Hall shows UVa what it's missed
Doug Doughty

BLACKSBURG -- Before Saturday, Virginia head football coach Al Groh had never second-guessed himself for not playing Vic Hall at quarterback.

He still wasn't second-guessing himself Saturday.

"That's not the way I live," Groh said.

Thousands of Virginia fans probably were second-guessing Groh after Hall led the Cavaliers to the brink of an upset victory over Virginia Tech.

It took 49 games for Virginia to use Hall at quarterback, the position at which he had rewritten the state record book for Gretna High School, but he showed few signs of rust.

Hall carried the ball 16 times for 109 yards and had scoring runs of 40 and 16 yards in Virginia's 17-14 loss to its archrival.

He also had a 39-yard run that gave Virginia a late first down at the Tech 24-yard line, an opportunity that was squandered when UVa's other quarterback, Marc Verica, was intercepted in the end zone.

Hall also took a turn at cornerback when Virginia was in its "dime" package and was credited with the Cavaliers' lone sack.

"As you can see, Vic Hall's a great football player, an awesome competitor," Groh said. "To do that on a few days' worth of practices [at quarterback] is unbelievable.

"He held up every end of his bargain. It's a shame that we didn't have a few more points and that his performance today won't be remembered forever. It had to be one of the best performances ever in this series by an individual player."

Hall ran for a touchdown last year as the holder on a fake field-goal attempt, and he also completed a pass after lining up at running back and taking an option pitch.

Hall also has served as the Cavaliers' principal punt-returner and, against Richmond this year, he returned a pass interception for a touchdown.

But, when the idea of playing quarterback was pitched to him earlier this week, he jumped at the chance.

"Ever since I came here, I've dreamed about playing offense," Hall said. "It had definitely crossed my mind. I felt like I was blessed to be a great athlete when the ball was in my hands."

Virginia established a pattern on its first series Saturday, when Hall took the first four plays and then gave way to Verica in obvious passing situations.

Hall threw two passes all day, although he was credited with one official attempt. On his first throw, Tech safety Kam Chancellor was penalized for interfering with Maurice Covington, giving Virginia a first down at the Tech 16. UVa scored one play later on a 16-yard run by Hall that gave the Cavaliers the 14-7 lead they would carry into halftime.

Hall wasn't just a running quarterback at Gretna, where he passed for 8,731 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career (2002-05).

Groh said there were only five or six passes in the package the Cavaliers installed for Hall.

"Obviously, I haven't really thrown a lot over the last few years." Hall said, "But I feel very comfortable throwing the ball. Like I've always said, it's like riding a bike."

One reason Virginia could afford to use Hall at quarterback was the development of redshirt freshman cornerback Chase Minnifield. It didn't sound as if Hall would mind a shot at quarterback next year, when Jameel Sewell returns from a year's academic suspension and Verica will be a junior.

"The proof's in the pudding," Hall said.

Groh sounded as if his interest had been whetted.

"How could you not be impressed by what he did?" Groh said. "He ran those plays all week long pretty much like he did today. He's got quickness, he's got eyes, he's got guts. He's a hell of a player.

"Whether Vic can do that on a four-month basis, who knows? He's not a big man (5 foot 9, 190 pounds). There was one play today when we were told that he wasn't available, but fortunately that didn't last but for a few seconds."

Hall was on the field for almost every first down, except the play after his late, 39-yard run. He had taken off around right tackle, reversed his field and may have run 100 yards before he was brought down by Dorian Porch.

Hall had taken virtually every first down at that point, but he was clearly worn out, or else the Cavaliers might not have replaced him with Verica.

"Had he not been worn out, the ball would have been down at the other end," Groh said.

Like everything else about Hall on Saturday, that was one more what-if.
 

Pick victimizes Virginia QB Verica again
By Katrina Waugh
981-3127

BLACKSBURG -- Marc Verica stared into the middle of the end zone, looking for Kevin Ogletree and a little redemption.

Verica had lost his starting quarterback's job for the Virginia Cavaliers, literally thrown it away with six interceptions in his previous two games. But trailing 17-14 on third-and-11 from the Virginia Tech 25 with 2:15 to play and Verica's replacement on the bench after taking a sack, Verica saw his chance. Couldn't take his eyes off of it, unfortunately.

"There were two deep safeties, I was staring down the middle of the field and the backside safety read my eyes," Verica said afterward, dutifully answering every postgame question without ever raising his eyes. "It was a ball that never should have been thrown."

That refrain has become familiar around Verica. Dorian Porch's game-saving interception in the end zone was the 16th of the season for the redshirt sophomore, more than any Virginia quarterback since Scott Gardner in 1975.

Asked what his young quarterback would have to do to recover from these mental mistakes, coach Al Groh offered just a terse: "Dr. Phil."

Verica got his first start three games into the season against Connecticut after Peter Lalich was suspended and later dismissed from the program. He completed 63.8 percent of his passes (226 for 354) for eight touchdowns, and reeled off a string of six straight games of 200-plus passing yards for a season total of 2,037.

But, oh, those interceptions.

Groh said the three interceptions last week were the reason for change in quarterbacks this week, moving Vic Hall into the starting spot and rotating Verica in.

"Last week it's pretty obvious the difference between the two teams was not turning the ball over," Groh said.

Verica said he was behind the decision to move Hall from cornerback to quarterback "all the way," though he couched it more as a move to add an extra running dimension to the offense for which the Hokies would not be prepared.

Also, "it took some pressure off me," Verica said.

He still played, completing 8 of 14 passes for 77 yards.

"I tried to approach it like I was just another personnel package," Verica said. "I'd try to do anything they ask me to do."

On that one play, though, the Cavaliers weren't asking Verica to try to throw for a touchdown. It was third down. The Cavaliers were down by three. They were at the 25-yard line, not quite close enough to be Groh's idea of comfortable field-goal range but still far better than what happened.

"I tell him that every day in practice, 'Protect the kick,' " Groh said.

Verica didn't try to make excuses.

"I should have just ran it, or checked it down," Verica said. "Obviously it was a costly mistake and not the way I wanted to end my season."

Verica said he would learn from the experience and use it when he finds himself in a similar situation in the future.

"It's definitely frustrating," he said. "But you've got to look forward and allow this bad feeling to push you forward."
 

Sintim backs UVa's Groh
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

BLACKSBURG -- Clint Sintim sounded as if he had been talking to somebody important.

The topic was Virginia football coach Al Groh and the likelihood of his return for a ninth year.

"Oh, he's back," said Sintim following the Cavaliers' 17-14 loss at Virginia Tech. "He's definitely back."

It was the fourth straight loss for Virginia, which finished 5-7, its second losing season in three years.

