White: Sherrill's Performance a Storybook Tale
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/25/2009
By Jeff White

CANCUN, Mexico -- This is one holiday story that might be too improbable even for Hollywood.

The protagonist is a walk-on forward, a guy who's never scored more than three points in a college basketball game. So what does he do?

On the night before Thanksgiving, far, far from home, he scores 18 points to help his team erase a double-digit second-half deficit and win going away. He also totals 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot in 24 minutes -- all career highs. Unbelievable?

Believe.

The walk-on in question is Will Sherrill, and the 6-9 junior from New York City turned in one of the more amazing performances in history of UVa hoops Wednesday night at the Cancun Challenge.

He came in with career highs of 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block and 16 minutes. He left UVa's opponent, Cleveland State (3-3), wondering where, exactly, No. 22 came from.

"I loved his energy," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, "and I thought everybody rallied around that, and he gave the team a huge lift."

Not that Sherrill was the only hero for UVa in its 76-65 win over Cleveland State at the Moon Palace Resort.

Sophomore swingman Sylven Landesberg had a game-high 20 points and a team-high five assists. Junior forward Mike Scott contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds. Junior guard Mustapha Farrakhan scored all 11 of his points in the second half. Sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski bombed in a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to help the Wahoos (4-2) keep the Vikings at bay.

Each of those players, however, had performed similar feats in college games. Not Sherrill.

He'd gone scoreless Tuesday night in Virginia's 57-52 loss to Stanford. Against Cleveland State, he made a trey to tie the game at 15-15, but those were his only first-half points. There was no reason to think he'd take over the game, no reason for the Vikings to pay him special attention.

But once Sherrill started scoring in the second half, with a sweetly stroked 3-pointer at the 12:08 mark, he didn't seem to stop. He finished 7 for 9 from the floor and missed only once in five attempts from beyond the arc.

Such marksmanship from Sherrill, who has a double major (history and economics), is not uncommon in workouts.


"We know when he gets the ball and he's wide open, you might as well run back on defense," Landesberg said. "That's cash. New York swag."

In practice, Bennett said, Sherrill will "screen and separate and knock down those shots, and he's really a team guy. He'll do whatever it takes. He's a heady player, and that was a good step for him tonight. When you can stretch the defense, that opens up some alleys for the other guys."

Was Sherrill aware his points were multiplying at a furious clip?

"I had no idea," he said. "I was just trying to focus on the next play and knock down the next shot.

"It was really easy for me, because our guys, like Sylven, and Mustapha and Sam and Mike, whenever they got to the lane, my man always helped off, and I was just able to space out and they were finding me. Just a lot of rhythm jump shots."

UVa's coaching staff arrived in Mexico wanting at least a split. So after the 'Hoos lost to Stanford, the significance of the Cleveland State game increased, at least to the coaches. For about 23 minutes Wednesday night, the players put forth a lackluster effort, especially on defense, and a somber plane ride home seemed likely.

The Cavaliers allowed the Vikings to shoot 65.2 percent from the floor in the first half. Cleveland State closed with a 9-1 run and led by seven points at the break.

Two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, the Vikings led 39-29 and looked capable of scoring at will.

Suddenly, though, Virginia came to life. Its comeback began with one of Scott's three assists, this one to Landesberg for a 3-pointer. The Vikings answered with a basket, but the Wahoos ran off six more points to pull to 41-38.

The surge continued. A 10-0 run that ended with Sherrill's second trey put the Cavaliers up 49-46. Twice Cleveland State rallied to regain the lead before Scott put the 'Hoos ahead for good, slamming home a miss by Landesberg to make it 56-54 with 7:57 left.

"We haven't been really good so far this season facing adversity and overcoming it," Sherrill said. "Coach Bennett, he challenged us to throw the first punch and keep fighting for the whole 20 minutes."

Indeed, in each of the Cavaliers' first three victories, they led throughout the second half. All of them were at John Paul Jones Arena, too. The crowd in the resort's converted ballroom wasn't hostile Wednesday night, but neither did it provide the 'Hoos a huge lift when they fell behind.

