Cavs may be Independence bound
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 30, 2004

In a strange twist of events, the Big East Conference appears ready to do a favor for the Atlantic Coast Conference by agreeing to send a team to the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho, allowing Virginia the opportunity to play in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, La.

Officials from the ACC, Big East and the MPC Computers Bowl were negotiating late Monday night to work out a deal where Boston College, Connecticut or Syracuse would agree to play in Boise.

Gary Beck, executive director of the MPC Computers Bowl, said the negotiations are ongoing and he expects something to be determined today or Wednesday.

The biggest sticking point for Beck looms around the decision made from executives at the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.

"We are kind of waiting to see what happens there," Beck said.

The Charlotte Observer reported that the Continental Tire Bowl would make a selection today between Boston College (8-3) and Connecticut (7-4), as to who would play North Carolina (6-5) on Dec. 30.

That would start the domino effect.

The Motor City Bowl in Detroit would then pick from the remaining bowl-eligible teams in the Big East, leaving Beck and the MPC Computers bowl to try and work out a deal with the remaining Big East program, who they hope is either Boston College or Syracuse (6-5).

"There could possibly be a deal to bring a Big East team out to Boise and release the ACC to the Independence Bowl," Beck said.

As of late Monday night, Beck said that his bowl has not released Georgia Tech (6-5) or Virginia (8-3) and they would not unless an acceptable replacement was in place.

"We need to secure the ACC side of it before we would release anybody," Beck said.

Beck actually remained confident Monday that something could be worked out with Virginia, allowing the Cavaliers to come to Boise and play Fresno State (8-3), the likely at-large selection by Beck and the bowls' committee.

Beck said he was aware of Virginia's final exam schedule, which kept the Cavaliers from being able to accept a bid to the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 21.

"We would love to have Virginia here," Beck said. "Our bowl game is pretty early, too. Exams are over December 21st and they have to be here the 23rd, in preparation of some other things."

Beck said officials from the ACC office indicated that if a deal cannot be worked out for Virginia's release, the Cavaliers would play in Boise.

"I was reassured by the ACC office that if that's where they end up, then they are happy to come and they will come in force and have a good time," Beck said. "We are trying to work together with the ACC to figure something out that makes sense for both of us."

Independence Bowl Executive Director Glen Krupica said that his bowl would welcome Virginia, if the Cavaliers were released, although he said it was premature as this point.

"I think there are still a lot of things that have to happen for this thing to happen," Krupica said Monday night. "There is cooperation between two or three leagues, two or three bowls ? there is still some things that need to be done, I would think, for this to happen."

It has been 10 years since Virginia beat Texas Christian 20-10 in the Independence Bowl. If UVa was to return, they would likely play Big 12 foe Oklahoma State (7-4) on Dec. 28 at 5:30 p.m.

"That would be a homerun of a match-up," Krupica said. "You have got an Oklahoma State team that has been ranked throughout the year and you would have an 18th-ranked Virginia team and the only teams they have lost to are other ranked teams. [Virginia] is a team that is truly on its way up and is in a great league. I think it would be a unique match-up and I think it has the potential to be one of the better match-ups in the bowl business this year."

The Independence Bowl has a contract with the Southeastern Conference, but the league did not have enough bowl-eligible teams after South Carolina's withdrawal from the bowl selection process and Arkansas' loss to LSU this past weekend. South Carolina was 6-5 and Arkansas finished at 5-6.

Krupica said he is looking at other options, which likely include Bowling Green (8-3), Northern Illinois (8-3) and Troy (formerly Troy State), in case things do not pan out with UVa.

"It might not work out. We have got to remember that," Krupica said. "The reports that came out are pretty premature. Yeah, there was some dots connected, but boy there are some decisions that go along with those dots."

To say the least, things have been quite hectic for Krupica and that is the way it will remain until his bowl makes any kind of announcement.

"This has been one of the crazier years," Krupica said. "You know there is always the chance you might now have a qualifier, and then you have enough qualifiers, and then two days after the regular season you don't have enough qualifiers. It is all crazy."

