Cavaliers: A smash hit
Hagans passes for 358 yards
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It was only fitting that the country music group that performed the tune "Soul and Inspiration," sang the national anthem before the eighth annual Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl on Friday at The Coliseum.
It was Virginia that played with both of those attributes that the Oak Ridge Boys sang about. And they left Tennessee and wrapped up the 2005 season with a win because of it.

After trailing Minnesota by 14 points in the opening half, the Cavaliers mounted their greatest comeback since 2002, knocking off the Golden Gophers, 37-34, in a wild shootout that dazzled an announced crowd of 40,519.

UVa quarterback Marques Hagans, who passed for a career-high and school bowl record 358 yards and two TDs, was named the MVP of the game. Hagans was also the MVP of the MPC Computers Bowl last year in Boise, Idaho, in a game that the Cavaliers lost to Fresno State, 37-34, in overtime.

Virginia (7-5) improves to 3-1 in bowl games under coach Al Groh and 7-9 all-time with the victory, while Minnesota (7-5) watched its 19-game nonconference and three-game bowl winning streaks come to an end.

"It was all done by the players," Groh said. "I thought they showed great heart throughout the whole course of this preparation. They dealt with a few things that could have been distracting and disruptive to some players and some teams. We started the season preaching the power of team and we certainly relied upon that during our preparation and over the course of the game.

"It was apparent how important it was to them, particularly in the way they kept fighting back."

Virginia placekicker Connor Hughes sealed the come-from-behind win with a 39-yard field goal with 68 seconds left in the game, capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive that started on the Cavaliers' 3.

Minnesota had one final shot to tie or win the game in the final minute, but Golden Gopher quarterback Bryan Cupito threw a Hail Mary into double coverage with 36 seconds left that ended up in the hands of UVa cornerback Marcus Hamilton in the end zone and not those of the intended receiver on the play - Ernie Wheelright.

"It was a good pass by Bryan," said Wheelright, who stands at 6-foot-5, six inches taller than Hamilton. "When I came down with the ball, he had position to turn and snatched the ball away. I haven't seen it on replay yet, but from my [vantage point], possession should go to the offense."

As Virginia's players - on and off the field - noticed the interception, a celebration erupted.

Coaches (and former coaches) cheered. Players danced.

And defensive lineman Brennan Schmidt threw his helmet like a graduation cap up in the air.

"I just saw the Minnesota receiver and Marcus go up and I saw Marcus get up [with the football] and I just started screaming," Schmidt said. "It was so great. I couldn't believe it. This is my last memory of college football, so I will always remember this game."

Virginia football fans will also want to remember the game, more so than the season, which included four tough road losses in ACC action and enough off-the-field drama to write a good country song.

Yet despite playing the final game without the usual offensive and defensive coordinators, three would-be starters on defense - linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back), safety Tony Franklin (suspension) and nose tackle Kwakou Robinson (academically ineligible) - the Cavaliers did what Groh asked them to do: "Find a way to win."

Things started off like much of the season had gone - bad.

Minnesota opened with an impressive 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that saw Virginia's defense fail on three third-down conversions. Cupito capped the drive with the first of four TD passes, a career-high, as he connected with fullback Justin Valentine on a 7-yard completion.

After the Cavaliers went three-and-out, Minnesota scored again. This time, however, the Golden Gophers needed less plays (4) and less yardage (63), as Cupito connected on a 44-yard TD pass to Wheelwright.

Trailing 14-0, Virginia's offense managed to get on track and on the scoreboard as Hagans completed six straight passes for 70 yards, the last of which was a 6-yard strike to wideout Deyon Williams.

After both teams exchanged punts, Minnesota scored for the third time - Cupito threw a TD to Jared Ellerson - as they took the ball 95 yards in nine plays for the longest scoring drive the Cavaliers had allowed all season.

Virginia managed to trim the lead to 21-10 with a 32-yard field goal by Hughes as the first half expired. That play almost didn't happen, but Groh called a timeout with one second left after Hagans took a shotgun snap and ran the ball to the Minnesota 10.

"We almost lost the field goal there. We get in that hurry-up situation and a lot of the calls are made on the field," Groh said. "In that particular one, [Hagans] over estimated how much time we had left. I was hoping that he would go down earlier.

"Obviously, the points were very important."

Virginia kept the momentum early in the second half, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions. Wali Lundy scored the first on a 7-yard run on 3rd-and-goal from the Minnesota 7, while Hagans used Lundy as a decoy on the next one, faking the handoff and then connecting with Fontel Mines in the back of the end zone.

Those two scores, which sandwiched a 39-yard field goal by Minnesota's Joel Monroe, left the contest tied at 24.

Needing a break, Minnesota clearly got one on the first play of the fourth quarter.

With Hagans back to field a Golden Gopher punt, like he had done earlier in his career when Matt Schaub was UVa's signal caller, the quarterback failed to run up far enough to cleanly field the 35-yard kick. The ball slipped through Hagans' hands, onto the grassy turf, only to be recovered by Minnesota's John Shevlin at the Virginia 37.

Six plays and those 37 yards later, the Golden Gophers took a 31-24 lead as Cupito beat two Virginia defenders for a 23-yard TD pass to Ellerson in the left corner of the end zone.

Like they had done the entire game, the Cavaliers and their pesky quarterback responded. Hagans opened the ensuing drive with a 55-yard pass to tight end Tom Santi, a Nashville native, moving the ball to the Minnesota 17.

UVa kept the drive alive on third down as the other tight end, Jonathan Stupar, caught a pass a yard shy of the first down, but bullied his way forward and past the magical marker.

Lundy scored two plays later on a 2-yard run up the middle, tying the game up at 31 with 8:48 left.

Virginia's defense, which held the Gophers' potent rushing attack to just 78 yards on 20 second-half carries, came up big forcing Minnesota to punt on its next possession, but Hagans promptly turned the ball over, throwing an interception at the UVa 40 with six minutes left.

Instead of panicking, Virginia's defense responded again, forcing Minnesota to go three-and-out for the first time in the entire game.

Hagans then delivered his final march as a Cavalier. And it had a little bit of everything, including an escape from a would-be tackler in Virginia's end zone on the first play.

"I couldn't go back to the sideline with a safety on the board facing coach Groh,' Hagans joked. "So there was no way [I was going to be tackled]. I would've thrown it in the stands before they took me down."

Hagans also kept the drive alive on a 3rd-and-6 play as he avoided pressure, connected with Emmanuel Byers for an 18-yard completion that took the ball down to the Minnesota 25 and set up the final field goal.

"When you think you got [Hagans], you don't," Mason said.

Minnesota appeared poised to strike back after a second down completion from Cupito to Wheelwright moved the ball two yards into Virginia territory.

Mason then elected to go for broke.

"The difference in winning and losing a lot of times in a game like that is a blink of an eye," Mason said. "There are ways to coach, one is not to lose and the other is to coach to win. I learned a long time ago that it is a lot more fun to try to coach to win.

"I thought it was the right time to take a shot. More times than not, the offense catches the ball on that type of play."

For the game, Minnesota finished with 461 yards of total offense (seven less that UVa), of which 263 yards came through the air as Cupito completed 18 of 28 passes.

Tailback Laurence Maroney, who announced after the game that he was turning pro a year early, led the Gophers' ground attack, gaining 109 yards on 26 carries, but managed only 19 yards in the second half.

"[Virginia] didn't really do too much differently," Maroney said. "We couldn't run outside and we kept trying to get outside, but it wasn't there."

What was there was a miraculous win for Virginia, something the 12-member senior class can cherish.

"That is definitely the way to go out," said Lundy, who finished his career with a 59-yard rushing performance. "I feel like we're sitting on top of the world right now. Hopefully our program can keep moving forward and when I come back here we will be the National Champions one day."

 

Hagans is 'the little QB who could'
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
December 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn.
Five minutes and five seconds were on the clock when Virginia got the ball back, perhaps for the last time, with the game deadlocked at 31-all in the Music City Bowl.

Senior Marques Hagans, the little quarterback who could, entered the huddle looking like a man desperate to pay back a debt to his teammates. He had personally turned over the ball on two of the Cavaliers' last three possessions by fumbling his only attempt at a punt return all season (resulting in a Minnesota touchdown), followed by an interception.

As each of the Cavaliers looked around the huddle, they could see it in Hagans' eyes. He wasn't going to be stopped. Didn't matter that 97 yards of prime Nashville real estate stood between him and glory.

He didn't have to say much. Senior tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson took care of that chore.

"This is it," Ferguson said. "This is the big one. It's now or never and we've got to put everything on the line. This is the last time we're going to get the ball, so this is our last chance."

This is how he did it

Hagans, as he had all day long, looked to throw from his own end zone, was nearly sacked for a safety, but scrambled back to the 3. Then, he made favored Minnesota pay.