"A lot of times, people speculate whenever a team is losing, and it always goes back to the head man," Sintim said. "That's the way college football is. I don't feel as though he didn't do everything he possibly could to help this team out."

Groh has three years remaining on his contract, although Virginia has the option of adding a fourth year to the pact.

Athletic director Craig Littlepage must notify Groh by Monday if the Cavaliers plan to exercise a rollover clause that would take Groh through 2011.

"Every game we've played, with the exception of Southern Cal and UConn, was a competitive game and we could have won," Sintim said.

Sintim gave a shout-out to one of his defensive teammates, Vic Hall, who moved to quarterback early in the week and scored both of UVa's touchdowns Saturday.

Hall also recorded the Cavaliers' lone sack of the day and later tackled Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor at the UVa 9-yard line following a 73-yard run.

"For a guy to come in at a position he hasn't [played] since high school and really put this team on his back is just exceptional," Sintim said.

Personnel

Not only did Hall take snaps for the first time in his college career, but the Cavaliers had a first-time starter at center, redshirt freshman Anthony Mihota. Mihota took the place of sophomore Jack Shields, sidelined by a leg injury after missing the first 11 games.

Decisions

An end-zone interception that ended Virginia's last good scoring threat spoke to the Cavaliers' comfort level with their kicking game. The Cavaliers faced a third-and-11 from the Tech 25-yard line with just over two minutes remaining.

"It was right on the fringe of the area that we think we have a pretty good accuracy record," Groh said. "A little bit more would have given us a little better chance."

True freshman Robert Randolph went 3-for-4 on field goals after taking over those duties from Yannick Reyering in the past month, but Randolph did not have a field goal of more than 37 yards.

By the numbers

Virginia safety Byron Glaspy, a fifth-year senior, had a career-high 15 tackles and intercepted a pass. Glaspy's fellow walk-on, linebacker Jon Copper from Northside High School, had 10 stops. Copper finished the season with a team-high 102 tackles and his 303 career tackles put him 13th on UVa's all-time list. ... Virginia's 249 yards in total offense marked its sixth game under 300. Tech's 392 yards in total offense was just a shade under its season high of 400 against Maryland.
 

Hall’s play wins Groh’s praise
By Jeff White
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG -- Given an opportunity to say he wished he'd made the move earlier, University of Virginia football coach Al Groh declined to do so yesterday at Lane Stadium.

"That's not the way I live," Groh said after U.Va. ended its season with a 17-14 loss to Virginia Tech.

Nobody, however, praised Vic Hall more than Groh after the 5-9, 190-pound junior, in his first appearance at quarterback for Virginia, turned in a performance that left players, coaches and fans buzzing.

"I'm surprised they haven't used that more," said Bud Foster, Tech's longtime defensive coordinator.

Hall, operating exclusively out of the shotgun formation, attempted only one pass against the Hokies (5-3, 8-4), but he rushed 16 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yarder on the game's opening series. In spot duty at cornerback, his customary position, he also had a sack, the only one for Virginia (3-5, 5-7).

"As you can see, Vic Hall's a great football player," Groh said. "He's an awesome competitor, and to do that on a few days worth of practice is unbelievable."

Unhappy with Marc Verica's recent rash of interceptions, Groh began working Hall at quarterback in practice early last week. In Virginia's 13-3 loss to Clemson on Nov. 22, Verica had thrown three picks.

"The difference between those two teams last weekend was turning the ball over, and we felt that our team needed a spark, needed somebody to believe in," Groh said. "There's nobody on this team that the players and the coaches believe in more than Vic Hall, and he certainly confirmed that to everybody today."

Quarterback, of course, is not a position with which Hall is unfamiliar. He had a legendary career at Gretna High, passing for 8,731 yards and 104 touchdowns and rushing for 5,039 yards and 66 TDs. And he looked comfortable from the start yesterday, picking up 14 yards on his first carry.

"I was all for it," Hall said of the move. "I felt like I could help the team a whole lot with the ball in my hands."

Virginia trailed 17-14 when Hall ran for 39 yards to the Tech 24 late in the fourth quarter. That put the Cavaliers in Yannick Reyering's field-goal range, but they might have won the game there with a touchdown.

Alas for the Wahoos, they self-destructed, as they did so often during their season-ending four-game losing streak. After Hall lost 3 yards on a second-down run, Verica came in for third-and-11 from the Tech 25.

Groh said the coaches have told Verica every day to "protect the kick." But the mistake-prone sophomore committed a blunder he'll long rue. Instead of scrambling for a few yards to shorten a field-goal attempt, Verica forced a throw to junior wideout Kevin Ogletree, who was well-covered in the end zone. Rover Dorian Porch made the interception -- Verica's seventh in three games -- to effectively seal with the Hokies' victory.

"It was obviously a costly mistake," Verica said. "Not the way I wanted to end the season."

Redshirt freshman Chase Minnifield played well in Hall's place at cornerback yesterday, and Groh didn't rule out using Hall at quarterback next season.

"How could you not be impressed by what he did?" Groh said. "But where all of that goes, we'll just have to see."

 

Perseverance and skill pay off for Virginia Tech
By Paul Woody
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG Al Groh knows how to have fun.

Groh and his Virginia Cavaliers wanted to mess with the minds of the Virginia Tech defensive coaching staff and players yesterday.

So, Groh started a cor nerback at quarterback.

Then he watched as that cornerback, Vic Hall, who was a phenomenal high school quarterback, ran wild as the Hokies tried to figure out just what was going on.

After Hall's first-ever series as the Cavaliers' quarterback, Virginia had a 7-0 lead on Virginia Tech.

In your face, Hokie Bird.

When he saw Hall at quarterback, the first words uttered by Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster can't be repeated in a family newspaper or on network television, without the fear of significant FCC fines.

Then, Foster and the Hokies went to work figuring out how to contain Hall and the Cavaliers.

A solution was found. The day was saved. Once again, the Hokies showed that perseverance, combined with talent, will win out in college football.

"Coach Foster, man, he is the best D-coordinator in the nation," said Virginia Tech cornerback Macho Harris. "When stuff is not going right, he can make adjustments like that."

And Harris snapped his fingers.

"Coach did a great job of staying calm and composed and calling the right plays," Harris said. "The players did a great job of staying calm and composed and playing great ball."

Virginia was full of surprises yesterday. But surprise gets you only so far.

In the end, Virginia Tech was a little bit faster, a little bit stronger and a little bit ahead on the scoreboard, 17-14.

"We might not look pretty, but we get it done," Harris said. "We're just showing the whole world what we got."

