UVa Football
Saturday, December 27, 2003
Notes
Fitzgerald's boosters include Cavs
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Freshman cornerback Tony Franklin is among a group of Virginia players who rooted for Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to win the Heisman Trophy.

"I wanted to be able to say I played against the Heisman Trophy winner," Franklin said in an interview session before the Cavaliers left Charlottesville.

That may fall under the heading of, "Be careful what you wish for."

Fitzgerald, who finished second to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, has a touchdown reception in 18 consecutive games and caught 22 TD passes in 12 regular-season games this year.

Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris, whose Panthers (8-4) meet Virginia (7-5) at 11 a.m. in the Continental Tire Bowl, said Fitzgerald continues to amaze him.

"He can leap and he can time the ball like no one I've ever been around," Harris said. "He uses his body better than anybody I've ever seen."

At 6-foot-3, Fitzgerald has at least a 7-inch advantage over 5-8 UVa senior Muffin Curry, one of the cornerbacks who will cover him. The other starting corner, Franklin, is 5-11.

"I would assume that Coach [Al] Groh and [defensive coordinator] Al Golden are going to double him and possibly triple him," Harris said. "To me, that really nullifies if your corner is a little undersized."

Curry said he could not remember the last time Virginia had doubled a wide receiver, but the Cavaliers are in zone most of the time. There could be times when two Virginia defensive backs are in the same area as Fitzgerald.

"We've got some plans," said Groh, who explained that Pittsburgh compounds the issue by lining up Fitzgerald and tight end Kris Wilson (42 receptions) to the same side of the field. We try and say every week, 'Who and what have to be dealt with for you to win?' Obviously, with this team it starts with the who."

Support split

Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman had a good reason for wanting Oklahoma's White for the Heisman. "Got to go with the guy who had the ACL surgery," said Pearman, who had a knee reconstructed last year. "He's had two of them."

Tickets going

As of 4 p.m. Friday, ticket sales had reached 51,200, with the Cavaliers being credited with a UVa-high 26,000, according to Tire Bowl spokesman Frank Kay.

"That could go up," said Kay, who said the breakdown he received from bowl executive director Ken Haines included 12,500 tickets sold by Pittsburgh and 13,700 sold to the general public, a figure that could include a significant number of UVa fans.

Another first

Virginia has received a bowl bid in three of Dennis Haley's four seasons in the program, but Haley, from Salem, will play for the first time today.

Haley was redshirted in 2000, when UVa played in the Oahu Bowl, and he was academically ineligible in 2002. He didn't attend the Tire Bowl, staged three hours from his home.

"I just felt uncomfortable," said Haley, who averaged close to 30 plays this year, mostly in passing situations. "It's not that the players made me feel unwelcome. They wanted me to be there, but I didn't want to be down there unless I could be in uniform and have a chance to play."

Canty staying

Virginia defensive tackle Chris Canty, who made second-team All-ACC for the second year in a row, expects to graduate in May, but it is his intention to return for a fifth season of eligibility.

"It's kind of hard not to give it any thought because everybody is in your head about it," said Canty, NFL-sized at 6-7 and 280 pounds. "It's teammates asking me, 'What are you going to do,' and coaches making sure I'm going to stay here.

"I'm staying another year to give myself another year of development but also [because] I love these guys, I love this school ... the whole atmosphere, I just love it. And, I want to try and win a national championship.

"I don't think a lot of people understand what a big win [today] would mean for our program. It would be a huge steppingstone going into next year."

 

Tire Bowl may wear quite well
By CAULTON TUDOR, Staff Writer

The skeptics, including me, vastly outnumbered the believers when Charlotte got the Tire Bowl.
The name alone was good for a few one-liners. You know, the trophy would be a hubcap, and the college football game's logo could be a bouncing check.

The late-December date in an open-air park, Ericsson Stadium, had a chilly feeling to it, and the city itself was the target of more than a few verbal jabs. Visiting teams and fans could tour the bank lobby of their choice.

"Lots of people thought we were crazy, that's for certain," said the Tire Bowl's director, Ken Haines. "It was understandable to a degree, I guess. There are a lot of bowl games being played. A lot of them aren't doing so well, either. And it was true that we don't have one of those picture-perfect Florida weather locations.

"But no one's laughing now."

Indeed, a crowd of about 50,000 is expected today when Virginia and Pittsburgh meet in the second Continental Tire Bowl.

Last year's inaugural game between Virginia and West Virginia was the bowl season's success story with a crowd of 73,535, the largest for a non-Bowl Championship Series game. Hotel rooms were scarce. Fast-food outlets reported booming business, as did fancier restaurants, sports bars, coffee shops, gas stations and nightclubs.

