, I think as they refer to it, ‘the flats.’ It also looks like it would have been difficult for Georgia Tech to have won as many games as they have if Reggie wasn’t there. So, he’s really been the catalyst to a lot of what they’ve been able to do.”

Ball has had some help this season.

Wideout Calvin Johnson has emerged onto the scene in a big way. The true freshman is the team’s leading receiver with 36 catches for 624 yards and six touchdowns.

When teams stop Johnson, they typically stop the Yellow Jackets. In the team’s three losses, Johnson has eight receptions for just 106 yards.

Heading home? Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman’s brother, Andrew, is apparently unhappy at the University of Hawaii. The freshman running back, who originally committed to play at UVa, told coach June Jones that he is considering heading back to the East Coast.

“He’s homesick,” Jones told the Honolulu Advertiser. “He’s been homesick for about a month and a half, two months. He has to make his own decision. Obviously, I encourage all of them to play through their difficulties.”

As a senior in high school in 2003, the younger Pearman scored 37 TDs and rushed for 2,268 yards. Pearman was injured in the preseason practice period and is redshirting this season.

Men's hoops opens with win
Trounces Robert Morris; Arizona visits on Sunday
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
November 20, 2004

The Virginia men’s basketball program opened its 100th season Friday night at University Hall at Robert Morris. When the game began, it appeared as if the Cavaliers might celebrate the occasion by scoring at least 100 points.

That didn’t happen, but the Cavaliers’ dominating start sparked them to a 48-17 halftime advantage en route to a thorough 88-55 decision over the Colonials.

Devin Smith paced four players in double digits with 16 while J.R. Reynolds, connecting on three of his four 3-point attempts, had 15. Elton Brown finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds for his sixth career double-double and Jason Clark had 10 and seven boards.

“I thought we did a good job in the first half, especially to start the game. We played very well defensively at the start. I was pleased with the overall effort,” Virginia coach Pete Gillen said.

The evening’s most anticipated moment came when the starting lineups were announced as Gillen opted to start freshman point guard Sean Singletary, who had been in competition with sophomore T.J. Bannister for the starting role.

Singletary is widely considered the most prized recruit of Gillen’s tenure and his debut has been highly anticipated since the 6-foot Philadelphia native committed to UVa in June 2003. Gillen had been cautious about expectations for Singletary but now has opted to give the lightning-quick guard the starting role.

“We consider both Sean and T.J. starters. I would say that I made the decision in the last few days. … Sean will probably continue to start,” Gillen said. “We don’t want to alternate or anything like that just to appease people.”

Singletary’s impact was instantaneous as he fed Smith for a layup off the break and then made a steal and subsequent three-point play all in the opening minute. Singletary, with more than a little help from the other starters, helped stake Virginia to a 14-0 advantage less than four minutes into the contest.

“I thought Sean did a really good job at the start of the game. We were all strong defensively at the start and Sean was out there getting steals, pushing the ball and distributing it,” Smith said.

Singletary finished the game with six points, seven assists, three steals and just two turnovers in 25 minutes.

Virginia’s defense remained stifling throughout the first half as Robert Morris found no comfort at its offensive end.

The Colonials missed their first 14 shots from the floor as Virginia built a 25-3 lead with 10:06 remaining when Bannister connected with Adrian Joseph on an alley-oop. The Colonials were finally credited with their first “basket” with 9:25 left before intermission when Clark was called for basket interference on a desperation 3-point heave by Mark Anderson as the shot clock hit zero. The Colonials did not get a “real” basket until a layup by Tony Lee with 7:18 left before halftime.

“We’ve been waiting for this time to come for a long time. We’ve all been waiting for the season to get here. We were all juiced up and came out really strong on the defensive end,” Reynolds said.

The Cavs’ offense was not that bad, either. They shot a sizzling 63.6 percent in the first half while Robert Morris shot a frigid 23.1 percent (6 of 26).

The Cavaliers were unable to maintain the same level of intensity in the second half. After pushing the advantage to as much as 58-18 on a layup by Smith with 17:28 in the game, the crispness and quickness that was used to build the lead all but disappeared.

A basket by Anderson with 7:14 left capped a 15-2 run that cut the lead to 68-43. At that point, Gillen re-inserted his starting lineup and that unit managed to rediscover their first-half ways for a stretch. A Reynolds’ trey and a Brown three-point play pushed the lead to 79-43 with 4:42 remaining and the Colonials would get no closer than 31 the rest of the way.

The second-half sluggishness had at least one obvious cause: Sunday’s looming game with No. 10 Arizona at U-Hall. Gillen, however, didn’t reach for that as an excuse. He did a lot of substituting in the second half and the continuity of that first-half start was a little lost.

