Sewell's up-and-down ride continues
Despite missing the entire 2008 season, Jameel Sewell's name is rising up in Virginia's career record books.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In rising to No. 3 on Virginia's all-time passing list, Jameel Sewell has joined the company of Matt Schaub and Shawn Moore, both of whom were ACC players of the year.

Sewell's statistics have never led to postseason awards, nor has Virginia's record made him a candidate this year.

His legacy will be his longevity and perseverance.

Sewell, a 6-foot-3 left-hander from Richmond's Hermitage High School, is expected to make the 33rd start of his UVa career when the Cavaliers (3-8) entertain Virginia Tech (8-3) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Hardly any Virginia quarterback has made more career starts and that's with Sewell having missed the 2008 season while on academic probation.

"I was reading the other day where he had moved up to third on the passing list," said Sewell's father, Harry, "and one of my co-workers said, 'Just think if he'd had that other year!' "

Sewell stands to finish his career approximately 2,000 yards behind Schaub, who is No. 1 on the all-time list. Considering Sewell passed for 2,176 yards in 2007 and could go over the 2,000 mark again Saturday, such conjecture is not ridiculous.

On the other hand, who's to say that Sewell would have arrived at this point after flunking out of school following the first semester in 2007?

"Once the violation occurred, we heard from a lot of people," Sewell's father said. "I was in contact with a few of them to see if we could get him in somewhere. Jameel shot that down as soon as he heard about it. He told me, 'This is where I want to be.' I couldn't have been prouder."

Harry Sewell played quarterback and defensive back at Virginia Union and has been a central figure in his son's career. After victories -- and sometimes after losses -- he can be seen standing proudly in the back of UVa's post-game interview area.

"My father has been there for me since Day One," Sewell said. "I had to deal with the separation of my parents but he did everything in his power to make sure I turned out in the right manner."

He's had Jameel's back but he's also been on his back.

"He rides me all the time," Jameel said. "There's definitely been times when I thought he was too tough, especially when I was younger. You've got to deal with it. When a father wants you to be successful, he's going to push you.

"I don't regret him doing that at all. I love him to death for doing that."

Larry Sewell could see that his son lacked confidence.

"At times, he had a lot of doubts," Mr. Sewell said. "He'd get discouraged when he couldn't do something that I knew he could do. My choice of toughness was predicated on preparation, but sometimes I just had to shut it down and go back to nurturing."

Yet, Jameel can be as tough on himself as his father ever was, particularly as the losses have mounted this season.

"I think that bothers him a lot," his dad said. "It makes him feel like he's the cause of it."

An offensive line hasn't offered Sewell much protection. Sewell has been sacked 37 times this season and he didn't even play Nov. 7 against Miami.

He was sidelined by an injured shoulder that day after missing time earlier with a sprained ankle.

Sewell denies that the injuries have limited his mobility and kept him from scrambling as effectively as he did in 2007.

He thinks he could have taken off a little more often "but, there's nothing I can do about that now," Sewell said during a teleconference this week.

"Just got to try and move forward. I can't dwell on the decisions I've made."

Obviously, the low point of Sewell's career was when he lost a year's eligibility. There was no assurance that he would be able to win back the starting job from his previous understudy, Peter Lalich, but head coach Al Groh was confident he would be back.

"I was because he was," said Groh, who ultimately lost Lalich to a school-imposed dismissal.

"He had a very strong conviction from the outset, I mean right from the very early days, when he was very, very down about being out of school and off the team.

"I can remember how soft-spoken he was in talking about it, but also how determined he was that he would be back to play."

Even without the victories, for Sewell there has been triumph.

UVa Insider, The Column Doug Doughty

No one will ever know what kind of impact Kevin Ogletree would have had for this year’s Virginia football team.

This much we do know: Virginia’s leading receiver after 11 games, Kris Burd, has 28 receptions for 383 yards.

In 2008, as a redshirt junior, Ogletree had 58 receptions for 723 yards.

It was the second season of 50 receptions or more for Ogletree, who had a team-high 52 receptions in 2006.

Ogletree never made first- or second-team All-ACC but he finished his career with 117 receptions, good for seventh on the Cavaliers’ career list.

He would not have passed all-time leader Billy McMullen, who had 210 receptions between 1999-2002, but Ogletree would have had a good shot at No. 2 Heath Miller (144 receptions).

Now that Ogletree has made the Dallas Cowboys and is being paid at least the NFL minimum of $350,000, it’s hard to second-guess his decision not to return to Virginia for a fifth year.

But consider Ogletree’s comments last January after he had sought the input of an NFL advisory panel:

“It was what I wanted to hear,” Ogletree said. “Obviously, it was a draftable grade. I’m not getting into specifics, but they didn’t say, ‘Hey, guy, you’ll be drafted in the seventh round.’ I would be back in school if they had.”

Along the same line of thinking, presumably Ogletree would have stayed in school if he had known he wouldn’t be drafted.

Would Ogletree have caught 50 passes for this Virginia team? Obviously, pass protection has been lacking. One of Ogletree’s fellow 2005 signees, first-round NFL Draft pick Eugene Monroe, played left offensive tackle on a 2008 Virginia team that allowed 16 sacks in 12 games.

This team has allowed 39 sacks in 11 games. But, some of that can be attributed to the receivers’ inability to create separation. In addition to Ogletree, Virginia lost wide receivers who had 33 and 30 receptions last year (Maurice Covington and Cary Koch).

In all fairness, I had not heard Groh mention Ogletree until I raised his name Wednesday in a teleconference.

