Liberty stuns lackluster Cavs
By Jeff White
Published: November 26, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As University of Virginia fans trudged toward the exits, disbelief etched on their faces, the section behind the visiting team's bench stayed full.

Nobody associated with Liberty men's basketball wanted the moment to end, and who could blame them? Some 10 years after the Flames stunned U.Va. at University Hall, they repeated the feat at John Paul Jones Arena.

Liberty 86, Virginia 82.

Rarely has a U.Va. team played defense as poorly as fourth-year coach Dave Leitao's squad did last night, especially against an opponent from a mid-major conference. Liberty, of the Big South, shot 69.6 percent from the floor in the second half -- 60 percent from beyond the 3-point arc -- to stun the Cavaliers (3-1).

"Not to take anything away from Liberty," Virginia big man Mike Scott said, "but we know we definitely should have won this game."

The Cavs have themselves to blame. After closing 2007-08 with a horrid defensive effort in a loss to Bradley, Leitao and his returning players vowed to improve at that end. But Liberty (2-1), which starts no one taller than 6-5, spread out the Wahoos and carved them up.

"Embarrassing," said Scott, who grabbed 17 rebounds. "You say one thing and do another."

When the Flames weren't dribbling past Virginia defenders for layups, they were bombing in 3-pointers. Kyle Ohman made six treys for Liberty, and Seth Curry added four.

Yes, he's one of those Currys. Son of former Virginia Tech great Dell Curry and brother of current Davidson star Stephen Curry, Seth matched Ohman's 26 points last night.

"I think he has a chance to be one of the best players ever to put on a Flames jersey," Liberty coach Ritchie McKay said of Curry, who like his brother was passed over by high-major Division I programs.

Redshirt freshman point guard Sammy Zeglinski made six treys and led Virginia with a career-high 24 points, all coming in the second half. Leitao started a small lineup in an attempt to match up with the Flames, and guards Sylven Landesberg and Calvin Baker added 17 and 15 points, respectively, for Virginia.

But senior swingman Mamadi Diane, a team captain, went scoreless on a night when the Cavaliers desperately needed him to lead by example, and Scott didn't touch the ball nearly enough. The 6-8 sophomore took only four shots -- he made three -- as Virginia settled for 3-point attempts on many possessions.

The Flames led by six with 50 seconds left, but a 3-point by sophomore guard Jeff Jones pulled U.Va. to 81-78 moments later. The Virginia fans in the crowd of 9,263 dared to dream, and their hopes rose when Liberty threw away the inbounds pass.

With a chance to cut its deficit to one or pull even, Virginia got nothing on its possession, as Jones and then Mustapha Farrakhan missed from beyond the arc. The Flames then made 5 of 6 from the line in the final 30 seconds to pull away.

"Not acceptable," Zeglinski said of U.Va.'s effort. "We'll fix it."

Virginia plays its first road game Friday night, against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.

 

UVa falls to Liberty
The Flames become the first Big South hoops squad to beat Virginia in 17 games dating back to the 1998 season.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The only consolation for Virginia in an 86-82 loss to Liberty on Tuesday is that the Cavaliers don't have UNC-Asheville on their schedule.

The Flames, 28-point losers to UNC-A in their only previous Division I outing, became the first Big South team to beat Virginia in 17 games, dating back to 1998.

Liberty did the honors that year, 69-64, in a game that many viewed as the beginning of the end for former UVa coach Jeff Jones.

Current UVa coach Dave Leitao could have seen it coming. In two earlier games against Big South teams, the Cavaliers struggled to beat VMI 107-97 and Radford 68-66.

Those two games were sandwiched around another two-point victory, 77-75, over South Florida.

"We lost the game far before today ever started," said Leitao, who is beginning his fourth season. "We've been flirting with disaster or losses or whatever you want to call them for a while now."

Liberty (2-1) dared to come out in a five-guard lineup and the Cavaliers (3-1) had no answer. Sophomore post player Mike Scott had a game-high 17-rebounds for Virginia but rarely touched the ball offensively against the Flames' zone.

At the other end, Liberty bombed away from behind the 3-point arc and had three players with 20 points or more -- freshman Seth Curry (26), junior Kyle Ohman (26) and senior Anthony Smith (21).

Curry's older brother Stephen has made a career at Davidson out of making larger schools paying for not recruiting him, and Seth hasn't taken long to follow suit.

"That's always big, playing a team in a bigger conference and showing you can play with anyone. You definitely come out and try to prove people wrong because they didn't recruit you," said Seth Curry, whose mother, Sonya, was in the John Paul Jones Arena crowd.

Leitao had promised after a 17-16 record in 2007-08 that a new season would bring improved defense, but the Cavaliers haven't delivered.

The Flames shot 56.6 percent for the game, including 69.6 percent in the second half, and went 13-for-26 on 3-pointers.

