Aiken makes an impression at UVa with (long) snaps
Former Cave Spring standout Danny Aiken has been deep snapping for three seasons.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Danny Aiken might never realize his dream of playing one of football's "skill" positions, but at least now he's wearing a skilled player's number.

After wearing No. 66 for his first two seasons at Virginia, Aiken was assigned No. 80 this year.

However, don't look for Aiken to reprise his old role as a Cave Spring High School tight end.

"I changed numbers because coach [Ron] Prince didn't like No. 66," said Aiken, referring to the Cavaliers' special-teams coach. "To be honest, I don't know [why]. I was just told, 'You're changing numbers.' And I said, 'Yes, sir.' "

Aiken was a playmaker at Cave Spring, where he was the quarterback for the Knights that finished 10-2 in 2005. At Virginia, he has been more of a facilitator, serving as the Cavaliers' deep snapper for three seasons.

That role changed a little bit when Virginia went to a "shield" formation for punts. Aiken's responsibility is to thread the snap between three blockers serving as the punt's shield, then take off down the field in coverage.

Highlights for Aiken in his new role have included a fumble recovery at North Carolina and downing a punt at the Georgia Tech 1-yard line.

The Cavaliers went to the "shield" prior to the 2007 Gator Bowl and have not yielded a blocked punt since.

"It's definitely different from my first year," said Aiken, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound junior. "Then, it was a mind-set of 'block first, then get down the field.' Now it's get down the field and try to be one of the first guys there."

Aiken was a snapper at Cave Spring, but a career in special teams wasn't what he had in mind when he went to Fork Union Military Academy in the fall of 2006. He was hoping for exposure as a tight end and when he was pressed into special-teams duty, he initially served as the FUMA punter.

When it looked as if 2006 UVa deep snapper Tyrus Gardner might not be available for a fifth year, UVa suddenly was in need of a replacement and liked what it saw from Aiken at a combine. It was a classic case of being in the right place at the right time.

Since then, Aiken unofficially has snapped the ball 321 times for the Cavaliers -- 76 punts, 49 field goals and 196 punts. Aiken has become so indispensable that, when he underwent oral surgery to extract wisdom teeth last spring, the Cavaliers did not attempt any placements in their spring game.

His only poor snap of note came in Virginia's home opener against Texas Christian, when holder Vic Hall was unable to handle Aiken's high ball on a field-goal try by Robert Randolph. Coach Al Groh later acknowledged that, had Hall not been incapacitated by a hip injury, he might have been able to corral the snap.

Aiken's career got off to a shaky start when he had three wayward snaps in his second game, a 24-13 victory over Duke at Scott Stadium in 2007. The Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2 ACC) wished they had been so lucky Saturday, when they fell to the Blue Devils 28-17 as speculation over Groh's future intensified.

"I feel like those rumors have been flying around for quite a while," said Aiken in anticipation of the Cavaliers' visit to No. 16 Miami (6-2, 3-2) for a noon Saturday game, "and they were flying around my first year.

"Now, you don't think much of 'em because you're so unified as a team and you learn to block it out. It's not of any type of importance to us."

One of Virginia's former deep snappers, Ryan Kuehl, was a starting defensive lineman for the Cavaliers who later spent 12 years in the NFL as a snapper exclusively. Aiken said that thoughts of snapping professionally "definitely" have crossed his mind.

During the summers, he works on the speed of his delivery, but there's no discounting the mental aspect of his trade.

"You don't get a lot of recognition if you do what you're supposed to do," he said. "The only time you get recognition is if you don't do what you're supposed to do.

"As a quarterback, you could always come out and make up for the play that just happened. With so much riding on one play, it took a lot of getting used-to, but I've gotten a lot more comfortable as the years pass."

Aiken frequently will work on his snapping when he comes home for the summer, often with his younger brother, Matt, as the recipient. Matt Aiken is a wide receiver the Naval Academy Prep School.

"I've also got friends from high school who will come out and catch snaps," Aiken said, "and, if all else fails, there's always my dad."

Running back makes commitment to Virginia

Khalek Shepherd, a 5-foot-8, 195-pound running back from Gwynn Park High School in Brandywine, Md., has given Virginia its first commitment from a 2010 football prospect in more than two months.

Shepherd, a 3.85 student who is the son of former Washington Redskins wide receiver Leslie Shepherd, has rushed for 1,321 yards and scored 21 touchdowns in leading his team to a 9-0 record.

Leslie Shepherd spent seven seasons in the NFL, including five with the Redskins, for whom he scored nine touchdowns in 1998.

-- Doug Doughty

dailypress.com
U.Va.'s $2-million error
David Teel
November 4, 2009

Mere days after season's end, if not sooner, the University of Virginia will dismiss football coach Al Groh.

The question isn't why. The declining performance, plummeting attendance and overriding despair infecting the program are indisputable and untenable.

The question isn't how. Whether packaged as a resignation or termination, the effect — desperately needed change — will be the same.

The question is worth. Was it worth delaying the inevitable for a year to save $2 million?

Inevitable because only their most loyal (delusional?) supporters envisioned this year's Cavaliers repairing the earth scorched from losing seasons in 2006 and '08 and Groh's incurable conceit.

Yet rather than swallow a $6-million buyout — a byproduct of the ridiculous contract university president John Casteen awarded Groh in 2005 — athletic director Craig Littlepage settled for a makeover of Groh's staff. And if circumstances dictated Groh's exit after this season, well, at least the severance was trimmed to $4 million.

Talk about fool's gold.

Sure, the economy was toxic. And yes, the men's basketball program was teetering — Littlepage fired basketball coach Dave Leitao in March, complete with a $2.1-million parting gift.