Consecutive passes to wide receiver Deyon Williams netted 28 yards and a first down, followed by two Wali Lundy runs for another. In fact, Lundy was a step away from taking it to the house. Then Cedric Peerman gave Lundy a break with an 11-yard gain and a first down at the Gophers' 47.

But the drive nearly stalled on an incomplete pass to Emmanuel Byers and a four-yard Lundy gain.

Third-and-six at the 43, 2:39 showing on the clock. Again, the game was on the line.

Then Hagans did what Hagans does best. He performed some of his magic. Trapped for a sure sack, he escaped once again and somehow found Byers for an 18-yard gain and a first down at the 25.

Hughes finishes it off

From there, the Cavs only gained two more yards before Connor Hughes' kick gave Virginia three bowl wins in four years with a 34-31 upset over the Big Ten opponent.

How many times have we seen Hagans pull off a seemingly impossible escape and make chicken soup out of chicken feathers.

"When you think you've got him, you don't," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason about the elusive UVa quarterback. "There was a couple of times there I thought we had him for a safety and didn't get him. Then, on that third down, we had him for a sack, which they would have had to punt away, and instead he made a play.

"The other part of it is that not only can he scramble, but what really makes him dangerous is he'll keep his eyes downfield and that's when he'll pick you apart," Mason said.

Indeed.

Hagans has carved out a reputation for his ability to scramble for yardage and at the last split second, launch a rocket downfield to an open receiver, leaving the defense stunned and broken.

Perhaps this was Hagans' greatest day on a football field, and fittingly his last as a Cavalier. He completed 25 of 31 pass attempts for a career-high 358 yards (fifth-most in UVa history for a single game), and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 26 yards, caught a pass for 7, and nearly showed off his punt return skills if it hadn't been for that ... uh, ahem, matter of a fumble.

Still, he made up for it when it counted most and as a reward was voted MVP of the bowl win and earned coach Al Groh's eternal admiration for the effort.

"The heart and energy as well as the production that Marques provided us was just a punctuation point to the career he's had at Virginia," Groh said. "He's been a special player for us in the things he's been able to do and how he's energized his team."

After learning of his career high passing totals, Hagans wasn't really interested in anything but the win. He joked that if it hadn't been for the interception, the yardage would have been higher.

"It could have been 100 yards and if we won, that's all that matters," he said. "I don't care about personal accolades. But this is the last night this team will be together and we're going to enjoy it."

The 5-foot-10 quarterback, often told throughout his high school and college career that he was too short, had put off celebrating his 23rd birthday on Thursday because of bowl preparation.

Lord knows he deserved a rain check on that one.

Hagans executed Groh's game plan to near perfection. It was retro football as far as the Cavaliers' coach was concerned. With part of his staff MIA after three took head coaching jobs elsewhere and took some assistants with them, it was Groh's job to make sure his team wasn't DOA when it got to Nashville.

He kidded with sportswriters that his game plan wasn't one of those computerized, print out jobs, but just on a small piece of paper. Now, that's retro. And so were his Cavaliers, who delivered 60 minutes of retro drama, exactly the way it once was. Good and gripping right down to the last drop.

Cue the Hallelujah Chorus here.

Hagans made good decisions all day, which was one major reason the Cavs came back from a 21-7 deficit, cutting the Minnesota secondary to ribbons as he continuously burned them with big gains to UVa tight ends over the middle.

Virginia's coaches didn't really expect the Gophers' middle to open up like that going into the game. Minnesota is primarily a Cover 4 or Cover 8 team, but once the Gophers built a comfortable lead, they switched to a Cover 2 pass coverage scheme and Hagans took advantage of the situation.

"When a team plays a lot of middle of the field open coverages in certain formations, that's where we're looking to go," Groh said. "If they play middle closed, then we go somewhere else. Some of those balls that went to the sidelines today where 'middle closed' coverages, so Marques did a real good job of making the right decision of where the soft spot in the coverage was."

He passed the Gophers dizzy, particularly in the second half. And if that wasn't enough, they found it difficult to corral him when things broke down.

"He made plays all over the field," said Minnesota linebacker Kyle McKenzie, who got burned by Hagans' arm and legs.

Hagans can't explain it. He can't even remember half of what he accomplished in games. He just enjoys it.

"I just think my God-given ability took over a few times," the quarterback said of his mind-boggling zigzags. "I felt hands just grabbing at me, but I don't remember where I went, how I got out ... I just know I got out and started looking for open receivers and EB [Byers] was the first one I saw."

He ranked that play up there among his best because of its importance, but who knows if Hagans can even remember some of those highlight reels after he has worked his magic.

It's like avoiding a car wreck, spinning around in the other direction and not getting hit. You don't really know how you got there, but you're going to enjoy the moment.

That's what Hagans did at the end of his last college game. He and his teammates deserved the opportunity to celebrate this bowl win and a 7-5 finish to an up-and-down season as deep into the night as their comeback was into the fourth quarter.

"I can't imagine how a player could have greater heart or be more selfless and care more about his team than this kid has," Groh said of Hagans. "He's been a tremendous figurehead for what we're trying to get out of everybody and I just love him to death."

They might not retire No. 18's jersey, but the little quarterback who could, the little guy who admittedly played with a chip on his shoulder and some magic in his cleats, has carved himself a spot into Wahoo football lore that will never be forgotten.

 

Hughes confident before nailing game winner
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
December 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Al Groh liked his chances when he sent out senior place-kicker Connor Hughes for the game-winning field goal with 68 seconds to play in the Music City Bowl.
The Cavaliers had maneuvered their way to the Minnesota 23-yard line and worked the ball to the left hash mark, Hughes' favorite position on the field to kick from. Knotted at 31-all, Hughes coolly lined up and booted the winning, 39-yard field goal for the Virginia win.

It was the second winning kick this season for the Williamsburg native, but the third of his UVa career. He made a 19-yarder as time expired for a 27-24 win at Syracuse in September, but kicked a 38-yarder with 10 seconds on the clock to beat Wake Forest in 2003, after having made a 53-yarder to tie that game with 1:51 to play.

"It's probably up there," Hughes said in ranking the Music City Bowl kick. "I can't remember which ones are up there with it, but there have been a few that I felt pretty good about like that."

He probably felt pretty good about the 32-yarder made as the first half ended, helping keep the Cavaliers in the game at 21-10 and giving his team a little momentum going into the locker room.

But there's nothing like kicking the game winner and Virginia wanted to make sure it gave Hughes every advantage possible to get the job done. While he has been extremely accurate from between 32 to 39 yards out all season (11 of 13), the Cavs wanted to position the ball near the left hash mark.

"Yeah, it's a place that I'm pretty confident from," Hughes said of the left hash. "But it feels a little more at home than the right side sometimes. At the end of the game there's some kind of focus that you get into that you really don't worry about what's going to happen afterward."

There wasn't much else to impact the kick. Hughes noticed a little wind coming off the far side away from Virginia's sideline, but noted it died down before the attempt.

"I didn't compensate at all ... if anything it might have been a little bit at my back," Hughes said.

With the two field goals, it added to his career totals that have made him UVa's all-time leading scorer, breaking perhaps the oldest record in the books dating back to 1915. Hughes scored 10 of the Cavaliers points on Friday, giving him 332, including 66 field goals out of 79 attempted.

For the season he has made 21 of 24.

"Every kick I've had this year, I've felt comfortable with. Coach Groh hasn't had to push me back too far. I like that about him. He goes with what he knows you can do. I really appreciate that about him," Hughes said.

 

Santi hauls it in during homecoming
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
December 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Glen Mason may be home in wintry Minneapolis on this New Year's Eve, but the Minnesota head football coach still probably hasn't figured out a way to stop Virginia's passes to its tight ends over the middle of the Gophers' defense.
A big part of the Cavaliers' second-half comeback against Mason's Minnesota squad came from Marques Hagans' passes to tight ends Tom Santi and Jon Stupar over the middle, accounting for eight receptions and 167 yards in Friday's Music City Bowl.

After the game had ended in a 34-31 UVa win, Mason was asked what happened that allowed Cavalier tight ends to be so open down the middle of the Gophers' defense so much.

"I was hoping you guys had an answer because we sure didn't," Mason said. He joked about that throughout the post-game meeting with media, often interjecting, "I still haven't figured out how to stop the tight end over the middle."

Well, he probably did, but didn't want to point the blame at any of his players, particularly toward senior linebacker Kyle McKenzie, who admitted that he blew some of those coverages.

"A couple of those were my fault," McKenzie said. "Those were mental errors on my part."