"You're going to face adversity, so you have to be able to handle that and not just crack," Bennett said. "I think probably against South Florida and then against Stanford, we didn't answer the challenge, and we had our chances. But that was a good sign today. I was happy for the guys."

Cleveland State didn't go quietly. For the game, the Vikings shot 55.3 percent from the floor, and an NBA-length trey by guard Norris Cole pulled them to 61-60 with 5:19 left.

That's when Zeglinski intervened. On a possession that seemed destined to end in disaster, Farrakhan was trapped by two Vikings who knocked the ball loose. Zeglinski tracked it down and tossed up a long 3-pointer with the shot clock approaching :00.

It dropped through.

"We needed them all, and it was nice to see that go in, because we were sort of struggling to get anything, and he just heaved it up there and said his prayers and it went in," Bennett said.

Landesberg said: "I didn't really realize how important it was. I was just laughing down the court. Sam's the master of trick shots, so if you need a prayer, he's the one to go to."

Twice after that, Cleveland State cut its deficit to one. Each time Sherrill answerd. His jumper off a Zeglinski pass made it 66-63 with 2:44 left. His 3-pointer off a Scott pass made it 69-65 with 1:53 to play and allowed the 'Hoos to begin to exhale.

"I thought a good step was being down 10 in the second half, and the guys, they didn't quit," Bennett said. "They fought. Big shots were made. They came up with some 50-50 balls, hustle plays.

"I thought Sylven was very complete in his game, and Mike was real aggressive with some rebounds and post touches. And what Will, Mu and Sammy did was great, too. Will was obviously the surprise, but he stretched the defense. He got a lot of hustle plays, and I just rode those guys. I know they were tired, but they had a chemistry going, and I said, 'We're going to ride them to the end.' They were on fumes, that's for sure, but it was a nice win."

The defensive lapses that hurt Virginia against Stanford, however, continued for much of Wednesday night's game. Bennett knows his team must improve in that area.

"We had a few breakdowns where they got easy looks," he said. "They also hit a couple of tough shots. I know the one that Mustapha was guarding -- No. 30, I think it was -- he hit an unbelievably tough shot, but I guess we got it back when Sammy made his. Call it even."

The team got back to Charlottesville around 7 a.m. Thursday, with plans to reconvene that afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner. But with their next game not until Monday night -- Penn State comes to town for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge -- the 'Hoos could look forward to a little rest on this holiday.

 

Cavaliers Rally for 76-65 Win Over Cleveland State in Cancun
Courtesy: Associated Press Release: 11/25/2009

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) - Sylven Landesberg scored 20 points and Will Sherrill came off the bench to add 18, including 15 in the second half, to lead Virginia to a 76-65 victory over Cleveland State on Wednesday night.
Virginia (4-2) rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to finish in third at the Cancun Classic.
Cleveland State (3-3), which lost both of its games in the tournament, extended its lead to 39-29 at the 17:33 mark. The Cavaliers hit three straight baskets to cut the lead to 41-38 with 15:13 left before Sherrill tied the score at 46-46 on a 3-pointer with 12:13 remaining.
Virginia took the lead for good on Mike Scott's dunk and another 3-pointer from Sherrill.
Jeremy Montgomery led Cleveland State with 14 points. Aaron Pogue added 13 points and Norris Cole scored 12.
Scott added 15 points, Mustapha Farrakhan had 11 and Sammy Zeglinski finished with 10 points for Virginia.
 

Postgame Notes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/25/2009

Team Notes
• Virginia rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit (34-27) for victory. It was the largest halftime deficit the Cavaliers have overcome to win since rallying from eight down at the break (37-29) vs. Old Dominion in the 2008 CBI Quarterfinals
• The Cavaliers shot over 50.0 percent (52.8) from the floor for the third time this season. Last season, Virginia shot over 50.0 percent just four times all season.
• Virginia had five players in double figure scoring for the second time this season
• The Cavaliers shot over 50.0 percent from 3-point range (10-17, 58.8 percent) for the first time since shooting 57.1 percent (12-21) at Arizona on Nov. 17, 2007

Individual Notes
• Sylven Landesberg had his second 20-point game of the season and his 14th career 20-point game

Player Career Highs
• Will Sherrill set career-highs with 18 points, seven FGs, four 3FGs, two assists, three steals and tied a career-high with six rebounds
 

Postgame Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/25/2009

Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett

On coming from behind to win:

“You’re going to face adversity so you have to be able to handle that and not just crack. Against South Florida and Stanford we didn’t answer the challenge. That was a good sign tonight. I was happy for the guys.”