But Groh had been given eight years, twice as long as Leitao. The Cavaliers had closed on a four-game losing streak, their longest season-ending skid in 26 years, and attendance was in free-fall.

Now look — if you can bear it.

Virginia is 3-5 and will be an underdog in each of its remaining four tests, starting Saturday at Miami. The Cavaliers lost to William and Mary and Duke at home and squandered a 17-point lead at Southern Mississippi.

Most telling, the paying customers continue to abandon the product.

The season opener against William and Mary attracted the smallest announced crowd since Scott Stadium's 2000 expansion, 54,587. Attendance has fallen at each subsequent home game, to 41,713 — a generous estimate to be sure — Saturday for Duke.

Unsold tickets, lost donations, recruiting setbacks. The costs of that damage, short- and long-term, are incalculable.

Still, some suggest that waiting was wise.

There is, after all, no guarantee that a new coach could have avoided this season's defeats. Moreover, the delay gave the people's choice to replace Groh, second-year Richmond coach Mike London, more time to prove himself in his first turn occupying the corner office.

But new leadership would have engendered hope and goodwill. New leadership would have commenced the big-picture healing needed to compete with ACC rivals such as Miami, Georgia Tech and, most pointed, Virginia Tech.

Instead, the Cavaliers compete under a pall that includes hecklers in the crowd and malcontents among the masses.

Groh insists that he's unaffected.

"I don't think probably that I'm a very hard book to read, 'cuz I don't really try to do things with any pretensions," he said Monday at his weekly gabfest. "And I've got this sign on my desk that says, 'Just coach the team,' and that's what I like to do, and that's my responsibility, and I try to coach the team the best way I can every day."

Admirable aim. Good luck executing.

At 65, and after 42 years in the business, Groh knows this is his last stand. Yet Monday he harkened to the Cavaliers' 2007 season, when they won six games by five points or fewer en route to a 9-4 record.

"You win nine games, you're pretty good, and if you lose those same games, (it) doesn't make you that much different than the other team," he said. "It's just a play here and there, but that's what it is. You've got to find a way to make those plays."

Without naming names, Groh then referred to a sequence from Saturday's 28-17 loss to Duke.

Virginia led 10-9 midway through the third quarter as the Blue Devils faced third-and-14 from their own 47. Cornerback Dom Joseph could have intercepted Thaddeus Lewis' pass and might have returned the pick for a touchdown.

But Joseph dropped the ball, and Duke punted, pinning the Cavaliers at their 19.

"I'm not trying to put it on a player," Groh said. "I'm just answering the question. It's one or two plays like that that make the difference, and that's why it is such a fine line."

Indeed, but this isn't about the players. This is about those most culpable for Virginia's steady decline: Groh and his staff.

They have mismanaged personnel, witness the use of 14 true freshmen this season, eight primarily on special teams. They have failed to develop a reliable quarterback since Marques Hagans' 2005 departure and have saddled the offense with ineffective schemes, Gregg Brandon's acclaimed spread formations included.

Soon the Groh era will be over. Soon Virginia will complete its fourth losing season in his nine years, twice the number the program endured in George Welsh's 18 years.

But it never should have come to this. Not for $2 million.

The 2009 season should have been a fresh start, not a dismal end.
 

Burning of Cook frustrates Groh
By Norm Wood 247-4642
November 4, 2009

Though Virginia cornerback Chris Cook has had a senior season worthy of admiration, the one play he has been involved in that likely will be most remembered was a 42-yard touchdown catch he surrendered to wide receiver Conner Vernon late in last Saturday's 28-17 loss to Duke.

U.Va. coach Al Groh didn't have much comment after the game or during Sunday night's teleconference, but frustration was evident. He was more willing to discuss Monday how he handled coaching Cook in the aftermath of the play.

"You're supposed to coach the players on everything that happens every day, and hopefully the players take the instruction to improve themselves," Groh said. "There were some ways that that technique could have been played differently that very likely would have resulted in a different outcome."

On the play, Cook lined up almost face mask-to-face mask at the line of scrimmage with Vernon, who gained a step on Cook while running a post pattern. Cook fell down while trying to get a hand on quarterback Thaddeus Lewis' pass, but Vernon caught it to score easily and put Duke ahead to stay, 18-17 with 3:45 remaining.

Cook, unavailable for comment after the game, has 24 tackles this season and he's tied for team leads in interceptions (two) and pass breakups (three) — a strong effort. Still, it's clear Groh had some issues with the way Cook approached Vernon on the touchdown pass.

"There are some times where maybe the best course of action is to bite my tongue," Groh said. "There are some times where it would seem that the obvious was being missed. That's what you're supposed to do when you coach. If you're afraid of bringing things up to players because you think it might hurt their feelings, then you're not doing their job."

A red-shirt shift at U.Va.
By Norm Wood 247-4642
November 4, 2009

As the summer came to an end, Virginia freshman LoVante Battle talked to some of his new teammates about the coming season. With a redshirt season likely in his immediate future, he figured he'd spend this fall learning before making the transition to the field in 2010.

Those plans changed early on this season.

In U.Va.'s fourth game at North Carolina, Battle, a Phoebus High graduate, got in for eight special-teams plays. Since then, he has been on the field for just 12 more plays — all on special teams. U.Va. coach Al Groh has played 14 freshmen this season, playing some in bigger roles than others. Freshman defensive end Will Hill, a Lafayette High graduate, has worked his way up to a No. 2 spot on the depth chart.

Still, for a player such as Battle, it's fair to wonder if such sporadic playing time — likely what will be less than a half-game worth of snaps by the end of the season — warrants burning an entire year of eligibility. Battle isn't complaining.