For Santi, a 6-foot-5, 238-pound sophomore from Nashville, it was a particularly gratifying day. He hauled in five of Hagans' passes for a career-high 128 yards, including a 23-yarder in the first half that helped set up Connor Hughes' late field goal, a 43-yarder in the third quarter on UVa's drive that deadlocked the game at 24-all, and yet a 55-yarder in the fourth quarter on another drive that led to a 31-31 score.

"It's a wonderful thing for him," Virginia coach Al Groh said of Santi, who played for Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. "We've asked a lot of him for a young player. A few years from now when we have a little more foundation underneath us, maybe a player like [Santi] will have a chance to sit around and season."

But that's hasn't been the case for this sophomore, who was thrust into action as a true freshman last season when Stupar was injured. While he played mostly as a blocking fullback in 2004, Santi did get some experience at tight end. When All-American tight end Heath Miller left after last season, Santi realized he would get a lot of playing time this campaign.

"He's been asked to come in and play a major role in a hurry, but he's a very mature kid," Groh said. "He takes coaching terrifically. This game is great for him and his family."

Santi came out of the Nashville high school ranks with the reputation as a play-making tight end, having been tutored by former NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge. He has delivered big time for the Cavaliers, with 19 catches this season alone for 458 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

For Santi, it was a huge homecoming. He scraped up 35 tickets to the Music City Bowl from his teammates, but ended up having at least 70 family members and friends in the Coliseum on Friday.

"It's pretty special to be able to have the opportunities I had today," Santi said. "And to be on the same page with [quarterback] Marques Hagans the way we were, it was just very special."

He said the demands upon him from his true freshman season hasn't been a big deal because he loves to play football and has taken each challenge one step at a time.

All week has been an exciting time for the Nashville native, but once Friday rolled around everything magnified.

"When I woke up [Friday], I had a few more nerves than usual," Santi said. "But once we got to the stadium, I fell right into the every-day routine. Before and after the game it was special because of the fans, but during the game it was all business. It was exciting to perform like that in front of everybody."

 

Music City Bowl notes
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 31, 2005

BACK AT HOME: Virginia's defensive coordinator for the Music City Bowl worked hand-in-hand with the head coach.
That's easy to do when the coach at both spots is the same man.

Virginia coach Al Groh did double duty against Minnesota, serving as a defensive coordinator for the first time since he was manning the sidelines in the National Football League in the '90s.

What did the head coach think of his defensive coordinator?

"Hey, we won," Groh joked. "I have my own evaluation system, but I usually leave it to others to evaluate those things. I had a good time doing it."

While Groh didn't say if he was serious or not, he hinted to the media and the players that he might continue in that capacity next season.

"I told them afterwards, 'Hey look, you have a little taste of me the way I operate when I am really in it,'" Groh said. "Maybe the bark was a little loud sometimes, but [I told them], 'I had a good time. I just might keep doing this.'"

How did the players take that?

"They all laughed," Groh joked. "As I told all of them afterwards, 'Fellas, you might have saw a little part of me that other teams haven't seen before, but all I am trying to do is get the best out of you. If that's good with you, then that is good with me.'"

SPECIAL GUEST: Although he didn't coach in the Music City Bowl on Friday, former UVa offensive coordinator Ron Prince was there on the sidelines rooting for the Cavaliers.

Prince, who had coached at Virginia for the past five years, was one of four assistant coaches to leave Virginia's program in early December.

Kansas State hired Prince. Liberty turned its program over to former UVa associate head coach Danny Rocco. And Temple tapped Al Golden as its skipper. Golden promptly named former linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio as his defensive coordinator.

While Rocco and D'Onofrio coached in the win over Minnesota, Prince and Golden, who was not at the game, elected not to follow suit.

Groh said it was great to see Prince on the sidelines during the game.

"I think he was enjoying it," Groh said. "I went to the New England-[Pittsburgh] Steelers game last year [in the AFC playoffs]. It is kind of nice to be right down there closest, but that stomach feels a little bit different.

"Ron and Danny have given five years and their heart and soul to what we are trying to do here. We are very happy for them. As we said to the players, 'There is a football team and a football family.' And once we walk out of that door the team is no more. A lot of those players aren't on the team and you have to play in the game to be on the team, but you're always part of the football family. Ron and Danny, they were here and it certainly meant a lot to them and I know it meant a lot to the players."

ONE FOR THE AGES: Early in the first half, it appeared that the Virginia faithful in the Music City for the bowl game were in for a long day.

In the opening quarter, Minnesota (7-5) scored two quick touchdowns, had the ball for 10:01 and passed (100 yards) and ran (16 carries for 66 yards) at will.

Virginia rallied for the 34-31 win at The Coliseum, leaving bowl personnel and coaches raving about the contest that remained in doubt until the final minute.

"I hope you enjoyed that game as much as I did and I mean that sincerely," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason. "I don't like the way the game turned out, but it was a great college football game. I guarantee that the Rose Bowl hopes that they get as good as game out of Texas and USC. They would settle for that right now."

OUT OF ACTION: Virginia's coaching staff knew long before the game that linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back) and Tony Franklin (suspension) would not play against the Golden Gophers' high-powered offense, but it wasn't until 5 p.m. on Thursday that the fate of defensive lineman Kwakou Robinson was determined.

It was ultimately ruled that Robinson, a senior, was not academically eligible to play in what would have been his final game as a Cavalier.

"There was a question throughout the preparation about his eligibility," Groh said. "We were well aware of it, but we had until five o'clock for it to be solved. Were it not solved by five o'clock [on Thursday], by NCAA rules, he would have been ineligible to participate, which was the case.

It was just another strange and bizarre twist for Groh in a season that included suspensions, injuries and coaching departures.

"It is just another one of those things," Groh said.

BACK IN ACTION: With Robinson out of action, Groh elected to start junior Ron Darden at nose tackle.

That Darden was back on the field was amazing in itself. Darden had "retired" from football after Virginia's 7-5 loss at North Carolina because of severe migraine headaches.

After taking several weeks off from practice and games, Darden deemed himself fit to play in one final game.

Darden was credited with seven tackles (six solos), although he split time with Keenan Carter and Brennan Schmidt.

"The week went well for him," Groh said. "It was kind of a nice finish for him to be able to come back and be part of it like this."

Schmidt said it was "great to have him there."

Darden has a year of eligibility remaining, but he said he is not considering returning to the gridiron.

SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO? Virginia linebacker Kai Parham may have played in his final game for the Cavaliers on Friday. Or maybe not?

Parham, who has one year of eligibility remaining, remained mum on his decision about turning pro after the game.

"The time is ticking," said Parham when asked about a timeframe on his decision. "It is definitely something that I have been thinking about."

What does Parham think a senior season would be like with 12 seniors out of eligibility and fellow linebacker Ahmad Brooks likely headed for the professional ranks?

"It will be a time to build," Parham said. "It will definitely be different. A lot of guys who have been here for a long time won't be around."

Parham said that his decision will be based on many lengthy prayer sessions.

"When I say that, I genuinely and sincerely mean it because I know that I walk with the Lord and I serve him and I do hear from him," Parham said. "I guess a decision like this is so big that ultimately for me and first and foremost, it is a kingdom decision and the hardest thing to do is to put it into the hands of God.

"It is all about him."

Minnesota did have a player announce after the game that he would enter the NFL Draft.

Running back Laurence Maroney, who finished with 26 carries for 109 yards against UVa, said his college days were over.

"I talked to my mom a lot about it and she felt like it was the right time and I felt like it is the right time," said Maroney, who had a school-record 1,464 yards this year.

QUOTABLE: "If you're going to win games like this - your guy makes the play, you win. [If] their guy makes the play, they win. You just have to step up and make those kind of plays," said Groh about Marcus Hamilton's game-saving interception.

SUCKING IT UP: The fact that Brennan Schmidt was on the sidelines in the second half should be major news.

Schmidt, a senior, is known for his durability, having started 51-straight games as a Cavalier defensive lineman.

So what sidelined the team captain for a handful of plays down the stretch?

"Asthma," Schmidt answered. "It was giving me a hard time today. That's the way it goes. I just had to take it. That was probably the worst it has gotten for me all season. God put a little bit more of a challenge in front of me and I love him for it."

Schmidt was credited with eight tackles, which would give him 290 for his career, leaving him just three tackles shy of finishing tied for the top 15 in program history.

A PLATE FULL: With three openings on his staff and Signing Day just around the corner, Groh knows that the next few weeks will be busy ones.

Groh said he hopes to have his staff in place soon, but also wanted to spend some time with his family.

"We will start looking at that," Groh said. "We have some ideas on that. It has been a busy month, so maybe I will take a couple of days for Ann and Al and Matt for a little family time there, and then we will get busy on that."

What about Mike Groh, his son?

"We would include Mike, but I think he has other plans than hanging out with us."