"It's been a godsend for business," said Rick Blackburn, regional sales and marketing director for the Marriott chain. "It's safe to say that the Charlotte business community was flabbergasted by the bowl experience.

"The weeks after and just before Christmas are usually the slowest of the year for hotels and many of the restaurants. Now, we're hiring additional people left and right for part-time work, and our regular staffers are thrilled to be getting overtime-pay hours. ... No one ever expected anything like this."

Actually, Haines did. The longtime executive with Charlotte-based Raycom Sports believed the city had a potential advantage over many bowl locations -- one that should have been obvious.

"Fans can drive to this game. It's that simple," Haines said. "Anywhere from Florida to northern Pennsylvania, driving to Charlotte isn't a back-breaking challenge. It's mostly interstate highways, and there are lots of places to stop, rest, eat and stretch along the way. That was the one thing everyone overlooked when they doubted our ability to bring in fans."

Tom Mickle, director of the Mazda Tangerine and Capital One Citrus bowls in Orlando, Fla., said he wasn't among the doubters. On Monday, N.C. State's 56-26 victory over Kansas in the Tangerine game drew fewer than 27,000 fans to a stadium that seats 65,438, even though Orlando hotels offered special rates and the weather was warm and sunny.

"But it's a tough drive for fans at State and Kansas," Mickle said, adding that the Tangerine has the disadvantage of being played just before Christmas.

"Having teams that are in driving distance of the game is very important," Mickle said. "A lot of people in the bowl business realized that the Charlotte game had a great chance to succeed because of that."

It also hasn't hurt that the Tire Bowl, which has the fourth pick among ACC bowl teams, has brought in Virginia both years. Enthusiasm for the football program among UVa fans has reached an all-time high.

Last season's team finished 9-5, including a 48-22 victory over West Virginia in the Tire Bowl. This season, the Cavaliers are only 7-5, but a win over rival Virginia Tech at the end of the regular season created a brisk demand for bowl seats. Haines said as many as 30,000 Virginia fans will go to the game. Most arrived by car Friday and won't depart until Sunday afternoon.

"UVa has been our lucky charm," Haines said.

Pittsburgh fans haven't been as responsive. The Big East school has sold fewer than 5,000 tickets, a severe drop from the 25,000 sold by fellow conference member West Virginia last year.

Still, Haines hopes the game can continue its ACC-vs.-Big East formula. The Big East will lose Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC next season -- and eventually Boston College. The Tire Bowl's contracts with the ACC and Big East run through the 2005 game.

"The northern-most Big East schools will be Syracuse and Connecticut, but that's still not a terrible drive," Haines said. "We think this pairing will still work well, but we'll see what happens and then go from there."

Imagine if North Carolina somehow got to the Tire Bowl and faced UConn. Ericsson would see another 75,000 fans.

Regardless of where the teams come from, Blackburn said Continental officials can bank on enthusiastic support from the Charlotte business sector.

"Everyone is firmly committed to keeping this momentum going," Blackburn said. "The businesses here, and certainly the people of Charlotte, have always been very sports-minded. They love a winner, and this game has turned out to be a very big winner for the city. Civic pride won't be a problem. It'll be there."

Time will tell on that count. Other bowls -- the now-defunct Blockbuster, for one -- got off to fast starts only to slowly die from a lack of interest. But Charlotte does have a spunky reputation and aggressively fights for what it wants in sports.

Although I haven't been completely convinced, maybe this game is a perfect postseason fit for Charlotte -- a tire manufacturer sponsoring a bowl that depends on interstate commuters driving to a city that doesn't often get NCAA Division I-A football games.

For now, no one can call it the "Flat Tire Bowl."
 

U.Va.'s Canty develops into prospect
Defensive end might have future in NFL
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published December 27, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It was late in the summer of 1998, and Chris Canty was, well, goofing off. Nothing wrong with that - unless, of course, your parents happen to have no tolerance for such foolishness.

So Joseph and Shirley Canty gave their youngest son, who was about to begin his junior year of high school, a choice: Do community service or choose a school activity.

"I saw this guy, Randy Moss, on TV catching passes," said Chris, who was killing time before basketball season rolled around. "I thought, 'Hey, I can go out and do that.' "

And just like that, with those ever-so-humble beginnings, Chris Canty's football career was born. He started two seasons at defensive end and tight end at Charlotte (N.C.) Latin and made all-state at both positions as a senior. Raw but with potential, he ended up signing with Virginia. Now, he's one of the top defensive ends in the ACC and just might have an NFL future.