"I thought I'd redshirt and get an extra year to prepare and get ready for the next level," said Battle, who was recruited to play safety and who plays on U.Va.'s kickoff-coverage team. "Then, I started playing and it was like 'I might as well go out and go strong so I can be ready for next year.'

"At first, I was kind of mad when I thought I was going to redshirt, because in high school I was used to playing all the time. I got to U.Va. and I was like back at the bottom of the totem pole. Then, once I got a hold of (special teams), I realized I could help them out and help out on the scout team."

Groh's use of freshmen this season has been unusual given his history of playing first-year players. In his first eight seasons as U.Va.'s coach, he played a total of 59 freshmen, an average of 7.4 per season.

Hill enrolled in January at U.Va. and participated in spring practice. He didn't have to wait long to play, as he got on the field for one play against William and Mary. He has contributed on 41 defensive plays, 18 special-teams plays (primarily field-goal block) and could see more playing time depending on how long starting defensive end Matt Conrath is out with an ankle sprain.

"My thought at the start of the season was when coach told me I was ready to get some playing time that I'd get it," said Hill, who has played in all eight games and has one tackle. "I just thought I'd keep on working until he saw that I got what I needed to get in order to be on the field."

With U.Va. (3-5 overall, 2-2 ACC) now facing a struggle to get three more wins in its last four games just to get bowl-eligible, and Groh sitting firmly on the coaching hot seat, it may not come as a surprise that he's using every resource available to try to dig the Cavaliers and himself out of this hole. Yet, he said his philosophy regarding playing time for freshmen hasn't changed.

"What we have always done with players when they come in is take the attitude — when they're ready, we're ready" said Groh, the ninth-year coach whose team travels to play Saturday at No. 16 Miami (6-2, 3-2). "In other words, when they're ready to make a difference, make the team perform better than it would without them, then it's reasonable to use them.

"Clearly, it would be nice to be in a cycle where everybody could sit around for a year and kind of marinate, get ready to play a little bit the next year, kind of (like) a case that Texas or Alabama or those kind of places (have), but some of these players have done a nice job for us, especially on special teams."

41,713 in attendance marks lowest since 2000 expansion
Scott Stadium holds capacity of 61,500, sees 8 percent drop in fans since last season
Stacy Kruczkowski, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Football / Sports
November 4, 2009 0
Scott Stadium’s renovation in 2000 added 15,000 seats to the Carl Smith Center. The stadium was filled to only slightly above two-thirds capacity during Saturday’s game against Duke. When Virginia squandered its fourth quarter lead, many fans headed to the exits. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

Scott Stadium’s renovation in 2000 added 15,000 seats to the Carl Smith Center. The stadium was filled to only slightly above two-thirds capacity during Saturday’s game against Duke. When Virginia squandered its fourth quarter lead, many fans headed to the exits. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

With 3:22 left on the clock in the fourth quarter of Virginia’s football game against Duke, the Cavalier faithful began its exodus out of the stadium after senior quarterback Jameel Sewell’s fumble resulted in a defensive touchdown for the Blue Devils. Even though the Cavaliers trailed by only eight points, the fans still headed toward the exits.

“Fans here — they aren’t that patient,” senior fullback Rashawn Jackson said. “Sometimes it’s human nature when things aren’t looking good just to turn your back.”

Each week, it seems that more and more fans are doing just that.

The 2009 season for Virginia (3-5, 2-2 ACC) has been marked by a dwindling number of fans participating in the game day atmosphere. Attendance this season for home games has fallen nearly 8 percent from last season. It’s hard not to notice the significant number of empty seats in Scott Stadium.

Only 41,713 people attended Saturday’s contest against Duke, which had bowl-game implications and second place in the ACC’s Coastal Division on the line. Not only was the figure the lowest number of spectators on hand for a home game this season, but it was also the lowest since the 2000 expansion of Scott Stadium, which added 15,000 additional seats — increasing its capacity to 61,500.

Although the diminished fan support may be difficult for the squad to ignore, the team has focused solely on improving its chances to win games.

“We don’t care … fans don’t help us win, we help ourselves win,” senior defensive end Nate Collins said. “We can only focus on the things we control. We control what’s going on on the field. We don’t control who buys tickets, who comes, who sits in the stands, who leaves. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day; anyone who says stadium helps, this and that — it doesn’t help — it’s all mental.”

Junior nose tackle John-Kevin Dolce, who has stepped up in the last two ACC matchups to fill the defensive void left by injured sophomore defensive end Matt Conrath, echoed a similar sentiment about the players’ collective need to find encouragement from one another to perform more successfully on the field.

“Our house is in the white lines,” Dolce said. “We play football inside the white lines. We don’t play for our fans necessarily in the aspect that we’re going out there. They don’t sweat with us, they don’t bleed with us and they don’t cry with us.”

Collins and Dolce have both continued to excel “inside the white lines” despite the low attendance numbers. Saturday against the Blue Devils, Dolce recorded a career-high 2.5 sacks. Collins registered 10 tackles on the day, carrying momentum from his 16-tackle performance against Georgia Tech the previous week.

The players, however, also do not fail to notice the supporters who continue to frequent games and to cheer on the home team despite the Cavaliers’ recent struggles.

“There were a few fans who really stuck out to me who were screaming on the sideline, ‘Rashawn! U.Va., Hoos, we love you! We’re here for you!’” Jackson said. “Those are the guys who made this loss feel even worse because they were really hanging in there for us, really giving us their all. I appreciate that effort. I appreciate those fans and those people who actually stayed and finished watching the game.”