I asked Groh, “How much of a blow has it been? Has it been more of a blow than you would have thought?”

“Obviously, Kevin’s playing on Sunday afternoons,” Groh said. “So, he’s got talent to that level and we certainly were the beneficiary of that talent on occasion during his time here, even though he missed a season due to injury.

“This probably would have been Kevin’s high-water mark for us. You’re exactly right [that it was a big loss]. But, look, he’s not on the team. He’s on somebody else’s team and to bemoan that fact right now is like dogs barking at the moon.

“It doesn’t do any good and it just sounds like an excuse. We can see what his talent level was on the practice level each day but I’m sure he’s a better player this year than he was last year. He did some very nice things for us and had some real nice plays, but, by the same token, he wasn’t a dominate-the-game player.

“It’s pretty apparent that he’s improved his game and really stepped up in the past year. Maybe he’s just getting a little better coaching. If we could have brought him along in the same way in his last year, I’m sure we would have had a similar-type player.

“When he didn’t get drafted, that was a bit of a setback for him. Fortunately, he was in an organization that had somebody on his side. John Garrett’s there and John was his coach here. John was instrumental in getting him there and I’m sure John’s been very helpful.

“His game has clearly grown and it’s worked out nicely for him.”

Curtain call for Cavs’ kindred spirits
By Michael Phillips
Published: November 27, 2009
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CHARLOTTESVILLE In retrospect, it's a friendship that seems obvious.

Jameel Sewell played through more injuries than most people sustain in their lifetimes. He was academically suspended but didn't leave Virginia, instead fighting his way back onto the team.

Vic Hall switched positions on a seemingly weekly basis. He's scored touchdowns virtually every way possible and also has brushed off pretty much everything in the medical encyclopedia.

"I guess it's a mentality," he said. "How can you not play if you can walk?"

The two Virginians will take their final bow tomorrow against Virginia Tech. Sewell, a Hermitage graduate, will line up at quarterback, and Hall, who attended Gretna, will catch his passes.

It's an arrangement that was made at the request of Hall. The two jockeyed for the quarterback spot to start the season, but Hall was injured against William and Mary. In his absence, Sewell took over at the position.

When he returned, Hall went to coach Al Groh and suggested that Sewell be installed as permanent quarterback.

That story is just one of the reasons Groh speaks reverently of Hall -- the coach has described the two as "kindred spirits."

"I always feel very inadequate in trying to properly profile Vic for people who don't know him," Groh said. I would extend it beyond saying he's a special player. He's a very special person."

Sewell also speaks fondly of Hall's off-field talents, noting that he's an amateur musician who makes his own beats -- Hall is often spotted wearing DJ-style headphones -- and is the go-to guy on anything technology related.

"He's like the geek squad, basically," Sewell said. "He'll find a way to make anything work."

Sewell is just happy to be a part of the team after missing his junior season because of an academic suspension. Instead of transferring to an FCS school to play immediately, he was promised by Groh that he could return if he got himself caught up.

"Even through his discouragement at the time, and I can remember how soft-spoken he was talking about it, he was determined in that whatever he had to do he would to get back to play," Groh said.

Now he's playing his senior year on a bad ankle, an aching shoulder and any number of other sore body parts.

Yet he's still been able to climb to third place on the U.Va. all-time passing list, passing Scott Gardner and Aaron Brooks last Saturday. Despite the rocky ride, he'll be remembered as one of the school's most prolific passers.

He hasn't had a chance to visit Hermitage recently, but during his junior year he would visit the coaching staff and chat with the players. He's one of a handful of Cavs starters from Virginia, which allows his family to attend home games.

"When the family is an hour away, it's easy for them to come visit you sometimes," Sewell said. "They know you're up here for a reason, so they're not intervening too much, but when we need to see each other we'll make it happen."

Hall also is a Virginian, from nearby Gretna. His place in the U.Va. history books is as a player who seemed to occupy every position on the field at one point.

After throwing a touchdown pass last Saturday, he's now scored a touchdown by passing, rushing, receiving and returning an interception. Twice he's returned punts for touchdowns, only for the scores to be nullified by penalties. His competitive spirit showed when he was asked if he remembered who committed the infractions -- he said that he did.

Groh said he noticed the fire in each of them early in the recruiting process. For Sewell, it was when he attended U.Va.'s summer football camp. For Hall, it was as Groh watched him lead Gretna to two state titles.

"He just took over, and not only willed his team to win, but performed his team to win," Groh said. "You've got to have guys like that on your team."

Now they both have their sights set on Virginia Tech and tomorrow's game.

"We don't have a bowl game, we don't have a winning season, but we do have the opportunity to come out, execute and make it happen," Sewell said. "It would be a great feeling and a great way to go out."

1964 U.Va. hero says current Cavs need to win one vs. Tech or they'll regret it later
By Norm Wood
| 247-4642
November 27, 2009

Tom Hodges hasn't thought about the exact details of that crisp fall afternoon in a long time. In truth, nobody ever really talks to him about it — except for his University of Virginia buddies who won't ever forget the final score.

Though the vast majority of the 1964 Virginia- Virginia Tech game has long since faded into the gray for Hodges, there are two lasting memories that have stuck around all these years. He remembers throwing the game-winning 29-yard touchdown pass to Larry Molinari with 20 seconds left in U.Va.'s 20-17 victory. Hodges also will never forget the sensation of how good it felt to finally defeat those kids from the sticks of southwest Virginia — the only time he beat them in his career.

"You know, when it happened, you're not old enough yet to be overwhelmed by the rivalry," Hodges said. "It wasn't until later in my life you begin to appreciate the rivalry and magnitude of what it meant to win that game."