The Independence Bowl had a contract that required the bowl to make a $1.2 million payment to an SEC team if they played in the bowl. They will not be required to pay that much to a non-SEC team, although it is likely that Virginia would draw the full share.

Cavaliers crack the AP top 25
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
November 30, 2004

Virginia was ranked No. 24 in the AP men’s basketball poll released Monday, giving the ACC a record-tying seven teams in the top 25.

The Cavaliers (4-0), who defeated Richmond on Sunday and Appalachian State last Wednesday, are ranked for the first time in two years.

The Cavaliers were ranked No. 22 in the AP poll on Dec. 2, 2002, but lost their immediate next game and hadn’t returned to the rankings until Monday.

The other ranked ACC teams include No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 10 Duke, No. 12 Maryland and No. 16 North Carolina State.

In the coaches’ poll, UVa was tabbed No. 25.

The Big Ten had seven teams ranked for one week in January 1993 and for four weeks in January 1999. The ACC did it for two weeks in December 1997.

With the Virginia football team currently ranked No. 18 in the AP poll, it marks the first time since the first week of December 1996 that both programs were ranked during the same week. Each team was tabbed No. 25.

A win over then-No. 10 Arizona on Nov. 21 followed by the two wins this past week, it was expected that Virginia likely would enter the rankings this week.

That possibility, however, was not one the Cavaliers wanted to elaborate on too much.

When asked about his team’s 4-0 start and the likelihood that it would be ranked, Virginia coach Pete Gillen harkened back to two years ago.

Virginia’s last ranking in 2002 came after a strong showing in the Maui Classic in which it reached the final after a victory over a ranked Kentucky team in the semifinals. The Cavaliers fell to Indiana in the Maui final but were ranked No. 22 the following week. In its first game with the ranking, Virginia fell to Michigan State and went on to have a 16-16 season.

“It’s too early to tell. I can’t gauge anything right now. We’ll know a lot the next few games,” said Gillen after Sunday’s 85-58 victory over Richmond. “I think we have a chance to have a good team but I can’t really say right now. Two years ago we beat Kentucky and finished 16-16.”

Virginia’s ranking will be put to test almost immediately. The Cavaliers travel to Northwestern on Wednesday for an ACC/Big 10 Challenge contest and then face Auburn in a contest at Richmond’s Siegel Center on Friday.

Virginia’s victories have all been at home and the UVa players recognize the fact that they must show they can win away from U-Hall. In addition to the Northwestern game, the Cavaliers travel to Ames, Iowa, for a meeting with Iowa State next Monday.

“It’s still early. We have to see how we handle our road games,” said Devin Smith, who had a game-high 26 points against Richmond. “We’ve handled the early tests at home but now we go on the road and we have to see how we handle those tests. We do have to protect our home court, though.”

The Virginia players opt not to talk about any rankings these days, especially those from the media. Senior center Elton Brown, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds Sunday, has frequently pointed out that the media picked Virginia to finish eighth in the ACC this season. He reiterated that again Sunday when asked about the national rankings.

“Those are some of the same people who now rank us in the poll that also said we were going to be sorry this year. They said we were going to be trash,” Brown said. “We’re not really worried about being in the top 25 because you can’t really worry about rankings.”

QB not troubling Groh
Virginia coach Al Groh says he has no thoughts of moving Marques Hagans back to another position next season.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As it prepares to replace one starting wide receiver and its punt returner, Virginia has to know that it has a player with experience in both spots.

Of course, that player is also the starting quarterback for the Cavaliers, junior Marques Hagans. Maybe it isn't a given that Hagans will be Virginia's quarterback in 2005, or is it?

"I don't have any thoughts any other way," UVa head coach Al Groh said in a teleconference Sunday. "Why? Who else would you put at quarterback?"

Hagans is the only player to attempt a pass for Virginia in the past six games. Back-ups Christian Olsen and Kevin McCabe, both All-Americans in high school, have accounted for 21 of the 253 Cavaliers' passing attempts for the season.

"The two quarterbacks who are playing in the game that determines the [ACC] championship are seniors who have had the two best years of any quarterbacks in the conference," said Groh, referring to Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall and Miami's Brock Berlin.