University of Miami coach Randy Shannon says depleted defense has to `step it up'
The Canes have struggled on defense, especially through the air. Despite injuries, they vow to play harder and smarter.
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
sdegnan@MiamiHerald.com

Colin McCarthy woke up at 6 a.m. Tuesday, the result of practices being moved from 5:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. once a week. If you're a University of Miami football player, that's called ``sleeping in.''

McCarthy, the Hurricanes' strong-side linebacker, could use the extra sleep. So could the rest of the UM defense. After allowing 555 yards in a one-point victory at Wake Forest that stretched nearly 100 plays, the weary Canes acknowledged they can't continue down this path.

Safety Randy Phillips promised that when No. 16 Miami (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) meets Virginia (3-5, 2-2) at noon Saturday at Land Shark Stadium, UM will play with energy and purpose from start to finish.

``We will do that,'' Phillips said. ``We can't get into one of those games like we had last game. It was too tiring, too exhausting, a lot of headaches. Great game for the spectators, but 97 plays on defense is too many.

``We're working on some things to change that. We're going to practice a little harder and smarter, get guys healthy and come out and be real fresh. And it's going to be hot, so we'll practice in the heat, and hopefully the heat will play a role in our victory.''

The getting-guys-healthy part might be harder than he thinks.

UM coach Randy Shannon hates talking about injuries, but on Tuesday he said this was the worst he's ever seen in his football career.

``I've never had this many injuries, even as a player,'' Shannon said. ``And we've never had this many on one side of the football -- the defense. Think about it. We're missing Ryan Hill, Marcus Forston, Adewale Ojomo, Andrew Smith, Sean Spence, Jordan Futch, Ray Ray Armstrong, Jo Nicolas . . . There are a lot of guys who have had a lot of experience in games that are not out there.

``Are any guys coming back? No, not right now. The other guys have to step it up.''

OVERWHELMED

Wake Forest marched up and down the field, almost at will, devouring UM's secondary with short- to middle-range passes. UM's defense left the middle of the field especially vulnerable.

``A lot of blitzing, a lot of quick passing, crossing routes, trying to do pick routes and things like that,'' Shannon said. ``Last week, Riley Skinner made some great throws. I can't tell the secondary guys `you screwed up' -- they were great throws. We just have to make plays.''

After UM's first four games, it was ranked 29th nationally in pass defense, allowing 178 yards per game. After eight games, it is 64th, allowing 220. The Hurricanes gave up 408 passing yards last week.

UM also gave up the most first downs in its history: 33.

``We're not the same team we were earlier in the season,'' Shannon said. ``The first four games, we had a lot of guys who were on the roster that were healthy. Those guys are out, and we have other guys that have to step up.

``As coaches, we're going to grind those guys every day and teach them what we need to get done. And if they don't understand, we're going to keep grinding them. Because right now, this part of the season, it's all about execution.''

McCarthy and defensive end Allen Bailey are two players who have dominated. Bailey leads the team in tackles for a loss (9.5) and sacks (7). McCarthy leads UM with 60 tackles and had a team-high 11 tackles the past two games.

PUSHING THROUGH

McCarthy, who missed most of 2008 with a shoulder injury, is one guy who plays through pain.

``Every game, he's fighting an injury, whether it's a shoulder, knee, ankle, whatever,'' cornerback Chavez Grant said. ``He's a warrior. My mom says he's her favorite player behind me. He's intense, and he's going to give it his all.''

McCarthy said it's part of the game. ``A lot of people are banged up,'' he said. ``But you get to a point where you've got to keep pushing. The coaches are doing a good job now of giving us time to rest, getting our legs back and trying to finish the season out strong.

``Actually, I feel pretty healthy now.''

As for the 555 yards, McCarthy laughed. ``Yeah, that's pretty impressive,'' he said, ``and for us still to win . . . Give them credit, but the win is all that really matters.''
 

Haphazard burning of redshirts real reason Groh needs to go
Connor McCartin, Quintin Hunter, and Corey Lillard
On College Football - Shane Mettlen/Sports Columnist, smettlen@starexponent.com
Published: November 4, 2009
Updated: November 4, 2009

Critics point at all kinds of numbers when making the case to fire Virginia football coach Al Groh.

The Cavs have turned in two losing seasons in the past three years, with seven to nine losses surely coming by the end of this campaign.

Saturday’s attendance at Scott Stadium, 41,713, was the lowest in nine years.

Then there’s the nearly $2 million salary Groh’s collecting.

Yet the most damning number for Groh is 14, as in the number of true freshmen who have played for Virginia this year. That’s 14 redshirts burned — double the average yearly number of true freshmen Groh has used during his nine years in Charlottesville.

Those 14 young players have been thrown into the action as Groh tries to save his job, with seemingly little regard for what would be best for the kids’ development.

Losing games is one thing. Programs have bounced back from a few rough seasons before, but showing such little regard for your players’ future is inexcusable.

Liberty High School product Corey Lillard got into the game against North Carolina a month ago and hasn’t been back on the field since.

Saturday against Duke, eight games into the season, first-year players Paul Freedman and Connor McCartin made their college debuts.

McCartin, a linebacker out of Fauquier, saw action on the kickoff return team and earned rave reviews from Groh. It’s nice to see a local player get on the field and have success, but at this point in the season it’s a waste.

“Connor did a real nice job on kickoff return, in fact better than that position has been manned in previous games, so that was an upgrade for us to use him,” Groh said in his weekly press conference.

That’s all well and good, but it’s hard to imagine using McCartin on special teams is really going to help Virginia (3-5, 2-2 ACC) turn the season around and get to a bowl game. Seeing McCartin practice in the preseason, though, it was pretty easy to tell that with a redshirt year to bulk up, the 6-foot, 3-inch, 205-pounder was certainly going to be a major contributor at linebacker in the future.