The Flames might have buried Virginia if the Cavaliers hadn't started making some shots in the second half. Redshirt freshman guard Sammy Zeglinski, who was scoreless in the first half, hit six 3-pointers during a 24-point second half.

"It's depressing," Zeglinski said. "We came out flat in the first half, just like we did the first two games. It's not acceptable. We needed to be more aggressive and that started with me."

The Cavaliers, who had made only nine of 44 3-point shots in their first three games, went 13-for-32 from behind the arc Tuesday.

Scott chose "frustration" and "embarrassment" as the adjectives that best described his emotions.

"We definitely should have won this game," he said. "You can't let this happen in your own house."

 

U.Va. hopes to play spoiler against Va. Tech
By Jeff White
Published: November 26, 2008

Give University of Virginia safety Byron Glaspy points for honesty. He acknowledged yesterday what many of his teammates no doubt have been saying privately: that depriving Virginia Tech of a trip to Tampa, Fla., for the ACC championship game would make a U.Va. victory that much sweeter Saturday.

"I've thought about that," Glaspy said with a smile. "That'd be a nice thing to do: send them home unhappy."

Glaspy was born in Richmond and spent most of his childhood in New Jersey. Once he joined the Cavaliers' program, however, he quickly grasped the importance of the annual battle for the Commonwealth Cup.

"When you come here, you fall into the same tradition," Glaspy said. "You hear so many stories about Virginia-Virginia Tech games, the history of the rivalry, and you just become a part of that. You get sucked up into that culture."

Does he hate Tech? Absolutely not, Glaspy said, "but I think it's just understood that that's the game that we look forward to most every year, [the team] we most want to beat."

Yesterday was Senior Day at John Paul Jones Arena, where Glaspy and several other U.Va. players talked about what could be the final game of their college careers.

The Hokies (4-3, 7-4) will advance to the ACC championship game as the Coastal Division representative if they win Saturday at Lane Stadium. Even if they lose, they're headed to a bowl.

The Cavaliers (3-4, 5-6) must win to become bowl-eligible.

"I just hope it's not our last game," linebacker Clint Sintim said. "I'm not ready to leave college football and join the real world, whatever that [may] be."

Six seniors -- Sintim, Glaspy, defensive end Alex Field, tight end John Phillips, linebacker Jon Copper and tailback Cedric Peerman -- met with reporters yesterday, as did U.Va. coach Al Groh.

"It's all about our team," Groh said when asked the possibility of dashing the Hokies' ACC title hopes.

Phillips agreed.

"I don't think our team is into spoiling their championship run or whatnot," he said. "It's more we're looking into what we have to continue to play football, which is ultimately what we want to do."

Sintim said he'd take the most satisfaction from "winning the game. . . . Knocking them out, that'd be cool, but more importantly I want to win for us."

U.Va.'s players are keenly aware that none of them has beaten Tech. Since a 35-21 win at Scott Stadium in 2003, the Cavaliers have dropped four in a row to the Hokies. Virginia hasn't won in Blacksburg since 1998.

If he were to leave U.Va. without having defeated Tech, Peerman said, "I think there would be some sort of void there. You always want to beat your rivals, and we haven't beaten since I've been there. So it's something I definitely think about, something I think the team definitely thinks about, our seniors."

Glaspy said: "I'd definitely say I feel the same way. I must have talked about this several times this week to different people: just the fact that we haven't beat Virginia Tech since I've been here, and just how nice that would be. To not only beat them, but also, I know they're looking forward to trying to get to the ACC championship, so being able to spoil that for them, that would just be an added bonus."

U.VA. NOTES
By Staff Reports
Published: November 26, 2008

Groh should know about contract soon
An important deadline is looming for Athletic Director Craig Littlepage. He has until Monday to decide whether U.Va. will add another year to coach Al Groh's contract.

Groh's deal runs through Dec. 31, 2011. Each December, the school has the option of adding a year to Groh's contract. If U.Va. chooses to do so this year, Groh would again have four seasons left on his deal.

In December 2006, after the Cavaliers finished 5-7, the university elected not to add a year to Groh's deal. Last fall, not long after he was named ACC coach of the year, Groh got another season. He earns about $2 million annually.

Through a U.Va. spokesman, Littlepage has declined interview requests from the media this week.

This is Groh's eighth season as coach at his alma mater, where his record is 56-43. U.Va. (3-4, 5-6) closes the regular season Saturday at Virginia Tech (4-3, 7-4). As the Cavaliers' coach, Groh is 1-6 against the Hokies.

Turnovers will be key
How well the Wahoos fare Saturday may hinge on how well they protect the ball.

In its past three games - all losses - U.Va. has 10 turnovers, to five for its foes. When the Cavaliers have fewer turnovers than - or the same number as - their opponent, they're 5-1.