“I don’t think it was Arizona. I just think we lost a little concentration. … Give Robert Morris credit because they kept competing,” Gillen said. “We were playing the younger guys in the second half and the starters were out and there was a little lull. It’s a long game and you will have your spurts. You can’t be perfect.”

Now comes the date with Arizona on Sunday. The Wildcats have already won two games this week in advancing to the semifinals of the Preseason NIT in New York.

“They are a good team. It’s an early test and we will just come in tomorrow and start preparing for it,” Smith said.

Mark Anderson led Robert Morris (1-2), which was playing its third game of the week, with 14 points.

Virginia expects Techs to be tough
Virginia concludes its regular season at Georgia Tech and at Virginia Tech.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

Rather than minimize the pressure on his football team after its second loss of the season, Virginia coach Al Groh has chosen to embrace it.

Barely had the locker-room door shut last Saturday after a 31-21 loss to Miami before Groh was telling his players and the media that the next two games presented two of the biggest challenges his program has faced.

According to Groh, that would have been the case even if Virginia had beaten Miami.

"I told the players that these are going to be two of the most difficult games to win that they've ever had," said Groh, whose Cavaliers face Georgia Tech today before traveling to Virginia Tech for their regular-season finale.

"I thought that would be the case when the schedules came out, so I didn't say it as a reaction to where we are in our season right now."

In Georgia Tech, 18th-ranked Virginia (7-2, 4-2 ACC) faces a team that has won four of its last five games and has responded well to its only loss during that span, a 34-20 setback against Virginia Tech in a game the Yellow Jackets (6-3, 4-3) led by two scores in the fourth quarter.

Virginia is seeking its third road win of the season, but the surroundings will be a little more hostile than what the Cavaliers encountered at Temple and Duke, where UVa fans made up a large portion of the crowd. In Groh's four seasons, UVa's only ACC road wins have been at Duke (twice), Wake Forest and Clemson.

"Sometimes, as a team's road record improves, people will say, 'You've learned to win on the road,'" Groh said. "No, what's happened is, you've gotten increasingly better personnel so you can win any place.

"The teams that are always at the top because they win a lot, they win every place. You could be in an international league and it wouldn't make any difference. You've got an advantage because you've got better players.

"That's how you've got to become. Otherwise, you sentence yourself to middle-of-the-road accomplishments."

Today, Virginia will be favored for the ninth time in 10 games, but, as the competition has gotten stiffer, every injury and every shortcoming has been magnified.

Junior quarterback Marques Hagans, one of the nation's most efficient passers early in the season, completed only 10 of 25 passes against the Hurricanes, when much of UVa's success came on bootlegs, where he rolled out to the side opposite the flow of the offense.

Hagans said after the game that Virginia couldn't continue to rely so heavily on bootlegs, or can it?

"That's a question that we ask ourselves," Groh said. "Sometimes, I think maybe you should allow the other team to provide that answer. Don't assume that the challenge to the other team has been solved until they prove it.

"We have the interesting circumstance this week where both teams have very similar quarterbacks and both teams utilize them in much the same way. We're wondering the same thing on defense, 'How many times are we going to defend that bootleg.'"

Like Hagans in recent weeks, Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball has been plagued by inconsistency, but he has rushed for 295 yards, with the bootleg among his favorite plays.

"I think it depends on the personnel you have," said Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey, who shares Groh's NFL background. "I think you have to have that kind of quarterback. We did some bootlegs with John Elway. We didn't do any with Troy Aikman. We did a bunch with Kordell Stewart.

"It [also] depends on how successful you can be with the running game. If you're not that successful with the running game, bootlegs don't make that big a deal."

Gailey didn't sound optimistic about the return of All-ACC running back P.J. Daniels, who has missed two games with a sprained knee, but indications out of Charlottesville were that defensive linemen Andrew Hoffman and Brennan Schmidt will be available. Hoffman suffered a concussion against Miami and Schmidt has a right shoulder that frequently comes out of socket.

"He's got a situation that isn't going to change here until after the season, as is the case with a lot of guys coming down the homestretch," Groh said. "He's going to have to manage it. We're going to have to help him manage it and get him through the games the best way we can."

Cavaliers next on Tech menu
The Hokies turn their full attention to archrival Virginia following Thursday night's rout of Maryland.
By Randy King
981-3126
The Roanoke Times

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech's 55-6 devouring of Maryland on Thursday night in Lane Stadium leaves the Hokies two jumbo steps from tasting gumbo.

The most surprising bunch in the ACC fully realizes it has a couple of biggie-sized tables to bus before it can think about how sweet another Sugar Bowl trip would be. The next item on Tech's menu is archrival Virginia next Saturday. If the Hokies can consume the Cavaliers, then they're looking at a main-entree matchup in Miami on Dec.4.