One thing that Mike Groh will be busy with, will be recruiting.

The younger Groh is the teams' recruiting director.

"We are going to be busy on [recruiting] come the start of the week," the head coach said. "We always say he chase is never over until the Waffle House closes and you know when that happens, right?"

TACKLING TIDBITS: The official stats issued by the bowl game had Virginia freshman Vic Hall on the participation list. Not to worry Hoo fans. Hall did not play, saving a redshirt season for the highly-touted recruit. The stats also had Chris Johnson and Kwakou Robinson on the list, neither of who dressed for the game. ... Inside linebacker Antonio Appleby was credited with a career-high 10 tackles. The true freshman started the second game of his career. ... UVa sophomore safety Nate Lyles carried the "team flag" out of the tunnel before the game. ... Minnesota was 11 for 18 on third-down conversions. Virginia was 7 for 11, which tied a school record in a bowl game. ... Chris Gould could have punted for the final time in his Virginia career against Minnesota. Gould, who had three punts for an average of 42.3 yards, is expected to take over the placekicking duties from senior Connor Hughes. Junior college transfer Ryan Weigand, who redshirted this year, is expected to battle for the punting job. ... UVa tailback Wali Lundy became the ACC's all-time leader in career touchdowns by scoring twice against Minnesota. The New Jersey native finishes his career with 52 (43 rushing, nine receiving). The previous mark was held by former N.C. State star Ted Brown (51 career scores). ... UVa is now 7-9 all-time in bowl games. ... One bowl official said that he felt like 12,000 Virginia fans were in attendance at the game, although a final number is not expected to be announced.
 

Walk-on Shiembob delivers for Cavaliers
Virginia hosts Hartford today at 2 p.m.
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
December 31, 2005

Drew Shiembob, who grew up cheering for the University of Virginia, is pinching himself on a daily basis.
First, the freshman forward made the Cav-aliers as a walk-on. Then, he actually started appearing in games. Wednes-day night, playing in his hometown of Richmond, Shiembob found himself on the court during a crucial second-half stretch against Maryland-Baltimore County.

The St. Christopher's School alum entered with the game tied at 42 and about 13 minutes left. He played seven minutes and scored a career-high four points in UVa's 77-66 win.

Shiembob helped spark a 7-2 run, scoring his first college points when the Cavs broke a half-court trap.

"My man dropped off me to guard Jason Cain, and [Cain] saw me open under the basket," said Shiembob on Thursday. "I just put it in and went back to the other end of the court to play defense."

It's that kind of attitude that has endeared Shiembob to UVa coach Dave Leitao.

"Drew has a really good understanding of the game," said Leitao, whose team hosts a 5-5 Hartford squad today at 2 p.m. "I thought his ability to hedge, to play his man and play help defense were really good. He just played a really good floor game. Those minutes were needed and really helped us."

Added junior guard J.R. Reynolds: "He gave us some good quality minutes off the bench, and gave us the energy that we needed."

The best thing about Shiembob's performance? He did it in front of a throng that included his parents, extended family visiting from Baltimore and an assistant coach from his old high school. In all, Shiembob said between 15 and 20 people came out to support him.

Shiembob didn't think he was going to play - especially when it became clear that the game wasn't going to be a blowout.

"I wasn't really expecting [to play]," said Shiembob, whose parents, Mark and Cheryl, are longtime UVa basketball season-ticket holders. "Against Northwestern and Georgia Tech, I think I went in to provide an energy boost, but [against UMBC] I stayed in there a while. We were able to go on a little run and coach Leitao decided to stick with it a little and see where it took us."

Shiembob came out of the game with about seven minutes left, but Leitao reinserted him with under a minute to play. With UMBC applying full-court pressure, Shiembob was able to leak out for his second basket of the game - an easy layup. Shiembob admitted the thought of dunking crossed his mind.

"I was sort of looking back," he said. "I wasn't quite sure where I was. I thought I should just make the safe play and lay it in."

As a high school senior, Shiembob was a Virginia League of Independent Schools first-team All-State selection. At 6-foot-4, he is clearly undersized for a Division I college forward, but he makes up for it with what Leitao calls a "high basketball IQ."

"I think I have a pretty good understanding of what we're trying to do in the offense and how I fit into it," Shiembob said. "When I'm in there, I just try and mesh with the other guys, be a cog in the offense, set screens and deliver the ball to the people who need to handle it.

"I try and work hard in practice and if I get an opportunity in the game, I do what I can with it and just try and play hard."

After a recent three-game losing streak, Shiembob said the Cavs were happy to escape Richmond with a win - the team's second straight.

"I think it was sort of a sense of relief in that we dodged a bullet that could have very easily been like the Fordham [loss] all over again," Shiembob said. "I think we knew what we had to do to pull it out."

DUNKS: Today's game is just the second all-time meeting between UVa and Hartford. The Cavs won the previous contest in 1986.

Hartford is coming off a 56-54 home loss to Monmouth.

The Cavs, seeking their third straight win, have won their last two games that have taken place on New Year's Eve, most recently over Iowa State in 2003.

After exploding for 35 points at Gonzaga, UVa point guard Sean Singletary has scored just 11 points in the last two games - in part because of early foul trouble. Singletary said he needs to be smarter when he goes for steals. "I have to try and not go overboard," said Singletary, following the win over UMBC. "Sometimes I just try and bring so much energy that I make mistakes like that." The Cavs have been able to get away with Singletary's foul problems against Loyola and UMBC, but probably won't be able to do so once the ACC season gets into full swing. "He has to be smarter, and pick and choose his spots when he puts his hands in the cookie jar," Leitao said. "Obviously he got caught early [the last two games], and it cost him and it cost us. He never really found his rhythm offensively in either one of those games. We're going to need him to be on the floor and be a much better contributor in order to be successful."

 

Cavs band together
UVa rallies from adversity with 34 - 31 win over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl. | See a photo gallery of the game
By Doug Doughty
The Roanoke Times

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- At a time in the game and a point in the season when all signs indicated that Virginia's football team was finished, the Cavaliers chose not to go through the motions Friday.

A midseason upset of then-No. 4 Florida State was no more satisfying for UVa coach Al Groh and his team than a 34-31 victory over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl at The Coliseum.

The Cavaliers (7-5) never had the lead until Connor Hughes, the leading scorer in UVa football history, kicked a 39-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining.

That broke a 31-31 tie, but it took an end-zone interception by cornerback Marcus Hamilton with 36 seconds left to secure UVa's victory.

It was the only turnover of the game by Minnesota, which amassed 306 yards in the first half and twice led by two touchdowns at 14-0 and 21-7.

"I hope you enjoy that game as much as I did and I mean that sincerely," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason, whose Gophers had won their previous 19 games against nonconference opposition, including three bowl victories.

"I don't like the way the game turned out, but it was a great college football game. I guarantee you the Rose Bowl hopes they get as good a game out of Texas and USC. They'd settle for that right now."

As feared, the Gophers (7-5) couldn't contain UVa quarterback Marques Hagans, named most valuable player after completing 25 of 32 passes for a career-high 358 yards and two touchdowns.

"When you think you've got him, you don't," Mason said.

There were multiple heroes for Virginia, including senior tailback Wali Lundy, whose two scoring runs gave him the ACC record for touchdowns in a career with 52.

Lundy moved into a tie for eighth place on the ACC's all-time scoring list and Hughes jumped from fifth to third with two field goals, including a 32-yarder as time expired at the end of the first half.

The game-winner was his ninth without a miss to end the season.

"He just grinned and said, 'Coach, this was the easiest one I ever tried,' " Groh said.

The game unfolded in a fashion that was eerily reminiscent of the Cavaliers' most recent bowl appearance, a 2004 date with Fresno State in the MPC Computers Bowl, won by the Bulldogs 37-34 in overtime.

Even the halftime score, 21-10, was identical. Against Fresno, Virginia led 21-7 and squandered a chance to tack on another score at the half, only to have the Bulldogs kick a field goal at the halftime buzzer.

Minnesota marched from its 22-yard line to the Virginia 33 in the closing minutes of the first half, Friday, only to turn the ball over to the Cavaliers with 42 seconds left after the second of back-to-back fade patterns.

Hagans responded with pass completions of 27, 3 and 23 yards before the Cavaliers were able to stop the clock and send the field-goal unit onto the field with one second left.

"There are ways to coach -- one is not to lose and the other is to coach to win," Mason said. "I learned a long time ago that it is a lot more fun to try and coach to win. If you want to be critical, it was my decision to try and score before the half, leaving time on clock."

It was also Mason who had called a fake punt on fourth-and-one from his own 15, providing the momentum for a 95-yard drive that made it 21-7 with 6:50 left in the first half.

