UVa has tough task with Gophers
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
December 29, 2005

NASHVILLE - Virginia has faced some pretty decent rushing attacks this season, but none as good or as intricate as the one the Cavaliers will face here on Friday in the Music City Bowl.
Minnesota's running game is ranked No. 2 nationally, averaging 279.9 yards per game. But the Golden Gophers aren't exactly what you think of when you mention Big Ten offenses, three yards and a cloud of dust.

They're unique in that the running game relies more on quickness and sophistication rather than power, which sets up a dangerous passing game as well. Quarterback Bryan Cupito has also thrown for 2,267 yards this season.

Coach Al Groh's Cavaliers, a four-point underdog to Minnesota, haven't faced a 1,000-yard rusher this season. Friday, they'll face two in the Gophers' Laurence Maroney (1,355) and Gary Russell (1,045).

Groh's dilemma

Against such a twin threat offense, must you crowd the box to shut down the run, or can Virginia afford to use that strategy with a 2,000-yard passer ready to pick them apart?

"Talk to the defensive coordinator about that one," Groh joked Wednesday outside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

Well, Groh is the defensive coordinator for this game, and the secondary coach, and the inside linebackers coach, filling the role of assistants who have left for other programs since the Cavs last played a game, a 25-17 loss at Miami on Nov. 26.

And the coordinator wasn't about to divulge his game plan for defending the Gophers.

"You certainly don't want to get caught light [in the box]," Groh said.

While there's not really an ACC team that reminds him of Minnesota's running game, the closest is probably Boston College, although Groh ranks the Gophers' offensive line as much more athletic.

The Big Ten team is more unique than traditional run-oriented teams, such as Navy, the only team in the country ranked ahead of Minnesota in rushing this season. The Middies might run the ball 70 times a game and throw only a handful of passes.

Minnesota may run it 50 times a game, but also goes airborne around 25 times per contest.

Where did he go?

And the Gophers have a lot of plays that Groh's staff has categorized as "hideout plays," where they'll run play-action and sneak a guy through the line of scrimmage, where he kind of gets lost in the commotion.

"Then you'll look over there and see there's nobody within 30 yards of the guy and that turns into 60 yards before somebody catches him," Groh pointed out.

But the hideout plays are probably the least of Virginia's worries. First and foremost the Cavs must shut down Minnesota's two-pronged rushing attack or it's going to be a long, long afternoon in the Coliseum, home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans.

At times this season, UVa has faced solid offensive lines with mediocre backs or great backs who didn't have the benefit of a great offensive line. Wahoo sophomore defensive end Chris Long believes Minnesota features both in a great line and two great backs.

"It's a unique scheme in that they don't try to power you," Long said. "Instead they try to beat you with quickness. They're all quick."

That starts with All-America center Greg Eslinger, who won both the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Trophy, to the rest of the line to the backs, led by Maroney, who has three, 200-yard rushing games under his belt this season.

Maroney is powerful, but as Groh points out, has a lot of "slip away" from tacklers. He kind of reminds Big Ten folk of legendary Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, because Maroney has such lateral movement, that he can go in almost any direction. He's a thrill-a-second kind of runner.

"Don't expect this guy to run in a straight line," Groh said.

The Virginia head coach, or, er, defensive coordinator, has spent a lot of time studying this Minnesota offense and has detected a very unusual running scheme that features a great deal of intricacy that most running games lack. It's not just bulldozer running, but a sophisticated plan that takes long, monotonous rehearsal on the practice field to get the timing and blocking down to the split second.

Should Minnesota's game plan get the best of Virginia, Groh has already stressed the importance to his troops of picking up the fight. If it turns into a track meet at greyhound pace, then the Cavs must be ready to answer offensively and try to stop Minnesota whenever possible.

"We've discussed the ability to hang in there and slug it out, which will be an important factor," Groh said.

The Gophers gave up 38 or more points in four of their last seven games and lost each, and have given up an average of 34 points per game this season.

Should a high-scoring duel develop, Groh won't care as long as his team comes out on top just as it did in a rib-eating contest against Minnesota on Tuesday, when the Cavs won by one bone.

"We would take 99 to 98 [in the game] ... like we had one more rib last night," Groh chuckled. "That's all you come for in the postseason is to get one more than the other guys."

 

Cavs gear up for Music City Bowl
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 29, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Whether Virginia is ready for Minnesota remains to be seen.
That question will not be answered until Friday at The Coliseum when the game kicks off at noon.

What is known with the contest just a day away is that the Cavaliers have enjoyed a great week of practice and preparation for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.

It helps that UVa (6-5) wanted to play in this game and in this city.

"I think it has been going good," UVa quarterback Marques Hagans said on Wednesday. "There has been a lot of energy. I think the atmosphere has been good. We are looking forward to going out and giving a good showing on Friday."

Virginia's senior signal caller said the team has also used the departures of its two coordinators - Ron Prince left for Kansas State and Al Golden for Temple - as a motivational tool.

Players have been rallying around the coaches that are gone," he said, "and that means people have to step up and assume more responsibility individually."

One of Hagans' offensive linemen and fellow senior, Brad Butler, said the positive energy in practice doesn't necessarily carry over into games.

