Virginia hopes home remains sweet vs. Jackets
The Cavaliers play a crucial game Saturday against Georgia Tech. Good thing for Virginia that the game is at Scott Stadium.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
November 8, 2005

The crowd that fills Scott Stadium on fall Saturdays is a calmer bunch than the fans that pack Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium. Sure, Virginia runs onto the field as Metallica's "Enter Sandman" blares, but the Cavaliers' bow-tied alums don't bounce the stands like the fans do in Blacksburg.

For all the hype the Hokies' home turf gets - and it sure got plenty of it last week - Virginia has a slightly better home winning percentage over the past four-plus seasons.

Heading into Saturday's 3:30 p.m. home game against Georgia Tech, the Cavs are 24-5 (.828) at Scott since coach Al Groh arrived in 2001. Meanwhile, the Hokies are 26-7 (.788) at home since 2001.

U.Va. (5-3, 2-3 ACC) is 4-0 this season at Scott, with two home games remaining, and needs one win to become eligible for a bowl. Before U.Va. counts itself as bowl-eligible, one of those wins must come against No. 24 Georgia Tech, No. 8 Virginia Tech or at No. 3 Miami - teams with a combined 21-4 record.

Saturday's game against the Yellow Jackets (6-2, 4-2) seems to be the Cavs' best chance for victory. The Hokies have a bye week to recover from Saturday's loss to Miami. And U.Va. must play the Hurricanes in Miami. Under Groh, the Cavs are 9-17 on the road, 6-13 in the ACC.

WHO ROTATES AT NOSE TACKLE NOW THAT JUNIOR RON DARDEN'S CAREER IS OVER?

Senior Kwakou Robinson and sophomore Keenan Carter.

Both played against Temple. Defensive end Brennan Schmidt is the third option. Darden rotated with Robinson and Carter before sustaining a concussion Oct. 22 at North Carolina. The severe headaches that bothered him in the past returned, ending Darden's career.

Freshman Kevin Crawford has practiced well at nose tackle this fall, Groh said. But it's unlikely the Cavs will burn Crawford's redshirt year.

WHAT ABOUT THE CAVS' OTHER INJURED PLAYERS?

Let's start with the offense. Running back Michael Johnson and tight end Jonathan Stupar didn't dress on Saturday. Both are nursing ankle injuries.

Running back Cedric Peerman left the game with a leg injury in the first quarter. Tight end Tom Santi injured his ankle and left. Wide receiver Deyon Williams hurt his shoulder and returned briefly before sitting out the second half.

On defense, right guard Marshal Ausberry dressed but didn't play. Ausberry (left ankle and knee) went through pregame warmups before Groh decided to start Ian-Yates Cunningham, who had struggled this season with a sore back. Outside linebacker Jermaine Dias was limited while returning from a hairline fracture in his right foot.

Groh will determine the players' status throughout the week. Four of them are starters: Ausberry, Santi, Stupar and Williams.

WILL ANY MORE TRUE FRESHMEN PLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON?

It depends on the situation.

Groh has played 11 of his 23 scholarship true freshmen. Though he had the chance in Saturday's 51-3 blowout of Temple, he didn't play any of the remaining 12, which preserves their four years of playing eligibility.

He's said all season that his policy with freshmen is: "When they're ready, we're ready."

It seems now that he's considering the players' redshirt years. A player loses his redshirt year when he steps onto the field.

"IF WE NEED THEM, YES, THEY WILL PLAY," GROH SAID SUNDAY. "BUT IF A GUY'S READY TO PLAY, AND THE SITUATION AT HIS POSITION IS SUCH THAT HE'S ONLY GONNA PLAY FIVE PLAYS A GAME, THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE THEM." WAS SATURDAY A BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE FOR U.VA.'S RUNNING GAME?

Sort of.

The Cavaliers rushed for 262 yards - almost 125 more than their season average. Running back Wali Lundy jump-started his season with 113 yards and four touchdowns.

Temple allowed 184.3 rushing yards per game before Saturday. So in that regard, U.Va. overachieved. The Yellow Jackets, though, rank fourth in the ACC, allowing 102.4 yards per game.

HOW CAN YOU STOP GA. TECH WIDE RECEIVER CALVIN JOHNSON?

Legally?

It's a question defensive coordinator Al Golden will ponder all week. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Johnson is just a sophomore, but he leads the ACC with 90.6 receiving yards per game. He also has five touchdowns, second most in the league.