"We're only going to talk about Virginia ... nothing else," said Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose club is two wins removed from winning the ACC title and earning the league's BCS ticket to New Orleans.

"I don't want to hear about anything else. I told the guys forget about everything else and go play the best we can against Virginia. That's all that matters right now."

The Hokies' one-at-a-time game plan comes right out of cliche city, but it sure seems to be working. The Hokies have won six straight games and appear to be picking up more steam each week.

Don't believe it, just ask the Terps (4-6, 2-5), who took the worst steamrolling in coach Ralph Friedgen's four seasons at the helm. Maryland turned the ball over on its first two possessions to fall behind 14-0 four minutes into the game. It snowballed from there as three more Terps turnovers set up 17 more Tech points that helped fuel the most lopsided result of the season in the ACC.

"We made the mistakes and they did a good job of causing the mistakes," a distraught Friedgen said. "You can't make those mistakes against a really good football team and expect to be in the game."

When asked to compare the No.15 Hokies and No.18 'Hoos, who beat his club 16-0 in Charlottesville two weeks ago, Friedgen said "the fact that [the game] is here helps Tech, but I think it's going to be pretty even."

"I think Virginia is a little more athletic ... I think Tech is more powerful," he said. "Quarterbacks are pretty much the same, both of them can beat you with their legs ... the backs are pretty good. Two different types of defense - Virginia Tech is more penetrating and physical, while Virginia does a good job of two-gapping and reading."

Friedgen didn't have any such kinds words for his discombobulated crew.

"Obviously, I'm not reaching these kids," Friedgen said. "I'm not very good at this. You won't see me around here a whole long time if we do this a whole lot. They won't have to fire me. I'll quit."

That's what his team appeared to do after Tech led 28-3 one play into the second quarter. The Hokies brought the hammer early and often in dealing the Terps all kinds of pain on a day that started so painfully for the home side with the passing of Beamer's mother, Herma.

"Coach Beamer is always there for us when need him and we felt like we had to get his back tonight," said Tech linebacker James Anderson, who while returning a second-quarter interception bowled over Maryland's Jordan Steffy so hard that the freshman quarterback was knocked woozy and had to be taken to the hospital at halftime for a checkup.

"Hey," said grinning Tech linebacker Mikal Baaqee, "you can't mess around on Thursday night in here."

It was Tech's ninth consecutive victory in an ESPN Thursday night telecast. The Hokies' next date is a Saturday one, though, against a UVa club that whipped them 35-21 in Charlottesville last November.

"Virginia ... they're a team now," Baaqee said. "They've got our trophy [Commonwealth Cup], man, and we want to get that back."

Tech-UVa relationship eye-opening for Herbstreit
Next week's game "officially" a must for recruits
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Far be it from me to fan the flames of the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry, so let me leave it to ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

On the radio show he does each Friday night with Chris Fowler, Herbstreit said last week that he "never realized how much those people hate each other."

At the time, Fowler and Herbstreit were discussing the then-upcoming Virginia-Miami game, but they were also taking a look at the final weeks of the ACC race.

"When I was down in Blacksburg, I said some nice things about [Virginia coach] Al Groh and it was like I had turned my back on them," said Herbstreit, referring to the Hokies.

I can't imagine that Groh's name gets much positive response in Blacksburg, partly because of the rivalry and partly because Groh talks a lot. Literally. Not counting postgame news conferences, Groh talks to the media four times during the week; in comparison, Tech coach Frank Beamer has three media "ops" a week, up from two when he was in the Big East.

Herbstreit was in Blacksburg this past summer as the guest speaker for the Hokies' football fantasy camp and reportedly spent time palling around with Roanoke radio "personality" Greg Roberts, according to Roberts, although Herbstreit has never publicly acknowledged a connection.

While listening to Herbstreit and Fowler last week, I wish that I had turned on my tape recorder because I can't remember which of them said that the Virginia-Miami game was "huge," as much for what it meant for the UVa program as what it meant for the ACC race. I think it was Fowler who called it an opportunity for Virginia to show it was an elite program "and not just a collection of talented recruits."

It's a funny thing about UVa's "collection of talented recruits." If losses to Florida State and Miami have proved anything, it is that Virginia's talent level isn't quite at the elite level, particularly at wide receiver and defensive back. I attribute part of that to recruiting losses (wide receiver) and injuries (defensive back).

Two of the top defensive backs signed by Virginia during the Groh era, Randy Jones and Willie Davis, were hardly a factor. Jones was involved in a horrific traffic accident and never played for the Cavaliers, and Davis was never cleared after suffering a spinal injury in the second game of the 2003 season.