Mason also took credit for the Gophers' last offensive play of the game, a Hail Mary pass from the UVa 48 on which Hamilton outbattled 6-foot-5 Minnesota wideout Ernie Wheelwright.

"It was a good pass by Bryan [Cupito] and I just went up and got it," Wheelwright said. "When I came down with the ball, he snatched the ball away. I haven't seen it on replay yet, but from my vantage, possession should go to the offense."

Television replays indicated that Hamilton clearly had the ball when he hit the ground.

"If [Wheelwright] had it at all, it was at the highest point," said Hamilton, who is 5-11. "But, as we were coming back to the ground, I had it, and when we hit the ground, I had it. I don't think there was any way that he could have got the ball.

"It was an amazing feeling, just indescribable, knowing that the play had sealed the game and all we needed was a couple of kneel-downs. All week long, even back in Charlottesville, people were talking about what a mediocre team we were, the media included."

By game time, Minnesota had gone from a three- to a six-point favorite, possibly a realization that the Cavaliers would be without three regulars -- preseason All-America linebacker Ahmad Brooks and safeties Nate Lyles and Tony Franklin.

Then, on the eve of the game, Groh learned at 5 p.m. Wednesday that starting nose tackle Kwakou Robinson had been declared academically ineligible.

Ron Darden, supposedly retired after a succession of headaches, started at nose tackle opposite Outland Trophy winner Greg Eslinger and had tackles on two of the first four plays. Darden had not played since Oct. 22.

"We had emphasized all week long that it was everybody's job in this game to find a way to win," Groh said. "What we put into it is for moments like this -- the satisfaction from accomplishment."

 

Tight ends rip Gophers at seams
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Minnesota football coach Glen Mason had been talking for close to 10 minutes Friday following the Music City Bowl when curiosity got the best of him.

"I'm really surprised," said Mason after a 34-31 loss to Virginia. "I thought the first question would be, 'Whatever happened to the tight end down the middle?' "

A reporter took the bait and asked Mason what had happened to the tight end down the middle.

"I was hoping you guys would have an answer," he said.

On a career passing afternoon by UVa quarterback Marques Hagans, UVa tight ends Tom Santi and Tom Stupar combined for 10 receptions and 167 yards.

Santi, who went to high school at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, had five receptions for 128 yards. Both were career highs.

"I didn't come into this game with any expectations," said Santi, who had caught a total of three passes in his previous five games, not counting a 27-17 victory over 24th-ranked Georgia Tech in which he was in uniform but did not play.

Santi had receptions of 55 and 43 yards, both coming on the "seam" route that was popularized by Heath Miller, a first-team All-American and winner of the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end.

"If you've seen us play over the past five years, you know that we're pretty tight end-oriented, so we're always looking for opportunities to get the ball there," UVa head coach Al Groh said.

Santi's day started inauspiciously, when he had an opportunity for a one-handed catch on UVa's second drive but failed to come up with the ball.

"I was definitely upset that I didn't make that play," he said.

After Virginia failed to complete a pass to a tight end in a 52-14 loss to Virginia Tech in the season's 10th week, Stupar was a go-to guy as a fourth-quarter rally fell short in a 25-17 loss at Miami in the season finale.

"We've asked a lot of Tom as a young player," said Groh, who pressed Santi into service last year as a true freshman.

"In a few years from now, when we have a little more foundation under us, maybe a player like Tom will have a chance to sit around and season. He's been asked to come in and play a major role in a hurry."

New rule helps

A 32-yard field goal before the half allowed Virginia to creep within 21-10 of Minnesota and give the Cavaliers a lift going into the locker room, but it almost didn't happen.

On the next-to-last play of the half, UVa quarterback Marques Hagans ran the ball into the middle of the field and almost didn't go down in time for Virginia to call a timeout.

"In a hurry-up situation, a lot of calls are made on the field," Groh said.

"On that play, he understimated -- or overestimated -- how much time we had left. I was hoping he would go down earlier.

"Fortunately, I was close enough to the official. With the new rule [that allows] the coach to call the timeout on the sideline, that enabled us to get the timeout called faster than it would have been called on the field."

The clock was stopped with one second remaining.

Better as a QB

Hagans twice lined up at wide receiver and caught passes from back-up Christian Olsen, the second of which was ruled a backward pass and counted as a run. Hagans also lined up twice in punt formation.

The first time, Minnesota picked up a first down on a punt. The second time, Hagans fumbled when the wind caused him to lunge for the ball.

"I couldn't believe I dropped that punt and then came back to throw an interception," Hagans said. "I thought, 'It can't get any worse than this.' I just kept fighting and my teammates rallied behind me."

By the numbers

Defensive end Chris Long, held without a tackle in the season finale against Miami, had a career-high nine tackles. The Cavaliers inserted former linebacker Vince Redd at end when Brennan Schmidt was moved to nose tackle, and Redd had nine tackles.

Redd, one of four Tennesseeans on the UVa roster, had seven tackles all season before Friday.

Like Long, Redd (6-6, 280) also knocked down a pass at an important moment in the second half.

First-team All-ACC linebacker Kai Parham matched a career high with 14 tackles, including two for loss, and went over the 100-tackle mark for the first time for a season.

Parham, a junior, declined comment on a possible move to the NFL, but said it was "sad that this was the last time we'll be together as a unit."

Maroney going

Minnesota junior Laurence Maroney, who was fifth in Division I-A in rushing this season, said after the game that he is going to the NFL. Maroney carried 26 times for a game-high 111 yards but had eight carries for only 21 yards in the second half.

 

Up to standard
Marques Hagans perseveres to be successful at Virginia.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- From the time he started playing football, Marques Hagans was always the youngest player on his team. It was the same way in school, where Hagans figured out, in the ninth grade, that he was the same age as some of the seventh-graders.

"I don't know how that happened," Hagans said recently. "I've been meaning to talk to my mom about that."

Hagans was a 15-year-old junior when he led Hampton High School to a Group AAA championship in 1998.

"All my life, I've always played up," Hagans said. "I came in here as the youngest person on the team but, what's funny is, now I'm leaving as the oldest person on the team."

Actually, fifth-year senior linebacker Bryan White is almost a year older, but Hagans observed his 23rd birthday Thursday -- hardly the time or the setting for much of a celebration.

"We'll have football practice, a team meal, meetings, curfew and then I'll call it a night," Hagans said before leaving for Nashville.

Besides, there will be plenty of time for partying after the game.

"Now, Dec. 30, that will be a different story," he said. "But, if things don't go well on the field, just chalk that one up. That's one birthday that will be gone."

If you don't believe Hagans, consider his reaction to a 37-34 overtime loss to Fresno State in last year's MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho. Hagans didn't even change out of his uniform after the game and said he would have walked home if possible.

"If he's 1-for-30 and we win, he's happy," UVa coach Al Groh said. "That's the great thing about him. He's played for his team at whatever position he's been needed and played with as much heart and unselfishness as anybody."

After a last-second victory over Syracuse early this season and while teammates visited with parents and friends, a cramping Hagans remained in the Cavaliers' locker room, receiving fluids intravenously for more than an hour. After a 7-5 loss at North Carolina, he was also the last player to leave the locker room, but for other reasons.

"After the North Carolina game, it was just the two of us in there," Groh said. "We were both miserable and we kind of commiserated about that. He's really spent after a game. If he's not physically spent, he's spent emotionally."

The odds would not have been great for Hagans to become a college athlete when, as an infant, he was diagnosed with Erb's Palsy, a condition that left one side of his body paralyzed but from which he had complete recovery.

He was not a good enough student to get into Virginia out of high school and few people know how close he came to enrolling at Indiana, which sold him on the idea of succeeding another multi-dimensional quarterback, Antwaan Randle El.

Hagans signed a letter-of-intent with the Hoosiers and was within days of travelling to Bloomington, Ind., in the summer of 2000 when he learned that he had not qualified for freshman eligibility under Proposition 48.

"They told me I could come to school right away," Hagans said. "They wanted me to 'prop,' but you lose a year under Prop 48. I didn't want to do that and my high school coach [Mike Smith] didn't want me to do that, so he made a call to Coach [John] Shuman at Fork Union. I wanted all my turns to play."

Between a postgraduate year at Fork Union and a redshirt year at Virginia, almost three years lapsed between Hagans' final season at Hampton and his UVa debut, and he almost didn't get to that point.

As a redshirt freshman in 2002, Hagans received a warning from the dean's office to the effect that he could be dismissed for academic negligence.

"Coach Groh and I joke about it now," Hagans said, "but he almost didn't let me travel to Wake Forest because I didn't have my books. And that was like the seventh game of the season."

Actually, it was the fifth game, held Sept. 28.

"I've come a long way since then," Hagans said. "I've tried to pass on my experience to the young players on what not to do so they don't have to go through what I went through. I had to meet with a couple of deans. I was right on the edge.