Take notice: Ga. Tech is good
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 7, 2005

Quietly, Georgia Tech has been putting together a pretty impressive football season. The Yellow Jackets, next on Virginia’s play list, will bring a 6-2 record and a

No. 24 national ranking to Charlottesville this weekend.

Tech will actually bring more than that. The Jackets will also pack their dreams of playing in the ACC Championship game, which was kept alive when Miami knocked off Virginia Tech in a key Coastal Division game.

Controlling their fate

While coach Chan Gailey’s team will have to get some help to force a tie for the division title and a chance to play in Jacksonville, the Jackets’ fate also relies somewhat in their own hands. Tech still must face Virginia and Miami on the road before closing the season against non-conference rival Georgia.

Tech, which boasts perhaps the best offense and defense that Virginia has faced so far this season, qualified for a ninth straight bowl game with a 30-17 win over Wake Forest last weekend. The win also guaranteed the Jackets of an 11th consecutive season with a .500 or better record in the ACC, the second-longest streak in the conference behind Florida State’s 14 in a row.

But the Georgians have bigger goals.

“I don’t think if you walked in that locker room any of those guys would say, ‘Six wins, whew, the season’s done,’” Gailey said of the win. “I don’t think that’s the goal. I think there’s bigger things this team has in mind.”

While Gailey didn’t say it, Tech wide receiver Damarius Bilbo wasn’t shy.

“This upcoming three weeks is going to be crazy,” Bilbo said. “We’ve got to finish the season the way we started - 3-0.”

It’s been a while

In order to do so, the Jackets must beat Virginia in Charlottesville, something they haven’t done since 1990 when Tech won a heart-wrenching 41-38 victory over the No. 1 Cavaliers. That upset fueled a strong finish by Georgia Tech, which went on to win a share of the national title.

Beating Virginia in Scott Stadium won’t be easy. The Cavaliers have won 20 of their last 22 home games, losing only to Miami last season and to Florida State the year before.

If the Jackets survive that test, then they must travel to Miami to play a game that was postponed a couple of weeks ago due to a hurricane. Miami is ranked No. 3 in the nation after beating the Hokies.

While that wraps up Tech’s conference play, the Jackets take on No. 9 Georgia, a team it hasn’t beaten since 2000.

Gailey said that for the first time in a few weeks, he would talk to his team about the opportunities that lie ahead.

“The scenario changes every week, and you never know what’s going to happen, but I don’t get into specifics,”

Gailey said. “It doesn’t change anything as far as preparation. It’s just interest.”

Just as UVa began to put its running game back together, it will face perhaps its most stern test of the season. Georgia Tech boasts one of the top 10 run defenses in the country.

Defensive coordinator John Tenuta, the highest-paid assistant coach in the ACC, has earned his salary this season in putting together a strong, aggressive defensive package.

Tech shut down the ACC’s top rushing attack last weekend and held the league’s top rusher, Wake Forest’s Chris Barclay to only 24 yards - 100 below his per game average.

In fact, 39 of Wake’s 100 total rushing yards came on two end-around calls.

“Penetration was the key to the whole thing by our defense,” Gailey said. “We didn’t ever let Barclay get going.”

But the Jackets are a complete defense. They lead the nation and are second nationally in interceptions with 16, the most by a Tech defense since 1991. They also are plus-13 on turnovers for the season.

Offensively, Virginia coach Al Groh said this about Georgia Tech’s attack:

“After our preliminary work [Tech] appears to be the best personnel and the most versatile, scheme-wise, offense that we’ve played against.”

The Ramblin’ Wreck feature veteran quarterback Reggie Ball, running back P.J. Daniels, and perhaps the ACC’s most dangerous wide receiver in Calvin Johnson. Wake Forest boldly played man-to-man coverage against Johnson last weekend, something most teams don’t dare attempt.

While Johnson had four receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown, that nearly wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Even Johnson said he was anticipating a career game when he immediately spotted Wake’s intent to play man the entire game.

“That’s what I expected,” Johnson said of his anticipations. “But it doesn’t always turn out that way.”

Daniels bagged another 100-yard plus rushing game, the 15th of his career.

Georgia Tech’s intent is to walk out of Charlottesville with a 7-2 record and a chance to tie for the division title.

Easier said than done.

 

Cavaliers set to follow Reynolds, Singletary
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
November 7, 2005

Duke’s J.J. Redick is a straight shooter - in a couple of senses.

On the court, the senior is one of the most prolific free-throw shooters in NCAA history. Off the court, he’s known for his candor - someone not prone to hyperbole.