It was a quick ascension, but his family wasn't surprised.

"He was always a good athlete," Joseph Canty said. "He comes from an athletic family."

That he does. Joseph was a 6-foot-6 center at Claflin (S.C.) College, and Shirley played basketball in high school. Chris' older brothers played college football: Sekou at South Carolina State, Joseph at North Carolina A&T. Two of his aunts played basketball at Clemson and another at the College of Charleston.

So it's no wonder, really, that he developed so quickly. At 6-7 and 280 pounds, Canty has dream size for a defensive end. He has excellent footwork, good quickness and a high motor. Still, he remains on the underrated side. Though he led all ACC linemen in tackles for the second straight season, he was named second-team all-conference for the second straight season.

"He's a really intelligent player," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said. "He doesn't just learn his assignment, he really has a sense of what's going on out there. And that's a big difference."

Another big difference has been Canty's health from 2002. His sophomore season was a period of frustration, capped by missing the Continental Tire Bowl - which just happens to take place in his hometown - with a broken arm and dislocated elbow. That followed the broken leg that ended spring practice early and held him out of the season's first two games.

"Last year was really difficult," he said. "I was coming off the broken leg and I was overweight, like around 306. And none of it was good weight. Three-hundred-and-six pounds of fat. So I had to trim down and worry about conditioning. I didn't have many practices before I played my first game, and I had to play 50 plays. It was tough to get a healthy training cycle so I could work on my skills.

"I look at tape on me from last year and I say, 'Who is that guy, and why is the coach letting him play?' I couldn't understand why I looked so bad last year. And even when I look at the games from the beginning of this season, I'm like, 'I played awful. What was I doing out there?' "

He wasn't that bad. Though he missed three full games, and a half of another, Canty had 86 tackles, fourth on the team with a 7.8 average. Yet he never developed any continuity. This season, starting with spring practice, Canty has been healthy. And it shows - he has 95 stops, including four sacks, in 12 games.

Perhaps just as important, Canty provides a presence.

"He's a high-energy guy," Groh said. "He's very intense about football, and that's what comes across to the players the most. They can see this is really important to him, and he puts a lot into it. So when he has something to say, people listen."

Three years removed from high school, Canty is eligible to declare for the NFL draft as a junior. At least one scouting service rates him the sixth-best defensive end in the nation and projects him as a borderline first-day pick. Canty hasn't ruled anything out, though he says his intentions are to return next season.

For now, his thoughts are on today's Continental Tire Bowl against Pittsburgh. A year ago, as the Cavaliers destroyed West Virginia in Ericsson Stadium, Canty had to watch from the sidelines with his arm in a sling. Though a return trip might seem a step down for a program that had conference title aspirations, Canty isn't the least bit bummed.

"It was very difficult, just to see the guys out there last year and all the camaraderie," Canty said, "and to know I wouldn't be able to participate. Everybody was looking forward to me playing, and when I had to tell them I wasn't, they were like, 'Why not?' It was tough, but we got a second chance at it and I'm going to make the most of it."

Teams enter game with different perspectives
Victory would cap Virginia's season, ease bitter memory for Pitt
RON GREEN JR.
Staff Writer
CONTINENTAL TIRE BOWL:
PITTSBURGH vs. VIRGINIA,

A year ago, Virginia football coach Al Groh had a suspicion his Cavaliers were primed for their Continental Tire Bowl matchup with West Virginia, and he was right as their 48-22 victory proved.

This time, however, there are different factors at work as the Cavaliers and Pittsburgh meet today at 11 a.m. in Ericsson Stadium. A crowd of more than 50,000 fans is expected for the game.

From the Virginia perspective, all of this feels familiar, considering it's the Cavaliers' second straight Christmas in Charlotte.

This time, though, Virginia is trying to finish off a season that started full of promise, didn't quite hit the heights many imagined, but came together in November with wins against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

A win against Pittsburgh could substantially change the overall feel of the Cavaliers' season.

"I think maybe we snuck up on that team last year," Groh said. "It's important for us to remember we're perceived differently this year."

In the case of the Panthers, they're barely a month removed from being bumped out of a BCS bowl, but they arrived at the Continental Tire Bowl determined to live in the moment rather than the past.

And for all that might happen in Ericsson Stadium today, Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald seems to factor into all of it. Fitzgerald, runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting, is unquestionably the most dangerous player in a game that has the potential to be a scoring contest.

"We're here to win any way we can -- legally -- whether we have to score a lot or just enough," Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris said.