"Coach came to me on a Wednesday and said, 'If you don't have your books by Friday, you're not traveling. I went to get my books that night, but the bookstore was closed. I was there first thing in the morning, before they opened. I wasn't even really going to class."

Hagans turned himself around academically and received his undergraduate degree on time, walking at commencement ceremonies last May. He took another walk recently, when he was accompanied by both of his parents at his final home game.

"Football is great," said Hagans, who lived with his grandmother after his parents split up when he was kid. "Not only does it bring families together. It brings different ethnic backgrounds together. It's funny how we don't see black and white on our team. We just see teammates."

A year that Hagans spent as a wide receiver and punt returner in 2003 might help him latch on with some pro team, but his relative lack of stature (5-foot-10, 210 pounds) might prevent him from playing quarterback at the next level.

Hagans won't be remembered as the greatest quarterback in UVa history, but he belongs in a group just below former ACC players of the year Shawn Moore and Matt Schaub. He compares very favorably with another Hampton High School quarterback, Ronald Curry.

Curry was considered the No. 1 prospect in the country in 1997-1998 and actually committed to Virginia before signing with North Carolina, where he passed for a then-UNC record of 4,987 yards and 28 touchdowns. Going into today's game, Hagans has passed for 4,519 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Hagans has completed 61.5 percent of his passes, as opposed to Curry, a 49.6-percent passer.

Groh once quoted as saying he had a clear image of what a top Division I-A quarterback should be like -- maybe something along the lines of Schaub, who was in the 6-5, 230-pound range -- but he doesn't talk like that anymore.

"There are a lot of teams with 6-5 quarterbacks who'd like to have Marques Hagans," he said.

 

Hagans saves his best for last
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© December 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marques Hagans felt the hands grabbing at him, felt the game, the season and his Virginia career, potentially slipping away.

Getting sacked wasn’t an option. That would have forced a punt, and given the ball back to the best offense Virginia had faced all season.

So on his last day in a Virginia uniform Hagans did what he’s done as well as any quarterback in school history: he improvised.

Facing third-and-6 from the Minnesota 43 with 2:30 left in a deadlocked Music City Bowl Friday, Hagans dropped back to pass and was immediately surrounded by Minnesota maroon and gold.

“I felt hands just grabbing at me,” he said. “I don’t remember where I went, how I got out. I just know I got out. I started looking for open receivers.”

Hagans rolled left, spun back right, spotted Emmanuel Byers over the middle, and fired an 18-yard strike . Four plays later, Connor Hughes kicked a game-winning 39-yard field goal that gave Virginia its first and only lead of the day, 34-31.

Marcus Hamilton sealed the win by intercepting a Minnesota heave in the end zone with 36 seconds left, ending one of the more entertaining bowl games played this season.

“I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and I mean that sincerely,” Minnesota coach Glen Mason said.

Mason would have enjoyed it more had Hagans not shredded his defense for a career-high 358 passing yards, and rushed for 26 more. He also caught a pass and lined up as a punt returner.

The senior from Hampton lived on the edge all day, taking risks, some of which paid off and a few of which didn’t.

Hagans began the fourth quarter by muffing a punt he admitted he should have fair caught, setting up a Minnesota touchdown. Then he forced a deep throw and was intercepted .

Virginia finally got the ball back with 5:05 left and began on its own 3 . Hagans stood too long in the end zone on a first-down pass play and Minnesota’s William VanDeSteeg grabbed him, for an apparent safety. Somehow, Hagans slipped away.

“When you think you’ve got him, you don’t,” Mason said.

Said Hagans, “It was close. But they weren’t going to get me down. I couldn’t go back to the sidelines with a safety and face coach Groh.”

Hagans already felt bad enough about the interception and muffed punt. He said he was grateful to get a last chance to put things right.

“I just kept fighting,” he said. “And my teammates rallied behind me.”

Redemption was a theme of the day. Hamilton was beaten badly early on a 57-yard touchdown pass, and picked on all day, but came back to make the game-clinching interception.

Hamilton’s grab secured a win that allowed Virginia (7-5) to put a happy ending on a turbulent month. Since the regular season ended Nov. 26, the Cavaliers lost four assistant coaches to other schools .

Virginia also lost three defensive starters. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks missed the game with a back injury, safety Tony Franklin was suspended and nose tackle Kwakou Robinson was declared academically ineligible, just a day before the game.

The patchwork defense was pushed around early. Minnesota, which came in ranked

No. 5 nationally in total offense and No.2 in rushing offense, scored with alarming ease, going up 14-0 a little more than nine minutes in .

“It was kind of looking like it was going to be 70,” Groh said.

Minnesota rolled up 306 yards in the first half, 124 on the ground. Virginia made a few adjustments, mainly moving defensive tackle Brennan Schmidt to nose tackle to face Outland Trophy winner Greg Eslinger, Minnesota’s center.

“We felt like we better throw our best against their best,” Groh said.

The move worked. Schmidt clogged the middle. Holes that had been there in the first half vanished in the second. Minnesota’s tailbacks were forced to run outside.

“Outside wasn’t there,” tailback Laurence Maroney said.

The Gophers managed just 155 yards and 10 points in the second half.

With the defense finally holding its own, the offense went to work. Hagans threw for 220 yards in the second half, with 101 of them going to tight end Tom Santi, who broke free down the middle for three second-half catches, one for 55 yards.

That catch set up a two-yard touchdown run by Wali Lundy that tied the game at 31 with 8:48 left. From there, Hagans took over.

“It was a tremendous punctuation point to the career he’s had at Virginia,” Groh said.

 

Groh has big hand in U.Va. triumph
David Teel
December 31 2005

NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Al Groh started with a fib, albeit heartfelt and harmless. "It was all done by the players," he said Friday after his Virginia Cavaliers defeated Minnesota 34-31 in the Music City Bowl.

Indeed, the roll call of Cavs who distinguished themselves goes from A (Antonio Appleby) to darn near Z (Deyon Williams). But this was arguably Groh's best coaching moment in his five seasons at Virginia.

OK, so the Gophers weren't ranked, and their defense was more generous than the fat dude in the red suit. Moreover, the stakes were minimal, the crowd tame.

But given the regular season's disappointments and bowl preparation's distractions, the Cavaliers had every reason to mail it in. Groh and his skeleton staff didn't let it happen. "Every team has issues and problems," defensive end Chris Long explained. "We never felt sorry for ourselves."

Not when four assistant coaches, including the offensive and defensive coordinators, accepted other coaching jobs. Not when two defensive starters, safety Tony Franklin and nose guard Kwakou Robinson, were lost to suspension after the regular season. And not when Minnesota scored on three of its first four possessions to take a 21-7 second-quarter lead.

Instead, with Groh orchestrating the defense and receivers coach John Garrett and quarterbacks coach Mike Groh the offense, Virginia (7-5) overcame its own demons and Minnesota (7-5).

"These kids put a tremendous part of themselves in the preparation," the elder Groh said. "It was apparent how important it was to them, particularly in the way they kept fighting back."

Per usual, no one fought harder than senior quarterback Marques Hagans. He's far from the NFL prototype at his position, but his infectious attitude and knack for the spectacular will be irresistible to some pro team.

Hagans darn near lost this game with a muffed punt and interception in the fourth quarter, but then he won it with a series of escapes and passes that epitomized his career.

"I held my breath a little bit," Long said of Hagans' theatrics, "but I've been through that with him before."

Even Groh, who hides his warm and cuddly side like a porcupine, couldn't help gushing over Hagans, voted the game's MVP after passing for a career-best 358 yards.

"I just love him to death," Groh said.

Hagans' drama was mere prelude to Connor Hughes and Marcus Hamilton. Hughes kicked a decisive 39-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining to close his college career with nine consecutive makes; Hamilton saved the victory by outwrestling Minnesota receiver Ernie Wheelwright for an end-zone interception with 36 seconds left.

Hamilton and his mates on defense were awful early, but they yielded only 10 second-half points and held the Gophers to 198 yards rushing, 82 below their average. Brennan Schmidt shifted from end to nose tackle and played superbly. Long and fellow end Vince Redd showed flashes; linebackers Kai Parham and Appleby combined for 24 tackles (Appleby had 10, seven fewer than his regular-season total).

All that said, the most critical defensive play might have come from a receiver. Trailing 21-10 early in the third quarter, Virginia faced second-and-goal at the 7 and attempted a fade to Williams in the left corner of the end zone.

The ball slipped from Hagans' hand, turning Williams into a defensive back. With cornerback Trumaine Banks in position for an easy interception, Williams raked Banks' arms. Officials missed the obvious offensive interference penalty, the ball hit the turf, and Wali Lundy scored on the next snap.