Junior Forward Will Sherrill

“When I was thinking about coming to Virginia this is the way I hoped it would turn out. Tonight was a big win for us because we faced some adversity. We were down at halftime. I’m thankful I was able to come in and give us a lift. My teammates were able to find me when I was wide open in rhythm and I was able to knock them down. The shots were falling."

"This has to be the start of something for us as a team. Hopefully I keep playing well, but just for us as a team it has to be the start of something where no matter what happens we keep fighting and we stay together. It’s one win and we’ve got to build on it. There are a lot of things we need to do better, but it’s a great feeling right now.”

Petersen to coach Cavs?
By Jerry Ratcliffe and Jay Jenkins
Published: November 26, 2009
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With Virginia’s regular season finale against arch-rival Virginia Tech looming this weekend, it appears that the end of the Al Groh era is coming to an end.
The Cavaliers are 3-8 and regardless of Saturday’s outcome against the Hokies, they will finish with their third losing season over the last four years.
While much of this week’s focus is on the state’s biggest rivalry and on Groh’s future, it also appears that Boise State coach Chris Petersen is the leading candidate to become Virginia’s next head football coach.
Petersen, 45, is considered one of the top young coaches in the country, having led Boise State to a 46-4 record in four seasons. His current Broncos’ team is 11-0 and hoping to earn a BCS bid at the end of the season.
While some college football observers commented earlier this year that Petersen was “ungettable,” things have obviously changed.
The Boise State coach has reportedly been frustrated the past couple of years with the salaries of his assistant coaches and has unsuccessfully
campaigned his athletic director and the Western Athletic Conference office to improve those wages.
“If Chris Petersen were to leave Boise State, that would be one of, if not the major reason for his exit,” said one source in Boise on Wednesday.
Petersen, whose stated goal is to win a national championship, may also feel some frustration about his team being left out of the BCS conversation each season. His teams have gone 13-0 (2006), 10-3 (2007), 12-1 (2008), and 11-0 so far this season, and have participated in only one BCS game, the ‘06 Fiesta Bowl when his Broncos upset Big 12 champion Oklahoma, 43-42 in overtime.
It was that game that earned Petersen notoriety for his bold play calling at the end of that celebrated contest. ESPN and other networks often feature the 50-yard hook-and-ladder play on fourth-and-18 that tied the game with seven seconds to play in regulation. Then, Petersen called a “Statue of Liberty” play on a two-point conversion that won the game in overtime, stunning the highly-favored Sooners.
Petersen earns a salary of $850,000 annually, a figure that would likely be doubled in order to lure him to Virginia.
Another factor working in UVa’s favor is associate senior athletic director Jon Oliver, a Boise State graduate, who was in Boise for the Broncos’ season-opening win over Oregon in
early September. While Oliver played basketball at Boise State, he was in Boise for the football reunion weekend.
According to sources, Oliver and Petersen have been good friends for years.
Petersen has strong coaching credentials, having been twice nominated for the Frank Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top assistant coach. Petersen was Boise State’s offensive coordinator from 2001-2005 under Dan Hawkins, who left for Colorado.
Petersen took over in 2006 and earned the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award as the nation’s best coach for that season.
Meanwhile, sources said that funds have been raised to pay the buyout for the remaining two years of Groh’s contract, estimated to be $4 million.
Sources said the money was raised as early as the Duke weekend (Oct. 31) when the Cavaliers lost for the second straight year to the Blue Devils.
Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage declined comment Wednesday night about those funds, noting that he would respect the Cavaliers’ biggest game of the season this weekend and did not want to detract from the attention the team, particularly the senior class, deserves.
“I’ve insisted to my staff that no one should comment until such time that decisions are made,” Littlepage said. “I won’t violate the expectations placed on my staff.”
Littlepage has stated ever since speculation arose that this might be Groh’s last season as coach, that he will evaluate Groh’s future after the season and that the coach’s “full body of work” would be considered.
Groh’s contract specifies that UVa must decide no later than Nov. 30 annually as to whether it will roll over the deal.
Such money does not come out of the athletic department’s regular operating budget, but rather from “philanthropic commitments.”
 