What the Hokies have is a somewhat improbable, a bit surprising but not totally unexpected ACC Coastal Division championship. They're in the ACC title game Saturday, where a chance to end the season in the Orange Bowl is at stake.

Say what you will about the ACC this season -- it's down, it's mediocre, it is a cream-filled cupcake waiting to be smashed by the big boys of the SEC or Big 12 -- two division champions were going to be crowned.

The Hokies are one of those champions, and that's much better than being a runner-up.

The Virginia Tech players and coaches like to talk about the "adversity" they have faced this season. Any adversity they faced was of their own making. They lost the season-opener at East Carolina and laid eggs against Boston College, Florida State and Miami.

The Miami loss was particularly damaging, and the Hokies could have lost all hope then.

Instead, the coaching staff, led by Frank Beamer, didn't give in. The players never packed it in. And for all the youth the Hokies talk about in their lineup, those young players can play a little football.

There are seasons when it just takes patience to get talented players to do more things right than wrong.

Yesterday, Beamer raised the division championship medal he wore around his neck and said, "Some years, putting this on means more than others.

"I think this is about as special as it gets. We hung in there and battled. We found a way. We never gave up. I'm just as proud as I can be of this football team."

Yesterday, Beamer's team looked ripe for an upset. Hall's performance -- 109 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries -- had the Hokies off-balance.

The Virginia Tech offense piled up yards, but failed to make a 22-yard field goal attempt, had a pass intercepted in the end zone and lost three yards on a fourth-and-one at the Virginia 1.

As if that wasn't enough, the Cavaliers got a do-over on a missed extra point when the Hokies jumped offside.

Put all that together, and it can spell disaster

The Hokies saw those incidents as nothing more than speed bumps on their way to the ACC title game.

"If you go into a game having some type of doubt, don't play," Harris said. "We're players, man. We're Virginia Tech. Special teams, defense and offense, we've got them all. We don't lack confidence.

"For a bunch of younger guys to come around and play hard and play together for one purpose, that's a beautiful thing."
 

Athletic QBs, drama make game a must-see
David Teel
November 30, 2008
BLACKSBURG

The galling mistakes, bizarre coaching and scoring droughts we've come to expect from Virginia and Virginia Tech this football season were front-and-center Saturday in the 90th renewal of their rivalry.

But ya know what? It didn't matter.

For more than three hours at Lane Stadium, two B-list teams provided A-list entertainment.

For that we can thank two extraordinary athletes and one obstinate coach.

That the difference was a field goal should surprise no one. That the Hokies prevailed has become painfully predictable for Al Groh's Cavaliers.

The final count was 17-14, sending Virginia Tech back to the ACC championship game and Virginia into an off-season that ought to be turbulent.

First, the Hokies.

If ever Tech was going to decline under Frank Beamer, this figured to be the season. Personnel losses on defense and at receiver, not to mention uncertainty at quarterback and tailback, virtually precluded a repeat of last season's 11-3 record.

Sure enough, the Hokies (8-4, 5-3 ACC) lost four regular-season games for the first time since 2003 and vanished from the top 25. But an emerging defense, mediocre competition and just enough offense propelled them to a third Coastal Division title in four years.

"We found a way and never gave up," Beamer said.

Never more so than Saturday.

After yielding two first-half rushing touchdowns to cornerback-turned-quarterback Vic Hall, coordinator Bud Foster's defense smothered the Cavaliers (5-7, 3-5). In adjusting to Hall, Foster brought his safeties up and slanted his defensive linemen, and other than a 39-yard, fourth-quarter scamper, Hall was ineffective in the second half.

Dazzling as Hall (109 rushing yards in his U.Va. quarterback debut) was, Tech's Tyrod Taylor was better. A quarterback by trade, he produced not only with his feet (137 yards) but also his arm (137 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions).

His effort allowed the Hokies to survive one of the worst calls of Bryan Stinespring's seven seasons as offensive coordinator: a shotgun snap to tight end Greg Boone on a third-quarter fourth-and-goal from the 1 that ended with Boone losing 4 yards.

The 280-pound Boone on a sneak would have been a fine call, as would have a shotgun snap to Taylor, but we digress.

Taylor's 73-yard dash on a third-quarter third-and-8 was the Hokies' longest play this season and set up their tying touchdown. He rolled to the left corner, deked freshman defensive backs Rodney McLeod and Corey Mosley, and sprinted down the left sideline.

On Tech's drive to Dustin Keys' decisive 28-yard field goal, Taylor completed passes of 7, 13 and 10 yards — the last, to Jarrett Boykin, originally was ruled incomplete but was overturned by replay official Ted Jackson when replays showed Boykin's foot inbounds.

"I think he is going to be a fantastic quarterback before he leaves here," Beamer said of Taylor. "He is good now, but he is going to be real good when he leaves here."

Few high school quarterbacks were as good as Hall at Gretna. He passed for a state-record 8,731 yards and 106 touchdowns, and rushed for 5,039 yards.

But even as the Cavaliers groped for offense during the last three seasons, Groh kept Hall on defense. Saturday's performance prompts an obvious question for Chairman Al, now 1-7 against the Hokies.

What took you so long?!

Groh said the overarching concern was season-long punishment on the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Hall. But, Groh added, after last week's 13-3 loss to Clemson in which sophomore Marc Verica threw three interceptions, Virginia needed a spark, "someone to believe in."

What Foster and others can't believe is why Virginia didn't occasionally turn to Hall far earlier than the finale of his junior season.

As they evaluate the program's second losing season in three years, Groh and his offensive coordinator, son Mike Groh, need to rethink an attack that ignored such an obvious talent. With last season's starter, Jameel Sewell, returning from academic suspension, Verica appears bench-bound, but Hall needs to be in the mix.

Following a regular season in which it scored 30-plus points only once, Virginia Tech has similar issues to ponder. But first there's Saturday's ACC title game against Boston College, followed by a bowl.

"There's not much difference between the two teams," Groh said.

True enough. But with the Hokies chasing a third conference championship in five years and preparing for a 16th consecutive bowl, the gulf between the programs seems as wide as ever.


 

UVa’s Hall samples life on offense
By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG — When the message-board rumors became reality, and Virginia’s Vic Hall was on the field at quarterback for the first offensive play of Saturday’s Commonwealth Cup showdown at Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster had a natural reaction.

“I said, ‘oh (shoot),’” Foster said.

Foster had reason to be concerned. He recruited Hall when Hall was setting numerous state records at quarterback for Gretna High School. Foster was well aware of Hall’s high school numbers, of how Hall compiled more than 14,000 yards of total offense and accounted for 170 touchdowns during his Gretna career.

