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Cavs, Mountaineers unlikely to resume old rivalry
 By JOHN GALINSKY / Daily Progress staff writer
Dec 23, 2002
 
For four decades, Virginia and West Virginia had a nice little football rivalry. They played 19 times from 1943-85, with the Cavaliers winning 11, losing seven and tying one.

Now that the teams are set to square off for the first time in 17 years in the Continental Tire Bowl, and with fans flocking to Charlotte, N.C., for the confrontation, there is talk that the schools should resume their rivalry in the regular season.

Don't expect it to happen.

Both teams have few openings, if any, in their schedules in coming years, and neither seems interested in adding the other to its slate any time soon.

For Virginia, part of the problem is that Virginia Tech already is on the schedule every year. The Cavaliers also will play Syracuse several times in the near future. Adding West Virginia would make three Big East opponents, which could hurt UVa in the postseason.

Two bowls, the Gator and Continental Tire, regularly match ACC and Big East teams. Since bowls shy away from scheduling rematches, Virginia would put itself in danger of getting bypassed by those bowls if it has already played Virginia Tech, Syracuse and West Virginia.

"That's something we would have to consider," said UVa coach Al Groh.

West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said it is a priority for his program to have six or seven home games every year. So the school is looking for teams to come to Morgantown without a return visit - something the Cavaliers would not agree to.

Bad blood. Come to think of it, the Virginia-West Virginia rivalry hasn't always been so friendly.

Mountaineer fans with long memories might recall the last time the teams met Nov. 2, 1985, in Charlottesville. Not only did the Cavaliers win, 27-7, the school's pep band outraged WVU fans and officials with a halftime skit based on the TV game show "Family Feud."

In the skit, the "Hatfields" of West Virginia were matched against the "Fenwicks" of Virginia. The band suggested that West Virginia lacked indoor plumbing, education and birth control. It also mentioned the state's association with "toxic gas," a reference to leaks at a Union Carbide plant near Charleston, W.Va.

The incident caused an uproar, with scathing letters from West Virginia politicians, and resulted in increased censorship of the pep band by UVa officials.

But 17 years later, is there still enough vitriol to fuel a rivalry? As far as the players are concerned, no.

"That's something for the fans," said UVa freshman linebacker Darryl Blackstock, who was 2 the last time the teams played. "It's all hype. It's not a rivalry game like we play every year. It's just another game."

Mirror images. The Cavaliers and Mountaineers have a lot in common.

Both are led by a second-year coach who followed a legend. Groh replaced George Welsh, who retired after 19 years and 134 victories. Rodriguez also returned to his alma mater after Don Nehlen left with 148 wins in 21 seasons.

Both struggled in their first seasons. The Cavaliers went 5-7, their worst record in 16 years.

The Mountaineers finished 3-8, their worst mark since 1978.

But both have turned things around this year. At 9-3, West Virginia has produced the largest one-year win differential in Big East history. Virginia is 8-5 and on the rise.

"They're a lot like we are," said UVa quarterback Matt Schaub. "Last year was pretty disappointing, but this year we turned it around and had a very successful season. They've done the same thing. That's another reason it's such a good matchup."

Up to speed. It took the Mountaineers a year to get the hang of Rodriguez's no-huddle, spread offense. Now they are on a roll.

West Virginia ranks second in the nation with 286.9 rushing yards per game and 20th overall at 415.1 yards. They are averaging 31.1 points and are always in a hurry to reach the end zone.

"You can tell by the way we play that patience is not one of our virtues," Rodriguez said. "We like to play fast. These TV [timeouts] are killing us."

On the mend. Prize recruit Kai Parham, the Parade All-American linebacker from Virginia Beach, is redshirting this season because of back problems.

But he has been practicing since early November and has looked good, Groh said.

Ahmad Brooks, another Parade All-American linebacker, is expected to enroll at UVa next month after meeting NCAA eligibility requirements while at Hargrave Military Academy.