Separating fact from fiction when it comes to Petersen job rumors
Submitted by Brian Murphy on Thu, 11/26/2009 - 1:23am. | The Idaho Statesman

Boise State fans have grown accustomed to these stories: Chris Petersen is leaving for (fill in the blank school).

The stories began when Petersen was one of the hottest offensive coordinators in the country and have not skipped a beat since he took over as head coach in 2006.

Petersen’s incredible success (46-4 in four seasons) has only fueled national speculation — and local worry — that he is headed out of town.

Last year, it was Mississippi State that was going to lure Petersen away. Television stations even reported terms of his new contract (four years, $9 million). Petersen had to put out a statement to debunk the rumors when they reached a fever pitch.

For the complete Mississippi State story in blog form, click here.

Now we already have this year's team that is about to hire Petersen: Virginia.

Reports are beginning to circulate out of the Commonwealth that Petersen is atop the Cavaliers’ wish list to replace Al Groh, who, by the way, still has his job. Virginia (3-8) hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday.

This story from the Charlottesville Daily Progress calls Petersen the “leading candidate” to replace Groh, though no named sources are quoted.

The headline of the story: Petersen to coach Cavs?

ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel also says to keep an eye on Virginia when it comes to Petersen.

Fact from fiction

Let me preface the rest of this blog by stating that I have not had any conversations with Petersen about Virginia or the reports that first surfaced Thursday.

But there are several factual problems with the report out of Virginia that should be corrected.

Petersen's pay

From the Charlottesville (Va.) story:

"Petersen earns a salary of $850,000 annually, a figure that would likely be doubled in order to lure him to Virginia."

Fact: Petersen’s salary is much higher than that — and climbing. Petersen actually is earning more than $1.1 million in base salary in 2009.

From Statesman beat writer Chadd Cripe’s Bronco Beat blog and based on Petersen’s contract:

"Petersen’s base salary for 2009 (actually Feb. 1, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010) is $1,112,650.

"If the Broncos win 12 games, he will get a 19 percent raise for 2010 to $1,324,053. He already has earned at least a 5 percent raise for winning eight games and would get a 10 percent raise for winning 10 games.

"If the Broncos are ranked in the Top 10 after the bowls, he gets a $117,720 bonus. If they’re in the Top 25, he gets $92,720.

"If the Broncos go to a Bowl Championship Series game, he gets a $100,000 bonus. That bonus drops to $92,720 for a WAC title or $55,632 for a bowl berth.

"Petersen also has a $20,000 bonus based on his team’s academic performance.

"If he meets all possible bonuses, he’ll get $237,720 plus the 19 percent raise.

"Already this year, Petersen received the first half of a deferred-compensation bonus based on longevity. He earned the $250,000 payment in August. He gets another $250,000 if he completes the five-year contract, which runs through the 2011 season.

"Petersen’s buyout drops by $200,000 to $550,000 after the Broncos’ bowl game this year. The buyout expires after the 2010 bowl game, which could push Boise State to re-negotiate this offseason."

Assistant coaches' pay

Back to the Charlottesville (Va.) story:

"While some college football observers commented earlier this year that Petersen was “ungettable,” things have obviously changed.

"The Boise State coach has reportedly been frustrated the past couple of years with the salaries of his assistant coaches and has unsuccessfully campaigned his athletic director and the Western Athletic Conference office to improve those wages.

“If Chris Petersen were to leave Boise State, that would be one of, if not the major reason for his exit,” said one source in Boise on Wednesday."

Fact: Petersen has often said that keeping his assistants around and being able to pay them is one of the keys to running a successful program. Petersen has lost just one assistant coach since taking over the program in 2006. Offensive line coach Sean Kugler left for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL following the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

"My job as the head coach is to make this as hard a place for those guys to leave as I can," Petersen said in December.

