Schaub, Rutherford ready to provide fireworks in bowl game
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
December 24, 2003

Saturday’s Continental Tire Bowl may be the best quarterback matchup of all the bowl games.
Together, Pittsburgh’s Rod Rutherford and Virginia’s Matt Schaub have thrown for 6,141 yards and 52 touchdowns this season. Rutherford was a unanimous selection for the All-Big East first team, while Schaub made the All-ACC second team (behind N.C. State’s Philip Rivers) a year after being named the conference’s player of the year.
The fifth-year seniors also know each other. In 1999, they played on the Pennsylvania all-star team against Ohio in the Big 33 game at Hershey, Pa. Other participants in that game included UVa receiver Art Thomas, Pitt tight end Kris Wilson and about eight other current Panthers.
“We knew there was a chance we might face each other” in college, Schaub said. “It’s kind of nice to have to play them my last game.”
In some ways, Schaub and Rutherford have traveled parallel paths. Both redshirted in 1999 and neither established himself until his junior year.
“He was kind of in the same boat as me,” Schaub said, “and he really fought through those things and kept his head on straight and kept working, and it turned out for the best.”
Rutherford, a 6-3, 225-pound left-hander from Pittsburgh, also is a threat to run. He has compiled 3,572 yards of total offense this season, a Big East record, and has thrown 35 TD passes, two shy of Dan Marino’s school mark.
Rutherford certainly benefits from throwing to Larry Fitzgerald, who finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, but UVa coach Al Groh says he is impressed by the quarterback’s talent and leadership.
“One thing is quite obvious,” Groh said. “He projects the same type of poise and confidence in the pocket as Matt does.”

On the run. The Panthers thrive on the vertical passing game with Rutherford throwing downfield to Fitzgerald, Wilson and 6-3 senior Princell Brokenbrough. That trio has combined for 160 catches, 2,747 yards and 34 touchdowns this season.
Pitt coach Walt Harris “has got a quarterback who can throw it a long way and a receiver [Fitzgerald] who can go up and get it in a crowd,” Groh said. “I’m sure they’ll do that a lot.”
But Groh also expects Harris to try and establish a running game. The Panthers rank 98th nationally in rushing (115 yards per game) and 13th in passing (291.7), yet they have more rushing attempts (437) than passes (401).
“They’re a team that is committed to running, no matter what,” Groh said.
Pitt has a rugged tailback in 6-foot, 230-pound senior Brandon Miree, who missed seven games with a lower-leg injury. Miree returned to the lineup last month and ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns against Temple. He averages nearly 93 yards per game.
“He’s one of the biggest backs we’ve played this year,” Groh said. “He’s certainly more powerful than elusive.”
The Panthers average just 3.2 yards per carry, but that stat is skewed by their 279 lost yards on 38 sacks, which count against rushing totals. Take away the sacks and they average 4.2 yards.

Good Charlotte. Most of the Cavaliers went to Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte on Tuesday and took turns riding as passengers in stock cars, tearing around the track at 160 mph.
“It’s awesome,” Groh said. “One thing everybody talked about was what it felt like when they take you down the straightaway, how you’re running up against the wall.”
Groh said he felt like Tom Cruise in the movie “Top Gun.”
“I feel the need, the need for speed,” he said. “Of course, I say that every day for four months after I watch the practice tapes.”

Friend’s funeral. Groh missed his team’s practice Monday afternoon to attend the funeral of his friend and attorney, Craig S. Kelly, in Columbia, S.C.
Kelly, who also represented Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and numerous other coaches, died Friday of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.
 

Pearman, Canty ready to finally go bowling
Injuries kept duo from last year's Continental Tire Bowl
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
December 24, 2003

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - For Alvin Pearman and Chris Canty, it doesn’t get any better than this. Sidelined by injuries, both missed last year’s Virginia victory in the Continental Tire Bowl in front of their hometown fans.

They’ve been given a mulligan by the Cavaliers’ return to Charlotte for Saturday’s Tire Bowl II against Pittsburgh, and they plan to make the most of it.

“Just seeing my teammates out there and all the camaraderie and the excitement building around the game, knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to participate was really tough,” said Canty, now a junior defensive end for UVa. “Especially being from Charlotte, everybody I knew was looking forward to me playing and when I had to tell them I wasn’t playing, they were like, ‘Why not?’”