THERE HAS BEEN little news on the Virginia Tech recruiting front of late, but things should heat up next weekend, when the Hokies will entertain as many as 12 seniors on official visits coinciding with the Tech-UVa game. Many of the state's top juniors are expected to be on hand for Saturday's 1 p.m. kickoff.

A good player who has a chance to slip through the cracks is 6-foot-5, 225-pound Gretna outside linebacker Horace Hubbard, who said earlier this week that he continues to hear from ACC programs despite some academic issues. Hubbard, who would be happy to join quarterback and Gretna teammate Vic Hall at Virginia, said he is prepared to spend a year in prep school if that's what it takes to achieve his Division I-A dream.

AS I PREPARE for my 25th Tech UVa game in the past 26 years, I find myself running into an increasing number of people with connections to both schools. If you are one of those persons or families, may I invite you to share your story with me at doug.doughty@roanoke.com.

AFTER CHECKING into a hotel room following my mother's 80th birthday party Thursday, I caught the tail end of Herbstreit and Lee Corso from Blacksburg, where Corso thought Steve Spurrier had made a bad move by taking the South Carolina coaching job but Herbstreit thought it was an inspired decision.

I haven't spoken to my first cousin, a lifelong South Carolina fan, but I've always wondered about Spurrier's eagerness to recruit. That wasn't an issue at Florida, where he was surrounded by great talent and had a program that recruited itself, but South Carolina talent alone isn't going to turn the Gamecocks into a Southeastern Conference power.

On the other hand, Spurrier won at Duke, where he must have had some good players during an ACC co-championship season in 1989, but the ACC in 1989 wasn't the ACC of 2004, or even 1992, when Florida State joined the league.

ON THAT SUBJECT, how about the ACC of 2005, when Boston College enters the league? By pummeling West Virginia last week in Morgantown, W.Va., 38-17, the Eagles have emerged as the class of the Big East. You might have surmised that WVU was in trouble when it gave up close to 500 yards in each of back-to-back games with Rutgers and Temple.

ALTHOUGH VIRGINIA should have few problems in its basketball opener tonight against Robert Morris, all eyes will be on the introduction of the starting lineups to see if UVa coach Pete Gillen starts freshman Sean Singletary at point guard. If Gillen goes with sophomore T.J. Bannister, it might alienate fans who felt Singletary clearly showed he was the better player in the preseason.

Insiders question how seriously UVa will pursue Brian Moten, the 6-5 guard from Christian Center Academy in Cincinnati who committed to the Cavaliers in October but did not get past admissions and did not sign. While Gillen has indicated privately that UVa will monitor Moten's progress, it appears likely that the Cavaliers will end up moving in another direction.

Cavaliers' backcourt ignites rout in opener
Guards Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds help Virginia's defense create scoring opportunities.
By Becky Piedel
981-3341
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - If the pregame jitters were biting Sean Singletary on Friday, he did a good job of shaking them off before tip-off.

The freshman point guard from Philadelphia pushed the tempo from the start, leading to fast breaks and easy buckets for his teammates in Virginia's 88-55 season-opening win over Robert Morris College at University Hall. "I thought Sean played very well tonight," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "I thought he made some nice passes and played pretty good defense on their point guard."

Singletary showed off his speed early, as he led the Cavaliers on a 14-0 run to begin the game. A little over a minute in, he stole the ball from Robert Morris point guard Derek Coleman at midcourt and converted on a three-point play after being fouled. He finished with six points, seven assists and only two turnovers in 25 minutes.

The Cavaliers held Robert Morris without a field goal until 9:29 remained in the first half. Even then, baskets didn't come easily for the Colonials.

Virginia trapped Robert Morris forward Mark Anderson in the corner beyond the 3-point line with the shot clock running down. Anderson peeked out of a double team and heaved a desperation shot toward the basket as the shot clock expired. The ball appeared to fall short, but Virginia forward Jason Clark snatched the ball out of the air, hitting the rim with his arm on the way up and drawing a goaltending call.

Virginia held Robert Morris to 32 percent shooting from the field on the game.

"Our defense was good because our guards started it," Gillen said. "They really pressured the ball and contained it."

Roanoke native J.R. Reynolds joined Singletary in the Cavaliers' backcourt. The two clicked almost from the start, as Singletary pushed the ball up the court on a fast break and made a no-look pass to Reynolds on the right side for an easy layup just 2:30 into the contest.

Reynolds finished the game with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

"We've been waiting for this time to come for a long time," Reynolds said. "The whole season we were waiting for the season to get here and when it finally got here everybody was juiced up."