A third Parade All-American from last winter's recruiting class, tailback Michael Johnson, is back to full speed after missing five games with a sprained ankle, Groh said.

"As much contribution as we got from [freshmen], some of the more notable players who were signed in that class for one reason or another weren't part of the contributing group this year," Groh said. "So that's why I say I think the team did a lot this year, but our best is yet to come."

Hi, Hikee. UVa fans might remember Hikee Johnson, who signed with UVa in February 2000 but was declared an academic nonqualifier by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Johnson ended up at West Virginia, where he sat out the 2000 season. Now a sophomore, he is a reserve fullback who has carried 15 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.

 

 

'Family' honor falls on Crowell
Angelo Crowell is surprised to make first-team All-ACC after being overlooked in the past like his brother.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When he was advised to get measurements for a tuxedo, Angelo Crowell took his time finding a tailor.
Despite a second straight season with more than 140 tackles, Crowell didn't picture himself as a first-team All-ACC selection.

"Really, I didn't think I was going to make it," said Crowell, a senior linebacker who battled injuries to both knees. "I had a good season, but I was hurt. I felt to make first-team All-ACC I'd have to put up bigger numbers than I did last year."

In 2001, when he set a school record with 144 tackles in 12 games, Crowell was named second-team All-ACC. This year, he has 141 tackles in 13 games.

Crowell's selection may have had something to do with the Cavaliers' 8-5 record, up from 5-7 in 2001. Virginia has been invited to the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., where it will meet West Virginia (8-5) on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Maybe it was a lifetime achievement award, as much for Crowell individually as it was for the Crowell family.

Crowell's older brother, Germane, played at Virginia from 1994-97 and finished his career as the fourth-leading receiver in UVa history. Germane is in his fifth season with the Detroit Lions, who selected him in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft.

Germane Crowell never rose above honorable-mention All-ACC, even in 1997, when he had 53 receptions for 969 yards and nine touchdowns.

"I called him once I found out," Angelo said. "He said, 'I should have made it, but I didn't. I'm glad you made it. You deserved it.'

"I kind of say I got it for my family. I gave the trophy to my father and he was like, 'I've been waiting on one of these for a long time.' My father and mother are my biggest fans."

Crowell's parents accompanied him to a banquet in Atlanta, where the first-team selections were recognized.

"It was a thrill, man," said Crowell, from the heart of ACC country outside Winston-Salem, N.C. "It was very, very special. My father almost started crying. My father played football. He was the reason we played football."

There are six Crowell children - five brothers and a sister - and it was difficult to make ends meet until Germane signed his first pro contract and was able to build his family a home and help with other expenses.

The Continental Tire Bowl didn't require its teams to arrive in Charlotte until this Thursday, but Virginia and West Virginia went early, arriving Saturday. Both teams have made plans to allow the players to celebrate Christmas on Wednesday with their families.

"I haven't had a Christmas in so long, I'm not even really thinking about Christmas," Crowell said. "I'll probably get pajamas or something like that. That's all I ever get."

Actually, after making bowl trips in his first two UVa seasons, Crowell had an opportunity to spend Christmas at home last year. Few people thought the Cavaliers were postseason-bound this year, at least not the people who picked Virginia eighth in the ACC in a media poll before the season.

Crowell missed no more than a dozen snaps during an ironman 2001 season, but this year he had separate injuries to the medial collateral ligament in both knees and barely played in midseason victories over Clemson and North Carolina.

"My father told me that adversity only makes you stronger," Crowell said, "but there were times when I asked myself, 'Why now?' I've had to deal with adversity my whole life, but this year I had to fight through some things."

Head coach Al Groh has been quick to single out Crowell and fellow senior Billy McMullen for the leadership they have provided as captains. Unlike his older brother, who was quiet and frequently avoided the media, Angelo laughs easily and is equally at ease with teammates and reporters.

"Every year, I told myself I've got to get myself ready to play and do what I've got to do," he said. "When I was named captain, I realized these guys are going to look up to me. It's not like I ever expected to be captain."