Canty had injured his arm against Virginia Tech in the last regular season game of 2002 and couldn’t play against West Virginia in the bowl.

Pearman, one of the Cavaliers’ tailbacks, felt the same way. He had suffered a season-ending knee injury against Penn State, which knocked him out of the last three regular season games and the bowl. Now the versatile junior gets

his first crack at postseason play.

“Any time an athlete can go back to his hometown and show off to all the people that watched him grow up, it means a lot,” Pearman said. “I’m happy for Chris and I to finish off the season in the best way we could have possibly dreamed about. This was my unwished Christmas present.”

Virginia coach Al Groh is happy to have those presents to unwrap against Pittsburgh in the bowl game. Both have been key players in the Wahoos’ 7-5 season and should play important roles in Saturday’s game.

Pearman has been a solid compliment to Virginia’s running attack but has been a lethal receiver out of the backfield. Thus far, he has rushed for 539 yards (4.2 average) and four touchdowns, while catching 57 passes for 486 yards (8.5 average) and four more scores.

“Alvin is a feel good story,” Groh said. “You see so many players after that knee surgery ... the first season they’re back, they’re not the same player, not able to do the same things. From the first time back on the field, he was the same old Alvin with quickness, cuts and change of direction. What he didn’t have was his full confidence and he got that back quickly.”

Pearman totally committed himself to the rehab, not only the physical work necessary but the mental aspect where he is particularly strong. Once he returned to regular play, he became a strong addition to the Cavs’ attack but also in every situation where his leadership qualities were brought forth.

“Alvin provides us with a great deal of heart,” Groh said. “He has significant versatility. He’s a receptive blocker, not a power blocker at his size (5-10, 198), but he’s interested in being a good blocker. There used to be a commercial that ‘It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature,’ well he took Mother Nature on and won with his comeback.”

Pearman is the first to acknowledge how the coaches welcomed him back into the program. His versatility helped him gain playing time immediately upon the return.

“I’m happy for all the opportunities the coach gave me this year,” Pearman said. “Coach Groh is a big confidence guy. If he has confidence in you, he’s going to ride you. I’ve been fortunate to be able to capitalize on those chances he gave me ... deep balls on fourth down and things like that.”

Pearman has great hands and speed, so there’s no wonder he has been a favorite target of quarterback Matt Schaub this season. He is the only player in the ACC ranked in the top 10 in rushing and receiving and is second in the nation in receptions by a running back (57).

He tied the all-time ACC record with 16 catches in a single game when he had a career day against Florida State.

“That’s the thing about Coach Groh and this coaching staff,” Pearman said. “They find player’s strong points, what they’re good at and utilize them in the best way possible. I’m really happy to be in this system.”

Canty feels the same way. It is particularly important for him to return to Charlotte and play well in front of his family and friends.

A product of Charlotte Latin School (Pearman played at another Charlotte-area private school, Country Day), there were doubts when he was plucked into Virginia’s system by former Cavalier recruiting coordinator Danny Wilmer.

“It’s so important for me to get another chance to play in my hometown,” Canty said. “When I was coming out of high school there was a lot of mixed thoughts about me. ‘Who is this little, skinny kid playing defensive end? He’s going to Virginia but we don’t know how good he is because he played private school ball.’”

But, like Pearman, he received nothing but strong support from high school coaches, his family and friends, which should make this weekend’s bowl experience even better.

“Everybody’s going to be there,” Canty said. “And I’m going to play my heart out.”

UVa will need that from Canty and the rest of the front seven in order to create enough pressure on Pitt quarterback Rod Rutherford, so that he can’t pick apart the Cavs’ secondary with All-American wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

That is what Canty is all about, creating havoc on the line of scrimmage and then in the backfield. He is UVa’s second-leading tackler on the season with 95 and the 6-7, 280 end has 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Groh believes Canty, who has started since the end of his freshman season, has made huge strides the second half of this year in terms of understanding what the offense is trying to do and what he can do to disrupt or stop it cold.

“I look at tape of me last year and it’s like, ‘Who is that guy and why is the coach letting him play?’” Canty chuckled. “I couldn’t understand why I looked so bad to myself last year and even at games at the beginning of this season. I played awful. What was I thinking out there? Better yet, what was I doing out there?”

The big junior has always taken pride in trying to develop his game and to have a purpose for each practice in terms of having something to work on so that he could improve his game every day.

