Reynolds, UVa drop Richmond
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
November 23, 2005

RICHMOND - Over the summer, University of Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao attended a Houston Astros game with Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy.
Perhaps, while munching on some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, the NBA coach gave Leitao some tips from his insider's guide to winning ugly - a style he made famous with the New York Knicks. If he did, that information certainly came in handy Tuesday night in UVa's 59-43 victory over Richmond.

The tape of the game certainly won't be placed in any time capsule for future generations of players to view, but Leitao was pleased to be 2-0 in his UVa tenure.

"I'm happy to get any road win before the holiday," Leitao said, "and before we go to Arizona to play.

"I thought today was another day - except for a little stretch - where we played pretty well defensively. That offense is a pain in the neck to play against. I thought we were well-prepared to guard against their back-door cuts and open [3-pointers]."

The offense Leitao was alluding to is the motion attack made famous by former Princeton coach Pete Carril, who Richmond coach Chris Mooney played under.

The Cavs' defense held the Spiders to 28 percent shooting. But, before fans get too excited, they should remember Richmond only scored 44 points in their season-opening win over Hampton.

The game would have been much tighter if not for Cavaliers guard J.R. Reynolds, who broke things open in the second half, getting hot at just the right time. Reynolds finished with a game-high 23 points, including 16 after the break.

When he wasn't piercing through the Spiders' match-up zone defense and getting to the line for free throws, Reynolds was sinking long-range bombs.

"I thought J.R. really gave us a lift in getting more aggressive," Leitao said. "He imposed his will on the game."

Reynolds was 7 of 12 from the field and 8 of 8 from the foul line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

"I was feeling really good, I can't explain it," he said. "Once you get into that rhythm, the basket just seems so big."

The Cavaliers came out a little shaky, but led by as many as nine in the first half before the Spiders trimmed it to one on a lay-up by Jarhon Giddings at the buzzer.

The basket was one of only two two-pointers the Spiders connected on the entire half. They were 7 of 15 from 3-point range - doing most of their damage after the Cavs switched to a zone.

"We weren't pressuring the ball," Leitao said. "We left too many people open. The same aggressiveness we had in the half's first 12 minutes, we didn't have the last eight."

The Cavs, despite their lack of depth in the low post, mauled the Spiders on the boards, 39-24. However, they received little offensive production from their big people. Laurynas Mikalauskas, Tunji Soroye and Jason Cain combined for just 12 points.

The Cavs did a great job at the free-throw line, connecting on 18 of 23 attempts. The Spiders seemed allergic to the paint, relying mostly on their perimeter game. They were just 6 of 9 from the charity stripe.

Cavs guard Sean Singletary concurred with Leitao: defense was one of the keys.

"We just buckled down," he said. "Man to man is our best asset. We didn't give them a lot of open looks."

Singletary, who finished with 14 points, four turnovers and three assists, also gave props to Reynolds.

"That has to be his job throughout the season - putting us on his back and getting buckets," he said.


DUNKS. Andy Ogide, a 6-foot-7, 212-pound high school senior from Dallas, Ga., has committed to the Cavaliers, according to Rivals.com.

The versatile forward, who can play inside and outside, will be a part of Leitao's 2006 class. He joins Jamil Tucker, Johnnie Lett and Will Harris, who have signed their letters-of-intent. Solomon Tat, a swingman from Georgia, has verbally committed to the Cavs.

The addition of Ogide gives UVa five recruits - one more than the number of scholarships at their disposal. ... The start of the game was delayed for several minutes due to scoreboard and shot-clock malfunctions. ... When Jason Cain was at the foul line late in the game, Richmond fans chanted "Shave the 'stache!"

 

Leitao's team displaying D in early going
By Jerry Ratlcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 23, 2005

RICHMOND - One of the chief factors that Craig Littlepage demanded in the search for a new Virginia basketball coach last spring was someone who emphasized defense.
After two games, coach Dave Leitao has done a good job of impressing the boss in the ball-hawking department. His Cavaliers gave up 44 to Liberty last week and 43 to Richmond on Tuesday night as UVa is off to a 2-0 start.

Those numbers probably aren't going to throw a scare at looming opponent Arizona, which is accustomed to blowing teams out of the gym. But they just might get the Wildcats' attention.

Defense was the difference at the Robins Center in a 59-43 Virginia win. After the Spiders had found the range from beyond the arch in the first half to draw within 26-25 at the break, Leitao had seen enough.

He ditched a 2-3 zone, went back to man-to-man and ordered the Cavaliers to play jaw-to-jaw defense against the host Spiders. It wasn't an easy assignment because of Richmond's new spread offense, ripped from the pages of Princeton legend Pete Carill's playbook.

But orders are orders.

"We have a defensive drill sergeant as our head coach," said Virginia sophomore point guard Sean Singletary. "We just buckled down on defense and pressured the ball. We do that so much in practice that it's like second nature to us."