The focus for both sides will be Fitzgerald. For the Panthers, that means getting the ball consistently to their star, which means getting enough production from their ground game so the Cavaliers can't devote all their attention to him.

Virginia, meanwhile, must contain Fitzgerald but not at the expense of allowing the Panthers to burn them in other ways. Pittsburgh averaged 31.1 points per game, cracking the 30-point barrier in nine of its 12 games.

"All receivers have to create space," Groh said. "Some do it with their speed. Some do it with their guile. One thing (Fitzgerald) does a remarkable job of is catching the ball when there is no space."

One of Virginia's starting cornerbacks, Almondo Curry, is only 5-8, which makes him 7 inches shorter than Fitzgerald.

"I assume they're going to double and triple-team (Fitzgerald)," Harris said. "That nullifies if the corner is undersized."

Pittsburgh tailback Brandon Miree is healthy after missing seven games this season because of a leg injury. If the Panthers are able to run effectively, it lessens the pressure on quarterback Rod Rutherford.

The Cavaliers have been at their best late in the season. Quarterback Matt Schaub was injured early in the season but is healthy now as is tailback Wali Lundy.

Virginia also has gotten a big offensive boost from Charlotte native Alvin Pearman, who ranks among the ACC's top 10 rushing and receiving.

"This game is very big for us," said Schaub, who completed 70 percent of his passes. "We had a lot of expectations this season. We wanted to win the ACC and go from there. That didn't work out. But we can really end the season the way we want to."
 

Virginia fans hit the city in force
Thousands cut loose at festival, get ready for today's Tire Bowl
RICHARD RUBIN
Staff Writer

The Santini brothers of Richmond, Va., attended last year's Continental Tire Bowl, cheering their beloved Virginia Cavaliers to a win over West Virginia. But they missed the pregame party.

This year, Virginia returned to Charlotte for today's bowl game -- and the Santinis planned ahead.

They arrived Friday afternoon, eagerly walking along Tryon Street and drinking.

"We didn't catch this last year, so we plan to enjoy ourselves," said Roger Santini.

The Santinis were among thousands of Virginia fans who dominated Friday's daylong street festival and evening pep rally.

The Cavalier caravan to Charlotte is starting to become a late-December tradition.

With many Virginia fans making an encore trip, they easily outnumbered the few University of Pittsburgh fans, including the Siclares of St. Marys, Ga.

Ben Siclare, a Pittsburgh graduate, recognized that he was a member of a rare species Friday.

"One of the Virginia Cavalier fans with a camcorder came up and said, `Let me take a picture of you. There aren't too many of you here,' " said Siclare, who drove up with his family.

Cavaliers fans bought more than 20,000 tickets for today's game, while Pittsburgh Panthers fans, who have farther to travel, purchased only a few thousand.

Unlike last year, Ericsson Stadium is not sold out.

Virginia fans sporting orange shirts, orange wigs and orange beads screamed Friday for their team, their cheerleaders and wrestling celebrity Ric Flair, who egged on the crowd with his trademark "Whoooo!"

They booed every mention of Pittsburgh -- except when reminded that the Panthers had beaten Virginia's rival, Virginia Tech.

During the afternoon, fans bounced on inflatable games, munched on turkey legs and readied for a nightlong party.

UVA graduates Doug and Allison Woodside of Charlottesville, Va., missed last year's bowl game.

"We were in Detroit visiting his sister," Allison Woodside said with a half-sneer. "We were bummed."

This year, the Woodsides kept Christmas week open and watched to see if the Cavaliers would be heading to a bowl game in Charlotte or Boise.

Said Doug Woodside: "We want to win the crown of the Queen City!"
 

Schaub looks to close Virginia career with victory
JENNA FRYER
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - When asked about the final game of Matt Schaub's collegiate career, Virginia coach Al Groh jokingly dabbed at his eyes.

Yet there really is that much emotion surrounding the senior quarterback's farewell in the Continental Tire Bowl on Saturday, where Virginia (7-5) will face Pitt (8-4).

"For a player at any position to accomplish what he had, you would say he had a great career," Groh said. "But with the importance of the quarterback position, he's made a remarkable imprint on Virginia football which I think will be lasting for some time."

Schaub set or tied 10 school records last year, but missed nearly three games this season after injuring his shoulder in the season opener. Still, he completed 70.2 percent of his passes (261-for-372) for 2,692 yards and 17 touchdowns, and tied Shawn Moore's school record of 55 career touchdowns.

Now he'll look to cap his career with Virginia's second consecutive victory in the two-year-old bowl game. That's the only thing he said he was thinking about.