Crowell's greatest legacy may be his contributions in turning around the program, although he should remain prominent among UVa's all-time statistical leaders. Now that the NCAA is counting bowls for statistical purposes, Crowell needs four tackles against WVU to improve his school record.

"I said last year that I'd trade in all the awards [and records] for a winning season," said Crowell, who joins Charles McDaniel and Jamie Sharper as the only UVa players to record more than 400 career tackles. "I say the same thing today."

 

 

U.VA. NOTES
Dec 23, 2002

NO REVENGE: A year ago today at University Hall, with one of its former stars on Virginia's bench, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights let a nine-point lead slip away in the second half and lost 76-68.

When the teams met again Saturday night in Piscataway, N.J., the Knights "were ready to play, they were excited, they wanted to beat us by 100," Cavaliers coach Pete Gillen said.

Instead, Rutgers lost again, by four points this time. Junior guard Todd Billet, all-Big East third team as a Rutgers sophomore in 2000-01, scored a game-high 22 points to lead U.Va., despite playing the final 14:26 with four fouls.

Billet, taunted and booed by Rutgers students all night at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, put Virginia ahead to stay by making two free throws with 13.8 seconds left.

His biggest contribution, however, might have come earlier. Rutgers, which trailed by nine at intermission, took a 48-44 lead with 6:46 left and appeared to have seized control. But Billet responded with a 3-pointer that rolled out and then in to make it 48-47.

"That killed us," Rutgers coach Gary Waters said.

Billet scored 28 points in Virginia's Dec. 4 loss at Michigan State. After U.Va.'s exam break, though, he had only 11 vs. East Tennessee State on Tuesday and a season-low five against Gardner-Webb two nights later. Both games were in Charlottesville,

"I think he was looking forward to this one," Gillen said, "and he was a different player tonight, in a lot more hostile environment."

QUESTIONABLE: Gillen said he wasn't sure if 6-8 senior Travis Watson, who didn't play against Rutgers, would be available for the Cavs' next game. U.Va. (6-2) entertains Georgetown (7-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday at U-Hall.

Watson, the ACC's leading rebounder last season, injured his right ankle Thursday night against Gardner-Webb.

IN THE ZONE: Virginia played zone defense, a specialty of new assistant Rod Jensen, for long stretches in its win over Kentucky last month and again against Rutgers. UK shot 37.3 percent from the floor against U.Va.; Rutgers, 31.3 percent.

"We're still learning about it, still getting better at it," Gillen said. "I was surprised in here, in their house, that it was as effective. Normally you shoot better in your own building."

UNEXPECTED LIFT: Erratic point guard Keith Jenifer, who's shooting 32.6 percent from the floor, has scored in double figures only twice in his U.Va. career. But the 6-3 sophomore from Baltimore made a 3-pointer in the first half Saturday and supplied much-needed offense late in the game.

Jenifer tied the game at 51-51 with two free throws at the 3:06 mark. His 10-foot jump shot with 1:16 remaining made it 53-51. Jenifer added two more free throws with 28.4 seconds left to give U.Va. a 57-54 lead. He finished with nine points, a career-best nine rebounds, five assists, five turnovers and one steal.

BRAVE SOULS: Rutgers students jeered Billet during warmups and never let up. Near the top of the student section, however, the former Scarlet Knight had some support. A group of young women led by his girlfriend, a student at nearby Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, held up orange letters that spelled out, "GO BILLET."

BACK TO WORK: U.Va.'s football team, which plays West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl on Saturday, arrived in Charlotte, N.C., two days ago. The Cavaliers attended yesterday's NFL game at Ericsson Stadium, where Carolina beat Chicago 24-14. Today they resume practicing for their clash with the 15th-ranked Mountaineers.

On Christmas Day, U.Va. will practice in the afternoon and have a team party that night. "Santa Claus might even be there," second-year coach Al Groh said.