So, when Redick offered his take on the University of Virginia basketball team recently, it was definitely worth a listen.

“UVa has one of the best backcourts in the conference,” said Redick, referring to the Cavaliers’ Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds. “They’re going to be interesting to watch this year.”

Questions abound

Interesting on so many levels.

How will Singletary and Reynolds adapt to a new coach and a new system?

How will the pair increase their scoring load to offset what is expected to be limited production from the team’s low-post players?

How will Singletary and Reynolds, the team’s captains, perform as leaders on a team that does not feature a single senior scholarship player?

With the Cavs set to play an exhibition game on Friday night against Concordia, there seem to be more questions than answers, more reasons why fans shouldn’t expect much improvement on last year’s 14-15 train wreck that led to the ouster of coach Pete Gillen.

On paper, things aren’t pretty for first-year coach Dave Leitao.

He has only 9 scholarship players at his disposal. Two of them - T.J. Bannister and Donte Minter - have been nursing injuries since practices began.

Leitao has three freshmen that may have some promise, but were recruited by his predecessor.

One of his top players, Gary Forbes, transferred to U-Mass in September.

Leitao’s frontcourt is Manute Bol thin. Jason Cain - the leading returning scorer - averaged just 2.6 points last season.

No, you don’t need a Ph.D. in college basketball to see why the embryonic Cavaliers were picked to finish last in the ACC.

Two of a kind

However, Leitao has a pair of aces up his sleeve in Singletary and Reynolds - players who were lauded heavily at ACC Media Day in Greensboro last month.

“Both those guys played real well last year,” said North Carolina coach Roy Williams. “Dave’s going to enjoy them.

“As a coach, we always talk about big guys, but every coach has to have guards that really understand the way you want to play. If you had your choice from a coaching standpoint, you’d always choose experienced guards.”

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said Singletary’s confidence is most impressive.

“He played with a great deal of it for a freshman and I would expect that to grow,” Hewitt said.

Reynolds is one of the best scorers in the league, according to Hewitt.

“When we play them, I always make sure our guys know where he is,” Hewitt said.

Singletary, who started every game last season, was runner-up to North Carolina’s Marvin Williams for ACC Freshman of the Year. He averaged 10.5 points - and more than held his own against the likes of Chris Paul, Raymond Felton and Jarrett Jack, all of whom now play in the NBA.

Reynolds averaged

10.7 points last season. He was inconsistent at times - his .363 field goal percentage speaks to that - but he showed flashes of brilliance, including a career-high

32 point-effort in an ACC Tournament win over Miami.

This year, Leitao is counting on Singletary and Reynolds to step up their games in every way imaginable.

“They have to,” Leitao said. “Because of our lack of experience, the load has to go on their shoulders until we can get some guys some more experience and confidence.

“I think they know and expect that responsibility. They each have a high level of intelligence and understand very quickly what I’m asking. They see what we do right and what we do wrong - some guys you explain a mistake and they have no idea what you’re talking about. They understand.”

Accepting the challenge

When Singletary and Reynolds talk about the challenge before them, they get excited.

“Last year, we had some strong personalities [on the team],” said Singletary, a sophomore, “so it was a little tough for them to accept me as a leader.

“There’s a noticeable difference in our team chemistry from last year. We’re getting up early and running together, eat breakfast and dinner together - things we weren’t doing last year. I think our chemistry off the court translates into our chemistry on the court. Having to do things the right way is going to make a difference.”

Most players wouldn’t be too excited about waking up at 5 a.m. and doing a lot of the things that Leitao has demanded. But Reynolds, who wasn’t happy with the laid-back style of Gillen, loves it. He said the structure is just what the team needed.

“Dealing with all the adversity last year and going through all the things we did with the coaching staff ... now I feel like I can be very confident and very consistent,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds, now a junior, said he has grown closer to Singletary since the end of last season.

“We had seniors who demanded the ball last year,” Reynolds said. “We knew once they left, the type of backcourt we could have.

“Our relationship has grown stronger because we both knew what we had to do in terms of being leaders for the team this year.”

The tighter bond between the two has already paid dividends. As a result, Singletary believes he understands Reynold’s game better.

“Now I know where he needs the ball to be effective,” Singletary said. “I felt he was the best offensive threat we had last year, but we had some older guys who needed the ball. This year he’ll be my first option to go to.

“He’s real good in transition and spotting up. I can penetrate inside and bring his man up on me a little, and then give him the ball so he can stretch the defense.”