That’s not to say McCartin, who is just 17, doesn’t still have a bright future at Virginia. But could sacrificing his redshirt really be worth it?

The same could be said for Orange County graduate Quintin Hunter, who has played sparingly at wide receiver, or just about any of the true freshmen who have played this year. Chancellor product Dominique Wallace also played early in the season before going down with an injury. You hate to see a player get hurt, but Wallace is likely to get the season back with a medical redshirt, meaning in the long run he’s probably better off than many of his classmates.

At least Hunter has played since the beginning of the season and had a few opportunities to mature on the field against older players and be involved in the Cavs offense. Too many of the 14 first-year players have been treated like McCartin and Lillard, strung along for much of the season only to see the year wasted.

Groh has defended himself, saying he’s just trying to play the best players and do what’s best for the team.

“What we have always done with players when they come in is take the attitude (of) ‘when they’re ready, we’re ready,’” Groh said. “Clearly it would be nice to be in a cycle where everybody could sit around for a year and kind of marinate, get ready to play a little bit the next year, kind of a case (enjoyed by) Texas or Alabama or those kind of places.”

It’s disingenuous to say that other schools have the luxury of redshirting players and Virginia doesn’t. Groh is the one who can’t afford it, not U.Va.

Few are buying Groh’s excuses. High school coaches certainly aren’t. Plenty of them are upset about what’s going on at U.Va., and some are downright furious, though few want to go on the record and potentially burn bridges with one of the state’s most prominent college programs.

It works both ways, though. High school coaches have to look at the way Groh has treated so many in-state recruits and think twice before advising their players to become Cavaliers.

Groh’s desperate attempts to save his job have cost too many young players. Let’s hope for the sake of Virginia’s incoming freshmen, they don’t work.
 

ACC Insider - Wake may not be final stop for Grobe anymore
By Brett Friedlander
Brett.Friedlander@yahoo.com
Published: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 7:39 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 7:39 p.m.

There were many reasons why Jim Grobe turned down the increased salary and exposure offered to him at Arkansas to stay as head football coach at Wake Forest two seasons ago.

Related Links:ACC Insider - Deacons suffer haunting loss on Halloween ACC Insider - Odds growing slim for any of Big 4 to make a bowl ACC Insider - Skinner, Wake get the best of N.C. State External Links:Brett Friedlander delivers the scoop at his ACC Insider blog:
High on the list was that he was having too good a time to leave.

“We really don’t want to give this up right now,” Grobe said on Feb. 28, 2007, the day he signed a 10-year contract extension to remain with the Deacons. “We’re really having fun with these guys.”

That might have been the case then. But as he jogged through a gloomy drizzle to the locker room Saturday after watching his team self-destruct in a 28-27 loss to Miami, Grobe sure didn’t look like a man who is enjoying himself much now.

His sour mood certainly wasn’t brightened by the fan who called out, “You should’ve went to Arkansas.”

That’s some way to treat the man who over the course of his nine seasons in Winston-Salem has transformed Wake from a line in a Steely Dan song into one of the ACC’s most consistent programs.

Maybe Tom O’Brien was right when he explained his decision to leave Boston College by saying that “10 years is a long time to be a head coach at one school.”

Given his team’s decreasing win totals each season since an ACC championship in 2006, the impending loss of four-year starting quarterback Riley Skinner and a few unhappy fans starting to sing the Deacon Blues, it may be time for Grobe to start thinking about looking elsewhere.

That is, of course, dependent on what kind of options he has.

At one time, Grobe could have written his own ticket and gone wherever he chose. His name was among the first mentioned for virtually every opening – including attractive SEC jobs such as Arkansas.

But in the short attention span world that is big-time sports, Grobe – like Greg Schiano of Rutgers – might have waited too long to cash in on his marketability.

He’s been replaced on the A-List by likes of Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, Temple’s Al Golden and whatever other flavor of the month jumps into the spotlight.

This is not to say that either Grobe is anxious to leave or that the administration would like him gone.

Yet, Grobe’s postgame comments Saturday sure gave the impression that at least one of the partners might secretly be looking out the corner of his eye for a pretty new temptress to come take him away and start anew.

A temptress by the name of, say, Virginia – which happens to be the alma mater of one Jim Grobe.

Though the Cavaliers currently have a coach, that figures to change in about four weeks when the annually embattled Al Groh is finally put out of his misery.

When it happens, Virginia will have a hard time finding anyone more capable of energizing its unhappy fan base and rebuilding its slumping program than a well-spoken alumnus who has already pulled off one of the greatest reclamation projects in college football history.

The only question is, would Grobe go if asked?

“You never know what might happen down the road,” he said prophetically two years ago.

At the time, Grobe seemed sincere enough about his desire to stay at Wake for the rest of his career. And it could still happen. But even though he was having too much fun to go anywhere else back then, he was smart enough to leave the door slightly ajar.

Just in case.
 

Bosher Still Beat Up About 48-0 Loss to Va. in 07'By Solange Reyner
MIAMI (CBS4) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1
 

Miami kicker Matt Bosher is still upset about the drubbing the Hurricanes took against Virginia two years ago.

"They beat us 48-0 in the Orange Bowl. It was the last game ever played there. I think people are definitely upset about it," Bosher said at Tuesday's press conference.

"You look at it and can't help but just get angry and want to play and fight back. I wasn't very happy for the next few days. It was a great time to play in that stadium. It hurt deep to lose like that in that last game."

The Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2) visit Miami for the first time since that loss this Saturday at noon at the Hurricanes' new playing venue, 15 miles north of the now-demolished Orange Bowl stadium.

Sixteenth-ranked Miami (6-2, 3-2 ACC) pulled out a close win over Wake Forest last week, but had to rally from 17 points behind to get the conference victory. The Hurricanes gave up 555 total yards of offense to the Demon Deacons, mainly because of poor pass protection.