It was special for a lot of reasons.

Memo to today's roster of U.Va. players: This one is important. This one means a lot.

Not only was it the first and last time Hodges and his U.Va. teammates from that class beat Tech, but it also snapped a six-game losing streak against the Hokies — the Cavaliers' longest skid in the 87-game history of the rivalry. If U.Va. loses to Tech on Saturday, the Cavaliers will tie that dubious mark.

The '64 game was the only time U.Va. defeated Tech from '58 to '69. Heading into Saturday's renewal of the state's biggest grudge match, U.Va. finds itself in a similar situation. From '99 through last season, the only time the Cavaliers took bragging rights from the Hokies was in 2003.

U.Va. coach Al Groh's recollections of '64 are just as fleeting. He was a junior defensive end on U.Va.'s varsity team back then, when varsity players were ineligible as freshmen in accordance with NCAA rules. It wasn't a particularly illustrious period in U.Va. football history, as the program put an end to a 28-game losing streak under coach Richard Voris from '58 to '60 by hiring coach Bill Elias heading into the '61 season.

Elias went 16-23-1 during his tenure at U.Va. The '64 season was Elias' last in Charlottesville before he left to coach Navy.

An old, typewritten statistical package from the contest shows Groh played in the game, but that detail had escaped him.

Now, as Groh enters quite possibly his last game against Tech as U.Va.'s coach, his impressions of the importance of getting a win back then — any win — aren't much different from his feelings about getting a win — any win — these days.

"I don't remember any of the buildup or reaction to (the '64 game)," Groh said. "I just remember how the game went right down to the end and that (Hodges) and Molinari stepped up and made some plays. I think at that time, all wins were good wins."

Of course, times have changed quite a bit since '64. That game was played in Charlottesville — a relative oddity considering it was just the second time the game was played on one of the two campuses in 25 years. Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke hosted the game 21 times between '40 and '63, and the '53 game featured a 20-6 Tech victory in Charlottesville.

While U.Va. was in its 11th season in the still-young Atlantic Coast Conference in '64, Tech was a member of the Southern Conference. In that era, wins against William and Mary and Virginia Military Institute were just as important for U.Va. and Tech as wins against each other.

Scott Stadium could squeeze in only about 25,000 fans in '64 — far from the more than 60,000 the stadium holds today — and it wasn't quite an even split in terms of fan allegiances, said former Tech quarterback Bob Schweickert.

"It was before the time fans did a lot of traveling for games," said Schweickert, who passed for 833 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 576 yards and nine touchdowns in '64 on his way to first-team All-America status in coach Jerry Claiborne's option-based, rollout-pass offense. "I'm sure there were a number of Hokie fans there that day, but it was mostly Cavaliers."

It was a day to forget for the sharp-jawed, shave-domed Schweickert. He remembers coming into the day with a ligament injury in his left foot that required shots of Novocaine.

"I had shots before the game and at halftime to numb the pain," said Schweickert, who had two carries for 5 yards, completed one of two passes for 24 yards and punted five times for a 39.8-yard average in the game. "As a runner, that (injury) took away a lot of what I could do."

U.Va. took a 14-0 lead in the first half, but Tech scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter. With 1:21 left in the game, U.Va. started its final drive from its own 21-yard line.

Under offensive coordinator George Blackburn, who became U.Va.'s coach after Elias left, the Cavaliers ran an early version of the pro-style offense — but they were in two-minute mode late in the game. Hodges' game-winning pass to Molinari was the sixth play of the drive, and whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

As the years have passed and the specifics of the '64 season become hazier and hazier, one of the lasting memories for U.Va.'s '64 players is that they tasted victory against Tech at least once in their careers.

U.Va. went only 5-5 in '64, and Tech went 6-4. If there are players on U.Va.'s roster today who believe going their entire career without getting a win against Tech won't be that big of a deal in the long run, they're fooling themselves, Randall Harris said.

"There's always a hunger (to win) when those two teams are on the field," said Harris, a retired teacher from Chesapeake who played defensive tackle for U.Va. in '64. "That's the way it was for us. … Everybody puts out a little harder for Tech. We did (in '64). Everybody just wanted to win, especially against them. That could make your season."

Or break it. Just ask Schweickert.

"That's one that was such a disappointing defeat for us that I washed it out of my memory as quickly as I could and got on with my life," Schweickert said. "To lose to U.Va., it's huge. That is an absolute awful thing."

Commonwealth Cup Breaks into Three Pieces
11/25/09 7:04 pm | reporter: David Tate producer: Amy Foster
ABC 13 - Commonwealth Cup Breaks into Three Pieces

Roanoke, VA - There have been some tense moments that could've changed the ending of the Commonwealth Game this weekend up in Charlottesville, where the Hokies and 'Hoos will battle it out for the 91st time since 1895.

While ABC 13 was looking for a picture of the Commonwealth Cup getting cleaned, we found it in three pieces at AAA trophy on Williamson Road

For the past 30 years Kelley Willaimson and her sister Kim Bessell have been in the trophy business and even in that line of work, sometimes the weight of the world or in this case the Commonwealth, can end up on your shoulders.

"I was [worried] because I knew we were under a time constraint with the holiday and the fact that if we had to get parts in... if it needed parts replaced we were going to have to overnight them," Willaimson said.

On the day before Thanksgiving, these two Roanokers are 4-and-20, deep in their own territory, all because of a frantic Tuesday morning call.

"We got a call from the football office at Virginia Tech and the Commonwealth Cup was in some need of some work to get it ready for the game this weekend," Willaimson said.