Leadership qualities

One guy who is pretty excited to see what Singletary and Reynolds can do this year is walk-on Billy Campbell. The senior point guard has witnessed the growth of his teammates and likes what he sees.

“They’re two of the top guards in the league, without question,” Campbell said. “Everyone saw what they did last year.

“Now that the older guys are gone, their role as leaders will be magnified. They’re establishing themselves already.”

When Singletary talks about his role as a leader, his eyes light up. He looks a little bit like a teen-ager who has just been handed the keys to a fixed-up car on “Pimp My Ride.”

“Being a leader won’t be a problem,” Singletary said. “I don’t feel pressure. I feel like it’s a challenge to step up to the plate and take care of it.

“I want to win. [J.R.] wants to win. We both realize the commitment and sacrifices we need to make.”

Singletary believes he’s more mature this season. He said going head-to-head with players like Paul, Jack and Felton last season was huge.

“I’ve learned from those guys who are now pros,” he said. “Just being in certain situations has made my character a lot stronger on the basketball court - seeing how they led their teams, willed their teams to victories. They were great floor generals.”

Expecting more

Singletary and Reynolds don’t seem fazed by the public’s low expectations for the team. In fact, they kind of like being the underdog.

“We might not have the most talented team,” Reynolds said, “but the most talented teams don’t always win. It’s just a matter of how bad you want it. I think this team’s heart is big and we want to win.

“We have players who want to step up and are going to have an opportunity to showcase their talents.”

Leitao has yet to announce a starting lineup for Friday, but said he’s sure of about 20 percent of it.

“Sean and J.R. have played well together [in practice] and above the level of other guys,” Leitao said. “They’ll be two of the five. Then we’ll find three more guys from a group of five.”

That’s when things will really get interesting.

 

Roles still forming for UVa players
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
November 8, 2005

AT THE POINT

With the departure of Chris Paul, Jarret Jack, Raymond Felton and John Gilchrist to the pros, the argument could be made that the Cavaliers have the best point guard in the ACC in sophomore Sean Singletary. “He has the complete game,” said Florida State guard Todd Galloway. “He’s a triple threat. He can pass, shoot, drive.”

Last year, Singletary went toe-to-toe with all of the aforementioned players and more than held his own. For the season, he averaged 10.5 points and nearly four assists per game. Singletary will probably need to up those numbers for the Cavs to have any chance of improving on last season’s 14-15 campaign. As a co-captain, he’ll also be assuming the bulk of the leadership responsibilities.

Behind Singletary is junior T.J. Bannister, who has battled a sports hernia/hip injury all preseason. Barring any setbacks, it looks like Bannister will be ready sometime around the season opener. If healthy, Bannister gives coach Dave Leitao a solid option off the bench. Senior walk-on Billy Campbell has looked impressive in practices and will probably see some playing time. He’s the kind of player Leitao likes because he doesn’t try to do more than he is capable of.

Quotable: “Sean is tough, physical and lightning quick,” Campbell said. “He’s got it all. Everyone saw what he did last year.”

Position Overview: Point guard is clearly the strength of the team. However, Singletary will be the focus of every team’s game plan. How he responds to the increased attention will go a long way in determining how the Cavs do.

ON THE WINGS

Co-captain J.R. Reynolds is the team’s best 3-point shooter. Last year he shot 34.7 percent from downtown (51 of 147). His efficiency will have to improve big time this season. Reynolds was up and down as a sophomore, but finished strong, scoring a career-high 32 points in the Cavs’ victory over Miami in the ACC Tournament. “The way his season ended was really good for him,” said Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg.

Sophomore Adrian Joseph only averaged 4.2 points last season, but has looked great in practice. He’s one of the best athletes on the team. He’s also shown a nice jumper and an ability to create his own shot. With Gary Forbes having transferred to U-Mass, Joseph will see a lot of minutes. Like many team members, he needs to learn how to play much better defense.

Most likely playing behind Joseph will be freshman Mamadi Diane, who Leitao was very high on in the preseason. Diane is a better athlete than initially advertised (jumping over Billy Campbell and dunking at Midnight Madness got everyone’s attention). He also has the ability to get in the zone from behind the 3-point arc.

Quotable: “It’s a great opportunity for me to step up and handle the responsibilities that have been given to me,” Joseph said. “I’m 100 percent confident and looking forward to the season. I’m in way better shape, stronger and my all-around game is better.”