"Both quarterbacks early in their careers, let's say, were underappreciated by their fans. Through the process of playing, their development was such that they were the key players for their teams."

In his first full season as a starter, Hagans had the Cavaliers in contention for at least an ACC co-championship until the final game. Hagans has the highest completion percentage (63.2) in the ACC, ranks second in passing efficiency and, while he is fifth in total offense, the second through fifth places in that category are separated by 7.1 yards per game.

What is evident is that Hagans wasn't as effective or as efficient over the second half of the season, when the schedule become increasingly tougher. All five of his 200-yard passing days came in the first six weeks.

When Hagans threw for 94 yards and 111 yards in UVa's past two losses, to Miami and Virginia Tech, questions about his height (5-foot-10) became much more persistent.

"That doesn't mean he can't see the field well enough," Groh said Saturday after a 24-10 loss to the Hokies. "He is who he is. Last week, the things he was able to do, at the height that he was at, were pretty magical."

Groh was referring to Hagans' performance in a 30-10 victory at Georgia Tech, where he had 206 yards in total offense.

"There's a player who played down here [at Virginia Tech] who's not significantly taller and he's doing pretty well in Atlanta on Sundays," said Groh, referring to Michael Vick.

That conceded, Groh's impression after watching film Sunday was the same as it had been Saturday after the game.

"We had some things we had a chance on," he said, "and, for whatever reason, we didn't take a shot on them."

At the start of the season, Hagans rarely left the pocket. However, after averaging three carries in the first three games, he carried 61 times over the past eight games, including a season-high 13 attempts against the Hokies.

Three of those were sacks and a few more came as Hagans was trying to avert sacks. He seemed reluctant to stay in the pocket for any length of time.

"Not only is there a fine line to it; that's the key in being successful," Groh said.

In the final game of the 2003 season, Hagans had a 53-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Continental Tire Bowl. Against Virginia Tech, he had a 27-yard reception that was longer than any pass UVa completed to a wide receiver Saturday.

"He was very valuable in that role because of the guy who was getting him the ball," said Groh, referring to all-time Virginia passing leader Matt Schaub. "That guy was pretty good at doing that."

In Schaub's best season, UVa was 9-5 including a bowl victory. If the Cavaliers can finish with a bowl win this year, they will be 9-3.

Pearman's brother seeks switch to U.Va.
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 30, 2004

Former University of Virginia football recruit Andrew Pearman, homesick in Hawaii, has decided that his first instincts were correct. He again wants to attend U.Va., where his big brother, Alvin, is in the twilight of a brilliant career.

Andrew Pearman, who redshirted this season at the University of Hawaii, has been released from his scholarship there. The 5-9, 175-pound tailback hopes to transfer to U.Va., father Al Pearman said yesterday by phone from Charlotte, N.C., where the family lives.

"If that doesn't work, he'd have to look elsewhere," Al Pearman said, "but as family we're hoping that'll work."

Cavaliers coach Al Groh needs no introduction to Pearman. One of the fastest players in the nation, Pearman committed to Virginia in the summer of 2003, only to re-open his recruitment in January after the team's running backs coach, Kevin Ross, left to become offensive coordinator at Army.
Click here to visit ChesterfieldDodge.com.

Alvin Pearman, a senior tailback, leads the ACC in all-purpose yards and is one of Groh's favorite players at U.Va.

Groh was on the road recruiting yesterday and couldn't be reached for comment. But if all the remaining administrative hurdles can be cleared, Virginia is expected to admit the younger Pearman for the 2005-06 school year.

"I think all along we're thinking that he'll just have to sit out this semester and work out and and get a job and get himself prepared for the fall," Al Pearman said.

After sitting out next season as a transfer, Andrew Pearman would have three years of eligibility starting in 2006. Al Pearman is looking forward to having his younger son back in the Southeast.

 

Cavs' move creates problem for Champs
Because of the Orlando bowl's Dec. 21 date, Virginia is out and Georgia Tech appears in.
By Alan Schmadtke | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 30, 2004

Far removed from the Bowl Championship Series, Orlando's Champs Sports Bowl has its own controversy to sort out in the off-season.