Devin Smith led the Cavaliers with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, and senior Elton Brown collected his fifth career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Singletary started over last year's starting point guard, sophomore T.J. Bannister. The duo split time in the first half, and at times played alongside one another. Bannister finished with two assists and committed three turnovers in 15 minutes.

"We consider both Sean Singletary and T.J. Bannister as starters," Gillen said. "They are both good players, but in the last couple of days, I decided on Sean.

"Sometimes T.J. will play more minutes, sometimes Sean. Sean will probably start Sunday, we're not going to alternate."

Spring rioter will stay on campus
With a conviction, Creegan would have been expelled
By Scott Dance
Senior staff writer

Sophomore Jimmy Creegan, who is on probation for rioting on Route 1 last spring, will not face further punishment under a University System of Maryland zero-tolerance rioting policy that, with a conviction, would have required his expulsion, a university official said yesterday.

Creegan is the first to be subjected to a policy that calls for "presumptive dismissal" of any student convicted of rioting, vandalism or arson, provided the action was related to a university-sponsored activity, including athletic events. The resolution was passed by the Board of Regents, the governing body of the system's 13 institutions, in summer 2002.

"We would have liked to test whether we could go through with this policy," university spokesman George Cathcart said, but probation does not constitute a conviction and the language of the system
policy would not allow the university to prosecute.

Creegan, a sophomore journalism major from Damascus, Md., pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Prince George's County District Court in Hyattsville in September, but the judge was sympathetic, citing Creegan's good academic standing, clean record and the riot groupthink mentality. The judge sentenced Creegan to a year of probation, including alcohol assessment classes and 60 hours of community service in College Park. Should he violate his probation, Creegan would face up to 60 days in prison. He waived his right to appeal when he pled guilty.

"We do not feel this young man has escaped without consequences," Cathcart said. "We still believe the policy was effective."

The Office of Judicial Programs handled the interpretation of the policy, Cathcart said, but officials could not be reached for comment. Cathcart did not know when exactly the office came to the decision, but he said Creegan was sent a letter informing him of the decision.

When asked about the letter by a Diamondback reporter, Creegan said he had not received one yet and was not aware of the office's judgment.

"I'm relieved and grateful, and I won't forget the lessons I've learned from all this," Creegan said after learning of the decision. "I'm going to check my mail again now," he said.

The riot occurred after the Terrapin men's basketball team won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament March 14, when students spilled on to Knox Road and Route 1 in downtown College Park. It was considered by many to be peaceful compared to past sports-related riots in College Park. Creegan was identified and charged when University Police posted photos of rioters on their website, asking the university community for information on the rioters' identities. Creegan was pictured in the middle of Route 1 throwing his shirt on a fire.

Another student, sophomore David Mulock, was identified through the photos and is facing similar charges, but has not yet had his trial.

Will setback spark U.Va. surge?
Despite loss to Miami, Cavs can share ACC title with strong finish
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 20, 2004

A year ago, the University of Virginia football team carried a two-game losing streak and a disappointing 5-5 mark into its meeting with ACC rival Georgia Tech. The outlook seemed bleak for the Cavaliers, but they beat the Yellow Jackets, knocked off Virginia Tech a week later and then closed with a win over Pittsburgh in the Continental Tire Bowl.

The victory over Georgia Tech "was a turning point in the year for us," tight end Heath Miller recalled this week. "Our season could have gone south, but we regrouped and ended on a very positive note."

As the Cavaliers enter this year's clash with the Rambling Wreck, they're looking for a similar turnaround. Given an opportunity to stay atop the ACC with a victory over Miami last weekend, U.Va. lost 31-21. The Cavs (4-2, 7-2) fell into a tie for third in the conference and plunged eight spots, to No. 18, in The Associ- ated Press poll.

"It was a very, very tough game emotionally," said senior tailback Alvin Pearman, who rushed for 106 yards against the Hurricanes. "It was a tough loss, but we're a resilient team and we've got a great coaching staff. . . . The hurt of that game is really going to serve as motivation for the rest of the season."
Building Quality Homes

The win over the Jackets that turned around Virginia's 2003 season came at Scott Stadium. Today's matchup with Georgia Tech (4-3, 6-3) is at Bobby Dodd Stadium, where the Cavaliers haven't won since 1994.

Still to come for the Wahoos is their Nov. 27 regular-season finale at 15th-ranked Virginia Tech (5-1, 8-2), where they've won only once since'94.

"I told the players that these are going to be two of the most difficult games to win that they've ever had," said Al Groh, Virginia's fourth-year coach.

As soon as the schedule was released, Groh said, he realized the closing stretch would be a challenge. He had no way of knowing, however, that both Techs would be playing so well in late November. Despite inconsistent play from sophomore quarterback Reggie Ball, the Jackets have won four of their past five games, including the past two. The Hokies, who embarrassed Maryland on Thursday night, can win the ACC title outright by beating Virginia and, in their regular-season finale, Miami.