As a result, Richmond's patience must have worn thin. The Spiders tried to work the ball to an open man for the perimeter jumpers but their shooting touch had abandoned them thanks to a little help from UVa's sticky defense.

UR didn't connect on a single 3-point attempt the second half (Oh for 9) and shot only 25 percent from the field over that span as the Cavs held the Atlantic 10 opponent to 18 points in 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, J.R. Reynolds heated up, supplying 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half as the Cavs locked up another win.

"That offense is a pain in the neck to play against," said Leitao. "But it's the second game in a row that we played good defense."

Neither Liberty or Richmond managed to shoot 30 percent from the field against Virginia, which is a good sign to the drill sergeant and soothing to the souls in University Hall who have pined for that trusty old defense that Terry Holland's boys used to play back in the Golden Era of Wahoo hoops.

Now this doesn't mean the Cavaliers are suddenly defensive juggernauts. While this rock 'em, sock'em style is a refreshing style, there's no guarantees that stronger offensive teams such as the Arizonas, Gonzagas, and Dukes of the world won't still light them up.

But it won't be as easy.

Liberty won't win any scoring titles this season, nor will Richmond with its deliberate offense, which is predicated on putting defenses to sleep before striking for an open backdoor cut or a dazzling 3-pointer.

Duke is Duke. The Blue Devils have J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams leading the way. Arizona has Hassan Adams leading an experienced group of Wildacats, who can be monstrous offensively (61 in its opener against Kansas despite poor shooting).

As the schedule moves along in 2005-06, lessons will be learned, but Virginia's heart is in the right place.

The drill sergeant won't have it any other way.

 

Cavs faces Miami after GT loss
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 23, 2005

It seems to be a recurring late-season trend - opponents suffer an emotionally draining loss, check the schedule and see Virginia up next.
Before facing and beating the Cavaliers, North Carolina gave up school-worst 69 points to Louisville. UNC won 7-5. Virginia Tech entered Scott Stadium this past weekend on the heels of a disappointing 27-7 loss to Miami. The Hokies cruised to a 52-14 win.

And don't look now, but Miami gets the chance to take the anger of a 14-10 loss to Georgia Tech out on the Cavaliers. UVa (6-4, 3-4 ACC) plays Saturday at the Orange Bowl at 3:30 p.m.

Such is life in the new-look, competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Anybody, with the exception of Duke (1-10, 0-8), can truly beat anybody on any given Saturday.

"It just shows what type of league we're in, what type of league the ACC is," Virginia wide receiver Fontel Mines said. "We beat Georgia Tech, they beat Miami, and Miami beats Virginia Tech."

Virginia coach Al Groh realizes that the Hurricanes (8-2, 5-2) are coming off a loss, "but so are we," he said.

While it is unknown if Miami will truly play with passion, having lost the advantage in the race for the Coastal Division berth in ACC Championship to Virginia Tech, the Hurricanes probably have more speed than any of Virginia's previous 10 opponents.

Miami also leads the country in passing defense and total defense, while allowing just 11.4 points per game. That trails only Alabama (10.73 ppg).

Under current coach Larry Coker, Miami is 52-8 and since 1983 the Hurricanes have the best record among all NCAA Division I-A teams, sporting a 228-47 record.

"You can see why they don't lose very often," Groh said.

With Virginia's players out of class this week for a Thanksgiving break, the toughest battle might be controlling emotions, as a 38-point loss to the Hokies could linger until Saturday's kickoff in South Florida.

"You have to have a short memory as a college athlete," Mines said. "I think everybody is hungry and everybody is eager to get back out there and prove themselves. It is hard just sitting on a loss all week and practicing and not thinking about it."

HOPING TO RETURN. Christian Olsen said on Tuesday that if it were up to him, he would be playing football next season at Virginia.

The fourth-year quarterback, currently listed No. 2 on the depth chart behind senior Marques Hagans, is on track to graduate in May, but he has one season of eligibility remaining. That year is available because Olsen sat out the 2003 season per NCAA rules after transferring from

Notre Dame.

Groh will ultimately make the decision to welcome Olsen back or not, but that process does not start until after the season has concluded.

Attention was given to Olsen's status after the quarterback was one of 18 players to be recognized during a Senior Day ceremony before last weekend's game against Virginia Tech.

That led many to speculate that the signal caller would not return as a graduate student in 2006.

"I know everybody was trying to read into if I was coming back or not coming back. I am expecting to come back," Olsen said. "That really wasn't even a big deal to me. I think the coaches know that I want to come back."

Olsen pointed out that fifth-year offensive lineman Brian Barthelmes took part in the Senior Day festivities in 2004, only to return for an additional season with the program this year.

The program sent a letter to Olsen's parents inviting them to be a part of the Senior Day festivities. They naturally filled it out.

"They were just doing what they thought they were told to do," Olsen explained. "Next thing I knew, I was walking out.

"It was something that I wanted to do and my parents definitely wanted to do, so I will just walk out twice. I am ready to come back."

Olsen has played in two games this season, completing 6 of 10 passes for 64 yards. He also threw an interception against Temple.