And Foster knew that UVa coach Al Groh would likely find a way to work Hall into the Cavaliers’ offensive plan Saturday, considering how quarterback Marc Verica had stumbled to the finish with six interceptions in his last two games.

“I thought they might do it, but I didn’t know they were going to do it to that extent,” Foster said. “That was probably the most shocking thing, to be honest with you. I thought they might slip it in there. But he hadn’t played quarterback all year, and all of a sudden, 80 percent of the game?”

Hall’s first play was a handoff to Cedric Peerman. Then, Hall took a snap, cut right and waited for guard Austin Pasztor to open a huge hole. Hall dashed through the opening for a 14-yard gain. Four plays later, Hall ran the same play, found space in the defense and raced 40 yards to the end zone for the game’s first score.

Hall finished with 109 yards on 16 carries and scored both touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to lift Virginia, which lost 17-14. But just that little taste of Hall’s offensive abilities led to a flurry of postgame questions.

Was this just a one-game trick, a ploy to catch Tech off guard? Or does Hall have a future as Virginia’s quarterback?

“How could you not be impressed with what he did?,” Groh asked. “Where all of that goes, we’ll just have to see.”

Hall joined Tech’s Macho Harris as a two-way player on the field Saturday. He played 15 to 18 snaps in Virginia’s dime package, recorded a sack, forced a fumble and ran down Tyrod Taylor after the Tech quarterback had broken free for a 73-yard run early in the third quarter.

After the game, Groh expressed concern that the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Hall could struggle to withstand the workload on a weekly basis. Hall said he felt good after the game, despite taking a few big hits running the football.

“My body is fine,” Hall said. “I can walk, and I can talk, and I can move my fingers and toes, then I can play. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Most of Hall’s action came in UVa’s version of the “Wildcat” formation — or the “Hoo-cat,” as Hall joked. The Cavaliers limited the playbook, giving Hall five or six pass plays to work with. He only attempted one pass, officially at least, and it fell incomplete. Hall’s second-quarter pass to Maurice Covington was incomplete as well, but Tech’s Kam Chancellor was called for pass interference, giving Virginia a first down.

Hall picked up most of his yardage on two big plays, the 40-yard touchdown and a 39-yard run in the fourth quarter that moved the Cavs inside the Tech 25. That drive ended when Verica threw an interception on third down.

Clearly, Verica’s recent struggles prompted the move. The sophomore quarterback’s turnover problems played a big role in Virginia scoring just 20 points in its last two games.

“Last week (in a 13-3 loss to Clemson), we were right there, and it was pretty obvious what the determining factor, the difference between those two teams was — turning the ball over,” Groh said. “We felt like our team needed a spark, needed somebody to believe in. There’s nobody on this team that the players and the coaches believe in more than Vic Hall. He certainly confirmed that to everybody today.”

Players had diplomatic answers when asked if the move should have been made earlier in the season.

“Vic plays in vital spots in our defense, and he’s very vital to us in special teams,” said tailback Cedric Peerman, who played at rival William Campbell when Hall was at Gretna. “He’s got a lot of jobs. You can’t ask the man to do but so much. The season will wear and tear on you.”

Groh gave no indication of how much Hall will fit into Virginia’s offense next season. Verica returns, and former starting quarterback Jameel Sewell is expected to return to classes in January after a year away from the program. Hall is a defensive captain and will be the lone Cavalier senior returning at cornerback in 2009.

“It’s a shame we didn’t have a few more points today, because his performance won’t be remembered forever,” Groh said. “Because we had three less points, it won’t be remembered quite as well. It has to be one of the best performances in this series by an individual player.

“He’s got quickness. He’s got eyes. He’s got guts. He’s a hell of a player.”

 

Hall sparks both offense, defense
November 30, 2008 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
BLACKSBURG--

When Vic Hall signed with Virginia after a record-setting quarterback career at Gretna High School, Cavaliers fans envisioned a dual-threat signal-caller who would give defenses fits.

It took four years, but the Virginia faithful finally got their wish.

Hall was moved to cornerback during his redshirt season with the Cavaliers.

Once he hit the field, he also returned punts and held snaps for the field goal unit.

But in their season finale yesterday at Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers needed a spark.

They had lost three straight games, and quarterback Marc Verica had racked up 15 interceptions in nine starts.

"[We] needed somebody to believe in," Virginia head coach Al Groh said. "There's nobody on this team the players and coaches believe in more than Vic Hall."

That's part of the reason Groh inserted Hall at quarterback for the first time ever yesterday. The coach had also grown weary of Verica's fondness for charity.

Hall failed to connect on his one pass attempt, but from a shotgun formation he dubbed the "Hoocat," he ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns against the Hokies. The junior also had a sack and forced a fumble on defense.

It ultimately wasn't enough as Virginia fell 17-14 to Virginia Tech, but Hall put on a performance that drew rave reviews from Groh, his teammates and opponents.

"It was a pretty awesome performance on his part," Groh said. "He held up every end of his bargain. It's a shame we don't have a few more points."

Groh said if the Cavaliers scored enough to win the game, Hall's showing would go down as "one of the best performances ever in this series."

It still may.

He scored on a 58-yard sprint just 3:03 into the game.

He added a 16-yard scoring run that put Virginia ahead 14-7 with 3:24 left before halftime.

"They really worked that formation to perfection," Virginia Tech cornerback Macho Harris said. "We didn't see it on film, so it caught us off-guard when he did get in there. But I knew what kind of player he was. He broke all those records in high school."

Groh was aware, also.

But Hall's performance doesn't make him wish he'd made the switch sooner.

"I don't live my life like that," he said.

It might have helped if Hall had been inserted before Virginia's season spiraled completely out of control.

The Cavaliers lost their final four games after a four-game winning streak. They've lost five straight to the Hokies, and Groh is 1-7 against Virginia's prime rival.

But yesterday's game was the closest Virginia has come in a loss to the Hokies since 1993, thanks in large part to Hall.

"To ask a guy like that to come in a position he hasn't been in since high school and to really just put this team on his back is exceptional," Virginia senior linebacker Clint Sintim said. "You can't say enough about his character, the type of man he is and the way he carries himself. I'm very appreciative of that guy."

Verica said he's appreciative, too. He said that when he learned Hall was going to take the majority of the snaps, he was thankful that some of the pressure would be taken off him.

Hall had worked at quarterback the week of the Cavaliers' loss to Connecticut. He learned he would start at the beginning of the week.

"I was all for it," Hall said. "I feel like I can help the team a lot with the ball in my hands."

The problems came when the ball wasn't in his hands. Verica played on most passing downs.