Virginia's 29 turnovers are the most of any ACC team this season.

Groh says Harris has earned nickname
In senior Victor "Macho" Harris, Virginia Tech has one of the nation's premier cornerbacks, and he's a player with whom Groh is especially familiar.

When Harris was a senior at Highland Springs, U.Va. was among the schools he seriously considered before choosing Tech.

"He's got a real feel for the game," Groh said yesterday. "He lives up to his name: He's the 'Macho Man.' He plays with a lot of bravado, which he's certainly earned. He's aggressive, and he obviously is a very confident player, and that confidence, I'm sure, is bolstered by the amount of times that, when he's gone for a play, it's turned out to his advantage."

Harris leads the ACC with six interceptions in 10 games. He's returned two of those picks for touchdowns.

Phillips: no regrets
Virginia Tech extended a scholarship offer to tight end John Phillips when he was at Bath County High. He picked U.Va. instead and is likely to earn all-ACC honors this year.

"Without a doubt, I think I chose the right school for my position and the way that we use tight ends here," said Phillips, a 6-6, 250-pound senior who has caught 47 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns this season.

"Even at the time when I was getting recruited, [Tech] didn't really use tight ends all that much there."

Peerman not bragging
Cedric Peerman, who leads Virginia in rushing with 707 yards, is third on the team in receptions, with 42. But he's not overly impressed by that figure.

"I know I really haven't been very productive, even though it's been 40 catches," the senior tailback said. "It's not like I'm averaging 10 yards a catch."

Indeed, Peerman is averaging only 4.4 yards per reception. That's what another U.Va. tailback, Mikell Simpson, averaged, too, before a broken collarbone ended his season early this month.

A season ago, Peerman averaged 8.2 and Simpson 9.3 yards per catch. - Jeff White



 

Cavs speak fondly of Glennon
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- While Virginia wasn't exactly welcoming the news that Tyrod Taylor would start at quarterback for Virginia Tech on Saturday, nobody was begging the Hokies to go with Sean Glennon.

The Cavaliers have seen enough of Glennon, the starting quarterback in Tech's last two victories over the Cavaliers.

"He's pretty responsible for the fact that there's an ACC championship trophy down there in one of those trophy cases," UVa coach Al Groh said Tuesday "Not too many championships go to teams without a quarterback.

"He's done a good job. Was he the MVP of the [ACC] championship game? I would certainly say he was the MVP of the game here last year. I'm sure those are two games that are very important to [Tech] fans "

Glennon, a fifth-year senior, began the season as the Hokies' starting quarterback but lost his job to Taylor, a sophomore, following the second game. Glennon subbed for Taylor on several occasions prior to an Oct. 25 game at Florida State, where both players were injured and Cory Holt finished the game.

Glennon started the next game, Nov. 6 against Maryland, before Taylor returned to the starting lineup Nov. 13 at Miami. Glennon relieved Taylor against Miami and again last week in a 14-3 victory over Duke.

Groh admits that it seems like Glennon has been around forever.

"He's really been such an integral part of what they've been able to do," Groh said. "Obviously, without Sean things would have been a little bit different."

UVa fans have been left to wonder how things might have been different for the Cavaliers if Groh had offered a scholarship to Glennon in the summer of 2003, prior to Glennon's senior year at Westfield High School in Fairfax County.

Glennon was unable to work out because of a broken wrist, and the Cavaliers made an offer to Californian Scott Deke, who was at their camp. When Deke accepted, Virginia did not go forward with Glennon, who very well might have picked the Hokies anyway.

Glennon's grittiness has stood out to Groh.

"And his accuracy," Groh said. "He's proven to be a very accurate quarterback and he's had to do a lot of it under a challenging set of circumstances for a quarterback.

"It's like [in baseball]. Not every pitcher works well out of the bullpen. Some of them have got to know when they get to the stadium that they're going to be on the mound that day. Some quarterbacks are that way."

"He's come in and done his job on quick notice in a lot of games."

If there were any hard feelings between the Cavaliers and the Glennon family, they apparently were patched up to the degree that Glennon's younger brother, Mike, had Virginia among his finalists before picking North Carolina State in the spring of 2007.

Among the Virginia players praising Glennon on Tuesday was outside linebacker Clint Sintim, ejected late in the 2007 UVa-Tech game after being whistled for a late hit against Glennon.

"He's been going through some ups and downs this year," Sintim said. "From what I've seen, he's handled it pretty well. He got benched early in the season and had a little bit of an [ankle] injury, but whenever they've called on him to do something with their offense, he's done a pretty solid job. I commend him for the way he's handled himself."

Safety Byron Glaspy conceded that mobile quarterbacks in the Taylor mold provide more of a threat, "but he's [Glennon] very fundamentally sound," Glaspy continued. "Just the experience he brings makes him so effective. He's been able to read our defense and know where the weak spots are."