To start with, it came in three pieces.

"The whole top was off and it looked like it'd been well worn... and it was in need of some... of some work," Willaimson said with a laugh.

Two hours to polish the cup, another few hours to let the glue dry and a whole night of worrying whether the ordered part would even fit.

"On no, I got a couple. I covered myself on that... but then again, we weren't sure what we were going to have to do with it until we got it here and the parts came in this morning," Willaimson said.

"It looks great. It looks really good," Bessell said.

"Looks great. It's all back together and hopefully if it's treated well this weekend then they will be able to keep it in great shape until next year," Williamson added.

The Commonwealth Cup Trophy was made in 1995.

In all, the women had to put nine new parts on the trophy to get it back into game shape. But they do warn, regardless who wins, to treat it more like a trophy and less like a football.
 

OUR LEAGUE: The money adds up for Cavaliers, Petersen
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 26, 2009
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Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that Boise-area media have already gone on the defensive about reports circulating that Boise State coach Chris Petersen has been linked to a likely coaching search at Virginia ...

We remember a similar reaction from media covering Providence when UVa went after then-Friars basketball coach Pete Gillen.

“No way Pete would ever leave Providence for Virginia,” the main beat writer in Providence said. “Not a chance in the world.”

Gillen was in Charlottesville a few weeks later.

It has been pointed out by Boise media that we had Petersen’s salary wrong. True.

Scrambling on deadline, we read that his salary was $850,000 per year. It has been updated to more than $1.1 million, a figure of which we were unaware.

Still, Virginia is currently paying a tad more than $2 million a year to Al Groh. Petersen may not double his salary at UVa, but it would be close at the very least.

Of course, should he come to UVa if Groh is replaced, and every indication leads to that notion, Petersen would get several incentive clauses in his contract that could push his salary even higher.

It was also reported in Boise that Broncos assistant coaches are the highest-paid among any team in a conference that does not have an automatic berth in the BCS — an average of $175,239 per year, 39th out of 98 schools that reported, and $1.57 million for the entire assistant coaching staff.

Virginia’s assistant coaching staff is paid a collective $1.55 million. However, those numbers are skewed because special teams coordinator Ron Prince unselfishly took a much lower salary than he could have demanded. Also, the Cavaliers are essentially paying for only one coordinator because Groh serves as defensive coordinator.

Under normal conditions, UVa’s staff salaries would be much higher.

However, perhaps the most important factor in the entire story was completely ignored: Jon Oliver, UVa’s executive associate director of athletics.

A rising star in the nation’s athletic director circles, Oliver should not be underestimated. He was a key figure in luring Tony Bennett to Charlottesville from Washington State after Marquette, Indiana and LSU failed to do so.

Oliver is one of the most persuasive personalities out there and he usually gets what he wants. Just look at his and AD Craig Littlepage’s track record for acquiring coaches in building an athletic program that finished No. 8 in the nation last season.

We received some bad information that Oliver and Petersen were friends, but Oliver and Littlepage didn’t know Bennett, either, until they searched for a replacement for Dave Leitao.

Handling the Hokies

One of the keys to Saturday’s big clash with archrival Virginia Tech is whether or not Virginia’s defense can handle Ryan Williams, the Hokies’ star freshman running back.

Williams set an ACC and Tech freshman rushing record in last week’s win over N.C. State, finishing that game with 1,355 yards on the season. He needs only five more rushing yards vs. UVa to reach the ACC’s top 10 single-season rushing list, which would push him past former UVa and New York Giants star Tiki Barber, who rushed for 1,360 yards as a senior in 1996. It should be noted, however, that Barber reached his mark in 11 games, while this weekend will be Williams’ 12th game of the season.

The ACC single-season record is held by another UVa back, Thomas Jones, who rushed for 1,798 yards in 1999 — also in 11 games.

So far, Williams has rushed for at least 100 yards in eight of 11 games this season.

Only five backs have rushed for 100 yards or more against Virginia this season, including two in one game (Southern Miss backs Damion Fletcher and Tory Harrison had 26 carries for 115 yards and three carries for 101 yards, respectively). The other three backs to reach 100 against the Wahoos this season are: Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer (25-125), Miami’s Craig Cooper (18-152), and Boston College’s Montel Harris (38-151).

A cheer for Greer

Former Virginia linebacker Jon Copper told us all last season that his replacement in the Cavaliers’ defense, redshirt freshman Steve Greer, was going to be a great one.

Copper, who led UVa in tackles for three straight years, knew what he was talking about.

Greer, a native of Solon, Ohio, is leading the Wahoos in tackles this season with 87, including six tackles for loss. His 87 tackles are the most by a Cavalier freshman since Darryl Blackstock’s 108 in 2002.

The UVa rookie ranks fourth in the nation in tackles by freshmen and sixth in solo tackles. He also ranks fifth in the ACC in tackles (by any player) with 7.9 per game.

Chain gang injury

We all winced when we saw a player crash into Larry Miller, a member of the UVa chain gang crew at Scott Stadium, during the Cavaliers’ game against Boston College. Miller took a wicked hit, as did the yardage marker, which was smashed to pieces.

Miller’s leg was broken in two places, just below the knee and at the ankle, according to his wife, Sandy. He has returned home and Wahoo fans can send him their regards at his office address: 1534 Insurance Lane, Charlottesville, Va. 22911.

“He is down, but definitely not out,” Sandy Miller said. “He will be back for next season.”

Virginia’s athletic staff sent him a football signed by the entire Cavalier football team.