First, though, it will secure a team to play here.

Resisting an urge to bypass an Atlantic Coast Conference team after being snubbed by Virginia, bowl organizer Florida Citrus Sports is prepared to invite Georgia Tech for its Dec. 21 game despite last week releasing the Yellow Jackets to be selected by someone else.

"We're still negotiating. We're not quite prepared to announce anything yet," FCS Executive Director Tom Mickle said Monday.

Among the details being ironed out is how badly the Peach Bowl would want Miami if the Hurricanes stumble in Saturday's winner-take-all ACC game with Virginia Tech. The loser is projected to the Peach Bowl, likely against Florida.

The details could be worked out as soon as today, the end of a testy few days among the bowl, the ACC and Virginia. A week ago, Champs Sports officials made preparations to invite the loser of the Virginia-Virginia Tech game, a move endorsed by the ACC office. FCS officials acquiesced to the ACC's wishes to speed along the selection process and got burned on Thanksgiving eve.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford last week asked FCS to release teams that no longer were being considered by the Champs Sports so other bowls lower in the ACC pecking order could set their stage. FCS released Clemson, North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

North Carolina accepted an invitation to the Continental Tire Bowl. Clemson removed itself from bowl consideration, self-punishment from an in-game brawl with in-state rival South Carolina.

Tech went untouched. Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami and Florida State remained options for the Champs Sports -- or so it was told.

Late Wednesday, Virginia informed the ACC office that it could not accept a Champs Sports bid because too many football players had fall semester final exams on Dec. 18, three days before the bowl game.

"We were told one of four teams would be available to us," Mickle said. "That's how we approached it. . . . We're certainly disappointed Virginia is not going to be here.

"At the end of the day, all this does is point out that putting on a pre-Christmas game is very difficult. We knew that already, and this just underscores that."

The Champs Sports likely will be staged before Christmas one more year, in 2005.

After this year's game, Mickle will negotiate with several conferences, including the ACC, about the makeup of the Champs Sports Bowl for the 2006 season and beyond. Virginia's decision, which took the ACC by surprise, won't help the league's case to keep the bowl in its rotation.

Tech (6-5) finished its regular season Saturday, losing to 19-13 at Georgia. The Jackets' expected opponent is Colorado if the Buffaloes (7-4) fall to No. 2 Oklahoma in this week's Big 12 Championship Game. If the Buffs upset Oklahoma an win an automatic spot in the BCS, Iowa State (7-4) becomes a possibility for Orlando.

Meanwhile on Monday, the selection committee for Orlando's New Year's Day game, the Capital One Bowl, voted to invite LSU to face Iowa if No. 3 Auburn wins Saturday's SEC Championship Game.

The Capital One is contractually mandated to take Auburn (11-0) if it loses to Tennessee (9-2) in the title game. SEC officials are still working out contingencies for LSU and Georgia should Auburn fall to the Capital One.

Iowa accepted its Capital One berth last week, and school officials were in town Monday making arrangements for the Hawkeyes' first trip to Orlando. They left with 15,000 tickets in hand, 3,000 more than they're contractually obliged to sell.

"They're optimistic," Mickle said.

Brown's season is up for grabs
U.Va. senior center balances rebounding with scoring punch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Nov 30, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Elton Brown's priorities have changed. When box scores are distributed to players after University of Virginia basketball games, the 6-9, 255-pound senior from Newport News no longer looks first at a certain column. Forget points.

"Rebounds," Brown said.

In his first 92 games at U.Va., Brown grabbed 10 or more rebounds only five times. He averaged 6.3 boards as a junior, which was respectable, but the Cavaliers needed more from their starting center.

They're getting it this season. Only once in four games has Brown, a cousin of U.Va. football star Elton Brown, failed to pull down at least 10 boards. That's encouraging for Virginia, which ranked last among ACC teams in rebounding last season.

"He's definitely putting a lot more rebounding effort in, and overall defensively he's doing a better job," Cavaliers coach Pete Gillen said Sunday after Brown totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Richmond at University Hall.

Brown, a Warwick High graduate, is averaging 16 points and 10.3 rebounds, both team highs.