KING JAMES: Defensive end Allen Billyk's future is in football. But the 6-4, 260-pound senior from New Castle High outside Pittsburgh plays hoops too, and he shared the court with LeBron James recently.

"I actually have a picture of me in the paper trying to block one of his shots," said Billyk, who committed last week to play football at U.Va.

The 6-8, 240-pound James, the nation's No. 1 high school player, had 32 points and 12 rebounds as St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio, whipped New Castle 82-48. And Billyk?

"I did all right," he said. "I had a couple points and a couple rebounds." - Jeff White
 

 

 

Win will make bowl trip worthwhile
Cavaliers' coach brings entire squad to Charlotte, hopes to end bowl slide

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
 

Coach Al Groh of Virginia has rewarded his entire team with a trip to Charlotte for Saturday's Continental Tire Bowl, and now it's their turn: he wants them to make it a trip they can enjoy for a lifetime.

"The only reward that the players get of value, of long-range value to them and to the team, is winning," Groh said this week before taking walk-ons and all to Charlotte for the Dec. 28 game.

Bowl games often give players items like watches as keepsakes, but "if you go and play poorly and you don't win, all those things that are given as mementos of the game, you never want to see again anyway," Groh said.

The Cavaliers (8-5) will play West Virginia (9-3) in the first Continental Tire Bowl, and the will take on some Virginia traditions as well.

One has already been addressed with the sale of more than 20,000 tickets to Virginia fans, which Groh sees as a good answer to the school's reputation as one with fans who don't travel in the postseason.

The game is a sellout, with more than 72,000 tickets purchased.

Another ghost to confront is Virginia's poor record in the postseason. The Cavaliers made 12 bowl appearances, all under George Welsh, and will take a 4-game bowl skid onto the field at Ericcson Stadium.

The matchup with the Mountaineers, who finished second to top-ranked Miami in the Big East Conference, gives Virginia a chance to impress.

"One of the things that's created compelling interest in this game is that this is what bowl games are supposed to be. This matches up two teams who really kind of earned their way into the game," Groh said.

"In terms of postseason action, these two teams are not the conference or division champions, but they're the next best things, as if they were wild cards in the playoffs. I think that's gotten the interest of fans."

That interest, Groh said, also needs to be rewarded.

"We certainly take an aim on a good performance. I think that's an important thing, to play well and provide a competitive game for your fans," Groh said. "In the long run, your fans travel to see you win."

In the interest of making the bowl experience unlike that of a regular season road trip, Groh and his players attended the Carolina Panthers' NFL game against the Chicago Bears yesterday and have scheduled other activities for tonight and Tuesday night and a Christmas party Wednesday.

"Santa Claus might even be there," he said.

Then, the preparations get more serious for the last two days.

"This is an opponent that deserves significant attention," he said.

 

 

Rodriguez, WVU stay committed
Rich buyout clauses in new contract
Monday December 23, 2002

By Dave Hickman
STAFF WRITER
 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If either Rich Rodriguez or West Virginia University want to bail out on the new seven-year, $6 million contract they signed this weekend, it will come at a steep price.

That’s because written into the agreement between WVU and its football coach is a $2 million buyout clause for both parties.

Buying out the contract, however, is not on the mind of either side.

“Is that a meaningful figure? Yes,’’ West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong said Sunday night. “But the point is, this is a meaningful contract, too. There is a commitment being made and it is being made both ways.’’

West Virginia officials Saturday night announced the new contract with Rodriguez, the school’s second-year football coach who has guided the Mountaineers to a 9-3 record, a Top 15 ranking and a berth in Saturday’s inaugural Continental Tire Bowl here against Virginia. The deal will pay Rodriguez, 39, a guaranteed $700,000 next season with annual raises that will take the contract to $1 million in the seventh year.