"We have had a good last couple of days of practice," Butler said. "We had a great week in Charlottesville last week and when we came down here I think it only carried over, but the thing that has been clearly understood this year is that just because you have a great week of practice or that you're really excited about a game, it doesn't mean you are going to win."

Need an example?

"That was clearly shown in the Virginia Tech game," said Butler, referring to the 52-14 loss to the Hokies in November. "This game is going to come down to execution. When you have three weeks to prepare for a team, they're going to be ready for you and we're going to be ready for them."

Butler says that means the Golden Gophers know about odd formations that the Cavaliers have run this year. And vice versa.

"They get to watch film that a team might not get to normally pick up on preparing in a week for us," Butler said. "They're going to be able to pick up a couple of different formations that we might only run once a game that might fool most teams in preparation. It's not going to fool them.

"The same thing goes for us. We get to see a couple of defenses that they ran a couple of times throughout the year. It's really going to come down to one-on-one matchups in this game. We're just going to have to go out there and try to win those one-on-one matchups."

STAYING STRONG. Virginia's sophomore safety Nate Lyles has not played since he was carted off the field at Scott Stadium with a neck injury in a game against Georgia Tech in mid-November. And it's not a given that he will ever play again, but that has done little to dampen his spirits according to coach Al Groh.

"It really is a great window to what a terrific kid is," Groh said of how Lyles has responded to the situation. "Whether he has lost the rest of his career or not, he has lost the end of this season. You only get so many games to play. He has faced a very scary and threatening situation.

"I'm sure he has his most innermost thoughts, as we all do in certain circumstances, but he is the most upbeat, enthusiastic kid. He has been in every meeting. He has been to every practice."

Lyles, a Chicago native, has also taken it upon himself to do a little coaching, Groh said. With converted wideout Brandon Woods shifting to safety a few weeks ago, Lyles decided to help the will-be redshirt make the transition as smooth as possible.

"He has kinda become the unofficial coach of Brandon Woods," Groh said. "[Nate is] just stepping up to volunteer, [saying] 'Hey, what can I do? I can't make any plays for my team right now, so I will help my team.'"

Lyles recently underwent a second series of tests, but Groh said he has not heard of the results yet.

"I am anxious to find out what those are," Groh said. "It is very heartening on a day-to-day basis to see how normal his activities are. He is as upbeat as if he just made the All-American team."

One of his most recent activities included taking part in a rib-eating contest on Tuesday night at the Wildhorse Saloon at the "official welcome party" for the bowl.

Groh said he was a little surprised when he heard that the players had picked Lyles, who weighs just less than 200 pounds, to join three guys that weigh almost 900 pounds combined (Brad Butler, Brian Barthelmes and Ian Yates-Cunningham).

Lyles did not disappoint, running, or better yet eating, the anchor leg position.

"Last night, [Nate] was pretty close to being our most valuable eater," Groh said jokingly. "We had Bart, Brad and Ian in there, so when I heard that the players had picked Nate as one of their four eaters, I thought 'There's something here we don't know about.' He looked like a beaver over there. Those ribs were flying down."

Thanks in part to Lyles, UVa won by downing 45 ribs in two minutes. Minnesota finished with 44.

PICKIN' AND GRINNIN'. It is no secret to his teammates that tight end Tom Santi is a big country music fan. Since Santi, a sophomore, is from the Music City, it comes as no surprise.

While defensive end Chris Long said he is not a country music fan himself, he did name another Cavalier who is. And it might surprise you.

The No. 2 quarterback on Virginia's depth chart, Christian Olsen, is an avid country music fan according to Long.

"He is a New Jersey guy who likes country," Long said. "It doesn't make sense at all, but he is a well-dressed guy and he can pull it off."

QUOTABLE. "I can't really speak about Virginia. Virginia's has had a pretty successful program ever since George Welsh left Navy to go there. I watched that pretty close because I had the opportunity to coach against George in his last game with Navy in the Liberty Bowl. They obviously made a heck of a commitment to get George out of there. They upgraded their program and he stayed there a long time and did a lot of good things. Now they're in their fourth straight bowl game, which means they're not only winning, but winning consistently," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason when asked about the similarities between his program and Virginia's.

EXTRA POINTS. Groh said on Wednesday that quarterback coach Mike Groh and wide receivers coach John Garrett would share responsibilities calling the plays in Friday's game, a duty that Prince handled for the first 11 games this year. Garrett will work from the coaches' box, while the younger Groh will be on the sidelines, his usual spot on game day. ? When asked during a teleconference if either Mike Groh or Garrett was a candidate for the program's vacant offensive coordinator position, the Cavaliers' head coach declined to answer. "I'd say that's an issue for another time," the elder Groh remarked. "All we are really concerned about is preparing ourselves for this game." ?

Groh did shed some light on the latest newest addition on his coaching staff: Bob Diaco. The co-defensive coordinator at Central Michigan came highly recommended from one of his former bosses, former Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell, a close friend to Groh. In addition to coaching linebackers and the special teams for UVa, Diaco will play a key role in recruiting in New Jersey, a state that assistant coach Mark D'Onofrio thrived in the past two years. D'Onofrio was named the defensive coordinator on Golden's staff at Temple earlier this month, but will coach in the bowl game. Diaco will not. ...

The Big Ten Conference's instant replay model will be used in Friday's game.
 