According to USA Today’s recent report on salaries, Boise State’s assistants are the highest-paid among any team in a conference that does not have an automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series. Here’s the story.

From Cripe’s blog:

"Speaking of rising costs, USA Today’s report on coach salaries revealed today that Boise State has the highest-paid football assistant coaches at any non-BCS school that reported salaries.

"Boise State’s assistants make more than some BCS schools, including Colorado and California.

"Boise State’s assistants average $175,239 per year, according to the report. That’s 39th among the 98 FBS schools that reported salaries.

"Coordinators Justin Wilcox and Bryan Harsin make about $225,000."

Guess what school you can add to Colorado and California?

Virginia.

Check it out in USA Today’s database.

Boise State’s total package for all assistants is $1.57 million. According to USA Today database of coaches’ salaries, Virginia’s assistants earn a total of $1.55 million with its highest-paid assistant earning $275,000.

Also, I don’t know why Petersen would be campaigning to the WAC offices for additional money for his assistant coaches.

Other facts

Petersen spent one season as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh and has said the experience of being on the East Coast felt foreign. The rest of his coaching experience is in the West, mostly in the Northwest.

Petersen has often said that the reason he would leave Boise is if the Broncos fell behind in facilities and assistant salaries and support for the program.

"I know for me it's not about the other places. That's where everybody keeps making the mistakes. As long as this place is going to continue to grow, as long as we continue to build facilities, as long as you can pay your assistants," Petersen said.

I do not know if Petersen is going to remain at Boise State after this season or next season or five years from now. Nor do I know if he is becoming frustrated with the Broncos’ struggle to get into the BCS.

What I do know, after four years of covering Petersen, is that he is not looking to take the first job that comes around. I have sat down with him, as recently as a few weeks ago, and talked about what it might take for him to leave Boise State.

From that conversation and others, I don’t believe Virginia is a place Petersen would leave Boise State for at this time.

You can follow Murph's Turf on Twitter.

Brian Murphy is co-author of "Blue Magic: Boise State's Unlikely Journey to a Fiesta Bowl Win." You can click here to purchase the book.



 

U.Va. needs giving for Groh to go
By Michael Phillips
Published: November 26, 2009
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CHARLOTTESVILLE It's the time of year for charity, and the University of Virginia has an opportunity for you.

The athletic department quietly has been raising funds to pay the estimated $4 million that it will take to run football coach Al Groh out of town.

Groh is 3-8 in his ninth season of coaching the Cavaliers, including a loss to William and Mary to open the season. He will almost certainly coach his final game in orange and blue Saturday against Virginia Tech.

But after receiving an extension at the end of the 2007 season, Groh will have two years remaining on his contract, which pays him about $2 million a year. If he were fired, Groh would be owed the entire amount remaining.

Financially, giving is down across the board this year, but U.Va. athletics also have been hit by a dramatic drop in football attendance, which is the school's top money-maker.

After selling nearly 60,000 seats per game in 2007, this year's final number will be 48,407 after adding in Saturday's sellout. At prices ranging from $23 to $42 over seven games, the school has taken a significant hit.

So while it makes financial sense to fire Groh, that's not an item accounted in the department's yearly budget -- hence the University's fundraising.

Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage declined an interview request from The Times-Dispatch this week, but earlier in the season, he was quoted as saying that any buyout given to Groh would not affect the department as a whole.

"I think it's safe to say that you would have philanthropic commitments in place to help handle these sorts of situations," he told the Roanoke Times.

Obviously, that won't be handled as a high-profile campaign, but rather Littlepage and company approaching top donors to see if they'd contribute.

He's become too familiar with this kind of appeal recently after paying men's basketball coach Dave Leitao the $2.1 million his contract required if he was fired -- though officially, Leitao resigned.

Both Leitao and Groh were ACC coaches of the year in 2007 before beginning their descent.

Groh consistently has deflected talk of his future this season. He did the same Monday.

"It's not really about me," he said. "It's about the team and it's about the players. You know, that's all I'm really thinking about, so I don't really have any thoughts on it."

The choice of a new football coach also will affect the bottom line. If the school chose to go with a FCS coach such as Richmond's Mike London, his yearly salary probably would be lower than Groh's -- previous coaches making the leap have received in the neighborhood of $1.3 million.