The Cavaliers understand that they could face a third quarterback, junior Greg Boone, a 6-foot-3, 280-pounder who is listed as Tech's starting tight end but also has taken direct snaps in the Hokies' "Wild Turkey" formation.

"We've got to prepare for three pretty diverse-type players," Groh said.

"Clearly, there's nobody to compare Greg Boone. He was a terrific quarterback in high school, an excellent safety and, I thought, probably the best player in the state in his senior year.

"Then there's Tyrod, who's kind of a Pat White-type of player, and Sean, who can come in [during] the middle of the season, come in the middle of the game. That's a real good stable of guys to rely upon. They can go in a lot of different directions."
 

Hokies muzzled by Beamer except 2
Frank Beamer: Purnell Sturdivant's comments last week are not behind the policy change.
By Randy King
981-3126

In a week in which Virginia Tech hopes to find the right combination to beat Virginia and thus claim the ACC's Coastal Division title, Hokies coach Frank Beamer has placed all but two of his players on lockdown to the media.

Senior defensive end Orion Martin, come on down. Redshirt freshman flanker Danny Coale, come on down. Come loaded with plenty of innocuous answers about Virginia at today's game-week news conference.

And the rest of you guys? Here's a media muzzle. Strap it on, fellows. Mum's the word.

Coming off a week in which senior linebacker Purnell Sturdivant created a furor by calling coordinator Bryan Stinespring's offense "pretty much predictable," Beamer obviously decided there would be no inflammatory comments spilling forth this week in reference to anything, much less about bitter rival Virginia.

Speaking on his weekly teleconference Monday, Beamer, however, refused to credit that controversy for his sudden change in policy of player availability to the media this week.

Normally, anywhere from five to eight players show up for the Tuesday news conferences. Usually, players can be requested for interviews following practices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll, forget about any trash talk coming from this end of the state this week.

"This is a gigantic week for us, the biggest week of the year," Beamer said.

"I hope you people understand that this is just a big, big week, and that's the way it needs to be."

When asked if his decision had anything to do with a growing perception there's some kind of possible rift between members of his eighth-ranked defense and 109th-ranked offense, Beamer cranked the volume of his voice.

"I think this: I think we're a together football team," he said. "And I think our senior leadership has worked very hard to do that ... we've played hard throughout as a football team. And the reason we've left two players [to talk] is because we want to concentrate on Virginia."

With a victory, Tech (7-4, 4-3 ACC) will land a spot in the ACC championship game on Dec. 6 in Tampa, Fla. The Atlantic Division representative will be either Boston College (8-3, 4-3) or Florida State (8-3, 5-3). If the Eagles beat visiting Maryland on Saturday, they will be flying south next week. If BC loses, FSU inherits the spot.

UVa (5-6, 3-4), which has lost three straight games, needs a victory over the Hokies to become bowl eligible.

"I think we felt like this when we got into the ACC," Beamer said.

"It used to be that the Virginia game was important, but now when you're in the same [division] in the same conference, it becomes more important. I think it's a credit to both programs ... you come down and you're playing for something at the end, and both of us are."

The Hokies have owned the Cavaliers during the Al Groh era, winning six of the seven meetings between the two schools, including the past four straight by an average of 20.2 points per game.

"I don't think that has anything to do with this year," responded Beamer, when asked if there is a common thread in Tech's recent success in the series.

"We've had a good run, but trust me you can forget about what's happened in the past. The only thing that matters is what happens this Saturday."
 

How does Tech keep winning with that offense?
By Kyle Tucker
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 26, 2008
BLACKSBURG

The oldest of football adages, the one that says defense wins championships, is not true anymore. Not defense alone, not these days, not on the national level.

Oklahoma scored 65 points last week to position itself for the national title game. Penn State punched its Pasadena ticket with a 49-point outburst.

More than ever, offense matters. Unless, the conversation is about Virginia Tech.

When the Hokies win, it's almost entirely with defense. That was never more apparent than Saturday night, as Tech clung to a 7-3 fourth-quarter lead over Duke at home. With the offense stalling during a five-turnover effort, the Blue Devils were still in position for an upset in the final minutes. Until Stephan Virgil and the defense, once again, came to the rescue.

Virgil intercepted two passes in the final four minutes and Victor "Macho" Harris plucked a third and returned it for a clinching touchdown.

"We had to pick the team up," Virgil said after the game. "We made big plays and basically showed the team, 'Come on, follow us. We're going to lead this team to victory today.' "

It was a microcosm of the past three seasons, a period during which no team in America has had a greater disparity in production between its offense and defense than Tech. Nor has any other team in that span had more success in spite of its offense - and because of its defense - than Tech.

Coach Frank Beamer hasn't publicly acknowledged it, preferring to simply tell critics, "We're working too hard to talk about things like that."