"Any time you can [keep opponents] from getting as many second shots and get second shots yourself, it's good," Brown said. "The good teams always have a good rebounder, and I'm just trying to be that person."

Virginia (4-0) plays at Northwestern (1-3) tomorrow night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. - Jeff White

Missed opportunities cost Cavaliers share of ACC title
Joe Lemire, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
BLACKSBURG, Va.

Is there anything more frustrating in sports than watching your team lose because of squandered opportunities? Yes. Watching your team squander opportunities because of the same weaknesses that have persisted all season without sufficient adjustment.

The Cavaliers lost to rival Virginia Tech thanks to a porous secondary, uninspiring receivers and unimaginative playcalling. For the first time, Virginia matched up closely in athletic talent with Florida State, Miami and Tech but lost to all three because it can neither create nor prevent big plays.

The first quarter, however, seemed to indicate something different. Marquis Weeks took the opening kickoff 54 yards into Hokie territory, and Alvin Pearman ran 78 yards off-tackle behind Elton Brown, who somehow managed to throw two hole-opening blocks on the play. Those two plays led to zero points after Connor Hughes' field goal attempt was blocked on the first drive and Wali Lundy fumbled on the second.

Sure, Pearman made a heroic 32-yard touchdown catch on third-and-11, outleaping sure-fire pro prospect Jimmy Williams in the end zone. But otherwise, big plays proved to be far more detrimental to the Cavaliers, as Tech scored all three of its TDs on plays of more than 30 yards.

Two of those Hokie touchdowns came on deep passes misplayed by Virginia's secondary. On the first, Weeks blew his responsibilities in the cover-two defense, allowing Tech's Josh Hyman to slip behind him for an easy score. On the second touchdown, cornerback Tony Franklin had tight coverage but failed to turn around in time to defend Bryan Randall's pass. The point might be moot, though, as I'm not sure Franklin was capable of matching up with the athletic Hyman.

The Tech counterparts of the Cavaliers' DBs came into the game ranked fifth in the nation. Conversely, Virginia's wideouts collectively entered with just 55 receptions and two touchdowns. For the record, there are 43 Division-IA players who individually have at least 55 catches.

Michael McGrew, Deyon Williams, Fontel Mines and Imhotep Durham are all serviceable receivers, but none of them strike fear in a defensive coordinator. Unable to stretch the defense, Virginia's wideouts were unable to prevent Tech from packing players into the box and stuffing the run.

The lack of a vertical passing game will hurt any offensive coordinator's ability to diversify the playbook, but Virginia's Ron Prince hardly seemed willing to deviate from the Cavaliers' three primary running plays. I know we applauded that consistency earlier in the season, but that was before Marques Hagans threw for 205 combined yards against Miami and Tech. It's one thing to be able to run the ball on the road in November, as Al Groh aimed to do all season, but it's another thing altogether to be able to run in addition to passing.

In game number 11, Prince continued to treat Virginia's improved running game the way a child plays with a new toy he fears might disappear if he doesn't play with it every other second. The Cavs racked up 188 rushing yards, but 78 of them came on one play. Subtract Pearman's long run, and Virginia had just 110 yards on 45 carries -- a 2.4 yards per rush average. Meanwhile, Hagans threw the ball just 14 times.

The Cavaliers ran the ball on nearly every first and second down, often leading to third-and-six or more. Even good passing teams have trouble converting in those situations.

Even more laughable was the predictability of Prince's play calls. Excessive bootlegging was the name of the game in all obvious passing situations. Also, every time the Cavaliers lined up in a shotgun with five receivers, Prince called for Hagans to run a quarterback draw. The surprise element gets lost if the same formation always equates to the same play.

What makes this loss further inconsolable were the heavy expectations placed on this year's Virginia team. Rising to as high as number six in the country, the Cavaliers were supposed to be darkhorse national contenders, or so said Sports Illustrated.

Instead, Virginia couldn't beat any of the top three teams in its conference, and the decisions of several underclassmen to stay in school or jet to the pros could make or break next year. Regressing from the Tire Bowl to a possible bowl game in Idaho probably isn't a strong enticement to stay.