But if the Cavs went with a big-name hire such as Tommy Tuberville, they'd probably have to pay him at least the $3.3 million he made in his final season at Auburn.

The outlay is huge but important for the U.Va. athletics department. The money brought in from football is $20.2 million annually, according to the school's report to the Department of Education. That's more than twice as much as the next highest sport, basketball.

With that much on the line, the school can claim it's passing the hat this month for a good cause.


 

Will Tech-Virginia crowd be maroon, orange or disinterested?

The most intriguing story at Saturday's Virginia Tech-at-Virginia football game has nothing to do with Xs, Os or the Hokies' bowl destination.

The story will be the crowd.

How big? How unruly? And dressed in what colors?

The 3-8 Cavaliers haven't approached a home sellout (61,500) this season. Fans are weary of losing and eager for Al Groh's impending exit as head coach.

But this is Virginia Tech, the school Virginia faithful love to loathe. Moreover, the Hokies have won five straight in the series and nine of the last 10.

So will Cavaliers fans show up? If so, will they be supporting the team or heckling the lame duck coach?

Quick aside: Groh is nothing if not loyal to his alma mater, and flaws notwithstanding, he deserves a civil, if not affectionate, farewell.

And what of Tech loyalists? They're quite adept at securing tickets on the road, and if Virginia fans are disaffected, there could be thousands for the taking.

But the Hokies are 8-3 and eliminated from ACC, let alone national, contention, a serious buzzkill after a preseason laden with hype. So even if Cavaliers are selling, will Hokies be motivated to buy?

Let us know your plans for Saturday. Tailgate and game as usual? Unloading tickets to the highest bidder?

This is, after all, Thanksgiving weekend. There's plenty else to do.

Posted by David Teel

Al Groh's struggles against Virginia Tech

In what will likely be his final game at the helm of his alma mater, Virginia coach Al Groh will aim for just his second victory in nine tries against rival Virginia Tech.

Heading into Saturday's showdown in Charlottesville, here's a rundown of Groh's struggles against the Hokies:

2008 — Virginia Tech 17, Virginia 14: Hampton graduate Tyrod Taylor accounted for 274 yards in Virginia Tech’s win, and the Hokies’ defense held the Cavaliers to 108 in the second half. Dustin Keys booted a 28-yard field goal with 6:37 left in the game to provide the winning margin and help send Virginia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

2007 — Virginia Tech 33, Virginia 21: With an ACC title game berth on the line, Virginia Tech rolled up 430 yards of offense — 299 passing and 131 rushing — and held Virginia to 241 yards. Tech quarterback Sean Glennon, who started the game, led the passing game by completing 13 of 19 for 260 yards and a touchdown. Tyrod Taylor, who rotated with Glennon 20 times, finished 4 of 6 passing for 39 yards.

2006 — Virginia Tech 17, Virginia 0: Virginia Tech allowed just 112 yards of offense, including 46 on the ground. It was Tech’s first shutout of the Cavaliers since 1983 and their fourth of the season. The Hokies gave up 129 points during the regular-season, their lowest total since '99 (116), when they reached the national-championship game.

2005 — Virginia Tech 52, Virginia 14: Virginia Tech strong safety Aaron Rouse intercepted two consecutive passes by Marques Hagans, a Hampton High graduate, in the third quarter. Both of the interceptions led to touchdowns in a 28-point quarter as the Hokies rolled. The 52 points were the most scored by an opponent on Virginia’s home field since Clemson defeated the Cavaliers 55-0 in 1984. It was also the biggest margin of victory in the series since U.Va. defeated Tech 38-0 in '91.

2004 — Virginia Tech 24, Virginia 10: Trailing 10-7 early in the fourth quarter, Virginia had the ball with first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Three plays, no yards. The Cavaliers had to settle for a 19-yard field goal. Virginia Tech stole momentum and scored touchdowns on its next two series — a pass from Bruton grad Bryan Randall and a run from Cedric Humes.