He was 8-of-14 for 77 yards. However, the crucial interception he threw to Virginia Tech rover Dorian Porch on a third-down play with 2:15 remaining sealed the Cavaliers' fate.

Groh said Verica will need "Dr. Phil" after this season to mentally overcome his woes.

Next season, he'll have to fight for the starting position with former starter Jameel Sewell, who sat out this year after he was dismissed from school in January because of academic issues.

Groh said Verica likely won't have to contend with Hall, who at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds may be unable to handle a full season under center.

Still, for Virginia fans, it was good while it lasted.

"He's not a big man," Groh said. "Four months of that, who knows if he'd be able to withstand that? There was one time today we were told he wasn't available. Fortunately that didn't last but for a few seconds."

 

Home for the holidays
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG — Inches from the end zone, he stood with his hands on his hips and stared at the ground in disbelief.

And that was merely Virginia’s mascot.

One can only imagine how Virginia’s players must have felt as final seconds ticked off the clock, sending yet another senior class to an 0 for 4 career against Virginia Tech.

With their berth to the ACC championship on the line, the Hokies dispatched the Cavaliers for the fifth straight year, using a 28-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to rally to a 17-14 victory at Lane Stadium.

Virginia Tech (8-4, 5-3 ACC) advances to face Boston College on Saturday in Tampa at 1 p.m. Virginia completes its second season in three years with a 5-7 record — one win shy of bowl eligibility — and finishes with the program’s first four-game losing streak since 2001.

“They can never take that [win] away from me,” Virginia Tech senior cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris said. “All my friends over there can talk all the trash they want later on in my years, but I own them ... I own my friends as far as that rivalry thing. It feels good.

“In the last few years, we have been on top. We have been the top dog.”

Virginia had a prime chance to answer Virginia Tech’s field goal in the fourth quarter. But facing third-and-11 at the Virginia Tech 25 yard-line, quarterback Marc Verica tossed a crippling interception into the end zone with just 2:15 remaining.

“I should have just ran it or checked it down,” said Verica, who finished the season with 16 interceptions, the most by a Cavalier in 33 years. “It was obviously a costly mistake and not the way I wanted to end the season.”

The turnover came after starting quarterback Vic Hall, a surprise option who was used at quarterback in the “Hoo Cat” formation, weaved his way 39 yards to the Hokies’ 24-yard line.

Virginia inched closer with a two-yard run by tailback Cedric Peerman, but Hall was tackled for a three-yard loss on second down, helping the coaching staff elect to pass in an attempt to get closer for what would have been a 42-yard field goal for rookie Robert Randolph.

“It was right on the fringe of the area that we think we have a pretty good accuracy record; maybe a yard in,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “Obviously, a little bit more would have been beneficial to us, give us a little bit better chance for success we thought.

“We have been kicking between the 15 and the 25 every day for months. We know what our range is. All of sudden we are a little bit behind our range. Can we make some from there? We can. But four months is a pretty good sample to know where the ball really needs to be to increase our odds.”

Verica, who was eyeing wideout Kevin Ogletree on the route, had his pass intercepted by rover Dorian Porch, who returned the ball to the Virginia Tech 40.

“He was kind of looking him down the whole time,” Porch said. “When he threw it I kind of cut in front of him and I was like, ‘Oh, yes.’ When he threw it up, it was like gold falling out of the sky.”

Porch said the Hokies’ defense knew what type of play was coming.
“The formation they had was a trips formation. We knew that was a vertical concept where they try to run a guy behind the linebacker,” he said. “When I looked up, I saw it and I broke on it and tried to take it to the house. It felt so good.”

Using all three timeouts with precision, Virginia forced Virginia Tech to punt on the ensuing drive and took over with 1:38 remaining at the UVa 13.

That drive stumbled too, as Verica threw two incomplete passes, a 1-yard strike to John Phillips and was sacked on fourth down by inside linebacker Purnell Sturdivant with just 52 seconds left.

“You have to play 60 minutes of football,” Peerman said, “and I think we know that better than anybody in the country because of all the close games that we have played over the last few years.”

Virginia, with the new wrinkle on offense, stormed out to a 14-7 lead at halftime as Hall scored on a pair of designed running plays.

The first score came on the Cavaliers opening drive as Hall followed a pulling block from left guard Austin Pasztor and raced to the right corner of the end zone, holding Porch off with a stiff arm to complete a 40-yard touchdown run.

After Virginia Tech answered with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to wideout Jarrett Boykin, Virginia’s converted cornerback struck again.

The second score, which came with 3:24 left in the second half, was a 16-yard scamper from Hall that capped a six-play, 62-yard drive.

Hall, who practiced at quarterback prior to the Connecticut game in September, was summoned to help after Verica’s recent struggles.

Virginia Tech tied the game on its first possession of the second half after Taylor rushed for 73 yards on third-and-7 from the Hokies 18. It was the longest play of the season for an offense that struggled most of the season.

Two plays after Taylor’s run, Virginia Tech tight end Greg Boone rushed into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown out of the Hokies’ “Wild Turkey” formation.

Virginia managed to run just seven more plays on offense in Virginia Tech territory over the final 27 minutes, the most critical of which came on Verica’s interception.

“Hopefully, a lot of players learn that’s the difference. It is an interception here, it’s a missed tackle there,” Groh said. “There’s not much difference between these two teams, as was evidenced today, but there is just enough difference. There were just a couple of plays that made it that different.

“Six or seven plays separated the two teams today, but when teams are that close, that’s as much separation as matters.”

 

Hall does it all for Cavaliers
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 29, 2008

BLACKSBURG

All week long, the Hokies had heard whispers that Virginia might have a few tricks up its sleeves for the 90th clash between the crusty old rivals.

Their spies were spot-on.

Still, when the underdog Cavaliers showed up at Lane Stadium with junior defensive back Vic Hall making his first appearance at quarterback since his high school days, stopping him was the hard part.

Hall played his heart out on both sides of the ball, and the Cavaliers nearly pulled off the upset in a dramatic, 17-14 loss.

An all-around star turn

All he did was rush for 109 yards, the most by a UVa quarterback since Marques Hagans hung 110 on Syracuse in 2005, including a 40-yard run for one of his two touchdowns. As a cornerback, his normal position, Hall recorded three tackles, one a sack and forced a fumble that Tech recovered, and another that saved a touchdown on Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s 73-yard run early in the second half.

Not a bad day’s work. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.

“I would have given it all up if we could have left here today with a win for our seniors,” Hall said afterward.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure, that’s Vic Hall. For those who have, the ones who watched him become the state of Virginia’s most prolific offensive machine in four years at Gretna High, they knew it already.

They’ve been clamoring for Virginia coach Al Groh to give Hall a crack at quarterback for three years.