Position Overview: This would have been the team’s strongest area if Forbes hadn’t transferred. Still, the Cavs look pretty solid here. Joseph and Diane will need to hit shots to keep defenses honest and take pressure off of Singletary and Reynolds.

IN THE POST

With older players ahead of him last season, Tunji Soroye didn’t see the court very much. That will change this season. Soroye, the team’s most athletic big man, is going to be counted on to rebound and block shots. On offense, the 6-foot-11 sophomore doesn’t appear to have many post moves, but he does possess a nice mid-range jumper. Singletary has continually praised Soroye for his great improvement over the summer.

Junior Donte Minter had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in the preseason and has been trying to find his rhythm. Leitao says Minter has the best feel and instincts of any of his big men around the basket. Freshman Laurynas Mikalauskas is still trying to figure out a lot of the intricacies of playing at the college level, but will undoubtedly delight fans with his blue-collar style of play and hustle. The Blue Ridge product will provide Leitao with a physical presence off the bench.

Junior Jason Cain is one of the biggest question marks at the position. Cain can shoot the ball and possesses nice coordination for someone his size, but tends to play a little small around the basket. Given the team’s lack of depth, junior walk-on Mike Forkin may find his way onto the court this year.

Quotable: “If we can get Tunji the ball in transition, that will be a big thing for us,” Singletary said. “I feel Tunji should have played more last year because he’s the future of our frontcourt. I just tell him to stay positive. I say, ‘If I throw you a pass and you drop it, don’t get down. We all make mistakes.’”

Position overview: Without a doubt, the team’s weakest spot - at least on paper. Soroye, Minter and Cain combined to average 4.5 points last season. Leitao will need someone to step up if the team is to have any hope of a successful record. He doesn’t need a reincarnation of Kevin McHale - just someone to play aggressive, pick up some garbage points inside and hit an occasional jumper.
 

Warren leaves Cavs' program
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
November 8, 2005

He was well-liked, had nice manners and seemed to try real hard, but from the opening practice in October it was pretty clear 6-foot-10 freshman Sam Warren was a little out of his league on the University Hall basketball court.

Warren announced on Monday that he was leaving Virginia.

The Colorado resident was one of the last recruits of former coach Pete Gillen before he stepped down as the Cavaliers’ coach.

Warren, who did not return phone and e-mail messages, was basically being viewed as a project by first-year coach Dave Leitao. He probably wouldn’t have seen much playing time this season.

He showed some athletic flashes in practice, but looked like he was having a hard time adjusting to the physical and mental demands of playing at the college level.

“I think all those factors led to his loss of passion - for academics and basketball,” said Leitao, by phone on Monday night. “He thought about it and made the decision [to leave].”

Warren’s departure means the Cavs are down to nine scholarship players.

“It’s obviously one less person,” said Leitao, when asked about the ramifications. “We were already thin [in the frontcourt]. This makes us thinner.”

On the bright side, Warren’s departure opens up a scholarship that could be offered to 6-foot-6 high school senior Will Harris.

Harris, a New York City native who plays at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, was recently in for an official visit.

“It was cool,” said Harris, while in Charlottesville last week. “I had a cool time. They’re definitely within my top three.”

On Harris’ list are a bevy of schools from the ACC, Big East and SEC.

Leitao has already received three verbal commitments for the 2006-07 class and one for the 2007-08 class.

 

An upturn for Snelling
Ailment didn't slow Virginia back in big outing against Temple
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 8, 2005
GA. TECH AT U.VA.
SATURDAY: 3:30 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV - WRIC-8; Radio - WRVA (1140), 3

 
CHARLOTTESVILLE - He rushed for 72 yards on seven carries in the Sept. 3 opener, a rousing start to what University of Virginia running back Jason Snelling hoped would be a breakout season.

In the Cavaliers' next six games, however, the 5-11, 233-pound junior carried the football six times (for 12 yards). During the last four games of that stretch, Snelling didn't take a single handoff.

Three days ago at Scott Stadium, No. 38 reappeared, rushing 17 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns - all career highs - in U.Va.'s 51-3 rout of Temple. In perhaps the game's most memorable play, Snelling rumbled 32 yards for his first TD of the season, bulling through defenders and flashing the speed that made him an All-Metro tailback at L.C. Bird High School.

"My coaches and my teammates have been telling what I can do, and I know what I can do, as long as I'm healthy," said Snelling, who plays fullback and tailback. "They've been reinforcing my confidence, but the game was a reassuring fact to know I could produce when I get back out on the field."