Cavs defeat UMBC
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
December 29, 2005

RICHMOND - Like a Deion Sanders or a Rod Woodson in his prime, Mamadi Diane lurked. When the University of Virginia guard saw the lackadaisical cross-court pass that had way too much air under it, he pounced.
Diane batted the ball ahead to himself, outracing everyone down court. Then, the 6-foot-5 freshman took off from just inside the dotted circle of the foul lane - and dunked.

A crowd of less than 3,000 at the Siegel Center, which had been comatose for much of the game, erupted.

"I saw a lazy pass and just made the play," Diane said. "After, I realized that the crowd was really into it - more than at any other time during the game. It was really a big confidence booster for us."

The basket also seemed to ignite Diane's teammates. Until the dunk, UVa had let Maryland-Baltimore County - a 4-6 team from the American East Conference - hang around way too long.

UVa led by just three points at the half, and trailed by one after the Retrievers' Brian Hodges knocked home one of his six 3-pointers with 14:30 left in the game.

"We knew we had to pick up our energy," said Cavaliers guard J.R. Reynolds. "We kind of let them feel like they were in the game and let them dictate."

A few minutes after the dunk, Reynolds - who had a game-high six assists - found Diane wide-open on the wing. Diane knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Cavs up seven. UVa was in cruise control the rest of the way, winning 77-66 to improve to 5-4 on the season.

"Overall [Diane] played pretty steady and pretty smart offensively, especially at key times late in the game," said UVa coach Dave Leitao. "The steal and dunk and 3-pointer were energizers that gave us a lift."

It was by far the best road performance of the season for Diane, who has struggled away from University Hall this season.

Diane, who scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half, was just one cog in the Cavs' success.

Several Cavs once again picked up the offensive scoring slack for point guard Sean Singletary, who got into early foul trouble and finished with just seven points.

Reynolds had his second straight strong game, hitting several key baskets down the stretch en route to a 20-point effort, which included a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Jason Cain continued his resurgence with another double-double - his fourth in five games - finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Cain's biggest contribution came on the defensive end, where he frustrated John Zito, the Retrievers' leading scorer.

Zito, who finished with nine points - six below his season average - wanted no part of Cain. He appeared timid whenever he made a move inside.

"I thought he did a pretty darn good job in limiting [Zito's] shot opportunities," said Leitao. "He did a good job of taking him out of his rhythm."

The first half was a game of huge runs. After trading baskets early, UMBC (4-7) went on an 8-2 spurt to take a 17-12 lead. Hodges hit a wide-open 3-pointer right in front of the Cavs' bench. On the subsequent possession, the Cavs' Billy Campbell launched an airball as the shot-clock expired.

Leitao went nuts.

As the Cavs retreated on defense, he could be heard from all the way across the court berating his team. "You're playing tentative," Leitao shouted.

Shortly after, the Cavs seemed to get their act together. Cain connected on a put-back basket. Reynolds, after a strong drive to the hoop, hit a couple free throws. Adrian Joseph, who finished with 10 points, knocked down a 3-pointer.

The Cavs, who had seemed befuddled by UMBC's zone, suddenly had answers.

Reynolds found Joseph for an alley-oop to give the Cavs a 21-17 lead. Moments later, a block by Cain ignited a fast-break bucket, as Reynolds found Diane spotting up for an uncontested 3-pointer. Another Joseph 3-pointer capped a 15-2 Cavs' run.

However, the Retrievers responded with an 11-3 burst to make it 33-30 at the half.

"You have to understand that when you don't play as well as you wanted and still win, that's a good thing," Leitao said. "But, by the same note, when you play what I would call a sloppy game, you take the chance of winning or the option of winning out of your hands and put it in the other team's [hands].

"I thought there were points during the game where we didn't seize control of what we were trying to do, but I thought they had a great plan - switching [between] man and zone kept us off balance."

Added Diane: "We didn't execute at the beginning of the game and play at a high level of intensity. When we stepped that up, everything came together."

DUNKS. UVa now leads the all-time series with UMBC 3-0. ? UVa's next opponent - Hartford on Saturday - also hails from the America East Conference. ? Leitao went with the same starting lineup and brought Tunji Soroye off the bench for the second straight game. ? Richmond native Drew Shiembob scored a career-high four points, all in the second half.

 

Cavs paint win, not masterpiece
UVa repeatedly goes inside for a 13-3 run in the second half that leads it to a victory.
By Jim Reedy
381-1673
The Roanoke Times

RICHMOND -- When it was over, Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao could only be thankful his team had survived.

It wasn't anything like their thrashing of Loyola five days earlier, but at the end of the night, the Cavaliers had a win, 77-66 against UMBC at the Siegel Center.

"Any time you win, it's good because the other option is losing," Leitao reasoned.

For a while, that option was very much in play for UVa. Leading scorer Sean Singletary was having a second straight off night, and with seven minutes remaining, the Retrievers were within 60-59.

But just as they did in Friday's 39-point win over Loyola, the Cavaliers (5-4) prevailed without a supreme effort from their star sophomore.

"We had to pick up our energy," UVa guard J.R. Reynolds said. "We knew we shouldn't have been that close, but we were letting it [happen]."

Virginia took control for good, getting into the paint to score on its next seven possessions. Singletary capped a 13-3 run by finding forward Jason Cain for a fast-break layup and the lead, with 212 minutes left, was safe at 73-62.