Finally, someone listened.

Pulling out all the stops

With the Cavaliers’ offense bogged down by interceptions by starting quarterback Marc Verica during a three-game losing streak heading into this week, why not give him a chance? What did UVa have to lose? The Cavs hadn’t won in Lane Stadium since 1998 and had lost eight of nine to the Hokies.

So, when Groh came to Hall with the scheme early in the week, Hall said he was more than excited.

“I was very jacked up ... all smiles, but focused,” Hall said. “I was ready to go.”

Groh said that he felt the Cavaliers needed a spark.

“Last week [a 13-3 loss to Clemson] we were right there and it was pretty obvious what the difference between those two teams were — turning the ball over,” Groh said. “We needed somebody to believe in and there’s nobody on this team that the players and the coaches believe in more than Vic Hall and he certainly confirmed that to everybody today.”

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said that he had heard all week that Virginia might play Hall at quarterback, but thought his defense adjusted well to the change. UVa used Hall for most of the 46 offensive snaps, while Verica mostly came in to throw the ball (8 of 14 for 77 yards and one costly pick).

While the Cavaliers had five or six passing plays in Hall’s package out of what Hall labeled the “Hoo Cat,” a takeoff of the wildly popular wildcat formation, he didn’t attempt but one and it was incomplete.

Hey, what do you expect from a guy who only practiced quarterback for a week?

“We thought they might do it but didn’t know to the extent of it,” Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said of Virginia’s scheme. “That’s probably the biggest surprise, how much they did it. Hall’s a great athlete. I’m surprised they haven’t used that more.”

Virginia fans are lamenting that fact, thinking they could have possibly been packing their bags for Tampa and for a bowl game had that been the case.

Groh wasn’t sure if Hall, who stands 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, could handle the challenge of playing the quarterback position over the course of a season.

“He’s not a big man,” Groh said. “Four months of that, who knows if he would be able to withstand that [physical punishment].”

In fact, Groh pointed out that trainers told UVa coaches at one point in the game that Hall wasn’t available to go back out.

“Fortunately, that was only the case for a few seconds,” Groh said.

Still there was no questioning Hall’s toughness or effectiveness against the No. 8 ranked defense in the country.

Groh called Hall a great football player and an awesome competitor.

“To do that on a few days worth of practice is unbelievable,” Groh said. “To have two touchdown runs and a sack [on defense] in a game is a pretty awesome performance on his part. He held up every end of his bargain. It’s a shame that we didn’t have a few more points that his performance won’t be remembered forever because we got three less points. But it has to be one of the best performances ever in this series by an individual player.”

Coaches divulged that Hall had made the same kinds of runs all week in practice that he did against the Hokies.

Two of those were spectacular, a 40-yard scamper through Tech’s defense on the first possession of the game for a stunning 7-0 Wahoo lead, and a 39-yard bolt through the Hokies to the Tech 24 late in the fourth quarter. He darted through a gap on the right side of the line, then cut against the grain in an exhausting run that left him gassed.

Three plays later, Verica came in and his pass attempt to Kevin Ogletree in the end zone was intercepted by Tech’s Dorian Porch, the same guy who had chased down Hall a couple of plays earlier.

For Hall, it was an opportunity he’ll never forget. Practice, game, high school, college, whatever — he’s still the same.

“I always felt I could do this ... there was never a doubt in my mind,” Hall said. “The proof is in the pudding.”

Hall did admit that he felt some pressure when he took over the quarterbacking duties, but credited offensive coordinator Mike Groh, running backs coach Anthony Poindexter and line coach Dave Borbely for putting in the time to help him understand his mission and presenting the package to the entire offense.

“He ran those plays all week long pretty much like he did today,” Groh said. “He’s got quickness, he’s got eyes, he’s got guts. He’s a hell of a player. How could you not be impressed?”

Give Virginia credit. Better late than never in terms of throwing caution to the wind in a desperate attempt to break Tech’s strong grip on this rivalry.

Still, one wonders why it took so long for Virginia’s coaches to take advantage of Hall’s skills. Had they tried this earlier, wouldn’t the Cavaliers be going bowling? Might they, instead of the Hokies, not be in sunny Tampa next Saturday for the ACC championship?

Groh said he doesn’t play the ‘what if’ game.

“That’s not the way I live,” he said about second-guessing or looking back.

What of the future, though, as far as Hall is concerned?

Groh said, “We’ll have to wait and see.”

He’s not convinced Hall can take the physical pounding. Hall believes he can, but will do whatever the coaches ask him to do.

“He’s our all-around MVP,” said UVa senior linebacker Clint Sintim of Hall. “To play a position he hasn’t played since high school and really put this team on his back is exceptional.”

Hall said that although in his own opinion that he could best help the Cavaliers next season as a defensive back, he has harbored dreams of being an offensive juggernaut for the Cavaliers. He wouldn’t mind giving quarterback another try. He knows it’s out of his hands.

“We have two good quarterbacks coming back, but at any point and time, I would be willing to do this again,” Hall said.

Vic Hall held up his end of the bargain. Virginia’s coaches need to follow suit and make this kid a part, in some form or the other, a regular part of the Cavaliers’ offense.

Maybe, just maybe if that happens, they won’t be sitting home next December.

 

Verica crawls to end of promising campaign
By Bart Isley
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG — It was just a name, but it perfectly summed up the road ahead for reeling sophomore quarterback Marc Verica.

“Dr. Phil,” said Virginia coach Al Groh after a deep sigh and a shake of the head when asked how Verica can bounce back from his fourth-quarter interception against Virginia Tech and his rash of critical turnovers during the Cavs’ four-game losing streak.

Verica came in after the dynamic Vic Hall was stuffed for a three-yard loss with the Cavaliers facing third-and-11 at Tech’s 25-yard line. He dropped back and read the Tech secondary, assessing quickly that he had a chance to hit Kevin Ogletree on a deep ball down the middle in the end zone. That’s when the Hokies’ Dorian Porch locked in.

“We made it look like a Cover-3 concept, but it we were playing a 2-deep concept,” Porch said. “I think he realized it and that’s why he thought he had a chance in the middle. He kind of looked down the receiver and I just read his eyes.”

Verica’s 16 interceptions on the season are the most for an individual Cavalier in a campaign since Scott Gardner’s 19 picks as a senior in 1975. Gardner owns the Cavaliers’ career record for interceptions with 59 in his four years at Virginia.

Verica’s final interception of the year cost Virginia a chance to try a 42-yard field goal if he’d thrown an incompletion. That wasn’t lost on Groh, who indicated that Verica has plenty of chances in practice to learn how to take care of the ball in that situation.