Beamer isn't too keen on his players acknowledging it, either. He made all but two players off-limits to the media this week in the wake of linebacker Purnell Sturdivant's criticism of the offense last week.

But what the Hokies don't say, the numbers scream.

Despite an offense that ranks 109th in the country in total yards, Tech heads into Saturday's regular-season finale against rival Virginia with a chance to win the Coastal Division and play for a second straight ACC championship.

How can the Hokies still have a chance for another crown, a fifth consecutive 10-win season, with such an anemic offense? Because they also have the nation's eighth-stingiest defense.

"We just know we have to play extra hard when the offense is struggling, pick them up until they get going," defensive end Orion Martin said.

Tech has a chance to become just the second BCS conference team in the last three years to win its league championship with an offense ranked 100th or worse. The only other team to do that? The 2007 Hokies.

The other five BCS conference champs had offenses ranked an average of 26th in 2006 and 2007.

Of the 60 teams with offenses ranked 100th or worse over the past three seasons, only nine even posted winning records. The average was four victories. The difference between those teams and Tech? Defense. Only four bottom-20 offenses since 2006 have also had a top-10 defense.

"You win as a team, you lose as a team," defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "But obviously, there's times if they've turned the ball over or are not moving the ball, maybe we can get a spark."

Tech's offense has bogged down this season once it gets inside the opponent's 40-yard line, averaging 2 fewer yards per carry with the goal line in sight. The defense, meanwhile, stiffens when opponents reach the same spot. The Hokies allow 2 fewer yards per pass and a completion rate that's 9 percentage points lower than when the opposition is outside the 40.

This isn't new for Tech. Over the past three seasons, the defense and special teams have directly contributed 156 points - 18 return touchdowns, four safeties, five blocked field goals and three blocked extra points. That's an average contribution of 4.1 points a game.

"We don't want to have to rely on that," wide receiver Danny Coale said. "We need to take care of the ball and focus on what we can do."

But with an offensive line that's given up more sacks than any ACC team and a receiving corps that's caught just one touchdown pass all season, there hasn't been much for Tech to rely on offensively.

Beamer has often pointed to youth and inexperience to explain the struggles, but the offense had to replace just four starters this year. The defense replaced seven without missing a beat.

"It hasn't always been pretty," Beamer said. "You guys are into stats, and I understand that, but the bottom line is winning.... I think we've done a pretty good job of that."

True enough. But after Virginia Tech played in the 1999 national championship game, Beamer placed an empty glass case in a memorabilia room - for when the Hokies finally win the big one - that overlooks the team's practice field.

The goal hasn't changed, but the case remains empty.

The Hokies have one half of the championship equation: Each of the last five national champions had a top-10 ranked defense. But the lowest-rated offense among them was LSU's 31st-ranked unit in 2003.

Defense can win championships, but these days, it takes a little offense to win it all.

 

U.Va. ex-starting QB Sewell will rejoin program
Posted to: College Football Sports
Roanoke Times
© November 26, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

When Virginia's football team assembled for spring practice last March, the three scholarship candidates for the quarterback job did not have a single start among them.

Experience won't be an issue this spring. Cavaliers' coach Al Groh said on an ACC coaches' teleconference Tuesday that suspended quarterback Jameel Sewell will be rejoining the program next semester.

"Jameel and I have stayed in touch over the course of the fall, as he has with many of the coaches and his teammates," Groh said. "We had a conversation just here recently and... he affirmed his desire to be back with us, and we affirmed our desire to have him."

Sewell was placed on one year's academic probation following the first semester in 2007 and has no obstacles blocking his return.

At the time of his suspension, Sewell, who will be a fifth-year senior, had made 23 consecutive starts. Marc Verica, who will be a junior, will make his 10th start this season when the Cavaliers (5-6, 3-4 ACC) visit Virginia Tech (7-4, 4-3) at noon Saturday in a game to be televised by ESPN.

Groh indicated that he has no thought of switching Sewell to another position.

At a Crosroads

Verica has yielded more interceptions than any Virginia quarterback since 1976, but 10 of the interceptions have come in three games: losses to Duke, Wake Forest and Clemson. In three other games, he wasn't intercepted once.

"Matt (Schaub) had issues with it for a while," Groh said of the former Cavalier now playing for the Houston Texans.

Schaub was intercepted eight times in 240 attempts as a sophomore in 2001 and seven times in 418 attempts as a junior in 2002, when he was the ACC Player of the Year. Verica has thrown 340 passes this season.

The rollover

Athletic director Craig Littlepage has until Monday to let Groh know if his contract will be rolled over.

Groh's contract was extended through the 2011 season following his selection last year as ACC Coach of the Year for the second time.

However, it was not rolled over following a 5-7 season in 2006. If the contract is not rolled over, it would mark the first time since the contract was rewritten before the 2005 season that Groh has not had four seasons left on his deal..