"The only thing I have allowed myself to think about is getting a win in this final game," Schaub said. "My dream scenario is just to end with a win. That's all I want to happen."

Just like Schaub, Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald is only thinking about wins and losses and not the upcoming decisions surrounding his future.

The Heisman Trophy runner-up can petition the NFL for early entry into the draft anytime after Saturday's game.

But Fitzgerald is the only one who knows if this final week marks the end of his career with the Panthers.

And he isn't saying.

"I have had no contact with the NFL and I don't know what the rumors are that are flying around," he said Friday.

Before arriving here, Pitt coach Walt Harris seemed resigned to losing Fitzgerald after just two seasons. After watching his star receiver hang out with his teammates all week, Harris suddenly didn't sound so sure.

"He's a fun young man and he likes to have a good time," Harris said. "I've been around the NFL and that is a hot pressure environment and right now Larry is still a fun-loving kid.

"He's going to be playing in the NFL a long, long time and he doesn't have a long time to be a college student."

Fitzgerald has yet to indicate if he will petition the NFL to be included in the April draft. The NFL currently bars players from applying for the draft until three years after their high school graduation.

Fitzgerald graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in 2002, but only after he transferred from his Minneapolis high school during the second semester of his senior year in 2001, while on pace to graduate. Fitzgerald made the move to improve his grades before college.

Groh, the former coach of the New York Jets, thinks Fitzgerald is ready for the pros.

"When I put the tape on, if I didn't know better, he looks like an NFL receiver," Groh said. "That's what our problem is. We are going to try to play against a guy who plays like an NFL receiver with college defensive backs."
 

Beating Pitt would allow U.Va. to end season on 3-game winning streak
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 27, 2003

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Whatever the outcome of the second Continental Tire Bowl, the University of Virginia football team will finish its third season under Al Groh with a winning record. That said, 8-5 looks infinitely more attractive than 7-6 to the Cava- liers.

"I think there's a significant difference," Groh said yesterday. "When you can get into the eight-win level, now you're moving into a different stratosphere."

U.Va., which tied for fourth in the ACC, meets the Big East's third-place team, Pittsburgh (8-4), today at Ericsson Stadium. The Cavaliers, who were ranked No.18 in The Associated Press' preseason poll, lost four of five games in one stretch and stood 5-5 after falling at Maryland on Nov. 13. But they rebounded to beat Georgia Tech 29-17 on Nov. 22 and then whipped Virginia Tech 35-21 a week later.

The prospect of finishing with three consecutive victories has driven Virginia this month.

"This game is huge for us," senior quarterback Matt Schaub said. "To finish the season 8-5 would be tremendous given what we've gone through, a lot of ups and downs. We want to end it that way and just take the Virginia program on a high note, much as we did last year, and keep that confidence and go with it next season."

Virginia is expected to start only three seniors on offense and three on defense today. A trendy pick to challenge for the ACC title this season, U.Va. failed to do so. But Groh, who took over at his alma mater after the 2000 season, seems pleased with the state of his program.

"There's a process that every team that's trying to get some place has to go through," he said. "We're still in that process. We're moving nicely through it. [A victory today] would certainly aid us as we move on to where we want to be."

U.Va. finished 9-5 in 2002 after crushing favored West Virginia 48-22 in the inaugural Tire Bowl. The Cavaliers had an advantage last year, however, that they won't have today.

"I think maybe we snuck up on that team last year," Groh said. "I think it's important for us to understand, and it has been throughout the whole season, that other teams perceive us differently this year than they did last year."

Although the Panthers' record is better than Virginia's, many of their fans rate the season a major disappointment. Heading into the final three weeks of the regular season, coach Walt Harris' club had a chance to lock up the Big East title and a Bowl Championship Series berth. Instead, the Panthers got blown out by West Virginia, 52-31, and then lost 28-14 to Miami (Fla.) in the regular-season finale two weeks later.

"We can't worry about what everybody else is saying about us," said Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt's All-American wide receiver. "We know we didn't reach the goals that we wanted to on the field, but you've got to put that in your past now. That's something that's out of our control."

U.Va. and Pitt have one common opponent: the Hokies. The Cavaliers beat Tech convincingly. Pitt needed a last-minute touchdown to prevail 31-28.

Last year's Tire Bowl attracted a sellout crowd to 73,367-seat Ericsson Stadium. Today's ESPN2 telecast will reveal thousands of empty seats. At least 25,000 U.Va. supporters are expected at Ericsson, but Pitt may have fewer than 5,000 fans at the game.