“I think that even though my numbers don’t show it, I think I’m a tremendous pass rusher,” Canty said. “I put incredible pressure on the quarterback play-in, play-out, trying to get off the guards and the center sliding toward me, or the tackle and the running back chipping at me. I’ve tried to learn to get around those obstacles and get to the quarterback.”

The Charlotte product has but a mere four sacks but is third on the team in quarterback hurries with an even dozen. Anyone who watches closely also realizes that Canty is driving his blocker toward the QB and has been dangerously close to single-handedly turning games around with his pass rush skills.

Both Canty and Pearman are chomping at the bit to strut their stuff in front of their hometown. Plenty will be on hand to witness.

At last count, Canty was going to have in the neighborhood of 50 in his fan club at Ericsson Stadium. Because Pearman had beaten him to the punch in persuading teammates to give him tickets they won’t need, Joseph and Shirley Canty, his parents, have had to shell out for 35 tickets.

Pearman had secured somewhere around 20 tickets to the game, which will give him good representation.

“When you get to go back and play in your hometown, that gives you some mojo,” Pearman said. “Me and Chris should have plenty of that this time around.”
 

Pitt tries to shake off its chagrin
Dropping a chance at a BCS bowl by losing to Miami has taken a toll on the Panthers.
By Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Early Tuesday afternoon, a couple of Pittsburgh football fans ambled up to the gate that protects a high school stadium here.

"Is this an open practice?" one man asked as he peeked over the railing to get a glimpse of the Panthers' first full workout for Saturday's Continental Tire Bowl.

No, they were told.

The two fans turned and left without a trace, but somebody ought to tell the Panthers they were here. After all, it'd be nice for this team to know somebody's still interested.

Many Pittsburgh supporters simply aren't, at least when it comes to this bowl. Ticket sales have lagged far behind those of Virginia, the Panthers' opponent in the 11 a.m. game.

"It's discouraging," Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris said after practice. "But I guess the Pittsburgh fans are disappointed like we are in what happened the last game of the season.

"I think if we had won the last game of the season, we wouldn't have had any problems."

Dark glasses shielded Harris' eyes as he spoke, and he needed them Tuesday. The weather was sunny, warm and clear - all the things you want your bowl destination's climate to be.

But Charlotte is not South Florida.

That Orange Bowl trip was lost Nov.29, when the Panthers fell 28-14 at home to Miami. In a nationally televised game, with a BCS bid and a share of the Big East title there for the taking, Pittsburgh got physically dominated in its regular-season finale.

Even if the players can get over it, the pain still lingers a bit for Harris.

"We've been building this for seven years," said Harris, whose team is making its fourth straight bowl appearance. "And to play the last game of the season for a BCS bowl and the Big East title was what we've been building for. To fall short, and the way that we fell short, made it tough."

The Panthers (8-4) opened the season ranked No.10; they are unranked now. Losses to Toledo, Notre Dame and West Virginia each hurt in their own way, but none stung as badly as the last one.

Pittsburgh's greatest challenge this week might not have anything to do with UVa. It might be a more complicated matter of motivation.

"Coach says that for young men in their early 20s, it's kind of easier to let a loss go than it would be for a coach," said senior William "Tutu" Ferguson, a cornerback and kick returner. "The higher up you get in age, the harder it is to let certain things go.

"Me personally, though? I know it hurt. The Miami loss hurt because we had a chance ... to accomplish a lot of things, and it was all riding on that game."

The team didn't practice the week following the loss, something tailback Brandon Miree suggests might have prolonged the agony. Miree said he had nothing to do in his free time other than dwell on what went wrong.

"But once we got back on the field, that's where our tempo picked up," Miree said. "I think the morale of our team grew with each practice."

They're getting there, they say. Tuesday's practice was crisp. Players joked as they took off their pads and prepared for a field trip to Lowe's Motor Speedway.

New goals began coming into focus: A chance to beat a talented UVa team, a chance for a third straight bowl win, a chance for a second consecutive nine-win season.

But most of all, a chance to enjoy the game again, even if most of their fans won't be here to see it.

"Right now, we're just trying to have some fun out here on the field," Miree said, as a pair of teammates playfully chased each other in the background. "And in football, fun comes with winning."

 

Virginia Tech's fall from grace
By Laurence Miedema
Mercury News

Virginia Tech, which expected to be playing for a national
championship, will be playing for pride when it meets Cal in the
Insight Bowl.