"It all plays together. We have to cover a little longer to give the D-line more time to get there and they have to rush harder so we don't have to cover so long. It goes hand in hand," defensive back Chavez Grant said.

"But there's no blame on the d-line, there's no blame on the secondary. We just have to come together to find a common ground."

The game against Virginia might not provide too many challenges. Jameel Sewell, typically a scrambling quarterback, has been limited because of an ankle injury since the game against Maryland three weeks ago. He's thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

"You can't really say on who you're going to see. Sewell's been hurt a lot. You just have to prepare of what they do scheme wise, and have an idea of where he's at because he can hurt you with his feet," Miami coach Randy Shannon said.

With or without Sewell, the Cavaliers have had trouble moving the ball on offense. They've only converted 32 percent of third downs this season and had 14 first downs (two from penalties) against Duke last week.

Those stats don't matter to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, who led the Hurricanes to an overtime win against Virginia last year as Robert Marve's backup.

"A team is going to come and fight every week. That's what you play college football for, so we expect nothing but the best this Saturday."
 

Miami Hurricanes to have shorter practices
By Shandel Richardson
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
5:15 p.m. EST, November 3, 2009
E-mail Print Share Text Size

CORAL GABLES - With injuries starting to mount, the Miami Hurricanes are hoping shortened practices can lead to a healthier team.

Miami Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon said workouts will only last just a little more than an hour. They usually practiced for two hours. Shannon made the switch because he noticed players starting to wear down last season.

"I thought we needed the reps last year, and it got us toward the end of the season," Shannon said. "Now we're a year older, it'll help us out. It'll give us freshness going into the game from a mental standpoint."

Shannon also moved the practice time on Tuesday from 5:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Players welcomed the changes because it frees up more time to watch film.

"We weren't up this morning at 5:30, which was nice," linebacker Colin McCarthy said. "There's not as much contact. It's more mental."

QUICK HITS

--None of the players who missed last week's game with injury will return. Safety Ray Ray Armstrong, defensive end Eric Moncur, linebacker Sean Spence and fullback Pat Hill are among those who won't play Saturday.

--Shannon said he expects to only play three linebackers this week. Without Spence, McCarthy, Darryl Sharpton and Ramon Buchanan will receive all the reps.

--The offense will see a 3-4 defense for the first time this season. The Cavaliers are the only team in the ACC to run it.

--This marks Virginia's first return to South Florida since defeating the Hurricanes 48-0 in the final game at the Orange Bowl in 2007. Quarterback Jacory Harris, then a high school freshman, said he arrived late and UM was already down three touchdowns.

Cavs lacking surehanded receivers
One of the reasons Virginia’s passing game has struggled this season has been the suspect hands from Virginia’s wide receivers and tight ends. Before the season, the coaching staff had optimism about the speed at receiver, which the Cavaliers lacked in the past. But speed does little good if the receivers cannot catch.

In the two most recent losses, the receivers have dropped key passes. Kris Burd dropped a touchdown pass against Georgia Tech. Tight end Joe Torchia bobbled a key first-half pass against Duke. Jared Green could not haul in a deep pass downfield in the fourth quarter of a comeback attempt against the Blue Devils.

“I would say, in consistency, it has certainly showed up Monday through Saturday with certain players,” Groh said.

The team keeps track of drops. Groh did not have numbers in front of him when asked on Sunday to assess whether it’s been more of an issue in the most recent games, but he said “it’s pretty much been an issue from the start.”

The receiving corps has been disappointing throughout the season. Running back Mikell Simpson leads the team in receiving with 22 catches for 178 yards, and he missed one game and barely played another. Kris Burd tops the wide receivers with 21 catches for 281 yards and one touchdown. The next best receiver is Vic Hall, who has only played the position in five of eight games.

By Zach Berman
 

True freshmen and roster management
Virginia has now played 14 true freshmen this season, inciting some fans who are bothered by Coach Al Groh’s propensity to burn redshirt seasons. Groh counters that when a player is ready, he’s ready. That's always been his mantra for true freshmen and insists the only season that matters is the current season.

“Clearly it would be nice to be in a cycle where everybody could sit around for a year and kind of marinate, get ready to play a little bit the next year, kind of a case that Texas or Alabama or those kind of places,” Groh said, “but some of these players have done a nice job for us, especially on special teams.”

Groh, 65, is coaching for his job. A skeptic can say the least of his concerns is how this program looks in four years, and he needs as much talent on the field this season as possible.

But beyond the freshmen missing the year of development, the rate at which Groh has played true freshmen could leave a roster gap in the program five years from now.

One of the most unheralded roles for a college football coach is roster management – that is, having a reasonable amount of players at each position each season, and being able to recruit a healthy allotment of players each season.

From my count, Virginia has 13 redshirt freshmen on scholarship on its roster. They have played 14 true freshmen, although place kicker Drew Jarrett is a walk-on (who could possibly receive a scholarship down the road) and Dominique Wallace will likely receive a medical waiver. That means 12 scholarship freshmen will use their eligibility in four years unless they are redshirted at another point.

Although attrition is always a reality, at least 25 scholarship players will watch their eligibility expire after the 2012 season. Groh said there are no more true freshmen who are on the verge of playing this season, but the program has little roster flexibility with this class during the next three seasons.

It will certainly create an experienced roster in 2012, as opposed to this season, when the Cavaliers have only 14 seniors. But how many is too many for the long-term health of the program?


By Zach Berman
 

Despite 6-2 record, 'Canes' fan base split over Randy Shannon
By Shandel Richardson
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
November 4, 2009
E-mail Print Share Text Size

CORAL GABLES - Randy Shannon has been affiliated with the University of Miami football program for 25 years.