By the numbers

A 190-yard effort Saturday has dropped Virginia to 102nd out of 119 Division I-A teams in total offense, as it bids to crack the top 100 for the first time in three seasons with Mike Groh as coordinator. The Cavaliers are 114th in rushing offense and 115 in scoring defense....

A Kevin Ogletree reception Saturday was awarded to Cary Koch by error. Ogletree has 57 receptions, which ties him for second in the ACC. One more catch would put him in U.Va.'s single-season top five.

Quick kicks

Groh had more victories over Virginia Tech in four games as Wake Forest's coach than he has had in seven meetings since coming to Virginia. Two of Wake's wins during Groh's tenure came at Lane Stadium, where the Cavaliers have not won since 1998.... Virginia will be facing an unranked Hokies' team for the first time since 1997, when the Cavaliers won 34-20 in Charlottesville.

- Doug Doughty, The Roanoke Times
 

Verica is key figure to end U.Va. drought
David Teel
November 26, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Ten years later, Al Groh has total recall. He wasn't a coach or a scout on this day. Just a fan.

His alma mater, the University of Virginia, was playing its annual football game against Virginia Tech. Groh was the New York Jets' linebackers coach, and with a home game the following day, he settled in front of the television at his New Jersey abode to watch the proceedings.

Man, could he and the Cavaliers use a similar afternoon this Saturday.

The exceptional quarterback play and stirring comeback. Most important, a road victory over their bitter rival.

Virginia has dropped four straight and eight of its past nine against Tech. Now the Cavaliers' head coach, Groh is 1-6 against the Hokies, a disparity that sticks to him like peanut butter to teeth.

Most galling to the faithful, Tech (7-4, 4-3) has won two ACC championships since joining the conference in 2004, and a victory Saturday returns it to the league title game. Conversely, Virginia (5-6, 3-4) is playing for mere bowl eligibility.

Athletic director Craig Littlepage says Groh will be back in 2009, but another beatdown against the Hokies, a four-game, season-ending losing streak, and a second losing season in three years will have the natives howling.

"It's fun," Groh said Tuesday of the state rivalry. "It's a big-game atmosphere. … It's a lot more fun than playing against Alaska State."

If it's fun for Groh, it must be Mardi Gras for Tech.

No current Cavalier has come within 10 points of the Hokies, much less beaten them.

"I think there would be some sort of void there," senior tailback Cedric Peerman said of a possible career 0-fer against Tech. "It's something I definitely think about."

The Cavaliers' last victory at Lane Stadium came in 1998, the game Groh and his wife, Anne, watched before heading to the Jets' team hotel in Teaneck, N.J.

Virginia trailed 29-7 at halftime before rallying to win 36-32 behind quarterback Aaron Brooks, a Ferguson High graduate. Brooks completed 19 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns, including a 47-yarder to Hampton High alum Ahmad Hawkins with 2:01 remaining.

With two offenses in desperate need of a blood transfusion, no one expects such fireworks Saturday. But if the Cavaliers are to win, quarterback Marc Verica must produce.

A sophomore and accidental starter (thank you, Peter Lalich), Verica is certainly capable, witness his seamless, turnover-free performances in victories over Maryland and North Carolina. He throws a decent long ball and with surprising accuracy.

But his 15 interceptions are the most for a Virginia quarterback since Scott Gardner's 19 in 1975. And they have crippled an already hobbled offense.

"He's just kind of going through some growing pains," tight end John Phillips said. "You're going to have that. That's expected. He helped us win some games that we might not have won without him."

But three picks in each of the last two weeks sentenced Virginia to defeat against Wake Forest and Clemson.

Verica's primary issue, Groh said, is misguided bravado, a "Peyton Manning can't make this throw but I can" mentality.

"Most of them have been into traffic rather than erratic throws," Groh said of Verica's interceptions.

Groh recalled that Matt Schaub, Virginia's career passing leader, endured interception problems for his first 13 or 14 starts. Saturday will mark Verica's 10th outing.

Groh also reminded that Verica doesn't have the luxury of working behind a dominant offensive line.

"The year Marques Hagans was a first-year starter (2004), we had the No. 1 rushing offense in the conference," Groh said. "We were able to steamroll people."

The Cavaliers will not dump-truck the Hokies on Saturday. Good as Peerman is, Tech's defense is too stingy against the run.

No, Verica will have to find Phillips, Kevin Ogletree and Maurice Covington downfield. And he can't throw picks that give Tech short fields or defensive scores.

"Some guys play with (interception problems) their whole career," Groh said. "Some guys clearly grow out of it. It will be further down the road before the answer to that becomes apparent to anybody."

The Cavaliers don't require a firm answer Saturday from Verica. But without an encouraging hint, it's going to be a long afternoon, one Groh would prefer to forget.