His team drew well at home this season, Harris said, but "I guess for some reason more people aren't interested in driving down here from Pittsburgh. We ended up with a good record, but I guess some people don't feel it's good enough."

The game will feature two of the nation's top quarterbacks, Schaub and Pitt senior Rod Rutherford. Their targets include two of the nation's top tight ends, U.Va. sophomore Heath Miller and Pitt senior Kris Wilson. Fitzgerald - with due respect to Heisman Trophy winner Jason White of Oklahoma - is probably the country's most dynamic player, and U.Va. tailback Wali Lundy scored four touchdowns and earned MVP honors in last year's Tire Bowl. All of which would seem to suggest an entertaining and high-scoring game is imminent.

Virginia would be happy to win 3-0. The Wahoos have had fun in a city they're starting to know well, but their focus has been on preparing for the game.

Sound familiar?

Under Groh's predecessor, George Welsh, the Cavaliers dropped their final four bowl games - the last two by a combined score of 100-35. Last year's Tire Bowl was Virginia's first postseason appearance under Groh, and he made sure his players understood the new regime's philosophy.

"We wanted to establish how we were going to go to bowl games," Groh said yesterday. "Now, that doesn't mean that it was necessarily any different than what was done in the past [at U.Va.], but I don't know how that was. What we wanted to establish with this operation was that the whole reason that you fight it out all fall long to get into the postseason is so that you can win."
 

Winborne, Curry won't go quietly
BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Dec 27, 2003
Contact Bob Lipper at (804) 649-6555 or e-mail blipper @timesdispatch.com
You'll have to forgive Muffin Curry and Jamaine Winborne for thinking football was a Noah's Ark production. Or a recurring theme from "Friends."

Consider: They marched two by two from Hampton Roads locales to Fork Union Military Academy. They moved in lockstep from FUMA to George Welsh's final roster at Virginia. They roomed together their first two years in C'ville. They remain intertwined to this day.

They both made special-teams cameo appearances as raw freshmen, both advanced to backup roles in the secondary as sophomores, both muscled into the starting lineup as juniors, both emerged this year as mainstays for a U.Va. squad that takes on Pitt and all-galaxy receiver Larry Fitzgerald in today's Continental Tire Bowl.

To say they're the creation of a master welder is a stretch.

But not much.

"They were attached at the hip from Day 1," U.Va. quarterback Matt Schaub was saying recently. "You couldn't see one walk around without the other one. You knew when they were coming, too. They were always loud and causing a ruckus."

Four years later, they still don't walk quietly. Al Groh has a pet term he calls "ball disruption." Curry and Winborne specialize in it. Curry has six interceptions this season and - this for a 5-8, 175-pound shrimp - five forced fumbles for his career. Winborne set up the decisive field goal against Wake Forest with a pickoff and has five career fumble recoveries. And have I mentioned they still haven't, ummm, matured?

"Yeah, we're always the ones out there acting stupid," Winborne said. "We're trying to keep everybody loose."

Separated before mirth, Curry migrated to U.Va. from Hampton and Winborne from Chesapeake. Curry's been "Muffin" ever since his grandmother laid the handle on him when he was a baby. Winborne became "Bam-Bam" when Curry and another FUMA player judged he was bulkier than your run-of-the-mill cornerback. Curry still is a corner. Winborne moved to safety midway through this season when starter Willie Davis went down. Curry is more of a cover guy, Winborne - at 5-10, 202 - more of a hitter.

List U.Va.'s strengths, and pass defense won't spring to mind immediately. The flip side is the well-seasoned Winborne has made 26 consecutive starts and Curry 24. At least they won't tremble when Fitzgerald comes at them.

"I think it's amazing when you see the catches he makes," Curry said. "But there's nothing better than going out and challenging a guy like this."

He and Winborne are veterans at bucking odds. Neither had a tight-spiral transcript, hence their detours to Fork Union. And both had to inch their way up the depth chart before being trusted with serious playing time. The struggles cemented their relationship.

"Everything I've been through, he's been through," Winborne said. "He's someone who knows how I feel in every situation."

Curry seconds the motion - except nobody truly knows what it's been like to dwell in that undersized body and be doubted annually.

"He has pure talent in his heart," is Winborne's assessment. Too small to make it was the conventional-wisdom view.

"A lot of people underestimated what I could do," Curry said. "I dedicated my whole time here to proving a lot of people wrong."

Now, it's down to one last game for these two musketeers.

"It's going to be strange without him," Winborne said.

At U.Va., it's going to be quieter.
 