Producing never has been a problem for Snelling, who distinguished himself as a pass-catching fullback as a true freshman in 2002. Staying healthy has been his greatest challenge.

Snelling suffers from a medical condition that has periodically kept him out of the lineup during his U.Va. career. He's declined to publicly discuss his condition, other than to say the symptoms include migraine headaches.

He missed two games in 2002, including the Continental Tire Bowl, and then redshirted in '03 so he and his neurologist could try to control the condition. Snelling returned in '04, only to encounter more adversity: a high-ankle sprain that caused him to miss five games.

His condition has affected him much of this fall, forcing Snelling to miss numerous practices. Recently, though, his health has improved. The Cavaliers didn't play Oct. 29 and so had six practices to prepare for Temple.

"Jason was actively involved in all six of those, which is certainly the first time this season that he's been able to take six in a row," Virginia coach Al Groh said Saturday night.

"We would hope that maybe it's a sign of healthier days ahead for Jason, and not just as a football player, but on a quality-of-life issue, which is what we want for him. . . . And then obviously for him to have a good, productive [game] like today verified what we've said on other occasions: When he's really ready to go, he's one of the better players on our team."

Snelling said he's learned to take his setbacks in stride.

"Football is a difficult game, with nicks and bruises," he said. "Week in, week out, you go through a lot of struggles. But you got to overcome a lot of things, and that's what I do."

 

Cunninham steps up, looks to expand role
Groh's 2003 recruits includes five offensive lineman with bright futures
Patrick Mitchell, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Upon arriving at Virginia, head coach Al Groh wasted no time putting the school on the recruiting map. With names like Ahmad Brooks, Kai Parham, Wali Lundy and Michael Johnson highlighting his 2002 list of signees, that class has overshadowed more recent classes.

However, the 2003 class landed Groh a quintet of offensive linemen in Marshal Ausberry, Jordy Lipsey, Eddie Pinigis, Gordon Sammis and Ian-Yates Cunningham that made U.Va. a perennial power on the line for years to come. All five of these players have established themselves on the depth chart, but none are satisfied in their primarily backup roles.

Among the five, Cunningham, a sophomore, is anxious to expand his function on the team and stabilize an injury-riddled offensive line.

"I wanted to come and demonstrate another level of my game," Cunningham said. "I have been working hard. It is one of those things that, each game, you have to get better, and you have to keep on working hard."

A four-star recruit out of Plano, Texas, Cunningham came to the Cavaliers with much fanfare. In high school, he was a four-year starter and was consistently listed among the top offensive linemen in the country.

His early career at Virginia was successful as well. He started the season as a backup but worked his way into the starting lineup at left guard for the final five games of the 2003 season.

With Cunningham at guard, the Cavaliers offensive production increased by over three points a game against much stiffer competition. His work on the line earned him ACC All-Freshman honors and an Honorable Mention on the Freshman All-American team.

In the off-season, though, Cunningham hit a major setback when he underwent back surgery. The procedure forced him to miss the entire 2004 season and left him to play catch-up on the depth chart.

"When you are coming back from injury, you realize that you are working out some of the kinks," Cunningham said. "You are at a Division I school, and there are going to be players better than you. So, you are going to have to come in ready to perform, and that is what I am going to have to keep on doing right now. You can't just be satisfied."

Entering the season, Virginia's line was supposed to be one of its strong points. Unfortunately it has been plagued by injuries, forcing non-starters to step up. Cunningham has filled in very well as a backup to several positions on the line. With Ausberry unable to play against Temple, Cunningham earned his first start of the season.

Against the Owls, Virginia put together one of its most successful rushing days of the season with 262 yards, despite injuries to backs Johnson and Cedric Peerman.

Cunningham played well on an offensive line that has struggled to find cohesion this season, despite the veteran presence of D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Brad Butler.

Cunningham's play last Saturday was indicative of the entire season for the Cavalier offensive line, which has faced attrition at nearly every position but has managed to find an effective player to fill each spot.

The Cavaliers now enter the toughest stretch of their season and desperately need to finish strong in order to make a bowl game.

"We have to be ready to face our challenge next week, which is going to be a bigger one," Groh said.

The rollercoaster season has left few certainties, but injuries on the offensive line seem a constant.

Cunningham is projected to start this Saturday against Georgia Tech, but, even if he goes back to second on the depth charts, his role will not diminish as he and the rest of that 2003 quintet will be needed elsewhere.