On Saturday, Olsen will be on the opposite sideline of his younger brother, Greg, who is a star tight end at Miami.

QUOTABLE. "We're a hurting football team. But I'll tell you, the beauty of athletics and about football is next game. ... We've got a tremendous challenge. We know that. But that's where we are right now - next game," Miami coach Larry Coker on playing Virginia a week after losing to Georgia Tech, 14-7.

INJURY UPDATE. Virginia nose tackle Keenan Carter (ankle) is doubtful to play against Miami. If the sophomore is sidelined it would be the second straight game that he missed.

When asked if Carter would play against the Hurricanes, Groh said: "Not on the basis of what I saw [Monday]."

JUST FOR KICKS. The finalists were named on Tuesday for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the top kicker in the country.

Missing from the list? Virginia placekicker Connor Hughes was snubbed after being named a semifinalist.

Mason Crosby of Colorado, Alexis Serna of Oregon State and Clemson's Jad Dean edged out Hughes. Dean has made 22 of his 29 field goals this season (79.2 percent), while Hughes has connected on 18 of 21 (85.7 percent).

SINGING A TUNE. As expected, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., announced on Tuesday that the two would partner up this season. That will allow one of the ACC's bowl-eligible teams to play in the postseason as an at-large. The bowl and the ACC had already agreed to start a partnership next season.

"We are pleased to have an ACC team in Nashville a year earlier than anticipated," ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a released statement.

When Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt this past weekend, the Volunteers were eliminated as a possible suitor for the bowl, which had an agreement to place a Big Ten team against a team from the SEC.

"While this will be a different matchup than fans are used to seeing, the fact that the Big Ten and ACC are power conferences means that this will be a clash of two very strong teams," Music City Bowl chairman Dale Polley said Tuesday in a released statement.

Virginia is considered a strong candidate for the game, which will be played on Dec. 30.
 

Canes face critical time
Fans questioned the Hurricanes after Saturday's loss to Georgia Tech, but the team is staying focused. 'You can't let what they say bother you,' Miami QB Kyle Wright said.
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
sdegnan@herald.com

The critics were silenced for two weeks.

But on the 15th day, University of Miami fans were entrenched in cyberworld, bashing coach Larry Coker and offensive coordinator Dan Werner for UM's 14-10 loss to then-unranked Georgia Tech.

The opening line for Saturday's home finale against Virginia (6-4, 3-4) had the Hurricanes (8-2, 5-2 ACC) favored by 18 ½.

''What a joke. . .'' one Internet poster wrote on Canestime.com. ``So they think UVA will score negative points?''

Replied another: ``The oddsmakers obviously have a sense of humor. Unless we're playing a Duke or Wake Forest, just scoring 18.5 points is a challenge in itself.''

Miami is actually averaging 29.7 points, Coker pointed out. But after last week's loss, few remember. At Tuesday's news conference, quarterback Kyle Wright was asked about the fan unrest, and how the Canes deal with it.

''I laugh at it,'' Wright said. ``Coming from people who know nothing about what's going on here is just funny to me. A couple of weeks ago [after UM's victory at Virginia Tech] we were the greatest things happening. Now you lose a game, and they just want to fire everybody.

'You can't let what they say bother you. First of all, it's easy to sit in the stands or sit on a couch and say, `Hey, Coach Werner should have called this play, or Kyle should have thrown that ball or he should have made that tackle.' It's easy to see from that perspective when they don't have anything else to think about. There's a lot more that goes into a play than people think. You've just got to shake your head, laugh, and move on.''

Werner said he's too busy game planning to worry.

DOING HIS PART

'It's not like I go read papers or get on the Internet and say, `Oh my God, look what they're saying!' I come here and watch film all day long, put together a game plan, come out here and practice it and try to get better. Whether we're winning or losing that's all I can do.''

Werner said the Hurricanes could do nothing right offensively Saturday.

``Every aspect of our game was poor. The third-down stuff [1 for 14] we had a drop or two, we had bad throws, we had bad reads, we had bad protection, we had bad routes, every time there would be something wrong. We threw a couple of screens that looked like they'd pop for an easy first down and one guy misses a block and we get tackled for a couple yards short.

``And we had been getting better each week. That's what was really frustrating.''

Werner said the Hurricanes did adjust in the second half, but even that was futile.

TRIED, FAILED

``They were bringing every blitz they could possibly bring, so we were trying to slide the protection for a while. Then we were working on man protection because they were busting the slides. We tried zone stuff. We tried throwing the ball down the field. We tried screens. Things just weren't working.''

Coker said of the seven sacks UM allowed against Georgia Tech, ``five were on the offensive line, one was on the backs and one on the quarterback. Everybody shares their load.''

He was was asked if he expected Virginia, which uses a 3-4 scheme, to blitz as often as Georgia Tech did. The Cavaliers have 18 sacks in 10 games -- only two ACC teams have fewer.

''I'm sure if they watch tape of us,'' Coker said, ``they'll send a few blitzes our way.''
 