 

Hokies, Cavs rivals that are miles apart
The stunner in this series is the margin of victory, not that Virginia Tech has won eight of the past nine.
By NORM WOOD | 247-4642
November 26, 2008

BLACKSBURG - Other than the fact there's no bigger rival on Virginia Tech's schedule, Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster promises there's no extra amount of preparation put in against Virginia.

It just seems that way.

Tech (7-4 overall, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has defeated U.Va. four consecutive times, and eight of the past nine seasons. Tech's win-loss record against U.Va. only tells part of the story. It's the way in which the Hokies have beaten the Cavaliers that's most stunning — the term complete domination comes to mind. Tech hosts U.Va. on Saturday in a game that will give the Hokies the ACC's Coastal Division crown with a win. U.Va. will become bowl-eligible if it wins.

"I think they understand," said Tech coach Frank Beamer regarding his impressions of whether his young team fully comprehends what it's trying to accomplish.

"I think with the toughest schedule we've had in some time and the youngest football team in some time and some key injuries to our football team and (we're still) in position to play for a conference championship if we win Saturday, so you better take advantage of those (opportunities)."
Considering Tech's immense success in recent years against U.Va., it's hard to call the game much of a rivalry. That's not to say there are any problems with motivation from Tech's side of things.

"I think it's still going to be a rivalry, regardless of who wins," said Tech defensive end Orion Martin, who is third in the ACC with 71/2 sacks this season. "It's two in-state schools and a lot is on the line and there's a lot of history between them."

This season, Tech's offense has never gotten on track, while the defense has continued to improve and again finds itself in the top 10 in the nation in total defense. With Tech averaging an ACC-worst 293 yards per game, it's going to be hard-pressed to keep up with the pace it has set in the past nine years against U.Va.

Tech has outscored U.Va. (5-6, 3-4) by an average margin of 32-15 in the past nine meetings. The Hokies have gained an average of 403 yards in those games, compared to just 265 yards for the Cavaliers. This season, Tech's offense hasn't gained more than 400 yards in any game.

Maybe most amazing is the discrepancy in rushing yards in the recent rivalry. Since 1999, Tech has averaged 107 more rushing yards per game than U.Va. (211 yards to 104). In six of the nine games, Tech had at least one running back eclipse the 100-yard mark. U.Va. had just two 100-yard rushers during the span.

"If you can make an offense one-dimensional, it's going to improve your chances of being successful," Foster said.

"We place an emphasis on stopping the run, but at the same time, you've got to be disciplined in the passing game. When you see our offense, when we can run the ball, it sets up so many other things — your play-action passing game, your drop-back game, getting guys crowded around the line of scrimmage. It can open up some doors."

Foster isn't as concerned with total rushing yards as he is with yards per carry. He pointed out Duke gained 116 rushing yards last Saturday in Tech's 14-3 win, but the Blue Devils only averaged 2.9 yards per carry.

Apply that same philosophy against U.Va., and it's clear where Tech's defense has excelled. In the past nine games against U.Va., Tech has given up just 3.1 yards per carry.

Tech's defense is playing better now than it has at any point in the season. None of Tech's past four opponents have gained more than 248 yards. Tech hasn't given up a touchdown in the past seven quarters. Meanwhile, U.Va. couldn't manage a touchdown in last Saturday's 13-3 loss to Clemson. It was the third game this season in which the Cavaliers haven't scored an offensive touchdown.

"I knew it would take time with (seven) new starters and the youth on the defense," said Martin regarding the development of Tech's defense into a unit that is ranked eighth in the nation in total defense (277 yards per game).

"We had the capability of doing it, but we knew it would take some time and some growing pains. It doesn't surprise us at all."

 

Blacksburg win hard, not impossible COLLEGE FOOTBALL
November 26, 2008 12:35 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

Al Groh remembers exactly where he was on Nov. 28, 1998.

The then-linebackers coach for the NFL's New York Jets was enjoying the afternoon at home with his wife one day before a contest against the Carolina Panthers.

They were watching his alma mater, Virginia, complete one of its greatest comebacks in school history: a 36-32 victory over arch-rival Virginia Tech.

The Grohs didn't turn away from the television even when the Cavaliers fell behind 29-7 at halftime.

"We're true fans," said Groh, now Virginia's head coach. "We don't leave early."

Groh should be glad he watched. It was the last time the Cavaliers have earned a victory in Lane Stadium.

They'll try again on Saturday at noon in an Atlantic Coast Conference contest that will determine the fate of the state rivals.

A loss for Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC) would end its season. A win would earn it a trip to a lower-tier bowl game.

A Virginia Tech victory will put it in the ACC championship game for the third time in four years. A loss would toss the Hokies (7-4, 4-3) in the pile of other conference teams fighting to move up in the bowl pecking order.