Seven weeks ago the Hokies were ranked No. 3 and hurtling toward the
Sugar Bowl or another Bowl Championship Series game. A late-season
free fall knocked them out of the rankings and into next Friday's
game at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix.

Virginia Tech (8-4) lost four of its final six games and the ship
continues to take on water. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster
recently attributed the swoon to selfish play and there have been
rumors of Coach Frank Beamer leaving for the NFL. (Beamer says he
isn't.)

If the Hokies can't regroup, it could be another long day in an
underachieving season.

``The way you think is really important,'' Beamer said last week.
``California is a quality football team and we're kind of coming
here in different directions. If we're going to beat this crowd we'd
better have our minds right.''

The Bears (7-6) won four of their final five games and are brimming
with confidence. They consider their first bowl appearance in seven
years an opportunity to put the burgeoning program on the national
map.

Virginia Tech is making its 11th successive bowl appearance, but
nobody could blame the Hokies for being less than thrilled with this
one.

``They probably think they should be in a better bowl and think they
shouldn't be playing us and will probably try to embarrass us,'' Cal
defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander said. ``I really can't wait to
play them and try to gain some respect nationally.''

After a 6-0 start the Hokies lost 28-7 at West Virginia. But they
revived their title hopes the following week with a stunning 31-7
rout of then-No. 2 Miami, ending the Hurricanes' 39-game regular
season winning streak.

The Hokies were 7-1 and ranked No. 5 when they lost to Pittsburgh 31-

28 on a touchdown with 47 seconds left. It was the start of 1-3
tailspin, the only victory coming in overtime against Temple, a four- touchdown underdog.

``Sure, you think you could have made it to a BCS game and you
didn't; there's that disappointment,'' said Beamer, who took the
Hokies to the title game in 1999, losing to Florida State.

``We had a good season, we had a chance for it to be a great season.
The disappointing thing is we didn't play as well down the stretch.
There's nothing we can do about that now.''

Virginia Tech's offense, led by tailback Kevin Jones (1,494 yards
and 20 touchdowns) is a handful. But the defense, which ranked among
the nation's best early in the season, buckled down the stretch.

The Hokies allowed 123 points in the final four games, one fewer
than during their 7-1 start. Opponents rushed for twice the yardage -

- 1,099 to 533 -- in the final six games than the first six.

As the season unraveled, so did team morale.

``At the beginning of the year, I think we had a lot more team
chemistry, team unity,'' senior fullback Doug Easlick told the
Washington Post recently. ``Down the home stretch, for whatever
reason, I think we started playing as a selfish team -- offense,
defense, special teams.''

The Hokies have been down this road before. Of their 12 losses in
the past three seasons, all have come after the third week of
October. Last season they lost four of their final five games after
an 8-0 start and wound up playing in the San Francisco Bowl.

``I don't think in this business you can look back too much because
if you keep looking back something hits you right in the face that
you didn't see,'' Beamer said. ``I think that's going to be
California if we're not ready to go.''

TIRE BOWL NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Dec 25, 2003

PASSING ACQUAINTANCES: The head coaches in this weekend's Continental Tire Bowl - Virginia's Al Groh and Pittsburgh's Walt Harris - were colleagues briefly at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978.

Their boss was Bill Parcells, who hired Groh as Falcons' defensive coordinator and Harris as the secondary coach. But Harris, who'd been an assistant at California from 1974 to'77, left Air Force after about two months to join the staff at Michigan State.

Harris and Groh spent most of that time on the road recruiting, so they didn't have a chance to become close. "There weren't a lot of days when we were in the office together," Groh said.

They later coached against each other as NFL assistants, Harris with the Jets and Groh with the Patriots.

Harris is "very well-grounded in the passing game," Groh said, "but he does what all coaches should do, in terms of how he tries to pass it: He caters it to the skills of the personnel he has on hand."

U.Va. (7-5) and Pitt (8-4) meet in Charlotte, N.C., at 11 a.m. Saturday.

TRAVELING WELL: By the end of business Tuesday, U.Va. had sold 21,032 tickets for the Tire Bowl. The school will get credit from bowl officials for at least another 2,500 tickets sold through other outlets. In all, then, Virginia fans will probably buy around 25,000 tickets, depending on how sales go tomorrow and Saturday in Charlotte.