Tapp among three Hokies named ACC players of the week
Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Virginia Tech defensive end Darryl Tapp was one of three Hokies named Atlantic Coast Conference players of the week Monday after the team's win over in-state rival Virginia.

Tapp had had six tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, and two sacks to win top honors for defensive line players. The ACC's best offensive line player for the week was Virginia Tech's Will Montgomery, who helped the Hokies open holes for 333 rushing yards and 503 yards of total offense. Tailback Branden Ore led the Hokies with two touchdowns and 115 yards rushing and was named the league's rookie of the week in the 52-14 win over Virginia.

Honors for the top offensive back went to Clemson running back James Davis, who led the Tigers with a touchdown and 145 yards on 27 carries. Clemson beat No. 19 South Carolina 13-9.

Georgia Tech outside linebacker KaMichael Hall helped the Yellow Jackets hold No. 3 Miami to just 30 yards rushing and 237 yards of total offense in a 14-10 win. He was named the ACC's best defensive back.

Georgia Tech punter Ben Arndt was honored at the ACC's top special teams player.
 

Olsen claims seniority as competition looms
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Christian Olsen didn't know what kind of stir he was creating when he was introduced with his parents prior to Virginia's final home football game Saturday with Virginia Tech.

Olsen was one of two players with remaining eligibility to step forward. Head coach Al Groh already had announced that the other underclassmen, nose tackle Ron Darden, had given up football for health reasons.

Olsen, on the other hand, is the Cavaliers' No. 2 quarterback behind senior Marques Hagans and has been viewed as a candidate to start next season as a fifth-year senior.

"They just sent all the fourth-years and fifth-years a letter and said, 'If you want to walk out with your parents, fill the paper out,' " Olsen said. "My parents just were doing what they were told to do. They filled out the paper and, next thing I know, I was walking out.

"I know everybody is trying to read something into it, whether I'm coming back or not coming back. I'm expecting to come back. That wasn't really a big deal to me. The coaches know I really want to come back."

Olsen pointed out that Brian Barthelmes was recognized last year as a fourth-year junior and again Saturday.

"I guess some of the guys decided they didn't want to walk out," said Olsen, referring to fellow redshirt juniors like Jason Snelling and Marcus Hamilton, "but it was something I wanted to do and something my parents definitely wanted to do. So, I'll do it twice."

When reporters asked Groh on Sunday about the Olsen introduction, some were surprised at the reply.

"Really, we haven't addressed that or made any determination," Groh said.

Olsen, who began his career at Notre Dame and transferred to UVa prior to the 2003 season, has played in only two of Virginia's first 10 games. In two seasons, he has played in a total of seven games, with 16 completions in 22 attempts.

The No. 3 quarterback is redshirt sophomore Kevin McCabe but there are three other scholarship quarterbacks in the program, including freshmen Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell, both of whom are being redshirted.

Sewell was named scout-team player of the week prior to the Virginia Tech game and was described as "very promising" by Groh on Tuesday.

"It should be a fun battle," said Olsen, who turns 23 in April. "I will be the oldest quarterback and the quarterback with the most [game] experience and most reps in practice. I feel I'm a lot better quarterback now than I was at this time a year ago."

n For the second year in a row, Olsen will be reunited with his younger brother, Greg, when the Cavaliers (6-4, 3-4 ACC) visit No. 10 Miami (8-2, 5-2) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a game that will be televised by ABC.

"I talked to him three or four times [Monday] and I talked him Saturday night and then two times Sunday, so I've talked to him quite a bit since they lost," said Olsen, whose younger brother is an All-ACC candidate at tight end. "I think they're treating it like we are -- focussing on this week."

Revolving door

Virginia Tech made a living on the perimeter Saturday, particularly when the Hokies were running to their right against a Virginia defense that included a couple of true freshmen, Aaron Clark and Mike Brown, at left outside linebacker and left cornerback.

"After having some success there early, they certainly were wise to go there," Groh said. "We were saying the same thing on the sideline: 'Boy, we're having a little issue here.' "

Mark Miller started at left outside linebacker but was beaten on Tech's first touchdown, an 8-yard completion to Josh Morgan. The Cavaliers later turned to former starter Jermaine Dias, who assisted on one tackle in his 45-play stint.

Miller played 27 plays without a solo tackle or an assist. Clark, from Rockbridge County, played 25 plays and had three tackles (one solo, two assists).

Odds and ends

Inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks had a season-high 11 tackles (three solo, eight assists) after registering 16 tackles in his first five games. Brooks, a first-team All-ACC choice in 2004, was not among the nine Cavaliers nominated for all-conference by Groh this year. ... Junior cornerback Tony Franklin, one of four players who missed a Nov. 12 game with Georgia Tech due to a "violation of team rules," did not join his fellow co-captains for the coin toss Saturday. "I don't think he'll go out for the next one, either," Groh said.