"It came little by little," said freshman Mamadi Diane, one of four Cavaliers who scored in double figures. "Next thing you know, you look up and you're up a lot."

Singletary scored just seven points on five shots after fighting through first-half foul trouble, but his backcourt mate Reynolds picked up some slack with 20 points, his second game in a row with at least that many.

Cain continued to play well up front, totaling 16 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double in the past five games. Diane also scored 16, though he had some trouble defensively against UMBC guard Brian Hodges, who led all scorers with a season-high 23 points.

The Cavaliers, though, will have plenty to work on before Saturday's home game against Hartford. Their ACC opener, Jan. 7 against visiting Clemson, is fast approaching.

"We still have a long way to go," Reynolds said. "We can't let teams like this sneak up on us again."

While Leitao lamented Virginia's "sloppy" showing, UMBC coach Randy Monroe pronounced himself "ecstatic" with his team's performance.

"We had nothing to be ashamed of," Monroe said.

The Retrievers (4-7) used 3-pointers to fuel their upset bid, which was something of a surprise. They hit 12 of 31 treys, including a career-high six by Hodges, after making 47 from beyond the arc in their first 10 games.

"The difference is the young man sitting next to me," Monroe said brightly, slapping Hodges on the shoulder.

The night also was memorable for Virginia small forward Drew Shiembob, a freshman walk-on and Richmond native who scored his first four points and played solid defense in seven second-half minutes. He had played only eight minutes all season.

"Those minutes were needed and really helped us," Leitao said.
 

Gophers dig the running game
Both Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell gained more than 1,000 yards this season.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Only one of Virginia's regular-season opponents finished with a 1,000-yard rusher. And Western Michigan's Trovon Riley didn't play when the Broncos' visited UVa for the teams' opening game.

Against Minnesota, the Cavaliers will be making up for lost time.

No team in Division I-A history had boasted two 1,000-yard rushers in consecutive seasons before the Gophers' Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III performed the feat in 2003-2004.

Then, when Barber went to the NFL, Maroney teamed with Gary Russell this year to extend the streak to three seasons.

Maroney was named first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-America despite sharing the load with Russell, a sophomore who rushed for 1,045 yards and accounted for 19 touchdowns, a school record. Maroney rushed for 1,355 -- the first Gopher with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career.

It appears unlikely there will be a fourth, although Maroney was evasive when the subject was raised following practice for the Music City Bowl, which kicks off at noon Friday.

"In my mind, I will have a decision, hopefully, by the end of the game," said Maroney, a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder from St. Louis. "That's my plan. We'll see. I know that's the first thing I'm going to hear after the game: 'Did good. You coming back?' "

Minnesota touted Maroney as a preseason candidate for the Heisman Trophy and he was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's top running back. But the Gophers' commitment to the run was a plus and a minus in terms of recognition.

Maroney finished the regular season with 255 carries.

By comparison, the ACC's most active ball carrier, conference player of the year Chris Barclay, had 218 carries. But, what if Maroney had received even half of the 164 carries that went to his understudy Russell?

"I could have had way more yards than I had," Maroney said.

"The first couple of games, I didn't even see the second half. But, I want to go out there and have fun with all of my friends and see them do good, as well as me doing good."

Maroney perked up at the suggestion he might be underrated nationally.

"Oh, most definitely," he said. "I feel like the dark horse among the nation's running backs. That's given me something to work toward and that's what helps me out in the games.

"If they already think, 'You're underrated, Laurence,' then what have you got to lose? They're really not thinking about you, so all you've got to do is go out there and play ball."

Although Minnesota ranks second nationally in rushing and Maroney is fifth among individuals, the Gophers have at quarterback junior Bryan Cupito, who has passed for 2,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. In comparison, respected UVa quarterback Marques Hagans has thrown 12 TD passes.

"Minnesota has done a nice job of becoming unique among the heavily run-directed teams," UVa coach Al Groh said. "The other teams that usually accumulate this type of rushing yardage are the Armys and Navys and Air Forces. Those are the teams that throw it seven times a game.

"There's a lot of intricacy to their scheme. They've made a tremendous commitment to it."

The numbers prove it.

 

Fans sing apathetic refrain on Music City
David Teel
December 29 2005

Based on ticket sales, you have to wonder if Virginia football fans give a rat's hindquarters about the Cavaliers' Music City Bowl against Minnesota. The school sold about 5,000 seats for Friday's game in Nashville, Tenn., amusingly lame for a program that peddled an allegedly rabid following to gullible bowl officials.

In the fans' defense, this is a meeting of also-rans, albeit from the Big Ten and ACC, rated the nation's Nos. 1 and 2 conferences by omniscient computers. But regardless of interest, or lack thereof, the pairing carries intrigue on several fronts.

Can promising young defenders help slow the Big Ten's top offense and give the Cavaliers hope for next season? How will coach Al Groh manage absent his offensive and defensive coordinators? Have the Gophers established temporary residence in Tennessee?

Now much as you'd like to hype otherwise, history says there is little carryover from a second-tier bowl to the following season. That seems especially true for Virginia, which in 2006 will feature new starters at quarterback, tailback and both offensive tackles. Not to mention four new assistant coaches.