Pitt, by contrast, isn't likely to have more than 6,000 fans at Ericsson Stadium.

PARTING SHOT: Asked by reporters in Pittsburgh about the impending departure of Big East members Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech for the ACC, Harris said, "Miami is a marquee team. I'm not sure Virginia Tech is a marquee team any more. They're another good football team. There's a lot of good teams in [the Big East]."

Pitt has won three straight over the Hokies, the only opponent it has in common with U.Va. this season. Virginia beat Tech 35-21 in the regular-season finale.

HONORED: Offensive tackle Zak Stair, who has committed to U.Va., was named to The Washington Post's All-Metro first team. Stair is a 6-6, 288-pound senior at Osbourn Park High.

The first team includes three other players to whom U.Va. has offered scholarships: Westfield wideout Eddie Royal, The Post's offensive player of the year; Robinson defensive end Olu Hall; and Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.) defensive lineman Derrick Harvey.

Virginia is pursuing three second-team selections: Eleanor Roosevelt tailback Thierrien Davis, Gonzaga (D.C.) wideout Doug Dutch and Gar-Field defensive end Clint Sintim.

HAPPY HOLIDAY: Virginia's players have this morning off, and those whose families are in town will celebrate with them. Also, Groh said, a "number of different denominational [church] services will be held in the hotel for the players" this morning. The team Christmas party is tonight.

EX-WARRIOR: Pitt has the nation's top receiver in sophomore Larry Fitzgerald and an exceptional tight end in senior Kris Wilson. But the Cavaliers aren't overlooking former Henrico High star Princell Brockenbrough.

Brockenborough, a 6-3, 205-pound junior, ranks third at Pitt in receptions (31), receiving yards (563) and touchdown catches (three) this season.

"That's a pretty good year for most receivers," Groh said. "It's just that he's overshadowed by the awesome plays of Fitzgerald and somewhat overshadowed by the vertical strikes that go to Wilson. . . . If those other two weren't there, I'm sure he would have a lot more hype attached to him."

ELUSIVE TARGET: In three seasons as Virginia's coach, Groh is 21-17. Of the teams U.Va. has faced at least twice under him, it has beaten all except Florida State at least once.

THE 'AINTS: It's safe to say that no one in Virginia's traveling party took the crazy ending of Sunday's New Orleans-Jacksonville game harder than strength coach Evan Marcus.

Marcus was the Saints' assistant strength coach in 2000,'01 and'02. New Orleans was eliminated from playoff contention Sunday when it lost 20-19 to the Jaguars. After one of most unforgettable plays in NFL history produced a 75-yard touchdown on the game's final play, New Orleans' John Carney failed to convert the extra point that would have forced overtime.

Groh saw Marcus that night. "He was just shaking his head," Groh said. "He's been rooting hard for them all year."

Jacksonville's offensive coordinator is Bill Musgrave, who held that post at Virginia in 2001 and'02. - Jeff White

 

Happy return
Bowl game is a homecoming for U.Va.'s Pearman and Canty
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 25, 2003

Slim to none. Coming into this season, that's how University of Virginia football standouts Chris Canty and Alvin Pearman might have rated their chances of getting back to their hometown to play in a college game.

Both are from Charlotte, N.C., where Virginia hammered West Virginia 48-22 in the inaugural Continental Tire Bowl. Neither, however, played against the Mountaineers last December at Ericsson Stadium.

Pearman had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Nov. 9, 2002, against Penn State. Three weeks later, in the regular-season finale against Virginia Tech, Canty had broken his left arm and dislocated his left elbow. In Charlotte, they had to be content with acting as tour guides and, on game day, cheerleaders.

Canty, a 6-7, 282-pound defensive end, is a 2000 graduate of Charlotte Latin School. Pearman, a 5-10, 200-pound tailback, received his diploma from Charlotte Country Day in 2001.

"It was tough for both of us last year," Pearman recalled, "going around Charlotte with the team, kind of knowing that you weren't going to be able to go out there and participate with your teammates."

After the Cavaliers beat Georgia Tech on Nov. 22, they appeared bound for the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla. But a series of unexpected outcomes in other games resulted in Virginia's receiving another invitation from the Tire Bowl. Third-year coach Al Groh told his players Nov. 30 that U.Va. (7-5) was headed back to Charlotte to meet Pittsburgh (8-4) at Ericsson Stadium.