Virginia's 3-4 defense is one Panthers have not seen this season
December 27, 2003
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Andrew Shurtleff/Associated Press
Virginia's Ahmad Brooks puts pressure on Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball during the Cavalier's 29-17 win last month. The freshman inside linebacker led Virginia with 105 tackles and two sacks.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- Pitt has some experience against a three-man defensive front, but today, when the Panthers (8-4) play Virginia (7-5) in the Continental Tire Bowl, it will mark the first time they have faced a traditional 3-4 defense.

The Cavaliers are one of the few teams in college football that use it, mostly because coach Al Groh has deep roots as an NFL defensive assistant. At one time, the 3-4 was a popular NFL defense, but fewer and fewer teams utilize it today. Even fewer college teams do.

The 3-4 relies on athletic linebackers to make most of the plays and basically asks down linemen to occupy the other team's offensive line. That means the Panthers must adjust their blocking schemes, especially in pass protection. And they must be aware of blitzes at all times and from all directions.

Pitt quarterback Rod Rutherford said he doesn't think the Cavaliers' scheme will present too many problems for Pitt because the Panthers always have adjusted to whatever defense is throw at them. He also said the extra weeks of practice have helped the Panthers understand what Virginia tries to do.

"I've basically learned this two-gap [3-4] system over the past few weeks," Rutherford said. "They are big up front, and the linebackers are good outside and sometimes they get down on the line. It is a good defense, they are sound in what they do.

"Honestly, it is more something for the media to talk about than it is an issue for us. The defense has its advantages and disadvantages, just like every other defense.



Scouting Report
Matchup: Pitt (8-4) vs. Virginia (7-5), 11 a.m. today, Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Payout: $750,000.
Line: Virginia is favored by 2 1/2.
Television, radio: ESPN2; WRRK-FM (96.9) and the Pittsburgh Panthers football radio network.

Pitt: Has won two bowl games in a row. ... Has not won three consecutive bowl games since 1979-81. ... QB Rod Rutherford was a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection. ... Sophomore WR Larry Fitzgerald won the Biletnikoff Award and finished second in balloting for the Heisman Trophy. ... Is 2-0 all time vs. Virginia, but the two have not played since 1955. The Panthers beat the Cavaliers, 26-0, in '53 and 18-7 in '55. ... Averaged 31.1 points and 406.7 yards of offense per game in the regular season. ... Allowed 399.5 yards of offense per game. ... Pitt is 32-22-1 all time vs. Atlantic Coast Conference teams. ... Is 10-12 in bowl games.

Virginia: Averages 28.4 points and 381.4 yards of offense per game. ... Coach Al Groh was on the same staff as Pitt coach Walt Harris under Bill Parcells at Air Force in 1978. Groh was the defensive coordinator and Harris coached the secondary. ... Won the inaugural Tire Bowl last year, 48-22, vs. West Virginia. ... Won two in the row to end the regular season, including a 35-21 victory against rival Virginia Tech. ... Is 5-8 in bowl games. ... Had lost four bowl games in a row before victory against the Mountaineers last year. ... Freshman DL Allen Billyk (New Castle) and freshman QB Kevin McCabe (Pine-Richland) are the only two players from the Pittsburgh area. Both are redshirting.

Hidden stat: If the game comes down to field goals, the Cavaliers will be a heavy favorite. Virginia PK Connor Hughes has made 17 of 18 kicks inside the 50 and has made all 38 of his extra-point attempts. Pitt PK David Abdul is 9 of 17 inside the 50 and48 of 49 on extra- point attempts.

"It is really not that major of a change, I think, because you get a bead on it just like any other defense. They do a lot of disguising, but that is something you have to pick up on during the game."

Offensive guard Jon Simonitis said: "This will be a really tough game for our tackles because their defensive ends are so big and athletic. And now I'm forced to worry more about linebackers than I've ever had to be.

"So this front presents some real issues, but, hopefully, we'll be ready come game day."

The Panthers faced a three-man front when they played West Virginia, so some of the blocking schemes they employed against the Mountaineers will be useful.

But the Mountaineers play five linebackers instead of four and do a lot of things unique to their scheme.

That's why Pitt coach Walt Harris said that game is not a good gauge of how the Panthers will fare against Virginia. He said the Cavaliers are bigger up front than West Virginia and their linebackers are asked to do different things. Harris also said the biggest issue with facing a 3-4 was implementing different pass blocking schemes and teaching them in a limited time.

"We've had to adjust our protections tremendously; you have to because it is a different scheme than when you play against a four-man line," Harris said. "They have four linebackers that come at you and different arrays of fire zones [zone blitzes] where they are dropping linemen out and bringing linebackers. They have the whole arsenal of blitzes.