On such sequences, tense games hinge.

"I guarantee you the Rose Bowl hopes it gets as good a game out of Texas and USC," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said.

Hard to argue. And hard to argue Groh's record of postseason prep.

Virginia is 3-1 in bowls on his watch, scoring 34.8 points per game, and only poor officiating at the close of last year's MPC Computers Bowl separates the Cavaliers from 4-0. But given the circumstances, Friday was the highlight.

"We had challenges to overcome," Groh said, "whether it was in preparation or on the field. But we came with the right solutions to those challenges, and I could see it coming."
 

MUSIC CITY BOWL: U.Va. defeats Minnesota
BY BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The football - and the game's outcome - hung in the air for what seemed an eternity. Minnesota receiver Ernie Wheelwright, who stands 6-5, leaped in the end zone. So did Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton, who's 6 inches shorter.
Both players got their hands on the ball, but as they fell, the Cavalier wrestled it from the Golden Gopher.

Interception, Hamilton.

Victory, U.Va.

"We went there and did something very special today," sophomore defensive end Chris Long said after the Wahoos rallied to upset Minnesota 34-31 in the Music City Bowl yesterday before about 25,000 fans at The Coliseum.

Senior quarterback Marques Hagans, the game's most valuable player, was more special than anyone, passing for a career-best 358 yards and two touchdowns. But the Cavaliers (7-5) got memorable performances from numerous others, among them sophomore tight end Tom Santi, senior tailback Wali Lundy, junior wideout Deyon Williams, junior linebacker Kai Parham, senior defensive lineman Brennan Schmidt and sophomore defensive ends Long and Vince Redd.

"These kids put a tremendous part of themselves in the preparation," said Al Groh, Virginia's fifth-year coach, who also served as defensive coordinator yesterday. "It was apparent how important it was to them, particularly in the way they kept fighting back."

Virginia held the Gophers' vaunted offense to 10 second-half points. Minnesota (7-5), which came in ranked second nationally in rushing offense, ran for 198 yards, about 82 fewer than its average.

"Credit Virginia," Gophers coach Glen Mason said. "They did a good job - I'm not saying stopping our run - but it was tough sledding in there."

In the weeks leading up to the game, Groh preached to his team the importance of resiliency and determination and toughness. Not everything would go the Cavaliers' way, Groh told his players, and they'd have to battle through adversity to win.

Sure enough, U.Va. trailed 14-0 midway through the first quarter and 21-7 midway through the second half. The Cavaliers played nearly 59 minutes before taking their first lead. They finally went ahead with 68 seconds left, on senior Connor Hughes' 39-yard field goal.

"It was just a nice easy kick. Nothing really special," said Hughes, who closed the season by making nine consecutive field goals.

The kick, which wasn't the chip shot Hughes would have people believe, capped a drive that began at the Virginia 3-yard line with 5:05 left. On first down, Hagans nearly was tackled for a safety, only to somehow escape from the end zone.

Later in the drive, on third and 6 from Minnesota's 43, Hagans again played Houdini. Slipping away from defenders in the pocket, he stepped up and spotted sophomore wideout Emmanuel Byers open in the secondary for an 18-yard gain.

"When you think you got him, you don't," Mason said of Hagans, whose 384 yards of offense were a U.Va. bowl record.

Minnesota started its final possession at its 27 with 1:01 remaining. With 45 seconds left, the Gophers had a first down at the U.Va. 48. Mason had called for a fake punt deep in the Gophers' territory in the first half - it worked - and he gambled again.

"I thought it was the right time to take a shot," Mason said.

Quarterback Bryan Cupito, who'd thrown four touchdown passes, lofted a Hail Mary pass in the direction of Wheelright, who had seven receptions for 120 yards. Hamilton, who'd been burned on a first-half touchdown pass, showed the form that earned him a place on the all-ACC second team and came down with his 10th career pick.

"If you're going to win games like this - your guy makes the play, you win; their guy makes the play, they win - you just have to step up and make those kind of plays," Groh said.

Virginia improved to 3-1 in bowl games under Groh, the loss coming last season against Fresno State in Boise, Idaho. In that game, the Bulldogs made a field goal as time expired in the first half to pull to 21-10. Yesterday, Hughes' 32-yard field goal on the final play of the half pulled Virginia to 21-10.

The Cavs' deficit could have been greater at the break. In the final minute, Minnesota failed to convert on fourth and 7 from the U.Va. 33. The Cavaliers took over with 42 seconds left, and Hagans quickly moved them into field goal range. The clock nearly ran out on a run by Hagans, but Virginia called a timeout at :01, and Hughes did the rest.

The first of Lundy's two touchdowns - he finished his career with 52, an ACC record - came on the opening drive of the second half, and Hughes' PAT made it 21-17. Minnesota answered with a field goal, but the Cavaliers pulled even with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, on Hagans' 2-yard TD pass to junior wideout Fontel Mines.

In the fourth quarter, Hagans turned the ball over twice - first on a muffed punt, then on an interception - but the setbacks never broke Virginia's spirit. Down 31-24, the Cavaliers responded with a touchdown drive and pulled even with 8:42 left.

With 5:58 to play and the score 31-31, the Gophers took over at the Cavaliers 38 after Hagans' second turnover. But U.Va.'s defense stiffened and, for the first time in the game, forced Minnesota into a three-and-out series.

"I don't like the way the game turned out," Mason said, "but it was a great college football game."

 

Pickin' and grinnin'
Hamilton's interception in end zone seals win for Cavs; Hughes hits clutch field goal
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The football - and the game's outcome - hung in the air for what seemed an eternity. Minnesota receiver Ernie Wheelwright, who stands 6-5, leaped in the end zone. So did Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton, who's 6 inches shorter.

Both players got their hands on the ball, but as they fell, the Cavalier wrestled it from the Golden Gopher.

Interception, Hamilton.

Victory, U.Va.

"We went there and did something very special today," sophomore defensive end Chris Long said after the Wahoos rallied to upset Minnesota 34-31 in the Music City Bowl yesterday before about 25,000 fans at The Coliseum.

Senior quarterback Marques Hagans, the game's most valuable player, was more special than anyone, passing for a career-best 358 yards and two touchdowns. But the Cavaliers (7-5) got memorable performances from numerous others, among them sophomore tight end Tom Santi, senior tailback Wali Lundy, junior wideout Deyon Williams, junior linebacker Kai Parham, senior defensive lineman Brennan Schmidt and sophomore defensive ends Long and Vince Redd.

"These kids put a tremendous part of themselves in the preparation," said Al Groh, Virginia's fifth-year coach, who also served as defensive coordinator yesterday. "It was apparent how important it was to them, particularly in the way they kept fighting back."

Virginia held the Gophers' vaunted offense to 10 second-half points. Minnesota (7-5), which came in ranked second nationally in rushing offense, ran for 198 yards, about 82 fewer than its average.

"Credit Virginia," Gophers coach Glen Mason said. "They did a good job - I'm not saying stopping our run - but it was tough sledding in there."

In the weeks leading up to the game, Groh preached to his team the importance of resiliency and determination and toughness. Not everything would go the Cavaliers' way, Groh told his players, and they'd have to battle through adversity to win.

Sure enough, U.Va. trailed 14-0 midway through the first quarter and 21-7 midway through the second half. The Cavaliers played nearly 59 minutes before taking their first lead. They finally went ahead with 68 seconds left, on senior Connor Hughes' 39-yard field goal.

"It was just a nice easy kick. Nothing really special," said Hughes, who closed the season by making nine consecutive field goals.

The kick, which wasn't the chip shot Hughes would have people believe, capped a drive that began at the Virginia 3-yard line with 5:05 left. On first down, Hagans nearly was tackled for a safety, only to somehow escape from the end zone.

Later in the drive, on third and 6 from Minnesota's 43, Hagans again played Houdini. Slipping away from defenders in the pocket, he stepped up and spotted sophomore wideout Emmanuel Byers open in the secondary for an 18-yard gain.

"When you think you got him, you don't," Mason said of Hagans, whose 384 yards of offense were a U.Va. bowl record.

Minnesota started its final possession at its 27 with 1:01 remaining. With 45 seconds left, the Gophers had a first down at the U.Va. 48. Mason had called for a fake punt deep in the Gophers' territory in the first half - it worked - and he gambled again.

"I thought it was the right time to take a shot," Mason said.

Quarterback Bryan Cupito, who'd thrown four touchdown passes, lofted a Hail Mary pass in the direction of Wheelright, who had seven receptions for 120 yards. Hamilton, who'd been burned on a first-half touchdown pass, showed the form that earned him a place on the all-ACC second team and came down with his 10th career pick.