But Friday is an opportunity for underclass defenders such as end Chris Long and linebackers Clint Sintim, Antonio Appleby and Aaron Clark to show that the Cavaliers are capable of correcting a glaring deficiency: run defense.

In ACC play, only Duke's run defense was worse than Virginia's; in Big Ten play, no team rushed more effectively than Minnesota.

Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell each ran for more than 1,000 yards during the regular season as the Gophers joined No. 1 Southern California (Reggie Bush and LenDale White) as the only Division I-A teams featuring two 1,000-yard backs. With All-America linemen Greg Eslinger and Mark Setterstorm plowing the way, Maroney and Russell combined for 28 rushing touchdowns.

Such numbers are disconcerting for a team whose failure to stop the run was the common denominator of its three weakest efforts - against Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Terrapins, Tar Heels and Hokies abused the Cavaliers for 755 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns combined. Not coincidentally, Virginia (6-5, 3-5) lost all of those games.

At first blush, Virginia's task appears elementary: stack the line of scrimmage and force Minnesota to throw. But quarterback Bryan Cupito is no chump, witness his 396 passing yards against Ohio State, the Big Ten's No. 1 pass defense.

The Gophers (7-4, 4-4) average more points (36.2) and yards (497.8) than any of the Cavaliers' regular-season opponents. A quality performance would speak volumes about a defense that expects to return eight starters and might help lure Mike London back to Charlottesville as defensive coordinator.

London, a Hampton native, was Virginia's defensive-line coach and recruiting coordinator before accepting an assistant's position with the NFL's Houston Texans before this season.

Defensive coordinator Al Golden and offensive coordinator Ron Prince departed Groh's staff earlier this month for head-coaching posts at Temple and Kansas State, respectively. Associate head coach Danny Rocco and inside linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio will leave after the Music City Bowl, Rocco to become the big whistle at Liberty, D'Onofrio to coordinate Temple's defense for his former Penn State teammate Golden.

Given the upheaval, defeat and occasional disarray Friday would be understandable. Avoiding both would be a credit to Groh, his players and remaining assistants.

Some suggest that Minnesota has little incentive playing in the Music City for the second consecutive season and third time in four. That's silly. Virginia certainly overcame the disappointment of a second straight postseason trip to Charlotte, N.C., when it defeated Pittsburgh in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl.

Alas, Cavaliers fans appear disappointed with this year's bowl destination, Jessie McReynolds & The Virginia Boys' appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night notwithstanding.
 

Early triggers for young guns
Virginia has played 11 of its 23 scholarship true freshmen this year. Some of the reasons are more obvious than others.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
December 29 2005

NASHVILLE, TENN. -- All season, Virginia coach Al Groh stuck to his policy for playing true freshmen. "When they're ready, we're ready," he'd say. But it soon became obvious that many of the Cavaliers' true freshmen weren't ready, especially on defense.

Virginia played 11 of its 23 scholarship true freshmen this season. Six of those played defense - three linebackers, two cornerbacks and a defensive end. Five of those six could play at noon Friday when the Cavs meet Minnesota in the Music City Bowl.

"Certainly, yeah, it would be preferable to have a little bit more mature lineup," Groh said after the Cavs lost 52-14 to Virginia Tech, which played one true freshman this year.

Groh doesn't anticipate playing as many true freshmen next season. (He played 10 in 2004.) Playing young guys stems from college football's constant talent cycle, he said, though several things can upset the cycle.

Injuries forced most U.Va. freshmen into duty this season. Though just one true freshman, left guard Branden Albert, started every game, the linebackers and secondary needed the most youthful contributions.

Statistically, those spots suffered most. In Atlantic Coast Conference games, Virginia ranked 11th of 12 teams in rushing, passing and total defense.

It allowed 180 rushing yards per game, compared to 117.5 last season. (Bad news for U.Va., since Minnesota ranks second nationally with 279.9 rushing yards per game.) The Cavs surrendered 228.6 passing yards per game, compared to 218.9 in '04. Their 408.6 total yards allowed per game were 72.2 more than '04.

Among linebackers, Darryl Blackstock left for the NFL in the spring after his junior season. Redshirt freshman Devonta Brown was suspended this season for academic reasons.

Then injuries plagued Ahmad Brooks, sidelining him for five of 11 games. He won't play Friday because of a back injury. So true freshmen Antonio Appleby, Aaron Clark and Olu Hall played more, learning on the job. Appleby will start for Brooks on Friday. True freshman defensive end Alex Field also could play.

The defensive backfield is even messier.

Tony Franklin was supposed to start the season at cornerback, but moved to safety because of thin talent there.

Sophomore Chris Gorham started the season's first four games at corner. But he struggled, and true freshman Chris Cook replaced him for the Boston College game. Cook's season ended that day when he broke his right leg. That gave true freshman Mike Brown a chance to play more. On Friday, Gorham and junior Marcus Hamilton will start.

The safety spot also became shaky. Franklin was suspended for the Georgia Tech game. In that game, fellow safety starter Nate Lyles suffered a season-ending neck injury. Franklin won't play Friday after being charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. Sophomore Jamaal Jackson and redshirt freshman walk-on Byron Glaspy will start at safety.

U.Va.'s secondary was thin this season for other reasons.