He's seen Jimmy Johnson go from booed to loved in a heartbeat. He also has watched Dennis Erickson, who coached UM to two national titles, have to battle numerous detractors. Same with Butch Davis.

So Shannon, in his third season as coach, understands that the Hurricanes have a demanding fan base.

Despite a 6-2 record and the program headed in the right direction, Shannon remains a target for criticism.

"I've had my fans when I was a coordinator here," Shannon said. "And probably half of [the fans] didn't like me. It never changes. Some of them like coaches, some of them don't like coaches."

Shannon finds himself being pelted by critics even after victories. After last week's 28-27 win at Wake Forest, the Internet message boards buzzed with comments attacking his coaching ability. It's hard to believe he is coaching a team that still has an outside chance for the Atlantic Coast Conference title.

"That's just fans," Shannon said. "Some of them liked Butch, some of them didn't. Some of them liked Dennis, some of them didn't. I don't even worry about it because I can't control what they think."

The harshest critics say Shannon is incapable of leading a team, and is more suited as a recruiter. He's often compared to Illinois coach Ron Zook, who has had the same label while at Florida and Illinois.

"The fans that love Randy Shannon, they love what he's done in recruiting," said Matt Shodell, managing editor of CaneSport magazine. "They love how he's turned it around, going from losing seasons to winning seasons and winning big games. The fans that don't like Randy Shannon, at least what they're posting on the message boards, is whenever there's a close win, they seem to feel the coaches are to blame, not the players."

Shodell said Shannon is in the unfortunate situation of leading a team with a fan base that expects undefeated seasons. UM has won five national championships, and is one of the top NFL player-producing schools in the country. While a 6-2 mark is acceptable at an Iowa or Cincinnati, it's looked upon almost as a failure in Coral Gables.

"Randy should appreciate it and almost embrace it," Shodell said. "If you're a good program and you win against an average team by a point or two and your fans are happy about that, that's probably not a good sign for the program. It's a really good sign for the program that fans expect Randy Shannon to get this team to blow out mediocre teams and beat the top teams in the country."

Players say Shannon handles the criticism with ease, never showing any emotion. Cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke said Shannon keeps a smile on his face and prefers to focus on the important things instead of what others are saying.

Van Dyke singled out points such as the Hurricanes having minimal off-the-field problems, players excelling in the classroom and the fact they are once again in the Top 25.

"Every time I see Coach Shannon, he seems like he's in a good mood," Van Dyke said. "He's one of those guys that doesn't worry about the outsiders. He just worries about what's going on inside, he's just worried about the family."

So when will Shannon ever completely win over the fans?

"I don't know," Shannon said. "I've been here a long time, and I still don't know how to answer that one."
 

UM: Defense will still be short-handed against Virginia
By JORGE MILIAN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

CORAL GABLES — The University of Miami's struggling defense will have to play again without starting linebacker Sean Spence when the Hurricanes host Virginia on Saturday, coach Randy Shannon said Tuesday.

Joining Spence on the sideline, Shannon said, are reserve defensive end Eric Moncur and safeties Ray Ray Armstrong and JoJo Nicolas. All four players missed last week's 28-27 victory against Wake Forest with undisclosed injuries.

Shannon said starting tailback Javarris James, who also missed the Wake Forest game, might play Saturday depending on how he practiced this week.

Without Spence and the other injured defenders, the 16th-ranked Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2 ACC) gave up 555 yards of total offense and 408 passing yards to the Demon Deacons. The passing total was the third-highest against UM in school history. In its past two games, UM has allowed 965 yards of total offense.

The injuries have hit UM hardest at linebacker, where depth already was short. Spence injured his left knee against Clemson. The Hurricanes also are missing Jordan Futch, the top reserve linebacker who sustained a season-ending knee injury against Florida A&M on Oct. 10.

"We've got to do a great job of coaching the guys that we have at those positions," Shannon said. "The injuries, you wish you wouldn't have them. But if injuries come, you have to get other guys to step up."

Starting fullback Patrick Hill will be sidelined for the fifth consecutive game Saturday, but Shannon said he hopes to have the senior back before the end of the regular season.
 

Aboushi learns from golden experience
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 4, 2009
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment
vote
nowBuzz up!

Odd things can be found in dorm rooms at every college campus.

Few items, however, look quite as unique as an actual gold medal from playing football.

Yes, football, a sport that has never been associated with the Olympics.

Yet a gold medal in the sport resides where Virginia’s Oday Aboushi sleeps every evening at the University of Virginia.

The medal is something that the true freshman from Staten Island, N.Y., takes pride in owning, but the memories of playing with the United States 19-and-under junior national team in the IFAF Junior World Championship this past summer will last forever.

“It was unreal,” he said. “It was a lot of fun and it was so amazing to play for the U.S. team.

“We were in Ohio for a month to train and we had a lot of fun with it. We ended up winning the gold and it was a great experience that I am glad to have been a part of.”

The results of the games were startling, yet expected, as the U.S. team throttled its first two foes 133-0 and whipped Canada in the title game, 41-3.

“The other teams were good but we just had a really amazing team,” said Aboushi, who was joined in the event by Virginia freshman defensive back Corey Lillard. “We all really practiced hard and we put a noticeable effort into it.

“In the end, we got the wins and we got the gold.”

What did the experience do for Aboushi in preparing him for training camp and ACC football?

That depends on who you ask.

“We thought that it might, but I think that was an isolated experience,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “That was a very good experience for [Aboushi and Lillard]. They talked in positive terms about what it meant for them to represent their country in that tournament and what fun it was to meet players from around the country who were doing so and talk about what each one of them had to face.