Nothing to howl about

N.C. State fans have been fairly patient with their football team, which will finish this season without a winning record for the third straight year under former UVa offensive coordinator Tom O’Brien.

The Wolfpack has been plagued with an unusually high number of injuries this season.

However, O’Brien believes there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. He thinks he is rebuilding the program soundly just as he did at Boston College and that it’s just a matter of time before his system kicks in.

Remember, O’Brien’s coaching philosophy centers on what he learned from George Welsh about physical football, which won at BC. Also remember that he took over an N.C. State program that was built for speed by Chuck Amato, who tried to duplicate the offensive style of his former employer, Florida State. Some transition time is required.

“I’m excited about our young guys,” said fifth-year senior defensive end Willie Young. “I know they’re just going to light it up. I wish I could be around one more season.”

Fridge’s swan song?

When Maryland hosts Boston College on Saturday, it could be the end of the Ralph Friedgen era in College Park.

The Terps are 2-9 overall, 1-6 in the ACC and experiencing their worst season since 1997. The Terps have never lost 10 games in a season, but it appears that will be the case this season (they host Boston College in their season finale on Saturday).

Maryland AD Debbie Yow gave the standard AD line when she declined comment until after the season.

Fridge said he was focused on BC and didn’t want to address the issue either.

Like UVa’s Al Groh, Friedgen has two years remaining on his contract, and a buyout would cost in the neighborhood of $4 million, also similar to Groh’s. In both cases, we’re told the money is available through private contributions to buy out those contracts, perhaps more of a concern at Maryland where the athletic department seems to be hurting financially.

There is one complication at Maryland that Virginia doesn’t have, though, and that’s the “coach in waiting,” offensive coordinator James Franklin. His contract states that if Maryland doesn’t name him head coach within 90 days of Friedgen’s stepping down, then the school must pay him $1 million.

If Maryland names Franklin the head coach, then his contract also stipulates the Terps must offer him a five-year deal worth the average of ACC head coaches salaries, which is estimated to be $1.8 million annually.

Short yardage

C.J. Spiller’s campaign for the Heisman Trophy took a serious hit by the Virginia defense last week, so the Clemson back will have to put together two monster games against South Carolina and Georgia Tech (in the ACC championship game). The Cavaliers focused on shutting Spiller down and held him to 58 rushing yards on 19 carries in the game. ... When Florida State beat Maryland last week, the Seminoles played their first penalty-free game since Sept. 18, 1976 — quite a distinction for FSU, which once again leads the ACC in penalties. ... If Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt reaches 1,000 yards rushing this season (he has 847 with three games to play), it will mark the first time that one team has boasted a pair of 1,000-yards rushers since UNC did it in 1993. That’s when Tar Heels’ Curtis Johnson (1,093) and Leon Johnson (1,012) accomplished the feat. GT’s Jonathan Dwyer already has 1,203 yards rushing this season. ... Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner is trying to replace former Virginia star and current Houston Texans signal-caller Matt Schaub as the most accurate passer in ACC history. Schaub, currently No. 3 in passing yards in the NFL behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, holds the conference record for career completion percentage (.6698), having completed 716 of 1,069 career passes. Skinner goes into Saturday’s game against Duke with a percentage of .6674 (875 of 1,311), meaning he would have to have a remarkable day, going something like 26 of 33 to break Schaub’s mark.

The picks

Last week: 5-0. To date: 57-23. This week: Boston College 36, Maryland 17; Clemson 27, South Carolina 24; Duke 37, Wake Forest 33; Florida 27, FSU 17; Georgia Tech 38, Georgia 24; Miami 19, South Florida 10; North Carolina 37, N.C. State 20; Virginia Tech 27, Virginia 20. ACC championship game, Dec. 5: Georgia Tech 35, Clemson 27.

UVa Injury Report for Va. Tech Game
Nov. 26, 2009
5:18 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE - In the regular-season finale for both teams, UVa hosts Virginia Tech in football Saturday at Scott Stadium. Below is the injury report Virginia released Thursday, as per ACC policy.

Out OG Isaac Cain (foot)
WR Raynard Horne (back)
TB Torrey Mack (ankle)

Doubtful LB Darren Childs (ankle)

Questionable WR Jared Green (shoulder)
TB Mikell Simpson (leg)

Probable LB Daniel Childress (shoulder)

 DE Matt Conrath (ankle)
LB Connor McCartin (shoulder)
QB Jameel Sewell (shoulder)
OL Patrick Slebonick (leg)

UVa's sports medicine staff, under the direction of Dr. David Diduch, compiled the injury report, whose categories are defined as follows:





Probable: Virtually certain to be available for normal duty

Questionable: 50-50 chance will not play

Doubtful: At least 75-percent chance will not play

Out: Definitely will not play

-- Jeff White
 

For Cavaliers, the end is near
November 24, 2009 12:35 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

When 30 fourth- and fifth-year football players take the field for Senior Day at Virginia on Saturday, many will be emotional.

The season finale against Virginia Tech not only will be their final game in Scott Stadium, it will be the last contest of their careers.

That's because the Cavaliers (3-8, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) have failed to qualify for a bowl game for the third time in four years.

And for that reason, the players likely won't be the only ones wrapping up their stints at Virginia. Head coach Al Groh is expected to be fired at the end of the season after nine years.

Groh declined to address his job status at a press conference yesterday because, he said, "it's not really about me."

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

Groh's players think about it.

Senior wide receiver Vic Hall said he doesn't want it to be Groh's last game.

Senior defensive end Nate Collins said his relationship with Groh has grown this year, and it's difficult to realize Saturday could be the coach's final game.