 

Reynolds goes off, defense does rest
J.R. Reynolds scores 16 of his 25 points in the second half as Virginia stymies the Spiders.
Doug Doughty
The Roanoke Times

RICHMOND -- Facing a coach whose previous team led the nation in fewest points allowed, Dave Leitao's first Virginia basketball team showed it can play a little defense, too.

Junior guard J.R. Reynolds from Roanoke nearly outscored Richmond by himself in the second half Tuesday night as the Cavaliers won their first road game under Leitao, 59-43.

The 87 points given up by Virginia in its first two games is the lowest two-game yield since the 1983-84 season, when UVa held William and Mary and North Carolina-Wilmington to a total of 83 points in back-to-back games.

Virginia (2-0) had some anxious moments after Leitao picked up his second technical foul in as many games, but the Cavaliers took control behind Reynolds, who went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and finished with 25 points.

Reynolds had 16 points in the second half, and the Spiders (1-1) needed a stickback in the final 10 seconds to finish with 18. Richmond, which plays a Princeton-style offense under new coach Chris Mooney, shot 25 percent in the second half and 28.8 for the game.

"That offense is obviously a pain in the neck to play against," Leitao said, "but I'm glad to be playing them in the second game rather than the 22nd game because they're only going to get better."

Sophomore point guard Sean Singletary, with 14 points, was the only other UVa player in double figures. The Cavaliers shot 45 percent from the field and outrebounded the Spiders 39-25.

The Spiders trailed by as many as nine points in the first half but went into halftime down 26-25 on a driving layup by redshirt freshman Jarhon Giddings.

It was only the second two-point field goal of the half for Richmond, whose only other basket inside the arc came on a goaltending call against UVa's Tunji Soroye.

The Spiders had seven 3-point field goals in the first half, three by 6-foot-7 senior Jermaine Bucknor and two by Giddings, a 6-9, 240-pounder who played at Blacksburg High School through his junior year of high school.

UVa led 26-20 before missing its last four shots of the first half -- all from 3-point range. The last of the long-range attempts, by Sean Singletary, came after a timeout ostensibly called to set up a last shot.

Instead, there was enough time remaining for Soroye to miss a tip and for Richmond to get the ball downcourt to a streaking Giddings.

"Defense is sometimes connected to offense and, once we became sloppy offensively, we became listless defensively," Leitao said.

Foul problems had plagued depth-shy Virginia in its opening game, a 79-44 victory over Liberty, and freshmen starters Lauris Mikalauskas and Mamadi Diane both picked up two quick ones Tuesday.

The Cavaliers jumped to a 36-27 second-half lead before Leitao picked up a technical with 12:41 remaining and Virginia at its offensive end. Before Reynolds hit a jumper with 10:05 left, Richmond had cut the deficit to 36-31.

Reynolds proceeded to score 14 of the Cavaliers' next 16, putting Virginia ahead 52-39 by the time he was finished. He also contributed seven rebounds and four assists.

"I told him during a dead ball that he had to be more aggressive," Leitao said. "He has a responsibility to be really good and his team wants him to be really good. He should try to be great, but he was just being OK."

 

A trip in Nashville might be music to the Cavaliers’ ears
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© November 23, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Nashville, anyone?

With the Liberty Bowl smitten by Fresno State after the Bulldogs took No. 1 Southern Cal to the limit before losing, Virginia’s chances of playing in Memphis on New Year’s Eve appear to be dimming.

A more likely destination for the Cavaliers: the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville.

ACC officials announced Tuesday that a team from the conference will replace a Southeastern Conference team this year . The SEC does not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill its slot in the game. The ACC representative will face a team from the Big Ten, most likely Northwestern.

The ACC is to begin a four-year relationship with the Music City Bowl in 2006. Tuesday’s announcement bumps that arrangement up by a year.

The ACC will have at least eight and could produce nine bowl-eligible teams. The conference has tie-ins with six bowl games.

Virginia and the winner of Saturday’s game between Maryland and N.C. State appear to the most likely candidates to head to Nashville. If the Music City opts for a different ACC team, another possibility for Virginia is the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 29, which will need an at-large team if Stanford loses to Notre Dame on Saturday. The Emerald Bowl also begins a relationship with the ACC next year.

Sunshine State has been gloomy for Cavs

Before Virginia goes bowling, there is the not-so-small matter of finishing the regular season Saturday against No. 10 Miami in a state in which the Cavaliers have never won.

Virginia is 0-13 in Florida. Also, the Cavaliers have never beaten a top-10 team on the road and are 1-8 on the road against ranked teams under coach Al Groh

Miami (8-2, 5-2 ACC) ranks first nationally in total defense, just ahead of Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes and Hokies are tied for second nationally, allowing just 11.4 points per game. “The two games they lost this year, they gave up 14 points,” Groh said.

Miami is smarting from an upset loss to Georgia Tech that all but eliminated the Hurricanes from ACC title contention. Miami’s can only reach the ACC championship game if it beats Virginia and North Carolina upsets Virginia Tech.