"We're playing two good teams on the road who are also playing for substantial accomplishments," Groh said.

Virginia has plenty at stake, too. A win today would keep the Cavaliers in the race for the ACC title. U.Va. must sweep the Techs to earn a share of the conference championship.

On the eve of the Miami game, Pearman and many of U.Va.'s other seniors gathered at the team hotel and talked about what a strong finish would mean for the program.

"It's definitely something that's on our minds," Pearman said.

Virginia enters as the ACC leader in total offense and rushing offense and averages 32.1 points. Georgia Tech, whose defensive coordinator is former U.Va. player Jon Tenuta, has held four of its past five opponents to a single offensive touchdown.

"It's a very playmaking defense," Groh said.

The Cavaliers made few plays against Miami's offense, but they rank second among ACC teams at stopping the run and have allowed an average of only 15.7 points per game. It's no wonder, Jackets coach Chan Gailey said, that U.Va. is battling for the ACC title.

"If you can run the football and stop the running game, you're going to be successful," Gailey said.

U.Va.'s defense will have to contend with freshman sensation Calvin Johnson, a 6-4, 225-pound wideout, but isn't likely to face star tailback P.J. Daniels. The ACC's leading rusher in 2003, Daniels has been sidelined with a knee injury. The Jackets' probable starter at tailback is redshirt freshman Rashaun Grant, who rushed for 122 yards against N.C. State on Nov. 6 and added 77 against Connecticut last weekend.

 

Hokies are free to focus on Cavs
Beamer wanted his team's attention on Maryland game before start of rivalry week
BY MIKE HARRIS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 20, 2004
U.VA. AT VA. TECH
NEXT SATURDAY: 1 p.m., WRIC-8

BLACKSBURG - Can they say that heretofore forbidden word now?

Until late Thursday night, Virginia Tech's football players were under strict orders from coach Frank Beamer to think, speak and dream only of the University of Maryland. Nothing beyond that was important.

The 15th-ranked Hokies took care of the Terrapins with ease, sending them home with a 55-6 loss. Maryland turned the ball over five times, leading to four Tech touchdowns and one field goal.

With that out of the way, Beamer granted permission to say "Virginia."
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The Hokies' next game is a week from today against the Cavaliers at 1 p.m. at Lane Stadium.

"Only talk about Virginia, nothing else, not anything else that's opened up right now," Beamer said. "Go play the best we can against Virginia."

What's opened up right now is what actually opened up a couple of weeks ago. The Hokies, with a 5-1 record (8-2 overall) are in first place in the ACC.

Beat Virginia and then Miami - oops, sorry - the following week on the road, and Tech is the ACC champion.

Virginia is in a similar position. If the Cavaliers (4-2, 7-2) get past Georgia Tech today at 1 p.m. on the road, they'll be playing for a share of the ACC title when they meet the Hokies.

Those who said Tech's entry into the ACC this year would intensify the Hokies-Cavaliers rivalry look like they were on to something. Virginia beat Tech 35-21 last year to regain the Commonwealth Cup, ending the Hokies' four-game winning streak in the series.

"They got the trophy. We want it back. Plain and simple," Tech linebacker Mikal Baaqee said. "We're going to be ready. I'm going to enjoy this tonight, going to enjoy it tomorrow and Saturday, it's Virginia time."

Maryland lost 16-0 at Virginia two weeks ago. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said he thinks Tech-Virginia is "going to be a good football game.

"I think Virginia is a little more athletic. I think Tech is more powerful. Quarterbacks are pretty much the same, both of them can beat you with their legs. Backs are pretty good. Two different types of defense.

"Tech is more penetrating and physical, while Virginia does a good job of two-gapping and reading.

"The fact that it is here helps Tech, but I think it's going to be pretty even."

Virginia was expected to be in this position. The Cavaliers were picked third in the ACC preseason media poll. Tech was not. The Hokies were picked sixth.

The victory over Maryland was Tech's sixth straight since dropping a one-point decision to North Carolina State on Sept. 25. The Hokies have positioned themselves for the ACC championship, which is incentive enough. Avenging last year's defeat ranks pretty high on the Hokie incentive list, too.

"Honestly, that's probably the worst game I played in my life. . . . I've been looking forward to this game for a long time," Baaqee said.

But he's only been talking about it since Thursday.

NOTES: Tailback Mike Imoh, who left the Maryland game early with a strained left hamstring, is expected to play in the Virginia game. He will be re-evaluated Monday. Imoh managed 35 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns before leaving the game.