Sophomore cornerback Philip Brown was suspended this season for academic reasons. Before the '04 season, cornerback recruit Ahmad Bradshaw was expected to play. But after a summer arrest, he never played and transferred to Marshall. Kenneth Tynes would have been a sophomore in '04, but he left the program after an offseason arrest. Stefan Orange redshirted in '02 but left the program after the season.

Cornerback Randy Jones would've been a senior this season. But while redshirting in October '01, he suffered serious injuries in a car crash and never played again. Safety Willie Davis started five games as a true freshman in '02. But in the second game of '03, he suffered nerve damage after colliding with an opponent - a career-ending injury.

As for the 11 true freshmen who played this fall, their redshirt years are gone. Groh sees it differently, noting that left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and running back Wali Lundy flourished after playing as true freshmen in '02.

"That's really what we're doing," he said. "We're starting a new cycle with those kind of (young) players."

NOTE

Groh said Wednesday that quarterbacks coach Mike Groh and wide receivers coach John Garrett will call plays Friday. U.Va. lost offensive coordinator Ron Prince earlier this month when he became Kansas State's head coach. Al Groh, Mike's father, wouldn't say whether his son or Garrett are candidates to become the full-time coordinator.

U.Va. is on the offensive
With Golden Gophers' powerful ground game, Cavaliers know they'll need to keep up for win
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 29, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Virginia football team would like nothing better than to shut out Minnesota in tomorrow's Music City Bowl.

Barring a miraculous transformation on the part of U.Va.'s defense, that won't happen. The Golden Gophers' offense, which includes three players who were named to one of The Associated Press' All-America teams, is too strong, too proficient and too talented to silence.

Virginia (6-5) has yet to face a running back who rushed for 1,000 yards or more in the regular season. Minnesota (7-4) has two tailbacks who meet that standard: Laurence Maroney (1,355) and Gary Russell (1,045). The Gophers rank second nationally in rushing offense, fifth in total offense and 10th in scoring offense (36.2 ppg).

For the Cavaliers to avoid closing the season with three straight losses, they'll need to put some points on the scoreboard tomorrow. Lots of them, in all likelihood.

"They have a great offense, and we know that any time they can break a big one, and Maroney can break a big one," Virginia senior tailback Wali Lundy said. "So we're going to have to come out there ready to match any points that they put up."

U.Va.'s average of 26 points per game is respectable, but much of that scoring came against non-conference opponents Western Michigan (31), Syracuse (27) and Temple (51). Virginia managed 17 points against Boston College, five against North Carolina, 14 against Virginia Tech and 17 against Miami.

Minnesota, by contrast, averaged 26.7 points in its four losses.

"They've really scored against everybody, so therefore you can't afford not to have equal shots at scoring," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

Senior quarterback Marques Hagans said: "We can't go down on drives and stall and come away with no points or just settle for field goals. We've got to be able to score touchdowns."

In last year's MPC Computers Bowl, U.Va. scored 21 points in the first 17 minutes and 10 seconds. But in the final 11 minutes of the opening half, Virginia punted three times from Fresno State territory. Those offensive breakdowns made it easier for the Bulldogs to storm back and collect an overtime victory in Boise, Idaho.

"We can't afford to do that this year," Hagans said. "Every time we're in the red zone we've got to come away with something."

That shouldn't be an impossible task. Minnesota's defense isn't nearly as good as its offense. The Gophers rank 77th nationally in scoring defense, having allowed an average of 28.5 points per game. And U.Va. has numerous playmakers, ranging from Hagans to wideout Deyon Williams to tight ends Jonathan Stupar and Tom Santi to running backs Lundy and Jason Snelling.

A season ago, U.Va. led the ACC in rushing by a large margin. The Cavaliers have slipped to sixth this season, in part because of medical issues that affected Lundy, Snelling, senior center Brian Barthelmes and All-America offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. All should be healthy for tomorrow's game, which Lundy said is "definitely a chance to remind people that we do have a good running game."

Groh said: "We certainly need to be very efficient in that area."

Lundy leads Virginia in rushing with 515 yards, a modest total. But he's run for 41 touchdowns in his career and ranks fifth in career rushing at U.Va. with 3,134 yards. Best of all, from U.Va.'s standpoint, Lundy has finally and fully recovered from the foot injury that bothered him for much of the regular season.

"This is the best I've felt all season," he said yesterday.

 

MUSIC CITY BOWL NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Dec 29, 2005

INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE: Safety Nate Lyles hasn't suited up for Virginia since suffering a serious neck injury Nov. 12 against Georgia Tech, and it's unclear whether he'll play football again. But the sophomore from Chicago remains an integral part of the team. Lyles traveled with the Cavaliers to Miami for the regular-season finale, and he's with them in Nashville, Tenn., where they'll face Minnesota in tomorrow's Music City Bowl.

"It really is a great window into what a terrific kid he is," U.Va. coach Al Groh said yesterday. "Whether he's lost the rest of his career or not, he's lost the end of this season. You only get so many games to play. He's faced a very scary and threatening situation. I'm sure he's got his inner-most thoughts . . . but he is the most upbeat, enthusiastic kid. He's been in every meeting, he's been to every practice. . . . He's as upbeat as if he just made the All-American team."

A punishing hitter, Lyles started all nine games in which he played this season and made 39 tackles. Since his injury, he's become Brandon Woods' personal coach, Groh said. Woods, a true freshman who's redshirting, moved from wideout to safety late in the regular season.