"If you're going to win games like this - your guy makes the play, you win; their guy makes the play, they win - you just have to step up and make those kind of plays," Groh said.

Virginia improved to 3-1 in bowl games under Groh, the loss coming last season against Fresno State in Boise, Idaho. In that game, the Bulldogs made a field goal as time expired in the first half to pull to 21-10. Yesterday, Hughes' 32-yard field goal on the final play of the half pulled Virginia to 21-10.

The Cavs' deficit could have been greater at the break. In the final minute, Minnesota failed to convert on fourth and 7 from the U.Va. 33. The Cavaliers took over with 42 seconds left, and Hagans quickly moved them into field goal range. The clock nearly ran out on a run by Hagans, but Virginia called a timeout at :01, and Hughes did the rest.

The first of Lundy's two touchdowns - he finished his career with 52, an ACC record - came on the opening drive of the second half, and Hughes' PAT made it 21-17. Minnesota answered with a field goal, but the Cavaliers pulled even with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, on Hagans' 2-yard TD pass to junior wideout Fontel Mines.

In the fourth quarter, Hagans turned the ball over twice - first on a muffed punt, then on an interception - but the setbacks never broke Virginia's spirit. Down 31-24, the Cavaliers responded with a touchdown drive and pulled even with 8:42 left.

With 5:58 to play and the score 31-31, the Gophers took over at the Cavaliers 38 after Hagans' second turnover. But U.Va.'s defense stiffened and, for the first time in the game, forced Minnesota into a three-and-out series.

"I don't like the way the game turned out," Mason said, "but it was a great college football game."

 

UVA: Santi plays to the crowd
U.Va. sophomore is king of homecoming game, racking up 128 yards in Cavs' victory
Richmond Times-Dispatch Dec 31, 2005

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - You can go home again.

Tom Santi proved the point in the Music City Bowl yesterday.

A sophomore tight end at Virginia by way of Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy, Santi summoned the best performance of his 21-game career in the 34-31 conquest of Minnesota. He'd managed only three catches in his past five outings. Against the Gophers, he had five receptions for 128 yards. Both were personal bests.

"When I woke up today, I felt I had a few more nerves than usual," Santi said. "It was exciting to be able to perform like that in front of everybody."

Three of Santi's receptions were particularly meaningful. In the closing seconds of the first half, for instance, he snared a 23-yarder from Marques Hagans that led to a field goal that narrowed U.Va.'s deficit to 21-10 at intermission.

Later, flashing his 4.5 speed, he converted catch-and-run plays into gains of 43 and 55 yards on consecutive possessions that ended in touchdowns for ties at 24 and 31.

"We sure didn't have an answer for him down the middle," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason.

Said Santi, "It was pretty perfect being on the same page with Marques, the way we were today."

Playing behind All-American Heath Miller last year, Santi caught 13 passes as a true freshman and had 14 this season before yesterday's effort. He said he hoped it was a steppingstone toward increased production.

"It's a wonderful thing for him," said U.Va. coach Al Groh. "We've asked a lot from him as a young player. He's been asked to come in and play a major role in a hurry. But he's a very mature kid."

Not so grown up, though, to avoid stealing glances into the stands during this game. Santi said he spotted some family members. In turn, he gave them much to look at.

"It's very special," he said. "I feel blessed I was able to play the way I did today." - Bob Lipper

 

Hagans a hero to Virginia
Recovers from fumble, INT to lead winning drive
By MIKE ORGAN
Staff Writer

Virginia Coach Al Groh refers to the dazzling plays made by his quarterback as Marques Hagans' creations.

Yesterday Hagans created problems, then promptly solved them, leading the Cavaliers to a 34-31 come-from-behind win over Minnesota in the eighth annual Music City Bowl at the Coliseum.

"I just wanted another chance to redeem myself,'' said Hagans, who was named the game's most valuable player after completing 25-of-32 passes for a career-high 358 yards and two touchdowns. "It was just a matter of us going out there on that last drive and executing. We always work on two-minute drives and four-minute drives, so it wasn't anything new to us.''

Hagans rallied his team, which fell behind 21-7 in the first half, in the final 3:57 by engineering a 75-yard scoring drive capped by a 39-yard field goal by Connor Hughes with 1:08 remaining.

"He's an exciting guy, one of those fun guys to watch play,'' Minnesota Coach Glen Mason said of Hagans. "You think you've got him and you don't have him. He's a great scrambler, but he keeps his eyes downfield.''

Hagans' heroics made the difference for the Cavaliers (7-5), but he also put his team in a bind twice late.

With Virginia poised to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, Hagans fumbled a punt that was recovered by Minnesota at Virginia's 37. That set up another TD for the Gophers (7-5), giving them a 31-24 lead.

Hagans engineered a six-play, 77-yard scoring drive that tied the game 31-31 on Wali Lundy's 2-yard run with 8:48 left.

Less than three minutes later, Hagans threw an interception at Minnesota's 38.

Virginia held Minnesota to three-and-out, and Hagans was given another opportunity to play the hero with 5:05 left. Hagans kept the drive alive on a third-and-7 with an 18-yard pass to Emmanuel Byers. Hagans' run around left end put Hughes in position for the winning kick.
A last-minute pass for Minnesota's Ernie Wheelwright is intercepted by Virginia's Marcus Hamilton (rear) as Byron Glaspy (21) defends to seal the Cavaliers' victory. (BILLY KINGSLEY / STAFF)
 

No SEC team gives Music City empty feeling
Commentary by JOE BIDDLE
Staff Writer

Given the fact Southeastern Conference teams were a collective 1-6 going into yesterday's Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, I petition SEC Commissioner Mike Slive to offer Virginia an honorary membership.

The Cavaliers admirably pinch-hit for the SEC, a conference that failed to fill its bowl tie-ins this season.

The Virginia-Minnesota game provided plenty of offense (929 yards combined) and the excitement of watching the Cavaliers rally in the second half to take a 34-31 victory.

Too bad you missed it, and odds are heavy you did.

They announced a tickets-sold crowd of 40,519, but there was nowhere close to that number of folks sitting in the Coliseum.

It was the eighth Music City Bowl. The event has been staged under two four-year contracts. The first was an SEC-Big East arrangement. Yesterday's game concluded a four-year run by the SEC-Big Ten.

Still a relatively young college football bowl game, the next four years are critical in the Music City Bowl's lifespan.

It has taken baby steps, had some hits, suffered some misses. Call them growing pains. Yesterday's low turnout was not an unexpected hiccup.

Having Minnesota here for the third time in four years produced no buzz, either in Minnesota or Nashville. Not having an SEC team was the killing blow.

It negated the fact the bowl had sold three times the number of tickets in any previous years before the teams were announced. Once the SEC no-showed, this game became almost an impossible sell.

Starting a new four-year pact next year between the SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference should help. The ACC has more teams located within driving distance of Nashville.

"The first four years with the Big East, we tried to get our feet on the ground. We had some sponsor changes, tried to get our big foundation pieces in place — get our TV deal done, our sponsorships consistent, trying to sell local tickets. So, it was a growing period for us,'' Music City Bowl executive director Scott Ramsey said. "Getting the Big Ten legitimized us. Our TV ratings have been higher. We knew we were going to have a solid matchup on the field.

"Now I think with the ACC moving over, I think our product is as good as we can get it in Nashville.''

The Nashville-based bowl game is limited in just how high its ceiling can go.

With apologies to Nashville Shores, there is no beach here. Unlike Atlanta's Chick-fil-A Bowl, there is no Georgia Dome, where creature comforts in late December can be controlled.

It can max out its potential on several fronts. Become the bowl known for the best hospitality.

No one wants to go to the Sun Bowl in El Paso — until they get there. It showers the teams, fans and media with unsurpassed hospitality. You want to put on a serape and sombrero and serenade someone until dawn? They will get it done for you.

Nashville knows how to show visitors a good time.

Become the best organized bowl game. That part has shown improvement.

"This is only their eighth bowl game, but they have put this on like it's the 58th,'' Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "This will be a good contract for the ACC.''

To take the next step requires money. Lots of it. Money to increase the payouts to participating teams. The Peach Bowl just changed its name. Why? Because Chick-fil-A signed a five-year $22 million deal for naming rights.

It instantly paid off, as the Atlanta-based bowl will now get the ACC's No. 2 team starting next year. That allows each team to take home $3.25 million.

It's how the Music City Bowl can separate itself from Shreveports of the bowl world and start moving up in the SEC pecking order.

Many of those details will be ironed out in the coming months as a new four-year contract will be forged. Ramsey is optimistic.

"Our next four years should really accelerate us,'' he predicted. "Then you can make that decision, what's the next four?''

It has been a bowl challenged by nasty weather, low turnout, stink-bomb games and games with little local interest.

It has survived to this point. The next four years will tell the tale.