"We feel good that he'll be ready. Our one concern is we don't want to take a hamstring that could miss one game and turn it into two or three," Tech trainer Mike Goforth said yesterday.

Tech quarterback Bryan Randall threw for 137 yards against Maryland and needs 149 yards to break Don Strock's career mark of 6,009 yards.

Point driven home
Guard duo provides what U.Va. had been lacking in season-opening waltz
BY VIC DORR JR.
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 20, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE - For one evening, at least, the University of Virginia men's basketball team seemed to get the point.

Heralded freshman point guard Sean Singletary and sophomore T.J. Bannister VIRGINIA 88 R. MORRIS 55handled the point guard's position capably and at times spectacularly last night as the Cavaliers opened their season with an 88-55 dismemberment of Robert Morris, an outclassed visitor from the Northeast Conference.

Inconsistent play at point guard has been a chronic flaw for Virginia in recent seasons. But not last night. Singletary delivered six points, seven assists and three steals in 25 minutes, and he and Bannister triggered big runs at the beginning of each half with stifling tag-team defense against Robert Morris point guard Derek Coleman.

"For a long time, for my first couple of years, we didn't have a true point guard," said Cavaliers post player Elton Brown. "Now it looks like we've got two."

An opening-night snapshot: Singletary froze his defender with a shake-and-bake fake near the top of the free-throw circle, then pulled up for what appeared to be a long jump shot. But instead of shooting, he fired a pass to forward Jason Clark, who was unattended on the low block. Clark delivered an emphatic dunk.

Singletary started last night and will do so tomorrow against No.11 Arizona. Even so, Virginia coach Pete Gillen said he regards both as starters. "They're both good players. Sometimes T.J. will play more minutes, sometimes Sean will."

U.Va. responded to the presence of a creative hand - or two - on the reins by galloping out of sight before the game was 10 minutes old. The Cavaliers led 25-3 before Robert Morris (1-2) earned its first field goal on a goaltending call with 9:28 remaining in the first half. Virginia led 49-18 at the break. An aberration? Hardly. The Cavaliers began the second half with a 9-0 surge.

Said Colonials coach Mark Schmidt, whose club absorbed a 32-point whipping at Ohio State earlier this week: "We have to play these types of games early in the season, and you just try to hang in there. It's tough when you have to step up to the level that Virginia plays at. They're on a whole different level than us."

Forward Devin Smith scored 16 points and wing guard J.R. Reynolds added 15 for Virginia. Brown contributed a double-double: 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Forward Mark Anderson scored 14 points for Robert Morris, which missed its first 15 shots and 17 of its first 18. Richmond native Maurice Carter scored nine points for the Colonials.

Pro Coaches Are Finding Way Back to Campus
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 20, 2004; Page D01

ATLANTA, Nov. 19 -- The normal progression for a football coach is to go from college to the NFL, not vice versa. Legendary San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh coached at Stanford before leaving for the NFL. So did Arizona Cardinals Coach Dennis Green. Detroit Lions Coach Steve Mariucci coached at California, and New York Giants Coach Tom Coughlin had a successful career at Boston College before leaving for the pros.

But more and more, coaches are reversing the colleges-to-pros pipeline and going back to school. Ten college coaches used to lead NFL teams, including Virginia's Al Groh and Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey, whose teams will play Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Groh coached the New York Jets for one season before returning to his alma mater, and Gailey spent two seasons coaching the Dallas Cowboys before he was hired by the Yellow Jackets.

Virginia's Al Groh coached at Wake Forest, went to the NFL and then resurfaced in the college game with the Cavs 3 years ago. (John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post)

Peaches or Tangerines?

The Cavaliers, who were all but eliminated from the ACC championship race by their 31-21 loss to Miami last week, could be playing for a bid to the Peach Bowl, which will be played in Atlanta's Georgia Dome on Dec. 31. If the Hurricanes win their next two games (against Wake Forest today and Virginia Tech on Dec. 4), they'll win the ACC and will get the league's Bowl Championship Series berth. If that happens, Florida State would probably play in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, with the winner of next week's game between Virginia and Virginia Tech going to the Peach Bowl and the loser ending up in the Champs Sports (formerly Tangerine) Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 21. The Yellow Jackets also are in the mix for the Peach and Champs Sports Bowl and could help their cause by beating the Cavaliers.
Daniels Doubtful Again

Georgia Tech junior P.J. Daniels, an all-ACC selection and the league's leading rusher last season, is expected to miss his third consecutive game because of a knee injury. Daniels hasn't played since he was hurt in the Yellow Jackets' 34-20 loss to Virginia Tech on Oct. 28. The Yellow Jackets also are without backup Chris Woods, who has a hamstring injury. Redshirt freshman Rashaun Grant, from Tampa, has started the past two games, running for 195 yards in victories over North Carolina State and Connecticut.
Hoffman Should Play