"I don't think our team is into spoiling their championship run," Virginia senior tight end John Phillips said. "We've got to look at what we've got to do to continue to play football."

Not everyone totally agrees.

Virginia senior linebacker Clint Sintim said it would be "cool" to knock the Hokies out of the conference championship.

When asked what the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry means to him, Sintim added "it means I haven't won against them."

He's not alone.

The Cavaliers haven't beaten the Hokies since 2003. Groh is 1-6 against them. Virginia's senior class doesn't want to exit without a win over the Hokies.

"I think there would be some sort of void there," senior running back Cedric Peerman said of his career sans a Virginia Tech victory. "That's your rival. You always want to beat your rival. It's something I definitely think about. It's something the team definitely thinks about."

When Phillips said the Hokies "have kind of had our number," it may have been an understatement.

Virginia Tech has won the past four meetings by an average of 20.2 points per game. Last season's game was the most competitive, but the Cavaliers still lost 33-21.

Despite the history, Groh said he enjoys playing Virginia Tech.

He said he has enthusiasm for the big-game atmosphere that comes along with a state rivalry.

"It's a lot more fun than playing Alaska State," he said.

One reason for that is familiarity.

When Virginia faced Clemson this past Saturday, it was the first time since 2004. Groh didn't recognize Clemson's players because the recruiting areas are so far away.

It's the exact opposite with the Hokies.

Groh had nearly all of Virginia Tech's starters on his recruiting radar and many in for Virginia camps.

Phillips, Sintim and Peerman, among other Cavaliers, were sought after by the Hokies.

"I understand the rivalry," Phillips said. "And there are a lot of guys, especially the Virginia guys on our team, who understand the rivalry and know the recruiting wars."

It hasn't been much of a battle on the field lately.

Some suggest Tech's dominance cheapens the rivalry, but Sintim said that's not the case.

He said Virginia and North Carolina are still rivals despite the Cavaliers' run of nine wins in the past 11 games.

"They've won the majority," Sintim said of the Hokies. "But nonetheless, it's still a rivalry game."

 

Freshman McLeod off to quick start
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 25, 2008

When Rodney McLeod verbally committed to play football at Virginia, the Maryland native proclaimed that his intentions were to make an immediate impact.

Apparently, McLeod was not kidding.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound true freshman has shown flashes of brilliance as a reserve cornerback and earned the opportunity to return kickoffs. For the season, McLeod has 14 tackles, two tackles for a loss — one of which was a sack — and forced a fumble.

“It has been extremely fun hanging out with the guys this season,” McLeod said. “As a freshman, coming out and actually playing and contributing to the team has been a big thing for me.”

McLeod, a three-star recruit from DeMatha High, impressed the Virginia coaching staff during the recruiting process. The icing on the cake, however, was his personality.

“When we watch the tape of a player it identifies a player and identifies talent for us, but it doesn’t identify who the person is. We learn that through interaction and meeting with him and speaking with those who know him,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “The first part of the process, just by reviewing the stuff, he was very impressive as a playmaker. Once we got to know him, all the qualities about him really jumped out.

“We could see that this is clearly our kind of guy. He fits the profile for what we are looking for here.”

Virginia redshirt freshman Jared Green said McLeod was a natural fit from the opening practice in training camp.

“He is a good guy off the field,” Green said. “He is a quiet guy, but the smile will get you.”

More importantly, McLeod entered with a swagger uncommon for rookies adjusting to big-time college football.

“Once he got here, his quiet sense of self confidence and his ability to pick things up demonstrated that not only would he be able to pick things up quickly,” Groh said, “but he would have the personal confidence to go in there and participate right away on the next level.”

It wasn’t nearly as easy as McLeod made it look, he said.

“The hardest thing to get adjusted to is the various calls,” McLeod said. “It is always a big transition going from high school to college due to the speed of the game. Once I entered the games I just needed to be quicker with picking up the calls.”

Barring an upset win over Virginia Tech on Saturday at noon, Virginia (5-6, 3-4 ACC) will shift gears, focusing on the future of the program. That includes a host of talented defensive backs.

In fact, only senior safety Byron Glaspy is scheduled to depart, and sources indicated that in the past two weeks that Groh met with former cornerback Chris Cook to help solidify the senior’s return next year.

“It is hard to even think about the talent that we will have,” McLeod said. “We have a lot of great athletes in the secondary. It is truly going to be a battle in the offseason.”

Despite the team’s current three-game slide, McLeod likes the direction of the program under Groh and first-year defensive coordinator Bob Pruett.

“We have an extremely good team here even though we are losing some top players like Clint Sintim and [John] Phillips, this team, we have a lot going for us,” he said. “I am really looking forward to the next game and us going out and getting a win and there is a lot to be excited about with everything that will come in the following years.”