Lyles has taken a second series of physical tests. Groh said he hasn't seen the results and declined to speculate on whether Lyles would play again.

"We'll wait till we have all the information," Groh said. "But it is very heartening on a day-to-day basis to see how normal his activities are."

As part of bowl week in Nashville, the Cavaliers and the Golden Gophers had a rib-eating contest Tuesday night. Representing U.Va. were offensive linemen Brad Butler, Brian Barthelmes and Ian-Yates Cunningham, each of whom weighs around 290 pounds, and Lyles, a chiseled 197-pounder. Virginia won 45-44, and Lyles "was pretty close to being our most valuable eater," Groh said.

STRONG RECOMMENDATION: Groh's closest friends in the coaching fraternity include Gary Darnell, whom Texas A&M recently hired as defensive coordinator. Darnell's previous job was as head coach at Western Michigan, where his assistants in 2004 included Bob Diaco.

"So right away that said something to me," Groh said yesterday. "It's a pretty high standard that Gary's got."

That wasn't the first time Groh noticed Diaco. In 1991, Diaco and Groh's elder son, Mike, played in the same high school all-star game in New Jersey. Al Groh followed Diaco's career as a University of Iowa linebacker and later evaluated him as an NFL prospect. And now he's hired Diaco to coach linebackers and special teams at U.Va.

Diaco, who led the Big Ten in tackles in 1994 and '95, has coached at Iowa (as a graduate assistant), Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Central Michigan.

He was Central Michigan's co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach this season. Virginia's base defense is the 3-4, and Groh has had two assistants working with the linebackers. Whether Diaco coaches inside or outside linebackers "will just depend upon how the rest of it falls," said Groh, who still has three spots on his staff to fill.

JOINING FORCES: Ron Prince, U.Va.'s offensive coordinator in the regular season, is now the coach at Kansas State. Calling the plays against Minnesota, Groh said yesterday, will be quarterbacks coach Mike Groh and wide receivers coach John Garrett. As in the regular season, the younger Groh will be on the sideline, and Garrett will work from the box.

Filling in for Prince as offensive-line coach this month has been graduate assistant Bill Polin. Al Groh is serving as defensive coordinator, the post held in the regular season by Al Golden, now the coach at Temple. Golden also coached the Cavaliers' secondary, a responsibility that will fall on another graduate assistant, Chad Wilt, in the Music City Bowl.

Wilt has accepted a full-time assistant's position on Danny Rocco's staff at Liberty University. Rocco, who's back with the Cavaliers for the bowl game, was hired at Liberty this month. He'd been associate head coach and outside linebackers coach under Groh.

HEIR APPARENT? Defensive end Brennan Schmidt, who already holds the school record for career starts, will play his final game as a Cavalier tomorrow. Vince Redd hopes to succeed Schmidt in the starting lineup in 2006.

"That's the plan," said Redd, a 6-6, 280-pound redshirt sophomore from Elizabethton, Tenn.

In 2003 and '04, Redd played outside linebacker. But he outgrew the position and was shifted to end before this summer. He played in nine games in the regular season - Redd sat out two for violating an unspecified team policy - and made seven tackles.

A middle linebacker in high school, Redd said he's grown increasingly "comfortable with the whole game plan and what Coach wants me to do. This is the first time I've ever put my hand in the dirt [as a down lineman]."

Asked how Redd has played at defensive end, Groh said, "Pretty decently in terms of technique and function. What we still need there is more production: just plain numbers." - Jeff White

 

U.Va. Football Report
By DOUG DOUGHTY, ROANOKE TIMES,
© December 28, 2005

Groh’s background is coming in handy

When Al Groh lost four assistants , including three on the defensive side of the ball, he had the luxury of turning Music City Bowl preparations over to a former NFL defensive coordinator — himself.

Groh, also a former NFL head coach, is also serving as position coach for the secondary, inside linebackers and outside linebackers. First-year line coach Levern Belin is the only 2005 defensive assistant who has not taken another job.

“There seems to be a real compatibility — maybe the best compatibility that we’ve had — between our secondary coach and our linebacker coach,” said Groh jokingly.

Groh actually lost five assistant coaches if you count two-year graduate assistant Chad Wilt.

Defensive coordinator Al Golden left to become the head coach at Temple, outside linebackers coach Danny Rocco is the new head coach at Liberty and inside linebackers coach Mark D’Onofrio will be Golden’s defensive coordinator at Temple.

Wilt, who previously assisted Golden with the U.Va. backs, took a full-time position under Rocco at Liberty. Wilt will be on the Cavaliers’ sideline Friday in Nashville, as will Rocco and D’Onofrio, who rejoined U.Va.’s team when a recruiting “dead” period began Dec. 19.

“Mark is handling all of the special teams, which he has’’ for the past two seasons, Groh said. “Of the coaches who have moved onward, really, for this game, he would have been the most difficult to replace.

“What we’ve asked (D’Onofrio and Rocco) to major in is to catch up on the study of Minnesota.’’

Offensive coordinator Ron Prince, who left to become the head coach at Kansas State, also coached the offensive line.

Groh hasn’t said who will replace Prince as principal play-caller, although receivers coach John Garrett is a strong possibility. Groh will make the defensive calls.