Collins said he appreciates Groh's straightforward style, but acknowledged some players had difficulty adjusting to it. He also said Virginia's carousel of assistant coaches the past few years was puzzling.

"We just had a lot of change going on," Collins said. "We had a lot of new faces and when we got comfortable with those faces, like two years later, a different wave of people were coming in. It was not typical of what you would want, but you have to go with the punches. I don't regret anything. I probably would still pick Virginia if I have a chance to again."

Senior outside linebacker Denzel Burrell said he's well aware of Groh's tenuous status because he watches television and reads newspaper reports.

Burrell said that's why the Cavaliers "want to make this the greatest game we've been able to put together this year."

"It would be a bright spot for everybody to end off with a 'W,' not just for the coaching staff not knowing their futures" Burrell said. "But just as a whole, a last memory of the team working together with the coaching staff. It would be great for the program to beat Virginia Tech, especially here in Charlottesville."

An inability to win against the Hokies has been one of the issues that's plagued Groh in his tenure. Groh is 1-7 against the Hokies, with the lone win coming in 2003.

Virginia's senior class has never experienced a win over its arch-rival and has enjoyed just one winning season. Players said their struggles aren't Groh's fault.

"You see a lot of mistakes that happen on the field, the coaches can't be responsible for it," Hall said. "From a knowledge standpoint, he gives us the right tools every week to go out and perform."

It hasn't worked. Virginia has had back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1981-82. Attendance is at its lowest point since the stadium expanded in 2000, and the fans who show up are often apathetic.

Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage said earlier this month that he'll evaluate Groh at the end of the season.

That time is near.

"It's tough, but it's one of those things we can't control," Collins said. "So we just have to be ready for anything. We don't have a say in that process."

A season reminiscent of the 2007 campaign would've helped.

The Cavaliers' seniors cited that 9-4 season and Gator Bowl bid as the high-point of their careers.

But because there will be no bowl game this season, the co-captains asked the team to approach the Virginia Tech game as if it were a bowl game.

Collins said he told his teammates after a loss to Boston College ended their bowl hopes that "beating Virginia Tech might be better than any six-win bowl game we were going to end up with, anyway."

"You have nothing to lose when you're out there on Saturday, so why not play every play like your last?" Collins added. "For some people, it is."

No Evans? No problem
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 27, 2009
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Here we go again.

That has been a common sentiment during defensive meetings over the past six weeks as Virginia faced off against four teams that were ranked among the top 18 in the country.

Saturday’s finale is no different — Virginia Tech (8-3, 5-2 ACC) is ranked No. 14 in the nation and boasts one of the league’s best ground attacks.

Despite losing Darren Evans early in the season, the Hokies have the 18th-best rushing offense in the FBS thanks to the efforts of freshman tailback Ryan Williams.

On the season, Williams ranks fifth with 1,355 yards on the ground.

Those numbers, which broke Evans’ rookie record at Virginia Tech, seem staggering for a player just two years removed from high school. That is not the case, however, according to Virginia coach Al Groh.

“No surprise at all. Only to anybody who never saw him play before,” he explained. “He was one of the most sought-after running backs in the country as a high school senior.

“I think he’s probably playing pretty much the way that everybody who was involved in his recruiting thought he was going to.”

Williams, who averages an ACC-best 123.2 yards per game on the ground, has help.

Virginia Tech is one of the few teams in the ACC with a true dual-threat quarterback.

Tyrod Taylor, a junior, is among the most efficient passers in the country and has the athleticism to leave the pocket and run.

“It’s like playing against 12 players,” Groh said. “Tyrod, at least in conference games, is first in the conference in passing efficiency, so he’s obviously doing the principal thing that quarterbacks have to do … and their yards per catch is extraordinary this year as a result of his passing.

“But the threat that he poses as a runner or just as a passer out of the pocket, sometimes it’s more challenging when he’s just out of the pocket — and it doesn’t show up in passing statistics, but that’s what distorts the structure of coverages, when the quarterback is out and moving.”

Aaron Clark, a senior linebacker at Virginia, said the team will have to play assignment football, something that was the case against Georgia Tech to a different degree.

“You have to know where you fit on the plays,” he said. “Taylor can burn you if you don’t contain him.”

The biggest problem, however, comes when plays actually appear to have broken down.

“They clearly had anticipated using his skills showing up that way, so you can see where the receivers are well schooled in terms of how to adjust their routes,” Groh said. “It’s pretty evident that there’s been a good deal of attention spent on doing the scramble drill with the receivers to adjust to the quarterback, and tricky on their part because sometimes they’ve got to adjust two or three times because it’s not just in one direction that he leaves the pocket.

“He ends up going in the other direction pretty quickly sometimes. So it’s very challenging for your rush guys.”
 

Cavaliers hold off Hoosiers in Bahamas
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: November 27, 2009
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In Freeport, Bahamas, the Virginia women’s basketball team exploded midway through the first half and held off a late rally to upend Indiana, 84-79, in its opening game at the Junkanoo Jam.

The Cavaliers, who closed out the opening half on a 25-9 run, improved to 4-1 on the season and advanced to face South Dakota State tonight in the championship of the tournament’s Reef Division.

Despite the victory, Virginia coach Debbie Ryan was not pleased that her team allowed the Hoosiers to score 55 points after halftime.

“I think we really relaxed at the start of the second half,” she told reporters. “We need to do a better job of being consistent.

“That’s not what the University of Virginia is all about.”

In an effort to slow Indiana in the second half, Ryan put the Cavaliers in a zone defense.