"But they usually don't have to use it because they are big and strong, so they play pretty basic. They do a good job in the secondary, and their linebackers are athletic and tall. They get you in long-yardage situations and go to a four-man line and put the heat on you."

Harris said that Groh's NFL roots are evident in the size of the defensive front. Groh comes from the old school of bigger is better, and he has assembled talent that reflects that.

The Cavaliers starting defensive line averages 6 feet 5, 275 pounds. The line is anchored by 6-foot-7, 280-pound junior end Chris Canty and 6-5, 285-pound nose tackle Andrew Hoffman. The other starting end, Brennan Schmidt, is the smallestdown lineman on the first two units, and he is 6-3, 270 pounds.

The four starting linebackers average 6-3, 238 pounds and are athletic enough to rush the passer or drop into coverage. The leader is sophomore outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock (6-4, 230), who was fourth on the team in tackles. The team's leading tackler is freshman inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (6-4, 250), who had 105 tackles and two sacks.

If there has been an issue with the front seven, it is youth. Their inexperience caused a number of breakdowns that led to big plays for opponents. Groh said, however, that the unit has matured and is improving daily.

"That is still a pretty young group. We have only one senior in our front seven and a number of freshman and sophomores.

"So they have been a work in progress. There is a process they are going through in their development, but the progress is very satisfactory right now."

The Steelers, who share practice facilities with Pitt, still use the 3-4 defense. Harris was asked if he has walked next door and asked Steelers coach Bill Cowher for advice on attacking the defense and exploiting its weaknesses.

"No, we've had some experience playing against it, so we know what he have to do," Harris said. "We didn't have to ask coach Cowher. I think he has a lot do anyway, so he doesn't have time to talk to us right now.

"We'll talk to him and his staff in the off-season about football and try to utilize that relationship as much as possible, but, during the season, they have a lot to do. "
 

Fitzgerald's departure no sure thing
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- To leave or stay is the next big decision facing Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

In weeks leading up to the Panthers' date with Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl today, he and his father have hinted that he was leaving. At the very least, they said they would explore a challenge of the underclassman's eligibility rule.

Yesterday, however, Fitzgerald discussed the pros and cons of leaving school and said the best place for him next year might be Pitt.

"The pros of coming back would be to help this team win," he said. "You know, coach [Walt] Harris is going to be here, we have an outstanding offense and certain key players coming back. So there is a lot to come back to play for. When you worry about injury, that's when things like that happen. You have to go out there and play hard every snap.

"I guess the pros of leaving school are being on your own, but that's pretty much it. I'd say the pros of coming back definitely outweigh the pros of leaving. But I'm not focused on my decision right now, I'm just worried about Virginia."

Harris said he'll support Fitzgerald's decision either way, but said that, from what he understands, the rule must be changed for Fitzgerald to have the option.

"He is going to be playing in the NFL for a long, long time, but he doesn't have a long time to be a college student," Harris said.

"So, if he thinks the fun of being a college football player and getting closer to his degree is worth it, we'll welcome that with open arms. But the NFL has to change the rule, and they've been reluctant to do that for anyone."

Virginia Coach Al Groh said, "I think that decision has to be based on what he feels in his heart, not about getting hurt or anything else."

McCabe waiting in wings

Pine-Richland graduate Kevin McCabe is one of four players who will contend for the Cavaliers' starting quarterback job next year. McCabe redshirted this season and said it was beneficial because he feels he is ready to challenge for the starting job.

"It is a big transition from high school to college," he said. "Everybody can throw a ball 40 yards on a line and has speed and agility. What they are looking for his who makes the team better and who get W's. They look for the little intangibles some people have and other don't. You can't develop those intangibles now because if you haven't developed them by now, it is kind of late. I feel like I have those, and that's why I feel I'm ready to be the starter."

Short snaps

Virginia coach Al Groh and Harris said they will vote for the winner of the Sugar Bowl as the national champion regardless of what Southern California, which is first in both polls but third in the BCS, does in the Rose. "I believe if you make an agreement, you should stick to it," Groh said. ... Groh, however, questioned the BCS system for enabling Oklahoma to reach the championship despite their failure to win their conference. "What's the sense of having conferences if a conference champion is not in the national championship game?" ... Harris said Pitt's combination of skill players -- quarterback (Rod Rutherford), tailback (Brandon Miree), tight end (Kris Wilson) and receiver (Fitzgerald) is the best in the country. "There may be some as good, but none better," he said.