“I tell him it every day,” Groh said. “I tell him everyday: protect the kick. We practice in that area of the field every day, from the 20 to the 35 all the time.”

Verica didn’t do anything of the sort, taking what may have been an unnecessary risk on a crucial play after Hall had put the Cavaliers within scoring range on a 39-yard rush. Typically, he took ownership of the mistake.

“Looking back I wish I would have just run it or maybe checked it down and not forced it,” Verica said. “Maybe we would have gotten the field goal and maybe the game would have turned into something different.”

On Virginia’s last gasp chance, Verica threw two straight incompletions, completed a one-yard pass to John Phillips and then took a sack in the shadow of Virginia Tech’s goalposts.

It was a demoralizing outing for the young quarterback, and one that left him obviously frustrated — but with an eye to the future.

“It was obviously a costly mistake and not the way I wanted to end the season,” Verica said. “We did a lot of good things this year. We can build off of it. In the offseason we will learn from the mistakes and do everything that we can to eliminate them next year and just build off the good things from this year.”

The Pennsylvania native finished with just 77 yards on 8 of 14 passing, including a 38-yard toss to Maurice Covington.

Verica’s 63.8 completion percentage on the year is tied for sixth-best by a first-year starter in ACC history. He also finishes just 310 yards off the passing record for a first-year starter in Virginia history, set by Symmion Willis in 1993.

Verica righted himself with a brilliant performance against Maryland just a week after his four-interception meltdown on the road against Duke and led the Cavaliers on a four-game win streak, capped with Virginia’s road win over Georgia Tech.

Verica’s struggles in the final four games, along with Hall’s tremendous, gutsy performance against the Hokies and the apparently eminent return of Jameel Sewell have created a lot of questions for the Cavaliers’ future quarterback situation.

Perhaps queries that only a famed television psychologist that has Oprah’s ear could possibly try and answer.

 

Freshman wideouts come up big for Hokies
By Bart Isley
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG — Virginia may have experienced just its first dose of the Virginia Tech’s talented freshman receiving duo, Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin, in the Hokies’ 17-14 victory.

Coale hauled in five catches for 66 yards while setting Tech’s freshman receiving record for a season. The redshirt freshman’s 32 catches on the season surpassed Denver Broncos wideout Eddie Royal’s mark of 28 receptions set in 2004.

It was the Hokies’ offensive turnaround — and how the rookie wide receivers powered it — that interested Coale the most though.

“You have to come out with the mindset that this offense has to work this week and I think we did that,” Coale said. “We want that challenge and we accept it. We want to help this team out any way we can.”

Coale also drew a pass interference call late in the third quarter on Ras-I Dowling, then left with a foot injury. He returned shortly thereafter.

A Lexington native, Coale has a strong Virginia connection — his brother Kevin was a three-year letterman for Virginia’s lacrosse team before graduating last spring.

Boykin was a force in the first half, pulling in four catches for 48 yards including his 3-yard touchdown catch during the first quarter. That play came on a rub route with Coale, who quickly got his head around to make sure Boykin hauled it in.

“I saw it leave Tyrod’s hand and I knew he had that touchdown,” Coale said. “When we rubbed I got a little bit of his guy and I had a feeling he was open.”

After getting shut down in the third, Boykin had a pair of catches for 17 yards during the Hokies’ drive for a field goal that put them up 17-14. He finished with six catches for 65 yards, a career-high in receptions for the true freshman.

Boykin, a three-star recruit had a huge senior season at Butler High in Matthews, N.C., breaking out for 60 catches and 1,252 yards and 17 touchdowns during his final year. He had 476 yards as a junior.

First time in a long time

Virginia’s 14-7 halftime lead that quickly evaporated on Tech’s opening drive of the second half was the Cavaliers’ first lead at the break since a 20-3 advantage in 1997. Virginia won that game, at Scott Stadium, 34-20. It’s the first time the Cavaliers have led Tech at the half in Al Groh’s tenure as head coach.

In 2004, the Hokies and Cavaliers were tied at 0-0. Virginia’s last lead at halftime at Lane Stadium was the 1996 matchup, when the Cavaliers led 9-7. Tech exploded in the second half to put Virginia away 26-9.

Glaspy leads Cavs’ defense

Byron Glaspy had a monster game on defense for Virginia, coming up with 15 total tackles including seven solo stops. He also had an interception that prevented the Hokies from cutting into the Virginia lead with just 31 seconds left in the half.

Still, Glaspy wasn’t all that impressed with his performance.

“All I know is that I missed a few tackles,” Glaspy said. “If I had 15 I should have had 20.”

The senior safety was the Cavaliers’ fifth-leading tackler coming into the contest, and played a critical role in containing Tyrod Taylor and the rest of Virginia Tech’s rushing attack.

“[Glaspy] did a real nice job,” Groh said. “We had a lot of stuff set up to open the alley for the strong safety to be involved in run support for us, but you can open that up for some guys and they miss the opportunity. He didn’t swing and miss today.”

Virginia did a solid job of holding Taylor, the talented Tech signal-caller, in check most of the contest except for a 73-yard jaunt on the Hokies’ opening drive of the third quarter — the longest run against Virginia since Maryland’s Josh Portis broke off an 80-yard sprint for a touchdown in 2003.

Wild Turkey and a dose of Boone through the air

While Vic Hall’s emergence as an offensive folk hero for the Cavs dominated the Commonwealth Cup’s story line on Virginia’s side, the versatility of Greg Boone stood out for the Hokies.

The mammoth tight end had two catches for 29 yards and also took several snaps from the peculiar Virginia Tech version of the Wildcat formation, the Wild Turkey. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound former high school quarterback from Oscar Smith had three carries for 12 yards, including his third quarter touchdown run from four yards out.

Mihota gets the start

Anthony Mihota stepped in at center for regular starter Jack Shields against Virginia Tech. Shields had a leg injury according to the Virginia injury report, giving Mihota the first starting nod of his young career.

“I was taking reps all week but they never told me I was going to start,” Mihota said. “It was a lot of fun and I think I did a good job.”

Inside Hall’s numbers

Hall’s sterling performance was only tarnished by Virginia’s loss. His 109 rushing yards were the most since Marques Hagans’ 110 yards against Syracuse in 2005 and his 40-yard touchdown run was the longest since Hagans’ 47-yard spring against Miami in 2004.

Hall also forced his fifth fumble of the season, tying him for a school record held by defensive lineman Stuart Anderson in 1979, safety Tony Blount in 1979 and linebacker Merrill Robertson in 2002.