Indiana (3-3) managed to cut Virginia’s advantage in the second half to two, but each time the Hoosiers made a move, the Cavaliers responded and never trailed over the final 20 minutes.

For the game, Virginia was paced by Monica Wright. The senior guard scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but was limited to 31 minutes as she battled cramps.

Whitny Edwards may have made the biggest impact, however. In the first half as Virginia built an 18-point lead, the sophomore nailed a pair of 3-pointers. Edwards finished the game with 17 points. Freshman guard China Crosby had 12 points and seven assists.

Jori Davis scored a game-high 33 points and four steals for Indiana, which was outrebounded 49-38 in the game.
 

No. 15 Virginia Gets Past Indiana, 84-79
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/26/2009

FREEPORT, The Bahamas - The 15th-ranked Virginia women's basketball team had five scorers in double figures and Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) had a double-double as the Cavaliers defeated Indiana, 84-79, at the Junkanoo Jam on Thursday.

Wright scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and the ninth of her career. Whitny Edwards (Charlotte, N.C.) added 17 points and five rebounds, while China Crosby (New York, N.Y.) added 12 points and seven assists.

Virginia (4-1) advances to the championship game of the Reef Division of the Junkanoo Jam and will face South Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m.

With the score tied at 15-15 at the eight-minute mark of the first half, Virginia made its move and put together an 8-0 run to take a 23-15 lead on a 3-pointer by Paulisha Kellum (Upper Marlboro, Md.). From there, the Cavaliers continued to build separation and eventually took a 40-24 lead at halftime.

Wright had 12 first-half points, while Whitny Edwards hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points in the first stanza.

In the second half, Indiana opened the period on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to single digits, 40-31, with 18:46 left in the game. The Hoosiers cut the Cavalier lead to two at two different points of the game, but never got closer. Virginia won by a final score of 84-79.

Indiana (3-2) was led by Jori Davis with 33 points and Lindsay Whitney with 15 points.

Chelsea Shine (Wayne, Pa.) just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Kellum added 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Virginia improved to 2-0 all-time vs. Indiana and 2-1 all-time at the Junkanoo Jam.
 

Restrepo’s run key to Cavs’ streak
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 27, 2009
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In August of 2007, Diego Restrepo was the starting goalie for the University of South Florida soccer team when the Bulls visited Klockner Stadium to play Virginia in the Cavaliers’ season opener.

“I just remember walking into Klockner and being like, ‘Wow, this is what college soccer is supposed to be like,’” Restrepo recalled. “I loved the place.”

Apparently, the adoration ran pretty deep. After the season was over, Restrepo (whose USF squad lost to UVa, 1-0) decided to transfer to Virginia.

Today, Restrepo owns the Virginia record for shutouts in a season (13) and is one of the main reasons why the Wahoos have put together their most dominant stretch of play in recent memory.

Virginia hasn’t lost since Oct. 2, a streak of 12 games. The run includes an ACC tournament championship and a 5-0 obliteration of Bucknell in the second round of the NCAA tournament last weekend.

On Sunday at 1 p.m., second-seeded Virginia (15-3-3) hosts Portland at Klockner Stadium. The winner advances to the quarterfinals to play the winner between Maryland and Harvard.

Virginia’s stellar play of late has all started on the defensive end, especially in the net. Arguably the team’s MVP, Restrepo hasn’t allowed a goal in the team’s last nine games — a span of over 927 minutes, which is a new school record. The last goal he allowed came 12 minutes, 26 seconds into the Cavaliers’ victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 17.

The mark was previously held by Tony Meola, the former Virginia, MLS and U.S. national team star who happened to be Restrepo’s idol as a kid growing up in Colombia.

Restrepo, who was born in Venezuela, lived in Colombia until the age of 13 before moving to West Palm Beach, Fla., with his family. Surprisingly, Restrepo, a United States citizen — his father is American — didn’t began playing goalie until late in middle school. Before that, he played all over the field.

When his team’s starting goalie went down with an injury, Restrepo decided to give the position a try. Before long, Restrepo was playing for the U.S. under-17 national team residency program and was being recruited by a host of colleges.

Restrepo originally committed to Santa Clara before changing his mind at the last minute and attending USF so that he could be closer to home.

After redshirting his freshman year, Restrepo had two pretty good years at USF — but he wanted more out of his college experience.

“When I played in the Big East, everyone used to say that the ACC had the best soccer and that it was the best conference,” Restrepo said. “Playing in the Big East, you kind of don’t want to believe it, but I just followed my gut and started looking at better places.

“My family and I made the decision that we wanted a bigger program, more tradition and better academics.”

Enter Virginia, a place Restrepo was already familiar with from his visit.

Restrepo recalled his talk with Virginia coach George Gelnovatch.

“He didn’t promise me anything,” Restrepo said. “He said I’d have to come in and win my spot.”

Restrepo did much more than that. He impressed from the get-go — and not just with his athleticism. Gelnovatch was taken aback with what he calls Restrepo’s “soccer smarts.”

“He really understands the game,” Gelnovatch said. “It’s like having a quarterback who’s talented, but also can read defenses and organize people.

“From that part, we definitely got a lot more than we bargained for.”

Teammates rave about Restrepo’s contributions. Freshman Will Bates cited the win over Wake Forest in the semifinals of the ACC tournament as an example of what Restrepo has provided.

“If any of those balls go in, it’s a different game,” Bates said. “In Maryland, he did the same thing.

“Any big game this year, we’ve relied on him to make one or two big saves here and there, and he’s come through.”