2003 — Virginia 35, Virginia Tech 21: Virginia scored touchdowns on four of its five second-half possessions -- the fifth ended with quarterback Matt Schaub taking a knee at the Tech 12-yard line -- in a dominant performance. And Virginia's 3-4 defense turned Tech star Kevin Jones into a non-factor. Schaub threw for 358 yards and two touchdowns as Virginia won the only game in the series under coach Al Groh.

2002 — Virginia Tech 21, Virginia 9: With winds gusting to 40 mph, Virginia Tech went to the ground game. Tailbacks Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones combined for 199 yards on 34 carries. Suggs, who gained 108 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and Jones each had three carries of more than 10 yards. A key play came early in the second quarter when Virginia Tech's Justin Hamilton blocked a punt and freshman Darryl Tapp scooped up the ball at Virginia's 11 and ran into the end zone to give the Hokies a 7-3 lead.

2001 — Virginia Tech 31, Virginia 17: In Al Groh’s first game coaching in the rivalry, his Cavaliers fell behind early and couldn’t match up with the Hokies. Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries.

Posted by Nick Mathews

UVa offense rides herd on Cabbell drive
By Mitchell Malcheff
Published: November 26, 2009
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Since B.J. Cabbell became a regular starter on the Cavaliers offensive line last season, he has seen his share of highs and lows. Though the Cavaliers struggled last season, they did post wins over then-No. 18 North Carolina and in Atlanta at then-No. 21 Georgia Tech. With Cabbell starting at right guard, UVa allowed an ACC-low 16 sacks in 2008.

This year, though, the Cavs stumbled out of the gate, losing to William and Mary and Southern Miss along with TCU. However, the Cavs would rebound, winning three straight to even their record before losing their next four to fall to 3-7 overall and 2-4 in the ACC.

In addition to the up-and-down, Cabbell was hit by the injury bug this season and has started seven of 10 games. Through it all, the 6-foot-6, 305-pound Nelson County graduate has been a rock on the offensive line.

“Our motto is, we are Virginia, we’re tough and we don’t crack,” Cabbell said.

The Cavaliers are out of contention for a bowl bid. But the remaining team on the schedule is not –– Virginia Tech.

He will have a chance to help further spoil what was once a very promising season for the Hokies in the season finale. The Roseland native grew up as a UVa fan and relishes the opportunity to be a part of Virginia’s football version of a civil war.

“You just feel it’s your rival and you just grew up with people liking Tech and people liking Virginia and it’s just a big family rivalry,” Cabbell said.

The lessons learned from last year, Cabbell’s first as a starter, have also proved invaluable. The former All-District player said he is better equipped this year to handle the speed of the game and as a result has been able to focus more on his own technique. Cabbell also said he spends less time watching his own weaknesses on tape and more looking for tendencies in his defensive counterparts.

If their record is any indicator, the Cavaliers may be primed to finish the season strong. To put an appropriate end on their up-and-down season, it would only be natural for UVa to win. Though Cabbell did not make any bold predictions, he does believe that the Cavs may be just hitting their stride because of injuries and the early setbacks.

“We’re coming together as one and grinding away … we’re on the gridiron, we take every practice as our last practice,” Cabbell said. “We had some injuries, here and there, but I would say overall our chemistry has been coming together each Saturday … (We) lost some games we should have won early on and that’s what set us back.”

Regardless of the final game, Cabbell hopes to be the anchor on next year’s line. Cabbell has extra incentive as well, with some scouting services ranking him as high as the 14th best NFL prospect at his position for the 2011 draft. With those lofty possibilities on the horizon, Cabbell is planning to get back to basics in the offseason.

“(I’m going to work on) the fundamentals of the game, getting faster, getting a lot stronger, being able to anchor the line next year, and just try to be a powerhouse,” Cabbell said.