Miami will likely have to settle for a bid to the Gator Bowl, assuming Virginia Tech beats Florida State in the ACC title game.

“We know they are a great team,” U.Va. linebacker Kai Parham said. “But it’s not as if we haven’t prepared for teams like this before.”

Virginia faced one last week in Virginia Tech, which hammered the Cavaliers 52-14, leaving a bad taste.

“The way Saturday ended, you’d have loved to have come back the next day and played again, minus the bumps and bruises,” cornerback Marcus Hamilton said.

QB Olsen took a walk, but says he’ll return

Quarterback Chris Olsen, thought to be first in line to succeed Marques Hagans, walked on the field for Senior Day last Saturday, though he has a year of eligibility remaining. The move raised speculation that Olsen, a fourth-year junior, would not return.

Groh did nothing to quiet the speculation when he said Sunday that it had not been determined if Olsen would be back. But Olsen said Tuesday that he plans to return.

“They just sent all the fourth-year and fifth-years a letter and said, 'If you want to walk with your parents, fill the paper out,’ ” Olsen said.

If Olsen returns, he’ll be 1 of 5 quarterbacks. The others are junior Kevin McCabe, redshirt freshman Scott Deke, and true freshmen Jameel Sewell and Vic Hall. Hall has been working at cornerback because of injuries at the position but has not played.

Quick hits …

With 50 career TDs, tailback Wali Lundy needs two to pass Ted Brown and become the ACC’s all-time leader. Lundy has rushed for eight touchdowns in the last three games. ... Groh said backup nose tackle Keenan Carter, out with an ankle injury, likely would not play Saturday. Backup defensive end Vince Redd, who dressed but did not play against Virginia Tech after serving a one-game suspension against Georgia Tech, will be available Saturday.

 

UVa, former Liberty assistants candidates for head coaching job
By Ron Brown and Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
November 23, 2005

Current Virginia associate head coach Danny Rocco and former Liberty University assistant Bob Christmas are on a short list of candidates to replace fired LU head coach Ken Karcher.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell, Liberty’s chancellor, expects to hire a head coach sometime next week.

He declined specific comment on the short list of candidates. But he was pleased that the position was attracting interest.

“We had three more contacts today from coaches with Division I-A experience,” Falwell said. “It is encouraging to me that men of such caliber believe in Liberty’s future.”

Rocco, 45, is in his fifth year as Al Groh’s top assistant at Virginia and has also coached at Texas, Boston College, Tulsa and Wake Forest. He also worked with Groh when he was the head coach of the New York Jets, serving as the assistant linebackers coach and special teams assistant.

Rocco’s father, Frank Rocco Sr., was LU’s director of football operations in 2000-01. His brothers are both high school coaches in the area; Frank at Liberty Christian Academy and David at Staunton River High School.

Christmas was the defensive ends coach at LU from 1978-80. He has also spent time coaching at LCA and Jefferson Forest High School and led the Cavaliers to two state championships.

Earlier this month, Falwell sought advice from former South Carolina and Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz.

Holtz, 68, was in Lynchburg last week to speak at Liberty’s convocation service. In a meeting with reporters afterward, he gave no indication that he was eager to get back into coaching full-time.

He is currently a college football analyst at ESPN.

 

Cavs' guards stand tall
Singletary, Reynolds combine for 37, U.Va. pulls away from UR
BY JOHN O'CONNOR
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 23, 2005

Backcourt juice vs. backcourt attrition.

That was the obvious difference as Virginia beat Richmond 59-43 before 6,252 at the Robins Center last night.

Guards J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary gave the Cavaliers some creativity, some penetration, some leadership, some shake. The Spiders continue to search for a way to putty up a backcourt that lost three transfers following last season.

None of the big fellas involved distinguished themselves. Perhaps that's one reason these teams are expected to finish way back in their respective leagues.

But U.Va. (2-0) had Reynolds (23 points) and Singletary (14). They were plenty to subdue the offensively challenged Spiders (1-1), who have scored 44 and 43 points in two games under first-year coach Chris Mooney. Likewise, Dave Leitao is in his first season as Virginia's coach, and he enjoyed what he saw from Singletary in the first half (9 points) and Reynolds in the second (16). Reynolds scored 14 of 16 U.Va. points as the Cavaliers went from a 36-31 lead to 52-39.

"Once you get into that type of rhythm, the basket just seems big," said the 6-2 junior from Roanoke.

UR stayed close for a half with 3-pointers vs. Virginia's zone. When Leitao's team played exclusively man-to-man thereafter, the Spiders didn't get the free looks that previously were available. UR made 7 of 15 3-point tries in the first half but went zip for 9 from beyond the arc in the second half.

"I hope our man-to-man offense kind of becomes the bread-and-butter of our team, and right now, it's not there yet," Mooney said.

Leitao called UR's new Princeton offense "a pain in the neck to play against, and it will only get better. I'm happy we're playing them in the second game of the year as opposed to the 22nd game."