Parham trying not to look past bowl game

Fourth-year junior Kai Parham has made so much progress academically that he could have graduated this semester. His football improvement has been equally striking. Now he has a decision to make.

Parham, a first-team All-ACC selection who graduated from Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, has made a formal request to an NFL advisory committee that provides feedback for underclassmen on the draft-selection process.

“Right now, I’m just trying to focus on this game,” Parham said. “Do I have a decision to make? That’s a tough question. I guess. I don’t know.”

Parham expects to enter the ministry in some fashion, even if he returns to school to get an MBA or Ph.D. The decision about next year could come down to “where the Lord needs me,” he said.

Quick kicks ...

Virginia had sold 4,977 tickets by late last week and is expecting to take close to 7,000 fans, counting staff and employees for whom the school bought 1,500 tickets. It does not count tickets purchased by U.Va. fans through the bowl. ...

Groh said he has used bowl practices to take a look at 6-foot-6, 294-pound Zak Stair at center. Stair, a redshirt freshman, played in nine games this year as a reserve offensive tackle. U.Va. loses its starting center, fifth-year senior Brian Barthelmes. ...

Sophomore Jamal Jackson will make his first start at the safety spot vacated when Groh decided not to take co-captain Tony Franklin after his arrest on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession.

 

U.Va.’s little big man will give it his all one more time
By ED MILLER , The Virginian-Pilot
© December 29, 2005

NASHVILLE — Marques Hagans turns 23 today. He won’t celebrate much .

“Football practice, a team meal, a curfew. Call it a day,” Hagans said last week, recounting how he expects to spend the day.

Hagans, Virginia’s senior quarterback, doesn’t mind. Today he’ll practice for the last time as a collegian. Friday, he’ll play his final game, when the Cavaliers take on Minnesota in the Music City Bowl.

For Hagans, it’s the end of a long run. He was 17 when he committed to Virginia, 19 when he entered his first game, the 2002 season opener against Colorado State. Pumped on adrenaline and admittedly unsure of what he was doing, he led Virginia to the brink of a comeback win, only to fumble the ball into the end zone with 10 seconds remaining.

Hagans signaled that night that with him under center, win or lose, things would rarely be dull. They rarely have been.

“I think I’ve kind of worn out my welcome,” he joked last week. “I think I’ve been here too long.”

No doubt, it’s been a full career. In 50 games over four seasons, Hagans has returned punts, caught passes, played a little running back. For the last two seasons, he’s played exclusively at quarterback.

He’s done it at 5-foot-10, a listing that may be a tad generous. He’s done it with an average group of receivers, and, this season anyway, a mediocre running game. He’s done it with his arm, and, just as often, with his feet.

It’s been an adventure . Take the second game of the season, at Syracuse. Hagans threw three first-half interceptions, nearly equaling his 2004 total of five in a mere 30 minutes.

He made up for it by running for 110 yards, scrambling 38 yards to set up one score and 26 on third down to set up a game-winning field goal. Afterward, as teammates celebrated, he remained in the locker room, hooked to an I.V.

It was typical Hagans. No Virginia player throws more of himself into a game.

“He’s played with as much heart and as much unselfishness as any player possibly could,” coach Al Groh said.

Hagans comes by his competitive side naturally. He grew up in Hampton playing against kids two or three years older. He led Hampton High to a state title at age 15 and enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy at 17.

Hagans planned to attend Indiana, but changed his mind after failing to qualify academically. The Hoosiers told him he could sit out a year as a partial qualifier, but Hagans wasn’t interested.

“I wanted all my years to play,” he said.

Hagans committed to Virginia while at Fork Union. Shortly after, coach George Welsh resigned. Groh took over in January 2001 and made securing Hagans one of his first priorities.

“He told me a quarterback’s job is to score more points than the other team. 'If you can do that, you can play for me,’ he said. 'I don’t care how big or tall you are.’”

It appeared at times that Hagans would never get under center. He got his first shot in 2002, after starter Matt Schaub faltered against Colorado State. Hagans started the following week against Florida State, but had a disastrous outing, going 1 of 7 in the first half. Schaub relieved him in the second half and kept the job for the next two years.

Hagans bided his time at receiver, catching 28 passes in 2003. He got another shot at quarterback last season and grabbed the job, completing 63 percent of his passes, best in the ACC.

Hagans’ completion percentage is down this year, to 60.5 percent, and he’s also thrown 11 interceptions, compared to just five last year. But, with fewer weapons around him, his importance to the team is undoubtedly up.

As Hagans has gone, so have the Cavaliers. Perhaps no other team in the ACC has been as dependent on the playmaking ability of one player.

“We’ve relied too much on Marques,” defensive end Brennan Schmidt said. “And not really picked up the reins ourselves.”

That was never more evident than in October, when Hagans, rolling out and throwing strikes on the run, almost single-handedly led Virginia to an upset of Florida State. A week later, with Hagans hobbled by a hamstring injury, Virginia managed five points in a loss to North Carolina.

The loss to the Tar Heels still tugs at Hagans, who calls it the low point of the season. Then again, all the losses do, even that first one, all those years ago against Colorado State.

“If we could get that one play back maybe that whole season would have gone a little different,” he said.

He paused.

“I was just trying to make a play.”

He hasn’t stopped trying since.