Cavaliers nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, who missed most of last week's game against Miami because of a concussion, should be able to play today. The rest of Virginia's injury report: wide receiver Fontel Mines (collarbone), defensive end Brennan Schmidt (shoulder), linebacker Rich Bedesem (knee) and safety Lance Evans (ankle) are probable.
Tight Series

Virginia and Georgia Tech have split their past eight meetings, and neither team has won consecutive games since the Cavaliers won four straight from 1992 to 1995. The home team has won the last nine games in the series, and Virginia hasn't won at Georgia Tech since a 24-7 victory in 1994.
Stingy Defense

Under the direction of former Virginia defensive back Jon Tenuta, the Yellow Jackets have played especially well on defense the past five games, allowing four opponents only one offensive touchdown each. In victories over Maryland, Duke, N.C. State and Connecticut, Georgia Tech allowed an average of 195.3 total yards, and all four teams ran for fewer than 100 yards. Tenuta, a 1982 graduate of Virginia and Tech's defensive coordinator, is the highest-paid assistant in the ACC.

Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan led the Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl XXXVII after the 2002 season, and Nevada-Las Vegas Coach John Robinson, who will retire after this season, led the then-Los Angeles Rams to the playoffs six times during his nine seasons with the team. Army Coach Bobby Ross, in his first season at West Point, led the San Diego Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX after the 1994 season and later coached the Detroit Lions.

Groh, who was coach at Wake Forest from 1981 to 1986 before becoming an NFL assistant in 1987, said college football offers coaches more job security and control of their programs. Groh often quotes his former boss, longtime NFL coach Bill Parcells, who once said, "If I'm going to cook, I should be able to buy the groceries." Groh said he's the shopper and cook at Virginia, where he largely decides who the Cavaliers recruit and how they play.

"The college coach has available to him what we hear so many of the NFL coaches say they want to have," Groh said. "You're the coach, the general manager and player personnel director. Despite the fact it creates extra challenges and demands on the coach's time, I like having the control. If there's a certain kind of team you want to put on the field, it's up to you to acquire the players to do it."

Groh has brought an NFL flavor to the Cavaliers. He calls the team's preseason practices "training camp." The team's freshmen are "rookies," and recruiting is "the acquisition of talent."

Gailey, 52, was fired as the Cowboys' coach despite leading his teams to an 18-14 record and two playoff appearances. He worked as the Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator for two seasons before Georgia Tech hired him after George O'Leary left. Gailey, who has a 20-15 record in his third season at Tech, said he doesn't think the pressure to win in college is any less than in the NFL.

"I don't think there is job stability in coaching any place anymore -- college, high school or the pros," Gailey said. "We've already had two [college] coaches fired in midseason."

Callahan, who was a longtime assistant at Illinois and Wisconsin before going to the pros, knows all too well about the pressures of college football. He replaced Frank Solich, who was fired after a 9-3 season in 2003 and 58-19 record in six seasons. Nebraska is 5-5 in Callahan's first season and must beat Colorado next Friday to become eligible to play in a bowl game. The Cornhuskers -- who have lost to Texas Tech, 70-10, and Oklahoma, 30-3, this season -- have played in 35 consecutive bowl games, dating from the 1969 Sun Bowl.

"I came here because I wanted to be here, and I understood that you don't go to Nebraska for a honeymoon," Callahan said.

Callahan is one of a handful of former NFL coaches who found employment in college football. Hawaii's June Jones, Oregon State's Mike Riley and Southern California's Pete Carroll, who led the Trojans to a co-national championship last season, returned to college after less-than-successful stints as NFL coaches.

Gailey, who started his coaching career at Troy State and Samford in Alabama, said the biggest adjustment for him was learning to work with younger players, "realizing that these guys just don't have the experience in doing some of the things I'm used to guys doing," he said.

But Gailey also said he enjoys helping younger players mature into men.

"You probably have more of an impact on their lives," he said. "They're at an age where they're still looking for a lot of answers."

Groh said aside from winning and losing, the pressures on a college coach are different from those an NFL coach faces. Instead of dealing with a meddling owner, a college coach must answer to the school's president, athletic director and faculty. While an NFL coach worries about the salary cap and contract negotiations, a college coach is concerned with grade-point averages, class attendance and graduation rates.

"My wife says, and I think she's correct, that overall, it's a better living situation in the NFL because you've got more of an offseason," Groh said. "There is more of a time frame when you're home for dinner and home for the weekends. [In college,] as soon as the season is over, you're on the road [recruiting]. When you come off the road, there's spring practice. I think there's a little bit better family life in the NFL."