Added senior Jonathan Villanueva: “He’s really brought a sense of working hard and toughness with him.”

Restrepo can’t wait for Sunday. His family, now living in Miami, is making the trip up to Charlottesville for the game. It will be the first time they’ve seen him in a Virginia uniform.

Restrepo, though, seems extremely focused on the task at hand.

“Postseason is a new season and there’s no margin for errors,” he said. “Portland is a great team ... we’re looking forward to playing them.”
 

Fulmer, Tuberville and Barnett among big-name coaches looking for jobs in down college market
RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer
6:11 AM EST, November 27, 2009

Phillip Fulmer is ready to go. He's got a staff picked out, a wealth of knowledge gained over a year spent picking the brains of other football coaches and he's even kept up on recruiting.

All the former Tennessee coach needs now is a job. But that might be hard to come by this year because relatively few college football teams are likely to be in the market for a coach. And most of the spots that do come open probably won't meet Fulmer's standards.

"I'm not going to put myself and my family in a position where I'm going to a place that is a stepping-stone ... a place that doesn't have a history of doing well," he said in a recent phone interview. "I'm looking for a place that has some history. If I have to sit or not coach that's kind of the way it's going to be I guess."

Fulmer, who was ousted last year by Tennessee after a long and mostly successful run with the Volunteers, is one of several coaches with eye-catching resumes currently out of the business but hoping to get back in.

Also keeping an eye out for openings these days are former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione, out of coaching the last two seasons, ex-Colorado coach Gary Barnett, who hasn't coached the last four seasons, and former Minnesota coach Glen Mason, three seasons removed from his last game with the Gophers.

All of those coaches have kept busy and involved with college football by taking broadcasting jobs.

"That great thing about being at ESPN is you get to a lot of sites and can visit with a lot of coaches," said Franchione, who has been working as a radio analyst for the network. "You get to see all the other programs. Coaches, when they are coaching, don't get to do that.

"You get to evaluate a lot of different programs and see how people do things ... From Pete Carroll at USC to Urban Meyer at Florida to Frank Spaziani at Boston College. I think sometimes because of doing all that, I'm almost a better coach today than I was two years ago."

Coaching turnover tends to be cyclical. Coming into this season, 21 coaches were in their first seasons with a new team.

Heading into Thanksgiving, three teams have already fired their coach, a number that is down from last season. Early changes have been a trend in recent years because it allows schools to get a jump on reaching out to top candidates.

Fulmer was forced out at Tennessee in the first week of November last season and his replacement, Lane Kiffin, was hired before the month was over.

While the world — or at least it seems that way — waits for Notre Dame to decide the future of Charlie Weis, only Memphis, UNLV, San Jose State and Western Kentucky are actively searching for a coach.

None of those falls into the category of a "place that has some history," as Fulmer put it.

The conventional wisdom is that Al Groh is on his way out at Virginia after three losing seasons the last four years.

Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe also appears to be on shaky ground after three mediocre seasons at a school that has made a large financial investment in its football program during the last decade.

Michigan's Rich Rodriguez appears safe for at least one more season — barring some serious NCAA sanctions that could lead the school to rethink its commitment.

Colorado's Dan Hawkins and Illinois coach Ron Zook have both received votes of confidence from their bosses, despite their teams' struggles.

It is always wise to expect the unexpected when it comes to coaching changes, too. A month ago, nobody would have figured Kansas coach Mark Mangino would be in danger of losing his job, but after allegations by players that Mangino has been verbally abusive and insensitive, there might be an opening in Lawrence soon.

NFL defections can create job openings. But the pros seem to have soured on college coaches since some big-name guys — Butch Davis, Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban come to mind — didn't pan out in the NFL.

There are no likely retirements, though there always talk about Spurrier deciding he's had enough at South Carolina and would rather play golf full-time.

With that as the backdrop, here's a look at coaches waiting for a call and where they might end up.

___

Phillip Fulmer

Record: 152-52 in 17 seasons at Tennessee with one national championship, two SEC championships and three other appearances in the conference title game.

Destination?: There were rumors Memphis reached out to Fulmer, but you can guarantee that won't happen. Maybe Virginia? Though would the Cavaliers want to pay that kind of money? Think Fulmer may be waiting another year.

Tommy Tuberville

Record: 110-60 in 14 seasons at Auburn and Mississippi, with one SEC championship and three other appearances in the conference title game.

Destination?: Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich likes to hire big names. The irony of Tuberville taking Bobby Petrino's old job — Petrino once interviewed for Tuberville's job WHILE Tuberville was Auburn's coach — is just too cool.

Dennis Franchione

Record: 107-81 in 16 seasons at Texas A&M, Alabama, TCU and New Mexico, with two Western Athletic Conference titles with TCU.

Destination?: Franchione has already been linked to the UNLV job.

Gary Barnett

Record: 78-71-1 in 14 seasons with Northwestern and Colorado, with Big Ten title at Northwestern and Big 12 title at Colorado.

Destination?: Fair or not, Barnett's reputation took a hit in his final years at Colorado because of how he acted in the aftermath of allegations of the program using sex and alcohol to woo recruits. Any school that hires him will have to deal with some criticism. There could be some openings in the Big Ten next year (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota) that might fit Barnett.

"The critical elements is an athletic director and a president who are committed to what you are doing," Barnett said. "I really believe you have to have both to have chance to be successful."

"The job is so hard and complex you need total support at the top from those above you."

Glen Mason

Record: 123-121-1 in 21 seasons at Kent State, Kansas and Minnesota.

Destination?: Same as Barnett, maybe he lands a Big Ten gig in a year.