Virginia, with only nine grant recipients in the program due to attrition, had only seven scholarship players available. Guard T.J. Bannister (sports hernia) and forward Donte Minter (knee problem) sat out for the second time in as many games.

Richmond has 10 scholarship guys but played with only eight. Freshman guard Ryan Butler sat out with a hamstring pull. Guard T.J. Paterick missed most of last season due to back surgery and experienced more back issues after playing in UR's opener Friday.

"We wanted to put pressure on them because we knew they didn't have a true point guard or, really, a two-guard," Reynolds said.

UR's adjustment to the Princeton offense Mooney brought from Air Force was most evident through the opening 10:30. The Spiders missed 13 of their first 15 shots and trailed 14-5.

While Richmond managed very little penetration against Virginia's zone, the Cavaliers got initiative from Singletary, an all-ACC freshman team selection last season. When it appeared Virginia was ready to pull away before halftime, the Spiders began hitting 3s. UR rallied rapidly and trailed 26-25 at the break.

"They came out, and I don't think they thought we were going to shoot the ball too well in the first half," said Bucknor, who scored 15 points.


 

Fresh faces meet old challenges
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW Nov 23, 2005

They're new on the job and figure to mostly travel parallel roads, but Chris Mooney and Dave Leitao intersected at the Robins Center last night. Mooney wore a blue blazer for the occasion, Leitao a gray suit. Mooney coaches Richmond. Leitao oversees Virginia.

Mooney isn't playing with a full deck.

Leitao isn't holding many trump cards himself.

Their matchup was no thing of beauty. That's possibly because their teams aren't Jennifer Anistons, either. The one difference is the Cavs have a backcourt. Names: Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds. Combined production last night: 37 points, 12-for-22 marksmanship, 10 rebounds, seven assists. Winner: U.Va. 59-43.

Coach without frown lines at final horn: Leitao.

"For the second day in a row, we played well defensively," he said. "We don't have a very large margin of error. We're growing, hopefully. I think I see a little bit of that in practice."

Leitao went livid a few times on the sideline, barked at a player here or there, drew his second technical foul in two starts. Mooney's modus was more along the lines of exasperation. His crew shot 30-some percent for the second time and faded from a one-point deficit at halftime.

"Shooting is something we need to improve," he conceded. "Our lack of shooting is going to put some of that pressure on our defense."

Frankly, both these guys get passes for 2005-06. That's how long it'll take 'em to dig out from under the rubble they've dived into. And then some maybe.

They're a contrast of mismatched intentions. Leitao would like to play rugged but inherited zippy guards and a bare-bones frontcourt. Mooney leans toward finesse but was handed a roster stripped of guards -- his backcourt starters go 6-5 and 6-7 and were birthed as forwards -- and populated with size.

Leitao said last week he'd do a lot of "piecemeal coaching" this season. Mooney hasn't chosen those words, but he could have.

Translation: You should not expect to see either of these guys near the top of league standings anytime soon. U.Va. at least gets some slack from an ACC that's missing Chris Paul, Julius Hodge, Jarrett Jack and everyone in Chapel Hill this side of the pep band -- but it's still the ACC, unforgiving as always.

Richmond, meanwhile, is up against it in an A-10 that retains 18 of its top 20 scorers from last year and added Conference USA expatriate Charlotte. There's an 11-day stretch in February when the Spiders face UNCC, George Washington, Temple and St. Joe's -- three of them on the road. Lotsa luck.

Offensively challenged -- no point guard, no quickness, no penetrator, no one to take a defender off the dribble -- Richmond stayed in this hunt via long balls. Of its nine first-half baskets, seven were 3-pointers. It's a risky way to live.

The initial back-door layup of the Chris Mooney era came 9½ minutes into the first half of last Friday's groaning win over Hampton. Its only such conversion against U.Va. came with 12 minutes left in the opening half on a feed from Kevin Steenberge to Monty Sanders. The Spiders didn't register another in-close score till Jarhon Giddings beat the buzzer before intermission.

Oh, Princeton offense, where art thou?

"I think we can get better," said Mooney. "The pieces are in place for us to get better."

Two games into what he hopes will be an upbeat tenure, Chris Mooney can believe no other way. Same goes for Dave Leitao. They're going to take some lumps this year. They'll hope they're just growing pains.

 

Film rated unsuitable for Cavaliers
U.Va.'s looking ahead to Miami, not back at loss to Virginia Tech
Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 23, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- University of Virginia football coach Al Groh and his assistants have seen the videotape, and from their perspective it's a horror flick.

On his radio show Monday night, Groh called the Cavaliers' performance in their 52-14 loss to Virginia Tech "unacceptable on every level," from the coaches to the players.

Groh usually has his players spend part of Monday reviewing video of the team's most recent game. Not this week.

"We didn't look at this film," senior defensive end Brennan Schmidt said yesterday. "We're just looking at Miami, really."

In its regular-season finale, Virginia (3-4, 6-4) plays the 10th-ranked Hurricanes (5-2, 8-2) Saturday at the Orange Bowl.