UVa’s special teams struggling
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 26, 2009
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The smile on Al Groh’s face was memorable.
Bringing back former assistant Ron Prince to lead the program’s special teams was expected to give a reeling group an instant boost.
Groh mentioned complex schemes and the success that Prince’s teams had at Kansas State.
For numerous reasons, mainly those that involve athleticism, blocking and tackling, that never happened on a consistent basis in Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers 3-8 mark overall is proof of that.
“It’s been frustrating for everybody on the team. We certainly expected more,” Groh said. “There’s been an awful lot of energy and effort put into it, more than ever, and on the part of people. And when you say not everything is going to go perfect, you’re exactly right, but we expect better than say what we had [at Clemson].
“We had two mishandled kickoffs. That part of it is not that difficult. Tracking your guy down and blocking him and whatnot on the run, sometimes that’s a little bit more difficult.”
In an effort to bolster the special teams operations, Virginia thrust a number of the true freshmen onto the playing field. That penalty will be exposed in four years for the coaching staff that replaces the current collection, but does little to ease the pain of the game-changing miscues that added up.
There, obviously, were a few bright spots, including a pair of blocked punts in a 35-point loss at Miami, but the players remain as “frustrated” as the coaching staff.
“I have felt very frustrated at points just with the general results of the special teams,” said senior Patrick Slebonick. “We go in prepared very well each week and we go in with game plans to make the type of game-changing plays that [Groh] was mentioning that have been absent.”
“I think that for whatever reason, they haven’t been able to materialize in the games and there is a little bit of a frustration with than and then there is the big gratification when we had the big return against Clemson or before that when we had two blocked punts against Miami.”
Some of the pain from losing field position on special teams was expected, but never to the degree that burned the Cavaliers this season.
“One of the things that Coach Prince likes to say is, ‘The ball goes up in the air and it is the most space to deal with on any play,’” Slebonick said. “Neither team knows 100 percent where the ball is going to go and each of the 11 guys on both sides has to adjust in space.
“That makes it one of the most difficult plays to have 11 guys working together like they need to.”
Virginia has one final chance to correct its woeful performance, but the pieces will remain the same. The Cavaliers’ limited depth is more prevalent on special teams than any other place.
“It hasn’t changed the lights on the scoreboard the way we had hoped,” Groh said, “or the way really that this particular team needed some push from that area.”
 

Cavaliers Rally Falls Short, Drops Match to Virginia Tech
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/25/2009

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia volleyball team concluded its 2009 campaign with a tough loss at Virginia Tech Wednesday evening, falling 1-3 (18-25, 15-25, 25-22, 20-25) to the Hokies.
Virginia (12-19, 7-13 ACC) was led by sophomore Simone Asque's nine kills. Juniors Sydney Hill and Kendahl Voelker each knocked down seven, while junior AJ Cushman led the defense with 13 digs. Seniors Brittani Rendina and Tara Hester each collected 12, while freshman Rachel Gray registered her fifth double-double. The setter dished out 32 assists and had 10 digs.
Virginia Tech (19-12, 9-11 ACC) had two players in double-digit kills, led by Justine Record, who tallied 15 and Cara Baarendse who landed 10. Erin Leaser distributed 48 assists and collected 13 digs, while Jill Gergen had a match-high 21 digs.
Freshman Jessica O'Shoney and Asque teamed to lead Virginia to an early 6-2 advantage, sandwiching back-to-back kills from each of them around one from the Hokies. But Tech was able to work its way back into the frame, and eventually took a 13-11 lead following a service ace from Record. The Hokies continued their run following a timeout called by the Cavaliers and, thanks to a 10-2 streak, capped off a 17-7 run with a 25-18 victory.
Behind consecutive service aces from Record at the start of the second frame, the Hokies were able to grab an early 7-2 lead and extended their advantage to eight, by 17-9. The Cavaliers attempted to cut their deficit down, but four-unanswered kills from Tech to end the frame put the home team on top, 25-15.
The third set was much closer, as it featured 11 tie scores, including eight-straight late in the frame. With the score knotted at 21 all, the Cavaliers took advantage of two Hokie errors to gain a two-point advantage and held on for the 25-22 victory.
Virginia fell behind at the beginning of the first set, 9-3, but worked to cut Tech's lead to one, at 14-13, following a five-point run. The Hokies wouldn't allow the visitors to even the score though, as they landed back-to-back kills to extend their lead back to three. Virginia worked to string together a late rally, but Tech would go on to win, 25-20.
The match marked the final contest for Virginia's three seniors: Lauren Dickson, Tara Hester and Brittani Rendina. The trio concluded their careers with a 70-55 overall record and a 45-39 mark in conference play.