"The two biggest smiles in the room were worn by Chris and Alvin," Groh said.

As kickoff approaches - Virginia and Pitt meet Saturday at 11 a.m. - they're still smiling.

"I didn't really think I was going to have the opportunity to go back home and play, especially after last year's bowl game," Canty said. "I missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity . . . and now it's like I'm getting a mulligan."

Pearman said: "Very seldom do opportunities like this come around again, to be able to come back and play in your hometown. I'm just grateful for the opportunity to do so."

Some of his family members would have preferred a bowl in a warmer climate, but not Canty.

"Home is home," he said last week in Charlottesville. "I love going home, I love the city of Charlotte, and I'm excited about going there."

The Cavaliers have practiced this week at Charlotte Country Day, as they did leading up to last year's Tire Bowl. That's fine with Canty.

"I've won a few games over there," he said, flashing his trademark smile.

Canty was a grade ahead of Pearman in high school. Their prep teams met twice in 1998 and twice again in 1999. Charlotte Latin won three of those games, the biggest victory coming in the state private-school title game in'99.

"The state championship was just a fluke," Pearman said, shaking his head. "I'll never forget that game. They didn't deserve that one at all."

Not surprisingly, No. 95's memory of that game differs from that of No. 21.

"It was a thorough whipping," Canty said.

Both players recovered fully from their 2002 injuries, and each has had a strong junior season.

Canty, who redshirted in 2000, made the all-ACC second team for the second straight year and recently received the Ned McDonald Award as U.Va.'s top defender. He's second on the team in tackles with 95, including 11 for loss.

Pearman is the Cavaliers' second-leading rusher (539 yards and four touchdowns on 127 carries) and second-leading receiver (57 catches for 486 yards and four TDs). He leads the team in all-purpose yardage (1,165).

And now they get to spend Christmas morning at home and play in an NFL stadium in front of family and friends. No wonder they're smiling.

"We've talked about it quite a bit since we heard the announcement that we were going back to Charlotte," Canty said. "We're both very excited."

Last year "was tough," Pearman said, "but I didn't really want to focus on it too much. I was happy for what the team had done. We beat a great football team in West Virginia last year, and we have a similar opportunity this year in Pittsburgh."

Who says you can't go home again?
 

Players, coaches stay above ACC-Big East rift
Pitt's Harris: League will survive loss of Virginia Tech, Miami
RICK BONNELL
Staff Writer

Angry words like these aren't usually part of the dialogue in the fraternal world of college sports.

Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese earlier this year said the ACC's recruitment of Miami and Virginia Tech (later to include Boston College) was the sort of dirty business common to corporate raiders. He strongly implied the ACC's intent was not only to strengthen its own football profile, but to weaken the Big East as the two compete for television dollars.

Then angry words became angry action. Five Big East members, including Pittsburgh, filed suit in June against the ACC, Miami and Boston College. The suit accused the ACC and the teams it targeted of concocting a "deliberate scheme to destroy the Big East."

So isn't this one big, happy family as the Big East's Pittsburgh plays ACC representative Virginia in Saturday's Continental Tire Bowl?

Pittsburgh's players and coaches say the ACC-Big East friction is for athletic directors and school presidents. They don't hold Virginia accountable for what's happened to the Big East, so there's no special hostility going into this game.

"It's way over our heads," said Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris. "(Coaching staffs) all get along because they have to. One year you're in the ACC, the next year you're in the Big East, the next year, we're both in the Big Ten. ... That's the way it is for assistant coaches."

Harris said it's his suspicion that his coaching counterparts at Miami and Virginia Tech would just as soon stay in the Big East, but they had no say in the process.

Harris' players know it's bad, what's happened to the Big East, but they don't appear to take it personally.

"It's sad to see the conference break up but those teams did what they had to do for their schools," said Pittsburgh senior defensive back Shawntae Spencer

"Obviously for the future players it's a little disappointing. A lot of guys look forward to playing Miami and Virginia Tech."

Not all Big East coaches have reacted as Harris did. Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun says he never wants to play Boston College again because of the way the Eagles handled their defection to the ACC.

Harris did get a bit feisty at the suggestion that Big East football has been gutted by recent events. He and everyone else in the conference know it's crucial that the Big East retain its automatic spot in the Bowl Championship Series.

"I think it's going to hurt it in an outside-looking-in way of looking at the marquee teams," Harris said of the Big East's profile.