Extra points

Cedric Peerman, who had been battling flu-like symptoms all week, said he was coughing quite a bit during the contest. Peerman finished his career in the top 10 in career all-purpose yards at UVa, passing Jerrod Washington. … Virginia’s Kevin Ogletree caught just one pass, the first time he had just one catch in a game since the 2005 Music City Bowl against Minnesota. That ends the junior wideouts consecutive multi-catch game streak at 23. … John Phillips’ 48 catches this year were the ninth most all time by a tight end in the ACC. … Redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron Taliaferro made his first appearance on the field for the Cavaliers, coming in on goaline defense during the first quarter. …Tech is winning a lot of close contests this year, with an average margin of victory of just 7.3 points, the lowest in the country. … The Hokies’ opening drive score was the first time Virginia Tech has found the endzone this year on its first offensive drive. … Dustin Keys’ 22-yard missed field goal in the second quarter was his first miss from inside 43 yards this season. He bounced back well, though, hitting a 28-yarder in the fourth to put Tech up for good.

 

Virginia players stand behind Groh despite loss
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 30, 2008

BLACKSBURG — While Virginia’s seniors were disappointed to end their season without a winning record, without a bowl bid and having never beaten state rival Virginia Tech, they stood behind their coach, Al Groh.

The Cavaliers finished 5-7 for the second time in three seasons (with a 9-4 record squeezed between), but the players didn’t blame Groh for their shortcomings. In fact, they praised him for keeping the team together after a rocky 1-3 start, the kind of failure that can tear teams apart.

In recent weeks, Groh was given a vote of confidence by Virginia director of athletics Craig Littlepage who stated: “Al Groh will be our head coach next season.”

Senior linebacker Clint Sintim said after Saturday’s 17-14 loss at Virginia Tech that Groh’s future should be secure at Virginia.

“Oh, he’s back,” Sintim said. “He’s definitely back.”

Groh, who has two ACC coach of the year awards in his eight seasons at UVa, has the second-most wins of any coach in Cavalier history, trailing only College Football Hall of Fame coach George Welsh.

“A lot of times when a team is losing, it always goes back to the head man,” Sintim said. “That’s just the way college football is. [Groh] did everything possible to help this team. He’s here every morning at 4 a.m. and is the last one to leave. He puts everything he has into this team. He loves this team and puts us in position to make plays.”

Sintim, who is rated as one of the top outside linebackers in the country, credited Groh for helping him be successful at UVa.

He also believed that while the Cavaliers finished 5-7 overall, they easily could have been making travel plans to Tampa for next weekend’s ACC championship game with a little luck.

“Every game we’ve played, with the exception of USC and UConn, were competitive games,” Sintim said. “We could have won those games. There’s always a couple of plays that need to be made, that one team or the other makes. For the majority of the season, the other team made those plays.”

Groh said during his postgame comments that only a few plays separated UVa and Virginia Tech, two in particular, a great run by Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor and a game-breaking interception thrown by Cavaliers quarterback Marc Verica, who leads the ACC in interceptions with 16, the second-most during a single season in UVa history.

“As these kind of games do, it just came down to a few plays ... you could see them clearly, they stick out in our mind,” Groh said. “Principally the one that started the half [Taylor’s 73-yard run that set up Tech’s tying touchdown].”

The Hokies were facing third-and-7 at their own 18 when Taylor busted the long run.

“Looks like we’re going to come out of it pretty good. We’ve got a spy on the quarterback and it’s what we wanted,” Groh said. “Their guy made the play and our guy didn’t make the play. That’s what changes games of this nature, just a play here and there, and that’s what separated the two teams. But that’s enough.”

 

Meyinsse shines in loss to Syracuse
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 30, 2008

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Really, you almost had to pinch yourself on Friday night at the Carrier Dome.

Was that Jerome Meyinsse grabbing tough rebounds in traffic?

Was that Meyinsse not backing down physically from Syracuse’s talented big men?

Wait just a second here — was that Meyinsse scoring in the low post?

Yes, yes, and yes.

In two-plus years at Virginia, Meyinsse had compiled very few highlights — until Friday.

Without a doubt, the junior’s 10-point, eight-rebound performance was the best of his career.

With a road date at Minnesota looming on Tuesday, Virginia coach Dave Leitao is hoping Meyinsse can build on it.

“That’s what I hope,” said Leitao, following his team’s 73-70 loss to Syracuse. “I’d like to think that he has it in him and its just we haven’t yet seen it on a day-in and day-out basis.

“Jerome happens to be inexperienced because he doesn’t have a lot of game minutes. You need confidence so that you don’t have to worry about things that you try to do. They’re just things that you do, and that’s where he has to get to.”

Meyinsse, who was sporting ice packs on his left knee and ankle after the game, said it felt great to finally contribute.

“I started out the season kind of slow,” he said, “but I’ve been working hard in practice and for two years, and it showed itself [tonight].”

Meyinsse’s excellent defense was a key factor in holding Syracuse’s Arinze Onuaku to just six points, nearly eight below his season average.

“He was pretty strong,” said Meyinsse, who also had a blocked shot in his 24 minutes of action. “I just did my best to try and keep the ball out of his hands and when he got it, just try and hold my ground the best I could, and try and prevent him from scoring.”

In the first half, Meyinsse — who came into the game with just two points on the season — gave Virginia a 17-11 lead when he converted a 3-point play after being fouled by Onuaku.

Later in the half, he took a nice feed from Mike Scott along the baseline and threw down a two-handed dunk.

“Jerome’s been working hard in practice,” Scott said. “It was just time for everyone to know how hard he works. It showed in the game. He was very good.”

In the second half, Meyinsse’s stickback of a missed 3-pointer by Mamadi Diane put Virginia up 56-52 with under 10 minutes to play.

But forget about Meyinsse’s stat line. The thing that stood out the most was the physicality and swagger that the Baton Rouge, La., native seemed to play with.

“He definitely grew a lot,” said teammate Sammy Zeglinski. “We needed him to step up against their big men and he definitely outplayed them.”

Dunks

Against Syracuse, Virginia coach Dave Leitao used his fifth different starting lineup in the last five games. Leitao inserted freshman Assane Sene into the lineup for senior Mamadi Diane. Sene, making his college debut, finished with a point, an assist, a block, a rebound and three fouls in seven minutes. Meanwhile, Diane continued his struggles, going 0-3 from the field in 16 minutes. It was the second game in a row that Diane, the team’s leading returning scorer from last season, did not score. He is just 1 of 18 from the field in his last three games. … Mike Scott posted his second double-double of the season (10 points, 10 rebounds). It was the fourth of his career. … Freshman Sylven Landesberg, who led Virginia with 16 points, has led the team in scoring in four of five games.