"I think everybody [on the team] believes we can win," U.Va. wideout Fontel Mines said. "We just have to bounce back."

Schmidt supported Groh's decision to not harp on the loss to Tech.

"I think maybe more harm than good could come from watching the tape and reliving that, so we're just putting it behind us," said Schmidt, who's expected to make his 50th career start Saturday, a school record.

"As hard as it is, it takes a mature group of guys . . . to do that, and I think we have that."

Not all defeats are the same, Schmidt acknowledged. A blowout loss "has a deeper impact on a team," he said. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't." -- Jeff White
 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 23, 2005

POSTSEASON POSSIBILITIES: If the Virginia Cavaliers upset 10th-ranked Miami at the Orange Bowl, they'll finish the regular season with a 7-4 record and might well get an invitation to one of the six bowls with which the ACC is affiliated.

If the Cavs lose Saturday, they're likely to land in one of the two bowls the ACC is adding to its roster in 2006: the Music City and the Emerald.

The SEC can't fill its slot in the Dec. 30 Music City, so the ACC will send a team to the Nashville, Tenn., bowl. Unless Stanford upsets Notre Dame this weekend, the Pac-10 won't be able to fulfill its obligation to the Emerald, and the ACC will fill in.

The Emerald will be played Dec. 29 at 4:30 p.m.. (ET) in San Francisco. Utah accepted a bid for that bowl yesterday.

DIFFERENT YEAR, DIFFERENT PLAYER: Junior linebacker Ahmad Brooks hasn't been nearly as productive this season as he was in 2003, when he led the Cavaliers in tackles, or '04, when he was a Butkus Award finalist.

Blame the knee injury that required surgery in March. Brooks didn't make his 2005 debut until Oct. 1 against Maryland, a game in which he sprained an ankle. In all, he's missed four games this season. The 6-4 Brooks is listed at 259 pounds, about 10 more than his playing weight last season.

Conditioning, not surprisingly, has been a problem for Brooks.

"He didn't have the benefit of the winter offseason program," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "He didn't have the benefit of spring practice. He didn't have the benefit of the summer offseason program, and he didn't have the benefit of training camp. And then he just literally got kind of cleared to practice and was playing in games."

SPECIAL OCCASION: U.Va.'s players and coaches will celebrate Thanksgiving together tomorrow in Charlottesville.

"Like most Americans on this uniquely American holiday, we'll try to make it more than just eating turkey," Groh said.

"We'll try to on a team basis make sure that we focus on those things that we all ought to be thankful for, as Americans, as Virginia football players, as members of this team."

U.Va. students are on holiday break this week.

ROAD WOES: During Groh's tenure, the Cavaliers are 6-13 in ACC road games. Never, however, have they failed to win at least one road game in a season under Groh.

That streak will be on the line Saturday at the Orange Bowl. Virginia is 0-3 in conference road games this season, having lost 45-33 at Maryland, 28-17 at Boston College and 7-5 at North Carolina.

In games played in Florida, U.Va.'s all-time record is 0-13.

DOUBLE DOSE: The Olsens of Wayne, N.J., have had better days than last Saturday. First Virginia, whose No. 2 quarterback is Christian Olsen, lost 52-14 to Virginia Tech. Then Miami, for which Christian's younger brother Greg stars at tight end, fell 14-10 to Georgia Tech.

The Olsen brothers' parents, Sue and Chris, were at Scott Stadium for Saturday's game, before which Christian was among several fourth-year juniors recognized. Some of the others probably won't be back in 2006, but Olsen said he hopes to return to contend for the starting job.

Don't attach too much significance, Olsen said yesterday, to his participation in U.Va.'s Senior Day ceremony, which did not include several of his classmates, including Tony Franklin, Jason Snelling, Marcus Hamilton and Kai Parham. Olsen said his parents were given the option of signing him up for the ceremony and chose to do so.

"I'm expecting to come back," Olsen said. "That really wasn't even a big deal to me. I think the coaches know I really want to come back."

Given two opportunities recently to say publicly that Olsen would be invited back, Groh has been noncommittal.

FRIENDSHIPS ENDURE: After Saturday's game, the Hokies traveled by bus to Blacksburg. Several Tech players drove back to Charlottesville that night, including Duane Brown, Brenden Hill and Roland Minor.

Brown and U.Va. wideout Fontel Mines were teammates at Hermitage High.

"We got to chill and hang out," Mines said yesterday. "We really didn't talk much about the game. We're all good friends. We said we're worst enemies during the game, best friends after the game."

DOUBTFUL: Sophomore nose tackle Keenan Carter, who started against Georgia Tech, injured his ankle in the first quarter of that Nov. 12 game but went the rest of the way. Carter didn't play last weekend and may not play Saturday.

"Not on the basis of what I saw [Monday] night, no," Groh said.

With Carter out, senior Kwakou Robinson played most of Virginia Tech game at nose tackle.

"Better," Groh said when asked how Robinson played against the Hokies. "Better than quite a few previous outings." -- Jeff White