"I'm sure Miami's a marquee team, but I would not say that Virginia Tech, anymore, is a marquee team. They're another good football team. There are a lot of good teams in this conference.

"When we came here in '97 -- (Boston College coach) Tom O'Brien and myself -- this conference was (nicknamed) the Big Easy, and now it's not called that anymore. Now what we have to do is climb that mountain again and make it another competitive conference."

Do Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Syracuse have enough juice to anchor a BCS conference?

"Yeah, we do," Harris said, "and I think you can't close your eyes to (new football member) Connecticut, I don't think you can close your eyes to Cincinnati or Louisville or South Florida. Wow, South Florida could be really great."

So the Big East deserves to keep its BCS bid?

"No question," Harris said.
 

Cavaliers in awe of Pitt receiver
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published December 25, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Aside from being a college football player, Virginia cornerback Almondo "Muffin" Curry is a fan. Which means he watches a lot of ESPN. Which means he sees a lot of Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh's incomparable wideout and highlight regular.

The best player in the game? Curry thinks so, no offense directed toward Heisman Trophy winner Jason White. A receiver who will be making annual trips to the Pro Bowl? Curry wouldn't bet against it, not given this guy's fascinating array of gifts.

"It's amazing sometimes when you see the type of catches he makes," said Curry, who faces the personal challenge of his life Saturday as the Cavaliers go against Pitt in the Continental Tire Bowl. "Some of them you just have to say, 'How does he do it?' He's a hard-working guy, and when you're a guy who works hard those things pay off. That's what makes him the type of receiver he is today.

"Since I've been playing college football, he's been the best receiver I've ever seen. He doesn't do a lot of the fancy things you see a lot of receivers do. He doesn't come out and showboat. He's not one of those guys who will come out and give you the shakes and all, but he's a guaranteed guy when it comes to catching the ball. He just gets the job done."

Day in, day out. Check out the numbers - which, mind you, are for this season alone:

87 catches, an average of more than seven per game despite having more people around him than George Bush on a jog.

1,595 yards, tops in college football.

22 touchdowns, more than the totals of 83 Division I-A teams and six more than his nearest individual competitor.

Ridiculous, isn't it? But maybe the most phenomenal stat of all is his NCAA-record streak of 18 straight games with at least one touchdown reception. "That speaks to his consistency," Virginia defensive end Chris Canty said.

So what is it that makes Fitzgerald the most exciting receiver college football has seen since ... well, maybe ever? He has average speed for a guy at his position, clocking in the 4.5 range for the 40-yard dash. Of his 22 touchdowns, only four have gone for more than 37 yards. Ten have been for 11 yards or fewer.

But Fitzgerald has excellent size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds), the good sense to use it and an amazing set of hands, all of which enable him to make the extraordinary seem routine. Like his over-the-shoulder catch, a la Willie Mays at the warning track, against Texas A&M. Or that gem at West Virginia, when he outjumped two defenders - one of whom was flagged for interference - for a grab that had ESPN2's announcers speaking in tongues.

"I don't know that anybody I've ever seen, regardless of their height - 5-11 or 6-6 - plays as well vertically as this receiver does," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "Fitzgerald has a remarkable hand-to-eye coordination and a sense of how to position his body in order to go up and get the ball - often when he's heavily covered.

"I've seen a number of times when teams have tried to double him, and it's been a well-executed double. And (quarterback Rod Rutherford) just kind of throws the ball up. That sounds kind of school-yardish but over a period of time, Larry's given him great confidence that if he puts it in a general area, he'll go up and get it. He's really a remarkable player."

Sometimes, the defense doesn't matter.

"He's one of those guys who never ceases to amaze you," Cavalier quarterback Matt Schaub said. "He goes and gets the ball, triple coverage with guys hanging on his shoes, his shoulders, his arms. He makes some amazing plays, and it's incredible to watch him play. Sometimes we've got to find a way to hold him down."

Of Pitt's 12 opponents, only Miami has been able to do that. After catching at least six passes in each of the Panthers' first 11 games, Fitzgerald was held to three for 26 yards with the Big East championship on the line. Everyone else has a spot on The Best of Larry Fitzgerald, like the countless number of poor saps Michael Jordan abused over the years.

Muffin Curry knows he could be next.