“Frankly, if we could get some of those teams on our schedule, if we could get to play France — now I’ll probably get all the Frenchmen mad at me — but if we could get to play France … probably the experience would have more value for them.”

Aboushi, a four-star recruit that once verbally committed to Boston College, said the activities in June and July prepped him for “putting on the pads” at Virginia.

“I did want to play right away, actually,” he said. “I trained hard in the summer here and back home.

“I tried to come in as well prepared as I can and I just wanted to get rolling as fast as I can.”

It has paid off to some degree, although some would argue that his limited snap count merely wasted a full season of eligibility in 2013.

Aboushi logged “10 or 15 plays,” he said, against Duke at left tackle in the first half, spelling starter Landon Bradley. That project is expected to continue.

“Coach was telling me before the game, ‘Be ready today,’” he recounted. “‘You are going to get your reps.’”

His teammates have certainly noticed the explosive nature that Aboushi possesses on the field and in the trenches, something that brings relief as the Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2 ACC) will need to replace right tackle Will Barker at season’s end.

“Oday is real good,” said Virginia defensive end Zane Parr. “He has a lot of potential. I am definitely looking forward to seeing him play more these next few years.

“He is looking real good in practice.”
 

Singh pulls upset at VNB
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 4, 2009
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment
vote
nowBuzz up!

It was a good news and bad news situation for the Virginia tennis program at the Virginia National Bank Men’s Pro Championships on Tuesday.

The good news was that UVa junior Sanam Singh pulled off a shocking upset of Grega Zemlja, the No. 156th-ranked player in the world. Singh, an NCAA semifinalist last spring, won 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to advance to a second-round match against Scoville Jenkins on Thursday.

The bad news? Due to the upset, Singh will not be able to join his UVa teammates in the ITA National Indoor Championships that begin on Thursday in New Haven, Conn. Because of a Challenger Tour fine that prohibits players from pulling out of events, Singh’s only reasonable choice is to continue playing in the tournament.

Singh never really thought he’d be in the predicament.

“[UVa coach Brian Boland] was just like, ‘Give it a shot and see how it goes in qualies and we’ll see what happens,’” Singh said. “But I wasn’t thinking about [missing ITA].”

Four wins later, Singh finds himself in the second round.

In other action from Tuesday, Michael Russell, the tournament’s top seed and the 85th-ranked player in the world, rallied to defeat Michael McClune. He’ll take on Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the featured second-round match tonight at around 8 p.m.

Jenkins advanced to face Singh with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 victory over Cory Parr.

Hometown hero Somdev Devvarman defeated Denes Lukacs 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the night’s final match.

In the featured doubles match on Tuesday evening that preceded Devvarman’s match, No. 1-seeded Treat Huey (Devvarman’s former teammate) and Harsh Mankad, lost to Parr and Todd Paul in straight sets.

In notable action today, Donald Young, who upset former top 20 player Vince Spadea on Monday night, takes on fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson of Russia.

Meanwhile, former Virginia standout Dom Inglot takes on 7th-seeded Roko Karanusic of Croatia sometime after 2 p.m.

Against Zemlja, Singh showed great resiliency. After blowing a match point and dropping five straight games to lose the second set, Singh rallied to win in the third.

“I got my second wind and kind of surprised myself,” said Singh. “I’ve been hitting the ball really well and just taking advantage of some opportunities. I feel really good about myself right now. I wanted to play this tournament to see where I stand in my game and how much better I need to get to reach the consistency level of these guys.”

Singh doesn’t know anything about Jenkins, his opponent on Thursday. However, he said he planned to get a scouting report from Devvarman, his former teammate.

“I’m just going to go out there and play my game,” he said, “and hopefully I can do well.”
 

No. 7 Virginia Defeats American, 3-0
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/03/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The seventh-ranked Virginia men's soccer team remained unbeaten in non-conference play this season by defeating American, 3-0, Tuesday night at Klöckner Stadium. For the year, Virginia has an 8-0-1 record vs. non-conference foes. Jonathan Villanueva (Grand Prairie, Texas), Will Bates (Chester, Va.) and Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) each scored a goal for the Cavaliers.

With the win, Virginia improved to 11-3-2 overall. The Cavaliers shut out their fourth-consecutive opponent, while goalkeeper and this week's ACC Co-Player of the Week Diego Restrepo posted his eighth shutout of the season. He finished with three saves.

"American is a good team," Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. "Our guys came into this game with a good mentality and did a great job of moving the ball around."

Villanueva took a free kick with his left foot from the edge of the penalty box area in the 41st minute and put the shot on target. American goalkeeper Matt Makowski dived to his right, but Villanueva's shot found the lower left corner of the net.

For Villanueva, it was his first goal of the season and the ninth of his career.

Bates (Chester, Va.) added an insurance goal in the 54th minute when he headed in a cross from Jordan Evans (Chester, Va.). It was Bates' team-high seventh goal of the year and Evans first career assist.

Tchani made it 3-0 in the 65th minute, off of assists by Hunter Jumper (Plano, Texas) and Chase Neinken (Roswell, Ga.). Jumper sent a ball across the box from the left side, which was headed on by Neinken. Tchani gathered the pass and finished for his fifth goal of the year and won its ninth-straight contest vs. the Eagles.

Virginia out-shot American 18-8 and had an 9-3 advantage in corner kicks. Virginia matched its highest offensive output of the year with three goals.

Makowski finished with eight saves for AU.

Up next is the regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 7. Kick-off from Klöckner Stadium is 7 p.m., vs. No. 16 NC State. Seedings and pairings for the 2009 ACC Men's Soccer Tournament will be announced on Monday, Nov. 9.