While the contract is ultra lucrative by West Virginia standards, it places Rodriguez only at about the midpoint or just above out of the eight Big East Conference coaches. He trails Miami’s Larry Coker and Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and is in roughly the same neighborhood as Syracuse’s Paul Pasqualoni. The pact is believed to be more than those awarded to Walt Harris of Pitt and Tom O’Brien of Boston College.

As for the $2 million buyout, Rodriguez seemed unconcerned about the figure because, he said, leaving isn’t something that has crossed his mind.

“It isn’t a concern to me because I would like to retire as the coach at West Virginia University when that time comes,’’ Rodriguez said Sunday night between meetings at the team’s hotel here. “I could see myself coaching here and only here for the rest of my career. And that’s my intention.’’

Only a week ago, Rodriguez was fielding calls from other schools inquiring about his interest in their coaching positions. Kentucky asked for and received permission to speak with the Marion County native and WVU graduate, and Alabama sent feelers out.

By that time, however, negotiations were well under way between WVU and Rodriguez for an extension to the four-year contract he signed when he was hired in November of 2000 and rolled over after his first team went 3-8. By Saturday afternoon, Pastilong was ready with the new contract and took it to Rodriguez early that afternoon.

For WVU, signing a coach whose salary will top $1 million by the end of the contract is a radical departure from the past. With former football coach Don Nehlen and ex-men’s basketball coach Gale Catlett each on the job for more than two decades and each guaranteed substantial annuities when they retired, big-money contracts were never a concern. Now, new basketball coach John Beilein’s contract is in the $500,000 range with incentives and Rodriguez’s new contract is substantially more.

“I felt that eventually a figure like [$1 million] would be associated with WVU,’’ said Pastilong, who is also in Charlotte for the bowl game. “It may have come about quicker than I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. You have to look at where Rich has taken this program and where we think he will take it in the future. It’s become clear in the short time he’s been here that he is a coach on a national level. It’s clear that he wants to be with us. It’s clear that we want to compete as a Top 20 program and above. And it was clear to us that Rich is the man to lead us there.’’

The commitment from the athletic department was not just to Rodriguez, but to the football program as a whole, Pastilong said. In addition to the new contract, Rodriguez will be given more flexibility and more resources with which to pay his staff. There is also a commitment within the Mountaineer Athletic Club to the new 1100 Club, the goal of which is to raise money for recruiting. Rodriguez attended fundraising events in Beckley and Fairmont last week aimed at drawing attention to the 1100 club.

“Our goal is to eventually have 1,100 members of the 1100 Club, each contributing $1,100,’’ Rodriguez said. “Now, when you get those kinds of numbers, you’re talking about making a difference.’’

The bottom line is that 1,100 members could raise more than $1.2 million. Chief among the goals for that money would be the lease or eventually the purchase of an airplane for recruiting trips.

“Once we get kids to Morgantown, we can sell them on the university and the program,’’ Rodriguez said. “Right now, because a lot of recruiting is limited to just a two-month window, December and January, we’re at a disadvantage with some of our competitors because if we get a kid who suddenly says he might like to visit, he might have to make two [airline] connections just to get to Pittsburgh, and then we have to get him to Morgantown after that. If we can send a plane for a kid or send a coach to the kid right away, what a huge difference that can make. It’s invaluable.’’

As for staff salaries, those are up to Rodriguez to assign. Pastilong said Rodriguez will have more money to distribute.

“To Rich’s credit, he has assembled one of the finest young coaching staffs we’ve ever had,’’ Pastilong said. “We need to provide him with the resources to continue with those kinds of coaches and we will.’’

With the new contract for Rodriguez and the potential infusion of more money into the program, Pastilong said it is clear that West Virginia is committed not just to football but to all its sports.

“The thing you have to remember is that football is responsible for the vast majority of our revenue. Therefore, it is vitally important that this team is strong and successful, otherwise the remainder of our sports will slide accordingly,’’ Pastilong said. “We’re fortunate that we have a young man who played for us and chose to come back and is going to be a great coach. We want him to be a great coach at West Virginia, which is the reason we signed him to this new contract.’’