"There's not a better challenge to go out on," he said. "Playing against the best receiver in the country, there's nothing better than going out by challenging a guy like Fitzgerald. He's an exceptional receiver, and I'm just looking forward to the challenge. I just hope there's something I can do to improve myself going against him."

Bowl festivities in high gear as Panthers take wheel
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It took less than two minutes for most members of the Pitt football team to learn that driving a stock car is harder than it looks.

That's roughly the time it took for the cars to circle the 1.5-mile track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte three times yesterday. Players from Pitt and Virginia were able to ride along courtesy of the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

The tour has six teams of five drivers and travels to 24 tracks around the country. It is one of the annual activities planned for participants in the Continental Tire Bowl.

For some Panthers players such as tackle Mike McGlynn, a proud NASCAR fan, it was a chance to live a boyhood dream. For others, it was an adrenaline rush and a cultural experience.

All seemed to enjoy the ride.

"People who say race drivers aren't athletes, they just don't know," said tight end Kris Wilson after his ride. "You have to be an athlete to control those things. You also have to be a lunatic to do that for a living. I mean, we're flying around that track and you're looking at the wall on those turns thinking 'Are we going to hit that at 160 miles an hour?' It was definitely a rush, but I'll stick to football."

Added McGlynn: "I've been to many races in my life and I've always been amazed at how fast they make the turns. Once you're in the car, it is even more amazing because you feel like the car is going to slide off the road. Some of my teammates have tried to tell me drivers aren't athletes, but I'm sure they have a different perspective now. This was a great experience."

Wilson's thoughts were shared by most of the players who participated. Some said they were scared at first riding around the turns but felt more comfortable by the second lap.

For the Panthers, it was a good day of bonding and having fun away from football.

"I'm convinced those guys are crazy," freshman quarterback Tyler Palko said. "I've driven fast going straight ahead, but going around turns that fast is pretty sweet. I was yelling at the guy to slow down because I was sure we were hitting that wall, but he couldn't hear me. It was a rush. To do that, you have to be so focused for three or four hours at a time. One mistake and you're done."

The cars used on the tour are not as fast as those on NASCAR circuits. Their 600-horsepower engines reach speeds of about 160 to 170 mph. Normally, the cars have 700-horsepower engines, and average speed is between 180 and 190 mph.

Also, cars used for racing are made of sheet metalwhile cars used on the tour have fiberglass bodiesto better absorb the wear and tear of people getting in and out.Each player had to dress in an authentic racing jumpsuit, complete with a harness that attached to a helmet. Players were strapped into a seat on the passenger side, then were at the mercy of the five drivers who were conducting the tour.

Chris McKee, director of marketing for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, said the tour is designed to give ordinary people an inside look at racing. He said the players' sentiments were similar to those of most other participants.

All of the drivers are top racing instructors who have had experience racing on various circuits. Some are active racers and some are retired.

"This is our second year of doing this for the Continental Tire Bowl," McKee said, "Teams coming into Charlotte for a bowl, as opposed to sunny Florida, have something cool to do. We want to make this stay here something to remember, and I think it is safe to say we did. Twenty years from now they may not remember the game, but they'll surely remember riding these cars."

Although the racing was an eye-opening experience, the fact that the players got to do it at Lowe's Motor Speedway added a little something extra. It is one of the biggest tracks in the country, capable of accommodating 160,000 people in the stadium and another 40,000 in the infield. There are three major races at the track, including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 in May.

Players also were able to experience being part of a pit crew. There were several machines set up with NASCAR wheels, and players were timed using an air-compressed ratchet to loosen and then tighten the lug nuts.

Pitt coach Walt Harris called the day a success, saying he hoped players would use it as a learning experience.

"It was a thrill for me to do but I'm really happy for our players to have a chance to experience something like this," he said. "This is a reward for making a bowl game, and these guys deserve a chance to just have fun and learn new things as well. That's what makes bowl games special."

*

NOTE -- So far only about 47,000 tickets have been sold for the game, but organizers expect a crowd of nearly 55,000. Last year's game between West Virginia and Virginia was sold out (73,535). Pitt has sold only about 5,000 tickets. But the school is obligated to buy 12,500, so it has donated about 5,000 of its allotment to local charities and the armed forces. "I've been encouraged by the news that ticket sales in Pittsburgh have picked up over the past few days," bowl director Will Webb said. "That's a real good sign and could mean we are headed for a strong finish as far as ticket sales go."